House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2006, with 48% of the vote.
Taxation November 16th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, in the last budget not only did we bring down taxes by $7 billion over three years, but we reduced EI premiums by $1.5 billion last year, which was the largest single reduction in EI premiums.
The real problem is that the leader of the Reform Party does not like it when Canada is doing well. It is doing well and it is going to continue to do well.
Taxation November 16th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, it is very clear that six months does not a year make. What is painfully evident is that the leader of the Reform Party is unable to accept the fact that Canada has a $10 billion surplus going into what is a very uncertain economic climate.
What is really true is that the leader of the Reform Party is unable to accept the fact that Canada is doing well in a world that is in considerable uncertainty.
Taxation November 16th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, there certainly has been no miscalculation of the budget surplus.
If the hon. member wants to talk about taxation, the fact is that last year not only did the government take 400,000 Canadians off the tax rolls, it brought in $7 billion of tax reductions which will take place over the course of the next three years.
Employment Insurance November 5th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, as far as the EI premiums are concerned, I have already answered that question some five times. Obviously what the member is driving at, because she repeated it again in the preamble to her supplementary, has to do with the CPP premiums.
The fundamental fact is that economist after economist across the country has said that it is the confidence in the Canada pension plan that will create jobs because Canadians will know that it will be there for them. The Reform Party simply refuses to understand the true reality of the Canadian economy.
Employment Insurance November 5th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, the underlying basis of the hon. member's question is that she is advocating Reform's traditional position that the Canada pension plan be destroyed. That will not happen.
The fact of the matter is that the federal government, together with the provincial government, put in place a plan that will make sure the Canada pension plan is there for young Canadians as it was for their parents.
We will continue to do that because it is upon the confidence of the Canada pension plan that Canadian entrepreneurs will start business and that Canadians will have confidence in their future.
Employment Insurance November 5th, 1998
If we were able to lower taxes as we did in the last budget, and if we are going to be able to lower them in the next budget, it is because economic activity in our country is on the upswing; it is because there are more Canadians working; it is because there are more businesses growing; it is because the country is in good shape. And all this is because of the good management of this government.
Employment Insurance November 5th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, if we were able to lower taxes in the last budget, $7 billion over a period of three years, if we were able to remove 400,000 Canadians from Canada's tax roll—
Employment Insurance November 5th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, I have just said that, every year since the government took office, we have lowered EI premiums. It is certainly our intention to lower them in future.
If I understood correctly, the Leader of the Bloc Quebecois is saying that it is immoral to lower Canadians' taxes. I am sorry, but that is what we want to do.
Employment Insurance November 5th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, is a direct quote from fresh start not in fact representative of the Reform Party's position, or are Canadians not entitled to rely on what the Reform Party says? I guess we know the answer to that one.
The Reform Party's 1995 taxpayers budget is still on its web site. The Reform Party recommends the establishment of a permanent reserve fund; until the budget is balanced, funds would be applied against the deficit. It is still on the web site, or do Reformers never read their own web site?
Employment Insurance November 5th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, members of the opposition can repeat the same question time and time again. It is not going to detract from the fundamental fact that this government has reduced those premiums each and every year and the Reform Party opposed it, that the government has reduced them for both employees and employers and the Reform Party would leave the employees out in the cold.