House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2006, with 48% of the vote.
Employment Insurance November 5th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, let us take a look at this record of the Prime Minister and of this government. A $42 billion deficit eliminated. The child tax benefit brought in and increased by $1.8 billion. More money put into research and development. More money put in to help poor and moderate income Canadians.
What the Prime Minister has done over the course of the last five years is to effect a social and economic revolution that makes this country much the stronger for it.
Employment Insurance November 5th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, speaking of waking up and smelling the roses, the hon. member ought to take a look at what happened last year. There was a $1.5 billion reduction in EI premiums. Each and every year since we have taken office we stopped them from going to $3.30. We froze them at $3.07. Each and every year we brought them down against the opposition of the Reform.
Employment Insurance November 5th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is the leader of a government which since it has taken office has reduce EI premiums each and every single year. The member opposite belongs to a party that recommended throughout that period that there be no reductions in premiums, except that it would go to the deficit. Then when they did admit to a reduction in premiums, they wanted them to go only to employers and not to employees.
Canada Pension Plan November 3rd, 1998
Mr. Speaker, the provinces have already done this. The fact is that there was a joint stewardship between the provinces and the federal government. There was a committee set up to choose those people who would be nominated. We then went through and picked those people.
I simply go back to what I said before. When we ask Canadians to serve and to give up their time for the benefit of their fellow Canadians, I do not think it does anybody any good for the hon. member to stand in this House and decry what they are doing. They are serving their country and the hon. member should recognize that.
Canada Pension Plan November 3rd, 1998
Mr. Speaker, that is absolute nonsense. In fact, the provinces and the federal government got together on a list of some 20 appointees from whom the final list was taken. If one takes a look they will see that the vast majority of these people were recommended by the provinces. Unfortunately, the majority of the provinces do not have Liberal governments.
All of these people have outstanding qualities. It does no good to the Canada pension plan or to Canadians for the hon. member to demean some are very high quality Canadians.
Social Program Funding November 3rd, 1998
Mr. Speaker, this is one of the difficulties of having a supplementary question prepared in advance. I just said that the donors will have to be fully at risk if the tax consequences they seek were to arise.
At the same time, we are going to look at the advisability of hedge funds in this particular circumstance.
Social Program Funding November 3rd, 1998
Mr. Speaker, the government intends to monitor this situation very closely. We would certainly insist that any of the donors be fully at risk for any of the investments that are to be made.
At the same time, we are going to take a look at the advisability of a number of charities engaging in what could conceivably be risky investments.
Employment Insurance November 3rd, 1998
Mr. Speaker, what the Reform Party is arguing against is the very policy it advocated for four years in terms of EI. The real question is why the policy flip-flop. The next thing Reformers will advocate is that the Leader of the Opposition should not live at Stornoway.
Employment Insurance November 3rd, 1998
Mr. Speaker, let us take a look at what the Reform Party has suggested. It has said that income taxes should be cut by $9 billion and that the debt should be cut by $9 billion. That is $18 billion. Now Reformers want another $7 billion reduction in EI. That is $25 billion.
The hon. member talks about confiscation. I will tell him what confiscation is. It is confiscation of Canada's health care programs if we follow through with that. It is confiscation of our research and development policy. It is confiscation of equalization. It is confiscation of everything Canadians hold dear. That is what they would do.
Social Policies October 28th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, in 1997 for the first time in over 15 years the standard of living of Canadians began to increase. For the previous 15 years it had been decreasing.
That is a very important. It is only by an increasing standard of living, by putting more Canadians back to work, over a million since we took office, it is only by giving Canadians skills, only by understanding that the purpose of government is not simply to help the rich, which the Reform Party would focus on, but the least fortunate, that we will be able to deal with our very real and serious problems.