House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2006, with 48% of the vote.
Employment Insurance October 26th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, when we took office the intention of the previous government, had they won the election, was that the premiums were going to go to $3.30 and we did not let that happen. Not only that, but when the previous government took office those premiums were around $2. When they left office they were going to $3.30. The only issue is, when will the Tories get their research right?
Employment Insurance October 26th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, our payroll taxes in this country are substantially below the OECD average. They are below the United States.
In fact, each and every year since we have taken office we have reduced EI premiums. We reduced those premiums by $1.5 billion in the last mandate.
I must say that in the last three years of the Tory regime each and every year those premiums went up.
Employment October 21st, 1998
Mr. Speaker, the decisions that are taken by private corporations are decisions which reside within the capacity of those corporations.
That being said, I have said on numerous occasions that the downsizing which has taken place over the last two or three years in many cases is the equivalent of dumbsizing. In fact, it leads to lack of employee loyalty. It leads to absenteeism. I do not think it makes a lot of sense.
This is not to deal with this particular issue, but it certainly deals with a movement that we have seen throughout North America.
Employment Insurance October 20th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, I have already said that we have provided over $7 billion in tax breaks for Canadians.
What does the hon. member think the $3.5 billion the Reform Party wants to take out of health transfers to the provinces will do? What is that going to do to middle class Canadians who want decent hospital services? What is going to happen when $1 billion is taken out of equalization transfers for Saskatchewan and Manitoba? Are they not going to have to pay increased property taxes and increased provincial taxes?
What the Reform Party is recommending is that Canadian property owners and municipalities—
Employment Insurance October 20th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, may I ask the hon. member to go back and read his party's platform where it states unequivocally that its recommendation was to use 100% of the notional EI account to offset the deficit?
He is now rising in the House and arguing against his party's policy. Is the same thing going to happen to Dick Harris that happened to Jim Hart?
Health Care October 20th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, again, opposition parties are having a hard time doing their homework.
The member is asking us if we are prepared to transfer money for health. In the last budget, the 1998 budget, most of the $900 million transferred was for health. In 1999 and in the year 2000, it will be $1.5 million. In the year 2000, $1.5 million again will go to health. We have done that.
Taxation October 20th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, I have just told the member where the tax relief is going to come in this year, next year and the year after.
Let us understand that the difference of opinion between the Reform Party and ourselves is not about reducing taxes. We want to reduce taxes. The difference is Reform wants to do it by cutting health care and by cutting equalization and we will not do that.
Taxation October 20th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, in the last budget we introduced measures that will bring over the course of the next three years $7 billion worth of tax relief.
Let me check the numbers out: 1998-99, $1.5 billion; 1999-2000, $2.3 billion; the year 2000, $3.1 billion. The Reform Party voted against it.
Taxation October 19th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, I said that increasing payroll taxes would cost jobs. That is exactly what the previous Conservative government did, which is why when we took office instead of allowing them to go to $3.30 as the Conservatives wanted we froze them. Then every year after we took office we brought those premiums down.
Employment Insurance October 19th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, what I said in my economic statement is that the government was very pleased with the provinces' initiative, whereby if transfer payments are made for health, the provinces are prepared to guarantee that the money will indeed be used in the health sector.