House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2006, with 48% of the vote.
Taxation February 5th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, we made it very clear, as we have in past budgets, that we are certainly desirous and prepared to reduce taxes.
What we are not going to do is what the Reform Party has suggested which is to pay for tax cuts by gutting health care, by gutting pensions. Indeed, we are not going to gut equalization which is what it has suggested.
Banking February 5th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, we are not going to allow the banks to push the schedule ahead of the principles which Canadians want to have established in this particular case.
The task force has been established. There will be a parliamentary committee which will consider it. It is the Government of Canada that will set the schedule, not the banks nor their friends in the NDP.
Banking February 5th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, it is indeed a strange sight to see day after day members of the NDP standing up and speaking for their new found friends in the banks.
All I can really say to the NDP is that the banks may have signed a prenuptial agreement, but I do not understand why they want to be the midwife.
Bank Merger February 4th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, what I have said is that the government is not going to decide on this issue until the task force reports and there has been a public debate. Liberal members are going to study this because they are concerned with this issue and they want to work.
The real issue is not why Liberal members are studying it on their own; it is why are NDP members not studying it on their own, why are Reform members and Tories not. The answer is that the membership on this side of the House is one heck of a lot better.
Surtax February 4th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, what I guess we would like to know is why the hon. member would swallow himself whole. Before Christmas all we ever heard was taxes, taxes, taxes.
Now, all of a sudden, the percentage of taxes to be cut has changed. His obsession with taxes has changed. No longer is he interested in taxes. In fact, he is even suggesting to one of his members from Manitoba that provincial income taxes should go up.
One member from Alberta would suggest to compensate for the CPP that personal taxes go up. When is this Reform Party going to understand that we are going to reduce taxes? We do not want to increase them the way they do.
Surtax February 4th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, it is probably perfectly reasonable for the hon. member to attempt to establish a position at this time.
We will be bringing down a budget in the not too distant future at which time the government's budgetary plans will be revealed. We do not have to take a back seat to this party or any other on reducing taxes. We reduced them for families with children. We reduced them for people with disabilities. We reduced them for students. In each and every case this member and his party opposed those tax reductions.
Bank Merger February 4th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, quite the contrary. The reference to obiter excreta really comes from what the hon. member was saying.
In fact let us understand very clearly that what we want is a full public debate. We want to have the task force report. We want to have the debate take place in this House and across the country. The NDP are not going prevail against the will of Canadians.
Bank Merger February 4th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, these are indeed strange times. We have just seen this cuddling up on the far right. Again we have an example of the NDP seeking to lobby for their new found friends in the big banks and seeking to have them jump the cue.
Let me simply say to the Leader of the NDP, she will not allow her clients to jump the cue. We will establish public policy and then we will decide the issues.
Banking February 3rd, 1998
No, Mr. Speaker, and the reason is very clear. We are not going to give these two institutions a leg up on any other institutions. Nor are we going to allow public policy to be determined by the particular interests of these two institutions. Public policy is going to be set by the public interest of Canadians as a whole.
Banking February 3rd, 1998
Mr. Speaker, I as a minister of this government and in fact this government are certainly open to hear from Canadians on any topic at any time. We are certainly prepared to do so.
The fundamental point that we have made is that we are not going to allow this process to be hijacked by anybody. We are going to insist that the task force complete its schedule on time and that there be a public debate. Only after that will we consider this merger or any other similar merger.
As far as we are concerned, public policy will be made by the government for the benefit and the interests of all Canadians, not any particular institution.