House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2006, with 48% of the vote.
Taxation May 10th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, the position of our party, that is, the need to protect those with low incomes is very clear in all our policies. It is very clear in the position of the Minister of Human Resources Development. It is very clear in our desire to create jobs and it will be very clear in our job creation program, to truly protect low income Canadians.
Taxation May 10th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, as you know, the Standing Committee on Finance is currently studying the GST, and the member knows this full well. It is certainly a very far-reaching reform of the tax situation. I feel that we will have to wait for the report.
Taxation Of Groceries May 9th, 1994
What my answer means, Mr. Speaker, is that we intend to make good on our promise. We have kept our word by referring the issue to the finance committee on which opposition members sit. As you know, the committee will be presenting its report before long.
Taxation Of Groceries May 9th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows full well, during the election campaign, we said the whole issue of the GST would be referred to the Finance Committee, which was done, and the committee is now preparing its report.
The Deficit May 6th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what we did at the January meeting. It is precisely what we did in the budget.
At the January meeting I notified the provinces that we would not be unilaterally shifting debt on to them as previous governments had done simply in advance of their budgets.
We told them there would be a moratorium of two years under which we would attempt through the good auspices of the Minister of Human Resources Development to renegotiate the whole fabric of our social programs. Therefore what we would really end up with would be more efficient programs, more cost effective programs. These programs in the end would not only save the federal government money, but would save the provincial governments money because they would be far more efficient.
In other words, our goal is not to shift the burden on to the provinces; it is to give Canadians better service at a better price.
The Deficit May 6th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows the federal government's point of view is that we have explicit deficit reduction targets.
We are certainly prepared, as we have done at the previous two meetings, to have that on the agenda. I can assure him it will be on the agenda for the meeting that will be held in June. Depending upon those discussions, if we are able to come up with national objectives, this is one Minister of Finance who would certainly support the concept.
The Deficit May 6th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, certainly the thrust of the hon. member's question is one we would agree with completely.
As the member knows, at the first federal-provincial finance ministers meeting we discussed that very subject and at the second meeting in Halifax we put a great deal of meat on the bones. In fact we want to develop a common effort between us toward reducing the terrible burden of deficit and debt that the nation suffers from.
We recognize very clearly that there really is only one taxpayer. There is one Canadian who shoulders the burden of federal, provincial and municipal debts. We intend to deal with it jointly.
Income Tax Act May 3rd, 1994
Mr. Speaker, it is particularly appropriate that this question would be put to me today by the member for Nepean who has shown such a consistent interest in this subject and in fact has her own bill before the House.
As the member knows and as a number of members in the House know, prior to the last budget there was extensive consultation. It was as a result of suggestions made by members in the House, and particularly in this caucus, that in the last budget we made reference to the potential disparities that might exist and our intention to await the decisions of a federal-provincial family law commission dealing with this subject among many others.
I can assure the member that we will take her advice and the advice of other members in the House into account. Our major concern is that the financial support for these children be as good as it can possibly be and that tax equity be maintained.
Taxation May 3rd, 1994
Mr. Speaker, the exact quote was that payroll taxes are a cancer on job creation and our target is next January 1.
Taxation May 3rd, 1994
Suitably admonished, Mr. Speaker.
It is for that reason that in the most recent budget we did not increase taxes. We recognize the burden that Canadian taxpayers face. At the same time it is the reason that one of the essences of the unemployment insurance reform being undertaken by the Minister of Human Resources Development was in fact not only a freeze of the anticipated increase in unemployment insurance premiums brought in by the previous government but an actual rollback next January 1.
The leader of the Reform Party referred to an intervention by a Hong Kong banker. May I just say that the International Monetary Fund last week said that Canada was going to lead all of the G-7 countries, either be number one or number two, in terms of growth and employment and it was going to be leading in low inflation. The fact is that the International Monetary Fund said that this country is creating jobs at a rate that it has not seen in a long, long time.