House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2006, with 48% of the vote.
Employment Insurance December 13th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, what I said yesterday was that, three or four years ago, I do not recall exactly when, my answer in response to the member for Roberval's question was that it is not a separate fund. This is an accounting practice. The money comes in like other revenue, and goes out in the form of expenditures that help workers.
The Budget December 13th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, I went through the list that the Alliance says in fact is fat. What it is, is transfers to people with disabilities, transfers to elderly citizens, transfers from grants and contributions for skills training, transfers for education and transfers for research and development. That is what those grants are all about.
If the hon. member disagrees with those grants, he should stand up and identify quite particularly what part of our old age pension system, our cultural system and our education system he disagrees with.
The Budget December 13th, 2001
That's right, the full monty. Mr. Speaker, simply to put things straight, what the auditor general actually said was that over the past year and a half the Treasury Board and its secretariat took many important steps to improve the management of grants and contributions government wide, and particularly in setting out a new and better policy framework.
What she is saying is that there were problems. The President of the Treasury Board has acted on them and I would like to congratulate the President of the Treasury Board.
The Budget December 13th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, I used to think that I missed the member for Medicine Hat.
Employment Insurance December 13th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, we have lowered contributions. We have increased benefits. We have also increased transfers to the provinces for education and health care.
We have made more money available for infrastructure. We have made more money available for research and development. All of this is good for workers in Canada.
Employment Insurance December 13th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, first, I do not think it is possible, according to the accounting rules advocated by the auditor general, to have a separate account within the consolidated fund.
The member for Roberval has once again changed the position of the Bloc. This is about the 15th time.
But I do not think it is possible. It is possible, however, to follow the rule set by the auditor general in 1986, as we are doing.
Employment Insurance December 13th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, the leader of the Bloc Quebecois seems to see something wrong with Canada's having reduced its debt by $35 billion.
Let me say that this is a good thing for Canada. It means that we have saved $2.5 billion on the cost of servicing the debt. This is $2.5 billion that we are using for health; $2.5 billion that we are using for education; $2.5 billion that we are using to lower the taxes of Canadian workers.
It is a good thing that we have done.
Employment Insurance December 13th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, it is primarily because of EI premiums that the Minister of Human Resources Development has been able to increase EI benefits, parental leave and all the other improvements she has made over the past year.
At the same time, we have lowered premiums by $6.8 billion since taking office.
The Budget December 13th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, I have already said that we did reallocate within departments, but let us take a look at the areas that the Alliance would cut.
The Alliance would cut the CBC. We would not cut the CBC. We believe in public broadcasting. The Alliance would cut the private sector help to films. We would not. We believe Canadians have the right to tell each other their stories and understand what this great country is all about. The Alliance would cut regional development. We would not. We believe that Canadians who live in rural Canada have the right to an economic future.
The Budget December 13th, 2001
Mr. Speaker, the fact is of course that the government did reallocate within each department. That is one of the reasons that we are able not only to pay for the national security package but we are able to bring in what is the largest transfer in terms of health to the provinces in the history of the country.
The fact of the matter is that the hon. member has raised, for example, the television fund. Is the hon. member saying that he is against the private sector in this country being able to tell Canadian stories to Canadians? Is that part of that party's agenda?