House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2011, with 57% of the vote.
Africa June 8th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, as we have seen on so many important files when it comes to international aid, the budget is going up for Africa. In fact, the aid for Africa reached $1.7 billion last year. The numbers are going up. The base line budget has increased again this year.
Canada is well on track to meet its Gleneagles commitments. Canada will double its international assistance to 2010 and will in fact double its international assistance to Africa by 2009.
Atlantic Canada June 8th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, the member should quit while he is behind.
As the words are falling from his mouth, he knows they are not true. As the words are falling from his mouth trying to defend the terrible record of the government he was a part of for so many years in comparison to the transparent, straightforward, getting the job done government of the Conservative Party, he should be ashamed.
The member should go back to Cape Breton and back to egg farming where he knows he might be able to crack a few eggs.
Atlantic Canada June 8th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, what has gone down the toilet, as we have seen this week, is the quality of questions coming from members opposite. The hon. member has his cute quips. He can put on his floppy shoes, his red nose, throw a tent over the whole opposition and continue the clown show but the reality is that Nova Scotians know full well that the representation they are getting in this country today from this government far surpasses anything that happened under the corrupt, arrogant and entitlement days of the Liberal Party.
The Budget June 8th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, I will ask the hon. member to try to keep his Celtic temper in check. I know he is getting very exercised over there and the rhetorical flow is starting to come. He is smiling now that he has sat down and is off the camera. The righteous indignation is leaving his body.
As we all know, the budget delivers $95 million more this fiscal year and millions more next year. We have delivered deals on health care, the environment and transportation. The money is flowing into the province of Nova Scotia, more than we have ever seen, certainly in the last 13 years under the abysmal representation of that member and his government.
The Budget June 8th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member has been here for awhile he should know that was not in fact the budget vote. The budget vote will take place next week.
However, with respect to that particular comment, I had hoped and fully expected that the hon. member would continue to work with other members of the Atlantic caucus and with the Minister of Finance to see that we follow through in finishing this discussion with the Province of Nova Scotia, with our premier, direct discussions which I continued yesterday.
The member opposite may be chirping from the cheap seats but, unlike him, we are actually getting the job done for Nova Scotia.
Africa June 8th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, we would all like to know from the member for Wascana why his government did just that. He admitted in an op ed written by his own hand yesterday that his government did not spend all the money it apparently had budgeted for Africa. It went on to say that the level of aid provided by Canada to Africa in the last fiscal year was expected to reach $1.4 billion.
The hon. member knows that his budget was $350 million short. The member for Wascana and his budget commitments can best be described as out of Africa. Maybe he should take up Mr. Geldof's position as the leader of the Boomtown Rats.
Africa June 8th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, that is factually incorrect. In fact, Canada is very much on track to meet its Gleneagles commitments. Canada will double its international assistance from 2001 to 2010, with assistance to Africa also doubling in that timeframe.
According to a report released June 1 by the University of Toronto, G-8 research groups and Moscow State University, Canada is in full compliance with its commitments on African debt, relief and security.
Reading from an article in the Globe and Mail by Alan Freeman, it states, “It emerged yesterday that [the] former prime minister's government quietly reneged on its--
Passports June 8th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, I know the hon. member and members of her party are fixated on George Bush, but I will do her one better. I am not going to call the American ambassador. What I will do is call my counterpart, the secretary of state.
I can assure the House that the Canadian passport office is doing everything it can. In fact, we will be making some specific announcements today that will further discuss the streamlining, the efficiency and the production of passports. We are doing this with the cooperation of Passport Canada officials, who have been doing exemplary work. In fact, to date they have been able to produce 40% more passports at this time than they did last year.
Passports June 8th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question from the hon. member, particularly knowing, coming from the west coast, this has affected all Canadians.
She is correct that there was an announcement yesterday that the U.S. government has in fact invoked changes with respect to the requirement of travel documents. We are disappointed that thus far it has not extended that to Canadians. We are taking this matter up with officials in the United States in the hopes that we can bring about some greater alleviation with respect to the implementation of the western hemisphere travel initiative.
I can assure the hon. member that we are going to continue to work on behalf of Canadian citizens to see that passports are produced in an efficient and timely way.
Business of Supply June 7th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, I would disagree with the member on a number of points. First, I would disagree that Nova Scotians would not want more money. That in fact, given the choice to receive $95 million more, they would say “yes, we would prefer to have the $95 million more”.
We know that there would be more money in fact again next year. That is also an option. There is flexibility here and there has been a choice offered. The province of Nova Scotia chose to take more money, which is a wise choice, I would submit.
With respect to the member's comments about equalization and how in fact the province of Nova Scotia will benefit, it is clear the province will benefit. It is clear that our province, sadly a have-not province, is in need of the fiscal support that it receives from Ottawa.
There has been a lot of glossing over of fact here, trying to suggest somehow that Nova Scotia was going to come out at the short end of the stick, that it was going to receive less.
I have not heard a single member from any opposition party take issue with the fact that the province is getting more money. That is what it boils down to. That is, by the way, what equalization is meant to do. It is meant to recognize the circumstances that exist in regions such as ours. It is meant to give people in Nova Scotia an opportunity to stay and work, and be in their communities and towns and cities, rather than have to take the option to go out west to work.
I hope to see the day when the trend is reversed and Nova Scotians and Atlantic Canadians are coming home in droves because there will be jobs there. That is what our government intends to do. We intend to work toward that day when we will see the jobs, opportunities, and prosperity available in our province of Nova Scotia as it is elsewhere in Canada.