Peter Van Loan

[Employment, September 19th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, our approach has been to help the unemployed by creating jobs. In fact, notwithstanding a very fragile global economy, Canada has actually been leading the developed economies with the strongest job-creation record: 770,000 net new jobs. That is 770,000 people who did not have a job, who have a job since the economic downturn, thanks to the policies of our Minister of Finance, our Prime Minister and this Conservative government, focused on job creation, economic growth, not job-killing carbon taxes proposed by the NDP.

[Business of Supply, September 18th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to designate Tuesday, September 25, 2012, as the second allotted day of the supply period.

[Aboriginal Affairs, September 18th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, our government is actually continuing to take concrete steps to create conditions for healthier and more self-sufficient aboriginal communities. That is why we want to ensure that funding for aboriginal organizations is focused and targeted on the delivery of essential services and programs in key areas such as education, economic development and community infrastructure. We will continue to do that in partnership with our first nations.

[Aboriginal Affairs, September 18th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, our government has been consistently delivering concrete results for first nation students. In fact, since 2006 we have built 33 new schools in first nations communities across Canada and carried out renovations in 22 more. We are not only building schools in first nation communities, we are laying the groundwork for healthier and more self-sufficient first nations communities.

[Questions on the Order Paper, September 17th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the government congratulates The Sandbox Project, the member for Simcoe-Grey and all other parliamentarians who participated in the event held in Ottawa last June aimed to foster collaboration and knowledge to ensure Canada becomes the healthiest place in the world in which to raise children.

As this event was privately funded, the government did not incur any expenses.

[Access to Information Act, September 17th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations and I believe that if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent of the House for the following motion. I move:

That, having considered the nature of a request made of the Auditor General under the Access to Information Act, the House of Commons waives its privileges relating to all emails pertaining to the Auditor General appearing before a parliamentary committee from January 17 to April 17, 2012; and

That the Speaker be authorized to communicate to the Auditor General this resolution.

[Olympic and Paralympic Athletes, September 17th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I would advise that there have been consultations and I believe you would find unanimous consent of the House for the following motion. I move:

That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House, at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, September 19, 2012, the House resolve itself into committee of the whole in order to welcome the Olympic and Paralympics Athletes; that the Speaker be permitted to preside over the committee of the whole and make welcoming remarks on behalf of the House; and, when the proceedings of the committee have concluded, or at approximately 3:15 p.m., the committee shall rise and the House shall resume its business as though it were 3 p.m.

[Business of Supply, September 17th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to designate Thursday, September 20 as an opposition day.

[The Economy, September 17th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, our government's top priority is, of course, creating jobs, economic growth and long term prosperity. Canadians can expect us to continue focusing on keeping taxes down and creating jobs for hard-working Canadian families.

While we are focused on economic growth, we know that the leader of the NDP has as the cornerstone of his economic plan a carbon tax. He campaigned on it in the last election in black and white, with over $20 billion in the platform of the NDP for a tax hike from carbon. In seeking the leadership, he said that he would go even further.

Canadians cannot stand that. That is not what they need, to slow our economy at a time when it needs support. That is why the NDP policies are so reckless for Canada today.

[Business of the House, June 21st, 2012]

In my defence, I say that she is at home in the riding and I am here.

To the rest of the staff of the House, the clerks at the table, but especially the other employees who are not sitting here in front of us who work so hard to support us and keep our lives orderly, I do offer our thanks.

Mr. Speaker, I wish you and all of our colleagues here and all of the staff a happy, restful but hard-working summer. We will see everyone in the fall.

Now I believe there is something we have to do one more time.