House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2000, with 65% of the vote.
Apec Summit October 6th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the solicitor general said he could not even remember who sat next to him. He did not know whether they were animal, mineral or vegetable. Today the minister admits that his seatmate was a friend, a lawyer and a Liberal Party supporter to boot.
How is it that yesterday the solicitor general could not even remember the gender of his seatmate and yet today recalls that it was a Liberal friend? How did that happen?
Apec Summit October 6th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, yesterday when the solicitor general was questioned about his conversation on an airplane concerning the APEC affair, he could not seem to recall anything at all that he said. However, today, after counselling no doubt from the spin doctors, he categorically denies that he said anything inappropriate.
How is it that the solicitor general could not recall any of that conversation yesterday but today has total recall of that same conversation?
Canada Pension Plan October 1st, 1998
Mr. Speaker, it seems that the government will go to any lengths to protect itself from embarrassment.
Somalia, an embarrassment: shred the documents. Krever, an embarrassment: take him to court. Students, an embarrassment: use the pepper spray. EI fund surplus, an embarrassment: steal it. Now this actuary, an embarrassment: fire him.
My question is for the Prime Minister. Is there any ethical guideline he will not violate in order to protect his government from embarrassment?
Canada Pension Plan October 1st, 1998
You can bet, Mr. Speaker, that if he had not said that, he would have been fired today as well.
Bernard Dussault was fired because his report would have embarrassed the Prime Minister. He was fired because his report would have shown that the Liberal CPP plan was in deep trouble, that the premiums being charged were not enough to cover the miscalculations of the minister.
Will the Prime Minister reinstate Dussault so that he can give us the honest report that he would have prepared?
Canada Pension Plan October 1st, 1998
Mr. Speaker, last month the Liberals fired Bernard Dussault, the Canada pension plan's top actuary. Why? Because he was about to reveal how the Liberals had mismanaged the plan.
Not once, but twice, Mr. Dussault was told to alter his reports because otherwise it would “embarrass the Minister of Finance”.
My question is for the Prime Minister. Why does he permit blatant political interference in the running of the Canada pension plan?
Employment Insurance September 30th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, here are the relevant facts. Because the Prime Minister refuses to give back to workers and businesses over $7 billion of their own money in this fund, a waitress forks over more than $175 more per year, a factory worker pays an extra $350 a year and the small business that employees that factory worker pays an extra $500 a year.
Can the Prime Minister explain to these people why he continues to rip them off?
Employment Insurance September 30th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, the government's chief actuary said yesterday, not in 1867, that the Prime Minister is overcharging businesses and workers by up to 33% on employment insurance premiums.
If a private insurance company with a monopoly was caught overcharging like that every member opposite would be up in arms demanding some punitive action.
Why is the Prime Minister even thinking of doing something which would land the CEO of a private insurance company in jail?
Employment Insurance September 30th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister wants to get his hands on employment insurance funds that belong to workers and businesses. But if a construction worker or a small business had contributed hundreds of dollars to a private insurance fund and the managers of that fund tried to siphon off those funds for some other purpose the police would be called.
Who do you call when it is the Prime Minister who is trying to shake you down?
Employment Insurance September 29th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, we are talking about to whom do these surpluses belong. We are talking about obeying the law. We are talking about funds that were contributed in trust. We are not talking about general revenues and we are not talking about some Liberal slush fund that the government can spend however it pleases.
Will the Prime Minister tell his tax addicted finance minister to keep his hands off the employment insurance fund?
Employment Insurance September 29th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, why is the government even contemplating breaking the law? If the Prime Minister loots the employment insurance fund, who precisely is he taking this money from? He is taking it from the small business person, the factory worker, the construction worker, the clerk, the waitress, to whom these funds belong.
Who will stand up for the rights of these workers and employers if the Prime Minister will not?