House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2000, with 65% of the vote.
Foreign Affairs February 4th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, a few hours ago Boris Yeltsin declared that the United States might provoke global warfare if it followed through with its threatened attack on Iraq. No one seems to know whether this was a calculated definition of the Russian position or one of those off the cuff comments the Russian president is inclined to make.
Does the prime minister have a more accurate assessment of the Russian position? And if he does, would he be willing to share it with the House?
The Economy February 3rd, 1998
Mr. Speaker, the lights may be on in Montreal but they are not yet on in the government benches.
The prime minister ignores the need to reduce the debt. He also ignores the need to reduce high taxes. This government starts taxing Canadians when they make $6,500 a year. The Americans do not even start until you make $9,500. Our top tax rate cuts in when people make $60,000 a year. The American top rate does not cut in until you make $270,000.
Why does this Liberal government tax poor and middle income Canadians more harshly than even the Americans do?
The Economy February 3rd, 1998
Mr. Speaker, if that statement had been made by the chairman of a public company the prime minister would be sued. This government is paying down market debt by borrowing from the federal public service superannuation fund and from the Canada pension plan. It is paying off its Visa card charges with its Mastercard.
Does the prime minister believe that paying off your Visa card charges with your Mastercard is a responsible federal debt reduction strategy?
The Economy February 3rd, 1998
Mr. Speaker, if only we could light a fire under this government.
Yesterday the prime minister tried to ignore the fact of the federal debt. Unfortunately Canadian families cannot ignore the debt. A third of their taxes go to pay the interest on it. In addition to the mortgages on their homes every Canadian family is carrying a second $77,000 mortgage which represents their portion of this government's debt.
Will the prime minister please tell Canadians when and how he plans to pay down this Martin mortgage.
The Economy February 2nd, 1998
Mr. Speaker, it is not only that the debt is too high. The taxes are too high. A single mother with one child earning $15,000 a year is paying $1,300 in taxes to that finance minister. A family of four with an income of $32,000 a year is paying $3,000 a year in taxes to that finance minister. The government has saddled us with the highest personal income tax in the industrial world.
Will the prime minister listen to the groans, curses and protests of overtaxed Canadians and offer tax relief targets for 1998?
The Economy February 2nd, 1998
Mr. Speaker, the prime minister came out of the same hole he went into last December. Things have changed. Interest rates are rising which is bad news for Canadians paying mortgages. It is bad news for Canadian businesses paying bank loans and it is bad news for the worst debt organization in the country, the Government of Canada, with interest rate charges on the debt threatening to eat up the surplus in the minister's budget.
My question is for the prime minister. He has bragged in this House about having deficit reduction targets. Does he have debt reduction targets? If he does, what are they?
The Economy February 2nd, 1998
Mr. Speaker, I know today is the first day of Parliament but it is also Groundhog Day. Wiarton Willie, the official groundhog, apparently saw his shadow which means that we are faced with many more days of winter this year.
Many Canadians are wondering whether the prime minister saw his shadow. Will it be an early springtime of debt reduction and tax relief or must Canadians endure many more wintery days of Liberal overspending and misspending?
Season's Greetings December 11th, 1997
Mr. Speaker, I have one further question for the Deputy Prime Minister.
Notwithstanding that the government has bungled this Kyoto deal, notwithstanding that it has angered half the premiers in Canada, and notwithstanding that it continued to tax Canadians to death, will the Deputy Prime Minister convey to the Prime Minister, Madame Chrétien and his colleagues the best wishes of the official opposition for the Christmas season?
The Environment December 11th, 1997
That is meaningless smog, Mr. Speaker.
A month ago Ottawa and the premiers agreed on a united position for Kyoto. Since then the Prime Minister unilaterally changed his position twice and the position that was signed at Kyoto is a different position again.
Why should other countries believe the Prime Minister will keep his promises at Kyoto when he does not keep his promises to the premiers of Canada?
The Environment December 11th, 1997
Mr. Speaker, Reform wants a balanced approach on this issue. It is the government that will not provide the economic side.
The premiers know that the cost of Kyoto could be thousands of lost jobs and even a 35¢ a litre jump at the pump. The Prime Minister lost the support of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan before the government went to Kyoto and now Ontario says it will not go along.
How can the government possibly expect to implement this agreement and force it on these premiers when it has alienated at least four of them?