Ralph Goodale

[Gasoline Prices, October 6th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Agriculture has pointed out on a number of occasions, there are support systems in place with respect to agriculture, which the Government of Canada is always looking to improve and to strengthen.

There are of course the full GST rebates that are available for all businesses in the country. As I said this morning, beyond this initial package with respect to energy and the impact that has on disposable incomes, we are looking for a broader range of ways in which we can assist disposable incomes of all Canadians. There will be some important news on that tomorrow.

[Gasoline Prices, October 6th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has raised an important point.

The provinces do have jurisdictional responsibility with respect to income support matters and with respect to energy matters. In many ways these are shared responsibilities and we welcome all the initiatives the provinces are intending to take to build upon the federal initiatives that we have taken.

We would specifically invite the provinces, on any income support payments paid by the Government of Canada, not in any way to claw any of that back.

[Gasoline Prices, October 6th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, there is of course a full GST rebate with respect to small businesses.

Further, I indicated this morning that while in the package we have announced today we have been able to address some of the most vulnerable in our society, we are more broadly concerned about the level of disposable incomes in Canada and we intend to take further action with respect to that.

On the matter of the mileage, I can tell the hon. member that with respect to all taxpayers, the Department of Finance examines the amount that businesses and business owners are allowed to deduct for mileage every year. We adjust that amount on an annual basis. That normally happens in December. I have asked my officials to do it within the next couple of weeks.

[Energy Costs Assistance Measures Act, October 6th, 2005]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-66, An Act to authorize payments to provide assistance in relation to energy costs, housing energy consumption and public transit infrastructure, and to make consequential amendments to certain Acts.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Bank Act, October 5th, 2005]

moved that Bill C-57, an act to amend certain Acts in relation to financial institutions, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

[Softwood Lumber, October 5th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada intends to pursue a broad range of policies, including sound fiscal responsibility and competitive taxation, to ensure that Canadian businesses succeed.

I can assure the hon. gentleman and the people of Prince Albert that the provincial government has been in touch with the Government of Canada, as has the company, and we will be examining every possibility by which there can be a viable solution found for Prince Albert and for this particular plant.

[Textile Industry, October 5th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, this proposal has important implications for both the textile and clothing industry. My office has been meeting for months now, indeed since March, with representatives of both sectors and we have encouraged them to work together on a proposal they both can jointly support.

The government is committed to looking at that proposal as expeditiously as possible and I am happy to see support for the idea in the House. Even the BQ has finally awakened to the notion of such a proposal, which Liberal members have been examining with the industry for over seven months.

[Gasoline Prices, October 5th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately the technique proposed in the question would not go very far in alleviating the burden upon Canadians.

We have chosen a multi-pronged approach that will improve competition and transparency in the marketplace, that will improve energy efficiency and energy conservation and that will provide higher disposable incomes to those most vulnerable Canadians who need the help the most.

[Gasoline Prices, October 5th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, that structure was devised in the 1980s by the Mulroney Conservative government. That is the way the GST system was originally structured.

The fact is there is no ad valorem effect that the hon. gentleman describes. There is no increased revenue from the tax on tax effect when the price actually changes.

What we have dedicated ourselves to do is to ensure that any incremental revenues that flow to the Government of Canada from the high price of energy will be returned to Canadians through the kind of initiatives we will announce tomorrow.

[Home Heating Prices, October 5th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the energy efficiency measures that we are going to propose will be broadly available to Canadians. We obviously need to focus on the most vulnerable. In addition to that, there are other ways in which we can improve energy efficiency among Canadians more generally.

We also intend to improve the disposable incomes of Canadians. What we have to offer on that subject tomorrow will be just the first step of a number yet to come.