House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2015, with 64% of the vote.
National Defence March 5th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, obviously the government takes national security matters such as this very seriously. They are not unique to Canada. We have seen the Bradley Manning situation, in the United States.
Obviously, when things like this happen all procedures are reviewed to ensure they cannot happen again.
Public Safety March 5th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, security reviews for this organization have not been weakened by this government; on the contrary, these processes have been strengthened by this government.
Obviously, as the Liberal Party leader knows quite well, the allegations are not linked to the former federal responsibilities of this individual.
Intergovernmental Relations March 5th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, not only does the C.D. Howe recently have a very detailed report on how this government has more transparent public accounts than at any time in history, it is more transparent than any other senior government in the country.
Intergovernmental Relations March 5th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Finance said, it would be premature to speculate on the contents of the budget. The government has obviously been consulting widely across the country.
In terms of the government's record on transparency of accounts, rather than cite the partisan report that the leader of the Liberal Party cites, let me cite the non-partisan C.D. Howe, which has looked at this and said that not only—
Ethics March 5th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, let me use this opportunity to thank the former minister of aboriginal affairs for his strong work.
We have stable institutions in this country, which have been enhanced by this government, and also democratic institutions, and we are very proud to have received three mandates from the Canadian people.
Ethics March 5th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, the real question is why the NDP and its leader are blind not just to the achievements of the Minister of Finance but to the superior performance of the Canadian economy. The Canadian economy is part of the global economy that continues to have significant challenges, but we are very fortunate to live in this country and very fortunate to have the firm and steady direction that has been given by the Minister of Finance over these years.
Finance March 5th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, of course, nothing could be further from the truth. Canada is very lucky to have the most successful finance minister in the world. That has been recognized by experts in this field around the world and is backed by the performance of the Canadian economy. In spite of the tremendous difficulties that continue to exist, the global uncertainty, the Canadian economy has managed to created 900,000 net new jobs since the end of the recession, and that is due, in no small measure, to the good efforts of the Minister of Finance.
Employment Insurance March 5th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to ensuring that employment insurance is available when workers lose their jobs and are not able to find other employment.
Public servants have long been called upon to ensure that the employment insurance fund is used for people who really need it. The methods designed to guarantee that the fund is used properly have been in place for a long time. They ensure that those who are really unemployed can use the funds when they need them.
Democratic Reform February 27th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, of course, here is the dodge from the leader of the NDP. He does not want to have an elected Senate, so he tries to turn it over and says “get the provinces to do it” so that he can hide behind the various premiers, knowing it is not going to happen.
The reality is this: we know that what he really wants. The reason the NDP members have blocked this piece of legislation 17 times in the House is that they do not want elected senators because they want to appoint their own. Guess what? The people of Canada are never going to give them that chance.
Employment Insurance February 27th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, absolutely nothing could be further from the truth. We ensure in our system that when the unemployed, people who have paid into the system, cannot find jobs in their area that correspond to their abilities, then employment insurance will be there for them. That is precisely what we are doing. We are also making greater efforts to help the unemployed to be able to get jobs when jobs are available.
Of course, we are making sure that there are not inappropriate payments from the fund taken from workers who have paid legitimately into that fund. We are making sure it goes to workers and to the unemployed who legitimately need it.