House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2015, with 64% of the vote.
Poverty September 28th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, how we tackle poverty first and foremost is by ensuring the economy is growing, creating jobs, making investments in such things as housing and education, as well as providing tax breaks for people entering the workforce, as the Minister of Finance has done. These are things this government has done and is proud to have done. What is a mystery to everyone is why the NDP consistently votes against these policies.
The Economy September 28th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, this question does not make sense. The hon. member is advocating that we increase the deficit. We want to reduce the deficit. The government's position is clear. We have a major deficit but it is still much smaller than that of other countries, and we will ensure that the budget is balanced while the economy continues to grow.
The Economy September 28th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, as I have said repeatedly, we have an economic action plan. That is why we received a mandate from Canadians. Clearly, we are concerned about the developments in Europe and elsewhere, but at the same time, over 600,000 jobs have been created in Canada. That is one of the best records in the industrialized world. That is the path we will continue to take.
G8 Summit September 27th, 2011
Mr. Speaker this issue has been thoroughly aired.
The Auditor General thoroughly examined all of the spending, and while she suggested some process improvements, we have noted that all of the money has been accounted for and went for projects that were approved.
I would think that the Liberal Party, having run an entire campaign, the worst in its history, on this issue and having been drubbed so badly, would decide that now is probably not the time to keep talking about politics in this way.
The Economy September 27th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, the vast majority of analysts who have examined our plan support our approach. It is a very expansionary approach now, with an expansionary fiscal policy. Clearly, we need to save money in order to achieve a balanced budget once the economy begins to grow again. It is crucial that we retain our fiscal advantage.
The Economy September 27th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, Canada's economic action plan and Canada's fiscal approach have been praised by observers around the world.
It is not as the leader of the Liberal Party would suggest. In fact, we are running a very expansionary fiscal policy right now, but we are obviously undertaking good management and some modest savings to ensure that as the economy recovers, we will in fact balance our budget and retain our fiscal advantage.
The Economy September 27th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, the government's plans are oriented toward job creation, which is why Canada has one of the best job creation records in the entire industrialized world. That is the path we will continue to pursue.
We seek, obviously, any useful ideas from the opposition on how we can improve Canada's performance, but we will tell you that what they have proposed lately, raising taxes and shutting down key industries, are not proposals that will create jobs and not proposals that this government will ever accept.
The Economy September 27th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, this government is continuing with a plan that has been a big success. That is why Canada has created many more jobs than the vast majority of industrialized countries. Obviously, we reject the NDP's proposals to increase taxes and shut down key industries in the Canadian economy. Such proposals would kill employment and this government will never agree to those kinds of NDP proposals.
Government Ministers September 27th, 2011
Mr. Speaker, this government has established rules and these rules are enforced. I think that the Leader of the Opposition is talking about a specific situation. The minister responsible has answered questions a number of times in the House of Commons.
Thank you, dear colleagues, Mr. Speaker of the Senate, Mr. Speaker of the House of Commons, Senators and Members of Parliament, Chief Justice and members of the Supreme Court of Canada, honoured guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Ladies and gentlemen, it is a great privilege for all of us to welcome to our Parliament today the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Right Hon. David Cameron.
On a person note, David, I have seen you recently and often--many times, in fact--both as Leader of the Opposition and Prime Minister in Great Britain, and around the world, but it is a special pleasure to meet you here in Canada, where you are joining a distinguished register of British prime ministers who have addressed this chamber.
For instance, most recently in 2001, the Right Hon. Tony Blair addressed this House.
The great Margaret Thatcher spoke in this place on two occasions. Perhaps most famously, it was right here in 1941, during some of the darkest days of the Second World War, that Sir Winston Churchill made his famous “some chicken, some neck” speech that did so much to rally spirits on both sides of the Atlantic.
Prime Minister, another of your predecessors, Sir Anthony Eden, called appearing before this House an almost daunting experience for the visitor. Let me assure you that he found, as you will, that in the tradition we inherited from your own country, the Commons treats its visitors much better than we do each other.
Once again, we welcome you and we look forward to hearing you speak in just a few minutes.
First I ask the indulgence of this House to refer briefly to those security matters and economic matters that have brought Prime Minister Cameron and myself together, usually with other world leaders, no less than seven times during the last 16 months. They are matters, I must say, in which Prime Minister Cameron's leadership has been decisive and matters that will continue to demand his firmness of purpose, such as in Libya.
In particular, I am referring to the role played by our two countries, with the assistance of Canada's other mother country, France, in the efforts we have devoted to helping the people of Libya build a better future. Those efforts were driven by certain fundamental convictions.
We believe, for instance, that “the state was made for man and not man for the state”, as the Right Hon. Harold Macmillan observed in this very chamber.
We also believe that when we help others to be free, it is our own liberty that we also secure. Those ancient rights of democracy and the rule of law that our two countries share are also the common aspirations of millions of people around the world. They are clearly the aspirations of the Libyan people themselves, and our mutual hope is that they will someday enjoy them in all their fullness.
Of course, we cannot forget the very serious problems that are facing the global economy and that bring us together as G20 partners.
Neither of us will be accused of exaggeration if we acknowledge that the most immediate test confronting all of us is to avoid the devastating consequences of a return to global recession, yet without key countries taking systemically appropriate and coordinated economic measures, without resistance to protectionism and acceptance of more flexible exchange rates, without fiscal consolidation and, above all else, without a will to address growing uncertainty to decisively tackle what are in some cases dangerous and unsustainable levels of national indebtedness--without actions on these matters, the world will not avoid such consequences.
I would therefore like to commend the leadership shown by Prime Minister Cameron on the economic issues of the day.
First, the strong guidance Prime Minister Cameron has offered to our G20 partners and his determined advocacy for fiscal discipline.
Second, his consequential handling of the difficult fiscal choices confronting the British economy. Truly among our G20 partners, Prime Minister Cameron has been a leader by example.
Prime Minister, here in Canada we have followed your progress carefully and I can safely say that, where it matters most, your thinking parallels that of our own government. To be precise, while deficit reduction is not an end in itself, the G20 fiscal targets agreed to in Toronto last year remain an essential element for rebuilding the economic health of industrialized nations.
Like you, Prime Minister, we are targeting those objectives with a clear plan to stimulate job creation and economic growth. Later this year, G20 leaders will meet in Cannes.
And, I dare say, when we get there in Cannes, we will have much to occupy us at the G20.
Hon. members, without further ado, it does give me great pleasure to introduce a man of immense resolve and principled action, a great friend of mine and a great friend of Canada, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the Right Honourable David Cameron.