Stephen Harper

[Oaths of Office, June 3rd, 2011]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-1, respecting the administration of oaths of office.

Mr. Speaker, I seek the unanimous consent of the House to have the bill printed.

(Motions deemed adopted and bill read the first time)

[Election of Speaker, June 2nd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, congratulations on your election.

I know this is something you have been preparing yourself for, through very hard work, for a very long time. I know it is a great day for you and your family and I again congratulate you. I also recognize, after all these years of work, that in the last few minutes you have shown a traditional reluctance to take the position. When we brought you to the chair, the Leader of the Opposition had a weapon. In any case, I am sure, nevertheless, that this is a proud day for everyone in your home.

Today's election served as a stellar example of how all members of the House have a say in its operation and how we can all work together in reaching an important decision.

All of the members who were in contention for this role deserve recognition. The same holds true for the Clerk and the dean of the House, the hon. member for Bas-Richelieu—Nicolet—Bécancour, who has so impartially overseen the vote today. I was worried, and I assume you were as well, Mr. Speaker, to see how comfortable he was becoming in the role.

Your election by secret ballot demonstrates the great confidence that the members of the House have in you, your fairness and, above all, your ability to maintain the dignity and decorum associated with respectful debate.

Mr. Speaker, clearly the members of the House have as much confidence in you as your constituents, the good citizens of Regina—Qu'Appelle. In this job you are the custodian of a great parliamentary tradition.

Let me observe the following at this time, with the eyes of the nation and indeed the hockey world focused on Vancouver. It bears noting, Mr. Speaker, that you are the nation's top referee and its linesman, too. Your guidance will ensure that nobody crosses the line or goes offside. Most importantly, we will do our best to ensure there are no fights for you to break up.

Members on both sides of the House will work with you to play fair so that we can shake hands like hockey players after the big game.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, please accept from all members on this side of the House, not only our sincere congratulations but also our full co-operation as you undertake these very important responsibilities in Parliament and in our country.

[March 25th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons:

That this House do now adjourn

[Ethics, March 22nd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the rules are clearly strong ones. That is why no government contract or money is involved in this affair. That is the reality. We established rules. And we were the ones who reported this incident. We are determined to ensure that the rules are followed.

[Ethics, March 22nd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, he is talking about the goings-on in a person's private life. There is nothing to indicate that a government contract or government money is implicated in this affair. We have instituted very strong rules and it is clear that they will be enforced.

[Government Accountability, March 22nd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, all the additional information given to the committee last week indicated that all the core information had been available all along. The numbers have been absolutely true and correct.

The Leader of the Opposition is simply trying to seek reasons to manufacture a coalition among himself, the NDP and the Bloc Québécois. The fact is our focus is the economy. That is what Canadians want us to focus on and that is what he should focus on.

[Government Accountability, March 22nd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, this information is absolutely available. It is the duty of this Parliament to focus on the real priorities of Canadians. This country's economy is our government's priority.

[Government Accountability, March 22nd, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, once again, as has been pointed out many times, to our knowledge this has nothing to do with any government contracts, any government money. The fact is this government has instituted strong rules. This government ensures those rules are respected and enforced.

[Political Financing, March 9th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that Elections Canada has ruled differently on this issue in different ridings. This case is before the courts and we will obviously respect the final decision of these courts.

[Political Financing, March 9th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, that individual has not been charged. We have a dispute with Elections Canada regarding the definition of local and national expenses. This dispute is before the courts and we are defending our position.