House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2015, with 64% of the vote.
Veterans Affairs December 3rd, 2014
Mr. Speaker, here is the reality. We have taken resources out of backroom administration, from bureaucracy. We have put it into services. There are more benefits and more money for veterans than ever before, and more points of service. That is called good administration, good government, and it is good service for the veterans of this country.
Veterans Affairs December 3rd, 2014
Mr. Speaker, the government is increasing services for veterans by cutting red tape.
I would like to note that today, we have lost Jean Béliveau, a great Canadian both on and off the ice. He was a giant in our national sport and in our national life.
I would like to express our condolences and our admiration to his family and friends.
I just want to repeat that today we have lost Jean Béliveau, a truly great Canadian and Canadien. He was a giant in our national sport and in our national life. We all want to express our condolences and our admiration to his family and friends.
Veterans Affairs December 2nd, 2014
Mr. Speaker, once again, the only party that needs to apologize to veterans is the Liberal Party, which voted against $5 billion in investments for our veterans. Our government is the one that created nearly all of the veterans' mental health services. These services barely existed when the Liberals were in power.
At the same time, we cut taxes for Canadian families. We will continue to invest in our veterans and give tax breaks to families.
Veterans Affairs December 2nd, 2014
Mr. Speaker, the only party that has to apologize is the Liberal Party for voting against every one of the $5 billion worth of investments we have made in Veterans Affairs. The Liberal Party tries to play veterans off against taxpayers, saying in some way that we cannot do things for both. In fact, as members know, the tax benefits that we have recently brought in for Canadian families benefit every Canadian family in the country.
Canadians will tell the Liberal Party leader that when he goes around the country trying to figure out how he can take that money away from them to put it into the coffers of the government.
Veterans Affairs December 2nd, 2014
In fact, Mr. Speaker, this government has invested over five billion additional dollars in veterans programs. I know the Liberal Party has opposed that every step of the way, just as the Liberal Party has opposed every tax cut we have brought in for Canadian families.
No matter how many times the Liberal Party votes against veterans, no matter how many times it votes against tax cuts for Canadian families, this government will move forward with those.
Government Accountability December 2nd, 2014
Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to compare our government's record to that of the NDP.
Never have northerners, never have veterans, never have Canadian farmers been more supportive of the government. We have the record to show that. Never have people been so little supportive of the NDP that actually had to rob parliamentary funds to pay for its own party—
Northern Development December 2nd, 2014
Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt that the people of Nunavut have never had stronger representation. The Auditor General did not say the words the leader of the NDP would put in his mouth.
The fact is that over $60 million a year are being put into this new program by the Government of Canada, a record investment. There has been a 25% increase in the shipping of healthy, perishable foods to the north and a drop of $100 a month in the average family's food prices.
Veterans Affairs December 2nd, 2014
Mr. Speaker, all ministers, of course, have chiefs of staff. I gather even the leader of the NDP has a chief of staff obviously watching over the slow descent of that party.
The Leader of the Opposition did raise another question about the accounting of funds in the new veterans announcement. I would point out that using the Auditor General's standards of accrual accounting over a life cycle, the cost of these new announcements by the government are, in fact, $200 million over the next six years. Obviously, those funds are available to veterans over many decades, over their lifetime. We take care of veterans for their lifetime.
Veterans Affairs December 2nd, 2014
Mr. Speaker, that man had nothing to do with the Mike Duffy affair.
I would like to point out that General Natynczyk, the former chief of he defence staff, is the new deputy minister of Veterans Affairs. Accepting that appointment was an excellent thing. Last week, the Minister of Veterans Affairs was in Italy with veterans to celebrate the 70th anniversary of their campaign in Italy during the Second World War.
Veterans Affairs December 2nd, 2014
Mr. Speaker, I do not know what the Leader of the Opposition is talking about. I do note that the former chief of the defence staff, General Walt Natynczyk, has become the new deputy minister of Veterans Affairs, which is a very positive thing.
As for the travels of the Minister of Veterans Affairs, the Minister of Veterans Affairs was in Italy with veterans of the Second World War who were celebrating the 70th anniversary of that successful Canadian military campaign. I can think of no greater honour than for the Minister of Veterans Affairs to accompany those Canadian veterans.