Stephen Harper

[General Motors Pension Fund, May 13th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the ministers are absolutely correct in observing that these pensions are under provincial jurisdiction.

At the same, the leader of the NDP should know that ourselves and the Government of Ontario, along with the Government of the United States, have been working on the restructuring issues at General Motors for some time. Those discussions go on. Obviously, what we are trying to do is ensure that we sustain a viable company in the long term and we continue to work on a solution to advance that objective.

[The Environment, May 13th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois has no environmental plan, and does nothing but attack Alberta and the other industries of this county.

We are working in conjunction with the government of the United States to establish true systems for controlling greenhouse gas emissions in North America.

We have solutions, while the Bloc seeks only to create division.

[Employment Insurance, May 13th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the system we have in place meets the needs of the market. When we go through a difficult period, like we are right now, the system responds accordingly; benefits are increased and eligibility is also increased. In our economic action plan, this government has already increased long-term benefits for workers.

If that leader wants to go out and tell Canadians that he thinks they should pay higher payroll taxes so that people can work 45 days and then collect EI for a year, every single year, in every single region of the country, we are ready to take him on.

[Employment Insurance, May 13th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, we all know the motivation of the Liberal leader in making such a proposal. Let us be clear what the proposal is. The proposal is that a Canadian could work 45 days and collect employment insurance for a year. That would be the system in every region in perpetuity.

That would do nothing for the economy or for the recession today. It is simply a completely unwise, unthought-out proposal to raise payroll taxes to the roof in perpetuity for workers and small business.

[Employment Insurance, May 13th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, as you know, Canada has a very generous employment insurance system that we in fact enhanced in the most recent economic action plan. Over 80% of those who are paying into it are receiving benefits.

The fact of the matter is that this is very transparent. The Liberal leader wants to change long-standing Liberal policy, and we all know why he wants to do it. Having denounced the coalition, he now wants a proposal that he thinks can pull the coalition back together. It is simply another proposal to raise payroll taxes.

[Infrastructure, May 12th, 2009]

Meanwhile, Mr. Speaker, the only thing the NDP actually did was vote against the projects when we brought forward the funds in the House of Commons. That is what the NDP did, and if we followed the NDP, we would still be having this ridiculous coalition with no policies.

Instead, what we are going to have are projects rolling out across this country that are going to be for the long-term benefit of this country.

[Infrastructure, May 12th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, projects are being identified across the country in collaboration with our provincial and municipal partners. These projects will be undertaken this year as laid out in our economic action plan, but I have to say, it is no thanks to the NDP, which voted against all of these projects when it decided to vote against the budget before even reading it.

[Infrastructure, May 12th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, we are working with our provincial and municipal partners to identify projects across the country. We will spend the money on those projects this fiscal year. That is part of our economic action plan. It is somewhat ironic to see the NDP supporting these projects now, when it voted against them in the budget.

[The Environment, May 12th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, it is always interesting to see the Bloc Québécois leader again attacking Alberta and Ontario in asking a question about the environment. That is part of the Bloc's very nature. It does not seek solutions, it simply seeks to pit Canadians against each other.

As for us, we are working with the provincial governments and the U.S. government to reach some real solutions for our planet.

[The Environment, May 12th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the government has already indicated on a number of occasions its intention to do exactly what the Leader of the Bloc Québécois has called for, but since the visit by President Obama it is clear that we are working along with the U.S. government in setting targets and creating a regulatory system for greenhouse gas emissions for the economy of the entire continent.

I feel that will be the best solution.