House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2015, with 64% of the vote.
Child Care March 26th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, we have created a new universal family allowance for Canadian families. At the same time, we have proposed a solution to the fiscal imbalance.
The Leader of the Opposition is opposed to giving this family allowance to families in Quebec and the rest of Canada. What is more, he is opposed to correcting the fiscal imbalance. This is not a good position to take; it is the centralizing position of his party.
We prefer to correct the fiscal imbalance together with the provinces.
Child Care March 26th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, only the current leader of the Liberal Party could think that taking money away from Canadian parents is a good thing for children. That is what he told the National Post that he wants to do in October. That is wrong. It is wrong for Canadian families, wrong for parents and wrong for children. It is just plain wrong.
Child Care March 26th, 2007
Mr. Speaker, this year the government will transfer a record amount to the provinces for early childhood development and early childhood learning and education, as well as additional moneys for the creation of child care spaces.
At the same time, the government is putting $2.5 billion into direct child care payments to Canadian parents. I know that the Leader of the Liberal Party wants to take that away, but that is what we believe should happen.
Afghanistan March 21st, 2007
Mr. Speaker, I said absolutely no such thing. What I clearly said was that the government does care about this issue, which is precisely why the Minister of National Defence, upon learning the information he learned, acted to correct the situation. We will continue to monitor the situation to ensure we make progress.
The only other point I want to make is that I would like to see more support in the House of Commons from all sides for our Canadian men and women in uniform. I think Canadians expect that from parliamentarians in every party. They have not been getting it and they deserve it.
Afghanistan March 21st, 2007
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence has provided a clear explanation to the House of Commons. As the member knows, this government was at the time operating under an agreement signed by the previous government. We have since entered into a new arrangement with the Independent Afghan Human Rights Commission.
I can understand the passion that the Leader of the Opposition and members of his party feel for Taliban prisoners. I just wish occasionally they would show the same passion for Canadian soldiers.
The Budget March 21st, 2007
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member, once again, has his facts wrong. In his first question he was wrong about the postal centre in Quebec City.
In this question he tries to imply that people have to have an income of $300,000 to get the full benefit of the new child credit, when in fact the full benefit kicks in for an income earner of only $37,000.
These are the kinds of mistakes and the kinds of attacks we get from a party that has made up its mind on the budget and does not even understand what is in it. It has made up its mind without knowing the facts.
The Budget March 21st, 2007
Mr. Speaker, let me quote what the Vancouver Sun says about the knee-jerk opposition of the NDP:
How could the opposition have faced the nation after defeating a budget that allocated $300 million to an immunization program to protect women against cervical cancer, set aside money to help the RCMP protect children from sexual exploitation and trafficking, created a savings plan to help parents put aside money to care for disabled children, and funded the establishment of a Canadian Mental Health Commission?
NDP Leader Jack Layton explained that his party wouldn't support the budget because it left only crumbs on the kitchen table, and put the rest on the boardroom table. But he's wrong. There's a whole loaf on the kitchen table...
The Budget March 21st, 2007
Mr. Speaker, I do not accept that at all. The government has brought in a number of important initiatives for working Canadians and for the working poor, the working income tax benefit for example, the new savings plans for disabled Canadians. We have also brought in a child care credit for families and the vast majority of that will go to very modest and middle income families. These are all things NDP members claim to support.
It is about time, instead of criticizing and asking for more spending, they actually voted for some of the things that help working people.
The Budget March 21st, 2007
Mr. Speaker, that is absolutely false. This government clearly respects provincial jurisdictions. It is prepared to meet with the new provincial government—which I hope will be a federalist government—to control federal spending power.
The problem for the Bloc Québécois is not a fiscal imbalance issue, but a separation issue. We have settled the issue of separation. Quebeckers do not want Quebec to separate from the rest of Canada.
The Budget March 21st, 2007
Mr. Speaker, there are differences. One of those differences is that a tax point transfer is worth less for Quebec than a direct transfer of cash. That is one consideration. I should also point out that the reaction to the way we settled the fiscal imbalance issue is very positive in Quebec.