Stephen Harper

[Government Appointments, October 3rd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of the Environment simply said that the policies of this government will be federal and national policies and not provincial policies.

The Leader of the Opposition has just raised moral issues and we know that Quebeckers—like other Canadians—are divided on these issues.

[Government Appointments, October 3rd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said and this party has said in the past, we defend the equality rights of gay and lesbian Canadians. At the same time, we also defend the right of people of religious faith to practise their religion and to express their religious views.

[Government Appointments, October 3rd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I would have to see the context of the remarks. I think all in this House agree that all religions in the world are full of people of good faith and goodwill who want to see a better world. That is why we are working with the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to help clear that country of terrorist elements.

[Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, October 2nd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I fail to see the connection that the hon. member has drawn.

What I can tell the member is that this government does not need to pay Liberal lawyers to sue the government when we do not respect the law. We intend to respect our legal and constitutional obligations.

[Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, October 2nd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, quite the contrary. I am proud of the fact that, despite the budget cuts, we have preserved, in the budget, all the necessary funding for official languages. I can assure the Leader of the Opposition that we intend always to respect our constitutional and legal obligations.

[The Environment, September 26th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I gather there are some representatives of that project lobbying around the Hill today, so let me be absolutely clear. This government believes that the waters of Passamaquoddy Bay are Canadian waters. We have defended that position for a long time. We oppose the passage of LNG tanker traffic through Head Harbour and we will continue to do so.

[Status of Women, September 26th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, let us be clear. We are not making any cuts to women's programs. We are transferring funds used for administration and bureaucracy, not for programs that benefit women directly.

[Government Programs, September 26th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the statements by the NDP leader are completely false. In this budget, this government intends to increase spending on aboriginal peoples, women, seniors and other groups in society. At the same time, however, it has made decisions to control spending responsibly, in order to achieve real results in a targeted fashion.

[Government Programs, September 26th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, despite all the hot air down there, the reality is that the new spending that this government has introduced in all of those areas far dwarfs any reductions the government made yesterday. The fact of the matter is we have made sure that we are spending money effectively to benefit these groups and that the money of the taxpayers is used properly.

[Government Programs, September 26th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, again, this government is not acting in an unconstitutional manner. We do not intend to pay lawyers; we intend to direct the funds in the interest of the taxpayers.

The leader of the Bloc is acting like a defender of francophone minorities in this country. Well, they want a strong Quebec in a united Canada.