Stephen Harper

[Taxation, April 21st, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, of course, of the some 11 million Canadians who have been involved in TFSAs, the vast majority are people of modest or middle-class incomes. The vast majority. It is fulfilling a promise we made.

I know why the Liberal Party and the NDP oppose these tax reductions. It is because they want to hike taxes on hard-working, middle-class Canadians because they need that money to give to bureaucracy to fund their priorities.

Hard-working, middle-class Canadians want more of their own money in their own pockets.

[Public Safety, April 21st, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, most Canadians support the government on this.

However, the Liberal Party can read the polls. That is the reality of the situation. We expect a strong response. Our law enforcement agencies, like those of other countries, have the powers necessary to counter jihadist forces. That is essential, and we will continue to act to protect Canadians.

I would also like to commend the police in Montreal for the arrests they have made and the work they have done in response to these incidents.

[Public Safety, April 21st, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, we know that the NDP has never supported one serious anti-terrorism measure ever, in any Parliament in this country. The reality is that these measures are strongly supported by Canadians.

These measures parallel the kinds of authorities that other national security and police agencies have in other countries. As a matter of fact, it is absolutely unacceptable that websites or the Internet would be used for terrorist recruitment purposes. It should be a crime, and it will be a crime when this legislation passes.

[Ethics, April 21st, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, once again, what I am saying is that there is a whole series of charges against Mr. Duffy that relate to his improper use of public funds. Obviously I am not going to comment on those matters.

We have assisted the RCMP in its investigation. We have been assisting the Crown in its prosecution of this case, but obviously I will leave the evidence before the court to be decided on its merits.

[Ethics, April 21st, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, we followed a parliamentary practice that has been in place for nearly 150 years.

The issue before the court, as we know, is Mr. Duffy's expenditures, just as when we are talking about residence the issue is also expenditures with the leader of the NDP. The residence of the Parliament of Canada is Ottawa. It is not Saskatchewan, Quebec, or everywhere else where he tried to use parliamentary funds to establish party offices. That was obviously incorrect, and that money should be paid back.

[Ethics, April 21st, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, there is a constitutional practice with regard to this that dates back almost 150 years.

Obviously, the matters to which the member refers are really Mr. Duffy's expenditures, which as we know, are right now before the courts. While the government is assisting the Crown with its case, we are not going to comment on testimony before the court.

[Government Advertising, April 1st, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I can hardly believe that the Liberal Party is asking a question about advertising expenses after the theft of $40 million.

When it comes to the Liberal platform, I would just say that somebody has to write it.

In all seriousness, when the Liberals do get around to writing a platform down there, they do not get to run away from their record; and their record against benefits for families and the middle class is crystal clear and Canadians are going to learn about it.

[Government Advertising, April 1st, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, is the Liberal Party actually asking me about taxpayer dollars? We are still trying to find 40 million of those dollars.

The right priority is to put money into the pockets of Canadians. The wrong priority is the Liberal Party's position against the family tax cut; its position against tax breaks for seniors; its position against the universal child care benefit; its position against the Canada job grant, against the Canada apprenticeship loan, against the apprenticeship grants, and against help for sectors. Those are the wrong priorities.

[Employment, April 1st, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, this government has an enviable employment record because we are pursuing a low-tax plan for jobs and growth.

What they want to do on that side is raise taxes on Canadian families. Somehow, they think that would help the middle class, that it would somehow help the middle class to take away the children's fitness tax credit, to take away income splitting from Canadian families and pensioners, and to take away the enhancement of the universal child care benefit.

These are good measures for middle-class families. That is why the Canadian middle class, unlike the middle class in most countries, has had good growth over the past few years. We continue to be committed to moving forward.

[National Defence, April 1st, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, let us be clear. The NDP would take money away from 100% of Canadian families and give it to bureaucrats, lobbyists, and advocates. That is not what this government supports. Canadians will not let them do it.

In terms of the second question, the Chief of the Defence Staff has already addressed this particular issue. Let me be very clear about the government's position. We will assist our partners around the world in making sure that the so-called Islamic State does not have a safe haven in either Iraq or Syria from which it can launch terrorist attacks against this country. We are committed to making sure that risk and threat to Canadians is degraded.