House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2008, with 58% of the vote.
Infrastructure October 23rd, 2009
Mr. Speaker, I suppose I should be worried when my colleagues cheer louder for the critic than for me.
She quite rightly articulated the fact that it was this government that brought to a new level of transparency the rules and regulations that govern spending in this place. We had to do that because the former Liberal regime had absolutely devastated public confidence in public spending. We have restored that and we feel good about it.
Infrastructure October 23rd, 2009
Mr. Speaker, if the member opposite wants to go stat for stat and quote for quote, we should consider, first of all, what the deputy premier of the province of Ontario has said, what the head of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities has said, what the mayor of Toronto has said. They all said that they are very pleased with the fair disbursal of these funds.
Just as one example alone, under the RInC program, 136 applications were received from the city of Toronto and 86% of those were fulfilled.
Government Spending October 23rd, 2009
Mr. Speaker, I will tell you what well spent, well directed investment can buy. On our economic action plan, some 7,500 projects are under way across this country, providing employment, providing everything from water treatment plants, to improved highway systems, to increased infrastructure improvements at our post-secondary institutions right across the country.
That is what good money buys, and the good money comes from the hard work of taxpayers. That is why our tax system continues to be the lowest among the G8 countries.
Government Spending October 23rd, 2009
Mr. Speaker, there are two things we need to consider. First is the past historic record of the Liberal government. The only time it had the opportunity to do something related to health care in the 1990s, it slashed it by over a third without even consulting the provinces.
When it comes to advertising, which is the other point the member is raising, we think Canadians want to know about things such as how to access the H1N1 vaccine. We think they want to know about the Canadian military and recruitment programs. We think Canadians want to know about the home renovation tax credit. We think they want to know how to access these programs, and we are going to tell them.
Government Spending October 23rd, 2009
Mr. Speaker, it is important to consider comments from others besides the Liberal critic, for instance. It was the International Monetary Fund that said that Canada was the best positioned to weather the global crisis. Canada is the leader among industrialized countries, and we will continue to lead.
Afghanistan October 22nd, 2009
Mr. Speaker, I did not see the reports.
Taxation October 21st, 2009
Mr. Speaker, we will continue to sign free trade agreements with other countries because we want to continue to create opportunities for Canadian workers, investors and businesses. That is in our plan.
Our economy will continue to grow because we will be signing free trade agreements with many more countries.
Canada-U.S. Relations October 5th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, our way of doing things is different from that of the previous government. We are going to include the provinces at the federal negotiating table.
That is unprecedented, and the provinces have indicated that they are very pleased with the process. We want to protect the interests of the provinces and, at the same time, we want a free trade agreement with the Europeans.
Canada-U.S. Relations October 5th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, we have worked in partnership with all the provinces to protect their interests. Yes, we are against protectionism, but it is also important to protect the interests of the provinces. That is exactly what we plan to do.
Ways and Means September 30th, 2009
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 83(1), I have the honour to table a notice of a ways and means motion to amend the Softwood Lumber Products Export Charge Act, 2006.
I would ask that an order of the day be designated for consideration of the motion.