Ted Menzies

[Business of Supply, April 26th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I agree with the member's analysis.

When I was at a pension conference earlier this week with about 20 different countries, they all applauded the fact that Canada was looking at this pragmatically. Many of them wished that they had done this earlier. Many of the European countries have already done this. Australia, some of the African countries and the Caribbean countries are all feeling the same pressures.

I know my hon. colleague is a family man with grandchildren. I would like him to explain to us how he could dare tell his grandchildren that he did not help prepare for their futures as well. I am sure that he will answer positively that he is helping them prepare to enjoy the retirement system, the OAS system, that we have into the future.

[The Budget, April 5th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, those numbers are worth repeating: 82,300 more jobs in March. That is very important. Another important factor is that 70,000 of those are full-time jobs and 39,000 are youth employment. That is what we have seen as troubling, but jobs for youth have increased by 39,000. That is almost 700,000 net new jobs since the end of the recession.

[The Budget, April 5th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, that may be NDP logic, but it is not economic logic. In fact, if the member had read the “Fiscal Monitor” that came out last Thursday, he would have seen that corporate revenues to the Government of Canada, including our reduction of corporate income tax, created a 20% increase in corporate income tax. Obviously, their assumptions are completely inaccurate. These increases in job numbers bring us to nearly 700,000 more Canadians working today than in July 2009.

[The Budget, April 5th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I think what the hon. member was referring to is perhaps the fact that NDP members voted against our economic action plan 2012 last night. They voted against the hope that Canadians have for more jobs. In fact, just this morning there was an announcement that there are 82,300 more jobs. That is what Canadians want to hear about. That is what they want the opposition to ask questions about. It is not what happens in the Ottawa bubble, but what Canadians care about.

[The Budget, March 28th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, this is the House of Commons and we welcome any interested member of Parliament and the media to get involved in the lock-up so they get a prelude of what is in the budget. However, it will be delivered in the House to every Canadian.

[The Budget, March 28th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, we will be proudly introducing in the House of Commons tomorrow budget 2012, an economic action plan for jobs, growth and long-term prosperity. We welcome all Canadians to tune in and listen to all of the very interesting and positive news that the Minister of Finance will deliver tomorrow.

[Employment, March 28th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, speaking of change, it would be nice if the NDP would change its position and actually vote for some initiatives that we put forward that actually produced jobs, over 610,000 net new jobs. He can throw out all the strange numbers he wants, but what matters to Canadians is there are 610,000 Canadians working today who were not working in July 2009. I think what matters to Canadians is the fact that the NDP has already decided it will stand and vote against Canadians.

[Employment, March 28th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I sense the excitement in the his voice. He is looking forward to hearing a budget he can support. I would encourage him to listen very closely, because I think there will be a lot in the budget he can support.

One is financial literacy, and we are moving forward on that. The hon. member obviously could use a few lessons because he is comparing developing countries to those that are developed. I would encourage him to go back to the school books to figure out the massive difference.

We would be looking for support, and so would Canadians, for a jobs, growth and prosperity budget.

[Aerospace Industry, March 28th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, we put first Canadians who are looking for work, and there are still too many Canadians who are searching for jobs. That is why the budget that will be tabled in this House tomorrow will actually continue on the path we have started, which is promoting jobs, the economy and a strong, prosperous future for Canadians. It is important for Canadians to find work. We would certainly hope the NDP could see its way clear to support a new plan for jobs and growth.

[Taxation, March 16th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government is very proud of our track record on reducing taxes for Canadians and for entrepreneurs and helping those who create jobs. Unfortunately, some left-leaning think tanks that just simply echo the NDP's call for higher taxes are actually asking that higher taxes be put in the budget.

Let me be clear. That will not happen. We know higher taxes kill Canadian jobs. We do not want that to happen.