Tony Clement

[National Defence, February 26th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I have only been in the House for just over three years. That is the lowest of the low. That is outrageous. I demand he retract it and apologize. He is skimming the bottom of the barrel.

The member should say that outside the House and then we will talk about the lawsuit that will prevail, I am sure.

[The Economy, February 26th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, we have already infused credit to the BDC. It is already actively making loans to small and medium size enterprises. We have a new $12 billion credit facility that the finance minister and I announced.

We are undergoing a few consultations to make sure we get it right, that we cross those t's and dot those i's. We are there for the small business person and we are there for medium size enterprises, because we care about the future of business in this country.

[Industry, February 25th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, there are protections that are contained in the budget implementation bill that are still there for us to review certain transactions and to defend national security, but I want to make a larger point.

The larger point is that we on this side of the House believe that Canada, in order to survive and thrive, must be open for investment, must be open for new jobs and new opportunities, not only from indigenous businesses but also the ones from overseas who want to invest in Canada, invest in jobs, and invest in opportunity.

That is why we are the government for investment, for the fact that we can grow jobs and opportunity, and why those members sit in the opposition.

[Industry, February 25th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, we always review these kinds of requests for takeover with a net benefit to Canada test. I would be happy to look into the matter. I was not in charge at that particular moment, but I can tell the hon. member that through the changes we are pursuing via the budget implementation act, we will continue to make sure that Canada's national security and national interests are well protected.

[Automotive Industry, February 25th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, well before the current president was inaugurated, our Prime Minister, along with Dalton McGuinty, the Ontario premier, announced our plans to work with the auto sector in Canada.

In conjunction with the U.S. government, we are working on those plans. We are making sure that our terms and conditions are met because we do not believe in money for nothing, unlike the party on the other side.

[Automotive Industry, February 25th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, we tend to be accountable to this Parliament and to the people of Canada, and that does not change.

I would note for the hon. member that the industry committee met two weeks ago. I met with them for two hours. I received 18 questions from the Liberal MPs on that committee and only one question was on the auto sector.

It appears that the Liberal plan is money for nothing, no terms, no accountability and no conditions. We all know that money for nothing leads to dire straits.

[Mining Industry, February 24th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, we are as disappointed in these layoffs as the member is.

We know that Xstrata obviously is facing some tough times. We worked with Xstrata rather than take it to court, which is what the NDP would love to do. We worked with the company and got an extra $290 million of investment in the legal books for Sudbury. We are working on behalf of Sudbury and the workers in the future. Three hundred jobs were saved by that.

I am proud of our record. I am going to keep working for Sudbury, even though the member is interested in paying off lawyers.

[Pensions, February 24th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, only the NDP would think that it is adequate or beneficial public policy to have the taxpayers of Canada save the pensions of one set of workers when we, in fact, are doing the right thing and supporting the restructuring of the industry to ensure the industry is there for its workers and for consumers in the future. That is our position. It should be their position.

[Automotive Industry, February 24th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, this is quite interesting. The hon. member for Brampton West and the hon. member for Brampton—Springdale may have known from their colleagues, including the member for Nipissing—Timiskaming, that I actually appeared before the industry committee two weeks ago to answer questions for two hours. The hon. member was not there and the hon. member for Brampton—Springdale was not there. Why were they not standing up for the people of Brampton then?

[Automotive Industry, February 24th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, let me try that last one again. I am not sure that TV-land heard the whole thing.

The member for Guelph--Wellington used to be the associate industry critic and then was changed to become the ag critic. When The Guelph Mercury asked him why that occurred, he said that it was because the auto critic position had essentially been completed with the industry minister's announcement of the loans to the automakers in December.

They do not even have an auto critic over there. Why is the hon. member, when she talks about the wise heads at the head of this, being so down on Dalton McGuinty and Mike Ryan?