Tony Clement

[Points of Order, February 27th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I have already indicated that this calculation came from HRSDC and I would be happy to provide whatever information is available.

[Housing, February 27th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, as I indicated, this is on top of the social transfer. This is on top of the hundreds of millions we spend every year on these affordable housing and homelessness programs. Could it be the NDP is desperately trying to find ways to spend the money from its $21 billion carbon tax?

[Government Spending, February 27th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member very much for that pertinent question.

I can tell the House what we do know. We know that the NDP is planning a brand new social program, even though this is on top of the $12 billion the federal government transfers to the provinces each year out of the Canada social transfer. We know that it is on top of the hundreds of millions of dollars the federal government spends on affordable housing and homelessness each and every year. We know that the estimates of the cost of this program would be $5.5 billion.

That is equivalent to a one-point hike in the GST. We cannot allow that to pass.

[Government Advertising, February 27th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I know it was in the distant past when the member was in government, but the facts speak for themselves: it was $111 million in the Liberals' last year in government, and we are spending tens of millions of dollars less than that.

In fact, I remember when that particular fox for Kings—Hants was in charge of the henhouse. The Liberals were spending tens of millions of dollars more on advertising, and he was up in this House saying, “Wait for Gomery”, when we questioned their advertising budget. We waited, and we still want to know where the $40 million is.

[The Budget, February 27th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, has already indicated, and as the hon. members should know and do know, the estimates are not the budget. The estimates are a baseline that is used for planning purposes. The budget is the budget, and of course we will continue to fulfill our responsibilities when it comes to health and safety and the core programs of the federal government. We will continue to build jobs, opportunity and economic prosperity for our country. That is what the budget is about, and we will continue to stand with Canadians.

[Food Safety, February 26th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, of course, we do all of that. The issue, as the Prime Minister indicated earlier, is our obligation to communicate with Canadians about programs and services that are available to them.

I would indicate to the hon. member that only 0.03% of government spending is used for advertising, and communication of all sorts. Last year, our advertising budget was $83.3 million, which is well below the last full year under the former Liberal government of $111 million.

[The Budget, February 26th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, we on this side of the House look forward to the process that is entrain right now to get a non-partisan, credible person as the parliamentary budget officer.

I would only say that the deputy minister, the secretary to the Treasury Board, who the hon. member referred to, was doing her job to correct some inaccurate information that the Parliamentary Budget Officer was in fact purveying. Her job is to correct the record, to give the PBO the facts that he requires. That is a good exchange of information and points of view.

[Government Expenditures, February 25th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member gets a Razzie for that kind of remark.

It is our obligation to inform Canadian taxpayers on important government programs, and we do so, and not at the clip of the former Liberal government, I might add. It is certainly well below that by tens of millions of dollars. We will continue to inform Canadians on important programs because it is necessary that we continue that dialogue on issues that will create jobs, opportunity and growth in our economy.

[Veterans Affairs, February 14th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, of course we are a fair and reasonable government. If there is a way to avoid expensive legal proceedings, we would seek to do that. The matter is before the courts.

I would ask that the hon. member ponder that, if he is so in favour of veterans and disabled RCMP officers, maybe he should disown the $21 billion carbon tax his party is—

[Government Services, February 13th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the 2012 economic action plan is our plan for jobs, growth and long-term prosperity.

It is a plan for dealing with unemployment and creating more jobs in every region of the country.

We support this plan for Canadians, and every member of the House will support it if they want the same thing.