The Budget  The next phase of Canada's economic action plan will also keep taxes low and make additional targeted investments to support jobs and growth and control government spending to stay on track to eliminate the deficit, while protecting transfer payments for crucial services like health care and education. Included in those many important measures are tax breaks for hard-working Canadian families, support for our country's most vulnerable seniors, support for family caregivers, help for Canadians looking to make their homes more energy efficient and improvements to our justice system to make our streets safe, among other things.

International Trade  Speaker, our government is committed to protecting and strengthening the long-term financial security of hard-working Canadians. Free trade creates jobs and economic opportunities and that is why we have made it a priority to open new markets for Canadian businesses. Could the Minister of International Trade please tell us why we are pursuing these agreements?

Status of Women  Speaker, as it is my first time getting up in the House in our four year majority mandate, I would like to thank the constituents of Edmonton—Spruce Grove for re-electing me. They are hard-working Canadians who want us to focus on job creation and balancing the budget. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate my colleague and all the women who have been elected to Parliament in the last election.

The Economy  Speaker, the finance minister continues to speak with Canadian families, families like the Bucci family in Oakville, about Canada's economy. They are a typical hard-working Canadian family that makes this country great. Helping protect the financial security of hard-working Canadians and their families is our priority. That means living within our means and keeping our taxes low.

Speech from the Throne  Here to eliminate the deficit Nearly three years ago, the world faced an unprecedented financial crisis. Drawing on strong fundamentals and the values of the hard-working Canadians and firms that refused to let difficult times define them, our Economic Action Plan helped Canada emerge quickly from recession. Working closely with provinces, territories and communities, our Government moved swiftly to deliver a targeted, time-limited stimulus program that created and protected jobs right across the country.

Sustaining Canada's Economic Recovery Act  However then, the Conservatives are much more concerned about their friends in the banking sector than they are about hard-working Canadians. How else could one possibly explain that the very banks that posted profits in excess of $15 billion in the first three-quarters of 2010 received an additional tax cut of $645 million from their Conservative friends?

Human Resources committee  Canadians know that our Conservative government will always stand up for law-abiding, hard-working Canadians and their families. They know we will use their hard-earned tax dollars fairly, responsibly, and prudently. Bill C-31 is about the responsible use of public funds and the fair treatment of taxpayers.

Employment Insurance  Our Conservative government is the only party in the House that is standing up for hard-working Canadians and job-creating small businesses and voting against the bill. We will continue to fight against these costly and irresponsible coalition EI plans.

Employment Insurance  The idea of getting a year's worth of EI after only having worked 45 days is offensive to hard-working Canadians. The coalition's EI plans would cost workers and job-creating small businesses $7 billion per year and result in a permanent 35% increase in payroll premiums. It is our Conservative government that will stand up for hard-working Canadians and fight against the Liberal leader's coalition plans to increase taxes on workers and job-creating small businesses.

Business of Supply  It is a vote against our low tax plan for jobs and economic growth. It is a vote against hard-working Canadians and their families. It is a vote that will weaken Canada's economic recovery. It is a vote against the budget. It is a vote against our plan. Let us be clear. The latest phase of Canada's economic action plan encourages owners of small businesses to hire more people.

Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act  Record job losses, the decline of entire industries, like forestry and manufacturing, the collapse of large employers, like Nortel Networks and AbitibiBowater, are throwing tens of thousands of hard-working Canadians out of work. These hard-working Canadians, through no fault of their own, are finding out, after years and years of work, that their pensions and retirement income are threatened.

The Budget  This is something I am particularly proud of as a founding member of the parliamentary committee on palliative and compassionate care. I ask the following: How can someone claim to support hard-working Canadian families and vote against measures such as this? How can someone who claims to represent the middle class vote against the children's art tax credit, which would provide families a tax credit of $500 per year?

Business of the House  Yesterday our Conservative government achieved royal assent for the following bills: Bill S-6 to eliminate the faint hope clause; Bill C-14 to provide hard-working Canadians some fairness at the gas pumps; Bill C-21 to crack down on white collar crime; Bill C-22 to crack down on those who would exploit our children through the Internet; Bill C-30, R. v.

The Budget  I encourage them to work together in Parliament with our Conservative government to implement the positive measures in the next phase of Canada's economic action plan to support hard-working Canadians. Let us work together to provide strong initiatives to support job creation and continued economic growth. Let us work together to provide new supports for families and seniors from coast to coast to coast.

The Budget  He could have responded to the serious shortage of family doctors and nurses. He could have strengthened retirement security for hard-working Canadians from coast to coast to coast. Instead, under a cloud of scandal, the Prime Minister showed that he is, unfortunately, incapable of working with others on behalf of Canadians. He has proven himself incapable of putting the needs of our families today ahead of well-connected Conservative insiders.