Canada-Panama Economic Growth and Prosperity Act  Mr. Speaker, it is great to come back to the member for Prince Albert because he is well aware that the NDP put forward a series of amendments to this bill because, as with most of those who are concerned about dirty drug money laundering, we believe that an agreement like this without a tax information exchange agreement is not a prudent or responsible course.

Canada-Panama Economic Growth and Prosperity Act  Mr. Speaker, I like the hon. member and I certainly think he put what is a fairly poor argument from the government's standpoint across as well as he could. He is dealing with the PMO's talking points. The reality is the government has been a massive failure on trade. Canada now has the largest merchandise deficit, the largest current account deficit on balance of payments in our country's history.

Government Priorities  Mr. Speaker, 60,000 full-time jobs were lost in the last few months. The government's bad choices are hurting Canadian families. Even the government must know that cutting back on food safety, transportation safety and the environment hurts Canadians. There was a 43% cut to the Environmental Assessment Agency.

Government Priorities  Mr. Speaker, a government should not begin a four year term by breaking the law. Breaking the law is a bad move. It is not the only bad move by this government: cuts to food safety, $33 million; cuts to transportation safety for Canadian families, $29 million; cuts to veterans' services, $48 million.

Criminal Code  moved for leave to introduce Bill C-402, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (public transportation workers). Mr. Speaker, Canadians rely on transit operators and bus drivers across the country to get them, their friends, their family members and their loved ones to work and to events safely.

Points of Order  Madam Speaker, we have had the member for Hamilton Mountain raise this issue. We have the Speaker of course looking into it to determine and investigate who is behind this. Of course, as the member for Hamilton Mountain just mentioned, this could be any political party, any staffer.

Government Communications  Madam Speaker, yesterday we learned that the Treasury Board has imposed a gag order on all departments regarding public service cuts. Who gave this order? The same minister who plans to cut up to $8 billion, which will mean the loss of many services. This is also the same minister who tried to hide a $50 million slush fund.

Government Communications  Madam Speaker, that is the minister who hid documents from the Auditor General about the G8 legacy fund. This is now the same minister whose department has issued an unprecedented gag order to hide information from Canadians. Will the Conservatives list the planned cuts for every government department and agency in the upcoming report on plans and priorities, or will they try to cover up like they did with the G8?

Government Communications  Madam Speaker, the minister did not answer, but we know on this side of the House what the Conservatives are afraid of. The Conservatives are afraid of the fact that Canadians are increasingly concerned about the government's choices. We see it in the public reaction on the F-35 fiasco, the attacks on seniors' pensions, the unprecedented attempt to intrude on Canadians' personal information.

Government Priorities  Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives have choices to make for the next budget, and a little relief for families would be more than welcome. As Fitch and Moody's stated, this government's plan to cut services will slow economic growth. Over its lifespan, a single F-35 will cost $450 million.

Government Priorities  Mr. Speaker, we voted against them because they did not get the job done. The proof of that is the IMF's economic growth figures for 2012 ranking Canada 152nd worldwide. They are not getting the job done. Making a budget is about choices. The cost of the Senate last year was $88 million.

Government Programs  Mr. Speaker, this bill has erased any credibility the minister may have had in relation to this issue. Ratings agencies Fitch and Moody's say that the Conservatives' planned budget cuts are “a risk to growth”. Moody's key analyst on Canada says that “doing it [cutting] too rapidly has negative effects”.

Government Programs  Mr. Speaker, we take no lessons on common sense and credibility from the current government because we know that budgets are about choices, and we see the kind of choices the Conservatives are about to make: more than $30 billion for the flawed F-35s, and the price keeps climbing; $19 billion for the prison agenda at a time when the crime rate is falling; $3 billion in corporate tax cuts for this year alone that would pay the annual OAS for 462,000 Canadian seniors.

National Defence  Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives keep making bad decisions and Canadians are paying the price. Workers are not receiving their employment insurance cheques on time and seniors are worried about cuts to the old age security program, but this government is determined to waste $30 billion on jets that do not meet our needs.

Financial System Review Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his question, because it is particularly relevant. We have already witnessed this government's decisions many times and in many different areas: we have seen fake lakes and we have seen departments being mismanaged. Now things are changing: the decision-making power that once belonged largely to independent agencies is going directly to the minister's office.