The Budget  However, something is very clear: whether it is the OECD, an independent third party that cites it, or whether it is Canadians as they look at their own books and compare themselves to other countries like the United States, Germany, and Greece, the results speak for themselves. Canada has shown leadership. We have pulled out of the recession. We are the strongest in pulling out of the recession. I am terribly proud to be a part of the government that has worked to do that for our neighbours.

Taxation  There are 160 tax cuts putting money back into the pockets of Canadians. The Liberal leader has ideas, ideas that would take this country down the same road as Greece and Detroit. I am not surprised with a party whose leader believes in not worrying about the budget, saying that the budget will balance itself. He is the last one this country needs to listen to when it comes to taxes.

The Budget  A balanced budget avoids the instability and draconian cuts seen in other parts of the world, such as Greece. As a grandparent myself, I see it avoids burdening our children and grandchildren with our debts. That is very important. Our fiscal situation is the envy of the entire world. Canada's net debt is expected to remain the lowest by far of any G7 country.

Ethical Development  This company and the government must listen to the women and men in Greece and around the world who are calling on Canada to change course. We must be a model for sustainable, ethical resource development in Canada, in Greece and throughout the world.

Foreign Affairs  Mr. Speaker, this week a delegation representing the citizens of northern Greece came to Canada to raise their opposition to the actions of the Canadian gold mining company Eldorado. The two projects this company is undertaking in Greece risk creating serious environmental degradation and have already led to major social unrest.

Situation in Ukraine  Looking at the prospect of having to extend billions of dollars to Ukraine so it can avoid default was a real challenge. Europe has had enough challenges in its own back yard with Greece, Portugal, Italy, Spain and other countries and it has really hesitated to say that it should put money forward at this time. If there had been more political will, there should have been a way to make this happen.

Economic Action Plan 2013 Act No. 2  I should make the point that the NDP's failed economic policies have been tried around the world. Look at Greece, France, Italy, the city of Detroit, the city of Chicago. High spending, high public sector wages and high tax drove those cities and those countries to economic ruin. The other dirty little secret of the Liberals and the New Democrats is that they actually want people dependent on government.

Government Operations committee  Number one, the accounting standards that Canada, Australia, and a few other countries use are far more strict. For instance, if you were to look at the financial statements of Greece, they're not very pretty, but they also don't include a lot of liabilities that should be on the books—pensions, benefits, things like that. So you have to understand what accounting standards are in play.

International Trade committee  That study was done in 2008, with data from prior to 2008. Since 2008, we've had a major global financial crisis. We've had issues in Greece and Europe that have been significant, and the dollar has changed in value. Why is that study still valid? Is there a particular point of it that continues to give you confidence that we're going to have 80,000 jobs?

Fisheries committee  But at the end of the day, the EU is still the largest, wealthiest market in the world. Certainly some of its member states are having some struggles—we've all read about Greece—but when you look at the strength of the German economy and even the strength of the U.K. economy, the big three with France included, there is a lot of economic wealth, and there is certainly a lot of growth in some of the new member states that have entered as well.

Foreign Affairs committee  Yes. I have a list of countries that manufacture cluster munitions: Brazil, China, Egypt, Greece, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, South Korea, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Turkey, and the United States. I haven't done a side-by-side reading to determine whether or not any of those states have signed or ratified the convention.

Finance committee  When you calculate some of the provincial debt loads and their portion of the federal debt, some provinces are carrying debt-to-GDP levels that are close to where Greece and Portugal and Italy and Spain were prior to the downturn. If we consider those obligations, I'd just caution that in terms of the fiscal situation in Canada, it may appear a little rosier than it actually is.

Tax Conventions Implementation Act, 2013  Why ask someone to work 40 or 60 hours a week to make ends meet and pay taxes when he knows full well that a mafia member in Sicily, a crooked politician in Greece or a flashy real estate developer in Spain will not pay taxes? Why ask someone to keep paying taxes for services when the rich are not paying those same taxes? The poor man is paying the rich man's share.

Economic Action Plan 2013 Act No. 2  Too many countries are crippled with overwhelming debt due to years of excessive borrowing. In Greece there is a 27% unemployment rate. In Cyprus bank accounts have been confiscated. Italy has a debt to GDP ratio of 130%. Portugal's unemployment rate is 16%. It is no surprise that these nations are not prospering.

Economic Action Plan 2013 Act No. 2  George's and the rest of Canada do not continue to struggle. The fact that Canada's fiscal situation is better than that of Spain or Greece does not change the reality for those in my riding who are without jobs through no fault of their own, or those with adult children who have moved back home because there are no employment opportunities for them or they are underemployed and cannot afford to live independently.