Georges Devloo  Mr. Speaker, Canada has lost one of its truest friends with the passing of Monsieur Georges Devloo, a resident of Vimy, France. Monsieur Devloo was an exceptional man who, for many years, gave generously of his time helping hundreds of Canadians to visit the Vimy Ridge National Historic Site.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, the hon. colleague of mine for Wetaskiwin does draw my attention to the fact that we as the province of Alberta do have a trade secretary in Washington making ongoing efforts in terms of building that relationship. I heard some heckling from the other side with regards to the change in the administration.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I agree. The member has identified the damage that the Liberals have done in terms of our relationship over the last number of years. That damage continued through successive prime ministers up until our Prime Minister was elected. We have seen an improvement in the relationship with our biggest and largest trading partner to the south.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, despite the calls by the opposition members over the last two and a half years to reduce our contact with U.S. legislators, we have done something quite the contrary. We have continued to build strong relationships on both sides of the political spectrum in the United States.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I am thankful to see that NDP members have reversed their position of continually calling for additional protectionist measures. It is nice to see that they have recognized that we do have an integrated market with the United States. We are going to continue to ensure that the steel and iron that is produced in Canada can be exported to the United States and used for their infrastructure projects.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I do not think I have had the opportunity to congratulate you on your new posting since the last Parliament. Today I am pleased to join the debate on Canada's competitiveness and place in the world, specifically with regard to the stimulus bill that is being discussed in the United States House of Representatives.

Resumption of debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the hon. member on his re-election to the House. I am wondering if the hon. member would comment on two different things. First, Ontarians remember something they fondly, or not so fondly, recall as “Rae days”. I know the hon. member has some commentary on the politics of Ontario.

Resumption of debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, first, I congratulate the member for Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca on his recent election victory. I know it is one of many in the past. The member brought some commentary with regard to the health care system to the floor of the House of Commons. It seemed during the election campaign that we, as members of Parliament and as candidates for respective parties, were pressured not to comment on anything but the status quo when it came to the health care field.

Canadian Wheat Board  Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Wheat Board released its annual survey results last week and now the Liberals are retreating with their tails between their legs. The board now has provided us with the detail that three-quarters of western farmers want marketing freedom for their own barley.

Financial Administration Act  Mr. Speaker, with regard to the implementation of the requirements of the bill, there are a number of different points. It is important for parliamentarians and Canadians in general to know that departments, agencies and crown corporations do in fact collect this financial information on a regular basis.

Financial Administration Act  moved that Bill S-201, An Act to amend the Financial Administration Act and the Bank of Canada Act (quarterly financial reports), be read the second time and referred to a committee. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to stand in the House again this afternoon to speak.

Carbon Tax Proposal  Mr. Speaker, over the past number of weeks, our suspicions have confirmed that rather than fulfilling their responsibilities here in the House, the Liberals have mistakenly understood their role as one of being in opposition to Canadian taxpayers. In their most vigorous attack against Canadians so far, the Liberals have launched their carbon tax plan, effectively discriminating against Canadians, the most vulnerable industries and citizens in Canada.

Arctic Sovereignty  Mr. Speaker, since taking office, our government has been a strong defender of Canada's Arctic sovereignty. We continue to develop a northern agenda that focuses on sovereignty and environmental protection, promoting economic and social development, and devolving governance so that northerners can have more control over their own futures.

Polar Bears  Mr. Speaker, last week the Minister of the Environment held bilateral meetings with the United States Secretary of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne. I understand that they discussed a number of important cross-border issues, including the protection of one of Canada's icons, the majestic polar bear.

Budget Implementation Act, 2008  Mr. Speaker, it is time to pass Bill C-50, this year's first budget implementation bill. Every day constituents are calling and writing asking when Parliament will approve this important legislation. Constituents know that included in this bill are measures to implement the landmark tax-free savings account.