Gasoline Prices  Mr. Speaker, the member for Don Valley West, in supporting a carbon tax, says we cannot fight climate change and have cheap gas. That is easy to say for someone who had the good fortune to attend both Upper Canada College and Oxford University, someone who worked as the editor of the Financial Post, and served in the federal cabinet.

Bill C-30 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  Well, you're actually being a little too forward, sir. Let me get to the question for you. You said a carbon tax was preferred. Can you help us understand why a carbon tax is preferred, rather than a cap and trade system? Can you please weave into your answer your reaction to the government's announcement that there will be no participation, by this country, in the international carbon markets?

Liberal Party of Canada  The GST would shoot back up to at least 7% and Canadians would pay approximately another 50¢ to 60¢ a litre for gas because of the new carbon tax the Leader of the Opposition recently promised to implement. High taxes and extravagant spending, that is the kind of Canada that the Liberals want back but it is not what Canadians want and it is sure not the kind of Canada this Conservative government provides.

Gasoline Prices  Mr. Speaker, there are two ways to deal with this issue. One is to slap on carbon taxes, raise income taxes and raise the GST to put it back where it was or raise it an additional point. That is what the NDP and the Liberals in the House would do. Another way of dealing with it is to lower taxes: to lower the GST, to lower income taxes, to raise personal exemptions and let Canadians keep their money.

Manufacturing Industry  The turmoil is not over. The European Union is looking ever more seriously at imposing a carbon tax on goods imported from countries that did not sign the Kyoto protocol or that do not respect its rules, such as Canada under the Conservative government. Will the minister admit that his government, by favouring the oil industry and not respecting Kyoto, is harming Quebec and Ontario manufacturing industries?

Privilege  If that is not true, then this is serious. Does he have a document to submit? Can he tell us, in black and white, that House of Commons employees approved this document?

Privilege  What I said about the member for Bourassa in the mailing, as I said last week, was simply to name the four ministers who were summoned to appear before the Gomery commission. It is there in black and white, it is not a matter of interpretation. It is stated very clearly "appeared before the Gomery commission" and they are in a little frame. It is a fact. I apologize to the hon. member, but it is a fact.

Sponsorship Program  Speaker, the Minister of Transport should read page 47, where Justice Gomery wrote, in black and white, that Treasury Board had abdicated its spending oversight function. He should read the entire report. The Prime Minister is avoiding responding, but I put this to him again. Yesterday, Jean Chrétien said that his ministers in charge of supervising spending, that is, Treasury Board, had assured him on a number of occasions that there had been compliance and that everything was in order.

Sponsorship Program  Speaker, now that the Gomery report has confirmed the corruption in the Liberal Party, Canadians wonder why responsibility has not been assigned. Justice Gomery wrote in black and white that the Liberal Party as an institution cannot escape responsibility for the misconduct of its officers and representatives. The Prime Minister says that he accepts without hesitation all the commission's findings.

Privilege  Now, we know the four former ministers who appeared before the Gomery commission. It says so here in black and white. So there is no breach of privilege.

Bill C-30 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  It would be the people who are driving gas guzzlers and being energy gluttons who would quite rightly pay more in terms of carbon taxes.

Bill C-30 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  Some of those programs could already be done under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. As I mentioned, the act will need to be amended to make carbon taxes and other environmental taxes available, because they're not currently in the list of economic instruments authorized by CEPA.

Income Tax Act  In the rhetoric on the promotion of education as a principle, that too must be met with action. The numbers speak loudly in black and white. Year in and year out for the last 14 years, the average debt load for a student leaving post-secondary education in Canada has been increasing by $1,000 per year. That is an unprecedented and dramatic rise in the debt load that we are asking our students to incur as they go forth into the world and try to better themselves in society.

Natural Resources committee  I'm going to agree with Mr. Jaccard, and I'm also going to disagree with him. Regarding his proposal on the carbon tax, you need the right price signal long term so that people can make the right decisions that have a value in terms of addressing climate change in the long term. I think your concern, Mr.

Natural Resources committee  Technically you're relying on other provinces to help balance your load, and you need that generation from other sources. How can we deal with this jurisdiction, Mr. Jaccard, first, with a carbon tax, and how do we help utilities get over that provincial jurisdiction issue?