Speech (House debate)

{
    "time": "2007-06-07 18:00:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Mr. Blaine Calkins",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"689307\" data-originallang=\"en\">Mr. Speaker, it is amazing. The member said that we could not find a single person in Atlantic Canada who agrees with what is happening here. It completely baffles me, because in order to have any credibility to represent our people, we have to be following a leader who bases decisions on principle and integrity.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"689308\" data-originallang=\"en\">The member, as a member of the Liberal Party, seems to think, through his leader, that there is no fiscal imbalance. For him to even get up and ask a question in regard to the fact that the Conservative government is dealing with the fiscal imbalance is completely hypocritical.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"689309\" data-originallang=\"en\">The Liberals have no credibility when it comes to talking about this. As a matter of fact, the <a data-HoCid=\"105458\" href=\"/politicians/stephane-dion/\" title=\"St\u00e9phane Dion\"> leader of the Liberal Party</a> said when he was intergovernmental affairs minister that some provinces want special treatment to maintain their incoming benefits, even as their fiscal capacities increase. He said he disagrees, but he did an about-face in an attempt to do nothing but smear the Government of Canada, which is trying to restore fiscal balance between all the provinces.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"689310\" data-originallang=\"en\"> It is a fair treatment for all of the provinces in this country. The cap is in place to make sure that provinces receiving equalization do not have greater fiscal capacity than non-receiving provinces. That is only fair and reasonable.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"689311\" data-originallang=\"en\">The province of Nova Scotia has been given a choice. The province has got, as a matter of fact, an extra year to even figure out what choice it wants to make. It will try, I believe, the new formula right now with the new equalization. That is a wise choice. It is a bird in the hand and it can make a decision after that first year as to whether or not it wants to continue on with that.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"689312\" data-originallang=\"en\">I think we have been more than gracious. The Government of Canada is listening to the people of Nova Scotia. My colleagues from Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada have stood up and have voted on principle for the budget. They are doing fine work on behalf of their constituents and I fully support them.</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"689307\" data-originallang=\"en\">Monsieur le Pr\u00e9sident, c'est incroyable. Le d\u00e9put\u00e9 dit qu'il n'y a personne dans la r\u00e9gion atlantique qui souscrit \u00e0 ce qui se passe ici. J'en suis m\u00e9dus\u00e9, car pour avoir la cr\u00e9dibilit\u00e9 nous permettant de repr\u00e9senter nos \u00e9lecteurs, nous devons \u00eatre dirig\u00e9s par un chef int\u00e8gre dont les d\u00e9cisions reposent sur des principes.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"689308\" data-originallang=\"en\">En tant que membre du Parti lib\u00e9ral, le d\u00e9put\u00e9 est, \u00e0 l'instar de son chef, dans le camp de ceux qui nient l'existence du d\u00e9s\u00e9quilibre fiscal. Lorsqu'il se l\u00e8ve et qu'il pose une question sur les efforts du gouvernement conservateur pour r\u00e9soudre le d\u00e9s\u00e9quilibre, il fait preuve d'une hypocrisie totale.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"689309\" data-originallang=\"en\">Les lib\u00e9raux n'ont aucune cr\u00e9dibilit\u00e9 dans ce dossier. Lorsque le <a data-HoCid=\"105458\" href=\"/politicians/stephane-dion/\" title=\"St\u00e9phane Dion\">chef du Parti lib\u00e9ral</a> \u00e9tait ministre des Affaires intergouvernementales, il disait que certaines provinces voulaient un traitement pr\u00e9f\u00e9rentiel pour conserver leurs avantages malgr\u00e9 l'augmentation de leur capacit\u00e9 fiscale. Il se disait contre cette id\u00e9e jusqu'\u00e0 ce qu'il fasse volte-face dans une tentative de salissage du gouvernement conservateur, qui essaie de r\u00e9tablir l'\u00e9quilibre fiscal entre toutes les provinces.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"689310\" data-originallang=\"en\">Le traitement est \u00e9quitable pour l'ensemble des provinces du pays. S'il y a un plafond, c'est qu'on doit veiller \u00e0 ce que la capacit\u00e9 fiscale des provinces qui b\u00e9n\u00e9ficient de la p\u00e9r\u00e9quation ne d\u00e9passe pas celle des provinces qui n'en b\u00e9n\u00e9ficient pas. Voil\u00e0 qui est tout simplement juste et raisonnable.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"689311\" data-originallang=\"en\">La Nouvelle-\u00c9cosse s'est vu accorder la possibilit\u00e9 de choisir. Elle a m\u00eame une ann\u00e9e suppl\u00e9mentaire pour faire ce choix. Je crois qu'elle va essayer la nouvelle formule de p\u00e9r\u00e9quation. C'est un choix sage. Un tiens vaut mieux que deux tu l'auras. Apr\u00e8s cette premi\u00e8re ann\u00e9e, elle pourra voir si elle veut continuer de la m\u00eame mani\u00e8re.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"689312\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je pense que nous avons \u00e9t\u00e9 plus que gracieux. Le gouvernement du Canada \u00e9coute les gens de la Nouvelle-\u00c9cosse. Mes coll\u00e8gues de la Nouvelle-\u00c9cosse et du reste de la r\u00e9gion atlantique ont approuv\u00e9 le budget en principe lors du vote sur cette question. Ils font de l'excellent travail pour repr\u00e9senter leurs \u00e9lecteurs et je les appuie enti\u00e8rement.</p>"
    },
    "url": "/debates/2007/6/7/blaine-calkins-2/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/blaine-calkins/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/361/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "2138197",
    "h1": {
        "en": "Government Orders",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "h2": {
        "en": "Business of Supply",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "document_url": "/debates/2007/6/7/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2007%2F6%2F7%2F"
    }
}