difference in america. this year, my husband and i will have been married 33 years. [applause] york clapping for the wrong person in our marriage. it is my husband who deserves the lion's share of the credit. we do have an unfair advantage. i am grateful for this wonderful man. we made a decision when we first got married. even though we did not have a lot of money, we decided we would always live on just one in come. we would not be dependent on both of our incomes because we knew we both had broken hearts for at risk children. i don't know what it was, but god put that on our hearts. we knew we wanted to reach out

and be part of a solution for them. along the way, god bless us and we had five wonderful biological children. then the bill lord allowed us to bring 23 foster children and to our home. all of our foster children successfully graduated high school, were launched into the world and are off on their various endeavors. [applause] we began with homeschooling our children because we wanted to teach them how to read before they went to high school. if they can read, they can be self-taught and they can make it. we home school each of our biological children and adopt them often to the world as well. this sunday kelly will have graduations -- this sunday, we

will have graduations for our daughter in high school. after 20 years of parenting, we're going to be done this sunday. we love these children, but it's sayonara. [applause] there is something to be said for an empty nest. adolescence dead end in our family. marriage is extremely important. children are extremely important and to be highly valued. that is one thing i think in our society we have done well is the state -- place a high value on children. we need to do that for the benefit of the next generation and that is why the issue of life is so profound and so dear. when my husband and i met in college, we were 19 years of age. we saw a film series called how

shall we then live? he said in that film that abortion was a watershed issue of our time. my husband and i heard that and it was a profound fought for both of us. the importance of that issue and a high value we need to place on human rights and human life, the founders did in the declaration of independence. they wrote in that declaration, thomas jefferson penned the words, we are endowed by our creator with certain and a legal rights, that among those rights are life, -- that is the first right. the incredible thing about this statement is inalienable rights are one that man cannot give. he is incapable of giving them. government is incapable of giving and a label rights. only a creator had -- only a

creator can. they recognize this natural law that was self evident to all people, that only god could give life. the other side of that is not only can manned not give that right, nor can government give it, the opposite side is that government is without power or authority to take that right away. that is valuable. [applause] this is one of the self-evident truths that rings a court of recognition in the hearts of all men. there is an inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. that is why this has been such a tremendous controversy. regarding this issue, and when

we will preserve life, be encouraged on the marriage front, be encouraged on the life front. there is a poll that was done where voters opposed by 72% to 23% using any public money in the health care overall to pay for abortions. 72% of americans oppose a provision in obama care to pay for taxpayer funded abortion. 72%. [applause] that is why i am convinced that ultimately, be of good cheer, we will win this fight because we will repeal obama care. it will happen.

i am committed, i will now rest until we appeal obama care. [applause] america will not rest until we appeal obama care. take it to the bank. cash the check. it will be done. it will not stand. the american people will not stand. [applause] this the american people are with us on this issue. that is why the window of opportunity we have in 2012 is so crucial. carol schultz has been working tirelessly in the minnesota legislature to prevent the state

legislature from the early implementation of obama care in our state. in all of your 50 states, i urge you, face and freedom activists, do the same. work in your states to prevent the early implementation of obama care. this is a dirty deal that was done with obama care. some of you may know this and some of you may not. what obama care was given, you can do a search and you will not find this fact -- hitting -- hidden in the bill, supposedly in plain sight was $105,464 million of pre-funding of obama care to implement this in the 50 states. $105 billion. we spent five or six weeks at the beginning of this year arguing over cutting $37 billion out of the budget.

you would think this went unnoticed. you think that's why nancy pelosi said we had to pass the bill to know what's in it? maybe that's why members of congress should read these bills before they vote on them? [applause] don't worry, it's going to be just fine. we're going to appeal this bill and we're going to get this money back. it's going to be just fine. this has given rise to the steam behind issue of de-funding planned parenthood. [applause] in a time when president obama is calling on congress to give him the authority to increase

borrowing money that we don't have, raise the debt ceiling by borrowing another 2.4 trillion dollars, and we are giving money to corrupt organizations like planned parenthood that are committing crimes and enabling young girls and covering up issues -- i don't even want to talk about because it's a disgusting. this organization has performed 324,000 abortions in 2008 and 2009. that is in addition to the trafficking of underage girls that has gone on under planned parenthood knows. do you think we could start by defunding this organization? [applause] i think so too. it could not come soon as enough. they are a billion dollar organization and they need to stand on their own. here is another issue we have

heard about in the last couple of weeks -- that is israel. our president made a shocking display of betraying our greatest friend and ally, israel, when he said you need to give up more land, shrank to your '67 borders, cut your nation in to sell you are separated from each other to indefensible borders and to give that land away to the palestinians who, by the way, don't even recognize israel exists or has a right to defend herself. america must do all previous presidents have done since harry truman and stand with israel. i stand with israel. [applause]

we are sending a message to the world that president obama speaks for a very tiny minority. he may be president of the united states, but he does not speak for us on the issue of israel. [applause] pray for those in authority -- let me tell you why. when you are in government in washington d.c., things happened so fast, it's almost like you jumped into a blender. we need to ask for price air and to uphold us in prayer. we are at a critical time at a critical hour in our nation's history and our time has gone by so quickly. there is so much more i would like to talk to you about, i

wonder if you might indulge me and in the next couple of seconds we have together, if we would do what we talk about, and that is pray. join me in prayer on behalf of our nation. father, god, i thank you you are here in our midst at this wonderful conference. thank you to those who sacrificed so much to be here this morning. thank you for the encouragement you give us on these issues of marriage and life. we see so much encouragement and yet we see, father, that our nation hangs precariously and balance, financially, morally and our relationship with the rest of the world, with our position toward israel. we lift all of these things up to you. we do pray for our president. we pray for the supreme court. we pray for the members of congress. we pray for those in authority because this is not a political scorecard. this is about the very life and

future of our nation. father, we lifted up to you because we want our people to be blessed and prosper. we want all men to come and know you all across the world. we pray for your spirit to come down, to come into this nation, demonstrate to each one of us this eternal love the you have for us. you say that you want for us prosperity, you want us to prosper, and you say in jeremiah the have for us a future and i hope. we ask for that future and that hope and we confessed our own sins. we confess them to you and turn away from them now. we pray for our nation, lord, we know there are things we have done in our nation that have not been pleasing in your site. we ask your forgiveness for that. we ask you turn your face toward us and would bless us and and power as to be a blessing to the world.

thank you. we commit this conference to you in your holy son's name, amen. have a great conference. thank you for letting me come. [applause] >> did he say only in english? before i do anything, want to thank you for forming this faith and freedom coalition, because nothing long survive without advocates. that includes values. i think all of you here today for caring enough to work for

the values that have brought all of us together. to this conference on faith and freedom, i want to talk for just a moment about life and liberty. let me begin by telling you about the life of our daughter, grace he may, who is here with us someplace. she is 12 years old. in 1999, she was abandoned among the mushrooms, carrots and bamboo shoots of a vegetable market in china. in fact, i sometimes call her my little bean curd. our path toward her began what might good wife, the greatest human being i've ever known, volunteered in a catholic orphanage while we were living in taiwan over 20 years ago. when we return to the united states, we decided to adopt,

something i never thought i would find myself doing. 12 years ago, while attending a christmas tree benefit with the proceeds going to kid from the world who were to be adopted, mary kay bought a tree. when the vendor asked her what name she wanted on it, she said, without hesitation,grcie may huntsman, after a girl we did not know yet and was not sure we would ever see. she told the vendor that name at 8:15 p.m. when we returned home, there was a message received at 8:15 p.m. it was from the adoption agency, notifying us they had found a child for our family. you guessed it, gracie may.

she loves to tell the story and would ask to founder in the vegetable market she simply replies "jesus." [applause] why do i mention this? although you would not know it in this town, there is something more essential than politics. that is life. especially a child life. i cannot imagine how much poorer the world would be without gracie and her younger sister, who is adopted from india. mary kay and i give thanks to those two mothers, not just on mother's day, but every day of our lives for valuing their daughters' lives enough so that they could become our daughters. as governor of utah, supported and signed every pro-life bill became my desk. i signed the bill that made it

the second trimester abortions illegal and increase the penalty for doing so. i signed the bill to allow women to know about the pain abortion causes an unborn child. i signed a bill requiring parental permission for an abortion. i signed the bill that would trigger a ban on abortions in utah if rovers' is weighed were overturned. -- if roe vs. wade were overturned. if republicans ignore life, the deficit we will face is one that is much more destructive. it will be a deficit of the heart and of the soul. from life, let me move to liberty. a little over one month ago, i stepped off the plane from china, having lived in that dynamic country for two years. coming home after living 10,000

miles away gives you a certain perspective on how the 21st century is likely to play out. i have lived overseas for times. don't worry. i have a u.s. birth certificate. [laughter] but every time i lived in a foreign place, i learned something about america and how her values inspire others. let me share this with you. in an apartment does barely a step up from homelessness, i recently met a petite, magnetic, impoverished chinese woman. i would frequently meet with dissidents. emotionally, this was the most powerful thing i did or could do as the united states ambassador. sometimes i would go to see them, sometimes it would come to the embassy. we did this quietly. it was a real peril for them and it closed some official doors to me. she became an activist trying to

protect her family's home from the wrecking ball. from this cause which she lost, she went on to commit her life to justice and basic human rights. she has been repeatedly detained and tortured. so much so that i found her with her legs broken and her entire body and mobilized, trapped in a disheveled one-room apartment, hardly large enough to hold her wheelchair. on that cold winter day a few months ago, her water, heat, and power have all been shot off. the only thing that worked every now and then was her internet connection on an old laptop. so here was the battle. one physically broken woman with a passion and a belief in her cause up against a government with the most formidable security apparatus in the world determined to keep her silent.

just weeks ago, she was rounded up again. she was charged with creating a public disturbance. no one knows where she now lives. but i do know this -- she drew strength from our nation's values. the openness, the freedom of speech, assembly, religion and press. a woman in a dark, dingy room, half a world away could see this country's light. that is the power, ladies and gentlemen, this country still represents. dissidents around a world know it and count on it. [applause] from the lack of liberty in china, let me turn to the encroachments of liberty here at home. you well know what those encroachments are. the new health-care law, the seemingly unstoppable growth of government, the results didn't massive regulation in debt, the

list goes on and on and on. there is a new book out called "the notes" which is ronald reagan's private collection of quotations gathered over the years. what he collected give you a meaningful insight into his thinking. one of the things he wrote down in his own hand was by a 19th century french political economist and legislator who said in an address to the french assembly, "heavy government expenditures and liberty are incompatible. woe to the people who cannot limit the spear of action of the state, freedom, private enterprise, well, happiness, personal dignity, all vanished." what that french political economist said 160 years ago are exactly what we're saying today. heavy denver expenditures and liberty are absolutely -- heavy

government expenditures and liberty are absolutely incompatible. there is a proud tradition to the police you and i hold. this common theme has been brought into very sharp belief by the size of the federal government boss budget deficit and debt. the federal government borrows 42 cents of every dollar it spends. in two years, we've got from $10 trillion to $14 trillion dollars in debt. what are we buying for this borrowed money? we're not buying a freer, more prosperous nation. we're not buying national investment for future generations. what we are buying is serfdom. what so many in the establishment do not get in this fight over the extension of the debt ceiling is not just about debt. it is not just about spending cuts. it's not just about confidence in our bonds and loot our debt.

it is about the size of government and the role of government in our society and our lives. the same applies to estates -- to the states, by the way. and some states are doing worse than the federal government and some states are doing much better. as the governor of utah, i cut taxes across the board, which amounted to the largest tax cut in my state history. what has been the results of this and other policies we enter tech? the economy in utah expanded 3.5 times faster than the united states as a whole and faster than 48 other states. but you center named utah as the best-managed state in the nation. "forbes" called utah the best state for business and it's one of three states to maintain its aaa credit rating. progress is possible. i came today not to give a

political speech, but simply to introduce myself and my family. if the faith and freedom coalition or to understand one political thing about me and the state i served, it would be this -- utah has some of the greatest people in the nation. in utah, people know the difference between freedom and serfdom. the serfdom of high debt and massive government and the toll least take on our liberty, our economy, and our lives. that, ladies and gentleman, i believe will be the essence of the election in 2012. since i have spoken of ronald reagan already today, let me close with one more thought on that great man. in this year, marking the centennial of his birth, america finds itself at a crossroads that brings to mind a famous speech supporting barry goldwater's presidential

candidacy. the title of that speech was "a time for choosing." this, too, is a time for choosing. this is a moment when we will choose whether we are to become a declining power in the world or -- even from within, or a nation that regained its economic health and maintains its long love liberties. ladies and gentlemen, this is not just a time for choosing new leaders. this is the hour when we choose our future. thank you very much for having me here. [applause]

>> thank >> thank you very much. or, as president obama would say, you're welcome. [laughter] the bible teaches us the truth will set us free and there are many truths and you never heard here today. as we rhine -- and we wind down this great day, i would like to share a few additional troops that are important for the future direction our country. we live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. [applause] there are no people anywhere at antime that have experienced more success and more prosperity

than those of us fortunate enough to live in the united states of america in these modern times, but as you know, our country faces great challenges in our beloved united states of america is in big trouble. we have to make sure that we see the challenge is clearly and that we call them out clearly and that we provide the solutions clearly. unfortunatel we have a president whose policies have failed and he will not tell the people of the united states of americ the truth about what it will take to fix these problems. [applause] if we are going to restore america's promise, we need a president that keeps his or her promises to america and that is not barack obama. i started out by making a number of big promises to the country. he stood in iowa and said we need to fix the broken health care system, but back then he opposed the individual mandate.

he said he would do health care reform with republicans. he would focus on cost containment. you remember the statements? did he keep its word to america? barackbama ran and got elected president within the first -- ran and got elected president. within the first months of this presidency, he knew about the economic challenges we were facing. he said he would cut the deficit in half during his first term as president. did he keep ts promise to america? president obama as a senator said do not raise the debt ceiling cap. that would be an example of a failed leadership. now he has become the champion of raising the debt ceilg. the last thing we need to do as a country is get barack obama more money to waste in washington, d.c. [applause] beyond what his promises of art that had been broken, we have other challenges that we have to clean up and a message we have to fix. this is a nation that this is $4

a gallon gasoline. we a crushing levels of unemployment that is hurting our fellow citizens and families all across this country. we have a deral government th is out of control and we have a president who offers us more fluffy rhoric. his rhetoric does not fill our gas tanks with gas and it does not pay our mortgages. it does not pay for our children's needs, clothes, and things they might need. it does not pay the mortgage. i think you can join me in telling president obama we have had enough of your broken promises. if we get that and out of your rhetoric. lead the country or get out of the way. [applause] about it is drowning in debt and the weight of that is crushing. we are spending as a federal government $40,000 a second in

money they do not have. in the hour or so you will be gathered here between 9:00 and at 10:00, the united states of america will go in just this on our, 40 cents out of every dollar that the federal gornment spends is money they don't have. we're not just in just -- i'm going to say if we don't tell the truth we're going to lose our country. i'm running for president because i love the united states of america and with my leadership and experience we can get it back to a better place but we're going to have to identify the real challenges and

off real solutions. we're together going to have to have the courage to tell the american people the truth. when i started my campaign i went to the all-important state of iowa and said we're going to have to phase out the ethanol subsidies and i said that on the announcement speech inive. [applause] i then went down to florida and talked to haves and others about what it's really going to take to fix social security and the other entitlement programs in the country. then i went to walmart and told them they're some of the worst offenders. then we came to washington, d.c. and told the federal employees you can't get paid more and better than the people who are paying the bills, the taxpayers, so your frozen benefits are going to be froze than reform. if we had time tonight to go

around this room and hear each of your american stories, i think we'd hear incredible stories about faith and family, i think we'd hear stories about the value of hard work. i think we'd hear inspiring stories about people starting things and having a dream and building and creating, about people providing jobs and building businesses and working with others to make the private economy going forward. i think we'd hear inspiring stories out challenges that you've had in your life maybe about finance or health or other loved ones have struggled and maybe you are then have needed a pat on the back of engourningment. i think we'd hear incredible stories about wh in-- inspires you about your country and individuals and hard work and faith and family. what we would hear is people -- wouldn't hear is snding up and

sayi out -- how the bureaucracy and government transformed and changed your life. so we need to make sure our future is based on what we know works. the way forward may not be easy but it's not complex. we know the values and principles this country was founded on. we can harvest the values and principles and bring them forward to the opportunities a challees of our time, and it starts with basic common sense principles and let me go through a few of them with you. the first one is this. let's always remember where this starts. we need to be a nation that turns towards god, not away from got [applause] and this isn't the rheric of a modern-day politics. this was the founding perspective of our founding fathers. they put it in the founding

documents and as a result of that, 49 of our 50 states have language in their constitution like the federal government does. in minnesota, it says this -- we the people of minnesota, grateful to god for our civil and religious liberties. it doesn't say grateful to our city council member or local regulator or to our member of congress. these privileges and rights are endowed to us by our creator. they come from the creator and are guaranteed by the constitution. so let's remember where this begins. the second principle that's very important is if we're going to provide a quality of life to our citizens, we need to remember this point. it's really hard to have a quality of life unless you have a life. so we need to stand as a conservative movement for protection and respect for life. it's foundational to our country and everything in it.

[applause] the third is traditional marriage matters. and we need to tell each other and the country that we need to keep traditional marriage elevated on a platform. all domestic relationships are not the same as traditional marriage. it needs to be protected and a mom and a dad and parents matter in a child's life, for obvious reasons and so it is a cornerstone of our nation, of our social fabric, to define marriage as between a man and a woman. i'm glad to be the co-author of the definition of marriage act in minnesota. [applause] next is this -- we can't be a successful and continue to be a great nation unless we're secure. people won't dream or take risks or deploy capital or invent or

to -- do things unless they feel secure. and as a nation we need to remember that the first and most important responsibility of our federal government is to keep this nation safe and secure and our people secure. [applause] and let's remember that the individuals and the mindset that perpetuated the horrible acts of september 11, 2001 and killed 3,000 or so of our fellow citizens that mindset still exists. if they could have exilled 3 0,000 or 300,000 or 3 million they would have and as soon as they get the capability they'll try. we need to make sure they're identified, called by name and defeated before they operationize before the united states of america.

radical islam, not all of islam, but radical islam believes it's ok to kill and murder in the name of their religion. it's not we need to make sure we call this by name and stand up to it not as being afraid of it as a matter of politil correctness. it is not ok and we need to say that. and one other thing, we need a president of the united states who stands shoulder to shoulder with our great friend israel and make sure there is no daylight between the united states and israel. [applause] now, the next on -- i know it's been a long day. you've been here a long time and ybe things are wearing on for you and there are just a couple more speakers. so i'm going to say this slowly.

i know we have some democrat trackers in the back so i'm going to say it slowly so even they can follow along with this. are you ready? this one is important. very complex. very difficult. we can't spend more than we take in. the federal government takes in 2.2 trillion in revenue each year and they're spending -- 3.7 trillion. you can't do that as a family, you can't do that as a business and we can't let the government do it anymore. just because we followed greece into democracy does not mean we're going to follow them into bankruptcy. two other quick things.

if we're going to provide a quality of life to our fellow citizens they have to have jobs and we have to do things that will make it more likely that jobs are going to grow in this country, not less quickly. i talked to hundreds and hundreds of job providers across this country every day and they all say the same thing -- get the government off my back. [applause] so those burdens of regulation, and the government saying it's going to be slow, more expensive, more difficult, it's discouraging. with you want to encourage not discourage our job providers and when the government takes over our lives and says we're going to take over one more place that was reserved for families or

interpret nurse, they not only grow their budget and footprint but they do something else. they discourage the american spirit. and the brilliance of this country is not in our government, it's in our people. and that spirit needs to rise again. and we, the american people, will take back this country. i want to close and just tell you the best sermons aren't preached, they're lived. so all the candidates are going to come out in places like this and say hey, i'm for cutting taxing, for reducing spending, i'm for pro life and traditional marriage and being tough on terrorism, zool choice and for market based health care reform. and on down the list. you're going to say boy, that sounds similar. but i hope you'll have the question who's actually done it,

not just talked about it. anin the land of al franken we move the needle on a of it. there's countries that have been at this intersection before. in the late 1970's, the country was in big trouble, we were facing foreign security threats and a new president about to be sworn in walked out of the united states capitol. it was an overcast day in the early year of 1981. his name was ronald wilson rageen and as he took to the podium to take the oath of office, he remembered later in his ma'am aways that the clouds parted in a brief moment and he felt a ray of warmth hit the moment at the very moment he was being sworn in. he put his hand on his mother nell's bible and he laid his hand on the verse, second

chronicles 7:14 which says this -- if my people who are called byy name will hum nl -- humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then i will here from heaven forgive their sins and heal their land. that passage doesn't say if those people over there do something. it says if my people. the responsibility first comes to us. and so this is the united states of america and the way forward willot be easy, but we all have a duty and responsibility to restore this nderful land. this god privileged god blessed country, and we need to make sure that while it may not be easy that we're up for the fight. so if security were easy, everybody around the world would be secure and if prosperity, everybody around the world would be prosperous if it were easy.

and if it was easy, everyone around the world been free. but they're not. but our forefathers laid down the principles in the road map at is our country. and they envisioned this, lincoln personified it. and now the call comes to each of us. are you? i am and i'm ready for this fight. barack obama promised great change in 2008 and he did change the country. but this timen 2012 we will change the country and it will be for the better. thanks for being here. let's go take back america. thank you very much. ♪>> thank you very much.

thank you. it is a delight to be here tonight. i cannot imagine people staying up this late to listen to politicians. it is great to be here. is a great team tonight, talking about freedom and faith. i cannot imagine any more important issues than that. i frequently will say throughout my campaigning and the rallies we have had that the goal of political activity is liberty, and what is the purpose of having this liberty? the purpose of liberty as far as i am concerned is to allow creative energy to be released, for us to then seek virtue and excellence, because governments cannot provide virtue and excellence. you have to have a free society so we can assume that responsibility as individuals. [applause]

life is precious. i have delivered four thousand babies, and there are some of my friends to take a different position on a live issue. -- on the life issue. they claim that the mother's life is precious, you cannot interfere with her and her body. as an o.b. doctor, let me tell you, life does begin at conception. also, it is very little. if i as a physician do something wrong and ensure the fetus, i can rightfully be sued because of the rights of the fetus. if a fetus is injured in an accident, it can be a homicide.

for most of us, we respect liberty and freedom. that is what we are engaged in, protecting freedom. if we do not have high respect for life, how can we be dealing with our personal freedom, our rights to home school and our kids, the right to pick our religion and make personal choices on what we do? it would be impossible if you do not have high regard and respect for life and then respect for liberty, because without liberty, we do not have what has made this country so great. [applause] we live in difficult times today, because i think there has been a total rejection of some of these basic principles that have made america great. i was in the military during the 1960's. i was an air force for five years. the 1960's were rough times. we are engaged in an undeclared

war, and it was tragic in the sense of life lost, but cultural changes were occurring. that is when abortion became commonplace. the people changed before the laws change. morality has a lot to do with legislation. we don't have an abortion today because the law permits it. that has made it worse. but a lot, dated the social changes that occurred. it was the breakdown of our social system at that time. the war had something to do with it. the drug culture had something to do with it. then this move toward making life so careless and accepting the notion of abortion. during this time, there was a rejection of the family as well. it started off and the statistics came out and started to show that minorities were having more babies out of wedlock, but now it is cultural.

it is getting to be an epidemic that family values and families have broken down. this is where our real problems come from. we would like to think all we have to do is select the right politicians and everything is going to be ok, but believe me, the government is a reflection of the people. that is why the burden is on people like you to make sure that we have those values. [applause] the family is something that is very important. it is ingrained in our christian heritage. in the constitution, one of the provisions i sought the most frequently is article 1, section eight. that tells you everything we are allowed to do. the rest of the things we are not allowed to do confirm that. there is a biblical passage in the old testament, first samuel chapter 8.

that is the provision i am sure you have heard of before. this is when after the people in jig after the israelites came out of egypt, they had accepted god as their king. that is what they live by. they did not have a king. what they had for judges. it was a patriarchal society, but there were always going to be conflicts. the time came -- there was always a temptation to drift away from the belief in god. there was an effort made under samuel. the people came and said we want somebody to take care of us. we want a king.

samuel strongly objected to it. he explained to them, you do not want a king that would substitute for got. you need to read that chapter, because he predicts what happens if you have a king. he said the teen will take your young people, you are a young men to fight wars, your young women to be used in the government. they would attack you and overburden you and you will have to work for about% of the time for the king. i got to thinking -- you have to work 45% of the time for the king. isn't that essentially what we have done today? we don't need a king and we don't need washington to act as if they are the king in this country. but today, there is so much dependency on the government,

cradle to grave, and we have so little confidence in ourselves. we believe that if we don't have the safety net and the government there, if we don't have medical care taken care of, if you don't have government schools, everything would fall apart. we have lost our confidence in understanding what true liberty is all about and where it comes from. it does not come from our king or our government. our liberties come from our creator. that is where our life and liberty comes from. it was advised by the founders at the time that the constitution would not work if we did not remain a moral society. we are at the crossroads right now, because we have lived beyond our means. we have become totally dependent. we do all the things we should not do and do not do the things we should do. take for instance our foreign policy. when is the last time we

declared war? when is the last time we won an award out right? it has been a long time ago. we do need a strong national defense. we are allowed to defend ourselves. but the obligation is to be of congress through the people. when we have an enemy we have to go after, we should declare war and win the war, and not have perpetual wars and allow our president to go into places like libya without even telling us about it. [applause] but faith and freedom is a crucial item. we must have the faith to generate an understanding of what true liberty is about. we also have to have confidence and an understanding about proper foreign-policy, a

constitutional foreign-policy, but an understanding of free- market economics. what about a biblical understanding of what honest money is about? what about on as weights and measures and no paper currency and no federal reserve that destroys our currency? there is nothing immoral about our financial system and our monetary system. this recent breakdown of our system is proof positive of it. it was predictable that there was a bubble out there. many predicted that it would come and that it would burst, and it did. but guess what? washington panicked and they said the end of the world is coming, so what we must do is tax the people and spend more money and are more money and print more money. that is going to get us out of trouble. but they did not ask, how did we get into this trouble? we spend too much, bar to much,

and printed too much, and they thought that was going to help. it does not work that way. honest money means that you cannot counterfeit money. there is a principle that you as an individual, or the government cannot do anything that you as an individual cannot do. but you are not allowed to counterfeit. why do we allow the government to counterfeit? we don't need to raise the national debt so they are just encouraged to spend more money. they should not be allowed to just print the money, because it is immoral. it is the encouragement for big government. there has not been a war fought in many centuries without debasing the currency. since the crash of 2008, our dog -- our dollar has been devalued 50% against gold.

so therefore, look out for trouble. the odds of us cutting back over on the hill to live since edley are not very good. we are going to be challenged because we will not be able to depend on our king. the kings time has run out, and guess who you are going to have to depend on? you are going to have to depend on yourself, your family, your friends, your neighbors, and your church to be prepared. it will be challenging. there is no doubt about it. but the reason why we should be optimistic about this is we have great traditions. we know something about sound money, private property, contract rights, and it is not quite like the problems that the soviet system has met, but we are overextended internationally.

we cannot be the peacemaker of the world. we cannot be nation-building because we do not have the money. at times when i think about what we need to do, everybody says you have to sacrifice. i don't tell people that it is up to you to have to sacrifice. what would it be like if you had less regulations and no income tax? you could take care of yourself of lot easier. the people that ought to be sacrificing our the people who ripped us off in the building up of the bubble, and then we went and bail them out. they are making big bucks again and the people who are suffering in the middle class lost their jobs, lost their mortgages, lost their houses. moral society would not have that happen. we need to believe once again in the principles of liberty and understand why the family is the bedrock.

the educational system should be through the family and the church. we should not be depending on the public school system. but the good news is, have been speaking out a lot in the last couple of years around the country and with a lot of young people. the burden is falling on the young people, but it is not the next generation. is this generation that is right here today so we have to deal with our problems. there is a lot of enthusiasm with the renewal of the concept of personal liberty and the constitution of our costs -- the concept of our constitution. i thank you very much. [applause] ♪

>> we will have a more "road to the white house" tonight, when we will interview rick santorum. that is tonight at 8:00 eastern, here on c-span. coming up live this afternoon, the canadian prime minister will take questions from members of the house of commons. the prime minister was reelected in may with a majority when for his conservative party. this is his first question time before a new house and minority leader. that will be at 2:15 eastern. at 4:00, canada's financed minister will present a 2011 budget to the house of commons with a pledge to balance the budget by 2014. live coverage starts at 4:00 eastern here on c-span. >> the leader in the development of broadband planned assesses development today as well as

pending issues before the fcc, tonight on "the communicators." >> jill abramson will be the first woman executive editor of the "new york times." watcher almost 40 appearances on c-span online at that c-span video library. just one of the more than 100,000 people you can search and watch for free, anytime. at a news conference earlier today, the secretary general says dean khadafy regime is weakening. british and french warplanes deployed attack helicopters for the first time against the forces. this is 40 minutes. >> and then we will be happy to take questions.

>> thank you andgood afternoon. it is now just over two months since we launched the operation to protect the people of libya under threat of attack. we have an historic united nations mandate, and the contribution of several partners, including from the region. together, we have made considerable progress. we have taken the momentum. we have turned the tide of terror unleashed by the qaddafi regime, we have saved countless lives and we have seriously degraded the ability of the qaddafi regime to attack civilians and we have relieved the pressure on cities, such as misratah. the figures speak for themselves. since nato first took action to protect libya's people, we have

kept up a high operational tempo, with over 10,000 sorties. we have damaged or destroyed almost 1.800 legimate military targets. that includes around 100 command and control sites which qaddafi used to organise attacks on civilians. it includes over 700 ammunition stores which he used to supply his attacks. and almost 500 tanks, armoured launchers which he used indiscriminately against his own people. our aircrews have conducted operations with the utmost care and precision to avoid civilian

casualties. and the effect is clear to see. qaddafi has lost his grip over much of the country. every day, those closest to him are defecting and deserting. and his regime is increasingly isolated, at home and abroad. thanks to our operations, a growing number of people in libya can return to normal life, without facing the daily threat of shelling. aid can flow in from the north, the east and the west. and across libya, people can begin to plan a future founded on freedom, not on fear. however, the qaddafi's regime

still poses a threat. last week, the united nations commission of inquiry reported that his forces have committed widespread and systematic war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, persecution and sexual abuse. it is an appalling catalogue of crimes. and those very same forces are still launching indiscriminate and illegal attacks against cities such as zintan. that's why we agreed to extend our mission by a further 90 days. we have intensified our military pressure and we are determined to continue our operation for as long as it takes.

our message to the people of libya is clear. nato and partners are protecting you. our message to the qaddafi regime is clear. we started this mission, and we will complete it. and our message to the international community is also clear. we committed ourselves to implementing the united nations mandate, and we are keeping our commitment. our operation is paving the way for a political solution. so that the people of libya can shape their own future. on wednesday, defence ministers of nato and our contributing partners will take stock of the progress we've made and to look ahead.

and i expect us to begin discussing how we prepare for the day after qaddafi goes. because that day is coming. qaddafi is part of libya's past. the future belongs to the people of libya. nous devrions donc tous planifier l'avenir et nous tenir prêts pour la suite. this is why we should all plan and prepare for the future. the international community must be prepared to help with the libyan people and sure a peaceful and orderly transition to democracy. let me be clear about one thing.

once our mission is completed, i do not expect nato to play a lead role. i am convinced others have the capabilities and required expertise to assist with olivia's transition -- libya's transition following the conflict. the united nations will be in the lead in the transition. nato, however, can play its part. we could support a post-qaddafi libya in the building modern and democratic security forces that

will protect the people, not attack them. many allied nations went through similar reforms some two decades ago. we are ready to provide our assistance if we are asked to do so. the debate will not end this week, but we do need to start the debate now because now the tide has turned against qaddafi and we all need to prepare for what comes next. >> and with that, i am ready for your questions. >> please do not forget to introduce yourselves.

>> secretary general, you just said that you could not imagine nato playing a dominant role following a ceasefire. what do you mean by this? do you mean that it would be the u.n., the african union, the european union or whoever else but not need to know who would provide the controllers and observers on the ground required for verifying the implementation of a cease-fire? >> allow me to underline the following. firstly, it is about the libyan people. it is up to them to shape the future of libya.

they are to do so in working with the international community, and more especially with the united nations. my answer to your question is this. it is said to the u.n., the european union, and the african union, and the arab league to assist the libyan people. nato will focus on the implementation of the u.n. mandates. then we can assist a democratic governments in libya, as i said already, and we can provide assistance to a democratic

governments in libya when it comes to developing the security and defense sectors to hear them towards a more democratic system. but, the onus is on the libyan people to shape the future of their country. >> affirmed the german press agency. two questions, if i may. on wednesday evening, you are probably going to try and force a consensus on the command structure reforms which is an important question. and since you're probably not and did. to the generals, but can you say

your confidence about the future command structure? second question, you have deployed recently the inability to reach the 2% defense spending target. how worried are you that future operations may not be possible if nato members and their vast majority are not able or willing to step up to the plate? >> firstly, on the reforms, by nature i am an optimist. i think we can reach an agreement during the defense ministers meeting. as you may recall, the nato summit in lisbon of november last year approved a framework for a reform of our military command structure. a free market, according to which, we will reduce the

number of posts in the military command structure considerably and also reduce the number of headquarters. in addition to that, the summit tasks to me to present a proposal as to how we could investigate the headquarters geographically. -- best place the headquarters geographically. hopefully we will achieve a consensus with that. we will need a consensus. it goes without saying that it is a challenge. we all know that there are national interests at stake. i base my optimism on the facts that had the state and governments made in agreements in lisbon. it is my impression that all governments of all 28 allies will stick to the agreement that

we achieved in lisbon last year. on defense investment and a defense spending, it is a matter of concern and we have to make sure that allies make the necessary investments in the military capabilities that have a fruitful purpose. on the other hand, we are also faced with economic realities in did during a period of economic austerity, all of the defense ministers will have to streamline their budgets. this is a reason why i have launched a concept that i call smart's defense. the essence of a smart defense

is to make more efficient use of resources, and get more for less and cooperating by going for more international solutions. i think that is the only way forward, that allies cool and share resources taking into account that individual allies will be faced in acquiring expensive military capabilities, but in cooperation with others, they will be able to require necessary military capabilities. my point is that there is a way forward during a period of economic austerity thereby strengthening multinational cooperation. >> reuters?

>> coming back to libya and the operations there. i question about the use of helicopters. you were asking for more nations to provide helicopters. do you think there are used during the air strikes happening now and in the coming days of weeks and that they will play a major parts in the air strikes or serve an additional part? what role will they be playing in the air strikes by nato? >> we are constantly adapting our operation to the evolving situation on the ground. this is one reason why helicopters are now used in the operation. in general terms, i will request broad support for our

operation in libya, possibly increased operations, and increased use of the assets provided for our operations. with regard to specifics, for the military to work out what is actually needed and for the sustainability of our operation come it is essential to ensure support for our operation that as full as possible. >> kuwait news agency? >> eu said in your remarks today that qaddafi is part of that the libyan past. you also gave the figures on the military assets that have been destroyed. do you think that june will have

the decisive libyan moment? >> i will not gas about the timeframe, but from what i can see, a clear progress, firstly, as i mentioned, we have a degraded his war machine considerably. secondly, we see the opposition advancing in libya. thirdly, we see the regime of being more and more isolated everyday, and recentlythe g-8, including russia, suggested in the capacity to leave power. witnessed a number

of defections from his inner circle. all of these elements will put more and more pressure on his regime. it is not a question of if but when he will have to leave power. >> going back to the first row. >> from the german press agency. related to the question from reuters, in a recent speech, you said that you were satisfied with the level of political support from allies to the operation in libya, but you are somehow disappointed by the willingness to commit the resources. i was wondering if you could expand on this and say what is missing, what you're looking for from allies to give to libya in addition to what is there already. >> as i already mentioned, we

have been quite successful in our operation, and the good news is that when i call on allies and partners to contribute more at the foreign ministers meeting in berlin, some weeks ago, the allies and partners actually stepped up to the plate and increased their contributions. they allow more flexible use of the assets. in that respect, i have been and i am still very satisfied. now i am looking to the future. we have come as you know, decided to extend our operation beyond the first 90 day mandate. obviously, some of those allies and partners carrying the heavy burden start to ask whether it

would be possible to broaden the participation a bit. that is the point that i will focus on at the defense ministers meeting, because i think that is also the essence of our alliance. allies that have the necessary assets at their disposal also contribute those assets based on the principle of solidarity. >> news radio? >> secretary-general, you spoke on a couple of crimes. do you think qaddafi future is goign to be under arrest? do you think this will only make him stick more to his power? >> the security council has already answered the question.

it is part of the u.n. security council resolution that the acts of the regime in may amounted to crimes against to manage the. we also known as -- crimes against humanity. we also know that they would like to issue an arrest warrant. in goes without saying that this is the clear position of the u.n. security council. >> algerian newspaper. clearly, the war will end one day in libya and qaddafi's

regime will come to an end. ok. i was saying the libyan regime is doomed and nato operations will come to an end. the problem that arises today is that observers are talking about large amounts of weapons traveling to the south, and is there a risk of instability or an austerity risk after the end of the war? well they're not always be a security risk in libya? this the end of the libyan regime automatically also mean that peace may not be secured at the end of the war because there will be large amounts of weapons traveling south word? allocated is already reactive -- al qaeda is reactive so is this taken into account, post

qaddafi? >> there is a risk. this is why i encourage the international community to initiate preparations for the post-qaddafi era. we must ensure a peaceful transition towards democracy and, as was already underscored, i cannot imagine a premier real for nato. this is something for the u.n., the eu, and other organizations, international and regional.

hence, we have to initiate the preparation without any further ado. >> and pr. i want to turn to afghanistan. how concerned are you about reports that the obama administration may be considering a faster drawdown related in part to the death of osama bin laden? how you characterize the relationship right now between president karzai and nato? thanks. >> first, on the drawdown, i am confident that all decisions to be taken by the u.s. presidency will take into account the security situation on the

ground. i feel confident that the u.s. will not take any decision that will have a negative impact on the security situation. we outlined a clear road map for a transition to lead afghan responsibility at the nato summit in lisbon back in november. according to the road map, we will transition afghan responsibility and next month in seven provinces and districts representing 25% of the afghan population. a significant start of that process, and hopefully will be completed by the end of 2014. we will stick to that timetable. obviously, during the process of transition, you will see a gradual change of the role that

our troops play in afghanistan from combat in to support. you may also see some withdrawals, but such reductions in the troop level and will take place in an organized and coordinated manner according to the principles that all 48 partners have agreed to. i am not concerned. on the contrary, i think we are on track. i have visited afghanistan recently, and i was encouraged by what i saw. all 48 allies are sticking with the timetable that we outlined in lisbon last year. within that time line, he you

will see a change of the role our troops play in afghanistan. with regards to the relationship between nato and president karzai, at the very best -- i think we have the very best relationship. i have had meetings with president karzai when i visited afghanistan a couple of weeks ago and it was a positive meeting, actually, where we focused on the future of afghanistan and our future partnership. i think president karzai realizes that the presence of international troops in afghanistan is a prerequisite for a successful transition to lead afghan responsibility. he has outlined the goals to see

afghan security forces taking lead responsibility over afghanistan by the end of 2014. it is our clear intention to help him accomplish that goal. i think president karzai realizes that our presence is a prerequisite for successful transition. >> german television. >> you just pointed out that nato does not want to play a major role in the post-qaddafi era. can you give us an idea on when the final curtain will fall on libya, when he is dead or arrested? does that mean that nato is hunting for him, because that would mean that nato's role is over. can you give us an idea of what you are hunting for and when nato's world is over? >> let me stress that we do not target individuals.

we are targeting uncritical military capabilities that could be used to attack civilians including, of course, command and control centers that could be used to plan and organize such attacks, but we do not target individuals. having said that, nato allies and partners embrace the international call on qaddafi to step down. the international contact group called on qaddafi to step down. the g-8 repeated that call and it has been endorsed by nato allies and partners at the foreign ministers meeting in berlin. i would like to stress that we have the two tracks.

we have a military track, and we have defined three very clear military objectives for the operation. firstly, a complete and it to all attacks against civilians. secondly, the withdrawal of qaddafi and paramilitary forces to their barracks, and immediate and unhindered access to people in need. we will continue our operation until these objectives are met. in the political track, the international community has put more and more pressure on qaddafi and his regime. i also think that it is hard to imagine a complete end to all attacks against civilians as long as he remains in power.

in that respect, you might see a link between the two tracks, but the nato track is a military track. we have defined the three military objectives and we want to fully implement the u.n. security council resolution, no more, no less. >> we have time for two quick questions. >> on smart defense, could you explain if you are going to present specific proposals for improving and sharing to defense ministers and few expect any agreement? however you working within the european defense agency? >> we have outlined the road map according to which concrete proposals will be presented at the meeting of defense

ministers in october. this week, he we want to have a preliminary discussion based on a briefing from allied commander transformation and we will receive a response from defense ministers and down the basis of that, we will elaborate more complete proposals, hopefully for october. i would add to that that it is an ongoing project and i am also working on that with the view of the nato summit in may of next year. i attach a very strong importance to this project and in my mind coming it is the answer to the economic

challenges that we are faced with. what was the second part of your question? >> how you plan to link up with with the european defense agency is doing. >> ok. we have contacts with the european defense agency and it goes without saying that if we are to reach the full potential of a multinational corporation -- cooperation, we also need coordination between nato and the european union. within the european union, defense ministers have launched a project to share resources, and actually, these projects are very much in line with each other. they're taking into account that

21 countries are members of both organizations. it is common sense to ensure cooperation between the two organizations, but cause you -- as you know, that corp. must take place within what is the agreed framework. that also contains some restrictions with regards to how close and intense we can make that cooperation. it is clearly my intention to ensure such cooperation between nato and the european union that we avoid the waste of taxpayer money. >> one last question, of pakistan.

>> secretary general, it seems to be that there is activity between pakistan and afghanistan and 400 terrorists have killed the 35 that pakistan -- 35 pakistani troops. is it accurate to put more heat on the pakistan to cooperate? >> it is not to put more heat on them to cooperate. it goes without saying that we needed positive engagement with are to restore'v problems in afghanistan. the cross border activity is a matter of concern. it is not acceptable to have

sanctuary's just across the border from which the enemies of afghanistan can launch their attacks on international troops as well as on the afghan people. to that end, we need cooperation between afghanistan, pakistan, and between icf and pakistan. there is the potential for closer cooperation. >> thank you very much. we have run out of time. hope to see you all on wednesday at the meeting of the nato defense ministers. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011] >> coming up in 40 minutes on c- span, the canadian prime minister will take questions from members of the house of commons. he was reelected in may with a majority when from the conservative party. this is his first time being

questioned in for the newly elected house. that will be live starting at 2:15 p.m. eastern. coming up at 4:00, the canadian finance minister will have the budget with the plan to have the budget balanced by 2014. that will be live on c-span. canadian prime minister questions at 2:15 p.m., and until then your phone calls from today's "washington journal." story in the wall street journal.

what do you think? should employers do more hands- on to work with schools to make sure graduates are getting the schools to be in the workforce? let's check out our democrats line. stacy, are you with us? i think we lost her. you can give us a call and send us e-mail at tweets on this topic. the national association of manufacturers is leading a drive to establish standardized curriculum across the u.s., so

students can qualify for certification in industrial skills such as cutting metal and plastic. hampton, va., democrats line. caller: businesses should assist in education -- my problem is this. i am looking at the third world and african nations. that is the same way -- you have to pay money for kids to go to school. no one can send their kids to school, because there are no jobs.

businesses should help in assisting finance. we need to pay for schooling with money we get from the taxes as well as the lottery we have here. congress should leave our school system alone when it comes to budget cuts. host: did you have success with your education, getting a job? caller: i have three master's degrees. this system has not done anything but send jobs away from here. people need to get education so when the market opens up again, they will be ready to take jobs. if we keep cutting them and causing these vouchers, we will

not educated people at all. host: were the masters degrees to help you get a job but your personal interest? caller: my personal interest. i finally retired. i am safe. looking at the children, they do not have any way of getting out of poverty or going forward if they do not have an education. host: sounds like you got your first degree based on the job market. caller: business, and human resource management, and years ago, the jobs were across the water. host: independent scholar in connecticut. -- caller in connecticut. caller: i think we have crossed

the line these days. we have corporations taking over schools. we have billions of dollars coming into our schools. we are falling behind. china does not test their students internationally. they pick shanghai. i do not buy one argument, but i do buy the argument that we are spending trillions of dollars in the wrong way. that is what no child but behind was spent. i want to focus on supporting schools not closing them. host: during kids for the job market, giving them skills? caller: i want kids that are honest, dependable, that show up on time. i am not certain that they will

do that if they have certain test scores. i have a janitorial business. host: las vegas, nevada. caller: i sure do. there was a job service back in the 1980's. china had an annual wage 7 -- several thousand dollars years ago. they do not teach you anything about keeping a job. one person was 25 years old and only had a few jobs documented. managerial, leadership, customer service skills. it is very important. that is why i called. host: we have a tweed. -- tweet.

looking back at the wall street journal story that inspired us to talk about this -- an initiative launched in 2007. virginia, democrat caller. welcome. caller: this is a job for employers and the non sector to get involved. students that do not do as well, they are not likely to be college-bound, should be directed in the right direction for jobs out there, trade skills, electrical engineering, things like that.

host: it seems like some of those skills are necessary for some of the trades you are talking about. caller: some students are likely to go on to get a degree at the university should be pointed in the right direction by the employers and the non-profit sector being able to say, this is the training you need. we should not let these kids fend for themselves not understanding what is there for them at community colleges. host: let's lake -- take a look at numbers from the "wall street journal." here are math scores. shanghai china is up there. the u.s. down below.

tampa, fla., independent line. caller: a couple of calls ago, the lady was talking about the specific ones for specific needs should help pay for the kids going into their line of work. when the cost of education is so high in america, it is just like anything else. foreign companies -- countries send their students to our schools to get the best education, which they pay for, and they go back and grabbed jobs that we could be giving our

own children. they go to kids that come over and do not have to pay anything. our corporations are not getting behind our kids. in 1976 or 1978 here in florida, i voted for the lottery, because they said all of that would go for schools to get computers when they were first coming out. and to make the school's high tech, especially elementary and secondary schools. the last 35 years, we have schools with the palm trees, high fences, beautiful agricultural surrounding it. nobody is learning anything.

host: here are the numbers to call. if you want to weigh in on whether employers should boost skills, is that the irresponsibility of school districts or community colleges? perhaps you think it is no one's responsibility but one's own. let's take a look at a tweet. concerned about the basic standards being set. jack jennings said employers have a right to be worried that the u.s. is falling behind.

much of the emphasis is on community college and vocational schools, because they are affordable and can quickly turn out job candidates. oklahoma, republicans line. caller: i am a retired

instructor at a vocational technical school. when industry gets involved, it requires careful management by a very savvy administration of the school or industry will seize public funds and use them for personal training programs. it is a very complicated problem, but it is something that needs to be managed with experience. one of the things that vocational technical schools can't do -- can do is get new people from industries, who know generally what the requirements are for preparation for employment.

georgia.'s go to caller: we were told that we had a lottery that the schools were being improved. they are trying to get as many students enrolled. to do so, they are dropping the standards. if you ask management, they will tell you that this is a perfect example of how the democrats sound so good and sweet but every policy, but many come back to haunt us in the process. just like lyndon johnson and the many programs that kept the father out of the house. you do not have the dual system of parents hanging around and watching what they're students

are doing and working at night. every problem we tend to have come to some extent, you can look at an underlying democratic cause that is what lies at the beginning. now it is amazing how it was more difficult years ago. now it is a problem getting the kids in the class by dropping the standards. if they keep giving money like that -- one colored deplored america for cutting education. -- caller deplored america for cutting education. it is not about the dollars. host: here is a question for you to insert this morning.

there were comments about the recent job numbers. >> i said last month when we had an excellent jobs report, 100,000 above expectations, last friday it came in below expectations, do not make too much of any one job report, because they are highly variable. you want to look at the trend to get a more accurate barometer. the overall direction is some flow from the stiff winds of gas prices from the defense in japan or europe. overall in the last six months, we have added 1 million jobs in the private sector. host: that was yesterday talking about the recent job numbers. the washington times this morning say democrats fire back at the gop on the unemployment

numbers. we are asking you this morning, should employers work with schools to boost skills and cater to what students are learning to what they will need when they start looking for recruits. we have this storing coming to us from brian watson. some cannot find job candidates to higher, even though there are millions looking for jobs.

let's go to san antonio, texas on the independent line. what do you think? caller: i do not. what we really need to do is get all businesses out of public education. [unintelligible] in public schools, we have to use public money to train the children, it takes more time to make a shift when the economy or the concept changes. we are not getting good american service -- citizens anymore,

because the public schools are not training chosen to be american citizens. public schools should be used to train in democracy. those companies should go to community colleges or form their own job training programs. host: the u.s. chamber of commerce came out with a report. transforming higher education to greater innovation. let's check out the executive summary, which says higher education has not changed its basic structure model, because it has not been forced to do so.

memphis, tenn., democratic caller. caller: i would like to throw out a question. i have never gotten a definitive answer in a capitalistic society, how does it flourish without someone being exploited? if everyone gets an education, no one gets exploited.

i am asking someone to answer that question for me. host: providence, rhode island, independent line. caller: employers should work with schools to boost education. in the northeast, employer unions are very powerful. -- employee unions are very powerful. there is a big fight with a charter school over the few dollars they are trying to garner to stay in business. these union groups are fighting tooth and nail for every scrap and dollar that our tax dollars are providing for education.

until that political union power is broken, especially in the northeast, i do not think we will get improvement in public schools. i think with corporations, we know where their interests lie. they are completely self -- selfish, and we know that. i think these employee unions and politicians back them up. host: d.c. opportunities for unions to work with schools to get the next generation of the work force? caller: i think there're so idea is power here in the northeast. i think they could care less about whether our kids are getting properly educated or not. until that is broken, they will

never work with anyone who is going to remove the power from them. host: a comment from twitter. technology is cutting down the number of people in his shop. louisville, kentucky, a democrat caller. caller: i have a few comments. when i was in college, the teachers are getting better. a lot better. people need to get good jobs in what they are interested in. s, sophomorecollege'

or junior year, the young people would come in, the corporations, these big businesses for the students to observe and help them out. it was a low average pay, but it still benefited the students, where they would be more prepared when they went out into the field. i thought it was a great idea. that is what i did also. it helped a lot. that is my comment today. one more thing, okay? do not cut me off. they are laying off some many teachers. i think that is bad. that is why our unemployment

rate went up, because so many people, these governors and things like that, they started laying off so many officers, firemen, and especially your teachers. we do not need that. that is all i have to say. host: looking at the political implications of the jobs and the economy. republicans have pointed out that no president has been reelected with unemployment rate so high. let's take a listen to what

another republican had to say. haley barbour talking on cbs "face the nation." >> while this administration has been great for wall street, main street has not gotten out of the last recession. new york banks have done great. host: in durham, n.c., independent line, weighing on whether or not employers should help boost skills in schools. caller: my son after he got rid of high school through his vocational education took all of his court classis, he took one

class of welding for four years. he was in high school. now he is a certified welder with four certifications. he works every day and makes $20 an hour, if he stays busy. he works in different parts of the state. it keeps him going. it is between the child and the parent. i am glad he has graduated. he is done. now he is doing his part of trying to do the right thing. thanks. host: education must be pursued on an individual basis. that is a comment that body just made. asheville, north carolina, republican caller.

caller: i see several things going on. you heard a lady called up earlier saying teachers are getting better. here are a few facts that to be viewed that. -- that refutes that. less than half of all teachers at colleges are professionally accredited. many teaching colleges are worthless, unless you are part of the union. it used to be -- i worked in manufacturing for 20 years. i just lost my job recently. if he started at a company at the bottom, you could work away up through the ranks. the company would invest in you,

the individual. now companies will not accept workers, even at the bottom, without some kind of a prior training. companies that wanted job specific training would invest in the workers themselves, rather than try to become part of these public-private partnerships we see at the schools. i think part of the reason for that is the typical american worker has priced himself out of the labour market. go to india with highly skilled people working for $10 or $12 an hour and being perfectly content with that. i have heard stories of people who will not work on a form -- farm for less than $40,000 a year. host: you have to take into account the cost of living, depending on where you live.

caller: that is a direct result of government policy. and that is a direct result of people demanding more and more services from the government, demanding more regulation of industry, some of which is highly unnecessary, which affects business bottom line so they cannot afford to hire american workers anymore. that is a fact of life. host: here is something coming to us from twitter. wisconsin, independent line. caller: i have been in education for 22 years. what i noticed in my school and when employers or technical colleges came back, what students need to know is how to

read, write, do basic math skills. they have asked us to teach students how to communicate with one another, how to work in a cooperative way. if students walked out of school with those kinds of skills, i think they will be employed. one friend has been teaching at a technical college for 20 years. he said, i need kids who know how to read, write, the basic math skills. i can teach them how to weld. they need to know how to communicate with other people. employers should support those programs to make sure our students are reading and writing. they can send them in to do -- send employees in it to do service work. host: 1 comment from twitter appreciates something said earlier.

to florida, independent -- should employers work with schools to boost the skills of those seeking jobs after they graduate? caller: the last caller stole my thunder. our businesses can come in and interview in the schools and tell people what is out there so the kids have goals. the community colleges and technical skirls get involved. -- skills get involved. we are cutting special programs and other education. that is the wrong thing to do.

republicans want to cut services. other states are showing a lack of wanting to support our public education system. they want to go into the different charter schools and the cyber schools, and i think we are losing the basic assistance of public education, which is reading, writing, but social skills and then go on to technical schools. host: at me get your reaction to this from twitter. should those be included in your ideal school curriculum? caller: yes.

we should stop facing more religion into schools. that belongs in the home. reading, writing, arithmetic, showing how to apply them to what you do working simple job skills, home cooking. host: independent scholar in pittsburgh. -- caller in pittsburgh. caller: employers should on a limited basis. schools should have a program once a year where employers will come in and speak to students about what is required to work with them. the problem is students are not

learning the way they should. they should teach students to listen to themselves as they write. american students speak better than they write, because they do not listen to themselves. they get ahead of themselves. some teachers are not as well- trained as they should be. the problem with students in schools is if you have a math problem to solve, you have to use a special process that was created by a group of people. some people learn in different ways. they can improve it if they are corrected. because of that, you will have a lot of problems.

employers at schools would be to controlling and students cannot learn the way they should. host: here is one comment. our attention to politics for a moment. one pennsylvania official says he is running for president. a story in the new york times looks at former senator and his plan to run for president.

we are going to be following his announcement today at 11:00 on c-span. you can get more affirmation on the our website at c-span.org. he will make his official presidential announcement later on today. looking at more political stories. the "question imposed" looks at michelle bachman and sarah palin.

-- washington post" looks at michele bachman and sarah palin . other stories in politic news that sarah palin was on fox news yesterday.

in the utah, there may be a bid for the seat of orrin hatch. that story coming to us from the "washington times." what should businesses to when it comes to the workplace and getting prospective employees ready? should they boost skills and be in the education system? let's go to south carolina, where mary joins us on the democratic line. caller: what they do here in our school district is they call it chatelin. the students get a chance to go to different jobs -- chatelin. shadowing.

the students get a chance to go to different jobs to see how they work. they can come back to class, and each student discusses what they learned and how they feel about that particular business. it gives them a chance to say, this is what i want to do, because i have learned how it works. host: they can experience it for themselves. caller: exactly. that is the best way for a child to go out into the business world for themselves, rather than just learning the skills in class. you need to see how that particular business works. host: looking at a main story

in the "usa today" this morning. it looks at the jobless rate and housing issues. it wonders what the numbers will be like as he heads toward reelection. here are the numbers in recent polls. it talks about the effects of the raid and killing of osama bin laden and if that has changed things or not.

these are numbers from a recent poll taken from usa today and gallup. the edwards case puts pressure on the justice department. we will be watching that unfold as time goes on. the "wall street journal" has a piece about the major shift in the war on cancer. it is a shift on how drugs are developed and patients are treated. they are faster and more effective than other medicines. "the new york times" looks at a big story on the international

front. options for afghanistan. the national security team is considering troop reductions in afghanistan that will be steeper than even a few weeks ago. the protests following israeli gunfire at the border. more news about what is happening in the middle east and north africa. let's get back to our question on the republican line answering the question on whether or not employers should work with schools to boost skills. caller: the schools in our area are pretty good. the bigger employers will spend -- send people to help education. mitch daniels is on the ball. he has done a lot in the

education system in our schools. he has a voucher system, which does away with a lot of the legacy problem. they are able to work with the school does not raise the education. the people in indiana, once this system gets going good, will really appreciate it. some people in the inner cities have problems with education. they could do a lot better if they >> see "washington journal" in its entirety at c-span.org we are going to the canadian house of commons for its

question period. we understand that prime minister stephen harper is not available to take questions today, as he is visiting the victims of recent floods in quebec. >> on the campaign trail, the prime minister said he was going to have to work with all members of the house, but in the speech, there is no change of tone new. what happened to the government's willingness to work together? [applause] >> to speaker, i would like to congratulate the new opposition leader. he was very successful in the election, and we can see the results here in this speech. we repeated promises that we made during the election campaign.

the results were clear, and we now have a majority conservative government. [applause] mr. speaker, in the election, canadians clearly voted for change, and they clearly wanted members of parliament to work together. i think the sentiment was very strong. they wanted to focus on their families and the issues that were affecting them each and every day. new democrats have committed to work respectfully to anend heckling and give this place the decorum that it deserves. will the government commit today to do the same? [applause] >> mr. speaker, we are of course looking forward to a mandate in which we can move forward constructively on the issues that we talked about as canadians and have here in this house a debate which is meaningful, which is thought all, which is focused on policy and the values of canadians.

i think we will have that in the years to come, and it promises to be a productive, district of parliament. our clear mandate, and having laid out exactly what we intend to do for canadians, and carry out our commitments into exactly what we said we would do. [applause] >> i am sure the official record will show that the sentiment that was just expressed -- [laughter] spring time in the arab world this year has been extraordinary and unprecedented, and the steps to democracy has been painful ones. the people of these countries need support. last month, the g8 promised $20 billion, but nothing from canada. the conservatives don't seem to realize how important it is to help these people make the transition. why has canada isolated self from its g8 allies? [applause]

>> the hon. minister of foreign affairs. >> i congratulate my friend, the new leader of the opposition, on an impressive results at election time brought the government and i are committed to working them and other positions. over the past few years, we put more than a quarter of a billion dollars to support efforts to rob a direct ambassador to the people of egypt -- to have a direct ambassador to the people of egypt. i look forward to working with the leader of the opposition. [applause] >> mr. speaker, there have been recent reports of a number of human rights abuses in libya, including rape. this is happening and 8

benghazi, misurata, and a number of other cities in libya. our top priority should be providing humanitarian assistance, particularly for women at fleeing from the violence. can the government commit to making this? will the government contribute to bringing gaddafi regime war criminals to justice? the hon. foreign affairs minister. [applause] >> mr. speaker, i am equally concerned about the huge number of fair fight allegations with respect to sexual violence as the use as a tool for. i have had discussions with the foreign affairs critic on this issue. i had a specific briefing on what we might do in canada to tackle this issue, working with the international criminal court, or providing tangible assistance on the social services side or the prosecution or policing a side.

i would be pleased to work with a member on something that should be at uniting force gu. [applause] >> we see tremendous change in the arab world, and canadians support that change, and they want to see our government do more trade at countries pledged $20 billion or more for the arab spring, and there was nothing new from canada at, nothing for egypt. the speech in 2008 promised to create democratic developing institute. the question is, why isn't it canada supporting these new democracies, and why is the government out of step with the rest of the world? [applause] >> i can report that canada remains incredibly supportive of the change we have seen going on in tunisia and egypt. we support initiatives which respect the people in egypt.

he will underline the support we are giving both militarily and in humanitarian assistance to libya. we are doing a lot of a funding, more than a quarter of a million dollars in recent years, to multilateral bodies which will provide direct support. we are watching with interest what is going on and we will see what can be done. [applause] >> thank you, mr. speaker. i have a simple question for the government. the government leader talked about the fact that he wanted to establish in the speech canadian values. is a reduction of poverty in canada a priority for canadians? yes is it a top priority for the government? apparently not. why not, mr. speaker, why is poverty reduction not a priority for the conservative government? [applause]

the hon. government house leader. >> i want to congratulate him for his new position as leader of the liberal party brought in elections afte -- liberal party. , in elections, where betts by the result -- they had surprising results -- this party has been committed to improving the well-being of canadian families, throughout measures to reduce the tax burden the typical canadian family is about $300 billion better off on average -- $300 million better off on average. [applause] later today and the budget we may hear some more things -- [applause] >> the elegy to the word "-- poverty -- allergy to the word "poverty" seems to be there, mr. speaker. i wonder if i had asked the minister, congratulating him on his appointment again, to say that the chief, on his

statement, made it clear that he regarded a meeting between the crown and the first nations and all the aboriginal people, including the inuit, that had to take place on a government-to- government basis, that respects the jurisdictions of the aboriginal people. i would like to ask why that commitment -- >> the hon. minister of aboriginal affairs. guest[applause] >> we are at a place where we are having discussions with the national chief. we are looking at and action plans be that we can work on together -- action plan that we can work on together. part of the dialogue will be to discuss the very gathering your bringing up. that is something we will flesh out over the next period of time. oakleigh we will come to us something quite -- quite helpful

-- hopefully we will come this on the qui -- come to something quite effective. >> there are people who have had water up to here. we are hearing all these nice things, but the prime minister as shown as much atempathy someone having a tooth pulled without anesthetic. why is the prime minister not making more concessions and allowing the army to play the cleanup role when the problem -- they ask, "what you need?" what are you rooting for? -- what are you waiting for? [applause] >> the hon. minister of national defence. >> we are very sympathetic to the plight of those affected by the floods, not only in quebec, but manitoba as well, as well as

those in saskatchewan brought mr. speaker, the prime minister has been in the region this morning. we have canadian soldiers who have been on the ground within 24 hours of being contacted by the province of quebec. they continue to work with the province to the best of their ability to mitigate the damage and are condemning their efforts as we speak. there are 500 -- continuing their efforts as we speak. there are 500 soldiers, and we congratulate them a b period [applause] >> mr. speaker, the people are facing the worst flooding the region has ever seen. after 50 days, the prime minister has finally shown up, and we're learning that, unlike victims in manitoba and alberta, the residents can still not count on exhilarated processing of their -- accelerated processing of therier ei

claims. the hon. minister of the human- resources g. [applause] >> mr. speaker, our government understands the difficulty and the stress that people are experiencing in the area. that aside -- that is why we have accelerated processing of their claims. once i learned of the situation, i asked staff for details, and the details are now available on our website. >> mr. speaker, in our area, paul area is flooded -- the whole area is flooded. there are people who have run out of steam, but the government has shown very little concern for accelerating help. they have done so for manitoba and alberta, but they aren't --

they are ignoring those for quebec until today. will the minister of human- resources explain why the victims still today have to wait for accelerated service? the hon. minister of human- resources. [applause] >> mr. speaker, all across canada, canadians who fall victim to national -- to natural disasters have to get the same support from the government regardless of where they live. that is why, as soon as i learned of the situation, i asked the department to be ensured that victims of the flooding in the regime would receive the same priority treatment and processing for ei claims as elsewhere in canada. it will get that immediately, and details are available on our website. [applause] >> mr. speaker.

our communities both rural and urban and need support to give their infrastructure a second wind. think of the champlain bridge. the minister of transport says there will be a permanent program for infrastructure development, but it is time to act. will this development be sustainable? will public transit be included? [applause] the hon. parliamentary secretary to the minister of transport. >> mr. speaker, our government has already enlisted an amount of money in infrastructure. our record is exceptional in this area when it comes to transfers to cities and municipalities. at present added stimulus contribution we have announced in the -- unprecedented stimulus

contribution we have announced in the march budget, with the improvement that the gap tax fund will be made permanent. [applause] >> in the 1990's, the federal deficit was put on the backs of canadian communities. 20 years later, canadians are stuck in traffic, our bridges are crumbling, our water systems are failing. canadians deserve a a a vision, and national public transit strategy. will the government act immediately with the new funds to deal with the $123 billion infrastructure deficit? [applause] >> i thank the hon. member for question. she will recall that in 2007, we extended the fund by for years.

in 2009, we doubled the find. in 2010, despite economic challenges and efforts to keep costs down, we protected the fund, and in today's budget, she will have occasion to stand and join hands with our government as we move forward in the effort to make the tax fund permanent to help our communities across this country. [applause] >> mr. speaker, the mandate to provide postal service to all canadians. economical, as did all meant -- stable element, a move towards representation. [unintelligible] will the government used this to make sure that management remembers that its mandate is to serve canadians -- that its

mandate to serve canadians comes first? [applause] >> the hon. minister of. >> mr. speaker, our government is committed to quality postal service for all canadians, no matter where did they lift brought last year, canada post began a $2.1 billion modernization wilwhich will make the investments. we are making canada post more effective for canadians, the clients, the people that caand a service. canadians will be very pleased with the results. [applause] >> canada post made $281 million in profits and is still requesting concessions for its employees. this attitude is endangering the services in rural and remote regions. no one in the private sector can fulfill the mandate of the canada post, which is to offer

postal services across canada. mr. speaker, will the federal government use its influence to remind the administration of canada post that its main mandate is to serve all canadians? [applause] the hon. minister of state. >> mr. speaker, again, canada post is mandated to provide postal service to canadians regardless of whether they live. canada post has made substantial investments in the infrastructure, $2.1 billion, as i have already mentioned. we are working to be ensure that canadians receive the best possible postal service regardless of where they this. are we look forward to working with opposition parties and all stakeholders to ensure that canadians get the mail when they ask for it. [applause] >> mr. speaker, the 2011

progress report was released, and the conclusions are clear. this government failed to make progress because it failed to show leadership pro. the prescription drug program fails canadians who are facing extraordinary drug costs. will the government acknowledge the lack of progress and commit to working with new democrats to protect canada's health care system? [applause] >> thank you, mr. speaker. i look forward to working with my colleagues for the next four years. our government recognizes the importance of timely access to health care and is working to support the provinces and territories in their efforts to address the issues of we times. we will increase transfers to provinces by over 32% and we will continue said that the provinces can continue to focus on areas of importance. we will work collaborative lead

with provinces to continue to reduce wait times in the respective jurisdictions. thank you. [applause] >> well, mr. speaker, health care is far too important for and the rhetoric, and the canadians are tired of the false promises. leading into the 2014 health care negotiations, now is the time to bring much-needed improvement. mr. speaker, will the government commit to holding open consultations with canadians so that the next accord reflect their values and priorities for health care in this country? [applause] >> thank you, mr. speaker. as i said before, we are looking forward to working with the provinces and territories to renew the of the court and continue to address the areas -- is an example. our discussions will emphasize the importance of accountability, including better

reporting from the provinces and territories to measure progress and guarantees covering additional necessary procedures. thank you, mr. speaker. [applause] >> mr. speaker, in the speech last week we heard that the government is preparing to dismantle the committee on the status of women that has been working on legislative checks since 2004. they affect canadian women of all or licensed. can the minister responsible for the status of women a assure this house and tell us that this committee will remain active through the parliament? [applause] hon. minister on the status of women. >> it is my first time getting up an in-house and at our four-majority mandate. [applause] i would like to take the opportunity to congratulate my colleagues and all the women who

had been elected to parliament in this last election. [applause] collaborativeg calamity lee with all women in the house to improve the lives of women all across this country. [applause] >> mr. speaker, when the government announced the beginning of the canada's but as a nation in the mission in libya, it said it was an effort to protect civilians. subsequently, dies been confusion about the mission's objectives. we wonder if the minister of foreign affairs can confirm that the objectives of the mission remained unchanged, to protect civilians, and that any subsequent extension of the mission, there will not be a change in the clear objectives of the mission and, for example, the military footprint will not change, including a commitment not to put canadian forces on the ground in libya. [applause] >> thank you very much, mr.

speaker. i want to commend the member for his reelection as a foreign affairs critic. i look forward to working with him on events in a principald -- principled canadian foreign policy. i can tell the house that there is no change in the military mission. the military mission that was approved by the united nations, resolution 1973, to protect the civilian population from gaddafi's forces. i look for it to an extension of that mission with all members of the house in short order. [applause] >> mr. speaker, both france and italy recognized that the national indian council, as the -- the national libyan council is the legitimate government of the country. i would ask the minister of foreign affairs if he can give details about the government of canada at's position. [applause] >> in canada, we recognize states, not particular

governments. we look forward to working with the council through the canadian mission in libya. it has an important role to play in the future of libya. the g8 leaders said at a political level that colonel gaddafi must go. that is an important political objective, and i think that we can work closely with the transitional council on this important objective. [applause] >> mr. speaker, it has cost canada some $300 million to close cannot arrive -- close camp mirage in uae. we hear that the minister of defense is planning to open a base in kuwait further away from afghanistan. will the minister tell canadian taxpayers, to this reopening will cost, in addition to the already $300 million sunk because of a turf war between the minister of defence and

minister of foreign affairs? [applause] >> thank you very much, mr. speaker. i want to take the opportunity to congratulate the new defense critic for the liberal party, and assure him that relations between the minister of a foreign affairs and i are on good terms. [applause] i can also tell him, mr. speaker, is the figures are completely wrong. those numbers are completely false. what we have done, obviously, is make arrangements to have logistic cuts and a part of the middle east that allow us to continue the logistic support the ongoing mission and afghanistan. that is the intention of the department, mr. speaker, nothing more than. [applause] >> throughout 2009 and most of 2010, the prime minister repeatedly tell canadians that our military forces were leaving afghanistan in 2011 in accordance with the resolution of this house, when the minister

of defense knew about extending the mission, he was quickly corrected by the prime minister's office. since march 2009, this government but all options back on the table despite what the prime minister was telling parliament at the same time. why did the prime minister not tell canadians the truth about his plans for afghanistan? [applause] >> i am pleased to tell the prime minister -- tell this house that the prime minister has always tell the truth about this issue. i believe the numbers were talking about weeks -- not of canadian origin and the government policy is not to comment on such leaks. [applause] >> canadians are right to question this government's policy on afghanistan. conservative leaders have repeatedly denied pressure to extend at the military by the united states. yet we know that americans make a formal request of canada to extend the mission in 2009. instead of saying no, this

government just asks us to have patience. can we trust the prime minister who says one thing to canadians and another thing to the american government? [applause] >> as the member from st. john's knows full well, we are open and transparent about canada's involvement in afghanistan. we have debated this issue a number of times in the house of commons and we take up this question on a regular basis, and i look forward to doing so in the coming session of parliament. [applause] >> mr. speaker, the $35 billion was spent on the shipbuilding strategy that should be able to create jobs across the country. however, there are shipbuilding areas where people are worried because there are not enough shipbuilding sectors that will be able to share the money. can the government confirmed that canadian shipbuilding

areas will be the only beneficiaries of the shipbuilding strategy? the hon. minister of public works. >> the historic decision to build ships that our navy and coast guard need in canada, what that means is more than 75 million man hours of work over the coming decade. this is a competitive and open and transparent process between several shipyards. at the end of the day, tenet shipyards will be chosen to do a great deal of work, but there will be shipyards and manufacturing sectors all across the country that will benefit from those jobs. [applause] >> mr. speaker, that is just a problem. the government says it not just cost us our jobs, trust us on this fall, but they and -- not just trust us on jobs, trust us on this, but they can play politics with the issue. in b.c., ontario, quebec,

atlantic canada, will the government to stop political games and look to use the strength of every shipbuilding region in our country for these contracts? [applause] >> the hon. minister of public works. >> as the member well knows, the process that is under way through what is called the shipbuilding secretary, we have created an open, fair, transparent, and very competitive process. this includes not only independent oversight provided by tpmg, but a third party marine expert that is evaluating these bids to ensure the fairness and openness and transparency of the process. at the end of the day, this is a very competitive process, but, again, this will create 7 5 million man hours of work across the country. >> well done. [applause] >> mr. speaker, today is tax

freedom day, the day canadians start working for themselves after pay off all the taxes they owe all levels of government. [applause] unlike the taxes of the opposition, we don't believe canadian families should pay high taxes. that is why in 2006, our government reduced the overall federal tax burden to the lowest level in 50 years. in the next phase of the economic action plan, we will build on that record. please inform the house how much earlier tax freedom day is today compared to where was before we formed the government? [applause] >> the hon. minister of finance. >> thank you, mr. speaker, i would like to congratulate the member for new brunswick. [applause] he, of course, understand what about taxes. that is why we are celebrating today that tax freedom day is 20 days sooner. [applause]

20 days sooner than in 2005. i think we all know why that is. we have reduced over 120 different taxes, we've reduced gft from 7 to 65. i could go on and on -- >> the hon. member. >> mr. speaker, the conservative government continues to sow doubt among federal employees. the threat of cuts is looming over the entire federal capital region. we have learned today that the government has already increased by 100% its use of temporary and vulnerable workers. mr. speaker, why ithat the conservative government prefer to use cheap labor instead of paying government officials are appropriately? [applause] >> i want to thank the electors

for allowing me to be -- [applause] of course, mr. speaker, the issues that the member refers to involve nearly 1% of total payroll expenditures. of course we use temporary help when it is crucial to ensuring the delivery of services to all canadians under unexpected circumstances, fluctuations in workloads. these help us deliver services to canadians, and that is why we are proud to do it. [applause] >> mr. speaker, in an article published today, we also learned that temporary workers are paid half of the value of the job. more and more, the conservative government is gutting the public service of its lifeblood, and we have seen the economic sector of our region, mr. speaker -- is

that in the spirit of the government? does it want to encourage casual work in cheap labor? [applause] >> mr. speaker, is the budget indicates that the annual priorities of our government in terms of budgetary planning and the assignment of resources for the fiscal year includes specifications on budget spending of over 2000 billion dollars. spending on things that canadians care about -- that is our mandate, and we're going through that. [applause] >> mr. speaker, canada has won another prize for the environment. canada was the last country to submit its ghg data to the u.n.

canada's delay in complying with a photo obligations is another conservative failure in the area of the environment. even japan, after a terrible tsunami, met expectations. why has the government failed to submit its data on time? [applause] >> the hon. environment minister. >> let me first congratulate my colleague on her appointment to the environment file. rising for the first time in this house, i would like to thank the voters -- [applause] the government of canada has always fully and fastidiously complied with the reporting requirements of the kyoto treaty. there was a 15-day grace period allowed at the end of the

deadline, which occurred during the election. we have a file the details. [applause] >> mr. speaker, it turns out that not only were we late in reporting did it this year, but the government also decided to quietly remove the data on emissions, because the data showed a 20% increase in emissions in 2009 alone. that is more than every single car in canada, mr. speaker. will the minister tell us who made the decision to try and hide this information on oil sands production? [applause] >> if i could offer a first direction to my hon. colleague, we refer -- first correction to my hon. colleague, which referred to the abundance in northern alberta's oil sands -- [applause] and with regard to the question

, in 2008, in our reporting of the 2008 emissions, the department attempted to offer numbers. it did not work, and -- [inaudible] [applause] >> mr. speaker, climate change was not even mentioned once in the throne speech. now the board gives canada a failing grade on climate policies. these plans are so disorganized and inefficient that canada will not meet its 2020 target. after five years of ignoring climate change, will the conservatives committed to a national plan that addresses the very real challenges? [applause] >> the hon. minister of the environment. >> i would like to congratulate my colleague for appointment to the environment file. we do have a plan.

the plan, mr. speaker, is working. we have committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions sector by sector, and that plan is working. with regards to the speech from the throne, my colleague was somewhat a little in her expectations. we reiterated our commitment to reducing climate change emissions across -- [applause] >> mr. speaker, environment canada released its 2011 climate change plan to the united nations. it shows that actions taken by this conservative government are projected to reduce emissions by only 1/4 of what is needed to meet the 2020 target. does this government have a plan to address the other 3/4? beyond deliberately fudging a

progress report to the u.n.? [applause] >> the answer to that question is yes, we have a plan, and i would advise my colleagues to familiarize herself with it. she and all canadians can visit the web site and see how we began last year with the major specter, a transportation sector. we are about to address regulations for coal facilities and continue to work our way around the sectors to meet our goal for 2020. [applause] >> mr. speaker, the federal government's gradual withdrawal from social housing and homelessness could lead to dramatic increase in rent for hundreds of thousands of low- income renters come in addition to leaving many more out on the street. mr. speaker, whether it is

through the homelessness partnership initiative or other support programs for social housing, stakeholders at all levels are calling on the federal permit to do its share. will the government helped correct this situation? the hon. minister of human- resources. >> i would like to welcome the new member, and wish her good look. to parliament nor foe. -- norfolk. >> during our economic action plan we have tremendous investments in affordable housing. unfortunately the hon. member did not support those initiatives that are helping so many people. >> hon. member davenport. [applause]

>> it works, but they are not good enough. instead of working to fix the problem, conservatives cut housing programs. last year thousands could not afford a decent roof over their head. almost 70,000 of those families lived in toronto. make no mistake, this is of national crisis, and seniors bear the biggest burden. mr. speaker, when will this government open its eyes and address this issue? we need a national housing strategy. [applause] >> we do believe having their roof over their head is one of the hallmarks to helping people get out of party, get into the work force and lead a scope- sustaining life. that is why we have invested a

record amount of money in affordable in social housing through the economic action plan. we supported the renovation and construction of 26,000 units right across this country. 26,000 families would not have received our help had it been up to the mvp. >> thank you, mr. speaker. however government is committed to protecting the long-term financial strategies of hard- working canadians. that is why we have made a priority to open new markets for canadian businesses. can the minister for international trade please tell us why we are pursuing these agreements? >> [applause] >> mr. speaker, i want to thank my colleague for his question.

also for being elected for a third time. he knows, as does our government, how important international trade is to growing our economy, and insuring long-term prosperity. closing the doors to the world is not an option for us. canadians know this is a kitchen table issue and how important free trade is to our country. . [applause] >> mr. speaker, [inaudible] a 15-year canadian veteran who served twice overseas has started a hunger in -- converse strike. he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. he has tried to have government take ownership of the trouble created when a clerical error caused a loss in his benefits. mr. speaker, my question is for

the minister of veterans affairs, what is government going to do to ensure that this veteran gets the compassionate treatment he so rightly deserves? [applause] >> mr. speaker, mr. speaker, i want to thank the member for his question and congratulate him for his recent appointment. under the privacy act, i cannot discuss the specifics of this individual case, but i was given a mandate, and today the minister of veterans affairs, i commit myself to give better care to our veterans. this being starting today. it was an honest -- unacceptable mistake.

i instructed my officials to check up on this veterans case. [applause] >> the justice department set up -- sent a threatening letters ordering members to cease tickets on the burlington with bridge. these workers are simply doing what the federal government is refusing to do, trying to stop u.s. steel from taking profits from the hamilton operation until the federal government court case is resolved. instead of getting tough on canadian workers, when will this government get tough on foreign companies that undermine canadian jobs and attack canadian pensions? [applause] >> i think there president's.

as members of knows, this is one of provincial regulation, however, we will not treat the situation as we would. i speak to the minister of interior almost on a monthly basis to keep track of what is going on. i think the member for the question. >> mr. speaker, last week the government violated the government is therefore all canadians. i would like to ask what steps this government plans to reduce red tape so small businesses can focus their attention on growing the business in creating jobs? [applause] mr. speaker, as you know, jobs and growth will remain at our government's top priorities. these are canadians priorities. the government has designated 2011 the year of the entrepreneur in canada.

in order to raise public awareness of the important role played by small businesses in wealth creation we need to reduce the burden on companies, and that is what we are going to be doing with the red tape reduction commission. >> diamond aircraft had an order for 240 million guest, private- sector funding, and a loan from the arterial government. all that was needed to secure hundreds of jobs and a place for canada in the modern aerospace industry was a commitment from the government. that commitment was denied, a major blow to london families who depended on the jobs. can the minister explain to the people of london white diamond aircraft was denied funding? [applause] >> i would like to congratulate the member for reelection and

think the people of cambridge for electing me to this very house. the government has already invested some $20 million into this company for the strategic aerospace and defense initiative. as to words of taxpayer dollars it would not be judicious to increase that amount by another $35 million. after a thorough review of the request, the company was advised by this government that we could not support the request. the company has all other alternatives we -- they are exploring. we wish them well. [applause] >> [inaudible] mr. speaker, the prime minister has gone to the monthly review today, a month after the flooding began. he did an aerial survey, but he is not meeting the needs of residents. as one mayor said, i am not sure the prime minister understands the situation we have been going

through here. the victims of the flooding deserve no less than those in alberta, but the prime minister stubbornly refuses to change the mandate. what the victims are asking for is simple. can the army help with the clean-up? will the prime minister listen to reason? hon. minister of national defence. canadian forces will remain in this area. in the emergency area to help civilian authorities up until their specific expertise is no longer needed. >> as did the minister of veterans affairs, myself. members of canadian forces continue to go about their import worked there. [applause] >> canadian forces day is an opportunity for forces across

the country to recognize the sacrifice they make. >> i am pleased to announce 12 forces that are with us today. >> steven harper was initially expected to be on hand, but was traveling today to speak with the events of recent floods in quebec. a quick programming note, we will be returning to the house of commons in just under an hour from -- for remarks from the finance minister on the budget. we will have live coverage of 4:00 eastern here on c-span. on friday of last week, stephen harper outlined the priorities of his government for the next year in the throne speech before a joint session of the canadian parliament in ottawa. it is delivered by canada's governor general, david johnson. parliament this year focused on canada's economic action plan in

balancing the budget. prime minister harbor conservative party won a majority in the may elections. this is the canadian broadcasting corporation coverage of the speech. to better enable them to discharge duty to their queen and country hundley and claim all their rights and privileges, especially they may have freedom of speech in their debates, access to your excellency's person and the proceedings may receive from your excellency the most favorable construction.

>> the house of commons have elected me their speaker, so i am but little able to put fill the important duties as defined by me. in performance of those duties i should fall into error, i pray the default maybe into did to me and not to the commons. to better enable them to discharge their duty to their queen and country humbly claim all of their rights and privileges, especially that they may have freedom of speech in their debates, access to your excellency's person at all seasonable times, and that their proceedings may be received from your excellency the most favorable construction.

>> mr. speaker, and not doubting that the proceedings will be conducted with wisdom, temper, and prudence. he grants and on all occasions will recognize and allow their constitutional privileges. i am commanded also to ensure you the commons should have freak -- ready access to his excellency among all seasonal locations, and that his actions will constantly receive from him the most favorable construction. >> i am commanded by his excellency, the governor general, to that he freely confides in the duty and

attachment and the house of commons to his majesty, person, and government, and not doubting that the proceeding will be conducted with wisdom, temper, and prudence. he grants and upon all locations, will recognize and allow the constitutional privilege. i am commanded also to ensure you that the commons shall have ready access to his excellency upon all seasonable occasions, and that their proceedings, as well as your words and actions will constantly receive from him the most favorable construction. >> the speech being brought to

the governor general. we begin the reading of it. >> hon. centers -- senators, members of the house of commons, ladies and gentlemen, i begin by congratulating all parliamentarians on this opening day of the 41st parliament of canada on my own behalf and behalf of her majesty, queen elizabeth the second, queen of canada who sends her congratulations and warm good wishes. many of you are returning for your duties as members of the house of commons, and over 100 of you are about to take your places as elected representatives for the first time. together you have been entrusted with a profound responsibility to serve the public interest on behalf of all canadians. in the months since might

installations as general, i have had the privilege of meeting with canadians in their communities and at freedom hall and [inaudible] . it has been an honor to answer this unique call to service, and i want to share something from what i have learned in my travels across this remarkable country out hours. -- country of ours. i have learned regardless of age or affiliation, all canadians want to help create a better future for this country. each of us aspires to a canada where everyone can succeed and contribute, where excellence and opportunity co exist. i have met with canadians at -- from all walks of life and

discovered the common ground. >> i would like to build a smarter, more caring nation as we approach this milestone. and in order to achieve our vision, and we must work together to support families of the children, reinforced learning and innovation and volunteerism. each of us can answer the call to service and our own way, and together continue this bold experiment and recall -- that we call canada. canadians have expressed their desire for a strong, stable national government in this new parliament. with this clear mandate, our government will deliver on its commitments. it will implement the next phase of canada's economic action plan to build on the progress already

made. it will continue to focus on jobs and growth. it will bring the federal budget back into balance. it will invest in their universal system of health care. it will support the communities and families that work so hard to care for each other. our government will defend the rights of law-abiding citizens and promote canadian values and interests at home and abroad. our government will be here for all canadians come individuals, families, and for all regions of the country as together we move canada forward. jobs and growth will remain our government's top priorities. >> true candidates -- through canada's the economic action plan, our government took direct action to create jobs and permanent -- protect canadians during the global recession. on monday, as our first order of

business, our government will we introduce our budget in order to implement the next phase of canada's economic action plan, our low-tax plan for jobs and growth. we will get back to work on the the things that matter most to canadians, good jobs, security for our family, and a prosperous future. builds onnment's plan five years of hard work to create the right conditions for growth and job creation. a stable, predictable, low-tech environment. in a highly-skilled and flexible work force, support for

innovation, and new technologies, and wider access to markets abroad. this approach has allowed canada to meet the challenges up the global recession. the next phase of our government's plan is designed to help us stay on track during the recovery. since 2006, canadians have benefited from significant broad-based tax cuts. these cuts have given families the flexibility to make the choices that are right for them. they have freed up businesses to grow and succeed, create new jobs upon which canadians depend. our government will continue on this path by introducing new tax credits for individuals and families, and by keeping taxes

low to create jobs. it will also complete work already under way with the government of quebec, to reach an agreement on [inaudible] . however, there is more to be done. the global economy remains fragile, and risk to the economy remained. as well, canada's work force is aging and will no longer grow as it has in the past. this demographic challenge will impact the economic future and a long-term pressures on our pension and health-care systems that must be addressed. in the years ahead our prosperity will depend on making sure all canadians have the skills and opportunities to contribute, innovate and succeed ou.

this will remove barriers for all the workers who want to continue their careers. it will lay the foundation for a long-term growth by helping a new generation and gain the critical skills they will need to thrive in the work force. the success of the dog-breeding businesses demand hard work and good ideas, and we must create the right conditions for both to be rewarded. our government will introduce in seek swift passage of copyright legislation that balances the needs of creators and users. in order to improve canada's productivity, enhance economic competitiveness, and increase our standard of living, our government will continue to make targeted investments to provoke, anchorage, research piquant -- development in the private sector in universities and colleges. it will look for ways to support innovation well insuring federal

investment in research and development is effective and maximizes results for canadians. it will also implement a digital strategy that enhances digital infrastructure and encourages canadian businesses to adopt technologies and provide digital skills training for their employees and new hires. >> in addition, our government will continue to cut red tape for small businesses so that they can focus their attention on growing their business in creating jobs. this will be achieved while maintaining the highest standards to protect our environment in the health and safety of canadians. our government will also continue opening new markets for canadian businesses in order to

create good, new jobs for canadian workers. since 2006, we have signed a free-trade agreements covering eight countries and negotiations covering 50 more are under way. our government and will aim to complete negotiations on a free- trade agreement with the by 2012. union' it will also seek to complete negotiations on a free-trade agreement with india in 2013. in all international forums and bilateral negotiations, our government will continue to spend up for canadian farmers and industry by spending supply management. >> the united states is our most

important trading partner, ally, in french. our government will work with president obama and his administration to deliver on the shared vision for further security and economic competitiveness. we will strengthen our cooperation to strengthen insecure our order and in hanse regulatory cooperation from insuring people and goods can flow freely and safely between our countries. our government also understands the importance of attracting foreign investment to our economy. foreign investment helps canadian companies grow by introducing new technologies. launching pads to strengthen growth and innovation here at home. it provides new opportunities to connect firms to the world. in our government will also move forward with willing partners to establish a new national securities regulator subject to

the supreme court decision on the extent of federal jurisdiction. nearly three years ago the world face an unprecedented financial crisis. drawing on fundamentals and the hard working canadians and burns that refuse to let difficult times to find them, our economic action plan helped canada e emerge quickly from recession, working closely with provinces, territories come into minutes -- community's ever moved quickly to develop the targeted stimulus program that created and protected jobs right across the country. hard work, determination, and responsible choices allow us to make these extraordinary investments when times were tough while avoiding the high debt levels that plagued other countries. we must now take that same approach to future growth. we must eliminate the deficit and returned to balance budgets

to ensure our economy can continue to grow and create jobs, and that the federal government will have sufficient fiscal list -- flexibility for future choices. twod committedhad exceede to -- had committed to achieving this by 2015, but over the next year we will take a strategic and operate a preview of government spending led by as the committee established for this purpose. this review will be focused on reducing the cost of government while keeping taxes low and preserving transfers to individuals and provinces for essentials things like health and education. our government will complete the stimulus package as promised in continued specific measures to restrain the growth of government expenditures. plan putvernments's

this on a strong footing to resume paying down the federal debt, further reduce taxes on families, and continued investing in priorities. there is no greater priority for a canadian than caring for their livoved ones. canadians believe their parents and grandparents have worked hard and deserve secured retirement. they want their children and grandchildren to grow up with every opportunity to lead happy, healthy lives. many canadian families struggle to realize these goals. that is why our governments's low-tax plan will permanently enhance the guaranteed income supplement for some 680,000 of

the hon. seniors. this increase, the largest in a quarter-century, will help the seniors make ends meet. at the same time, our government will continue to help canadians save for their retirement and will work with provincial and territorial partners to implement the polled -- the full registered pension plan. >> our government also recognizes tremendous time and resources required of family care givers. many individuals and care givers have responsibilities in caring for families or relatives -- relatives. these family caregivers make special sacrifices, often leaving the work force temporarily and forgoing employment income. the new family caregiver tax credit will support those who care for a dependent family member.

our government will remove the cap on eligible expenses that care givers can claim under a medical expense tax credit. our government will also support parents in providing their children with opportunities to grow personally and discovered their creative passions by establishing a children's arts tax credit. canadians want and expect their health care system to be there if they and their families need it appeared then at the same time as an aging population is putting unprecedented pressure on the system's ability to deliver. >> this commitment to respecting provincial jurisdiction and working with the provinces and territories to ensure that the health-care system is sustainable. and that there is accountability poor results. it will maintain the 6% escalator for the canada health

transferor while working collaborative way with provincial partners to renew the health accord and to continue reducing weight times. -- wait times. our government will enter into a separate agreement with the government of quebec regarding the implementation of the renewed health accord. >> canadians are united by a sense of common purpose. our government will join canadians in promoting values and is standing for what is right on the world stage. in an uncertain global environment, our government will also continue to pursue a stable, principled foreign policy that advances canada's interest. the canadian armed forces played a crucial role in national security. as the mission in afghanistan

transitions, our government joined canadians in honoring those who gave their lives and in recognizing the sacrifice and achievements of all the men and women, both military and civilian who have served and continue to serve in afghanistan. our government will continue to recognize the support of all the trends. and today as north america and the middle east are being transformed by theirs -- by their people, the canadian forces are standing tall by their allies. our government will hold a parliamentary debate on the future of this important mission. as part of ongoing efforts to promote human rights, our government will create a new office of religious freedom to help protect religious minorities and to promote the pluralism that is essential to the development of free and democratic societies. we will also take action to strengthen the national sovereignty. our government is committed to protecting the integrity of the

immigration system. it will introduce measures to address marriage fraud. our government will also reintroduced legislation to combat human smuggling, which completes migrants and dangerous conditions and undermined trust in canada's immigration system. >> our government has made canada a cornerstone of its agenda. the strongest expression of our diplomacy comes through expressions and actions. our government will continue to exercise leadership in the stewardship of northern lands and waters. it is also committed to working with the northwest territory and the private sector to complete the highway. [inaudible]

thereby realizing the vision of connecting canada by road from sea to sea to sea. canada's national -- natural environment shapes our national and density. our government has expanded protected lands and marine areas to an unprecedented extent so that future and current generations can continue to enjoy them. in this, the 100 anniversary year of the national park system, our government will create a significant new area. this will move sticklers toward establishing an urban national park in the rouge valley of

eastern toronto. looking to the future, our government will engage a broad range of stakeholders on the development of a national conservation plan to move our conservation objective forward and to better connect all canadians with nature. >> it will support a major new clean energy projects of national or regional significance such as the planned lower churchill electricity plant in canada. it willing gauge the provinces, territories and industry on ways to improve the regulatory and environmental assessment process for resource projects while insuring meaningful confrontation with the affected communities including aboriginal communities.

canadians also cherish our shared history. anniversaries are an important part of how a society marks its collective progress and defines it goals through the future. a key milestone will be the bicentennial of the war of 1812. we will remember how those of diverse backgrounds in various regions came together to fight for canada, in sharing the independent destiny of our country in north america. we will also celebrate the anniversary of a settlement which marks the founding of manitoba and the early days of the modern west. next year we will observe her majesty's diamond jubilee, celebrating her six decades of service as queen of canada and canadians look forward to welcoming the royal highnesses, the duke and duchess of cambridge on their first real to

since their marriage of spring. >> they have no more fundamental duty than protect the safety of our citizens and to spend to address our national security. >> these measures will protect children from sex offenders and eliminate house arrest for serious crimes. it will give law enforcement officials close tools they need to fight criminals and terrorists. it will propose tougher sentences for those who abuse seniors and will help at risk youth avoid gangs and criminal activity. it will address the problem of wiles against women and girls. our government has always believed the interest of law- abiding citizen should be placed ahead of those criminals.

canadians who are victimized or written -- threatened by criminals deserve their government support and protection and have the right to protect themselves and their property when the police cannot be there to assist them. our government will free introduce legislation to clarify and strengthen laws on self- defense, defense of property, and in citizen's arrest. our government will continue to implement the response to the air in the airport. and >> in addition to guarding the interests of our nation of a whole region of the whole, our government will continue to take action to address the need and aspiration of every region of the country. local communities are best placed to overcome their unique challenges, but government can help create the conditions for these communities and the industries have sustained them to succeed. >> canada's role -- world

communities are rich in heritage and culture-- rural communities are rich in heritage and culture. our government will act on the promise to introduce legislation. canada's traditional industries remain crucial to our economy. our government has always stood behind canada's agricultural, forestry, fishing, a mineral, and manufacturing and energy sectors and will continue to support them as the innovation and growth. they will also produce legislation to ensure western farmers have the freedom to sell wheat and barley on the open market. canada's aboriginal people are central to canada's history, and our government has made it a priority to renew and deepen our relationship. the contribution of canada's aboriginal peoples will be important to our future prosperity.

our government will work with aboriginal communities, provinces come and territories to meet this challenge. it will help open the door to greater economic development by providing new advancement and first collations man -- nations land management. a provide access to water and clean energy technology and aboriginal in northern communities. building on the work of the national panel on first nation elementary and secondary education, our government will engage partners to make concrete, positive changes to get first nations children of better education so that they can realize their dreams. we will also expand adult basic education programming in the territories to help increase education and employment levels. >> our government will also

introduce legislation to ensure that people living on reserves have the same matrimonial real property rights and protections as other nations. canada's diverse communities are connected by shared values and aspirations, and by the willingness to lend a hand. this has been markedly evident in the response of ordinary canadians to recent and devastating floods and wild fires. our government recognizes the results and encourages canadian communities in the face of adversity and will stand by them and their times of need. >> our government will recognize the good, clean government that canadians deserve. our government introduce major

new accountability legislation as the first act in the 39th parliament, and it will now move forward on the long-standing commitment to democratic reform. reform with the senate remains a priority for our government. our government will reintroduce legislation to encourage provinces and territories to hold elections for senate nominees. canadians rightly expect fairness and accountability in the full range of government institutions. our government will reintroduce legislation to restore fair representation in the house of commons. it will take steps to phase out direct taxpayer subsidies to several political parties over the next three years. it will support transparency for first nations community by requiring their cheap counselors to publish their salaries and expenses. our government will support the efforts of the public service to modernize the way it works so that it can continue to provide

the highest standard of service to canadians. >> vacancies on the supreme court of canada, our government will engage parliamentarians through the transparent process first used in 2006. our government will also ensure as citizens the private sector and other partners have improved access to the workings of government through open data, open information, and open dialogue. >> as canadians, we take pride in our history and look forward to our future as the strong and free. from our earliest days, we always come together to advance our common purpose, each of is ready to do our part to move canada forward. and >> building on the careful

investment and decisive actions of the past five years, our government will move swiftly to deliver the next important phase of the economic action plan. our government show in meeting the challenges of today and their determination to try to those who they see on the horizon. members of the house of commons, you will be asked to appropriate the funds required to carry out the services and expenditures authorized by parliament. >> the work of art greece -- great democracy support canadians as they go about fashioning a 21st century destiny limited only by their imagination. the divine providence carver new in your deliberations and make you equal to the trust bestowed

upon you. >> with that, governor general david johnston completes his speech. it ran just under 30 minutes, which is about the average weight around. for the most part went about as expected. there was something that happened during that speech, which was not seen on camera, at least not on the light cameras. that was a protest inside the senate chamber. in fact, right on the floor of the senate chamber, just behind the supreme court justices who said you see at the bottom of the screen. right behind the justices in red robes. there was someone who was wearing a pages of it. from the infant -- information we have gotten, it was a page on parliament hill. whether it was a senate page or house of parliament page.

these are young people hired to move messages back and forth. they were holding up a stop harper sign and was quickly escorted out of the chamber. let's check in for more information on that. >> this is highly unusual. borders of 40 posted a picture of the senate page that was removed. a number of senators were retreating from inside the red chamber that it was a page they were familiar with. she is just like any other page. she has the white gloves and name tags. she went up behind the supreme court justices, bold of the sign, and one of our reporters, making its patrick solve this with her own eyes as well. she was quick -- quickly escorted out and brought down the side stairs from where i am. this is beyond unusual. it was obvious that she would

put her job at risk. i would imagine the first thing issue will lose her job and that she would take such a high risk to protest against harbor in the conservative government. totally unheard of. i have never seen anything like it, especially from someone who was employed by the house of commons, to contribute to democracy in some way. i guess she was, but it probably was not the best way to keep her job. certainly unprecedented in my memory. to go there have been demonstrations during public hours at different times, but that is extremely unusual. what her name is, we do not know. what has happened to our sense, we do not know. it is pretty accurate to assume she will not be back on the job tomorrow after that. there are pictures, and there

you are. you get a sense of the coverage that that will provoke, and will take away a bit from the message obviously that the government was hoping to get forward today through the speech from the throne. all we can tell from that picture in terms of names is that her first name is brigit. bridget marcel is the name on the name tag. if we get more information on that, we will get it to you. an unprecedented incident right in the middle of the speech from the throne on the floor of the senate chamber, right in front. we do not know whether the governor general -- from the tweets i have seen, they are retreating from the senate floor. they do not think the governor general saw it. they think the prime minister probably did. let's get some content reaction in terms of what we heard. i do not think there were any

surprises in that speech. a lot of ground was covered. your sense of all of this. >> it struck me in the speech by how much we have focused over the past several months, particularly the final weeks of the minority government on details and what we're seeing is they are coming back with the same details, but there is see huge amount of big step. much more substantial things we have not talked about. what i am getting at is we have been talking about details like crime legislation come getting rid of the gun registration. will we achieve balance of the budget? all of these things seem like big issues at the time, and now they seem like details when you compare them with the rest of the content of this speech, which really does represent a very substantial agenda for this

government. i am talking most principally about the security deal with the united states. this will affect canada and 1000 different ways. free trade with europe is this news. boring. who wants to talk about free trade with europe? well, this government does. it would be a big deal if it could be a cheap, and they say we will be able to do it by 2012. it -- it would be a big deal if it was achieved. introducing term limits for the senate not radical. it opens up a big can of worms as we already discussed going into the speech, and of course the prospect of having more members in the house of commons to reflect population growth. my point in summary is that all of these details are familiar, but maybe we have taken our eye off the ball a little bit, and this speech reminds us there are very big issues and big agenda items on the plate of this new

item. >> big new issues and items. details yet to come on how they will go through all of these things. that is normal for a speech on the throne. >> there are a lot of details still to be worked out. this is just one enormous detail that blocked the passage, but the big picture is something we will have to pay a lot more attention to. >> as important as it is, i did not hear you voluntarily covering the start. >> i have a bad knee, too, when it comes to free trade sources. to go back to you in a bit. -- >> back to you and a bit. i want to go back to the content on the speech.

your sense of what we heard there. >> a lot of what we expected about what their agenda was going to be, we talked about how they were going to deal with the deficit a year earlier. they talked about term limits and elections. they also talked about ending the subsidies for phasing that out over three years. a couple of things that jump out to me, they talked about a deal with quebec on the hsc. the talk about finalizing that by september 15. why that is important is the notion of redistributing, adding more seats, is really something quebec does not like. this is a real bone to quebec. one thing that did jump out to me, peter, that is worth talking about -- it was buried in there, and they said they would remove barriers for older workers so

they do not have to necessarily retired, mandatory retirement. one of the ways they will deal with the deficit a year earlier is through early retirements and forcing out worker attrition, so how do they let workers work longer and then try to force them out through mandatory retirement? we will have to figure out what happens monday of the budget for that. that struck me as an interesting item. behind me there is a lot of commotion. everyone is gathering to hear the first reaction from opposition leaders to this. the other thing there will be is the passage of the copyright legislation. i talked to minister more about that. they promise to reintroduce the bill as soon as the fall starts. it will not happen this session, but it will be the exact same deal as before. really the big ticket items, the security perimeter deal, those

of the things will be talking a lot about, but there are still a couple of things here that we have to figure out where they will square the circle on these things. >> you are right about the retirement issue and try to bring down the deficit with the early retirement issue. they have a problem in coming with pensions and the cost of pensions. by increasing -- the retirement age issue stops the pension question, at least for awhile on stopgap. as you said, they have to square the circle or circle the square or do something to make those lines meet. ok, we will keep an eye on that. we are obviously looking for the leader of the opposition, the official leader of the opposition, his early comments on what he heard from the speech from the throne, and the liberal leader, what he has to say. let sit back down to the senate

side and see whether rosemary has heard more on the page who got her protest right on the house of the floor of the senate. >> i think it is safe to say it was highly organized, because moments after we last spoke a press release came out. the woman you correctly identified, a recent graduate from the university of ottawa who had been working in the senate for a year realized she could not do anything to stop the harbor agenda and she believed some of his choices were not good for her generation. she talked about things like fighter jet, tax corp., and more of an emphasis on reader jobs, help the environment for future generations, and she conveniently included her cell phone numbers to include interviews with yourself. this was well thought out and planned and orchestrated, and she knew this would indeed get

the media's attention. >> thank you. there would be a change of tone and the government would be working with other political parties to accomplish things, to fix up their ideas, to talk about solutions, but instead of that, what we got was just the same old ideas. now we were listening for new initiatives to create good, new jobs, but there was not much there. we have tax cuts again for the big banks, but not for small business, the people that actually create jobs. and there was no mention either of doing something to make retirement more secure for people. there was no mention made of climate change or the cost of everyday living for people, because people are having trouble making ends meet, and i do not think the government is aware of that.

>> meaning the government is prepared to work with other parties on solutions and work in a different fashion. it was really what they propose to do before, not much of an our reach to other parties to say let's work on problems together. that is disappointing. we did not hear anything about real job creation, good jobs that need to be part of helping people to get out of unemployment and building the future of the country. nothing on the canada pension plan and retirement security in a significant way. that is a huge problem for canadians. everything was way off in the future. the cost of living just basically addressing canadians needs to meet their needs they today and month to month, nothing there. climate change, really nothing. i will say there were some good things in the budget, but in a speech on the throne that we look forward to, quite a number

of disappointments. >> why should the government had changed its tone or direction when it got a strong mandate from canadians, and that was the tone they used in the campaign? well, because they only received 40% of the votes. 60% of canadians voted against them. even on election night, the prime minister said he would be working differently. he would be working with the other parties, but there was no mention of that made in the throne speech today unfortunately. >> now there were some references to the royal family. they took the time to mention that queen elizabeth is the queen of canada, that there is going to be a royal visit. is that completely harmless or what? >> well, i think it would have been a little strange have there

been no mention whatsoever that the members of the royal family will be visiting canada in two weeks, so i do not find it was strange to have heard those references. >> well, with respect to the senate, one might wonder why the prime minister to appoint them to the senate. there was no reference to that speech from the throne, either. is he serious about this? i do not know. >> how do you see this government looking different than before? >> i do not see the government looking much different than before, and that is the problem. i don't see any significant

change. we pushed for dealing with the h s t payments. we pushed forward on that. not really much else. i would have thought that after an election were issues were raised, where canadians in large numbers voted against the government and did so for several reasons, they would have tackled things like retirement security in a serious way and done something about making sure people had family doctors and dealt with the basic of portability and jobs issues, but they were not there. that is distressing. >> the think this is a promise of honesty are evidence of honesty, the fact that the only talked about their -- did we not learn something in that election campaign? that is what i am wondering. we had discussions all across

this country and people express their views about a certain number of important issues such as retirement security. the need to have more family doctors, such as the need to create jobs and to help small business. they are all kinds of good ideas that came out in the election and i wonder why the government did not decide to not just select a couple of those ideas and work with the other party to try and resolve the issues. >> well, we shall see. our job is to try to convince the government that we need action on certain key issues, that clearly here today, they have left behind. the need for family doctors, the need for more jobs. we see the government backing off those agendas rather than seizing them and trying to get something done. we'll do our job to continue to press the government to take action here.

layton, didec, mr. leighto this meet your expectations? >> no, not really. that have the same concerns about their family. there are some very important issues for quebec that was not properly addressed here. the government talked about flooding but it does not mention what it plans to do about that. a dish used the word, that is it. now the reference to the copyright act. they said they want to see that passed as quickly as possible. what do you think about that statement? do you think that means they are rejecting debate on this? certainly that is one of our concerns. the government has not balanced the interests of the creative

sector of our society and those of the big companies that are active in that area. we have to resolve the issues, but we need an approach that is balanced. i think it will be a major debate on this when they introduced the bill, and we are prepared for that. >> we are hearing there has been progress. the good news is that discussions are still going on. we are dealing with rule taking job action at the moment. we would encourage all sides. >> you can watch the rest of this act c-span.org. jim flaherty will present the country's 2011 budget, followed by response from the opposition leader, jack layton, live on c- span.

>> come to order. >> move that the house approved budgetary policy of the government. [applause] >> mr. speaker, [laughter] [applause]

[laughter] interesting, a conservative member sitting on the other side. i rise today to table before this house budget 2011 a tax plan board jobs and growth, a plan to make sure canada remains on the right track for economic growth and jobs. as i said in this house less than three months ago, implementing the next phase of canada's economic action plan will reserve canada's advantage in the global economy, strengthen the financial security of canadian workers, seniors, and families, and provide the stability necessary to secure a recovery in an uncertain world. it is my hope that the members

of this house will now move quickly to implement this job- creating plan. [applause] mr. speaker, we are on the right track with nearly 540,000 jobs created since july 2009, the height of the global economic recession, and seven quarters of positive gdp growth. our job creation is the envy of other advanced countries, with job growth concentrated in full- time positions in relatively high-wage industries. while that is positive news to many canadians, others are still looking for work and the global economic recovery remains fragile. by supporting this plan, hon. members will echo the most essential endorsement of all, the backing of canadians themselves.

for their votes last month, their voices have been heard, and they said yes to the economic plan that was put before them. canadians gave this government their support for job creation and efforts that will creek -- help businesses and entrepreneurs succeed. [applause] canadians provided their backing for a range of targeted measures that will help them find and hold onto good, high- paying, private-sector jobs, while improving the quality of life of canadians in communities big and small. canadians endorsed an economic strategy that would help canada's seniors secure a

dignified and hard earned retirement through an enhancement to the guaranteed income supplement and new tax support for canadians making sacrifices to care for a loved one. >> to control government spending and eliminate the deficit. we thank canadians for the trust they placed in us last month. [applause] mr. speaker, the next phase of canada's economic action plan is unwavering evidence that this government will honor the commitments we made to canadians. today i am presenting again the important commitments our government made on march 22. the updated budget includes all of the measures which were part of the previous budget. it also includes additional

commitments we made to canadians since march 22. >> we have made a provision for 2.2 billion any 2011-2012 in support of the conclusion of a satisfactory sales tax, harmonization agreement between canada and quebec. [applause] >> also at a time of fiscal restraint and part of our goal to strengthen government integrity and accountability, we will gradually phase out quarterly allowances for political staff. [applause] for the most part,

parliamentarians who took the time to read the march budget will be familiar with what we are pledging to do today bid for example, to support job creation, this budget includes our intention to introduce a one time hiring credit for small business. it will provide unemployment insurance breaks for some 5 400 25,000 small businesses in canada, reduce payroll costs, encourage hiring, and give companies and the employees who work for them the boost they need in order to fully contribute to the nation's economic recovery.

the budget also includes a two- year extension of the temporary 50% of straight lines accelerated capital cost allowance for manufacturing or processing equipment. incentivizing our businesses to invest, improve productivity, and stay competitive. in the still uncertain global climate, many businesses may remain hesitant to hire and to expand. mr. speaker, in the year of the entrepreneur, we are creating the environment for the private sector to invest again and to take its rightful place at the engine of the canadian economy.

it also requires assisting hard working canadians as they make the most of the opportunities ahead. as was the case in march, the next phase of canada's economic action plan will support canadian families across the country. this support includes providing additional support for a work sharing program that has helped more than 277,000 workers, renewing to special ei measures to assist canadians in their search for a job. extending the targeted initiatives for older workers program until 2013-2014, ensuring older workers have access to training and employment programs that will prepare them for new careers. supporting helmets' to hardhats

programs to assist the brave veterans who offered up their lives to protect our country by helping them find work in the construction industry when they leave our armed services. [applause] supporting the courage of volunteer firefighters who risk their lives to protect our by establishing volunteer firefighter tax credits. [applause] and easing the financial burden of young canadians preparing to assume their rightful place in tomorrow's economy by enhancing and expanding eligibility for student loans and grants for both full-time and part-time, post secondary students. mr. speaker, part of helping

hardworking canadians is keeping their taxes low as they try to make ends meet. this commitment explains why the average family of four now receives almost $3,100 in extra tax savings, thanks to the numerous tax reduction measures introduced by this government. [applause] it also explains why the federal tax burden for all canadians is now the lowest it has been in 50 years. we are building on that lower tax commitment even further for the measures being tabled today. >> today's budget takes action to help our most vulnerable seniors who have worked hard their entire lives, building a better community and a better

canada. to provide greater support to those seniors most in need, we will provide a benefit to the guaranteed income supplements. this is an affordable new measure that will provide up to $600 extra per year for single seniors and up to $840 per year for senior couples. this will lead to greater financial security for more than 680,000 seniors across the country. this, of course, is on top of actions this government has taken that are already providing $2.30 billion in additional tax relief to seniors and pensioners right now in this fiscal year.

measures like pension income splitting, increases in the age credit amount, and a doubling of the maximum amount of income eligible for the pension income credit. mr. speaker, for those canadians coping with the added responsibility of caring for infirm parents are other relatives, we are introducing a family caregiver tax credit in the amount of $2,000 that will benefit more than 500,000 canadians. on top of that, we are recognizing the often substantial costs incurred by caregivers by removing the $10,000 limit on eligible medical expenses that can be claimed under the tax system in respect of a financially dependent relative. mr. speaker, our government is also investing four hundred

million dollars to expand the ego energy writer wrote fit homes for this year. thus giving canadian families more time to take advantage of grants of up to $5,000 to offset the cost of making their homes energy efficient. we are also helping families lower-cost of nurturing and the next buddying canadian artists by establishing a new children's art tax credit covering up to $500 per child in qualifying expenses for eligible arch or cultural activities. mr. speaker, these measures which i have mentioned are as essential now as they were when they were first introduced in this house. we introduced canada's economic

action plan to meet the worst global recession since the 1930's had on. the plan worked. as evidence by one of the strongest economic recoveries in the d-seven and the strongest economic growth since the depths of the downturn. now, for the next phase of canada's economic action plan, we are rolling up our sleeves to take on our next challenge. as we complete the transition from providing temporary stimulus to winding it down to eliminating the deficit and returning to a balanced budget. mr. speaker, the cornerstone of the updated budget tabled today, just like the one tabled on

march 22, is strong fiscal management. that budget included the strategic and operating review designed to realize substantial savings through greater efficiency and effectiveness. now with the backing we received from canadians on may 2 to guide us, we will launch their review so that once it is completed, we will achieve $4 billion in annual savings and allow the government to return to a balanced budget by 2014-2015, but one year earlier than previously planned. [applause] these substantial savings will be reported on and recorded in budget 2012 when the review is completed. this is a responsible, credible

approach, one that is consistent with the careful fiscal management that has been the hallmark of this government's approach to public finance. mr. speaker, a month ago, the people spoke. for their democratic power, they clearly signaled the need for stable government, principled government, at this challenging but promising moment in our nation's history. the canadian voters guide us as we reintroduced the next phase up our economic action plan. we owe it to them to deliver the economic stewardship canadians

expect and deserve. >> our efforts to ensure strong and sustainable recovery are not yet finished. this budget is the next debt to getting their. mr. speaker, it is now time to make this budget a reality, to complete our economic recovery, to set the stage for this country's future prosperity. mr. speaker, it is time to get back to work. thank you. [applause] >> questions and comments.

>> thank you, mr. speaker. canadian exports are slipping. corporate tax cuts clearly have not produced new investments that were promised, and consumers are all tapped out. with the government's intent of cutting spending by bill benz, my question to the minister of finance is this. where is the job creation going to come from? that is going to take up the slack for our economy? >> i thank the hon. member for her question. i hope she will take the opportunity to review the data in the budget in great detail and see the 540,000 new jobs created in canada. our country has done -- we are

leading the pack. it does not mean we are out of the woods. the global economic recovery is fragile, but that is why we are encouraged when we see an increase of over 15% in the first quarter this year by the canadian manufacturing industry and equipment processing. this is very important for our country to increase productivity and create new jobs as we go forward. the accelerated capital cost allowance provision allows for that. >> by making that volunteered tax credit nonrefundable, low- income canadian families will not even qualify for any help. a family making $25,000 a year with the dependent will not

qualify for any of these tax credits. why are they leaving low income canadian families out in the cold, and will they reverse this policy decision and make these tax credit refundable? >> as the member opposite knows, -- i can see him way down there, mr. speaker. i remember the hon. member just a couple of months ago voting against those provisions in the budget when he was sitting on the other side, and then campaigning against them. canadians endorse those policies. they are in favor of the children's fitness tax credit and the children's arts tax credit. we intend to keep our commitments to canadians, mr. speaker. [applause]

>> on behalf of all members, let me congratulate the finance minister. [applause] let's congratulate him on tabling his first budget for a majority government in the house. [applause] mr. speaker, this past may, canadians endorsed the next phase of canada's economic action plan as the right plan for economic growth and the right plan for jobs. they also endorsed support for canada's most tolerable seniors. the canada finance minister inform parliament of whites with pageant of budget predicts with passage of -- informed parliament of why a swift passage of the budget is

important. >> let me thank the member for his question. i thank him for his reference to 6.5. i wish that were my height. [laughter] he raises a very important question with respect to the increase in the guaranteed supplement which we have mentioned today. it will be presented to the house, seeking their approval of hon. members in this month of june. this is quite important because this top up will not be available, the checks cannot go out until we have royal assent for the house of parliament. the question raised this very important. we are looking at helping the poorest of the poor in terms of seniors to have worked hard their whole lives for their

families and communities, but have no pension incomes. i look forward to the support of hon. members on this matter. [applause] >> mr. speaker, i listened to mr. flaherty's budget and we have questions about. -- we have questions about it. you do need to remember that we use the title but not names of people after listening to the budget by the minister of finance, we are in a position to ask questions about the policy. the government promised billions of dollars to big companies, big corporations.

we know that this is a very difficult fiscal time, but this government is like somebody who is in a whole but keeps digging as a way to try to get out of it. the tax cuts to big corporations are not being accompanied other than cuts of $11 billion to public services. i would like to know how the minister can justify these tax cuts for companies while other people will have cut creeks >> mr. speaker, i would like to thank the member for his question. we have presented our policies and our platform very clearly to voters. we did that in the election in may. we have to look at the results

that came out of that election. growth and the economy are priorities for canadians. >> the budget talks about strategic review savings which is a nice way of saying cuts. one of the key areas that has been cut is retail development agency programming in all regions of canada. why is he cutting reprogram its without telling us definitively where they have been cut. why is he cutting the very programs that we need to develop economic prosperity and move ahead in the future? >> akaka thanks the member for his question -- i thank the member for his question. this was the party that in the

for1990's cut transfers health care, education, and social services. they did it without notice. they did it without negotiation. it resulted in the closing of schools and hospitals, laying off of nurses. these are the experts who will deserve to be sitting where they are in this chamber today. [applause] >> mr. speaker, it is well known for out the industrialized world that canada is the envy of that world. i would like the minister to answer a very simple question. how is our debt and deficit compared to other countries in the g8 and the g-20? >> much better, mr. speaker.

[laughter] our debt to gdp ratio is about 2.4%. compare that with the united states and other countries that are up 10% and more. this is not a matter with respect to which any of us can be complacent. there are difficulties in the world economy. we are pleased that our country is recovering better than some other places, but we wish them well as well, because this is a global economy and canada is not an island. we will remain our course to make sure that on deficit and debt, we get back to a balanced budget and then get back to the position where we can pay down government debt. the great recession happen from outside canada, but it put canada in a position where we could take the kind of actions we did in the economic action

plan. >> the hon. leader of the opposition. >> i move that the debate now be adjourned. >> it is moved that the debate be now adjourned. >> we will adjourn until tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011]

♪ >> tomorrow night, president obama holds a state dinner at the white house for german chancellor angela merkel. along with the guest arrivals and the official state dinner toast, and 8:00 p.m. eastern time, discussion of the official visit, plus your phone calls, emailed, and tweets. an assessment of the status of broadband today as well as other pending issues before the fcc tonight on "the communicators."

>> video of every house and senate session at c-span.org /congress. >> earlier today at a nato news conference, secretary general rasmussen said that the gaddafi regime is weakening. brussels, this is 40 minutes. >> the defense ministerial meeting, the secretary-general will start with a short introduction and then will be happy to take questions. >> thank you and good afternoon. it is now just over two months since we launched the operation to protect the people of libya on the threat of attack.

we have an historic united nations mandate and the contribution of several partners, including from the region. together, we have made considerable progress. we have taken the momentum and turned the tide of terror unleashed by the gaddafi regime. we have saved countless lives, and we have seriously degraded the ability of the gaddafi regime to attack civilians, and we have relieved the pressure on cities such as misrata. the figures speak for themselves. since nato first took action to protect libya's people, we have kicked off a high operational tempo with over 10,000 forces.

we have damaged or destroyed almost 1800 legitimate military targets. includes command-and-control sites that gaddafi is to -- for attacks on civilians. it includes over 700 ammunition stores which used to supply his attacks, and almost 500 tanks, armored personnel carriers, and rocket launchers which he used indiscriminately against his own people. our air crews have conducted operations with the utmost care and precision to avoid civilian casualties. the effect is clear to see. gaddafi has lost his grip over

much of the country. every day, those closest to him are defecting and deserting, and his regime is increasingly isolated at home and abroad. thanks to our operation, a growing number of people in libya can return to normal life without facing the daily threats of killing. aid can flow in from the north, the east, and the west. across libya, people can begin to plan a future founded on freedom, not on fear. however comic-con the gaddafi regime -- however, the gaddafi regime still poses a significant threat. the commission of inquiry reported that his forces have committed widespread and

systematic war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, persecution, and sexual abuse. it is an appalling catalog of crimes. those very same forces are still launching indiscriminate and illegal attacks. that is why we agreed to extend our mission by a further 90 days. we have intensified our military pressure and we are determined to continue our operation for as long as it takes. our message to the people of libya is clear. nato and partners are protecting you.

our message to the gaddafi regime is clear. we started this mission and we will complete it. our message to the international community is also clear. we committed ourselves to implementing the united nations mandate and we are keeping our commitment. or operation is paving the way for a political solution so that the people of libya and shape their own future. on wednesday, defence ministers of nato and our contributing partners will take stock of the progress we've made and to look ahead. and i expect us to begin discussing how we prepare for the day after qaddafi goes. because that day is coming. qaddafi is part of libya's past.

the future belongs to the people of libya. this is why we should all plan and prepare for the future. the international community must be prepared to help with the libyan people and sure a peaceful and orderly transition to democracy. let me be clear about one thing. once our mission is completed, i do not expect nato to play a lead role.

i am convinced others have the capabilities and required expertise to assist with olivia's transition -- libya's transition following the conflict. the united nations will be in the lead in the transition. nato, however, can play its part. we could support a post-qaddafi libya in the building modern and democratic security forces that will protect the people, not attack them. many allied nations went through similar reforms some two decades ago.

we are ready to provide our assistance if we are asked to do so. the debate will not end this week, but we do need to start the debate now because now the tide has turned against qaddafi and we all need to prepare for what comes next. >> and with that, i am ready for your questions. >> please do not forget to introduce yourselves. >> secretary general, you just said that you could not imagine nato playing a dominant role

following a ceasefire. what do you mean by this? do you mean that it would be the u.n., the african union, the european union or whoever else but not need to know who would provide the controllers and observers on the ground required for verifying the implementation of a cease-fire? >> allow me to underline the following. firstly, it is about the libyan people. it is up to them to shape the future of libya. they are to do so in working with the international community, and more especially with the united nations. my answer to your question is this.

it is said to the u.n., the european union, and the african union, and the arab league to assist the libyan people. nato will focus on the implementation of the u.n. mandates. then we can assist a democratic governments in libya, as i said already, and we can provide assistance to a democratic governments in libya when it comes to developing the security and defense sectors to hear them towards a more democratic system.

but, the onus is on the libyan people to shape the future of their country. >> affirmed the german press agency. two questions, if i may. on wednesday evening, you are probably going to try and force a consensus on the command structure reforms which is an important question. and since you're probably not and did. to the generals, but can you say your confidence about the future command structure? second question, you have deployed recently the inability to reach the 2% defense spending target. how worried are you that future

operations may not be possible if nato members and their vast majority are not able or willing to step up to the plate? >> firstly, on the reforms, by nature i am an optimist. i think we can reach an agreement during the defense ministers meeting. as you may recall, the nato summit in lisbon of november last year approved a framework for a reform of our military command structure. a free market, according to which, we will reduce the number of posts in the military command structure considerably and also reduce the number of headquarters. in addition to that, the summit tasks to me to present a

proposal as to how we could investigate the headquarters geographically. -- best place the headquarters geographically. hopefully we will achieve a consensus with that. we will need a consensus. it goes without saying that it is a challenge. we all know that there are national interests at stake. i base my optimism on the facts that had the state and governments made in agreements in lisbon. it is my impression that all governments of all 28 allies will stick to the agreement that we achieved in lisbon last year. on defense investment and a defense spending, it is a matter of concern and we have to make sure that allies make the

necessary investments in the military capabilities that have a fruitful purpose. on the other hand, we are also faced with economic realities in did during a period of economic austerity, all of the defense ministers will have to streamline their budgets. this is a reason why i have smart's defense. the essence of a smart defense is to make more efficient use of resources, and get more for less and cooperating by going for more international solutions. i think that is the only way

forward, that allies cool and share resources taking into account that individual allies will be faced in acquiring expensive military capabilities, but in cooperation with others, they will be able to require necessary military capabilities. my point is that there is a way forward during a period of economic austerity thereby strengthening multinational cooperation. >> reuters? >> coming back to libya and the operations there. i question about the use of helicopters. you were asking for more nations to provide helicopters.

do you think there are used during the air strikes happening now and in the coming days of weeks and that they will play a major parts in the air strikes or serve an additional part? what role will they be playing in the air strikes by nato? >> we are constantly adapting our operation to the evolving situation on the ground. this is one reason why helicopters are now used in the operation. in general terms, i will request broad support for our operation in libya, possibly increased operations, and increased use of the assets provided for our operations. with regard to specifics, for

the military to work out what is actually needed and for the sustainability of our operation come it is essential to ensure support for our operation that as full as possible. >> kuwait news agency? >> eu said in your remarks today that qaddafi is part of that the libyan past. you also gave the figures on the military assets that have been destroyed. do you think that june will have the decisive libyan moment? >> i will not gas about the timeframe, but from what i can see, a clear progress, firstly, as i mentioned, we have a degraded his war machine

considerably. secondly, we see the opposition advancing in libya. thirdly, we see the regime of being more and more isolated everyday, and recentlythe g-8, including russia, suggested in the capacity to leave power. of defections from his inner circle. all of these elements will put more and more pressure on his regime. it is not a question of if but

when he will have to leave power. >> going back to the first row. >> from the german press agency. related to the question from reuters, in a recent speech, you said that you were satisfied with the level of political support from allies to the operation in libya, but you are somehow disappointed by the willingness to commit the resources. i was wondering if you could expand on this and say what is missing, what you're looking for from allies to give to libya in addition to what is there already. >> as i already mentioned, we have been quite successful in our operation, and the good news is that when i call on allies and partners to contribute more at the foreign ministers meeting in berlin,

some weeks ago, the allies and partners actually stepped up to the plate and increased their contributions. they allow more flexible use of the assets. in that respect, i have been and i am still very satisfied. now i am looking to the future. we have come as you know, decided to extend our operation beyond the first 90 day mandate. obviously, some of those allies and partners carrying the heavy burden start to ask whether it would be possible to broaden the participation a bit. that is the point that i will focus on at the defense ministers meeting, because i think that is also the essence of our alliance.

allies that have the necessary assets at their disposal also contribute those assets based on the principle of solidarity. >> news radio? >> secretary-general, you spoke on a couple of crimes. do you think qaddafi future is goign to be under arrest? do you think this will only make him stick more to his power? >> the security council has already answered the question. it is part of the u.n. security council resolution that the acts of the regime in may amounted to crimes against to manage the.

we also known as -- crimes against humanity. we also know that they would like to issue an arrest warrant. in goes without saying that this is the clear position of the u.n. security council. >> algerian newspaper. clearly, the war will end one day in libya and qaddafi's regime will come to an end. ok. i was saying the libyan regime is doomed and nato operations will come to an end. the problem that arises today is that observers are talking about large amounts of weapons

traveling to the south, and is there a risk of instability or an austerity risk after the end of the war? all they're not always be security risk in libya? this the end of the libyan regime automatically also mean that peace may not be secured at the end of the war because there will be large amounts of weapons traveling south word? allocated is already reactive -- al qaeda is reactive so is this taken into account, post qaddafi? >> there is a risk. this is why i encourage the international community to

initiate preparations for the post-qaddafi era. we must ensure a peaceful transition towards democracy and, as was already underscored, i cannot imagine a premier real for nato. this is something for the u.n., the eu, and other organizations, international and regional. hence, we have to initiate the preparation without any further ado. >> and pr. i want to turn to afghanistan. i want to turn to afghanistan.