mr. harper. we are proposing that instead of giving tax breaks to the richest and most powerful companies that-canadians, we are saying to lower the taxes on small businesses and help the small businesses to create jobs with $4,500 per job created. that is what we're proposing. >> we cut taxes for businesses big and small. the party voted against those tax reductions. the new democratic party will never cut taxes. >> that is too much to hear you say that. it is not true. >> mr. harper, your numbers do not add up. our numbers do. if you take corporate tax of 18%, and save $6 billion. it is a good, competitive rate. it will attract jobs and investments. that $6 billion you can invest in education. the biggest boost we can give to the economy is investing in education of our children. we can do this without raising taxes on canadian families. >> every credible analyst and business groups as if you raise taxes, you will hurt growth, jobs, and revenue. that is the truth. that is the path we do not wan

mr. harper is offering new fantasy economics. he cannot explain how he will sustain canadian health care. we can read >> wishes stop giving the old company's fiscal advantages, and we should stop letting $3 billion go into tax savings. i mean, $3 billion a year? just those two examples. >> mr. harper? >> let me say this. our philosophy is clear. you fund it services by making sure you can keep your economy going and create jobs. others are proposing that they will fund $30 billion, up $6 billion, by increasing tax rates on job creators. experts say that is going to cost us billions of dollars. >> speak the truth. instead of giving tax breaks that you do to the richest and most powerful companies in the country -- the ones that doubt canadians, we are saying, roll back on small businesses and help the small businesses create jobs. we have to create taxes for businesses big and small, and the new democratic party voted for that. >> that is too much, to hear you say that. that is simply too much and not true. >> mr. harper, your num

mr. harper.we're having an election because you didn't tell parliament the truth about your budget costs, about any of the numbers. they became unbelievable. they cannot have confidence of anything you said including on international aid. mr. oda insert aid knot into a document, falsified a document, misled the house of commons and eventually the confidence of the whole parliament was lost. that's why we're having an election because you didn't tell canadians the truth, because you you abused democracy. that's why we're having an election. >> that's simply not correct. the numbers in our budget have been verified by private sector experts. they have not been challenged. these numbers are accurate. we're having an election because the other three political parties saw an opportunity to go after the government. that's fine. don't think canadians agree. i think canadians think we should not be focused on parliamentary squabbling and motions and these sorts of things. we should be focused on the econ

mr. harper and giles duceppe and mr. harper goes first. the first is on the economy. >> my name is robert from ontario. how can the conservative party justify the $6 billion tax-cut to corporations when families are struggling to make ends meet? is this policy not putting more money into the pockets of wealthy corporations to fail to share their wealth in the past? >> mr. harper we don't you for the first response. >> there is no corporate tax reductions we cut taxes several years ago across the board not just for businesses big and small but consumers, individuals and families. but the question is whether taxes should be raised back up. our position is clear the canadian economy is performing well, coming not of the rat recession stronger and faster than others and if you raise taxes you will just put the economy costing jobs we do not be in favor of raising taxes. >> first i'd like to congratulate mr. harper from his question but having said that we have to know all the facts and figures and there is something we still don't know what ha

mr. harper has just said it. it bears repeating, madam chair. it analyzes how health care costs will be affected if the e.p.a. does not proceed with regulation in its role as determined in massachusetts vs. the e.p.a. madam chair, i'd like to remind the author of the amendment, mr. quigley, that massachusetts vs. e.p.a. did not determine whether or how the e.p.a. should eliminate greenhouse gases. furthermore, a g.a.o. study on this matter is not necessary because the e.p.a. has already concluded that greenhouse gases have noed a fers health effect. specifically, the e.p.a. has stated, and i quote, current and projected ambient greenhouse gas concentrations remain well below published thresholds for any direct adverse direct health effect such as respiratory or toxic effects. opponents to this legislation have tried unsuccessfully to assert that the underlying bill will block e.p.a. from safeguarding public health from the effects of air pollution and will result in increased asthma attacks or other respiratory illnesses. nothing can be further

mr. harper. let the people judge. >> what is ever available, we're ready to do that. it's an important issue. we realize that. >> the release of the political documents in recent history appear to rest in the hands of leaders. in an election campaign, any one of those documents is a potential political land mind. peter? >> all right, greg, thanks very much. prime minister offered his take on the campaign so far after delivering a speech in montreal today. he was asked about how his party is doing this time around. >> better than expected, but, you know, we do it with the election, and you know, we have good candidates and the membership is better. >> he took a good natured dig at steven harper when asked about the prospect of a conservative majority. >> most of the countries in the world don't have the governments. i mean, canada when i was there, we had three. [laughter] >> he said now that the debates are out of the way, the real campaign can begin. as for last night's french language debate, a star emerged, not a politician, but a woman from rural quebec. katharine

mr. harper. i would like to disagree with the earlier caller. he does not have a 45% lead.t is roughly 35%. host: i think he said approval rating. caller: he might have said that but in the election in about eight days' time, in the polls, i don't think he will get a majority. there has been some interesting things with the new democratic party happening right now. it is an interesting time up here. host: how would you describe u.s.-canadian relations right now? caller: i think they are reasonably good. yeah, i can't think of another way to describe at the moment. i think they are reasonably healthy. in the post-9/11 world, it was -- it is different than what we used to know as far as coming and returning to your country and the same for you folks. i would give it a pass. host: thank you for calling in this morning. this is. "the hill." host: senator collins is the first gop senator to oppose the paul ryan budget proposal. -- she said friday she will not support the 2012 budget passed by the house last week. she doesn't support congressman rinds plan but at least he had the

mr. harper. let the people of judge. >> was never necessary to make the affirmation public to parliamentarians, it is an important issue and we recognize that. >> some of the most contentious documents in his recent history of. to be in the hands of a bloc leader. any of them are a potential political land mine. >> thank you very much. the prime minister offered his take on the campaign so far after delivering a speech in montreal today. it is as about how his party is doing this time around. >> better than expected. but, we will see after the day of the election. we have a good candidate. >> he took that good-natured david stephen harper. when asked about the prospects of a conservative majority. >> most in the countries in the world do not have a majority government. >> is a the nub of the debates are out of the way, the real campaign can begin. as for last night's french- language debate, one big star a merged. not one of the politicians on stage but a woman from rural quebec. >> a simple ques

a man who has covered the davis case extensively scott gordon is a contributing editor of harper's magazine mr hurd i want to thank you so much for joining us now touching upon the raymond davis case because you've covered that extensively now though it involves one american man accused of killing two pakistani men it ignited protests on the street of pakistan it seems to have initiated this breakdown and u.s. pakistani relations to which this drone attack that's recently happened will likely only add to what you argue that the raymond davis case was a smokescreen and i'm curious what you think was the biggest reason this kasich a breakdown between the countries. but i think you know raymond davis as an individual seems to line up perfectly all the concerns that the pakistani military and their senior intelligence apparatus has had about american operations there a so we start with the fact that although he was the station chief for the cia in lahore he's not a cia agent he's a contractor where there are big gripes has been that contractors who have little professional training and discipline

a man who has covered the davis case extensively scott horton is a contributing editor of harper's magazine. mr morton thanks so much for joining us now before i get to the raymond davis case i want to ask you about these most recent drone strikes that is obviously been a huge sticking point between washington and islam a bad what toll do you think this recent strike is going to take on those relations . well i think there's no doubt that this is one of the hottest issues between america and pakistan and more specifically between their two intelligence communities but i think we should step back and say it's not that the pakistanis are per se opposed to the use of drones in fact they're covetous of this technology they like to have them they'd like to be able to use them themselves the question is control of the drone strikes and pakistani intelligence has been making clear all along that they want to code determine the strikes they want to pick out where they're how the drones are being used to gather intelligence and what strikes are used so in fact we hear this combination of criticism and o

mr. harper, he says. he is certainly feeling the heat, not much of a spark. he is now forced to fight back. michael vick now retief says it is fine for krabakers to look -- quebecers to look. >> the ndp does not have much organization on the ground there. expect them to make this surge of interest in two more seats. >> layton actually spent his day in ontario, talking about getting more canadians connected. he plans to bring high-speed internet to every region of the country. michael ignatief held a round table with members of the arts community. he said a liberal government would be a supporter of arts and culture and he plans to double the canada council for the arts. -- the budget for the canada council for the arts. and much of the day in newfoundland before heading to nova scotia. >> with part of our election coverage we are doing interviews with each of the national party leaders. each was offered a choice. they could either have us follow them on the campaign trail for a while, do a traditional interview in the studio, or on the campaign trail. stephen

mr. pardee, you're recognized. please proceed. >> good afternoon, chairman harper. members of the committee.y name is charles pardee, the chief operating officer at exelon and responsible for all the company's generating assets including 17 units at ten sites in illinois, pennsylvania and new jersey. i appreciate the opportunity to appear this afternoon on behalf of the nuclear industry to discuss the safety of nuclear power plants here in the united states. we have been following the events in japan closely since the historic earthquake and tsunami struck the plant on march 11th. many in the united states nuclear industry have both a professional and a personal interest in the events unfolding there. many of us, myself included, have been to japan a number of times as part of international technical exchange programs to share operating experience with the tokyo electric power company and others. in fact, i was at the fukushima daiichi station about a week prior to the earthquake striking there on one such exchange. our hearts go out to the japanese people as they respond to the humanitarian

mr. pardee, you're recognized. please proceed. >> good afternoon, chairman harper. members of the committee. my name is charles pardee, the chief operating officer at exelon and responsible for all the company's generating assets including 17 units at ten sites in illinois, pennsylvania and new jersey. i appreciate the opportunity to appear this afternoon on behalf of the nuclear industry to discuss the safety of nuclear power plants here in the united states. we have been following the events in japan closely since the historic earthquake and tsunami struck the plant on march 11th. many in the united states nuclear industry have both a professional and a personal interest in the events unfolding there. many of us, myself included, have been to japan a number of times as part of international technical exchange programs to share operating experience with the tokyo electric power company and others. in fact, i was at the fukushima daiichi station about a week prior to the earthquake striking there on one such exchange. our hearts go out to the japanese people as they respond to the humanitari