Debates of Feb. 9th, 2011

[The Speaker, Liberal, Peter Milliken]

It being Wednesday, we will now have the singing of the national anthem led by the hon. member for York West.

[Members sang the national anthem]

Volunteerism

[Patrick Brown, Conservative, Barrie, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to recognize an exceptional volunteer.

Bill Dwyer spent his early years with the British army, where he fought in Italy during the Second World War. He was later posted to Base Borden and was part of the Canadian army for 20 years.

After a lifetime of serving in the armed forces, Bill then continued to serve his community through his outstanding fundraising efforts for charitable causes.

As of 2010, Bill played an active role in the Greater Barrie Chamber of Commerce, the Optimist Club of Barrie, the Kiwanis Club of Barrie, the Rotary Club of Barrie and has been a long-time volunteer at the Royal Victoria Hospital.

At the seniors awards gala in Barrie this year, he was given the award of heroism for his efforts. Bill has raised $517,000 since 1982 for the Terry Fox Foundation alone.

Today I want to give a special thanks to Bill Dwyer who has done so much to support charities in Barrie and raise awareness for causes close to his heart.

The Economy

[Gurbax Malhi, Liberal, Bramalea—Gore—Malton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, our economy is underperforming as the unemployment rate for the month of January in Ontario increased to 14.4% among the young adults. Despite giving $6 billion to big corporations, the government cannot create jobs and is killing them by increasing tax burdens in the form of EI payroll taxes on all small businesses. In fact, its $6 billion tax cut ignores 95% of the two million active businesses in Canada.

People in the region of Peel feel that the government is ignoring them too. The unemployment is high in this region but the government does nothing. Six billion dollars in tax cuts will not result in $6 billion worth of economic growth and jobs. Affordable housing and jobs in the region of Peel are much more needed than the corporate tax cut.

The government also needs to take concrete steps to create jobs for youth and give incentives to small businesses so that they can create more jobs for the unemployed families that are starving, under stress and are worrying about their future.

Marie-Josée Grenier

[Nicole Demers, Bloc, Laval, QC]

Mr. Speaker, at the beginning of this year, a long-time staff member of the Bloc Québécois, Marie-Josée Grenier, accomplished an exceptional feat: she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.

Marie-Josée is a caring and committed woman. We were therefore not surprised when she decided to take on this new challenge in support of the Arthritis Society and people suffering from this painful condition.

Although she was already in good shape, she had to train physically, mentally and emotionally for an entire year before facing the challenge of climbing this 5,895-metre mountain in Tanzania known as the roof of Africa.

I had the privilege of meeting with her upon her return last week. As I took her in my arms, I could feel her passing on to me some of the unique energy possessed by those who do not let anything stop them from achieving great dreams. Her eyes said it all. They sparkled with the pride of accomplishment and the desire to do more.

Thank you Marie-Josée for showing us that anything is possible.

Bob Monks

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Windsor lost one of its treasures yesterday with the passing of the iconic Bob Monks. Bob, one of Windsor's most notable citizens, was universally loved and known to virtually everyone. His art can be found in our homes, offices and restaurants and truly represents a graphic history of the people and places that define Windsor-Essex.

A charismatic man whose riveting ability to tell our stories made him a great historian, teacher and media personality. A piece of Bob's art proudly hangs in my office and is a source of inspiration.

Bob was as man of impeccable class and kindness who allowed me to share his work with my entire riding in the 2010 calendar. Windsor is deeply saddened with the news of his passing but we are comforted by the gifts he left behind.

He will always be remembered for his art and his love for our local history but it is his incredible spirit that will be his lasting legacy.

I and the member for Windsor—Tecumseh offer our condolences to the Monk family. An entire community mourns with them and we thank them for sharing Bob with us.

Architecture Award

[Rod Bruinooge, Conservative, Winnipeg South, MB]

Mr. Speaker, this week, the Canada Council for the Arts announced the winner of a prestigious architecture prize titled, “Prix de Rome in Architecture for Emerging Practitioners”.

The prize was awarded to Samantha Lynch, a University of Manitoba graduate who demonstrated exceptional potential in contemporary architectural design.

As co-chair of the post-secondary education caucus, I applaud the University of Manitoba for upholding a spirit of excellence in delivering exceptional educational opportunities, and the Canada Council for the Arts for recognizing the potential of architecture students across our country.

I ask the House to join with me in applauding Samantha Lynch for her receipt of this prestigious award, and I wish her all the best in 2011 as she begins an internship at an internationally acclaimed architectural firm.

Health

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, once again, Vancouver and B.C. are at the forefront of HIV-AIDS research and innovation.

Yesterday, The New York Times gave kudos to the “test and treat” pilot program pioneered by Dr. Julio Montaner, head of the HIV-AIDS clinical trials at St. Paul's Hospital.

The three-year pilot program, fully funded by the B.C. government, gives free anti-retroviral drugs to all new HIV positive cases. One dose lowers the amount of virus in the blood, making the person 90% less infected. This is prevention and treatment in one.

The New York Times credits this program, plus the city's safe injection site, for Vancouver's lowering infection rates, while other cities in North America are increasing.

The UNAIDS agency has officially set “test and treat” as its global goal.

Despite those facts, the Conservative government continues to cut funding to the national AIDS strategy and continues to sue to close Insite. What a missed opportunity.

Highway 407

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in 2007, with the Government of Ontario, the Government of Canada announced the FLOW initiative to improve transit and strengthen the economy in the GTA. This initiative included a written commitment to extend Highway 407 from Brock Road in Pickering to Highway 35-115. The Government of Ontario agreed to a fixed completion date of 2013.

However, in June, the Government of Ontario announced that the extension would only be completed on an “as needed basis”.

This extension is extremely important for Oshawa and the GTA. It would ease the traffic burden currently held by Highway 401 and would assist in job creation and encourage private sector investment in Durham region.

The failure to extend Highway 407 in a single phase will greatly increase the amount of heavy traffic congestion on the streets of Oshawa and cause unbudgeted road infrastructure expenditures in excess of $300 million.

This is unacceptable to the city of Oshawa and I, along with the residents of Oshawa, demand that the Ontario government live up to its promise and complete this project.

Young People of Montcalm Youth Employment Centre

[Roger Gaudet, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

Mr. Speaker, young people from Carrefour jeunesse-emploi in Montcalm are visiting Parliament Hill today.

I would like to acknowledge the courage, perseverance and motivation of these young people who are engaged in a very important process. They decided to seek the resources they need through the Cap sur l'avenir, Youth in Action and IDEO programs to help them take their future in their own hands and to discover their place in society.

These young people have an iron will and are holding onto the hope that one day that will be valuable, responsible and autonomous professionals. I believe that they will, and that is why I want to congratulate these young people.

I would also like to mention the excellent work done by the people at Carrefour jeunesse-emploi in Montcalm. In my opinion, Carrefour jeunesse-emploi is one of the best tools available to help our young people prepare for the future.

Donna Watt

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour a constituent and dear friend, Donna Watt, who passed away on December 31 at the age 66. She leaves behind her devoted husband, Donn Watt, her two children and two stepchildren.

Donna was a strong and compassionate woman, born and raised in my riding of Saint Boniface. She lived to love others and to serve her family and community even as her health was failing due to leukemia. She had a favourite saying, “Make your dash count”. The dash refers to the little horizontal line on our gravestones, the one between the date we are born and the date we pass away. The dash represents everything in between and how we choose to live it. So, as Donna suggests, we should make our dash count.

Toward the end of her life, Donna told her family, “I wouldn't change a thing. I've been so blessed to have experienced deep sorrows and tremendous joys”. Donna made her dash count.

I am inspired by the strength of her husband, Donn, who I know misses her dearly. I assure him that Donna and her dash live on in the loving memories of those who knew her.

We do not just mourn her passing, we celebrate her dash.

Mental Illness

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to recognize Bell's Let's Talk Day, an initiative dedicated to fostering a national conversation about mental illness in Canada.

Roughly one in five Canadians face mental health challenges and they often suffer in silence. Many fear the stigma associated with the term “mental illness”.

It touches all our families. I am proud of our son, Ben, who turned his personal experience into his play, Indifferent Eyes. It is a story of the drastic measures taken by a man suffering from depression in order to be better understood.

It is because of brave Canadians, like Clara Hughes, Roméo Dallaire, James Bartleman and Margaret Trudeau, who have opened up about their struggles, that we can begin to chip away at the terrible stigma still associated with mental illness. It is about finding solutions to problems.

The government and the Mental Health Commission have long promised an anti-stigma campaign. Canada needs a comprehensive mental health strategy. What, by when and how?

We thank Bell and Clara Hughes. It is time for the government to act.

Canada's Economic Action Plan

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it would have been unfair to keep the regions of Quebec from benefiting from the success of Canada's economic action plan. If it had been up to the Bloc, nothing would have happened.

By presenting unrealistic demands, the Bloc leader and his members are looking for yet another excuse to reject the next federal budget and trigger a useless election that Quebeckers do not need.

Even though the Bloc voted against the money invested through the economic action plan, we took action at the start of the global economic crisis to help stimulate job creation, cut taxes for the middle class and seniors, improve the employment insurance program and help our businesses weather the crisis.

Our actions brought concrete results in every region of Quebec. Each time it had the opportunity, the Bloc voted against our measures, but later tried to take credit for our achievements.

We know that all Quebeckers in the regions will remember the Bloc's tactics.

Violence Against Women

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the 20th annual Downtown Eastside Women's Memorial March will be held February 14.

A lot has happened since that first march, but the sad fact is that women are still very much at risk.

Women from the Downtown Eastside organize and lead this march because women, especially aboriginal women, face physical, mental and emotional violence on a daily basis. We gather together each year to support Sisters in Spirit and the Walk for Justice to show that we care.

I recently spoke at the Missing Women Commission in Vancouver and asked Mr. Oppal to utilize the public inquiry as a community process, where those most impacted by these tragedies have a voice. They can guide the way for what needs to be done to avoid further tragedy.

I also challenged him to not ignore the issues of poverty, racism, and inequality that underlie the violence experienced by these women. If we do not address these issues as a community, as a country, then real change will not occur.

Taxation

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal leader has a plan to raise taxes. He is openly and unambiguously calling for a $6 billion tax increase, not a tax freeze, a tax hike.

The Liberal leader is demanding his new tax hike be included in the next budget. And if we do not raise taxes, he will vote against the budget to force an election.

It is a reckless and dangerous tax increase that will stop our recovery in its tracks and hurt job creation. It is no wonder he is proud to call himself a tax and spend Liberal.

Canada's continued job growth again shows our economic action plan and our low tax agenda are getting positive results for Canadian families.

We need to continue with our government's low tax plan to protect and create jobs, not the Liberal leader's high tax agenda which will stall our recovery, kill jobs and set hard-working Canadian families back.

That is not the Conservative way. That is the wrong-headed Liberal way.

International Development Week

[Johanne Deschamps, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this being International Development Week, I would like to pay tribute to everyone who works so passionately, relentlessly and with such conviction to improve the living conditions of millions of people living in extreme poverty.

Many Quebeckers and Canadians devote a great deal of effort to helping developing countries achieve the millennium development goals. Over the years, many NGOs, unions, teachers and students from Quebec and Canada have built relationships and partnerships with their global counterparts. Their excellent work, expertise and compassion are recognized and very much appreciated in those countries.

So that they may pursue their objectives, the Government of Canada must honour its commitment to allocate 0.7% of its GNP to official development assistance by increasing the development budget.

On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I would like to thank everyone who is directly or indirectly involved in international development.

Dennis Foran

[Marcel Proulx, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute today to the memory of Dennis Foran, a great community builder in the Outaouais region, who passed away last January 30.

Dennis worked for E.B. Eddy-Domtar for over 50 years, but it is his dedication as a volunteer that I would like to salute today.

In 1971, Dennis, his wife Polly, and a group of generous volunteers founded a non-profit organization known as Aydelu. Its mission was to run the old barn sitting on 17 acres of land. Aydelu created major sports facilities for young people and the community along with a multi-purpose hall.

Dennis presided over Aydelu for 24 years. He was known as the ambassador for Aydelu for which he begged and borrowed. Dennis, his wife, and a few other volunteers even mortgaged their houses for the construction of the Frank Robinson Arena.

Dennis also participated in the Aylmer Interclub for over 10 years. Dennis was one of the pillars of the modern Aylmer.

My deepest sympathies to his wife and family. Goodbye Dennis and many thanks.

Victims of Crime

[Scott Armstrong, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley, NS]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the government operations committee accommodated an NDP request to hear from the Church Council on Justice and Corrections.

When asked if those who rape children should be put in prison, the NDP witness said, “Not necessarily.” That position represents a disturbing glimpse into the ideology which underpins the coalition soft-on-crime approach.

Unlike the NDP, our Conservative government believes that those who commit heinous crimes against our children should not be free to roam the streets and victimize others.

Sadly, we see a pattern emerging here. The member for Ajax—Pickering cares more about inmate morale than he does about victims rights. The member for Vancouver Kingsway tried to remove all references to victims of crime legislation. The member for Outremont tried to block any legislation which would allow fraudsters to have extended parole.

When will the coalition care more about victims than they do about criminals?

Taxation

[Michael Ignatieff, Liberal, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the government is pressing ahead with corporate tax cuts that Canadians do not support and the country cannot afford.

Borrowing $6 billion to hand out to the richest corporations in the country makes no sense when it has just landed the country in a $56 billion deficit.

When will the Prime Minister listen to Canadians, reverse those corporate tax cuts, and give middle-class Canadians a break instead?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, what the Liberal leader proposes is a $6 billion tax hike in order to pay for his spending proposals that the country cannot afford, and that makes absolutely no sense.

We have an economy that is creating jobs. We have a low tax plan. We are going to move forward, creating jobs for Canadian families.

[Michael Ignatieff, Liberal, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister will have to explain to the country how the country cannot afford family care, but it can afford billions on prisons and billions on jails.

The Conservatives' tax cuts will benefit only 5% of Canada's richest corporations. Small businesses are not getting anything. Worse yet, their payroll expenses are going up. Small businesses are paying more so that corporations can pay less.

How does the Prime Minister justify that?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary. The Liberal Party leader is proposing a $6 billion tax hike in order to pay for his election promises that the country cannot afford. We do not have to raise taxes on employers in this country. Our economy is creating jobs for Canadian families thanks to our low tax plan. We will continue to secure Canada's recovery.

[Michael Ignatieff, Liberal, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, we have tax breaks for the richest corporations. We have tax hikes for small business. We have no break for the ordinary middle-class family. Family care is too expensive. The government is spending 40% more over the last five years and has no credible plan to get this deficit under control.

The whole story just does not add up. When will the Prime Minister listen to Canadians and reverse these reckless economic choices?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the story that does not add up is the plan of the Liberal Party leader to raise taxes on employers, to raise billions of dollars of taxes on Canadian consumers, and to use that to increase spending even further. None of that makes sense.

Our spending has been targeted at creating jobs. It is succeeding. We do not need $6 billion more in tax hikes from the Liberal Party.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the CFIB has said that cutting corporate taxes is not a priority for small business. Instead, small businesses want payroll taxes to be held where they are or cut, and they want help to hire more Canadians.

On January 1, the Conservatives ignored small business and hiked the EI tax rate by 5%. Why are the Conservatives punishing small businesses with job-killing payroll tax hikes in order to cut taxes for the richest corporations?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately for the hon. member, he has raised an issue of fact. The fact is that the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, the small- and medium-sized businesses of this country, is absolutely opposed to the tax hikes proposed by the Liberal Party that would raise taxes on over 100,000 Canadian small businesses, absolutely opposed. He can check with Catherine Swift if he is not sure about it.