Debates of Nov. 21st, 2014

Taxation

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

Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government has cut taxes not once, not twice, but 180 times.

We are now in a position to deliver even more tax relief to Canadian families. Thanks to our tax cuts for families, every Canadian family with a child or children will be better off.

We have increased and expanded the universal child care benefit, now worth nearly $2,000 a year for each child under the age of six, and $720 a year for each child aged six to 17.

The Liberal leader is proposing a high-tax, high-debt program, whether by imposing a job-killing carbon tax or by clawing back the tax breaks put in place by our Conservative government to help Canadian families.

Canadians can trust our Conservative government to lower their taxes and help them keep their hard-earned money in their pockets.

Jean-Michel Pépin

[Sylvain Chicoine, NDP, Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Montreal's south shore region received a number of honours during the annual Baseball Québec conference last weekend.

Among the recipients was Jean-Michel Pépin, a resident of Delson, who won the Louis-Phillippe Grenier award for volunteer of the year on the south shore.

Mr. Pépin has been the president of the Saint Constant/Delson little league baseball association since 2009. He breathed new life into this organization, which saw its roster quadruple from 92 five years ago to 362 players today. That is quite the feat.

Mr. Pépin also deserves recognition for encouraging more girls to play baseball. This summer, for the first time in Quebec, an all-girl provincial tournament was held in Saint Constant. It goes without saying that this tournament was a great success.

Congratulations, Mr. Pépin. Long live the Saint Constant/Delson little league baseball association.

Taxation

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, St. Catharines, ON]

Mr. Speaker, now that the “Cars and TVs” campaign is in full swing, we are seeing what we can expect from Liberals in the coming year.

The Liberal candidate from Banff—Airdrie even said that we should not give money to Canadians because they might spend it on TVs or cars. What is more, the Liberal candidate in Ottawa Centre endorsed prioritizing money in hands of Ottawa bureaucrats, not Canadian families with children.

Only our Conservative government knows that parents, whether they work inside or outside of the home, can be trusted to make the right choices for their families. Thanks to the family tax cut and the enhanced universal child care benefit, 100% of families with children will have more money in their pockets and the freedom to spend it the way they want. We are proud that over four million families will benefit from this measure.

Children's Rights

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday was National Children's Day and the 25th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

It also marked the anniversary of the motion of the House of Commons to eliminate child poverty by 2000. Fourteen years later, conditions remain unacceptable for Canada's children.

On poverty, Canada ranks 24th of 35 industrialized countries, with one in every seven Canadian children still struggling to have his or her basic needs met; 36% of food bank users are children; and 40% of all indigenous children live in poverty.

We all share the desire for the well-being of our children, the most universally cherished aspiration of humankind. Every child has the right to survive, develop, be protected from all forms of violence and be protected from adverse economic conditions.

How will the government champion children's rights domestically and internationally, and keep the promise made to our children 25 years ago?

Ukraine

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre, SK]

Mr. Speaker, one year ago on this day, Ukrainians took to the streets to speak out against Yanukovych's decision to reverse Ukraine's path toward European integration. Thousands of Ukrainians gathered in Maidan to express their desire for a free and democrat Ukraine. This demonstration became known as the “Maidan protest”. We witnessed the bravery of the Ukrainian people as they stood up against the oppressive Yanukovych regime.

Our government continues to stand with those Ukrainians who believe in freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. We have provided funds and technical provisions to help Ukraine with economic reforms and to promote democratic, judicial and social development. Moreover, we have contributed over 300 election observers to monitor the recent parliamentary elections.

Our government will continue to support the people of Ukraine in their aspirations for a free and democratic Ukraine.

Liberal Party of Canada

[Rosane Doré Lefebvre, NDP, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, what is nice about our Liberal friends is that they are unpredictable. We never know what to expect from them.

Their leader said that all his candidates have to be pro-choice, but now they do not. He is accepting everyone. The Liberals initially said they supported reforming the Board of Internal Economy and then rejected this proposal in committee. They are against a combat mission in Iraq, but they support it as well.

The Liberal leader is preparing to meet with his Quebec youth wing in Montreal and will have to explain the latest Liberal notion: supporting the Conservatives and imposing a toll on the new Champlain Bridge. Even though the member for Papineau said he was opposed to the toll, we know very well what that means: it does not mean anything.

When Montrealers go to the polls next time, the choice will be clear: a toll on the new Champlain Bridge with the Conservatives; perhaps a toll, or perhaps not, with the Liberals; or no toll on the new Champlain Bridge with the NDP.

Ukraine

[Bernard Trottier, Conservative, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the website for the member for Halifax is promoting an event which describes NATO's Ukrainian assurance measures as “schemes to use Ukraine as a battering ram and platform on which to foster major aggression against Russia”. I am shocked that a member of the House would promote such an event. It is clear that the NDP is not a mature party and is not suited to lead a G7 country.

It is absolutely shameful that the NDP would give voice to those who accuse NATO of aggression against Russia, after Vladimir Putin annexed sovereign Ukrainian territory.

Under the leadership of our Prime Minister, Canada is standing up to Putin. As the PM stated, “whether it takes five months or fifty years, we’re not going to drop the subject until Ukrainian territory is returned to Ukrainians”.

The member for Halifax and the NDP need to explain why this event is being publicized on her website.

Veterans

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Mr. Speaker, a number of veterans' groups, including the Royal Canadian Legion, want to know why the Conservatives have withdrawn so much funding earmarked for veterans.

More than $1 billion was taken away from veterans and put into the treasury. That is disgusting. That money was promised to veterans.

Do the Conservatives have an explanation for our former soldiers who are still waiting for the services they need?

[Parm Gill, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the assertion made in that question is absolutely false. All governments always ensure that statutory funding is fully funded to ensure that there is no shortfall. This is a completely normal practice.

Veterans Affairs' expenditures have increased from $2.7 billion when the Liberals were in government to $3.5 billion last year.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Conservatives suggested that lapsed funding would simply be carried forward. I have a page from this year's public accounts right here, and of the $167 million that was lapsed last year, zero, zilch, not a penny of that money, can be carried forward. The Conservatives misled veterans. How despicable!

The Royal Canadian Legion and Canada's veterans deserve honest answers. Will Conservatives explain why they slashed services and closed offices, and why they pulled away over $1 billion from our nation's veterans?

[Parm Gill, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, the assertion made in that question is absolutely false. All governments always ensure that statutory funding is fully funded to ensure that there is no shortfall. This is a completely normal practice.

As was approved in the last year of the Liberal government, Veterans Affairs lapsed $111 million, which is $111 million in one year from a much smaller budget.

It is a simple fact that Veterans Affairs' expenditures have increased under our government.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Here are the facts, Mr. Speaker.

The fact is, the Conservatives are slashing services for veterans. The fact is, there are fewer mental health professionals helping Canadian Forces members and veterans. The fact is, Conservatives shut down eight regional offices: “Find some help online”, they say to our nation's vets. The fact is, they denied disability benefits to half of our country's disabled veterans. However, they did increase one thing: $11 million on media monitoring for Conservatives while our veterans live in poverty.

When will the Conservatives apologize to those who have served our country, and when will they restore the services they have cut to our nation's veterans?

[Parm Gill, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, our government has a strong record when it comes to standing up for Canada's veterans.

Our government has spent over $30 billion since taking office in 2006. That is $5 billion more in additional new dollars. We will continue to stand up for Canada's veterans.

International Development

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, while Conservatives boast about their spending, the fact is that they are hiding the truth. Almost one-sixth of their foreign aid has been returned to the Department of Finance untouched. Will they now admit to Canadians that their so-called “surplus” has been done on the backs of the world's poorest and most vulnerable people?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Minister of International Development and Minister for La Francophonie]

Mr. Speaker, the member is wrong. There was no cut at all.

As the member knows, there were unprecedented disasters last year. International Development moved money from the budget for low-income countries to the budget for fragile countries in crisis-affected communities, in order to assist those most in need. We can think about the Philippines, Syria, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic.

We spent additional money for these countries in the amount of $175 million, as well as the $188 million from our partner organizations, to assist people in need in those crisis areas. This resulted in extra spending of $240 million for people most in need. We call that “effectiveness and pragmatism”.

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance went to boast about balancing his budget to the financial elite in Toronto.

What he did not say is that the budget would be balanced on the backs of the least fortunate. This includes the unemployed, the ill and our veterans. The Conservatives even diverted $125 million earmarked for international assistance, as though there was no need in Iraq, Syria and West Africa.

Why is the government trying to save money at the expense of the least fortunate, here in Canada and abroad?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Minister of International Development and Minister for La Francophonie]

Mr. Speaker, that is completely false. The member is presenting facts that are incomplete and untrue. As I explained, there are places in the world experiencing unprecedented disasters, such as the Philippines, Syria, South Sudan and the Central African Republic.

We have established budgets for low-income countries, which were sent to the vulnerable affected countries. This resulted in extra spending of $240 million to help these people. We call that effectiveness and pragmatism. People want us to help others who are truly in urgent need of assistance.

Government Advertising

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives do not understand the priorities of middle-class families. They have spent $750 million on partisan ads to improve their chances of getting elected. Even Advertising Standards Canada said that these ads are misleading.

Rather than spending that money to mislead Canadians, why does the government not invest it in infrastructure, in bridges, public transportation and sewage treatment plants, which are things that are important to Canadian families?

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Minister of State (Social Development)]

Mr. Speaker, we have actually tripled the investment for infrastructure, and even recently made announcements regarding art infrastructure projects.

When it comes to the priorities of families, it is this government and this government alone that trusts families. We have heard what the Liberals have said previously about families having money in their pockets. We have heard what they have said even recently. We believe that when we give Canadians the money that they deserve, it is their money, and they will spend it on their priorities: their children, their families, and raising their families.

That is a good investment. That is what we are committed to. The Liberals would take that away.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, investments in public transit reduce commute times and help families to spend more time together. They reduce gridlock, enhance productivity, and drive up business efficiency. Instead, the Conservatives are touting a $2-billion income splitting plan, all from borrowed money that excludes 85% of Canadian households. They do not hesitate to spend $750 million on self-serving advertising.

Why all of this, instead of investing in critical infrastructure that creates jobs, drives growth, and benefits all Canadians?

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Minister of State (Social Development)]

Mr. Speaker, we promised Canadians that we would give them the family tax cut. That income splitting will help almost two million families, half of the families in Canada. Combined with the increase and expansion of our universal child care benefit, every single family with children in Canada will benefit.

What we do know is that the Liberals would take that away, not only from families, but they said they would take income splitting away from seniors and pensioners.

Canadians know this: Liberals will take money out of their pockets. We will continue to put that money back into their pockets.

Regional Economic Development

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, according to Ontario's Lieutenant Governor, the Ring of Fire is the most promising mining opportunity in Canada in a century. Here is what the Conservatives are putting at risk: 5,500 full-time jobs, $60 billion of mineral reserves, $25 billion in economic activity, and $6.7 billion in government revenues.

When will the Prime Minister meet with Ontario's Premier to help secure this enormous opportunity for Canada?

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, our government supports the development of the Ring of Fire, a project that can provide significant economic benefit to northern Ontario. We have been clear that the new building Canada plan provides significant infrastructure funding for this kind of legacy resource development. It is up to the Province of Ontario to request that funding be allocated to this project.

We will continue to work with first nations, other levels of government, business, and industry leaders to see this project come to fruition.

Veterans Affairs

[John Rafferty, NDP, Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the government can claim that the money will be carried forward, but that simply is not the case. It is gone. The Conservatives spent it on VIP jets for European trade negotiators and tax cuts for their corporate friends.

Now the Conservatives claim that they had to make a $5.3 million cut to close veterans offices, but they had already frittered away $1.1 billion. What is the explanation, and why do veterans in Thunder Bay now have to drive for hours to get to another Veterans Affairs office?

[Parm Gill, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, again, the assertion made in that question is absolutely false. All governments always ensure that statutory funding is fully funded to ensure there is no shortfall. This is a completely normal practice. Veterans Affairs expenditures have increased from $2.7 billion when the Liberals were in government to $3.5 billion last year.