Debates of Feb. 12th, 2014

Social Housing

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order. The hon. member for York South—Weston has the floor.

[Mike Sullivan, NDP, York South—Weston, ON]

And they voted against it.

Mr. Speaker, working people trying to find a place to live in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal face real challenges. Prices go up and up, while the Conservatives just stand by and do nothing. As Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi said, there is nothing in this budget for people who live in cities across Canada.

Can the minister please explain why this budget did nothing to address the housing crisis?

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

Mr. Speaker, if it was Mr. Layton's idea, it is very surprising, or maybe not surprising, that the opposition again voted against every form of support we have brought to help those who are vulnerable in Canada.

The fact is that we have spent $14.5 billion since 2006 to help those who need affordable housing. Together with our partners, we have helped over 880,000 families and individuals.

The opposition members vote against it. They have no plan to help those who are vulnerable, except raising their taxes. We will support them and we will support them with real results.

The Budget

[Joyce Bateman, Conservative, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, economic action plan 2014 is based on our government's support for science, technology and innovation, in order to create jobs and economic growth in Canada.

Could the Minister of Science and Technology explain to the House how our government is helping colleges, universities and research institutes to become leaders on the world stage?

[Greg Rickford, Conservative, Minister of State (Science and Technology]

Mr. Speaker, economic action plan 2014 announced Canada's first research excellence fund to support our post-secondary institutions to build on key strengths in science, technology, and innovation and become world leaders in a given field of research.

Amit Chakma, chair of U15, Canada's key research universities, said it best:

This will enable us to make new discoveries we will mobilize for the benefit of all Canadians, strengthen regional and national economies and increase our country's innovative capacity.

Rail Transportation

[Hoang Mai, NDP, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in the years prior to the Lac-Mégantic tragedy, MMA had multiple infractions of a safety rule that requires that a minimum number of handbrakes be applied to secure a train. Despite this abysmal safety record, no minister ever imposed any penalties on these offending companies.

Can the minister explain how, under Liberal and Conservative governments, MMA was able to repeatedly break safety rules without ever facing the consequences?

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, as we all know, there are several investigations ongoing after the derailments in Lac-Mégantic. One of the investigations is the Transportation Safety Board, another is the Sûreté du Québec, and two others are Transport Canada investigations. If this company is found to have violated the rules and regulations of this country, it will absolutely be penalized to the ultimate extent of the law.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have in my hand 21 violations by the MMA rail company on which nothing has been done. In fact, only five days after those horrific events in Lac-Mégantic, MMA committed another violation only five kilometres from Lac-Mégantic.

For years, nothing had been done to stop these violations. In yesterday's budget nothing was being done there either. How can we trust the Conservatives to keep us safe?

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate that our government, over the past number of years, has done a lot to fund rail safety, and every single time that member voted against it. She cannot stand in the House today and tell us that we do not respect the safety of our citizens.

I would like to again reiterate that if MMA is found to have violated the rules and regulations of this country, it will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of our law.

The Budget

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

Mr. Speaker, many Canadians will pay the price for this very disappointing budget.

Veterans are shown very little gratitude for their years of service. Because of constant pressure from the NDP, there may be improvements to the funeral and burial program. However, it is downright shocking that the Conservatives are investing in computers instead of veterans' service offices, which they have just closed.

Why are the Conservatives not listening to veterans' demands instead of saving money at their expense?

[Julian Fantino, Conservative, Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, let me correct the record. Economic action plan 2014 builds on our government's strong record of support for veterans since 2006, which includes $2 billion to enhance the new veterans charter programs and services for seriously injured veterans; $65 million to enhance the Last Post Fund for Canadian veterans, on top of the $108 million announced yesterday; $282 million to shovel veterans' driveways, cut their grass, and clean their homes; $10 million per year to create five new operational stress injury clinics.

Those parties, and that party in particular, voted against all those items.

National Defence

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, it is easy to balance a budget when they take away money from disabled veterans and armed forces personnel.

The Minister of National Defence knows very well. He knows the name of Corporal—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. The hon. member for Sackville—Eastern Shore has the floor.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence knows very well, because I handed him the file, of Corporal Robert MacIvor of Beaver Bank, Nova Scotia. He has served this country with great distinction, and overseas. Unfortunately, because of his service, he suffers from severe psychological wounds.

What does the government do? Instead of helping him, it kicks him out a few months shy of his tenth year, which means he and his family will lose out on hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential benefits.

My question, then, is on behalf of Robert MacIvor and his family. Will the Minister of National Defence now allow Robert to stay in the military a tenth year, or will he stand up and face the camera and tell him why he is kicking him out?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I thank that member for his service to the armed forces. As I have said before, the Chief of the Defence Staff and the Chief of Military Personnel work with the members of the Canadian Armed Forces to ensure they are not released until they are prepared. Every possible accommodation is made to ensure these soldiers are kept in the forces and provided with the best possible support.

That said, I have asked my officials to look into the particular case the member has raised.

The Budget

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, does the Minister of Finance agree with what the Minister of Human Resources seems to be saying?

According to the minister, if a province is doing a good job of connecting those looking for work with jobs—and the minister acknowledged that Quebec is doing a good job—that province can keep its share of the $300 million that the Minister of Finance wants to take from provincial programs.

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism]

Mr. Speaker, again, the government is looking for an agreement with the provinces so that it can deliver the Canada job grant and get the best possible result in matching training with real jobs. It just makes sense. This is the Minister of Finance who used the 2007 budget to invest $500 million in the labour market agreement. We hope to come to an agreement with the provinces soon.

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, York West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, whether it is the ice storm in Ontario and Quebec or fires in Alberta, Canadians are strongest when standing together. That is why Ontarians were appalled to be shortchanged to the tune of billions of dollars by the Conservative budget yesterday. Ontarians need transfer payment protection to build our economy, but instead are being penalized for being the leanest provincial government in Canada.

Why are the three failed Mike Harris ministers, responsible for the tragedies of Walkerton and elsewhere, continuing to punish the people of Ontario rather than fighting for them?

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the question. I had not heard Premier Harris' name in a long time, but that was the last time we balanced the budget. I remember it well.

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

I was there too.

[Jim Flaherty, Conservative, Whitby—Oshawa, ON]

Yes, you were there as well.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please.

The hon. member for Nickel Belt.

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday's budget did nothing to move the Ring of Fire project forward. Communities we met are still waiting for the federal government to make this a priority.

The President of the Treasury Board once promised that this project would improve the quality of life for this region. Why did the Minister of Finance fail to act? Where is the federal government leadership? Where is their plan to work with our communities and move this project forward?