Debates of March 24th, 2014

Interim Supply

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

moved that the bill be concurred in at the report stage.

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I request the unanimous consent of the House to apply the results from the previous recorded vote to this one.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Is there unanimous consent to proceed in this fashion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #87

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I declare the motion carried.

When shall the bill be read the third time? By leave, now?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

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

moved that the bill be read the third time and passed.

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I request the unanimous consent of the House to apply the results from the previous recorded division to this one.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Is there unanimous consent to proceed in this fashion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #88

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I declare the motion carried.

(Bill read the third time and passed)

A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.

The Economy

[Bruce Hyer, Green, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives boast that they are the party of fiscal responsibility, but let us look at some facts. The facts show otherwise. The government gets a failing grade on practically every aspect of economic management, or should I say mismanagement, and the most recent budget does nothing to clean up the mess the Conservatives have made of our economy.

Unemployment has increased 9% under the government. The youth unemployment rate is double the national rate. Canadians are struggling to support themselves and their families. Canada is 20th in the OECD for job creation. Meanwhile, the government refuses to roll back its job-killing payroll tax hikes. The current freeze on EI premiums means little when the Conservatives have inflated the rates for so long. They are balancing the budget on the backs of hard-working Canadians and small businesses.

Budget 2014 did not just fall flat on job creation. It failed to invest in the services that are the most important to Canadians. With the aging population in Thunder Bay—Superior North and across Canada, our health care needs are increasing. Yet somehow we see no investment in health care in the budget.

The Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Centre recently broke the record for overcapacity and was in gridlock for five straight weeks. We are headed for a crisis as the Conservatives sit on their hands. They are burying their heads in the sand with their refusal to adequately fund health care, and it is compromising Canadians' right to universal health care.

It is not just health care that is in danger. The Conservatives have also neglected the retirement security of our seniors. They have balked at much-needed pension reform and even blocked consensus on the matter. We see no plan to protect Canada's seniors, who have worked hard for so many years only to be abandoned by their government in their old age. Why is the government leaving our retirees financially insecure?

In my riding, it seems that the Conservatives have made it an obsession to shut as many vital services as possible. They have slashed local Veterans Affairs, Citizenship and Immigration, Canada Revenue Agency, and Marine Communications and Traffic Services offices, and they have cut jobs across the board in Thunder Bay and all regions. Northwestern Ontarians pay taxes just like the rest of Canadians, but they are forced to bear a greater burden of taxes, as large multinationals pay less than half the U.S.A. rate.

Declining services are not the only problem. The Conservatives may go on and on about reducing the national debt, but they are the ones who have added $123 billion to the debt since they took office. That is a 25% increase. Is this what debt reduction looks like? It is clear that the Conservative government is misrepresenting the facts.

What is even more important is the Conservatives' ignorance of the needs of ordinary Canadians, whose personal debt has gone up 26%. Canadians simply cannot afford it. The average cost of a house has risen 52%. It costs an average Canadian homeowner over $400,000 to buy a small house. How are Canadians supposed to put roofs over their heads?

Canadians need more than empty promises from Conservatives. They need real fiscal responsibility that puts Canadians first. The Conservatives talk a lot about their so-called economic record, but all we can see are deep service cuts that hurt hard-working Canadians and increased debt.

[Andrew Saxton, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know where my hon. colleague is getting his so-called facts from, but they certainly do not jibe with any numbers I have seen.

Let me reassure the hon. member that job creation remains a top priority for our government. Through Canada's economic action plan, we are taking real action to support investment, economic growth, and job creation, including initiatives that directly support the development of a skilled, mobile, and inclusive workforce within an efficient labour market.

Our efforts speak for themselves. First and foremost, we are well on our way to balancing the budget in 2015, and our economic action plan is strengthening the economy at the same time. Since July 2009, employment has increased by more than one million and is more than 600,000 jobs above its pre-recession peak, the strongest job growth in all G7 countries since the recovery.

Over 85% of all jobs created since July 2009 have been full-time positions, 80% are in the private sector, and over two-thirds are in high-wage industries. Real GDP is significantly above pre-recession levels, one of the best performances in the G7.

Both the independent International Monetary Fund and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development are projecting that Canada's growth will be among the strongest in the G7 in the years ahead.

Canada is also the only G7 country to have a rock solid AAA rating with a stable outlook from all major credit rating agencies: Moody's, Fitch, and Standard and Poor's. The list goes on. However, this is not to say that our work is done.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce, for example, lists skills shortages as the number one barrier to Canada's competitiveness. In response, our government has quickly put in place a range of concrete measures to directly support the development of a skilled, mobile, and productive workforce. Economic action plan 2014 proposes further steps in this direction.

It confirms, for example, that the Canada job grant will be up and running in 2014, which could provide up to $15,000 per person for eligible training costs, including up to $10,000 in federal contributions. The Canada job grant will encourage greater employer participation in skills training decisions and ensure that training is better aligned with job opportunities, particularly in sectors facing skills mismatches and labour shortages.

While the grant will require matching from employers, small businesses will also benefit from greater flexibility in their cost matching arrangements, recognizing the particular challenges they face.

To further address skills shortages, economic action plan 2014 also proposes to create the Canada apprentice loan program by expanding the Canada student loans program to provide apprentices registered in Red Seal trades with access to over $100 million in interest-free loans each year.

At the same time, it proposes to introduce the flexibility and innovation in apprenticeship technical training pilot project to expand the use of innovative approaches to delivering apprenticeship technical training.

Our government believes these findings underscore the importance of transforming skills training in Canada to ensure that funding supports the needs of the labour market.

Subsequently, this has also driven the government's commitment to promote education in high-demand fields, and the measures we have taken to financially support apprentices and the employers that hire them, including the apprenticeship job creation tax credit and the apprenticeship completion grant.

Supporting job opportunities for all Canadians is a commitment in which we have made important investments and we will continue to act, unlike the opposition, which votes against every job creating measure we have introduced.

[Bruce Hyer, Green, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, please, that is enough blarney from the Conservatives.

Canadians need action. We need services we can rely on and real job creation so we can be financially stable, individually and collectively.

In budget 2014, Thunder Bay—Superior North and I were looking for support for our seniors and pension reform, but nothing was offered. We were looking for a fee and dividend system that would put a price on carbon and put money back into the pockets of taxpayers, but the government did not even mention climate change in the budget. We sought incentives for small business owners, but instead the government got rid of the $1,000 hiring tax credit and refuses to reduce the job-killing EI premiums and a huge EI fund surplus, which is really a tax.

The government's fiscal plan does not work for my constituents. The Conservatives claim to be putting the economy first, but all I can see is that they are putting Canadians last.

[Andrew Saxton, Conservative, North Vancouver, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I know that the hon. member would like to introduce a $20 billion job-killing carbon tax, like his former colleagues in the NDP, but over here we have a plan. We have Canada's economic action plan.

Through the economic action plan, we are creating jobs by reforming the on-reserve education system, in partnership with first nations, through the first nations control of first nations education act. We are investing $14 million over two years and $4.7 million per year ongoing toward the successful implementation of an expression of interest economic immigration system to support Canada's labour market needs. We are helping older workers get back to work by investing $75 million in the targeted initiative for older workers program to support older workers who want to participate in the job market. We are reviewing the youth employment strategy to better align it with the evolving realities of the job market.

On this side of the House, we believe that Canada's long-term economic prosperity depends on our capacity as a country to realize the immense potential of our people. That is what we are doing.

Veterans

[Tarik Brahmi, NDP, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on February 28, 2014, I asked the Minister of Veterans Affairs a question about homeless veterans.

In Montreal alone, at least 50 homeless veterans have been identified. Given that many of them have never used the services of Veterans Affairs Canada, I asked what the government was doing to identify and help homeless veterans and what it would do to ensure that new veterans did not end up on the street.

The minister said two things in reply. First, he said:

...Canadian veterans are eligible for thousands of dollars worth of benefits and services that are not available to the general public.

Then, he said:

Identifying veterans among the homeless is a daunting task.

I think that the minister should be ashamed of giving such irresponsible and contemptuous answers. First of all, the least we can do for those who sacrificed themselves to protect us is provide these services. Second of all, just because a task is daunting does not mean that the government should not undertake it.

I would now like to give an example of the government's mismanagement, taken from the Veterans Affairs Canada response to the Veterans Ombudsman. It states that processing an application for the rehabilitation program can take up to 34 days and that there are often further delays. Why? Because information is often missing from the application. They acknowledge that:

For veterans in crisis, VAC can expedite the application process, both by helping veterans complete the application quickly...

For example, Saint-Jean has an integrated personnel support centre where military personnel who are transitioning to civilian life can meet with an official for a transition interview. This is not a luxury.

What is the Conservative government doing to improve local services? Is it improving front-line service? No—instead it is closing veterans' service centres. That is what I call incompetent management.

The situation in Montreal is particularly worrisome for my riding because many soldiers who served on the Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu base decided to settle in the area. When their housing situation is already precarious and they become homeless, it is more likely that they will go to Montreal because there are practically no services for the homeless in the suburbs and cities around Montreal.

Something else is troubling: 50 homeless veterans have been identified in Montreal, but this number is probably low because no systematic classification has been carried out. Even though we do not have a statistical study to that effect, it is reasonable to believe that the problems of homelessness are related to mental health problems. As we know, there is an epidemic of post-traumatic stress disorder in this country. Just last Wednesday, we learned of the suicide of another veteran at the Valcartier base.

In its October 16, 2013, throne speech the government declared: “We will reach out to homeless veterans and help give them the support they need”. This promise has not been kept and is not enough.

The NDP believes that the government must be proactive. Not only must it get our veterans off the streets, but it must also identify those living in precarious situations who run the risk of becoming homeless.

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

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to demonstrate how the Government of Canada has made it a priority to identity homeless veterans and those at risk of becoming homeless.

To make sure that they get the help they need to leave the streets behind, as the Minister of Veterans Affairs said when a member opposite first asked a question some weeks ago, we already have a number of benefits and services in place for eligible veterans, including an emergency fund exclusively for veterans in crisis. The general public cannot access this support, so, as the minister said, it is not only sad and tragic that some veterans are homeless, it is entirely unnecessary.

Of course, one challenge is trying to identify veterans who are homeless or living on the margins of society. That is why we are taking strong action in a variety of ways.

We have ongoing outreach initiatives in many of our largest cities, such as Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa, and Halifax, to identify and assist veterans who are living on the streets or are bouncing from one friend's couch to another's.

We are forging new partnerships and testing new pilot projects at the grassroots level, whether it is with other government departments, other levels of government, or countless community organizations that have experience and expertise in working with homeless Canadians.

Employees at Veterans Affairs Canada area offices are connecting with organizations in their local communities to raise awareness about the services and benefits available from Veterans Affairs Canada to assist veterans and to ensure that Veterans Affairs Canada staff know about support in their communities.

We are doing all of these things as we continue to develop a comprehensive approach to helping veterans who are homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless.

We realize that homelessness is a serious issue for veterans and civilians alike. We understand that there can be a series of contributing factors at play, complex issues that can often begin with an addiction or a mental health condition.

We fully recognize that no one government department or agency can solve the problems of homelessness on its own. That is why the Minister of Veterans Affairs has appealed to Canadians who are aware of a homeless veteran or a veteran in need to please contact the department immediately. We have the programs, services, and benefits available that could make all the difference in a veteran's life. It is just a matter of ensuring that the help reaches where it is needed, and we can all make sure that this happens.

[Tarik Brahmi, NDP, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is not enough to try to help veterans once they are living on the street. These are men and women who were selected for their ability to keep on fighting in situations of physical pain without complaining. These are men and women who were trained to move forward and not give up when facing dangerous situations. Many of them may be too proud to ask for help. It is the government's responsibility to be proactive and to let them know that there is help available should they need it.

I ask the question again: What is the government going to do to identify veterans at risk to make sure that they do not end up on the street?

[Parm Gill, Conservative, Brampton—Springdale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I want to repeat and reassure all members that our government is determined to do everything possible to identify veterans living on the street as well those who are at risk of becoming homeless.

We are also committed to making sure that these veterans get the help they need and that they have access to benefits and services that are exclusively for them when they are in such an unfortunate situation.

We continue to support and analyze research that looks at the most effective ways of identifying and helping homeless veterans, including the housing-first approach. We are always ready and willing to help veterans in any way we can.

Canada Post

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

Mr. Speaker, on February 25 I asked the minister responsible for persons living with disabilities what the government would do to ensure that disabled Canadians are not adversely affected by the decision of Canada Post to end door-to-door mail delivery. The question was prompted, in part, by the passing of a resolution by the City of Toronto that rejected Canada Post's plan to convert from door-to-door delivery to community mailboxes. The city was particularly concerned by the effect this decision would have on seniors with mobility issues and on other persons with disabilities.

The minister responsible for persons with disabilities did not respond. Rather, the Minister of Transport responded that it was her understanding that Canada Post was working with national councils with respect to the disabled and disadvantaged to ensure that it can appropriately provide service.

I have been in contact with Canada Post on this issue, and its responses have been less than encouraging. Thus far, as far as I am aware, the only option ever presented to any disabled individual was to be given an extra key and be told to find a friend or relative to get the mail for them. In other words, Canada Post, which has been running community mailboxes for 30 years, still has not figured out how to deal with the very real problem of providing service to persons with disabilities.

When I suggested that the boxes were not cleared of snow and were inaccessible, the answer was to tell Canada Post which one it was, and someone would be sent out. Canada Post's stated position is that persons with disabilities who face an “unacceptable hardship” will be dealt with somehow. Canada Post does not know how, and it refused to define what it means by “unacceptable hardship”. Canada Post has failed to provide the service to persons with disabilities now, and to suggest that the horse will change its spots in the future is an extreme stretch of credibility.

Canada is signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. One of the principal tenets of that convention is that we should never go backwards. Life should always be made better, not worse, for persons living with disabilities. It is the minister's responsibility to ensure that federal institutions and organizations, such as Canada Post, do not drift backwards, regardless of the need to save money or to cut corners. In other words, our international commitments signed by the government should prevent any worsening of the standards of living for persons with disabilities. That will certainly be the case if they are forced to find other mechanisms to get their mail or are unable to receive mail because of inaccessible boxes.

I have witnessed community boxes that were completely inaccessible to a person in a wheelchair. They are not routinely cleared of snow. They are on the opposite side of a street, which itself is not cleared by the municipality. They do not necessarily have a curb cut for a wheelchair.

After 30 years, one would think Canada Post would have managed this situation. My point is that left to its own devices, Canada Post has 30 years of history to prove to us how competent it has been at dealing with persons with disabilities. It is not competent.

However, persons with disabilities have been able to avoid that incompetence by living in the 70% of private homes in Canada that still have door-to-door delivery or in an apartment building that has delivery to the lobby.

Before another community mailbox is installed, the federal government should take stern action to ensure that Canada Post cleans up its act. That means taking seriously the problem soon to be faced by the residents of Kanata, Oakville, and so on, and demanding that Canada Post's conversion plans cease.

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, as a crown corporation that operates at arm's length from the government, Canada Post is responsible for its own operations. Canada Post's mandate is spelled out in the Canada Post Corporation Act and includes the need to conduct its operations on a self-sustaining financial basis.

The reality is that Canada Post can no longer remain financially self-sustaining within its current business model. Canadians are no longer using the mail to the extent they once did. Increasingly, Canadians are choosing digital alternatives to the mail. In fact, most of the correspondence we now receive concerning Canada Post is sent via email.

One of the key initiatives of Canada Post's five-point action plan, which the corporation announced in December, is the five-year transition to community mailboxes for the five million urban addresses that are still receiving door-to-door delivery. Since two-thirds of Canadians already receive their mail through venues other than door-to-door delivery, Canada Post believes that this initiative represents a sensible approach to saving costs. It mitigates the future massive losses that otherwise threaten the existence of postal service itself. The alternative is to ask Canadian taxpayers to subsidize those still receiving door-to-door delivery.

It should be noted that there will be no change for mail recipients living in apartment buildings, condominiums, and seniors residences, such as retirement homes, who will continue to receive their mail in the lobby of their buildings. Canadians receiving their mail through rural end-of-laneway mailboxes will also not be affected by the change.

In recent news releases, Canada Post has committed that no one will be left behind from accessing community mailboxes and that it intends to seek out the views of affected citizens directly, including through direct mail surveys and online feedback tools to ensure that solutions are available for people with significant mobility challenges who lack viable alternatives.

Given the importance of continued mail delivery over the long term, the government recognizes the importance of what Canada Post is working to achieve through the implementation of its five-point action plan. It should be noted that The Conference Board of Canada projected that Canada Post could lose roughly $1 billion a year just six years from now. Furthermore, in 2012, Canada Post delivered one billion fewer letters than it did in 2006.

Our government believes that Canada Post must balance its finances without being a burden on Canadian taxpayers, and that is what we expect it to do.

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

Mr. Speaker, if I had wanted the talking points that the Conservative Party has put together for the minister to talk about the need to change Canada Post, or the lack of funding that Canada Post is currently facing, I would have asked the Minister of Transport that question. However, I did not ask him that question. I asked it of the minister responsible for persons living with disabilities.

I did not get an answer to the question of what the government intends to do to force Canada Post to live up to our commitments to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We should not go backwards. We should not make life worse than it already is for persons living with disabilities.

Canada Post has had 30 years of experience with community mailboxes, and it has not managed to find an acceptable alternative mail delivery system for those persons living with disabilities. In fact, all it has done for persons living with disabilities is offer them a spare key. As far as I am aware, that is the only thing Canada Post has up its sleeve at the moment. Therefore, that is completely unacceptable to the government and it should be unacceptable to all Canadians.