Debates of Dec. 9th, 2019

Supplementary Estimates (A), 2019-20

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Mr. Chair, as I said earlier, there are established procedures that maintain not only the integrity but also the ability of the government in making investments that may not be initially perfectly forecast or for which the information is at some point imperfect. They are procedures that maintain, as I mentioned, the integrity and the ability of opposition members to comment on such integrity.

[Tim Uppal, Conservative, Edmonton Mill Woods, AB]

Mr. Chair, in 2018, the Liberal government stripped seniority rights for veterans working in the CBSA. Will the minister stand now and tell veterans working in the public service that he will reverse this decision?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Chair, when it comes to our veterans, there are a number of transition programs that we put into place to make sure we support our veterans getting different employment, especially when it comes to retraining.

[Tim Uppal, Conservative, Edmonton Mill Woods, AB]

Mr. Chair, we are not getting an answer to why the government stripped seniority rights and whether it will stop doing that.

Also, will the minister confirm that he will never again use veterans' rights in the public service as a bargaining chip?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Mr. Chair, as I stated, when it comes to supporting our veterans, we have put many programs in place. Our government is committed to supporting and honouring veterans and their families. We are steadfast in committing to making sure veterans receive the proper support. Since 2016, the government has made new investments totalling over $10 billion. The transition piece and making sure that retraining is done is extremely important for the veterans.

[Tim Uppal, Conservative, Edmonton Mill Woods, AB]

Mr. Chair, this is actually a Treasury Board issue, where the Liberal government stripped seniority rights for veterans in the CBSA. Will the minister please confirm that the government will not do this again?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Chair, we not only have the highest respect for veterans, but we have demonstrated this over the last few years. Not only do we need to recognize their important contribution to our country, but we also need to make sure that after their service they receive the right treatment from the government.

[Tim Uppal, Conservative, Edmonton Mill Woods, AB]

Mr. Chair, DND has $47.8 million for funding to expand what it is calling the “defence team”. What is the defence team?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Mr. Chair, with our very ambitious defence policy program, which has been fully funded with the 333 projects we have, as well as the massive procurement projects, we need to make sure that we have the appropriate people to manage them. Having additional personnel is extremely important when it comes to procurement, so that we can spend taxpayers' money effectively.

[Tim Uppal, Conservative, Edmonton Mill Woods, AB]

Mr. Chair, I still do not think it was very clear what the defence team is, which the Liberals are spending $47.8 million on.

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Mr. Chair, when we did the analysis, we spoke to Canadians across the country to look at the Canadian Armed Forces that is needed. We also increased the number of regular force personnel, including reserves. Included with that is civilian personnel needed to make sure that the Canadian Armed Forces is supported. Procurement is a very important piece to making sure we have the right number of personnel to be able to handle the procurement projects.

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Chair, as I was saying earlier, it is a pleasure to be here with you today. I want to congratulate you, as well as the Speaker, on your nominations.

I am pleased to be here to discuss the recently tabled supplementary estimates (A) with members of the House in committee of the whole. As members probably know, the supplementary estimates set out the financial needs that were not fleshed out enough to be in the main estimates tabled in the spring. The supplementary estimates may also include spending estimates that were included in the main estimates but that were adjusted to account for some programs and services that have evolved.

I will provide a bit of context for the new members in the House. The first supplementary estimates used to be tabled in Parliament in the spring. That changed when Parliament approved a two-year pilot project to create new opportunities for parliamentarians to review the government's spending plans. One of the benefits of the pilot project was that the budget items could be included in the main estimates, which would allow parliamentarians from all parties and Canadians to see how the spending estimates were linked to the overview included in the estimates of the Minister of Finance's budget.

In fact, this year's main estimates included the entire $5.6 billion in spending measures announced in the 2019 spring budget. Currently, the departments have received the necessary authority from the Treasury Board to implement 83% of the funding announced in the budget.

With the main estimates following the budget, the tabling of the first supplementary estimates would occur later in the year and those are the supplementary estimates we are here to discuss tonight. We will review with opposition parties the results of the pilot project as we continue to work toward improving how we report to parliamentarians and Canadians and how we can be even more transparent on government spending.

Turning to the estimates themselves, as tabled in Parliament, the supplementary estimates (A), 2019-20, include a summary of the government's incremental financial requirements as well as an overview of major funding requests and horizontal initiatives. The document also outlines new authority requirements and structural changes, funding details by organizations and a proposed schedule for the appropriation bill to be introduced in this chamber in the coming days.

In accordance with the government's commitment to greater transparency, more information about the supplementary estimates will be available online, including a detailed list of payments made under the act and set out in the supplementary estimates as well as a complete breakdown of planned expenditures per spending cycle, such as staffing, professional services and transfer payments.

I am sure committee members know that transparency is about more that just making information available and that steps must be taken to ensure that information is meaningful to Canadians. Our online information tools reflect our pledge to help all Canadians understand where public money is going and how it is being spent.

In that regard, the supplementary estimates make it clear that the government is investing in addressing key priorities identified by Canadians themselves, including strengthening and enhancing prosperity for middle-class Canadians and thereby growing the economy, supporting our veterans and continuing to take meaningful action on climate change.

We expect the estimates to be the first of two supplementary estimates this fiscal year before we introduce the main estimates for 2020-21 by March 1.

Statutory spending is different because it does not require parliamentary approval. It is authorized by virtue of Parliament's approval of the act that specifies payment amounts and periods.

They are included in order to provide Parliament with details on planned federal government spending. The amount of $4.9 billion in planned expenses will therefore be allocated to 39 organizations.

A significant portion of my time will go to Veterans Affairs Canada, an investment of $67 million to ensure that our veterans have access to demand-driven programs and services that they deserve and need. A total of $101 million will be used for class action settlements related to the Toth case on disability pensions. A total of $116 million will be used to compensate RCMP members who were injured in the line of duty.

Moreover, $296 million will be allocated to Global Affairs Canada to help developing countries deal with climate change and $165 million will go to Transport Canada for the incentives for zero-emission vehicles program. In addition, $177 million will go to National Defence for the fleet of armoured combat support vehicles. A total of $176 million will go to Global Affairs Canada for the crisis pool quick release mechanism in order to strengthen Canada's capacity to respond to international humanitarian crises.

For the Treasury Board Secretariat, we are investing $467 million for recently-concluded collective bargaining agreements across the government.

I will close by emphasizing the importance of a thorough review, by all parliamentarians in the House, of how Canadian taxpayers' money is spent. If members have any questions, I will be pleased to answer with my colleagues and the excellent officials working with us here.

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague for his remarks.

The minister mentioned earlier that the supplementary estimates include funding for public service compensation. Can he provide us with an update on the ongoing collective bargaining with the unions?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague, whom I am very pleased to see back in the House. She and I both know that working respectfully and efficiently with the public service is the best way to guarantee services to Canadians. Canadians expect services from their government, and that is exactly what we are doing with the unions as we negotiate respectfully and efficiently. Negotiations are going well. There is still a lot of work to be done.

[Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal, Surrey—Newton, BC]

Mr. Chairman, the first-time home buyer program incentive is key in Surrey—Newton. Today I noticed that Employment and Social Development Canada is requesting funds for the first-time home buyer incentive program. Could the minister explain how these funds would be used?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Mr. Chairman, this is a wonderful question, a wonderful opportunity to speak about the importance of helping the middle class, and especially younger middle-class Canadians, access their first-time home.

We were so pleased in September 2019 to introduce the first-ever first-time home buyer initiative in an incentive that gives younger middle-class Canadians the ability to buy their first-time home, to invest in their families, to invest in their children and their communities and their workplace, and therefore to grow the economy in a manner that is so helpful, both socially and economically.

[Élisabeth Brière, Liberal, Sherbrooke, QC]

Mr. Chair, earlier today, the government announced a tax cut for Canadians. I want to give the minister the opportunity to elaborate on this tax cut.

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize my new colleague, who we are very pleased to have with us. Unfortunately, she was not with us in 2016. She would have seen that our first order of business in 2016 was cutting taxes for the middle class in order to grow the economy. It worked between 2016 and 2019, and will continue to work since a tax cut for the middle class and for those working hard to join it was announced by the Minister of Finance today. Twenty million Canadians will get a tax cut and 40,000 Canadians will be lifted out of poverty thanks to this one measure.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Chair, in his previous capacity the minister did seniors a great service, particularly with the guaranteed income supplement, which he substantially increased. We now see tax breaks again for Canada's middle class. He can reflect on the increases to the Canada child benefit, something he played a critical role in.

I wonder if he could provide his thoughts, when all of these are taken together, as to why that is so important for Canada.

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Mr. Chair, I will express my gratitude in seeing my colleague back in the House. He is an informed and experienced colleague who has witnessed in the past four years the key phrase of investing in middle-class Canadians in order to grow the economy. We have demonstrated it in the last four years with investment in the Canada child benefit, in seniors, in child care, in housing, in public infrastructure and public transit and in protecting the environment. We have demonstrated that when we do this in a manner that is not only historically strong but very co-operative with provinces, territories and municipalities, we achieve great results in Canada.

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

I want to again thank my colleague for his speech earlier, but also for his work over the past four years. We have seen the results: Over one million Canadians were lifted out of poverty.

Could the minister explain, once again, why it is important to keep giving all Canadians tax cuts?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Mr. Chair, yes and no because a general tax cut would not be such a good idea. Fortunately, the Liberal Party knows that we need to target our tax cuts to help those who need it most: the middle class and those working hard to join it.

Nearly a million Canadians have been lifted out of poverty. Over a million new jobs have been created. In 2019, the average middle-class family had $2,000 more in its pocket than it did in 2015. The unemployment rate is the lowest it has been in the history of Canada and we have one of the best financial and economic records in the G7. There are therefore many reasons to celebrate the significant investments we look forward to continuing to make.

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Mr. Chair, in the supplementary estimates, the minister talked about investment in veterans. Veterans have contributed a lot to our country. We have done a study on veterans and their reintegration into society, so I would ask the minister to explain how this money will help veterans move along.

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Chair, it is extremely important to support our veterans at their time of need when it comes to transition. It is a very difficult time when members of the Canadian Armed Forces transition into civilian life. We need to bring forward the right resources and investments to make sure we can provide the right type of education benefits and trades training. In that adjustment period when they take off the uniform, we need to make sure they are going to be reintegrated into civilian life as effectively as possible.

[Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal, Surrey—Newton, BC]

Mr. Chair, in his previous capacity, the minister was present for the groundbreaking for 173 affordable housing units in Surrey—Newton, 73 of which are completed and people have moved in. I would ask the minister if that strategy is going to continue and how it is going to help homelessness.