House of Commons photoWon her last election, in 2011, with 54% of the vote.
The Canadian Museum of History Act May 28th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The member of Parliament is a little off the topic. We are talking about museums and the importance of the new mandate for the museum. I would think he would have lots to offer having a cultural background, as he talks so often about his talent and abilities to sing or play guitar. I would think we would hear more about talent.
I would ask you, Mr. Speaker, to rule him out of order.
The Canadian Museum of History Act May 28th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the member for articulating so well how important culture and heritage is for our Conservative government. Also, this is a very important time in history, bringing us together as regions. This is an excellent way with the museums that will connect Canada.
We will have partnerships with the Canadian museum of history and museums across Canada that will have the same mandate at local levels. We all have these precious museums in our ridings across the country, and the local museums will have the opportunity to become official partners of this new national museum.
When the minister speaks about this new museum and how we will share collections, that too is such an important part of the mandate because of things we do not realize we have.
I travel quite a bit now across the west, as a member of Parliament, and I have yet to see some of the sharing of the collections, but I understand one of the collections is in Winnipeg, the Hudson Bay collection. It would be so great, and probably most of us do not know it exists.
I want to emphasize how important it is, sharing of collections, and how important that will be for connecting Canada.
Not Criminally Responsible Reform Act May 27th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I would like to have the member again emphasize how important it is for the victims to be part of decision-making and how important this legislation is for public safety to be at the forefront of decision-making.
Not Criminally Responsible Reform Act May 27th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the answer to my last question, but that was my point. It was not the resources; they did get help. She went to Edmonton and joined self-help groups, but what she wanted was to see first-degree murder apply to these young people. She wants to make sure they never get out. They are going to get out in 15 years. They will have a parole review.
She does not want to have them out and released. All the self-help groups in the world are not helping her get through this. What would help her get through it is to know that those two murderers will never get out again.
What do I tell her?
Not Criminally Responsible Reform Act May 27th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I wanted to get up this evening on behalf of a mom who lives in a small town not very far from where I live. Her family was victimized. Her son was murdered brutally. Two young fellows murdered her son, Rob Vicente. He was shot twice in the head. Then he was taken, rolled out of a vehicle and shot in the head again. Then he was buried in the yard of the home of one of the murderers' grandmother.
The mom does not sleep. The family is having a very difficult time with the murderers getting off on second-degree murder. Living in a small community, they are very worried that these young people will come back.
How do we tell that mom that her story is not as important, that all the things that happened to her are not quite what we want to hear? These young people showed no remorse and the mom has to live with losing her son. What do we tell the mom that would assure her that these young men will never ever get out of jail?
Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 1 May 6th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, would the member like to expand on Canada's incentives for charitable donations and what that means for charities across Canada?
Canada is seen around the world as a leader when it comes to charitable donations. Could the member also expand on that?
Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 1 May 6th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in the House to speak to Bill C-60, the budget implementation act, 2013.
I am proud of our government's fiscal record and how well we have come through the worst recession in a generation. Canada continues to be number one among all G7 countries in economic performance and job growth and, under the leadership of our Prime Minister, will continue to focus on what is important to Canadians: creating jobs and economic growth, while keeping taxes low, balancing budgets and balancing the budget by 2015.
The economic action plan for 2013 was well received in my riding of Blackstrap. Saskatoon is one of the fastest growing cities in Canada, and this legislation would provide much needed infrastructure support to the city and surrounding rural areas.
Bill C-60, the budget implementation act, proposes to legislate key elements of economic action plan 2013, including indexing the gas tax fund to offer stable, predictable funding for municipal infrastructure. Canada's gas tax fund provides long-term funding for Canadian municipalities that can help build and revitalize their public infrastructure and their assets. Communities choose projects locally and prioritize them according to their needs. The gas tax fund is making a difference in communities, in my riding of Blackstrap and throughout the province of Saskatchewan.
Today, more than 3,600 municipalities have benefited from the financial support of economic growth and provide a high quality of life for families in every city and community across the country. Our government's record on infrastructure investments in economic action plan 2013 exceeds the amount of investment required to cover the cost of federal infrastructure for the next decade.
In fact, our Conservative government has introduced the largest long-term federal commitment to Canadian infrastructure in our nation's history, $70 billion over the next 10 years. In the next two years, we are investing close to $10 billion in infrastructure. That is more than the previous Liberal governments spent during their entire 13 long years in power.
Since 2006, we have invested more than $40 billion, supporting more than 43,000 infrastructure projects from coast to coast to coast. As a result of our investments, we have brought down the average age of Canada's core public infrastructure from a peak of 17 years in 2001 to an estimated 14.4 years in 2011. We can see what a significant contribution that is to our public infrastructure. It is now lower than the historical average age over the last 50 years.
Bill C-60 would also see the introduction of a new first-time donor's super credit for the first-time claimants of the charitable donations tax credit, to encourage all young Canadians to donate to charity. Canadians recognize that the charitable sector plays a vital role in our society and provides valuable services to Canadians, including the most vulnerable.
Canadians also provide generous support to the sector in recognition of its important work. Recent data from Statistics Canada shows that more than 5.7 million Canadians donated almost $8.5 billion to registered charities in 2011. Canada's incentives for charitable donations have been described as the most generous in the world. Registered charities are exempt from tax on their income and may issue official donation receipts for gifts received, which donors may use to reduce their taxes by claiming the charitable donation tax credit.
In 2012, federal tax assistance for charitable donations exceeded $2.9 billion. The standing committee on finance reported that there is a need to foster and to promote a culture of giving and that tax incentives can play a role, both in increasing the number of new donors and encouraging existing donors to give more.
Our government has responded to the committee's report by proposing the new temporary first-time donor's super credit, designed to encourage new donors to give to charity.
The first-time donor super credit supplements the charitable donations tax credit by providing an additional 25% tax credit for a first-time donor on up to $1,000 in monetary donations. An individual would be considered a first-time donor if neither the individual nor the individual's spouse or common-law partner have claimed the CDTC or the FTDSC in any taxation year after 2007. The FTDSC may be claimed only once and may be claimed in any of the 2013 to 2017 taxation years.
I see, Mr. Speaker, that you would like me to sit down.
The Budget March 22nd, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I was very disappointed to hear that the critic for finance from the official opposition is encouraging her colleagues to vote against things that she has actually asked for, particularly training.
These were areas that were very important to western Canada, training and matching skills to the workers. I would suggest that the member look at that area in particular because she did emphasize skills and training and how important good jobs were for Canadians.
That particular area means that the jobs will be filled by skilled workers. There is going to be an interest, whether or not they are the private sector. The federal government is helping put together the private sector and students.
I am wondering why she would criticize that, or the community infrastructure improvement fund, or the building Canada fund, something municipalities have asked for. Has the member noticed that the mayors across Canada have received this budget very well? I am not sure if the member understands that this is what the mayors and the FCM have asked for across Canada.
Northern Jobs and Growth Act March 4th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I would mention to the member that it was our government that increased the living allowance for the north. I believe that when we increased it in one of our first budgets, it was the first time the increase had been given to northern persons for decades and decades.
The other point I would mention is mining and how important it is. This weekend we were in Toronto. There were mining companies there from around the world and across Canada. They were very excited about the potential for mining in Canada. Not just the mining companies were excited, but aboriginal leaders were there as well among the groups learning how they can work together to develop the industry responsibly.
I would encourage the member to visit or to have dialogue with some of the industry and the leaders who were visiting this past weekend, because they do have some concerns about a bill that the Liberals will be putting forward on mining.
That is just a comment and not a question. Thank you.
Safer Witnesses Act February 11th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I listened with great interest to the questions asked and the continued insistence and focus of the NDP members on the RCMP resources, and what questions they are going to be asking at committee. The parliamentary secretary assured the House that money was not the focus of the bill, that the focus was on regulations.
Does the member and his party intend to hold up the bill at committee, in spite of assurances that this is a regulatory change and not about money? Are they are losing focus on supporting the bill?