Evidence of meeting #34 for Finance in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was housing.
A recording is available from Parliament.
11:05 a.m.
Board Member, Ontario Museum Association
We know that the cuts, regardless of size, will have an impact on museums. We just don't know at this point how the government plans to deploy these cuts. We can certainly send you examples of how these cuts can impact museums across Canada.
11:05 a.m.
Liberal
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
I'd certainly be interested in hearing the outcome when you know it.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
11:05 a.m.
Bloc
Thierry St-Cyr Bloc Jeanne-Le Ber, QC
Thank you Mr. Chairman.
During our last week of consultations, we travelled to Western Canada to meet with people from various regions. I have to say that I was very pleased—and I still am—to be a member of the Standing Committee on Finance. We had an opportunity to exchange ideas and listen to some constructive comments, all in a congenial setting.
Unfortunately, I'm a little disappointed because since our return last Monday, the situation appears to have deteriorated. I hope that stops. I'll leave it up to each one of you to reflect upon the reasons why the situation has gone downhill since Monday.
Mr. Chairman, I would suggest that you personally talk to some of the committee members to stop the situation from deterioriating even further.
On that note, I have a question for Ms. Cutler.
At the end of your submission and recommendations, you propose that the 50 per cent rate of taxation on U.S. social security benefits collected by Canadian residents be reinstated.
I have to admit that this is the first I've heard speak of this. Since you are recommending reinstatement, what is the story behind this and what is prompting you to make this suggestion?
11:05 a.m.
Director, Government and Media Relations, Canada's Association for the Fifty-Plus
I'm going to turn it over to my colleague, Bill Gleberzon.
11:05 a.m.
William Gleberzon Associate Executive Director, Canadian Association of Retired Persons
We raise this issue because we are constantly implored on this issue by Canadians who worked in the States. The 50% was the amount of taxable rate until about 1996; then it was changed to 85%, which is what it is currently. For a lot of people, this is their only form of income. Because they didn't work in Canada, they don't have Canadian pensions, and they're finding it simply too difficult to maintain themselves.
11:05 a.m.
Bloc
Thierry St-Cyr Bloc Jeanne-Le Ber, QC
I want to have a clear understanding of the issue. This is revenue from the US government. Are these benefits taxed in the United States, or only in Canada?
11:05 a.m.
Associate Executive Director, Canadian Association of Retired Persons
This is American social security that these people have paid into, so it's from the American government, but it's really from these people. American social security really is much like CPP, and they are taxed only in Canada, but the taxable rate is 85%, as opposed to the 50% that it had been for a number of years.
11:05 a.m.
Bloc
Thierry St-Cyr Bloc Jeanne-Le Ber, QC
However, will the average citizen receiving benefits from the Canadian government be taxed at 100 per cent?
11:05 a.m.
Associate Executive Director, Canadian Association of Retired Persons
No. They're taxed on 85%. It used to be that they were taxed on 50%. Now they're taxed on 85%; 15% is not taxed.
11:05 a.m.
Bloc
Thierry St-Cyr Bloc Jeanne-Le Ber, QC
Getting back to Ms. Cutler, I see that you mentioned surpluses accumulated by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. As a matter of fact, the Bloc Québécois has introduced a bill which would see surpluses over a certain limit spent. A $1 billion reserve would be kept along with a certain amount every year to safeguard the loan guarantee program. However, any revenue over and above this limit should, we feel, be returned to the provincial governments in order to be invested in affordable housing.
Would you encourage MPs to pass this bill?
11:10 a.m.
Director, Government and Media Relations, Canada's Association for the Fifty-Plus
Absolutely. We have been pushing for this for a long time.
Let me add that we would like a definition of “affordable”, because affordable being slightly less than the market price is not truly affordable for many people. If we're going to do it properly, we have to do what your bill recommends, but we have to take it to a realistic level.
11:10 a.m.
Bloc
Thierry St-Cyr Bloc Jeanne-Le Ber, QC
How do you feel about the fact that GIS benefits were not paid retroactively to seniors who in the past neglected to apply for them, either because they were uninformed or because the system was too complex?
No doubt you're aware of this problem, which was resolved in part as a result of some lobbying on the part of the Bloc Québécois. The fact remains that some seniors cannot claim amounts not received over a period of many years because the current legislation only provides for an 11-month period of retroactivity.
Do you support our efforts to obtain full retroactivity for these seniors?
11:10 a.m.
Director, Government and Media Relations, Canada's Association for the Fifty-Plus
Yes.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Brian Pallister
Thank you, Monsieur St-Cyr.
We continue now with Mr. Dykstra, for five minutes.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I do want to ask a couple of questions. I know I only have five minutes, so I'm going to jump right into it.
Mr. Séguin, I have a couple of points. During your presentation you articulated that you were looking for new, predictable, and sustainable funding. That's contrary to the way the MAP program is run; it's allocated on a grants basis.
I take from your comments that you're actually opposed to the direction that MAP was taking with respect to funds being allocated based on applications being submitted and either being turned down or approved. Obviously, if you submit an application there is nothing predictable about whether you are actually going to get the grant.
Sir, can you confirm for me that you're not happy with the MAP program, to begin with?
11:10 a.m.
Board Member, Ontario Museum Association
Any federal investment in museums is welcome. The MAP program has been a key component of sustaining all of Canada's museums since 1972. We are not seeking the disappearance of the MAP program. We would like to see the funding that has been cut reinstated. At the federal level, at least as an interim measure, and until a national museums policy is brought together, we're open to alternatives to the MAP program.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
The difficulty I have, looking at how the funding was allocated over the last number of years, is that in the 2004-05 budget, there was $9.2 million allocated. There now remains $9.5 million in the actual allocation. It's still $300,000 more than it was in 2004-05. In the last fiscal year, only $7.6 million was actually allocated to programs and applications that were submitted. There was over $4 million remaining in the fund that was either used by administration or not used at all.
11:10 a.m.
Board Member, Ontario Museum Association
I'm very surprised to hear that, because the word from Canadian Heritage is that the program is consistently oversubscribed.
11:10 a.m.
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
I'm just telling you what the facts are. That's the way things stand right now.
I have a couple of museums in my riding, and they're not funded through the $245 million; it would be directly through the MAP program, if they were to apply. So I certainly have a deep appreciation for it.
Perhaps you could explain this to me. We have been in power for a little over eight months, and we've committed to a new policy on museums in terms of how we're going to move forward. You have that commitment from the Minister of Heritage and from our platform. I'd like to know who told you that we weren't going to move forward with the new program and that we weren't going to move forward in partnership with you on that.
11:10 a.m.
Board Member, Ontario Museum Association
As I indicated earlier, information from the government is coming out, but we're not getting a lot of information. Yes, there has been an announcement of some $245 million, but we do not have details concerning what that will look like.
11:15 a.m.
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
Are you still prepared to work with the government on implementing the policy we've committed to?
11:15 a.m.
Board Member, Ontario Museum Association
Very much so.
The Canadian Museums Association worked with its 2,500 members and with all parties to come up with alternative proposals. We certainly welcome investments from the federal level.
11:15 a.m.
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
Mr. Upshall, I'll have to be quick here. I'm sure I don't have much time left.
What would be the first steps of the process in terms of the national strategy?
11:15 a.m.
National Executive Director, Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health
The first step is to establish a mental health commission: put $17 million into it; put another $25 million towards research; put a proper board in place that would manage it in a way that stakeholders want to see it managed. The mandate of that commission will be, among other things, to start work on a national strategy on mental illness.
We'll be the last national government, as you know--