That's exactly my point.
Evidence of meeting #67 for Finance in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was federal.
A video is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #67 for Finance in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was federal.
A video is available from Parliament.
6:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
Okay. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Marston.
Let's not have the comments across the aisle. I'll recognize members. They have the floor as they make their comments. Let's stick to that, please.
Mr. Jean, you have the floor.
6:25 p.m.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I agree with you. I think this is about democracy. It's called a parliamentary democracy, and that's how our country was started. Parliamentary democracy means Parliament is supreme, and in this particular case Parliament is made up of the supremacy of Conservatives. I, for one, agree with all of the things that are in Bill C-38.
I think it's a great bill, and I have been out with the marching band since I got elected eight years ago, in front of this piece of legislation, wanting it for a long time. I can promise you that the 72% of my constituency that voted for me are behind me too, and that includes 1.7 million people who travel back and forth between Fort McMurray and other places in this country, including the young man who gave me a hug on the plane the last time I came, which was last weekend, from Newfoundland. He told me we were doing a great job and this was a great budget. I had never met that man before, but he gave me a hug. I thought it was a little weird too, but it was on the plane. And I hope he didn't hear that.
Just to let you know, it is about democracy, and we at this particular time are the people who are able to pass these laws. If you look back to when we were a minority government and we had the economic action plan—which included the largest rollout of infrastructure this country's ever seen, at $45 billion—guess who voted against all of those initiatives: every bridge, every road, every job that created? It was the NDP that voted against it.
So you can make promises and you can talk about things here, but when it comes to voting, that's when it comes down to the brass tacks. I do think there's a fundamental difference in philosophy and theory.
I have a couple of questions.
Mr. Noël, you mentioned we should take into consideration seniors and older people. I have a population with an average age of 29. A lot babies are born in Fort McMurray. There are a lot of babies in my riding. Not only that, but there are a lot of industrial accidents, because I have the highest proportion of males in the country, and they all work very hard, and they work in an industry in which there are accidents. Should those kinds of things be considered in the health care costs as well, not just the demographics of the populations, but things like young adults? Having babies is expensive. Should things like industrial accidents be included?
6:25 p.m.
Full Professor, Department of Political Science, Université de Montréal, As an Individual
The decision—
6:25 p.m.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
Just give a yes or no if you can, please. I have another question for you too. Then you can slip something else in there if you like.
6:25 p.m.
Full Professor, Department of Political Science, Université de Montréal, As an Individual
Well, ask the other question, and I'll say yes or no then.
6:25 p.m.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
Oh, I don't know if you're going to like the second question.
Have you ever been to northern Alberta?
6:25 p.m.
Full Professor, Department of Political Science, Université de Montréal, As an Individual
I worked for four years in Edmonton.
6:25 p.m.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
No, I mean northern Alberta. That's in the middle.
6:25 p.m.
Full Professor, Department of Political Science, Université de Montréal, As an Individual
Okay, well, that's as far north as I went.
6:25 p.m.
A voice
That's southern Alberta.
6:25 p.m.
Conservative
6:25 p.m.
Full Professor, Department of Political Science, Université de Montréal, As an Individual
I thought I would surprise you.
6:25 p.m.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
There is a direct plane from Toronto now, so it's a little bit faster.
I'm asking that because $21 billion was collected for equalization last year. So $5,700 for every man, woman, and child in Alberta was put into that equalization program, and $7.4 billion or 48% went to Quebec. My constituents keep saying the same thing to me.
Quebec has $7-a-day day care. They have universal drug insurance. They have the lowest tuition by significant amounts in the country. To get a babysitter to babysit my kids in Fort McMurray costs me $20 an hour, not $7 a day. You only get that really cheap education in Quebec if you're a Quebec resident. You don't get it if you're from another province, whereas we reciprocate in our provinces. You have the most generous parental leave in the country. I have the lowest doctor-patient ratio in the OECD and in this country.
How do you square that hole when you said earlier that Alberta's going to get an advantage in relation to the health care change? Because that didn't make sense to me. It really didn't.
Yes, I'm done with that question.
6:30 p.m.
Full Professor, Department of Political Science, Université de Montréal, As an Individual
Can I answer?
6:30 p.m.
Full Professor, Department of Political Science, Université de Montréal, As an Individual
I would be so pleased if Alberta were following Quebec and implementing social policies like we have, and I know Alberta can afford it.
6:30 p.m.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
I have to cut you off there. I'm sorry, but Alberta can't afford it. How do we afford it? We don't even have the infrastructure. We have no roads. We have a deficit. We have the deadliest highway in the country, where seven people were killed three weeks ago.
6:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
Mr. Jean, there are 30 seconds. Do you want Mr. Noël to respond?
6:30 p.m.
Full Professor, Department of Political Science, Université de Montréal, As an Individual
If you want to make Alberta a have-not province in Canada, that's hard to—
6:30 p.m.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
It's only a have-not province because it's transferring $10 billion every year.
6:30 p.m.
Full Professor, Department of Political Science, Université de Montréal, As an Individual
Quebeckers have more social programs because they pay more taxes by a large amount. Most of the difference is explained by the fact that we pay more taxes, and we decide to do it because we want to provide ourselves with social services. If Albertans don't want these social services and don't want to pay the taxes for them, that's their choice. That's what is great about having a federation, that you don't have to have a one-size-fits-all.
6:30 p.m.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
Sir, I'm done.
With respect, I really think you should visit northern Alberta and see the quality of life there.
6:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
Thank you.
We'll have to keep this as an ongoing debate.
Monsieur Mai.
6:30 p.m.
NDP
Hoang Mai NDP Brossard—La Prairie, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Ms. Silas, you represent nurses. Can you tell us how many members you represent?