House of Commons Hansard #12 of the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was c-7.
Raymond Gravel Bloc Repentigny, QC
Mr. Speaker, the money seniors receive under the guaranteed income supplement does not even reach the low income threshold. An increase of a hundred dollars or so a month could make up this shortfall.
How can the Minister of Finance explain to seniors that he was unable to find a hundred dollars a month to increase the guaranteed income supplement, when his government is swimming in surpluses?
Monte Solberg ConservativeMinister of Human Resources and Social Development
Mr. Speaker, I would argue that we have done more in 21 months in government than the previous government did in 13 years.
The fact is we put in place a number of different supports so that seniors are allowed to keep more of the income that they earn. We have put in place a minister for seniors. We have announced a seniors national council.
We are helping seniors directly by ensuring that they get the benefits that they are entitled to by reaching out to them through initiatives like Bill C-36, and a number of different initiatives that make sure that they are aware of their CPP and OAS entitlements.
Ken Boshcoff Liberal Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON
Mr. Speaker, nine days ago the opposition raised the point that one million rural Canadians have been disenfranchised by recent changes to the Canada Elections Act.
The government is consulting but corrective legislation has not yet come forward as promised on this most urgent issue.
Will the government guarantee that those one million rural voters, including 5,000 voters in my riding, will be put back on the voter's list by law, not just by some stop gap measure, before any election or by-election is called?
Peter Van Loan ConservativeLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform
Mr. Speaker, the member is familiar with what we are doing. We are going to try to get that done and with the cooperation of the other parties, it could happen.
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
Mr. Speaker, the opposition keeps trying to limit the ability of provinces to address their particular priorities for child care and it wants to take away the ability of parents to choose the kind of care they want for their children. In fact, the opposition's proposed approach has received the support of exactly zero provinces.
Can the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development please tell the House what he has done to support child care and why the previous government ignored it for more than a decade?
Monte Solberg ConservativeMinister of Human Resources and Social Development
Mr. Speaker, the fact is the opposition is proposing a federal program in an area of provincial jurisdiction that not a single province supports.
However, the government is working cooperatively with the provinces and in Ontario alone this year 7,000 child care spaces will be created. We are proud of that and we are giving parents choice through the universal child care benefit.
The Liberals would take that away. The Leader of the Liberal Party said he would take that away. That speaks volumes about his lack of faith in the ability of parents to raise their own children.
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to investing in Canada's aboriginal communities, the government is heading in the wrong direction.
Now that the Liberals have rolled over and joined the Prime Minister in coalition, Canada will be heading in the wrong direction even faster.
Mouldy housing, unsafe drinking water, youth suicide and disease plague these communities.
Why does the mini-budget have billions of dollars for the banks and oil companies, but not one penny to lift aboriginal communities out of poverty or improve their third world living conditions?
Chuck Strahl ConservativeMinister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians
Mr. Speaker, we continue to work with first nations communities. Since we have come to office, we have increased the budget by over a billion dollars to help first nations.
There is a big deficit of course that we inherited from the Liberal Party, but we are working closely with first nations. We are moving ahead on treaty settlements. We are working with them hand in glove on housing initiatives and on clean water initiatives.
There is a lot of work to be done, but we are working closely with the first nations communities and it is going very well.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
I wish to draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of Mr. Mike Harris, the former Premier of Ontario, and Mr. Ralph Klein, the former Premier of Alberta.
Dave Van Kesteren Conservative Chatham-Kent—Essex, ON
Mr. Speaker, I wish to apologize. I was so taken up by my wife's presence with the guests that I brought in a camera and I took a shot. I should not have done that and my whip has duly informed me of that. It will not happen again. I apologize.
Borys Wrzesnewskyj Liberal Etobicoke Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The Holodomor was referenced during question period. The record will show that back in June, a private member's bill to commemorate this famine genocide was defeated by the Conservative members. They voted against this bill, including the House leader and whip of the Conservative Party.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
It does sound a lot like a matter for debate. The Chair does not get into whether facts are facts.
Jason Kenney ConservativeSecretary of State (Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity)
Mr. Speaker, I would like to confirm your judgment that obviously that is a point of debate, but also a complete falsehood.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
I know the Secretary of State is trying to be helpful, but I am not sure he was successful with that particular intervention.
Jay Hill ConservativeSecretary of State and Chief Government Whip
Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among parties in the House and I believe you would find unanimous consent to immediately put the question on Ways and Means Motion No. 3, and if a recorded division is requested the bells should not ring for more than 15 minutes.
The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken
Does the hon. chief government whip have the unanimous consent of the House?
Jim Flaherty ConservativeMinister of Finance
moved that a ways and means motion to amend the Income Tax Act and to amend the Excise Tax Act, the Excise Act 2001 and the Air Travellers Security Charge Act relating to the rate reduction for the GST and the federal component of the HST, laid upon the table on Tuesday, October 30, be concurred in.