House of Commons Hansard #114 of the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was families.

Topics

Opposition Motion—National Anti-poverty StrategyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

5 p.m.

Beauport—Limoilou Québec

Conservative

Sylvie Boucher ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Minister for la Francophonie and Official Languages

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have this opportunity to respond to the motion presented by the hon. member for Sault Ste. Marie, that a national anti-poverty strategy be implemented.

I can assure each of the members of this House that the welfare of all Canadians is a fundamental concern of Canada's new government. We are taking measures on numerous fronts to make real improvements in the lives of our most vulnerable citizens.

It is an honour for me to mention a few of the programs and a few of the measures that we have recently implemented to help the entire population of Canada to participate fully in our economy and our society. It is through these programs that Canada's new government extends a hand to the most vulnerable Canadians, to enable them to achieve their objectives of economic security, health, self-respect and autonomy.

On February 16, for example, the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, together with Claude Richmond, the British Columbia minister, announced a $223 million investment to help Canadians with disabilities acquire skills that will enable them to find meaningful, long-term employment.

These investments extend the labour market agreements for persons with disabilities in the provinces until March 31, 2008. The Government of Canada is working with the provinces, through these agreements, to help people with disabilities overcome barriers and become active participants in the labour market and to provide them with the recognition they deserve.

I would also like to mention another project, funded under the new adult learning, literacy and essential skills program of Human Resources and Social Development Canada, which is designed specifically to help people with visual disabilities to improve their reading ability. Under this project, our government is paying about $192,000 to improve the development of literacy programs and access to literacy programs for people who use Braille, by providing for the smooth transition from current Braille codes to the new codes. This project will contribute to reducing the barriers faced by people in our society who are blind or visually impaired.

Canada's new government is determined to improve literacy levels and ensure that federal funds are used to support projects and activities that offer concrete assistance for people who want to improve their ability to read and write. Provinces, territories, municipalities, employers, non-governmental organizations and families all have important roles to play in supporting literacy efforts.

With a budget of $81 million over two years—2006-2007 and 2007-2008—HRSDC's adult learning, literacy and essential skills program will support adult learning and literacy activities that will have a tangible and lasting impact on learners.

We are inviting literacy groups and community organizations to submit proposals for innovative, results-based strategies that can make a difference in people's lives.

Together, we can achieve great things and lay the groundwork for future partnerships and investments that will enable us to meet the challenges we face in our communities in relation to literacy.

As the House knows, some of the most vulnerable Canadians are aboriginal people. Our government has recently invested nearly $8 million in the James Bay employment and training program, part of the aboriginal skills and employment partnership program, to help aboriginal people acquire the skills they need to work in the mining industry. We have also invested more than $4.5 million to help to raise the number of aboriginal Canadians in the trades in Alberta so that they can secure long-term employment.

Our government also recently launched an important new strategy to address homelessness. The new homelessness partnering strategy, in which we will invest $270 million over two years, aims to develop strong partnerships with the provinces and territories, all departments and federal organizations that play a role in addressing homelessness, as well as with municipalities and community groups.

These partnerships will allow us to really help vulnerable Canadians get off the street and find housing.

The second part of our new strategy with respect to housing involves a $256 million investment for a two year extension of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's renovation programs for low income households.

I would also like to remind the House that the 2006 budget included a $1.4 billion investment to help citizens find safe, adequate and affordable housing through the creation of trust funds for the provinces and territories.

Furthermore, thanks to this affordable housing initiative, we are creating affordable housing in cooperation with our provincial and territorial partners.

As a final point, I would like to highlight some of the ways in which our government is helping the most vulnerable of our youth and seniors.

All families, including low-income families, receive $100 a month, totalling $1,200 a year, for every child under six thanks to the universal child care benefit program. In total, we are paying Canadian families $2.5 billion annually through this new program.

Furthermore, through the Canada child tax benefit, which includes the national child benefit supplement, we contribute $9.2 billion in additional funds to low- and middle-income families with children every year. For example, a low-income family with two children can receive up to $6,175 per year to help raise those children.

I would add that Canada's new government has proposed creating a working income tax benefit, which will fulfill its commitment to work with the provinces and territories to tear down the welfare wall and make working attractive to low- and middle-income Canadians.

Thanks to the Canada pension plan, old age security and the guaranteed income supplement, the poverty rate among older people has plummeted from 21% in 1980 to less than 6% in 2004, the lowest rate ever recorded.

We reached out to older people by creating the new secretary of state for seniors. We are also working on setting up a national seniors council to study the challenges and opportunities presented by Canada's aging population.

Clearly, our government is working for vulnerable segments of the Canadian population. We are working to ensure their economic security and their well-being, and to enable them to reach their personal goals as full participants in our economy and society. This commitment is an integral part of our ongoing work to build a strong, humane country.

This is why our government will not support the motion introduced by the hon. member for Sault Ste. Marie.

Opposition Motion—National Anti-poverty StrategyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

5:10 p.m.

NDP

Tony Martin NDP Sault Ste. Marie, ON

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the member's comments and her participation in the debate today, and listening to all the good things the Conservatives have done since they came to power.

However, they are just not showing up on the street. I am out talking to people across the country and they are not telling me that life is any better. As a matter of fact, through information from an international study that was done on Canada, Armine Yalnizyan wrote an article recently indicating that poverty was rising among children and new immigrants; that the middle-class was finding it increasingly difficult to afford education and housing; and that 250,000 Canadians were living on the streets. Four hundred non-government organizations from 50 countries said this about our country. This is not a very good message to be sending, never mind the reality that exists on the streets.

How does the hon. member square that? How does she square the litany of accomplishments and achievements with what people are saying, as I travel the country, about the conditions in which they must live and the poverty that exists?

Opposition Motion—National Anti-poverty StrategyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

5:10 p.m.

NDP

The Deputy Speaker NDP Bill Blaikie

It being 5:15 p.m., it is my duty to interrupt the proceedings and put forthwith every question necessary to dispose of the business of supply.

The question is on the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

Opposition Motion—National Anti-poverty StrategyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

5:10 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

No.

Opposition Motion—National Anti-poverty StrategyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

5:10 p.m.

NDP

The Deputy Speaker NDP Bill Blaikie

All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.

Opposition Motion—National Anti-poverty StrategyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

5:10 p.m.

Some hon. members

Yea.

Opposition Motion—National Anti-poverty StrategyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

5:10 p.m.

NDP

The Deputy Speaker NDP Bill Blaikie

All those opposed will please say nay.

Opposition Motion—National Anti-poverty StrategyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

5:10 p.m.

Some hon. members

Nay.

Opposition Motion—National Anti-poverty StrategyBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

5:10 p.m.

NDP

The Deputy Speaker NDP Bill Blaikie

In my opinion the nays have it.

And more than five members having risen:

Call in the members.

(The House divided on the motion, which was negatived on the following division:)

Vote #114

Business of SupplyGovernment Orders

5:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

I declare the motion lost.

Opposition Motion--Government PoliciesBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

5:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

Pursuant to order made on Thursday, February 15, the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion of the member for Etobicoke—Lakeshore relating to the business of supply.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #115

Business of SupplyGovernment Orders

6 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

I declare the motion carried.

The House resumed from February 16 consideration of the motion that Bill C-31, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Public Service Employment Act, be read the third time and passed, and of the motion that this question be now put.

Canada Elections ActGovernment Orders

6 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred division on the previous question at the third reading stage of Bill C-31.

Canada Elections ActGovernment Orders

6 p.m.

Conservative

Jay Hill Conservative Prince George—Peace River, BC

Mr. Speaker, should you seek it you would find unanimous consent to apply the results of the vote just taken to the motion currently before the House with Conservative members present this evening voting yes.

Canada Elections ActGovernment Orders

6 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

Is there unanimous consent to proceed in this fashion?

Canada Elections ActGovernment Orders

6 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Canada Elections ActGovernment Orders

6 p.m.

Liberal

Karen Redman Liberal Kitchener Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, Liberals will be voting yes on this bill.

Canada Elections ActGovernment Orders

6 p.m.

Bloc

Michel Guimond Bloc Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois is in favour of this motion.

Canada Elections ActGovernment Orders

6 p.m.

NDP

Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB

The NDP is voting against this motion.

Canada Elections ActGovernment Orders

6 p.m.

Independent

André Arthur Independent Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC

Mr. Speaker, I am voting in favour of this motion.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #116

Canada Elections ActGovernment Orders

6 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

I declare the motion carried.

The next question is on the main motion.