Debates of Oct. 30th, 2012

National Philanthropy Day Act

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I listened to the hon. member's presentation quite attentively. For a nation of 34 million people, we are a nation of givers. Our nation was built on the backs of volunteers. It might be interesting to note that there are over 13 million volunteers in this country.

I am standing in support of the member's bill. I applaud him for taking the time to put this together and bring it to the House. It highlights the importance of saying a big thank you to the many volunteers who make Canada, and its communities, the country it is.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, this is, of course, the time for questions and comments, and that was a very appropriate comment. I am grateful for the House's support for this legislation and for all the comments we have heard.

[Paul Calandra, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I too want to thank the hon. member for bringing this bill forward. I also thank the gentleman from the other place who sponsored it.

We have seen this bill come forward in the House before. As was mentioned, it came before the Canadian heritage committee and it was one of those moments at committee where members really took in what was being said and agreed on everything.

It goes without saying that volunteers have helped build our country. It is on the backs of people who have volunteered their service to the country that we have built the nation we have.

The member for Richmond Hill stated quite succinctly how important volunteers were to our country.

On the weekend, I had an opportunity to be at what is called the “Celebration of Hope”. It is the 24th anniversary of this spectacular event in my riding, where volunteers bring together hundreds of people to raise funds for cancer research.

At that time, I also had the distinct pleasure to present the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal to two people who had helped make this 24-year fundraising campaign such a success, Allan and Betty Bell, two pillars of the community, who despite the fact they suffered the loss of Ms. Bell's daughter and Allen Bell's sister, they took that and built it into something that raised hundreds of thousands of dollars over 24 years for our community. It was not just the fact that these two individuals had spent so much time building and putting their time and efforts into making the Celebration of Hope such a success. It was the thousands of people who came together on a Sunday afternoon to hear the stories of people who had been touched by cancer and to hear of the successes that 24 years of fundraising by not only the people in this organization but from across Canada had led to by providing better results for people who suffered from cancer.

I also had the distinct honour this weekend of presenting 17 Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medals to individuals from across Ontario, but predominantly from my riding, who had done the same. They have gone just a bit further, worked just a bit harder and have given a lot of their time and energy to causes to help build our community and our province, and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee is an opportunity for us to thank them.

I will not take up too much of the House's time with respect to the bill. It is quite clear that members on all sides of the House are supportive of taking a day and recognizing all the individuals who have helped to build our country and to thank them for their service to their communities and the province. I know we on this side of the House, as well as members on both sides of the House, look forward to moving this bill forward and having that one day a year to build on, as the Prime Minister announced, November 15, the day that we would celebrate our volunteers. He also brought forward the volunteer service awards in recognition of those individuals who had worked so hard. We will build on that. This is a great opportunity for us to do that.

I thank the members of the heritage committee who helped bring this forward very fast and the hon. member for his stewardship of it through the House.

[Jean-François Larose, NDP, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the last time I was here, I talked about philanthropic organizations. I spoke from the heart about my bill, C-399, for 15 minutes. I was very clear and I never looked at my notes. This subject is very important to me. Yesterday I mentioned that it was "Madeleine Nadeau's bill"; Madeleine Nadeau was my grandmother.

Today I am going to take another tack and ask everyone to be patient. I am going to go at this point by point because it is important to paint a picture of the situation.

National Philanthropy Day is important, but, for me, it is the first stage. In the strategic planning of a responsible government, it is important not just to thank people, but also to adopt a vision and put specific measures in place.

The purpose of National Philanthropy Day is to increase public awareness of charitable activities and to thank people who make donations throughout the year, not just those who give money, but also those who offer some of their time on a volunteer basis.

A Statistics Canada study based on 2010 data confirms that the number of Canadians who donate to charities has stagnated since 2007, which is troubling. The volume of donations has also not increased, despite the greater need for services. As for volunteer hours, the same study shows that, despite an increase in the number of people who do volunteer work, the number of hours has not changed.

Failing an adequate number of donors and volunteers, charities will be unable to provide essential services to the communities we live in. It is therefore essential to put tools and mechanisms in place to help these organizations continue to offer their services. In a way, these organizations are our last resort.

Since macroeconomic statistics do not provide a clear idea of the pressures many Canadians are under, let us consider some more telling figures. In 2011, approximately 3.5 million Canadians, nearly one in 10, were living in poverty; that is enormous. According to Food Banks Canada's 2011 report, no less than 850,000 people—that is almost one million—used food banks in March 2011. That is a 25% increase over the figures observed before the 2008-09 recession.

The European economy could go back into recession and that of the United States is still very fragile. Emerging markets are also slowing down. Consequently, people who are vulnerable are increasingly so.

The Canadian economy does not operate in isolation. We are subject to everything that goes on around the world. The pressures on food banks and other charities, which are straining to make ends meet, will rise further. Despite the increase in demand, the supply of assistance to charities could unfortunately be limited. Most charities depend to a large degree on government financial assistance. Those organizations will have to fight for the essential funding to maintain their activities.

In short, today I believe we have to ask ourselves two basic questions about National Philanthropy Day. First, why is it important to recognize National Philanthropy Day? Second, what more can the government do to assist this essential sector?

The answer to the first question is quite clear. This kind of day obviously costs the government very little and can generate big returns. On the one hand, National Philanthropy Day is an occasion to encourage Canadians to do volunteer work, to make donations and simply to say thank you. On the other hand, it is also an opportunity to pay tribute to major donors, to philanthropists and to local volunteers for the services they provide to the community.

The second question is much more specific and more complicated. First, we must determine what the organizations need. Imagine Canada and other organizations have asked that question many times and have made demands to the government. For example, in August 2011, they proposed an increased tax credit for charitable donations. This proposal is currently under review, but it is not clear whether the government will agree to it.

The sector also asked us to ease the limits on political activities that the Conservative government set in 1986. It is still is trying to do that here, and it has almost succeeded. No matter what the government may think, political activities are important to this sector. They are often the only way to be heard amidst the flood of claims and lobbying from the private sector.

I have an example. A mining company opens in a region where people are very poor and rely on the existing services. For contractual reasons and all kinds of other reasons, this company does not fulfill its commitments. It pollutes, destroys and does not give back what it should to the community. The community ends up just as poor as it ever was. The only collective recourse it has is to get together, create an organization that will inform officials about the issue and that will promote the community's interests.

However, this government has decided that this organization must absolutely not be involved in any kind of politics. But it knows the local issues. That is how the community can represent itself.

Let us look at the private sector. In 2011, about $26 billion was spent on lobbying. Let us assume that the volunteer sector spent 10% of its total expenses of $10.6 billion, which represents about $1 billion. What did it spend this billion dollars on? To inform the government about existing problems. And what was done with the $26 billion? It was spent on advertising, providing misinformation and on spinning the situation.

People who have problems also have the solutions, and they are the ones who do something about it. They are also the ones invited to be in government, to stand for election, and they have lived the reality.

In closing, let us consider the mammoth budget implementation bill that was introduced in the spring and which would crack down on expenses related to political activities. I just cannot imagine that, nor can charities. We have to start thinking more strategically in order to ensure that the sector is strong.

That is why I introduced Bill C-399. It conveys the message that a national philanthropy day is a good thing and that it is important. Our position will not change. We are grateful and thankful, every day, that people who are victims can receive services, and that the poor are lifted out of poverty through the great generosity of volunteers. Introducing the bill is a way of saying that we want to take this one step further. The government has to take responsibility and do more.

Today, our position is that a national philanthropy day is important. However, the matter is not closed. There are the demands of the organizations and volunteers, but, above all, there are the demands of the people who are not satisfied with current services, whether they are private or public services, because of budget cuts. People are tightening their belts, people are starving, people no longer have the resources to move forward. We want a strong country that can move forward in the future. It is our responsibility to provide the tools.

Yes, philanthropy day is important, but we need a global vision.

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, NL]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of speaking in the House, I am once again honoured to rise today to speak about this particular private member's bill, because it fundamentally deals with how we love and support our communities.

Some time ago at the heritage committee, I had the honour of witnessing Senator Mercer's bill and hearing him talk about how he so passionately believed in this. He has been such a strong advocate for the necessity of what we are now doing that he impressed everyone at committee.

We talked about many aspects of establishing this philanthropy day, including charities and how they work throughout this country. Here I will for a moment be somewhat provincially biased in saying that Newfoundland and Labrador, according to the statistics, is by far one of the most giving provinces in this country. That is for the record, of course.

I also want to talk about the fact that Canadians in general are very giving, because we are passionate and have a belief, to our central core, about who we are as a community and how we love our communities and children. As a result, there are millions, if not billions, of dollars devoted to philanthropy in this country. We have to look at the essential character of this country and recognize the people who have given so much of their time and finances that they have made this country as great as it is.

As I have said before, when it comes to volunteering time, there are 200 communities in my riding alone and the amount of money saved by volunteers providing essential services to our communities is absolutely phenomenal. The measure of humanity involved is absolutely phenomenal. To declare a national philanthropy day as a token is well worth receiving by anyone who volunteers in this country on behalf of any Canadian.

I would like to congratulate everyone who has spoken on this bill. I would also like to congratulate Senator Terry Mercer of Nova Scotia and my hon. colleague from Halifax West who brought this forward. To the people who spoke on this, I say congratulations. This is an immeasurable token that we can give to people who give of their time and finances. What a beautiful day it will be to recognize people who give so much to their communities, provinces and country.

On that note, I would like to seek consent for the following motion, that at the conclusion of today's debate on Bill S-201, An Act respecting a National Philanthropy Day, all questions necessary to dispose of Bill S-201 be deemed put and that the bill be read a third time and now pass.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Does the hon. member for Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor have the unanimous consent of the House to propose this motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

No.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

There is no consent.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I admit that I heard a no, but I did not hear a no from inside the House. I heard a no from a stranger outside the House. If you ask the people in the House now—

[An hon. member]

This is not a charade.

[Royal Galipeau, Conservative, Ottawa—Orléans, ON]

Frankly, what we are about to witness is an extension of the charade. We heard a no, I admit it, but we heard a no from a stranger outside the House.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

I appreciate the intervention by the hon. member for Ottawa—Orléans on this matter. In fact, for voice votes members will know that members do not necessarily have to be in their appointed seats, as long as they are in the chamber. Members will also know that if the Chair senses that there is not consent for a motion, there is no consent, which is what I declared, and then we proceed.

The hon. member for Winnipeg North is rising on the same point of order?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, on the same point of order, I do think we have to be delicate in how we deal with this matter.

When my colleague asked to have the motion passed, and when you canvassed the House to see if in fact there was anyone opposed to it, I, too, was listening and did not hear anyone within the chamber. I did hear someone yell no from the other side of the door, and that was after the question was put.

I would ask that we find out if there were anyone inside the chamber, because to my understanding, no one was inside the chamber when you posed the question.

It would be a terrible precedent for us to allow people outside of the legislative chamber to deny the opportunity to see this particular motion pass in the manner that has been suggested. Therefore, I would ask that if there were someone inside the chamber who said no, we get that reaffirmed.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

I thank the hon. member.

I will get to the member for Terrebonne—Blainville momentarily.

To the member for Winnipeg North, indeed, as he acknowledged, there are in fact two questions. The first question is to get the consent of the House that the motion be proposed. The second question is whether it is the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion, at which point at least one member who was in the House, and I appreciate that the member may not have been able to see that from his vantage point, did say no at the time. That member was in the House at the time. That is why I declared the fact there was no consent.

The hon. member for Terrebonne—Blainville is rising on the same point of order.

[Charmaine Borg, NDP, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would first like to say that I am not a stranger. I am an elected member of this House.

I was indeed inside the chamber and I said “no” loudly and clearly. The Speaker can confirm this. He saw me. I was physically present in the House. This could resolve the matter.

However, I repeat, I am not a stranger.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Is the hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage rising on the same point?

[Paul Calandra, Conservative, Oak Ridges—Markham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, just quickly on a point of order, I would simply say that this is about a national philanthropy day. The Canadian public wants to know why it is so important that the government move very fast to get its agenda through the House. If the NDP cannot even approve quickly a national philanthropy day--

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Order, please.

That is really not a point of order. It is a matter of debate as to the facts.

We are resuming debate.

The hon. member for Brampton—Springdale.

[Parm Gill, Conservative, Brampton—Springdale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise in the House today and speak in support of Bill S-201, which would designate November 15 of every year as National Philanthropy Day. This official designation would enact into law the government's 2009 declaration that November 15 be known as National Philanthropy Day in Canada.

While underscoring the government's commitment to supporting philanthropy and volunteerism, I would point out that volunteerism is woven into the very fabric of Canadian society. Indeed, one of the remarkable characteristics of Canadians is their willingness to give their time, money and skills for the wellbeing of others and their communities. The generosity of Canadians as individuals and as a nation is a recognized part of the identity defining us all.

The Government of Canada has shown its commitment to promoting volunteerism through the creation of the Prime Minister's volunteer awards. These awards honour Canadians who are making extraordinary contribution to their communities, their regions and, of course, our country. Announced in January 2011, these awards were established to inspire Canadians to find ways to make a difference in their communities and to recognize the contribution of volunteers and reinforce their importance.

I will expand a bit on these awards, as they illustrate the many forms that Canadian volunteer contribution can take. In total, 17 awards are presented: 2 national awards and 15 regional awards. One of the national awards recognizes life-long achievement and is awarded to volunteers who have demonstrated significant dedication and have volunteered for 20 years or more. The other national award is for emerging leaders who have volunteered for less than three years and who are building stronger communities through exceptional voluntary leadership. The regional awards recognize community leaders, businesses and business leaders, and social innovators. The awards recognize individuals or groups who have provided an exceptional contribution to their community, who demonstrate social responsibility and who use innovative ideas and approaches to improve their ability to respond to social challenges. Awards are an occasion for this government to pay tribute to the generosity of individuals, companies and organizations, all of whom contribute to our country and inspire Canadians to take an active role and make a difference in their own communities.

As all members of this House know, Canadians are also generous in giving beyond our borders. When a need arises or a disaster strikes in a foreign country, the Government of Canada, Canadian organizations and individual Canadians all respond. They respond with an outpouring of monetary donations, food, clothing and direct assistance on the ground in affected areas. This past October, our government acted to provide assistance to those affected by flooding in Nigeria. After heavy rains in August and September, Nigeria experienced its worst flooding in more than 40 years. Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced by the flooding and schools in affected areas have been closed. The Government of Canada partnered with the Red Cross to alleviate the suffering and help those who were impacted by providing housing and working to meet the immediate needs of those most affected.

Moreover, the Government of Canada announced in August 2012 that it would provide matching funds, dollar for dollar, for donations made to registered Canadian charities responding to the crisis in the Sahel region of West Africa. To date, the government has made a contribution of $10 million to the Sahel crisis matching fund, which will support humanitarian agencies as they provide food, emergency health care, clean water and sanitation to those in need.

When Haiti experienced a devastating earthquake in 2010, Canadians also took action. The Government of Canada created a matching fund campaign to encourage the generosity of Canadians. Canadians donated $220 million to eligible Canadian charitable organizations in support of Haiti. That amount was matched dollar for dollar by the government. Canadian organizations constructed transitional shelters, provided clean drinking water and vaccinated children to protect them from diseases.

The support to Haiti continues to this day. The Government of Canada is helping to revitalize the national agricultural sector in Haiti to increase income and food security, while also investing in the future of the nation by providing hot meals to children at schools around the country. Our government is also helping to strengthen health services at the community level by increasing the number of medical care facilities and the number health professionals in Haiti.

All across Canada and in many countries around the world, Canadians are hard at work and donating financially to provide comfort, relief and hope to others. Devoted Canadian volunteers are working long hours in difficult and often very dangerous conditions to improve the lives of those in need.

Every person who gives, either through grand or small gestures, is having an impact and touching lives. These people are an inspiration to us all and by recognizing November 15 as National Philanthropy Day, we are promoting recognition of the value of philanthropy and honouring those who are generously donating, volunteering and, to quote His Excellency the Governor General, building our strong and caring nation.

Once again, I want to thank all hon. members for allowing me the opportunity to speak on this important piece of legislation.

[Marc-André Morin, NDP, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in my opinion, when 850,000 people rely on food banks for their groceries, it is time for this government to thank those who provide the food, rather than brag about its achievements.

I am honoured to rise here today to support Bill S-201, An Act respecting a National Philanthropy Day.

Six other, similar bills have been introduced in this House. Unfortunately, they all died on the order paper.

Like all of my NDP colleagues, I support this measure and I hope that all members of this House will do the same.

It is high time that Canadian philanthropists and volunteers were recognized thanks to National Philanthropy Day on November 15. I also hope that this recognition will serve to make the public more aware of the importance of philanthropy.

Despite the wonderful prosperity we are heading towards, some of our most vulnerable citizens are being left behind.

Volunteers and philanthropists give their time and energy to take care of those less fortunate. They do so with tremendous dedication. If governments took on those responsibilities, it would cost the state billions of dollars—$71.9 billion, to be exact, according to Statistics Canada, or 7.8% of the GDP. That is more than the automotive or manufacturing industry. Granting these people one day of recognition is the least we could do.

The riding of Laurentides—Labelle is a model of solidarity and community spirit. It has a multitude of community resources for various aspects of the lives of its residents: organizations for youth and for the elderly, for the food, accommodation, education and environment sectors, and for international solidarity.

In the Antoine-Labelle RCM alone, there are more than 250 non-profit organizations run by volunteer boards of directors.

If the children of unemployed workers who are not receiving benefits have something to eat, it is no thanks to the sensitivity of the minister, for whom the penny dropped at the last minute just in time to patch up her botched reform. It is rather thanks to the volunteers of an organization in Antoine-Labelle called La Manne du jour, which collects donations from businesses and residents. In 2011, the organization helped to feed 1,229 people, including 465 children. This was the result of 11,110 hours of volunteer effort.

With the current investigations into corruption and collusion, there are too many stories making the rounds about elected representatives, business people and entrepreneurs undermining the well-being of society to line their own pockets and boost their status.

Fortunately, there are still people in this world who are willing to set their own personal comforts aside to devote their energy to ensuring that everyone can live in dignity.

These people are working to create a better world, which makes up for the others who are motivated by competition and personal ambition.

Canada has 160,000 non-profit and charitable organizations, more than half of which are run entirely by volunteers.

I unreservedly support Bill S-201. However, I would add that simply establishing National Philanthropy Day is not enough. Giving recognition on paper to these volunteers is only a first step towards proper recognition for what they do all the time, and the resources and tireless efforts they deploy to help society and to build a better world. This initial step needs to be followed by concrete action.

We need to face reality and look at the other side of the coin. Establishing Philanthropy Day is hypocritical given the cuts now being made by the Conservative government.

It is indeed distressing to see that at the very moment we are speaking of establishing National Philanthropy Day, philanthropic organizations are having their funding curtailed.

The government talks about austerity when it makes cuts to assistance programs for the poor. It talks about cuts as though they were a magic solution to economic problems. Many charities and non-profit organizations face financial uncertainty and wonder how they can meet the growing demands of Canadians living in precarious circumstances.

In the context of these draconian cuts, we also see partisan selection at work. Some organizations remain excluded; some are greatly disadvantaged by the selection and grants process, while others experience outright interference, which forces them to abandon their work. The volunteer sector is more than neglected by the Conservative government.

We have to wonder about the future of philanthropy and determine what direction we want to take. We must not send a contradictory message, by proposing to establish a National Philanthropy Day on the one hand and making serious cuts to grants to philanthropic organizations on the other. That simply makes no sense. I sincerely believe in the benefits of philanthropy and in establishing a National Philanthropy Day to recognize the work of all those men and women. I also believe it is necessary to offer more resources, to them and to the organizations with which they work.

I would therefore call upon the government to pass this bill. However, I would ask it to take action by introducing specific measures. As we have not yet entirely solved the social problems of Canadians, and as they are not all young and healthy, it is time for the government to take a serious interest in all these philanthropists and volunteers who are striving to correct the government's mistakes and negligent acts. Philanthropists and volunteers deserve real assistance to help them continue their work. Otherwise our entire society will lose out.

[David Wilks, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. A few minutes ago the member for Terrebonne—Blainville had an outburst in the chamber. I would like to know if you could review the blues to determine if the words that she was using as she left the chamber were unparliamentary.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

I thank the hon. member for his intervention. I did not hear anything unparliamentary. I certainly take the point under advisement.

The hon. member for Terrebonne—Blainville has the floor on the same point of order.