House of Commons Hansard #140 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was yea.

Topics

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

8:25 p.m.

NDP

Nycole Turmel NDP Hull—Aylmer, QC

Madam Speaker, any MP who says that unions do not help Canada progress, have not created good working conditions, have not protected workers' health and safety, have not helped improve the status of women and have not helped the Canadian economy is wrong and is saying things without really understanding the reality in this country.

I think it is unfortunate that I have to make my presentation in the shadow of a closure motion, which does not really give me enough time to explain to the members opposite what is really going on and how we can collaborate on a budget that would help Canada and Canadians.

In a democracy like ours, MPs have the right and the duty to do the work they were elected to do.

If the Conservatives really believed that the measures in their bill were justified, they would give us a chance to debate the bill and attempt to improve it. But that is not the case. By now, we all know that the Conservatives prefer to keep people in the dark. They are allergic to transparency.

Bill C-38 is a mammoth bill that is over 400 pages long and amends some 70 laws. The environment, the economy, labour rights, old age security, the Auditor General's authority, health care transfers to the provinces and more will all be affected by Bill C-38.

This government is asking us to sign a blank cheque and to vote blindly. That is unacceptable.

I have already heard the Conservatives explain that the gag orders were justified because time is of the essence when it comes to the economy. We could say that, right now, they are the ones who are hurting Canada's economic future.

The Conservatives are also basically saying that the situation is so urgent that we must abandon our right to conduct an in-depth assessment of all the effects that Bill C-38 will have.

They even used the same argument to justify the three special back-to-work bills they made us vote on in the past 12 months. They are telling us the same thing over and over again—that this is an urgent matter and that we need to hurry up. But that is not what Canadians want. They want their democratic institutions to operate as usual and they want a real debate to be held in the House.

Everyone knows the reality: for the first time in Canadian history, the middle class is losing ground. Over the past 25 years, the income of the richest 20% of our society has increased. This trend had continued since the founding of our country, but for the other 80%, which includes the middle class, living conditions and salaries have declined.

This is the first time in Canadian history that this has happened, and we simply cannot ignore this phenomenon.

What are the Conservatives doing to address this? Nothing. Or instead, I should say, they are making the situation worse by attacking workers' rights, old age security, public health care and the services that Canadians need.

This is one of the fundamental differences between the Conservatives and the NDP. The Conservatives want growth at all cost, regardless of the consequences—growth at the expense of the environment, growth at the expense of workers and families, and growth at the expense of future generations. That is what the Conservatives are proposing in Bill C-38.

We in the NDP are in favour of economic growth, yes, but this growth must be achieved in a reasonable manner. We say yes to economic development, but it must be sustainable development that will benefit future generations. We say yes to economic development that everyone can benefit from, and not just the wealthiest Canadians. We say yes to development that creates high-quality jobs rather than unstable, low-paying jobs.

That is what we want, and Bill C-38 proposes the exact opposite.

In terms of jobs, for several months now, the Parliamentary Budget Officer has been asking for details about the cuts the government plans to make, but it refuses to give him those details despite the fact that its own Accountability Act requires it to do so.

Will the Conservatives tell Canadians how many jobs will be eliminated in the public service and what effect this will have on the programs that benefit all Canadians?

The Conservatives are preparing to rise for the holidays and leave thousands of people in the dark about their future. Thousands of mothers and fathers will not know if they will keep their jobs. In my riding of Hull—Aylmer, the tension is palpable. Every day I hear from people who are wondering about the economic impact of the cuts. People are really afraid of losing their jobs. My constituents and all Canadians have a right to know what awaits them.

As I was saying earlier, Bill C-38 is a bill that is taking us in the wrong direction and that will weaken the rights of all Canadian workers. The reform of employment insurance, the repeal of the Fair Wages and Hours of Labour Act and the amendment of the Employment Equity Act are a few examples.

Bill C-38 also raises other questions. The cuts announced in the latest budget will result in the loss of over 300 jobs at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, whose mission includes ensuring the safety of our food. The Conservatives are acting as though the listeriosis crisis never happened. They are also forgetting what happened in Walkerton. It is as though those incidents never occurred.

In the words of the Canadian Medical Association Journal, more and more, Canadians are eating at their own risk. Instead of addressing the shortcomings of our food safety system, the Conservatives are making them worse. Today, Canadians are asking themselves serious questions about this government's priorities, and I can understand why.

Another good example is old age security and the guaranteed income supplement. By increasing the age of eligibility from 65 to 67, the Conservatives are trying to balance their budget at the expense of seniors. The Parliamentary Budget Officer and many other experts have said on more than one occasion that our system is sustainable. There is no reason for this government to attack a program that has been helping to keep millions of seniors out of poverty for the past 50 years.

Old age security currently makes up half the income of 1.2 million people in Canada, mostly women. The government tries to justify its decision by saying that Canadians are living longer now. That may be, but many workers are physically unable to work after 65. In fact, 25% of retirees say they left their jobs for health reasons. For them and for others, the increased eligibility age is a one-way ticket to poverty. It will also create a burden for the health care system and youth employment.

The most reprehensible thing in all this is that in the last election campaign, the Prime Minister misled the public about his intention to cut pensions. He was not transparent. Hiding the truth from Canadians has become a habit for this government. It has to stop. Canadians are entitled to the truth.

We are opposed not only to the content of this bill, but also to the undemocratic way in which the Conservatives have chosen to get it passed. This government is abusing its majority power to pass a regressive bill that will set us back years.

This could have been an acceptable budget for Canadians, a budget that promoted a stable economy and created jobs, but it turned out to be the complete opposite. Bill C-38 goes against the values of justice and progress promoted by the NDP and supported by Canadians.

Canadians deserve better. They have the right to a better bill and they have the right to know what is going on and what the future holds for them. Canadians must know what the Conservatives are imposing in Bill C-38. That is why we are opposed to it.

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

8:35 p.m.

Blackstrap Saskatchewan

Conservative

Lynne Yelich ConservativeMinister of State (Western Economic Diversification)

Madam Speaker, I would like to dispute the opening remarks of the member in which she suggested that we would not be helping middle-class Canadians. The middle class has some focus from our budget, as do the working poor, through WITB. We have had WITB for the working poor to ensure they can take more income home, and there is our $100 per month child payments.

Also I would like the member to be more forthcoming on the fundamental rights that would be included and protected in collective bargaining. When she suggests that we took away women's rights, when the change was made it was fundamental rights and collective bargaining and women not having to go to court for years to have those rights. I suggest that the member put some correct comments on the record and continue to—

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

8:35 p.m.

NDP

The Deputy Speaker NDP Denise Savoie

Order, please.

The hon. member for Hull—Aylmer.

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

8:35 p.m.

NDP

Nycole Turmel NDP Hull—Aylmer, QC

Madam Speaker, in my speech, I said that the rich are getting richer. The gap between the rich and the poor has become much wider.

One of my colleagues brought up the issue of employment equity. This government decided to do away with employment equity for government contractors.

In terms of collective agreements, my colleague should remember that, three times now, the government has passed back-to-work legislation affecting workers and pension plans.

The government claims that it is trying to be fair and that it wants to help middle-class families, but that is not what I see.

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

8:35 p.m.

Liberal

Ted Hsu Liberal Kingston and the Islands, ON

Madam Speaker, I see as a contradiction between the government's budget policy and one of the items in Bill C-38.

On the one hand, in the budget the government would try to encourage innovation in Canada through the federal government's procurement policy. So, for example, the federal government would make procurements from small and medium-sized enterprises that are innovative and provide some funding for that. It is good to use government procurement, which involves a lot of spending, to encourage innovation.

On the other hand, in Bill C-38, the federal Fair Wages Act would be repealed. This amounts to the government actually doing the opposite. Instead of preventing companies from competing with one another on the basis of lowering wages, it would encourage that by repealing the federal Fair Wages Act, and that is not a good way to encourage innovation. It would just encourage more competition—

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

8:35 p.m.

NDP

The Deputy Speaker NDP Denise Savoie

Order, please. I would like to give the hon. member for Hull—Aylmer an opportunity to respond.

The hon. member for Hull—Aylmer.

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

8:35 p.m.

NDP

Nycole Turmel NDP Hull—Aylmer, QC

Madam Speaker, my colleague gave an excellent explanation of the situation. At present, everything dealing with the budget and legislation that will be amended by this budget does not really encourage employment stability or economic stability.

A competition could easily be announced where salaries would be lower and working conditions would be worse. We must also consider pension plans, and it is no longer possible to have good pension plans.

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

8:35 p.m.

NDP

Mathieu Ravignat NDP Pontiac, QC

Mr. Speaker, many public servants reside in both my colleague's riding and my riding. We are very concerned about the public service.

My question is this: If the government really wanted to support the economy, it would understand how important these jobs and these salaries are to the region's economy. What impact will these cuts have on the economy of the Outaouais region?

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

8:40 p.m.

NDP

Nycole Turmel NDP Hull—Aylmer, QC

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for his question.

Indeed, all four members from the Outaouais region share this concern. Right now, we sense uncertainty. There are employees, workers, who want to serve the public and who want to provide the programs that the people of Canada need. What is happening right now is that these workers are finding envelopes on their desks, which creates instability. So, right away, they are not going to have the same commitment, which will create a work environment and an economic climate of uncertainty in the national capital region for some time. This is very unfortunate for the economy.

[For continuation of proceedings see Part B]

[Continuation of proceedings from part A]

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

8:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

It being 8:41 p.m., pursuant to an order made Tuesday, June 12, it is my duty to interrupt the proceedings and put forthwith every question necessary to dispose of the report stage of the bill now before the House.

Before we complete deliberations at report stage of Bill C-38, I want to explain the process to the House.

Since motions in Group No. 1 have already been proposed, I will only refer to the motion number when putting the questions on the motions in that group.

As for the motions in the remaining groups, they will be proposed to the House in the usual fashion. Once the House is ready to proceed to putting the questions on the motions in these groups, I will only refer to the motion number.

To this end, I have asked that copies of the report stage section of today's notice paper be placed on each member's desk for ease of reference.

We will now proceed to the putting of the question on Motion No. 1.

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

8:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

The question is on Motion No. 1.

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

8:40 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

No.

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

8:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

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

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

8:40 p.m.

Some hon. members

Yea.

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

8:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

All those opposed will please say nay.

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

8:40 p.m.

Some hon. members

Nay.

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

8:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

In my opinion the nays have it.

And five or more members having risen:

The recorded division on Motion No. 1 stands deferred.

The recorded division will also apply to Motions Nos. 2, 5, and 8 to 12.

The next question is on Motion No. 3.

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

8:40 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

No.

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

8:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

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

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

8:40 p.m.

Some hon. members

Yea.

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

8:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

All those opposed will please say nay.

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

8:40 p.m.

Some hon. members

Nay.

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

8:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer

In my opinion the nays have it.

And five or more members having risen:

The recorded division on Motion No. 3 stands deferred.

The recorded division will also apply to Motions Nos. 4 and 15.

The next question is on Motion No. 13.

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity ActGovernment Orders

8:40 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

No.