House of Commons Hansard #29 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was tax.
Tony Clement ConservativePresident of the Treasury Board
Mr. Speaker, I am hoping even the hon. member and his caucus would agree that if we can deliver excellent services to Canadians, using, in some cases, external contractors, that is the smart thing to do for the taxpayer. It reduces our costs.
We have to do so in a way that, of course, ensures health and safety, but I think this is the kind of sensibility Canadians expect from their government.
Mathieu Ravignat NDP Pontiac, QC
Mr. Speaker, that is a strange sensibility. The Conservatives have an army of competent public servants who can do the job very well, yet they prefer to pay more for outside contractors.
Since coming to power, the Conservatives have spent $67 billion on contracts. That is $67 billion spent willy-nilly, while they eliminate public service jobs.
They claim to be saving taxpayers' money. They are about as credible as Rob Ford, who cancelled the light rail plan at a cost of $100 million.
How can they defend such mismanagement?
Tony Clement ConservativePresident of the Treasury Board
Mr. Speaker, as I have already said, our government treats taxpayers' money with the utmost respect. Sometimes it is necessary to call upon professional services for their expertise or to deal with unexpected fluctuations in workloads.
However, our public accounts confirm that the deficit is $6.9 billion lower than the 2013 estimates.
John Carmichael Conservative Don Valley West, ON
Mr. Speaker, our government understands that Canadian families work hard to make ends meet and make every dollar count. That is why, unlike the high-tax NDP, our government has a strong record of protecting Canadian consumers. This includes new rules requiring the disclosure of hidden fees, making sure consumers are not faced with negative-option billing, and banning the use of unsolicited credit card cheques, and there is more.
Can the Minister of State for Finance please update the House on what new measures our government is taking to better protect consumers?
Kevin Sorenson ConservativeMinister of State (Finance)
Mr. Speaker, Canadians can rest assured that our Conservative government is committed to helping protect Canadian consumers.
Today I was pleased to announce final regulations that will help consumers better understand the costs associated with prepaid credit cards. This would ensure that federal financial institutions clearly disclose fees and present the information that Canadians need before a card is issued and that they do so in a manner that is not misleading.
We are proud to be delivering on our promise by taking action to better protect Canadian families and consumers.
Libby Davies NDP Vancouver East, BC
Mr. Speaker, the Health Council of Canada has panned the Conservatives for their lack of leadership. It has pointed to their repeated failures to meet clear commitments on the health accords. Last month the College of Family Physicians released an equally damning report.
The minister has had months to review these important reports by leading experts.
Does the minister agree that improvements are urgently needed, and what will she do, today, to uphold our public health care system to meet the needs of Canadians?
Rona Ambrose ConservativeMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, I have met with a number of those groups, and of course many of those reports also say positive things. The reality is that all of those stakeholders in the health care field that I met with work very hard.
There are challenges, but from the federal level we are taking leadership to address many of these difficult challenges and working in partnership with the provinces and territories.
Of course, the funding issue has been settled with a record funding commitment that will reach $40 billion per year by the end of the decade and provide stability and predictability to the system, something that the provinces, the territories, and all health stakeholders need.
Libby Davies NDP Vancouver East, BC
Mr. Speaker, a new poll shows that Canadians are concerned that their health care system will not be there for them in their old age.
By 2036, the number of Canadian seniors will have doubled. We need a health care system that includes home care, long-term care, palliative care, and affordable drug coverage that is accessible to seniors.
Why is the minister lagging so far behind on a national strategy to address seniors' health?
Rona Ambrose ConservativeMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, I would be happy to address that.
First I would like to give kudos to my colleague, the Minister of State for seniors, who is working diligently, in very targeted ways, on the issue of seniors. The minister for economic development is also working on a great deal of measures related to housing.
However, when it comes to seniors' health, I can tell members that not only do we take it very seriously, we have met with the Canadian Medical Association, the Canadian Nurses Association, all Canadian health care stakeholders that concern themselves with seniors, and, most importantly, with the provinces and territories, to which we are transferring a record amount of funding to deal with these very difficult challenges.
Dany Morin NDP Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives have not been able to keep Canada's drug supply safe. They have recalled dozens of dangerous products. They even refused to ensure mandatory disclosure of drug shortages.
Informing Canadians of imminent drug shortages is something the Conservatives could do right now to show leadership on health care issues. Why are they not doing that?
Rona Ambrose ConservativeMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, I do not know if the member missed it, but it was actually only a few months ago, early on in my tenure, that we announced a pan-Canadian strategy with the provinces and territories to address drug shortages. It not only gives physicians advance notices of which drugs will experience shortages but also gives them alternatives, other drugs they can use, so that they can best take care of their patients.
We are tackling this challenge head-on in partnership with the provinces and territories and the drug manufacturers.
Dany Morin NDP Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC
Mr. Speaker, it is not surprising that Canadians are worried about their public health care system. The Conservatives announced their plan to unilaterally cut health care transfers, without consulting the provinces or considering expert advice. Our health care system is facing tremendous challenges and it is time to take action.
Will the new Minister of Health review the decision to cut health care transfers to the provinces in the lead-up to renewing the health care agreements in 2014?
Rona Ambrose ConservativeMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, the member is inaccurate on that. He knows that the funding is actually increasing, and the funding commitment we have made is a record transfer to the provinces and territories. We have given the provinces and territories record transfers to give them the predictability they need for funding.
However, what we actually really need to focus on with the provinces and territories is sustainability. We are working with them to develop a health innovation framework that would hopefully bring down some of our costs within the health care system, which is a huge challenge that we are facing, and make our system more sustainable so that it is there for all of us in the future.
Judy Sgro Liberal York West, ON
Mr. Speaker, many Canadians with disabilities would love to earn enough to pay taxes and therefore qualify for the disability tax credit, but sadly, this is not the reality.
The very people who are most in need of this tax credit are being left out by government inaction. The government talks as if it cares, but talk alone will not pay any of the bills.
When is the government going to make the disability tax credit fully refundable and available to all of those who need it?
Jason Kenney ConservativeMinister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism
Mr. Speaker, I am sure the member will recognize that this government's record and the work that we have done on helping Canadians with disabilities is unprecedented.
Just this morning I was pleased to host a reception with the Minister of Finance for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. I am delighted to see the progress we are making in supporting, for example, the creation of the registered education savings plan for persons with disabilities, to have created the opportunities fund, to be renewing the labour market agreement for persons with disabilities and the accessibility fund, and to be working with employers to create new opportunities for disabled Canadians to enter our workforce.
No government has done more to help disabled Canadians succeed, and we are proud of our record.
John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
Mr. Speaker, the failure of the Government of Canada to secure greenhouse gas regulations has resulted in the delay of Keystone XL. As a consequence, we have the worst of all possible worlds. We have massive delays in the building of pipelines, we have pipeline congestion, we have substantial increases in dangerous rail shipments, we have steep price discounts, and we have ever-increasing environmental degradation.
Will the Prime Minister make a decision, or will President Obama have to do it for him.?
Kelly Block ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, Keystone XL will enhance national security and create tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity in both Canada and the U.S. We agree with the analysis compiled for the U.S. State Department, which found that Keystone XL is not likely to result in incremental GHG emissions.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration will need to import 7.4 million barrels of oil per day in 2035, so the U.S. will remain a very important customer of Canadian oil.
The choice for America is clear: a reliable, environmentally responsible friend and neighbour, or an unstable source with the same or higher—
Hélène Laverdière NDP Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, the government's bill on cluster munitions is flawed and would allow the use of such weapons by Canadians during joint operations. That is completely contrary to the treaty.
There are ways to allow Canadian soldiers to conduct joint operations without using this type of weapon, which mainly kills civilians. Canadian law must strengthen the treaty to prohibit the use of cluster munitions, not weaken it, as the government is about to do, for no good reason.
Will the government accept our proposed amendment, which would fix this bill?
Deepak Obhrai ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and for International Human Rights
Mr. Speaker, our legislation fully implements Canada's commitments to the convention. It strikes a good balance between humanitarian obligations and preserves our national security and defence interests. Our bill prohibits the use of, development, possession, movement, import, and export of cluster munitions and assistance in these activities.
Our government is proud to have participated actively in the negotiations on the Convention on Cluster Munitions, and we were one of the first countries to have signed on to this convention in 2008.
Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, our soldiers can operate with other countries without allowing them to use cluster munitions. In fact, the NDP has an amendment that would fix the bill.
International legal experts, our allies, and the Red Cross agree that the government's bill would weaken the treaty to ban cluster munitions. A former Australian prime minister calls the Conservative bill “a great pity” and says that it undermines Canada's reputation.
Will the minister agree to work with us to fix the bill?
Deepak Obhrai ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and for International Human Rights
Mr. Speaker, irrespective of what somebody else says about the Australian one, this is not Australia. This is Canada.
Our government is proud to have actively participated in the negotiations on the Convention on Cluster Munitions. We were the first country to sign on to the convention in 2008. We have a proud record.
Our legislation will fully implement Canada's commitment to the convention and strike a good balance between humanitarian obligations and preservation of our national security and defence interests.
Lawrence Toet Conservative Elmwood—Transcona, MB
Mr. Speaker, supporting and protecting Canadian families is a priority for our government. That is why we have lowered the GST by 2% and have cut over 160 taxes, saving Canadian families over $3,200 every year.
Canadian families work hard for their money, and they want their government to make decisions to help them keep more of it. Similarly, when Canadians purchase gasoline, they want to know that they are getting what they paid for.
Could the Minister of Industry please tell the House what measures our government is taking to help Canadians save money when they purchase gasoline?
James Moore ConservativeMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, in the fall throne speech, we made it very clear that we were going to introduce a number of new measures to further protect Canadian consumers. We have passed the Fairness at the Pumps Act and today we are announcing regulations to make sure that it comes into force.
What it will mean for everyday consumers is that regulators and inspectors will now have the tools and powers necessary to ensure that local gas stations and their parent companies are providing truth to Canadian consumers. When they buy a litre of gasoline, what it says on the sign it should say on the pump, and what it says on the pump should be reflected in the true price that consumers are paying at the till.
Consumers need this protection. We now have the regulations necessary so that the Fairness at the Pumps Act will come to life and protect everyday consumers.
Hedy Fry Liberal Vancouver Centre, BC
Mr. Speaker, 46% of patients, mostly seniors, are forced to occupy hospital beds while waiting for long-term care, blocking ER admissions and surgeries.
In the 2004 health accord, provinces agreed to share jurisdiction and to create a pan-Canadian long-term home and community care system and unblock hospital beds. The Conservative government abandoned the plan, saying it is a provincial problem.
Our senior population will double in two decades. The accord ends in 2014. When will the Prime Minister meet with the premiers to negotiate a new accord?
