House of Commons Hansard #230 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was budget.
Murray Rankin NDP Victoria, BC
Mr. Speaker, the minister seems a bit angry and frustrated, much like one of his party's backbenchers.
While the government is increasing taxes on hospital parking, safety deposit boxes, small businesses, credit unions and groceries, it is still not imposing sanctions on people who evade taxes. Their figures on tax evasion do not cut it.
How can the Conservatives claim to be combatting tax evasion while they are making cuts to the Canada Revenue Agency's budget?
Gail Shea ConservativeMinister of National Revenue and Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Mr. Speaker, we are keeping tax rates low by closing tax loopholes and making the system fairer for Canadians. We will launch the stop international tax evasion program to improve identification of tax evasion to protect honest Canadians. Since 2006, our government has introduced more than 75 measures to improve the integrity of our tax system.
If opposition members are serious about cracking down on tax evasion, then they will support our budget.
Murray Rankin NDP Victoria, BC
Mr. Speaker, they are making up numbers on tax cheats, making up answers about tax increases and even their own backbenchers do not trust the Prime Minister.
The reality is, Conservatives are raising taxes on almost everything while cutting the people who go after tax cheats. How can they expect any credibility with their claims of cracking down on enforcement when $100 million is being cut from the CRA and 3,000 staff are being eliminated?
Gail Shea ConservativeMinister of National Revenue and Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring value for Canadian taxpayers' money, and not one audit position will be eliminated. As a matter of fact, we will add to those positions. That is why, since 2007-08, we have reduced spending on overhead activities, such as travel and office supplies, hospitality and consultants.
Budget 2013 savings apply only to our internal operations, such as administrative costs. That is why we do expect the opposition to support our budget, because it is good value for taxpayers.
Bob Rae Liberal Toronto Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, the budget is always important to Quebeckers, but this one contains two items that are going to cause them some serious problems.
The first problem is the attack on labour-sponsored funds, which have provided an important foundation for venture capital in the province of Quebec.
The second major problem is that the government is spending less on infrastructure this year than last year, and it will spend even less next year.
Those are the two major problems that this budget poses for Quebeckers.
Denis Lebel ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, I have spoken with a number of municipal representatives in Quebec in the past few hours about the new infrastructure plan, and that is not how they are interpreting things. People see this as the largest plan Canada has ever seen.
As far as investment in infrastructure is concerned, the current building Canada program will come to an end on March 31, 2014, and the new plan will be ready on April 1, 2014. We hope that every province will sign on as soon as possible.
Bob Rae Liberal Toronto Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the answer from the minister, but the fact remains that in 2013-14, that is to say the fiscal year under way, the government is actually going to be spending $1.5 billion less in the fund that last year was $1.7 billion. This year it is simply going to be $200 million.
How can the minister stand up and say this is great news for the municipalities, when, in fact, they are going to be spending $1.5 billion less?
Denis Lebel ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, my colleague knows very well that in Quebec, we cannot work directly with municipalities. We have to go through the province. Municipalities have to send their projects to the province, and the province sends the projects to the federal government. We pay when we receive the invoices, and that is that.
If the province does not send us the invoice at the right time, we will pay it later. That is just cash management.
Bob Rae Liberal Toronto Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, I will give the minister another chance to explain to people why the government will be spending $200 million under budget 2013-14, when it spent $1.7 billion last year.
The minister must recognize that having less money in this year's budget than in last year's is a problem. In our opinion, that is what is wrong with the government's plan.
Denis Lebel ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, the building Canada fund, which was launched in 2007 and will end on March 31, 2014, provided $33 billion. The money that is being invested this year came from that program.
Our new program is for April 1, 2014, and subsequent years. As I said, in Quebec, the federal government cannot work directly with municipalities. Municipalities in Quebec have to send their projects to the Government of Quebec, which sends the invoice to the federal government. We pay the province when we receive the invoice.
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
Mr. Speaker, under the Conservative government, the situation for first nations students on reserve is only getting worse. A new report released yesterday shows that some on-reserve schools are receiving almost 50% less than the provincial schools, and yet the budget did not include any money to close this increasing funding gap.
The government has an obligation to fund first nations students at an equitable rate. Why are Conservatives ignoring the funding needs of on-reserve schools and the students?
Greg Rickford ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
Mr. Speaker, we spend an average of approximately $13,500 per student on reserve, and this is comparable to provincial funding for education.
In last year's budget, we invested significant resources for first nations education, and the opposition voted against it. Tonight they have a chance to redeem themselves by voting in favour of first nations education in Canada's economic action plan, version 2013.
Jonathan Genest-Jourdain NDP Manicouagan, QC
Mr. Speaker, on the other side of the House, there is no political will to establish a respectful relationship with aboriginal peoples. The new minister's rhetoric does not compensate for the budget's silence on aboriginal affairs. The Assembly of First Nations is holding a forum on treaties right now as a follow-up to the January 11 meeting. However, we still do not know which of the Conservatives is responsible for following up.
Who is responsible for following up on the commitments made at the January 11 meeting, and what will be the final result?
Greg Rickford ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
Mr. Speaker, our government's plan focuses on jobs, growth and prosperity for everyone, including aboriginal peoples. Responsible resource development should include aboriginal peoples, especially in northern Canada.
That is why we are maintaining our shared priorities such as education and the allocation of new resources for skills training.
Unfortunately, the NDP is more interested in increasing the cost of living for Canadians living in northern areas with its carbon tax. Treating the forestry and mining industries like a disease and going abroad—
Anne Minh-Thu Quach NDP Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC
Mr. Speaker, even with a new Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, we are not seeing any meaningful results.
Muzzling scientists, refusing to combat climate change and doing away with the round table on the environment and the economy were not enough for the Conservatives. Now, they want to attack the two decades of work done by this independent research group and the findings it made.
Will the minister get rid of all the environmental policy recommendations that he does not like before putting this research on the Internet or will he respect the integrity of this research?
Peter Kent ConservativeMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, my colleague has completely mis-characterized reality. In fact, the national round table's entire e-collection has been distributed to over 20 libraries, including university libraries, across the country. As well, all national round table web holdings will be archived on the Library and Archives Canada website. As well, all official NRTEE publications have been uploaded, in both official languages, onto three online virtual libraries.
Our government is proud of our capacity to protect both the environment and the economy.
François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC
Mr. Speaker, we know that the only time the Conservatives talk about the environment is in television ads.
It should come as no surprise that Canadians no longer have any confidence in this Conservative government.
The Conservatives have a tendency to make compromising information disappear. Let us not forget about the sudden disappearance of the word “environment” from the Navigable Waters Protection Act website. They are preparing to do the same thing again.
It is time that the Conservatives stopped muzzling scientists who do not support their policies.
Will the minister commit to protecting and releasing all the documents resulting from the 25 years of research conducted by the round table on the environment and the economy?
Peter Kent ConservativeMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, I think I followed my colleague through that rambling question.
As I just said, the national round table e-collection is being distributed to over 20 libraries, including university libraries, right across the country. At the same time, all round table web holdings are quite appropriately being archived on the Library and Archives Canada website.
I am pleased to see this body of work preserved and available, as it should be, through university libraries.
Phil McColeman Conservative Brant, ON
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are concerned about crime.
The Ontario Superior Court today released a decision in the matter of R. v. Kachkar. Mr. Kachkar was found not criminally responsible by the court.
Could the Minister of Justice please provide the government's position on cases where individuals are found not criminally responsible?
Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, while we do not comment on specific cases, I can say the government is taking action with regard to accused individuals found not criminally responsible. The not criminally responsible reform act would ensure that the protection of the public is paramount, create a new designation for high-risk individuals, and ensure that victims have a greater voice in Canada's justice system. This is in addition to the 30 measures we have already passed to keep our streets and communities safe.
Canadians can rest assured that this government will continue to stand up for the victims of crime.
Robert Aubin NDP Trois-Rivières, QC
Mr. Speaker, there are three unmistakeable landmarks no matter where you go in Quebec: a church, a “caisse pop” and a post office.
We are not going to talk about churches because they are not a political issue.
However, in the 2013 budget, the Conservatives are directly attacking caisses populaires—credit unions—and, since 2012, the post offices have been paying for the Conservatives' relentlessness. Sixteen post offices in Quebec have closed in less than a year, and the epidemic is still raging.
What will be left of our regions once the Conservatives have finished their dirty work?
Denis Lebel ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, as my colleague knows quite well, the Canada Post Corporation is an organization that operates according to the rules set by its board of directors.
It is important to remind these people that the Canada Post Corporation is having to deal with a 20% drop in its market in recent years. In 2011, it had an operating deficit of $253 million.
They would resolve this by devising a $21 billion carbon tax. As for us, we will let that organization make courageous decisions to secure the future of the postal service across Canada.
Paulina Ayala NDP Honoré-Mercier, QC
Mr. Speaker, people in my riding are writing to me to ask why the Conservative government is shutting down their post office. Since the beginning of last year, 30 post offices across Canada have been shut down, including 16 in Quebec and no fewer than 10 in Montreal.
We know that the Prime Minister prefers FedEx, but why does he want to prevent people from using Canada Post's countrywide service?
Denis Lebel ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, I think that it is important to tell the hon. member exactly what the situation is with the postal service and Canada Post, a crown corporation that operates independently and makes difficult business decisions.
I said earlier that Canada Post had an operating deficit of $253 billion in 2011. If my colleague would like, I can send her the figures by Purolator.
