Debates of April 22nd, 2013

Employment

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development]

Mr. Speaker, we revised how we deliver the Canada summer jobs program in response to the demands of students. Students who go online and students who use social media asked that we make their process go online as well, because that would be more convenient for them.

We are not just helping them access those jobs; we are providing over 36,000 jobs. As well, we have invested an additional significant amount of money in the career focus program that helps young people get over the hurdles to getting a job.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, middle-class families are struggling to afford education for their children, yet as part of the government's reckless cutting spree, it de-funded the Rotary Career Symposium in Winnipeg. Canada's largest and most comprehensive career symposium has, for many years, linked students with the Manitoba Teachers' Society and many other organizations to help thousands realize their career goals.

Why are the Conservatives killing job opportunities for Canada's students and punishing middle-class families?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development]

Mr. Speaker, in fact, we are doing just the opposite. We have expanded the career focus program. We are enhancing skills link program. We are continuing with the Canada summer jobs program. Beyond that, it was our government that introduced the Canada student grant program, which helps students fund their way through university without incurring more debt.

Sadly, the opposition has voted against all those initiatives to help our young people get the skills and experience they need for jobs.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, middle-class Canadian families are worried. Students cannot find summer work. Canada's youth employment numbers are actually five points worse than they were five years ago, and young Canadians are being forced into unpaid internships. Meanwhile, the Conservatives have actually cut the number of jobs in the summer jobs program and have closed student employment offices.

However, the Conservatives were able to find more money for big increases in partisan government advertising in the latest budget. How can the Conservatives choose advertising over student jobs, and why are they so out of touch with the priorities and needs of middle-class Canadian families?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development]

Mr. Speaker, let us take a look at just some of the things that our government has done to help young people get jobs and summer jobs and the experience they need for full-time jobs, as well as the education for those jobs. All of these are things against which the Liberals voted.

There is the apprenticeship incentive grant. There is the apprenticeship completion grant. There is the apprenticeship tax credit for employers that take on apprentices. There is the Canada student grant program to help reduce debt and increase accessibility for students.

Mr. Speaker, I could go on, but you are about to cut me off.

Taxation

[Glenn Thibeault, NDP, Sudbury, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in budget 2013 Conservatives raised taxes on everything from fishing rods to bicycles. To try to hide their broken promise, they even announced a tax break on hockey equipment, but they failed to their homework and did not include hockey helmets.

On Friday, after pressure from the NDP, Conservatives agreed to drop their tax hike on helmets. That is great news.

Now would the minister admit it is also a mistake to make life more expensive for already squeezed families by making hundreds of everyday items more expensive?

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Minister of State (Finance)]

Mr. Speaker, that is completely false. Our intention is to provide tariff relief for hockey helmets, and we will be doing that. That is over and above the $76 million of broad-based tariff relief that is in budget 2013.

Economic action plan 2013 includes $76 million of broad-based tariff relief, and my understanding is that the NDP is going to vote against that.

[Annick Papillon, NDP, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if they were able to admit their mistake regarding customs tariffs on hockey helmets, further to the great work accomplished by the hon. member for Sudbury, why are they not able to admit their mistake regarding all other consumer products?

The tariff hikes in their budget will increase the prices of many consumer products, including shampoo, deodorant, perfume and laundry detergent.

Will they apply the same exemptions to those products as they did to hockey helmets and cancel the tax hikes?

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Minister of State (Finance)]

Mr. Speaker, all of those products that hon. member talks about actually have had their costs reduced. That is because we reduced the GST from 7% to 6% to 5%, with no help from the NDP. The NDP voted against that.

The NDP continues to try to raise taxes on Canadians. We have no idea how much its $21 billion carbon tax would raise the cost of everything that Canadian consumers buy.

We encourage those hon. members to support economic action plan 2013, which would provide more tariff relief to Canadians.

[Pierre Dionne Labelle, NDP, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives may try to seem holier-than-thou, but people are not fools. They know that an increase in customs tariffs is an increase in taxes, period.

For instance, recreational fishers will have to spend more money this summer. Fishing lines, reels and rods will be more expensive. The Conservatives's tax hike will also affect outdoor enthusiasts and campers. They will raise taxes on camp stoves, coolers, and hatchets. Really, what do they have against camping?

Why do the Conservatives want to tax outdoor enthusiasts?

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Minister of State (Finance)]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, taxes are lower because of the implementation of the reduced GST. Every product that Canadians buy has been reduced. The NDP does not seem to understand that.

Our tax rate on Canadians is the lowest it has been in 50 years, but the NDP wishes to give special breaks to companies manufacturing in China and Brazil.

We will stand up for Canadian companies.

[John Rafferty, NDP, Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of State for Finance likes outdoor taxes. He is a fly fisherman. He knows that if there are fewer people on the rivers, he might actually catch a fish or two. He also knows that exploring Canada's outdoor beauty from a tent is a national tradition to be proud of, yet once again, in budget 2013, these Conservatives are secretly raising taxes on air mattresses, backpacks and even matches. What is next? Will it be a tax on outhouses, another crappy Conservative tax?

Why are Conservatives making it harder for Canadians to enjoy the outdoors?

[Ted Menzies, Conservative, Minister of State (Finance)]

Mr. Speaker, in fact the average family of four in Canada will have $3,200 more of their own hard-earned money in their pockets if they want to go fly-fishing in Ontario. I would encourage them to do that.

However, Canadians expect this Conservative government to deliver on our promise, and that is a continued reduction of taxes. It is not what the NDP wants to do, which is raise taxes.

Justice

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government is committed to keeping our streets and communities safe. We are also committed to helping the victims of crime and providing them with the support and services they need.

This week our government launched the eighth annual National Victims of Crime Awareness Week. Can the highly respected Minister of Justice please inform this House about the government's further action to support the victims of crime?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, what a great question.

This government has worked hard to introduce reforms that give victims a more effective voice in the criminal justice system. As part of those efforts, this week we announced our support of 177 projects across the country for victims' organizations. We will continue to take action to support victims of crime by moving forward with a victims' bill of rights.

Those of us on this side of the House believe that the rights of victims must come first. I hope the opposition will finally support our efforts to stand up for victims in this country.

Employment Insurance

[Anne-Marie Day, NDP, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, documents released by Le Devoir show just how much contempt the Conservatives have for workers in seasonal industries. According to a Service Canada document, these individuals systematically present a high risk of employment insurance fraud and should be priority targets for investigators. Their only crime is being fishers, tour guides and servers in restaurants. In the eyes of the Conservatives, however, those are all just synonyms for “fraudster”.

Will the Conservatives revise this contempt-filled policy that targets this category of workers?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development]

Mr. Speaker, Service Canada is responsible for protecting the integrity of the employment insurance system so that Canadians who pay their employment insurance premiums can receive benefits when they need them.

The department was able to stop half a billion dollars in ineligible payments last year.

[Chris Charlton, NDP, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Mr. Speaker, once again the minister is denying facts. Government documents show that the Conservative home inspection program intentionally profiled seasonal workers. In fact, they make the outrageous claim that workers in these industries have “elevated risk of fraud”. Only Conservatives would target unemployed seasonal workers as fraudsters because fishing season ended.

Why are they treating honest, law-abiding Canadians like criminals? When will the minister end the witch hunt and stop attacking seasonal industries and workers?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development]

Mr. Speaker, the purpose of EI is to support those who have lost their job through no fault of their own.

Service Canada also has a responsibility to find and stop inappropriate claims so that Canadians who have paid into the system will know that the benefits are there when they need them.

Last year, nearly half a billion dollars in ineligible payments were detected and stopped by Service Canada.

Public Safety

[Randall Garrison, NDP, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, today Canada's firefighters are on Parliament Hill once again for the 20th consecutive year, asking for the same thing. They are asking for a compensation fund to help out the families of fallen firefighters.

This House has already voted twice in favour of this fund, the first time more than seven years ago in 2005, but the government has failed to act. This is not acceptable.

Will the government stop ignoring the pleas of our firefighters, who risk their lives every day for our safety? Will the government act now to implement this compensation fund for their families?

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government has consistently stood up for front-line public safety officers, especially firefighters. That is why our government introduced the volunteer firefighters tax credit.

The fact is that, in this current climate of fiscal restraint, establishing a fund that the member alluded to would cost in excess of $60 million. It is just not reasonable.

We are giving firefighters the support they need and we will continue to do so.

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is reasonable, actually, that this Parliament stand with the nation's firefighters and with their families.

Firefighters and their families deserve better. The NDP proposed a compensation fund for families of firefighters who die on the job, and it was passed by Parliament. Parliament also passed the idea of giving them priority access to vaccines and was in favour of the proposed amendments to the National Building Code.

The minister has yet to do anything. Why such disrespect for Canada's firefighters, who risk their lives for us every single day?

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, one thing firefighters can know when they are on the Hill is that NDP members will say one thing, but when it comes time to vote, they do the exact opposite.

We only need to look at the firefighter volunteer tax credit. We listened to firefighters. We introduced it and we passed it. NDP members voted against it, so we will take no lessons from them on supporting front-line officers, including firefighters.

The Environment

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on this 43rd Earth Day, Canada's gutted environment is feeling the wrath of Conservative cuts.

Environmental regulations have been eviscerated, scientists fired, the Experimental Lakes Area vandalized, $162 million cut from the clean energy fund, and community pastures and Canada's tree farms shut down. We still have no regulations for emissions for the oil and gas sector.

Will the Minister of the Environment stop his war on the environment?

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, that is pretty rich, given that the Liberals, for 13 long years, paid mere lip service to the environment. Greenhouse gas emissions went up by more than 30%, and they mothballed high Arctic research.

This is the first Canadian government to actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and we have separated the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from economic growth over the past six years.

Our sector-by-sector approach is working, despite the deniers on the other side.