House of Commons Hansard #246 of the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was budget.

Topics

TaxationOral Questions

11:25 a.m.

Liberal

David McGuinty Liberal Ottawa South, ON

Mr. Speaker, in 2006, the government increased taxes on Canada's poorest people, but it did so on the sly. The Conservatives are surreptitiously digging into middle-class Canadians' pocketbooks in order to pay down the deficit. They have increased the tax on EI, which is generating billions of dollars. They have increased taxes on many everyday items.

Why are the Conservatives so bent on increasing taxes while reducing the front-line services that are so important to the middle class?

TaxationOral Questions

11:25 a.m.

Saint Boniface Manitoba

Conservative

Shelly Glover ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, it is this government that has given Canadians many tax breaks, including the GST cut, for instance. Why are the Liberals fighting for special breaks for Chinese companies that compete directly against our Canadian companies?

I would add that it was the Liberals who wanted to increase EI premiums; they are also the ones who want a carbon tax. It is this government that will cut taxes and the Liberals who want to raise them.

TourismOral Questions

11:25 a.m.

NDP

Guy Caron NDP Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Percé wharf is one of the main tourist attractions in the Gaspé. It is the starting point for a number of boat tours, and the lobster fishery is very important.

As a result of the Conservatives' neglect, the Percé wharf has been closed since yesterday. Tourists will soon flock to the Gaspé to visit world-renowned Percé Rock and other attractions. Closing the wharf is a huge blow to the regional economy.

Could the minister confirm that he will release the funds necessary to reopen the wharf before the start of tourist season?

TourismOral Questions

11:25 a.m.

Fredericton New Brunswick

Conservative

Keith Ashfield ConservativeMinister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway

Mr. Speaker, of course the safety and security of users is the department's first priority when it comes to small craft harbours and wharves. The engineers have determined that the wharf at Percé is unsafe.

We have met with the municipality and will continue to discuss the next steps with the municipality and interested third parties.

TourismOral Questions

11:25 a.m.

NDP

Guy Caron NDP Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC

Mr. Speaker, I would remind the minister that the municipality of Percé has filed a formal demand with the government. The wharf must reopen by Monday. This situation has become urgent. For years, the local authorities have been urging the government to restore the wharf. Now, as a result of the government's neglect, the wharf is closed.

Does the minister understand how urgent the situation is? Does he understand that this closure is catastrophic for the tourism industry and the fishing industry in the region? Does he understand that his neglect is running an entire region into the ground?

TourismOral Questions

11:25 a.m.

Fredericton New Brunswick

Conservative

Keith Ashfield ConservativeMinister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway

Mr. Speaker, of course, we recognize the value of tourism in that region of the country as well as of the fishery.

The wharf is primarily used for tourism and recreational purposes. Approximately five fish harvesters are working from that wharf: three regular and two occasional fishers. Our primary focus, of course, with small craft harbours is the fishing community and the fishing industry. We will continue to deal with the municipality on this issue.

Search and RescueOral Questions

11:25 a.m.

NDP

Jonathan Tremblay NDP Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC

Mr. Speaker, they have already gone after the tourism industry by gutting the employment insurance program, and now they want to kill the industry in the Gaspé by closing the Percé wharf.

As if we needed any more proof that the Conservatives have completely abandoned our regions, we learned this morning that they are thinking about moving the Quebec City marine rescue sub-centre to Montreal. First it was Trenton, then Halifax, and now Montreal.

They have just realized that a bilingual centre is needed, but will they stop flying by the seat of their pants? Why do they not just keep Canada's only bilingual centre in Quebec City?

Search and RescueOral Questions

11:25 a.m.

Fredericton New Brunswick

Conservative

Keith Ashfield ConservativeMinister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway

Mr. Speaker, of course, our primary concern is the safety of mariners, and providing bilingual service to those mariners is critical. There is no intention of moving the facility from Quebec City to Montreal.

Aboriginal AffairsOral Questions

11:25 a.m.

NDP

Jonathan Genest-Jourdain NDP Manicouagan, QC

Mr. Speaker, the minister is clearly not aware of what is happening in his own department. When he was asked yesterday about an internal analysis indicating that the government's position was to deny the destruction of residential school survivors' files, the minister was speechless at first but then blamed a new employee.

Rather than blaming one of his employees, can the minister explain the government's position on the destruction of residential school survivors' files?

Aboriginal AffairsOral Questions

11:30 a.m.

Kenora Ontario

Conservative

Greg Rickford ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development

Mr. Speaker, as a lawyer, I personally signed the residential school agreement, and I am pleased to know that we are going to continue to honour and respect the terms of that agreement.

Our government is determined to reach a fair and lasting settlement with residential school survivors. For that reason, in 2008, our Prime Minister made a historic apology on behalf of all Canadians. What is more, the government has sent over 3.5 million documents to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.

Aboriginal AffairsOral Questions

11:30 a.m.

NDP

Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC

Mr. Speaker, survivors of residential schools deserve to know what happened to their records. Over 50,000 survivors have not received compensation, because no historical documents can be found. Yet internal emails have come to light describing why previous governments intentionally destroyed these records. Now we learn that this is not just in emails from a junior staffer; these documents are discussed in emails from high-ranking department officials.

Can the minister tell us now what his government's position actually is on the destruction of these records?

Aboriginal AffairsOral Questions

11:30 a.m.

Kenora Ontario

Conservative

Greg Rickford ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development

Mr. Speaker, it is very unfortunate that the NDP has decided to play politics with the legacy of the Indian residential schools and the effect it has had on former students, their families and their communities.

It is under our government that the Prime Minister delivered an historic apology on behalf of all Canadians. It is our government that has ensured that thousands of former students have received compensation and have gone through a fair process to close this sad chapter of Canadian history.

Government SpendingOral Questions

11:30 a.m.

NDP

Mathieu Ravignat NDP Pontiac, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are simply misquoting the Auditor General. They still cannot say how $3.1 billion was spent, or if it was even spent at all. No information has been provided to cabinet or Parliament or Canadians. The Auditor General was clear, no matter what the Conservatives are implying.

I have a simple question for the President of the Treasury Board: was all this money used to fight terrorism?

Government SpendingOral Questions

11:30 a.m.

North Vancouver B.C.

Conservative

Andrew Saxton ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board and for Western Economic Diversification

Mr. Speaker, spending on national security went to national security. Everything has been accounted for in public documents, including the public accounts. As my colleague mentioned earlier, the Auditor General himself said:

We didn't find anything that gave us cause for concern that money was used in any way that it should not have been.

Government SpendingOral Questions

11:30 a.m.

NDP

Murray Rankin NDP Victoria, BC

Mr. Speaker, that was a very selective quote indeed. What the Auditor General actually said was:

It's important...for people to understand how this money was spent and that summary reporting was not done.

The Auditor General looked thoroughly for the money. He said that full reporting on this spending was not even given to cabinet. It was not given to the Treasury Board, and it was not found in the public accounts. Does the government really want Canadians to believe that the Auditor General somehow missed something, like $3 billion? Where did the money go?

Government SpendingOral Questions

11:30 a.m.

North Vancouver B.C.

Conservative

Andrew Saxton ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board and for Western Economic Diversification

Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General confirmed that reporting was a purely internal-to-government reporting process, and its shortcomings did not prevent parliamentarians, or Canadians, from scrutinizing spending.

The Auditor General also confirmed that this money went through the due diligence at the department level and was conveyed to Parliament for review and approval.

Government SpendingOral Questions

11:30 a.m.

NDP

Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB

Mr. Speaker, something to me feels like déjà vu all over again, because in 2002, it was the Conservatives who were going ballistic over the Liberal billion-dollar boondoggle, and it was the Liberals who were soft-selling the Auditor General's report.

Now remember this language: “The question raised by the Auditor General was [only] on the way we should report”.

It is the same old story from the same old parties. I put it to members that the only difference between the Liberals' mismanagement and the Conservatives' mismanagement is that they managed to lose three times the amount of money. The Conservatives, in those days, accused the Liberals of having a billion-dollar slush fund. In the absence of any information to the contrary, how do we know they have not created a $3-billion slush fund?

Government SpendingOral Questions

11:30 a.m.

North Vancouver B.C.

Conservative

Andrew Saxton ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board and for Western Economic Diversification

Mr. Speaker, this matter relates to the categorization of expenses by Treasury Board between 2001 and 2009. All of the funds in question are accounted for in public documents presented to Parliament, including the public accounts. There is no indication that any dollars are missing, misappropriated or misspent. Treasury Board Secretariat has accepted all of the Auditor General's recommendations.

Government SpendingOral Questions

11:35 a.m.

NDP

Pat Martin NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are deluded if they think that the Auditor General was somehow congratulating them for doing a good job. The Auditor General lambasted them in the strongest language I have ever seen in an Auditor General's report.

If this $3.1-billion boondoggle was their only problem, it would be different, but we have a pattern developing here of ministers resigning, lives at risk in search and rescue mismanagement and unreported privacy violations of a million Canadians. It makes one wonder what this government is good at.

There is one thing it is good at: re-branding Government of Canada websites in Conservative Party colours to make it look like somehow there is no differences between the Conservative Party and the--

Government SpendingOral Questions

11:35 a.m.

Conservative

The Acting Speaker Conservative Bruce Stanton

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board.

Government SpendingOral Questions

11:35 a.m.

North Vancouver B.C.

Conservative

Andrew Saxton ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board and for Western Economic Diversification

Mr. Speaker, regarding government websites, different colours were tested with web specialists. They found that blue worked best. Do not take my word for it. The website About.com says:

Blue is a favourite color of both men and women of all ages.... It may be the calming effect of the color blue that makes it a popular colour for both men and women or it could be the association of some shades of blue with authority figures, intelligence, and stability.

TaxationOral Questions

May 3rd, 2013 / 11:35 a.m.

Liberal

Joyce Murray Liberal Vancouver Quadra, BC

Mr. Speaker, there is yet another new tax increase on middle-class Canadians, and that is a tax on group life insurance premiums. The premiums may be paid by the companies, but the tax goes directly onto employee paycheques.

The Conservative government has raised income taxes, raised EI premium taxes and raised taxes on dividends, but this is really going too far. It is taxing the insurance on workers' potential dismemberment or death. In the frenzy of tax increases, is there nothing the government will not tax?

TaxationOral Questions

11:35 a.m.

Saint Boniface Manitoba

Conservative

Shelly Glover ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, it is shocking language from the Liberals. This is the party that is presently trying to seek special tax breaks for Chinese companies that are competing directly with Canadian companies. In fact, why they do not want to support Canadian manufacturers is beyond me.

Here is what the Canadian manufacturers had to say about the GPTs:

The government's decision to modernize this foreign aid program by removing some countries from the GPT list is a good decision...

They need to defend Canadian companies for a change.

TaxationOral Questions

11:35 a.m.

Liberal

Rodger Cuzner Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative government has taken on the role of tax ninjas, sneaking tariffs in here, adding user fees in there, all the time chopping services to middle-class Canadians, but it is the $600 million a year in new payroll taxes that is the real kick in the teeth to Canadians—600 million a year.

These hidden additional taxes will have a negative impact on job creation and workers' paycheques. When will the minister stop putting the boots to hard-working Canadians?

TaxationOral Questions

11:35 a.m.

Saint Boniface Manitoba

Conservative

Shelly Glover ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, once again, that is laughable coming from the party that insisted during its platform that it have a 45-day work year under EI. It insisted on a carbon tax. It insisted on increasing the GST. We will take no lessons from them.

On the general preferential tariff, let us hear what Michael Hart from Carleton University had to say:

Hong Kong, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand really aren't developing countries and should have been graduated long ago.

We will continue to defend Canadian companies.