Debates of Nov. 20th, 2014

Jeanne-Le Ber Community Support

[Tyrone Benskin, NDP, Jeanne-Le Ber, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the work of hundreds of organizations in my riding, Jeanne-Le Ber.

I am very proud to work alongside the workers and all the volunteers who give of their time to stand up for food and housing security, support seniors, or fight to keep kids in school. The commitment of these organizations is central to our community.

By way of example, I have visited many of these organizations, such as Toujours ensemble. Through its efforts, this Verdun-based organization, which is a member of the pathways to education program, has seen a reduction in dropout rates of 70%.

I am very proud of the hundreds of individuals who give of their time, spirit, and heart to build a stronger, better, and more inspired community. I thank each and every one of them.

Taxation

[Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, Conservative, Miramichi, NB]

Mr. Speaker, in less than a week, three Liberal candidates have expressed how they want to force middle-class families to pay more taxes. The very same day he announced he was running for the Liberal Party, the Liberal candidate Bill Casey told CTV that the Liberal leader will raise taxes on Canadian families. He confirmed once again what Canadian families know, that the Liberals want Canadians to pay higher taxes.

While the Liberals line the pockets of bureaucrats, our Conservative government will continue to give benefits to all families with children. Parents will now receive nearly $2,000 for every child under six and $720 for every child aged six to seventeen. Thanks to the family tax cut and the enhanced universal childcare benefit, parents can rest assured that they will be the ones making the decisions for their children, not big government.

Our government sees the importance of parents having the final say. Why cannot the NDP and Liberals see it?

Children's Rights

[Rathika Sitsabaiesan, NDP, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today marks the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Every year on November 20, Canadians celebrate national child day to honour our children.

This day is for more than just celebrating, though. We must also reflect on our values as Canadians and reaffirm our commitments in light of the promises we made 25 years ago in the House and to the world.

We owe it to our children to keep the promises we made 25 years ago. Canada has ratified the convention, and therefore we have an obligation to act on its mandates to eliminate child poverty in Canada and to invest in early childhood education, employment, housing, nutrition, and child care.

Support for the NDP keeps growing because Canadians know that the NDP is the only party that has comprehensive, national, affordable plans that meet the needs of families and their children.

It is time to honour and respect our commitment by taking action and delivering on our promises.

Taxation

[Wladyslaw Lizon, Conservative, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it comes as no surprise that the Liberal Party is looking to recruit big-tax, big-spending candidates. The beer and popcorn campaign is up and running, and the Liberal candidate for Banff has extended it to cars and TVs.

Our government believes that Canadian families ought to be trusted to spend their hard-earned money as they deem necessary. The family tax cut would help 100% of families with children by putting more money in their pockets and giving families the freedom to spend it as they want. We are proud that over four million families will benefit by an average of over $1,100 per year.

We should all be cheering for that.

Children's Rights

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 25th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Canada played an important role in drafting the convention and was one of the first nations to sign and ratify.

Canada has made progress in the intervening years, but we still have much to do. Today, the well-being of our children is average among the world's affluent nations. UNICEF's index of child well-being shows that the health of our children is not what we would expect it to be, given the knowledge and resources we have. There is a widening inequity of opportunity among children living in urban, rural, and northern communities.

As elected members, we represent all Canadians, including children.

The government still has no focal point for children or policies and programs aimed specifically at all Canadian children, but most importantly for those at risk. We must do more, as their future and the vitality of our country depend on improving their opportunities and well-being.

International Trade

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake, MB]

Mr. Speaker, last night the House voted on whether the Canada-EU trade agreement should be implemented as negotiated.

The details of this agreement have been released, the outcomes are known, and the benefits are clear: a $12 billion increase to our GDP and thousands of new jobs.

Being from a riding that has a diversified agricultural background, with grain, oilseed, and supply-managed farms, as well as a large and vibrant ranching and livestock community, I can say that this agreement is well endorsed and supported by the producers in my riding. Farmers are ecstatic about the opportunity to expand their markets.

NDP members, however, proved last night that they are simply unfit to govern, as they voted against this landmark trade agreement. Canadians witnessed yet again the NDP standing in the House and opposing yet another trade agreement that promotes trade, jobs, growth, and long-term prosperity.

Child Poverty

[Mylène Freeman, NDP, Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, 25 years ago, Ed Broadbent rose in the House to give his last speech as leader of the NDP and underscored the importance of fighting child poverty. He issued a challenge to eradicate child poverty before the year 2000. Unfortunately, we have yet to attain that goal.

Even more unfortunate are the Prime Minister's comments about Ed Broadbent's proposal: “Well, I think the 1989 resolution you talk about probably was the high-water mark of political stupidity in this country...”

In Canada, one in five children lives in poverty. That is unacceptable. It is shameful that the Prime Minister thinks an initiative to eradicate child poverty is stupid.

In 2015, the first NDP government will put in place an affordable daycare system and a plan to fight child poverty.

Taxation

[Scott Armstrong, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley, NS]

Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to give my condolences, thoughts and prayers to the families of the three students who were shot today at my alma mater of Florida State University. Hopefully they are all okay.

Our government has made it a top priority to make life more affordable for Canadian families, to help them prosper, and to ensure that they have the right of choosing what is best for their own families. We want to ensure that all children get the best start in life so they can reach their potential, whether it be at home, at school, on the playground, or beyond.

Today is national child day, and I am honoured to rise in the House and say that we are living up to our commitment to support Canadian families. Whether it be the expansion of the universal child care benefit, whether it be the doubling of the children's fitness tax credit and making it refundable, whether it be the family tax cut, we are keeping that commitment to Canadian families to make life more affordable.

I am very proud of our government, and we will continue to put forward measures. I only hope that the opposition will choose to support this, because we are on the side of Canadians, their children, and making sure they have the opportunities and potential for the future.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of Finance announced that he did not even go through his department before announcing his so-called job credit. That proves that this credit is a purely ideological one.

The Parliamentary Budget Officer claims that it will cost $550 million to create just 800 jobs.

Does the minister not think that he should do his homework before introducing measures that make no sense?

[Joe Oliver, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, our reduction will apply to 740,000 small businesses across Canada. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business, the CFIB, understands that tax increases kill jobs, but the New Democrats would significantly increase taxes by bringing in a 45-day work year.

We want businesses to expand and owners to save and then spend their hard-earned money. What is good for them is also good for the economy.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, yet the minister ignored the CFIB when it said:

You are not going to pay for a full job through your EI hiring credit.

The minister has now admitted that he failed to ask his own department to analyze a $550-million tax credit. The PBO did the analysis for him and found that the Conservatives want to spend half a billion dollars on 800 jobs.

Why did the minister fail to analyze a $550-million tax credit before introducing it?

[Joe Oliver, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, since the depths of the recession, our economy has created 1.2 million net new jobs.

Small businesses have been very clear that high payroll taxes are job killers. That is precisely what the NDP wants to impose on small business.

Let me also add that we listen to and we believe in small businesses. Apparently the NDP does not. It wants to raise their taxes. It wants to raise payroll taxes. This is a job killer and precisely the opposite of what is needed for the economy.

Veterans Affairs

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, while the minister is spending hundreds of millions without any government analysis, veterans are facing deep cuts under the Conservatives.

They are being told “no” when they are asking for help. Veterans are seeing the offices that served them shuttered by that government. Now we learn that over $1 billion intended to help veterans never got out the door because of Conservative mismanagement.

How can the Conservatives justify this while they close veterans offices and shortchange injured soldiers?

[Parm Gill, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, that is absolutely false. All governments always ensure that statutory funding is fully funded to ensure that there is no shortfall. This is the normal practice of all governments.

Annual expenditures at Veterans Affairs Canada have increased from $2.7 billion, when the Liberals were in government, to $3.5 billion in 2012-13.

Shame on that party for playing political games with Canada's veterans.

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are cutting services and closing regional offices, forcing our veterans to travel great distances, and now we have learned that the government helped itself to $1.1 billion destined for our veterans.

That is unconscionable. No wonder veterans no longer want to be seen with the minister.

Why is the government trying to save money at our veterans' expense?

[Parm Gill, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I understand that math is not necessarily the NDP's strongest point, but let me just repeat this. Since taking office in 2006, our government has spent over $30 billion on veterans benefits and services. That is over $5 billion in new funding. Our government has a strong record when it comes to providing benefits and services for Canada's veterans, and we will continue to do that.

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there is a shortage of staff, and veterans are waiting six to eight months for services. Veterans are dying before they receive the services or equipment they need.

In the meantime, the minister secretly returned $1.1 billion to the treasury.

Is the government not ashamed of diverting money that was meant for our veterans?

[Parm Gill, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, our government has a strong record when it comes to standing up for Canada's veterans, with almost $30 billion since taking office.

If the NDP really cares about Canada's veterans and the benefits and services that are provided to them, it needs to start voting in favour of the initiatives we bring forward. Virtually every single initiative our government has brought forward for Canada's veterans the opposition has voted against.

Infrastrucure

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, one dollar invested in new affordable housing grows the economy by $1.40. One dollar in roads, water, or transit brings $1.20 in new growth. A billion dollars in new infrastructure stimulates 16,000 person-years of employment. However, the Conservatives have chopped their infrastructure fund by $1.2 billion to pay for gimmicks that do nothing for jobs or growth. The PBO says their employment insurance scheme actually kills 10,000 jobs, and the late Jim Flaherty said income splitting was too expensive, unfair, and anti-growth. Why such bad choices?

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Minister of Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleague that as a former minister of finance, if he believes so much in infrastructure, he should have done much more back then.

As a former mayor, I remember the poor Liberals pretty well. They did nothing. Actually, they did something. They kicked the problem to the provinces at that time. Now we are fixing the problem. We are working with municipalities and provinces.

Veterans Affairs

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, speaking of bad choices, since 2006, the government has made new promises to returning soldiers and veterans totalling $1.1 billion, but those promises were broken. The programs and services were never delivered. The government pocketed the cash. What did it do with it? Since 2006, it blew it on nearly $750 million in tax-paid government advertising.

How can it justify swiping a billion dollars from veterans while wasting hundreds of millions on its own self-indulgence?

[Parm Gill, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, our government will take no lessons from the Liberals. It was under their government that our men and women in uniform suffered decades of darkness.

Our government is standing up for Canada's veterans. If it was up to the Liberals, they would have spent $2.7 billion, whereas our government is spending $3.5 billion annually. That is about $5 billion additional dollars since 2006.

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, despite our soldiers' pleas, the government closed nine veterans' service centres to save a few million dollars.

We have learned that Veterans Affairs Canada has returned over a billion dollars in unspent money to the Treasury since the Conservatives took office in 2006. During that same period, the government spent $743 million in advertising.

Can the government explain why it places a higher priority on advertising to get re-elected than it does on taking care of our veterans?

[Parm Gill, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, as we all know, actions speak much louder than words. Our government has a strong record. As I mentioned, our government has invested almost $5 billion in additional dollars since taking office in 2006. Compared to the $2.7 billion the Liberals were spending, our government now spends $3.5 billion annually and has spent over $30 billion since taking office in 2006.

Housing

[Mike Sullivan, NDP, York South—Weston, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as we mark National Housing Day this weekend, Canada is experiencing a housing crisis. One in four Canadians spends more than 30% of their income on shelter. For too many, this means living in poverty. Conservatives are refusing to renew social housing agreements, and 200,000 Canadians risk losing their homes. Concerned Canadians from across the country are gathering in Ottawa Friday. Will the minister listen to them, take steps to fight poverty, and make real investments in affordable housing?