Debates of Nov. 3rd, 2014

Taxation

[Sana Hassainia, Independent, Verchères—Les Patriotes, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is our job to make sure that available tax benefits really help Canadians meet their children's needs. However, it seems that the regulations are flawed.

If parents are separated and one parent pays child support, the Income Tax Act does not allow that parent to claim his or her children as dependants. Among other things, that prevents parents of disabled children from claiming certain credits, thereby preventing those children from receiving the financial support they are entitled to.

Moreover, families with just one child whose two parents pay child support cannot split the credits.

When will separated parents who pay child support be treated equally in the eyes of the law?

[Kevin Sorenson, Conservative, Minister of State (Finance)]

Mr. Speaker, our universal child care benefit is going to provide $720 more a year for every child under the age of 18, with $1,920 for those children up to age 6. This monthly cheque will help Canadians make ends meet. It will help them pay for priorities in their families, like groceries, after school activities and even saving for post-secondary education.

The tax measures, the benefit measures, the universal child care enhancement are going to be measures that benefit families.

The Environment

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the IPCC spoke clearly and said that the world's scientists and indeed economists were telling us that we must move off fossil fuels entirely by the end of the century. Today, in this place, we gave a standing ovation to the President of France when he said that the world must move to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. We stood as one and applauded.

Will the government, which so far in question period has offered the usual nonsense about how we are on track, accept the challenge?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, our government's record is very clear. We have taken decisive actions on the environment, while we are protecting our economy. Everyone has to do their fair share, and we are seeking an agreement in Paris that would include all emitters and all economies.

Currently, Canada emits less than 2% of the greenhouse emissions globally. Building upon our record, I also announced a number of actions to reduce greenhouse emissions and pollutants from vehicles recently. We have also announced our intent to regulate HFCs, one of the fastest-growing greenhouse emissions in the world. We are accomplishing this without the NDP and the Liberal carbon tax.

Presence in Gallery

[The Speaker, Andrew Scheer]

I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of the recipients of the Governor General's History Awards: Connie Wyatt Anderson, Michael Berry, Laurie Cassie, Sharon Moy, Gérald Charron, Ryan McManaman, David Alexander, Manon St-Hilaire, James Daschuk, Michel Côté, Paul Carroll, David McAdam, Yvon Lirette, Linda Even, Mark Zuehlke and Matt Kelly.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

Government Response to Petitions

[Tom Lukiwski, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 13 petitions.

Government Operations and Estimates

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

moved that the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates, presented on Monday, June 16, 2014, be concurred in.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Actually, Mr. Speaker, I am first rising on a point of order. I rise on a point of order, because in going through the concurrence motions, it is quite difficult for any member of the House to be prepared to deal with any given motion brought to the floor with virtually no notification whatsoever as to which motion, out of 90 motions, it actually might be. The reason I stand in my place on a point of order, Mr. Speaker, is that it would be more helpful if you could make reference by number to the report in question being tabled.

As a courtesy, it would be even better if the member who was moving the motion provided notice so that members would be able to properly address the report. I, for one, would like to address the report, and it would be helpful if, at the very least, the table officer could indicate the number as it appears on the order paper.

[The Speaker, Andrew Scheer]

I thank the hon. member for raising this. I will point out that all the motions that are moved under the rubric of motions, concurrence motions specifically, are on the notice paper. The member for Winnipeg North will be able to find it. I can send over a copy of that, and he can see all the types of motions that are eligible to be moved under this rubric, and then he can choose which ones he would like to speak to and be ready for that.

If he has a specific change as to how that might be dealt with, of course, the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs is studying the Standing Orders, and I am sure it would be interested in any suggestions he might have on how to better inform members as to which motions may be subject to debate. However, I do not think there is a point of order that would prevent us from dealing with the motion as moved.

Is he rising now on debate?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

If the table could indicate the number of the motion on the actual order paper, that would be helpful.

[The Speaker, Andrew Scheer]

It is Motion No. 67. It is the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates.

If he is looking at the notice paper, I do not know if it has any more information than that. If he is looking for the substance of the report to help him speak to it, I do not think he will find it in the notice paper, but maybe he is able to infer a great deal from the title.

The hon. member for Winnipeg North, now on debate.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to speak. In terms of looking at Motion No. 67 and wanting to be as keen as one can be in terms of addressing reports that come before the legislature, I think it is helpful to state the number. Here is the reason. The motion that has been brought forward indicates that the fifth report of the Standing Committee—

[The Speaker, Andrew Scheer]

Order. The hon. member for Burnaby—New Westminster is now rising on a point of order.

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

Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, a motion or amendment the member for Winnipeg North brought forward was ruled out of order, which he should have known was out of order. On Friday, he was ruled out of order, because he did not speak to the relevant report. As the Speaker has pointed out, he has access to all committee reports tabled daily in the House.

There has been a real problem with relevance. I fear that the member is wandering off, yet again, down some sidewalk that has nothing to do with the report we are considering now.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the concern, albeit for no doubt different motives. The NDP House leader rose on a point of order with regard to relevance. Even before he cut me off through his point of order, I made reference to the government estimates. That is what the report is all about. I am quite prepared to actually talk about the estimates of that particular department.

[Julian Fantino, Conservative, Vaughan, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I apologize for not doing it earlier. I do, in fact, have a report to table, if I may.

[The Speaker, Andrew Scheer]

Is there unanimous consent to revert back to tabling of documents so that the minister can table the ombudsman's report?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Veterans Affairs

[Julian Fantino, Conservative, Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the veterans ombudsman's report entitled “Advocating for Improvements for Veterans”.

The House resumed consideration of the motion.

Government Operations and Estimates

[The Speaker, Andrew Scheer]

I will just remind the hon. member for Winnipeg North to keep his remarks as relevant as possible to the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, back in June, we had a great deal of discussion and debate in regard to the estimates and how government is actually spending its--

[The Speaker, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. To assist the hon. member, I think in his response to the point of order, he mentioned that the fifth report was on the estimates. The fifth report is actually on open data and not on the estimates. Hopefully he can adjust his remarks accordingly.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I like to think that I can be flexible at times.

The report originated in June of last year, when the committee met to go over the importance of the issue of data. It is one of the unfortunate realities that, as much as possible, we want to ensure that there is a sense of openness, transparency, and accountability in government. The government operations and estimates committee is something that ultimately helps us facilitate that. At that particular committee meeting, there was a sense of value in the committee actually meeting. This is an issue that is important to the Liberal Party, because we believe that our standing committees should actually be meeting. They play a valuable role in ensuring that there is a higher sense of accountability. That is one of the reasons that, back in June, a number of reports were tabled, based on the budget, by different committees.

I would ask that the New Democrats be a little more flexible. It is important. We actually had a letter from the minister--