Debates of Nov. 4th, 2014

Citizenship and Immigration

[Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe, NDP, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister is able to tweet that he is going to reinstate a program, but he is unable to tell the House of Commons the same thing. That is rather embarrassing.

On Monday, the minister tried to enlighten us about Canadian health care values. That was also rather embarrassing. From what he was saying, it seems that providing health care to extremely vulnerable people is not a Conservative value.

Can the minister explain why providing basic health care to vulnerable children is not part of the Conservative government's repertoire of Canadian values?

[Chris Alexander, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, it is a Canadian value and a Conservative value to give quality health care to child refugees who are permanent residents or Canadian citizens.

What is embarrassing for Canadian taxpayers is the NDP's insistence on allocating millions of dollars to programs that help failed refugee claimants, people who have no status in Canada and who are not immigrants or citizens. That is our objection. That is our position. We will continue to protect the interests of Canadian taxpayers.

[Andrew Cash, NDP, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, abandoning vulnerable women and children might be a Conservative value but it is not a Canadian value.

On Friday, the Federal Court of Appeal was the latest to confirm that the health and lives of refugees were being put at risk by the government's actions. The court joined refugee advocates, provincial governments, doctors, parliamentarians and the Federal Court in denouncing the harm the government is causing.

No one agrees with the government, so why is the minister continuing his attack on refugees?

[Chris Alexander, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, even the member for Markham—Unionville, who rarely gets these issues right, stated this morning that no refugee in Canada was going without health care.

The program exists for refugees. It will continue to exist for refugees under this government.

What is shameful is that New Democrats continue to stand in the House and ask for better health care than Canadians receive for failed refugee claimants, including those with bogus claims.

[Andrew Cash, NDP, Davenport, ON]

Instead of the baloney, let us talk about the facts, Mr. Speaker. The harm being done to refugees by the government is a matter of fact. It is accepted by the Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal. It is not a matter of debate.

It is also true that looking after one another is a Canadian value. It will always be a Canadian value, no matter how much the Conservatives might hate it.

Why will the minister not just give up his fight and provide health care to refugees?

[Chris Alexander, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, we have done that. Refugees have the interim federal health program, and even the Liberal Party recognizes that.

What is incredible is that New Democrats would stand in the House and ask for more generous health care than Canadians actually receive to be given to failed and fraudulent refugee claimants.

It is not a Canadian value to offer health care to people who put forward fraudulent claims, who have misrepresented themselves and who are on their way out of this country.

Poverty

[Peggy Nash, NDP, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

We are talking about children, Mr. Speaker. No matter what the minister thinks, causing harm to small children is not a basic Canadian value. The government just does not get it on multiple fronts.

A new report today reveals that food bank use in Canada is shockingly high and almost 40% of food bank users are children. Meanwhile, the government has totally abandoned any attempt to create good jobs that would bring families out of poverty.

Why is the government ignoring the jobs crisis and leaving Canadians stuck at the food bank?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism]

Mr. Speaker, the premise of the question is completely false.

Child poverty has been reduced. The number of children living in poverty in Canada is down by some 200,000 since this government took office. Just last week, UNICEF, on behalf of the United Nations, reported that Canada has seen one of the most significant declines in child poverty in the entire developed world, a reduction of some 20%.

This government has taken over one million Canadian families off the tax rolls. Just last week, this government announced additional support for four million families with kids. Now every child under the age of six will be receiving, through their parents, $1,900 of additional support through the child care benefit.

[Matthew Dubé, NDP, Chambly—Borduas, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we will try to get the minister back on track. Last year, 850,000 Canadians used food banks. That is unacceptable. That is a 25% increase over 2008, which is not something the government should be bragging about. What is more, 37% of clients are children, and the majority of those who use food banks are renters who have a job. Why do they need to go to a food bank?

The real issue behind those numbers is the government's disastrous economic development record when it comes to youth and young families.

How do the Conservatives explain their failure to create jobs, particularly for young people?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism]

Mr. Speaker, that is untrue. This government has seen a significant drop in the number of low-income Canadians. There are nearly 1.4 million fewer Canadians living in poverty under this government than there were under the Liberals.

Last week, the Prime Minister announced new child benefits. That means that a family with two children under the age of six will be receiving more than $3,800 in benefits through this program in the future. We are giving benefits—

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The hon. member for Berthier—Maskinongé.

[Ruth Ellen Brosseau, NDP, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last week UNICEF announced that one in five children is living in poverty. Today the 2014 HungerCount report reveals that nearly 1 million Canadians use food banks. A third of these people are children. Food Banks Canada recommends investing in affordable, quality child care, which will help children and families.

My question is quite simple: where are the 125,000 child care spaces the Conservatives promised in 2006?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism]

Mr. Speaker, according to figures from not only Statistics Canada but also international organizations like the UN, the rate of child poverty in Canada is the lowest it has ever been. There are 225,000 fewer children living in poverty than under the previous Liberal government.

The NDP's child care program will benefit only 300,000 families. The program announced by the Prime Minister will benefit 4 million families with children.

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill, MB]

Mr. Speaker, access to affordable, quality child care is part of ending child poverty in our country. Food Banks Canada agrees that access to affordable child care enables parents to enter and remain in the workforce. When mothers are better off, so are their children.

The Conservatives' promise of creating 125,000 child care spaces has been at a standstill for eight years. Why has the government failed to create even one out of the 125,000 child care spots it promised?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism]

Mr. Speaker, child poverty in Canada is at record lows according not only to Statistics Canada but international organizations such as the UN. Under the Liberal government child poverty reached a peak of 18% of children. That is down to 8.5% of children. There are 722,000 fewer children in low-income households, and that in part is thanks to the universal child care benefit, which we are enhancing.

The NDP approach to child care would provide benefits to fewer than 10% of families with kids. Our approach helps 100% of families with kids.

Taxation

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative government's unbalanced approach means that while many families are being left behind, Scotiabank made $6.5 billion in profit last year. Today, that same bank fired 1,500 workers, most of them here in Canada. There were 400,000 lost manufacturing jobs, virtually no job creation in the private sector in more than a year and the youth unemployment rate is twice the national average.

Can the Minister of Finance explain exactly how his wasteful and ineffective income splitting scheme for wealthy families is going to do anything for the more the 1,000 Canadians who are today out of a job?

[Joe Oliver, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, that was such a grab bag of questions. Let me focus on the issue of youth unemployment, which was raised.

Under our Conservative government, Canada will continue to have one of the lowest youth unemployment rates in the G7. Since coming into office, we have helped 2.1 million youth obtain jobs, training and skills. However, we recognize more has to be done, and under our economic action plan 2014, we will help young Canadians get the skills they need for in-demand jobs, help young entrepreneurs start more businesses and support paid internships.

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Governor of the Bank of Canada warns that we are facing a low or zero-growth jobs recovery. He said that over 900,000 Canadians are trapped in part-time jobs and 200,000 young Canadians cannot get work at all. Governor Poloz is “pretty sure these kids have not taken early retirement”. He said that we need policies such as investment in infrastructure to boost growth.

Why is the government hamstringing its own capacity to act with an income splitting plan that offers no benefit to 86% of Canadians?

[Joe Oliver, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, we are providing, through our family tax plan, benefits to over four million families. The NDP and the Liberals would rather give funding to large bureaucracies. Every family with children will have more money in their pockets to spend on their priorities as a family. These benefits are widespread and the large majority will go to low-income families.

Our government is fulfilling its promise to balance the budget. We are now in a position to fulfill our promise to help Canadian families balance theirs.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are replacing the child tax credit with a regressive income splitting scheme. Both cost about $2 billion a year, but the child tax credit helps significantly more families. It helps single parents and it also helps families where both parents earn similar wages. The Conservatives' new income splitting scheme will leave these families out in the cold.

Why are the Conservatives scrapping the child tax credit and taking this money away from single parents just to pay for their regressive income splitting scheme?

[Joe Oliver, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, again, it is a question that is based on a false premise.

Every single family with children under 18 will benefit from these tax breaks. The majority will go to low- and middle-income families. Also, 25% of the benefits will go to families earning less than $30,000. The average cash in their pockets will be more than $1,200. This is a very progressive measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, Jim Flaherty did not believe that this was a progressive measure and that is why he opposed it.

In fact, there are over one and a half million single-parent families in Canada. These families got help from the child tax credit, but they will not get a dime from this income splitting scheme.

Why are the Conservatives scrapping a program that helped single parents and replacing it with an income splitting scheme that will leave these single-parent families, some of Canada's most economically vulnerable families, out in the cold?

[Joe Oliver, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, single-income families will benefit from the new family tax credit. The increased and expanded universal child care benefit will benefit every family with children under six and families with children from six to under 18. There will also be an increased child care expense deduction, and of course, there is the doubling of the children's fitness tax credit. Every one of the more than four million families with children will benefit from these great measures.

Consumer Protection

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Beauharnois—Salaberry, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives would have us believe that lowering Visa and Mastercard transaction fees charged by merchants will benefit consumers. However, the reality is that transaction fees are being lowered by just 10%. Canadian merchants will still pay some of the highest fees in the world.

There is no guarantee whatsoever that the voluntary measures taken by credit card companies will trickle down to consumers.

Why do the Conservatives continue to allow credit card companies to self-regulate?

[Joe Oliver, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, these commitments represent a significant reduction for merchants, and, we hope, for consumers too.

The government is very much supporting the agreement and the CFIB applauds the end of the credit card arms race. It said, “Canada’s small business community is hailing new commitments that could bring an end to ever-increasing credit—