Debates of Nov. 6th, 2014

Taxation

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, it almost seems as if the minister is acting at arm's-length from his own job. He has to admit that cuts to government departments are responsible for this.

Reports tabled in Parliament yesterday revealed that CRA is understaffed by 642 full-time positions compared to planned levels; so perhaps it is little surprise that it dramatically missed its target for full-scale investigations for prosecution

When will the minister admit that his cuts are ruining our ability to crack down on tax evaders?

[Tony Clement, Conservative, President of the Treasury Board]

Actually, Mr. Speaker, we have a strong record of getting tough on tax cheats. In fact, the CRA has audited more than 8,000 international tax cases, identifying over $5.6 billion in additional taxes, taxes that are being collected. We are being aggressive.

We are making sure that Canada has one of the most extensive tax treaty networks in the world, with 92 tax treaties and 21 tax information exchange agreements in force.

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Revenue stands idly by while the crown corporation responsible for administering the public sector pension fund uses shell companies as part of a tax avoidance scheme.

How will the minister explain to public servants in her own department, who fight tax evasion on a daily basis, that the money in their own pension fund is invested in a notorious tax haven?

[Tony Clement, Conservative, President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, PSP Investments, which is responsible for meeting the obligations with regard to federal government pensions accrued since 2000, operates at arm's length from the government. It is not part of the federal public administration. Its affairs are managed by a board of directors.

We expect investments to be done in compliance with laws, rules and regulations, in a transparent manner, while keeping in mind the best interests of its clients.

Status of Women

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, some serious allegations surfaced regarding the conduct of certain members of the House.

Last February, the Standing Committee on the Status of Women issued a series of—

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order. There is a translation problem.

The hon. member for Hull—Aylmer.

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, some serious allegations surfaced regarding the conduct of certain members of the House.

Last February, the Standing Committee on the Status of Women issued a series of recommendations on harassment in the workplace, including the House of Commons.

Could the chair of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women tell us when the committee will meet to discuss the government's response to this report?

[Hélène LeBlanc, NDP, LaSalle—Émard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.

I know that she fought hard to make harassment a thing of the past over the course of her career in the public service. Harassment is unacceptable. Regardless of the workplace, everyone deserves to work in a safe and respectful environment. That clearly does not seem to be the case on Parliament Hill.

Let us work together to address this situation and make harassment a thing of the past.

Taxation

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the latest figures on economic growth show that the Canadian economy actually shrank in August. The GDP is down.

The government has no growth agenda. Its sole reliance on the oil sector is wobbly. The dollar is down. The Governor of the Bank of Canada is telling 200,000 young people to work for nothing while they live in their parents' basement.

How can the government justify a $2 billion income-splitting giveaway that helps only 15% of households, disproportionately the wealthy, and discourages economic growth?

[Joe Oliver, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, while the OECD has downgraded global growth, it has said that Canada's growth rate will be superior to that of most G7 countries. In fact, we have created 20% more jobs than Germany and more than most countries in the G7.

Just yesterday, Standard and Poor's reconfirmed our top AAA rating, and we are going to have a surplus next year.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, over 100 other countries in the world will grow faster than Canada next year.

The government's income-splitting scheme is riddled with discrepancies. That is why it will not give straight answers. A couple struggling to raise a family on a single $45,000 income will get just $150 from income splitting. That is a grand total of 40 cents a day, but if the salary is $160,000, like an MP's, for example, they will get $2,000. That is what Jim Flaherty warned against, and it has not been corrected.

It is expensive, unfair, and anti-growth. Why?

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Minister of State (Social Development)]

Mr. Speaker, under what our Prime Minister announced last week, every single Canadian family with children under 18 will benefit from this.

Here is the difference between Conservatives and Liberals. Liberals think that if we put more money in parents' pockets, they will spend it on beer and popcorn. We disagree. We believe that helping families make their lives more affordable is good for the economy, is good for the country, and is good for Canadian families.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' income splitting plan does nothing for parents who have similar incomes.

In the Atlantic provinces, income splitting will not apply to a family in which one parent works in the tourism industry and the other in the fishing industry. In Quebec, income splitting will not apply to a family in which one parent works in the arts and the other in the non-profit sector. In Ontario, income splitting will not apply to a family in which both parents are teachers.

Why adopt such a costly measure that will do absolutely nothing for these people?

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Minister of State (Social Development)]

Mr. Speaker, the income splitting, the family tax cut we have introduced that we are going to be giving to families, will impact close to half the families, 1.7 million families, in Canada. Two-thirds of those families are moderate- to low-income. In addition to that, as we are so pleased to have told families, we are increasing the universal child care benefit as well as expanding it.

Canadian families count on this government, count on Conservatives to put more money in their pockets. We will follow through on our commitment to Canadian families.

Rail Transportation

[Hoang Mai, NDP, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this morning we learned that another train derailed. This time it happened near Sept-Îles.

This incident, like many others, reminds us of the government's important responsibility to ensure rail safety. The Department of Transport's performance report indicates that 700 transportation safety positions have not been filled. Seven hundred. How can the government protect Canadians when it is reducing the number of inspectors?

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, Transport Canada is closely monitoring the situation. We would like to thank the first responders for their quick actions. We are aware of the report of a train derailment following what seems to have been a landslide. However, we are waiting for the authorities to determine the cause of the incident.

[Hoang Mai, NDP, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there is something troubling happening regarding transport safety under the government's watch. Yesterday we learned from the departmental performance report of Transport Canada that there is systematic understaffing for almost every category of transportation safety and security, with hundreds of unfilled positions. Transport Canada, by its own admission, is saying that it has 700 fewer employees for inspection and oversight.

Why is the government cutting transportation safety and security employees?

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Quite the contrary, Mr. Speaker. In fact, Transport Canada has been consistently hiring inspectors. The member knows that. That is all part of a $100-million investment in our rail safety framework. In fact, in response to the final recommendations of the Transportation Safety Board, just last week, he will note that additional auditors are also being hired. That is because we take the safety and security of Canadians and our rail system very seriously.

Citizenship and Immigration

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

Mr. Speaker, this week, the minister had quite a few interesting things to say about health care benefits for refugee protection claimants.

He said that providing health care to refugees is not a Canadian value. He disagrees with the court, which forced him to restore the 2012 system, and he still wants to appeal the court's decision.

What is more, he thinks that it is shameful to ask questions about refugees who cannot obtain health care.

I wonder why the minister does not think it is shameful to refuse to provide health care.

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

Mr. Speaker, what is actually shameful here is the series of NDP statements this week. They claim that refugees are not receiving health care. That was never the case and it will never be the case with this government. The NDP must stop saying otherwise and misleading the public.

We are proud of the health care we offer to refugees, and we are determined to protect taxpayers' interests. That is why we are going to appeal and why we will continue to ask the NDP why it insists on providing health care to those who are subject to removal according to—

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order. The hon. member for Pierrefonds—Dollard.

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

Mr. Speaker, the minister seems to think he should decide who deserves life-saving health care. I think he fails to grasp just how cruel this health care program reform is.

Let us talk about the people who, according to the minister, do not deserve health care. For example, these cuts mean that a teenager with post-traumatic stress syndrome who has attempted suicide several times would not be able to get the psychiatric drugs he needs even if he has valid IFHP coverage.

Does the minister really think that this kind of treatment is acceptable?

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

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about what is really going on.

Refugees, including children, are receiving and have always received health care. With our announcement yesterday, we complied with the court's decision. Children and pregnant women will continue to receive health care.

What is really scandalous and even cruel is the NDP's insistence that people facing deportation by Canadian court order should get health care.

Does the NDP have any respect at all for our justice system's decisions?

[Sadia Groguhé, NDP, Saint-Lambert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I just want to clarify something. The NDP is talking about asylum seekers, not refugees.

The minister said he disagreed with the court's decision. That means he thinks the following situation is acceptable: if a young female asylum seeker, a sex slave, were 18 weeks pregnant, she would not be allowed to choose to terminate the pregnancy because she does not have valid coverage.

Does the minister think it is okay to leave this young woman to her own devices? Does he really think that reflects Canadian values?

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

Mr. Speaker, human trafficking victims in Canada never stopped getting health care. This government's policy is that they will never lose that right.

What is really scandalous, and the NDP should apologize for this, is that for two days this week, New Democrats doggedly claimed that refugees in Canada were not receiving health care.

Today they have acknowledged their mistake and are now talking about asylum seekers. The fact is that they have no credibility on this issue.