Debates of Feb. 25th, 2014

Support for Volunteer Firefighters Act

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.

[Some hon. members]

Yea.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

All those opposed will please say nay.

[Some hon. members]

Nay.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

In my opinion the nays have it.

And five or more members having risen:

Pursuant to Standing Order 93, a recorded division stands deferred until Wednesday, February 26, 2014, immediately before the time provided for private members' business.

A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.

Taxation

[Bruce Hyer, Green, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, a while back I asked the Minister of Finance a question about the budget. The Conservative government has staked its reputation on claims of creating jobs, fostering economic growth, and keeping taxes low. Indeed, since 2009, the Conservatives have spent $113 million of our taxpayer money bragging to Canadians about their so-called economic action plan. Unfortunately for all of us, they have failed miserably on all counts.

The government has managed to create a long-term structural deficit, a multi-billion dollar hole that it is trying to dig itself out of with cuts and by shifting taxes, which in turn is holding back growth and will continue to hold back growth. Despite its claims that it has not raised taxes, we know that the government has shifted taxes from large corporations onto the backs of the Canadian middle class in each of the last four budgets.

For the first time in Canadian history, more than half of federal revenue will come from personal income taxes, the hard-earned dollars of our middle-class families. Meanwhile, personal debt for the average Canadian as well as our national debt have both increased by over 25% under the current government.

Since 2011, the government has collected an additional $3.6 billion in increased employment insurance premiums while placing even more restrictions on EI claimants. It has now instituted a freeze, but it refuses to roll back these job-killing payroll tax hikes to pre-2011 levels. This is not an insurance plan; it is a huge tax grab on small businesses and Canadian workers.

The Conservatives have been increasing the financial burden on Canadian families in other ways. Canada has one of the lowest large corporate tax rates in the world. Our rate on large corporations is less than half that of the United States. The OECD has warned that a tax rate on large corporations substantially below the top personal income tax rate, like we see in Canada today, “can jeopardize the integrity of the tax system as high-income individuals will attempt to shelter their savings within corporations.”

There are unnecessary tax breaks for hugely profitable large corporations, plus an incredible $1.3 billion tax subsidy provided by the government to oil and gas companies despite the fact that the Conservatives have broken their promise to end this subsidy again and again.

The Conservatives have also refused to crack down on tax evasion. Estimates suggest that upwards of $5 billion is lost every year to offshore tax havens.

What is more, their claims about Canadian economic growth are pure fiction. Let us look at the facts. Unemployment has increased by 9% and youth unemployment is double the national rate; Canada is 20th in the OECD for job creation; real economic growth per capita is the lowest in, wait for it, 78 years; the number of consecutive Conservative deficits is six; housing costs have increased by 52%; the personal debt of the average Canadian and our national debt have increased more than 25%.

The Conservatives have presided over a dismal lost decade in our Canadian economy. Their failed trickle down economic approach does little to help the average Canadian have a bright future.

[Andrew Saxton, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know where my hon. colleague has been living the last number of years, but I recommend that he come back to Canada, back to this country, where things are actually pretty darn good.

Let me reassure the hon. member that neither the middle class nor small businesses are paying higher taxes under this government. In fact, the exact opposite is true.

Our Conservative government recognizes the vital role small businesses play in the economy and job creation. That is why we are committed to helping them grow and succeed.

Indeed, one way our government has supported small business is through lower taxes. The member opposite may be interested to know that since 2006, our government has reduced the small business tax rate to 11% while at the same time increasing the small business limit to $500,000. We have eliminated the corporate surtax for all corporations, which was particularly beneficial to small business corporations, as it represented a larger proportion of their overall tax bill.

We have also increased the lifetime capital gains exemption to $800,000 and have indexed it going forward, which will increase the rewards for investing in small business by making it easier for owners to transfer their family businesses to the next generation of Canadians.

As can be plainly seen, to suggest that small businesses are paying more in tax under our government is simply fiction. In fact, because of our government's low-tax plan, the typical small business now saves over $28,000 on its tax bill.

That is not all we are doing to help small businesses across the country thrive. We are also providing them with certainty and flexibility in the years ahead by freezing EI premium rates, a decision that will leave $660 million in the pockets of job creators and workers this year alone.

We are also continuing to reduce the red tape burden by eliminating over 800,000 payroll deduction remittances to CRA made every year by over 50,000 small businesses. By doing this, business owners can spend more time running their businesses and less time filling out paperwork.

Our government is also standing up for Canadians and their families by leaving more of their hard-earned money where it belongs: in their pockets.

The member opposite might be interested to know that since 2006, our government has cut over 160 different taxes. For example, we have reduced the GST from 7% to 6% to 5%, we have cut the lowest personal income tax rate to 15%, we have increased the amount Canadians can earn without paying taxes, and we have introduced the tax free savings account, the most popular savings account in Canadian history. Over nine million accounts currently exist.

Because of our government's low-tax plan, the federal tax burden is at its lowest level in 50 years, helping an average family of four save over $3,400 a year in 2014. That is real action for Canadian families.

[Bruce Hyer, Green, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, to reiterate, budget 2014 is a failure for the average Canadian. There are no medals here, no silver and no gold.

There is no renewal of the popular ecoEnergy home retrofit program, which can reduce home energy bills. There is no new funding for desperately needed housing. There is virtually nothing for veterans. There is no pension reform. There is no rollback of the government's past years of job-killing payroll-tax hikes.

There is no investment in health care, including pharmacare, home care, or community health care. Back in my riding, our Regional Health Sciences Centre has people stacked up to the rafters without beds.

There is no investment in rail, including infrastructure, passenger rail, or rail safety. Canada remains the only country in the G20 without any national rail strategy.

There is no mention of climate change at all in the budget.

This budget is a failure. Large corporations remain grossly undertaxed, while small businesses and families are overtaxed.

[Andrew Saxton, Conservative, North Vancouver, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I find it ironic that the member opposite would ask us to bring back the ecoEnergy retrofit program, a program that was our program. It was a temporary program, which he voted against, and now he is asking us to bring it back. It is quite ironic.

Despite the significant action our government has taken to keep taxes low for Canadians and their families, we are not finished yet. Unlike other members of this House, our government will not engage in dangerous new spending.

Despite the continued global economic uncertainty, our government will balance the budget in 2015. A balanced budget is important, because it means less taxpayer money is needed to pay interest on debt, it makes Canada an attractive place to invest, and it helps keep taxes low.

Indeed, this is exactly what we intend to do. Once the budget is balanced, our government is committed to greater tax relief for Canadian families.

Aboriginal Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, on January 31, I asked the Minister of Justice about the need to take concrete steps regarding the report of the Special Committee on Violence Against Indigenous Women.

Unfortunately, the question was evaded, as usual. It is truly shameful that Conservatives try to hide the fundamental systemic violence and, as a result, are perpetuating it. Therefore, I am taking this opportunity to come back to the subject, as we need to take action in order to avoid having to start over and produce another report that would just be ignored, as those we have produced have been.

Simply put, we need action. There are no lack of ideas and so, here are a few of them.

To begin with, we need to support the sharing of information and culture with agencies, police, lawyers, and social workers, and information and outreach on violence prevention and available resources such as shelters.

We need respectful relationships with police to proactively work with communities and first nation citizens to ensure that they are supported, protected, and feel comfortable reporting crime.

We need to support collaborative approaches to policing and sentencing that recognize the community and family roles of both victims and offenders.

We desperately need funding.

We need adequate funding for services and emergency and second-stage shelters in first nation communities, as well as in rural and urban areas off reserve.

We need funding for organizations and programs that are run or directed by indigenous women themselves.

We need economic security and access to housing for women and children that provides greater safety and autonomy, including the ability to make choices that will take them away from violent situations.

We need resource people in communities, such as family violence workers, counsellors, and social supports, as well as adequate funding and capacity, and we need support mechanisms and interventions for the families of women at high risk of violence.

We need attention and focus on youth, including support to develop self-respect and respect for others and ensure access to traditional teachings and parenting role models, using tools such as sports.

We need to ensure women and girls have political, economic, and social power, and that traditional roles are restored.

We need systems and supports that reflect first nation cultures and teachings and ensure that elders are supported and integrated into the solutions.

We need accountability. We need a royal commission to investigate incidents of violence against indigenous women and girls, including the high rates of missing and murdered women.

We now know what needs to be done. We have known for a long time.

When will the government agree to take concrete steps and agree to an inquiry to end violence against aboriginal women?

[Susan Truppe, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary for Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for giving me the opportunity to restate the commitment of the Government of Canada to addressing this important matter, as expressed most recently in October's Speech from the Throne opening this current session of Parliament.

The government is deeply concerned about the disproportionate level of violence faced by indigenous women and girls in Canada and about the disturbingly vast number of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. This concern is shared by Canadians from coast to coast to coast and I am sure by members on all sides of this House.

Simply put, it is unacceptable that any women or children in Canada should have to face violence in the course of their daily lives. I stand here now to say that using violence against another person is wrong. As parents, we tell our children to find better ways to express anger and frustration. It is even less acceptable when adults who have not learned to take responsibility for their own needs and emotions seek instead to take them out on someone more vulnerable.

I fully agree with the member opposite that concern and words alone are simply not enough. More needs to be done to build on the important work of awareness and prevention of this problem. Public awareness campaigns like “Don't Be That Guy”and “Be More Than a Bystander” and other demonstrations of leadership on this issue, such as the personal pledge to live violence free taken by the chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations, emphasize that there can be no observers in this struggle. Everyone has to play a role in ending violence.

The Government of Canada is keenly aware that leadership through action is needed before more lives are lost and more families and communities are devastated. The government has answered that call for leadership in four ways.

First, using violence against another person is more than socially unacceptable and morally reprehensible; it is a crime. As part of its responsibility for the criminal law in Canada, this government has made a number of changes to ensure that offenders are held accountable for their crimes against others. For example, amendments made by the Safe Streets and Communities Act promote safety and security to ensure that criminals are held fully accountable for their actions through increased penalties for violent crimes, restrictions on the use of conditional sentences and house arrest for serious and violent crimes, and increased penalties for child sexual offences.

Next, the member opposite asked if the government will support the plan of the opposition to take concrete action to end violence against indigenous women.

I would remind the House that the government already announced a plan to take concrete action in this area in October 2010 with the seven-step strategy, totalling $25 million over five years, to reduce violence against indigenous women and children and to increase community safety as a criminal justice priority.

The current strategy ends in March of next year, and the government has already announced its intention to make renewed efforts in this area.

The current strategy has produced some significant results. They include, first, a new national centre for missing persons and unidentified remains, responding to a resolution of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police asking for federal leadership. The centre has done an incredible amount of work to help improve police responses, launch a new national website to encourage tips, and much more.

Second is extensive work with aboriginal communities toward the development of community specific safety plans. Third is support for culturally appropriate victim services in seven provinces and territories, including for families of missing and murdered aboriginal women. Fourth is support for awareness activities by community organizations and for novel approaches aimed at reducing the vulnerability of indigenous women and girls.

Last is a new online resource for aboriginal communities looking to address specific challenges, which highlights some of the more innovative measures to reduce violence, designed by aboriginal communities in Canada.

These targeted actions were based on recommendations from many of the more than 45 studies, commissions, inquiries, and other reports that already exist on this issue and that emphasize the need for action. These studies and inquiries also form the basis for other work, including significant investments by the Government of Canada over recent years to address some of the underlying factors identified as the root causes of greater vulnerability to violence, including economic development, education, family violence programming, policing, and other relevant areas.

The concrete actions in the October 2010 announcement also complement other coordinated action taken by federal, provincial, and territorial partners working with aboriginal people and other stakeholders. For example, a dedicated police task force has been established in several jurisdictions to address unsolved murders, such as Project Evenhanded and Project E-PANA in B.C., Project KARE in Alberta, and Project Devote in Manitoba.

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

Mr. Speaker, these women simply deserve better. They deserve better than excuses and obfuscation from the Conservatives. They deserve better than a laundry list of things that are supposedly being done. We all know here that there are actually no new things being committed, even though we know that there are plenty of things that still need to be done.

We do not need another ineffective committee report and a list of the government's meagre investments that do nothing but prove the harsh funding inequities that are keeping first nation communities down in a colonial framework.

Unfortunately, it does not seem like the report coming from the special committee is going to be any better than the one that came out in 2011 in the report of the Status of Women committee on ending violence against aboriginal women and girls. In 2011, I tabled the NDP's dissenting report, which highlighted the actions that were needed.

The NDP is continuing to demand action. We have put on the table plenty of concrete steps to finally get justice for our sisters. Meanwhile, Conservative budgets are telling a completely different story, with no new investments to really solve the problem.

Could the parliamentary secretary confirm that the Conservatives will actually support Motion No. 444 by my NDP colleague for Churchill, which specifically calls for a public inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women?

[Susan Truppe, Conservative, London North Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this government shares the outrage of all Canadians that this situation exists. We have committed to concrete action to resolve this issue and we renewed that commitment in the recent Speech from the Throne.

Thanks to the extensive number of reports and recommendations, along with the testimony from expert witnesses at the special committee tasked with studying this issue exclusively, we have a good idea of what needs to change, but the reality is that the causes of the violence are complex, and lasting change will require coordinated and sustained attention from federal, provincial, and territorial governments working together with aboriginal people and other stakeholders to develop more effective and appropriate solutions on a community-by-community basis.

The government will continue to seek further information and advice on what is and is not working. However, in this era of fiscal restraint when tough choices must be made about priorities, we cannot agree that a major inquiry with yet another report is the responsible or proactive way to move forward to end the violence against indigenous women and girls.

I would close with the words of a B.C. report from 2005 entitled “Researched to Death”. The report states that “It is important to note the amount of time and the countless years of advocating...have all led to similar findings, directions, and approaches. These approaches...need to be acted upon, rather than becoming just another report on aboriginal women and violence.”

The government chooses to focus on taking concrete action now.

The Environment

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today on a question I asked in the House quite a while ago. I would like to talk about an important environmental issue: endangered species.

I asked the Minister of the Environment about this several weeks ago, but the minister, who is supposed to make wise decisions about environmental issues, unfortunately did not make good decisions about endangered species. Right now, our ecosystems, our biodiversity and our endangered species are not adequately protected.

According to the minister's answer to my question, the Conservative government is very interested in protecting and preserving our rich biodiversity. She also said that she planned to take urgent measures to protect the sage grouse. This bird has been endangered for a long time. Environmental groups had to pester the government, wearing it down until it agreed to protect this endangered species. That is just a drop in the ocean when it comes to the Conservatives' problems. In Canada, there are 518 endangered species. Fewer than 10 of them are protected. That means there is still a lot of work to do.

Back home, if we get less than 10 correct answers out of 500, that is not good. I have an anecdote. My daughter Ariane is very diligent. She always has to have high marks and sometimes when she gets 56 out of 60, she gets worried because she thinks that mark is not good enough. I tell her not to worry, that it is very good. However, less than 10 out of 518 is not very good. In fact, it is bad.

Unfortunately, this government is not taking a leadership role on the environment. As I was saying earlier, according to the report of Canada's Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, the Conservative government is currently protecting only 7 out of the 518 species on the list. That is not good. It is a failure.

I will quote a worrisome statement the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development made. Quite recently, he wrote a report on the matter and came to present it to us at the Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development. The Commissioner mentioned that, to deal with the challenges and meet the government's obligations under the Species at Risk Act, “it will take Environment Canada approximately 10 years to complete its backlog”.

That does not include all the other species that could eventually be put on the list in accordance with the Species at Risk Act, because of everything that is happening, such as climate change. A deputy minister criticized the minister by stating that she is not doing enough. Unfortunately, things seem to go in one ear and out the other.

I will now ask the government my question. I am pleased about the person who will be answering and I hope to have a good answer. In light of the long delays, and the fact that new measures are required in order to meet the obligations of the Species at Risk Act, what new measures will be introduced in the next few days? Why are there no measures in the current budget?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague will be happy with the answer because no government in Canadian history has done more on the conservation front than this Conservative government. We have clearly demonstrated our commitment to conservation through enforcing existing laws, delivering new initiatives, undertaking research on and monitoring of wildlife, and continuing to fund and improve the partnerships and programs that have been proven to deliver results.

I would like to take this opportunity to list just a few of our accomplishments.

Since being elected in 2006, our government has created two national marine conservation areas, three marine protected areas, three national wildlife areas, two national parks, and one national historic site.

I know the member opposite will be interested to know that our government has significantly accelerated our progress on species recovery planning. In the last three years we have published recovery strategies and management plans for 141 species. This remarkable figure demonstrates our commitment to the protection of species at risk and that we are achieving real results.

Moreover, our government has improved the enforcement of Canada's wildlife laws and has increased the rate of hiring and is training more enforcement officers. These measures have increased our capacity to take action against ivory smugglers and people who illegally import exotic reptiles, for example.

Since 2006, our government has funded co-operative projects that deliver real results for communities and species at risk. Through the habitat stewardship program the government has supported over 2,100 projects across Canada.

Furthermore, as mentioned in our response to the commissioner's report, we are taking action to support conservation and protection of habitats and ecologically sensitive lands. The total area of new lands that we have protected since 2006 is equal to an area twice the size of Vancouver Island. This provides real conservation benefits for Canadians. It is really historic.

While I am up, I would like to ask the member opposite a question. He sits here every day and asks the government to do more for conservation. The good news for him is that in budget 2014 our government not only announced almost $400 million in new money for Parks Canada, but also its intention to create a national conservation plan. It also announced important money for groups such as Earth Rangers.

My question to the him is this. Will he start to walk the talk and stop voting against money for conservation and protecting Canada's environment?

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to say that the only thing historic about what the Conservatives are doing is that environmental groups had to take the Government of Canada to court to say that it was not complying with its own laws. That is historic. Only then did the government finally decide to say that it lost the case and that it should comply with its own laws and protect the sage grouse. That is historic.

Another historic thing is that the government has planned on implementing a national conservation plan for the past two or three years. What are the Conservatives waiting for? The 2015 election? Come on. Let us get going with the national conservation plan. Why wait? They announced it years ago. We did our job at the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development. Let us get going on this.

As for the money he mentioned, sure there is a lot, but there is very little for protecting endangered species. That is what we are talking about today. Unfortunately there are still more than 500 endangered species for which there is no protection plan. Only seven species currently have a plan. Unfortunately, other environmentalists and citizens will have to take the government to court to get it to fulfill its commitments. That is what I am realizing today.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I provided concrete examples of how our government has and will continue to work with its partners to advance conservation in the interests of all Canadians and the Canadian environment.

We have done this in the past by funding effective programs and projects and building on what works. We will continue to do so in the future by expanding on recent announcements and making new ones.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 2 p.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 7:40 p.m.)