Debates of Feb. 28th, 2014

Artists for Peace

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on February 14, I attended a very moving ceremony by Artistes pour la paix, an organization celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. At the ceremony, the artist for peace award went to Serge Lavoie, who is also known as the “guitar strummer”. In 2012, Mr. Lavoie was the victim of police brutality, an experience that did not deter, but perhaps reinforced his commitment to peace.

Tribute awards were presented to screenwriter Fabienne Larouche, visual artist Dominique Blain and, posthumously, filmmaker Arthur Lamothe, distinguished artists who inspire us all.

These awards prove that everyone can commit to peace in their respective fields. Individual commitment is essential to the health of our democracy, which is currently under attack. Congratulations to all those who are doing their part for peace and social justice.

Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada

[Peter Braid, Conservative, Kitchener—Waterloo, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Papineau once again yesterday demonstrated that he is in way over his head. Speaking about our government's historic investments in infrastructure, he alleged that our government had in fact cut—wait for it—“thousands of billions” of dollars, whereas one might want to say trillions of dollars.

Our infrastructure plan is very generous, the most generous in Canadian history. We are investing $70 billion in infrastructure over the next 10 years. This compares very favourably with the former Liberal government, which starved provinces and invested only a fraction of what we have invested in provincial and municipal infrastructure.

Perhaps, in the world of the member for Papineau, where budgets balance themselves, investing “thousands of billions” sounds realistic, but in the real world, the member for Papineau is clearly in way over his head.

Angèle Arsenault

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that Acadia and all of Canada learned of the passing of Angèle Arsenault on Wednesday, February 26.

An ambassador for Acadia and music outside Acadia, Angèle Arsenault never forgot her roots, which inspired her to write fabulous songs such as Grand Pré and Y'a une étoile pour vous.

Originally from Prince Edward Island, Angèle Arsenault also played a major role in the life and cultural development of the Acadian community on the island.

There are very few people who have had such a great and profound impact in Acadia as Angèle Arsenault. She helped francophone Canada discover and come to know Acadian music and culture.

I join my colleagues in the House in offering our condolences to her family and saying one last goodbye to the great artist, Angèle Arsenault. We will always remember her.

Tidal Power

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I was pleased to participate in the unveiling of a tidal turbine on Wednesday at the technology park of the Canada Science and Technology Museum. It was developed as part of project led by Clean Current, funded by Sustainable Development Technology Canada.

Based upon this project, Clean Current was able to incorporate further developments into its turbine technology. This is significant. It helps Canada secure its place at the forefront of efforts to develop sustainable energy. This 65-kilowatt turbine was Canada's first free-stream tidal power project. It generated 1,495 kilowatt hours of electricity, replacing diesel-generated electricity.

This is an innovative project. Our government is proud to support efforts to harness the power of the ocean and support Canadian clean technologies.

Government Expenditures

[Kennedy Stewart, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Conservative government tabled the main estimates. Once again, it is one reckless cut after another, after another, after another.

The Auditor General's budget is being slashed by $6.6 million; the Canada Revenue Agency is losing more than $175 million; and the Canada Food Inspection Agency is losing another $69 million. These agencies keep our food safe, go after tax cheats, and provide accountability for government spending, yet they are falling under the indiscriminate axe of the Conservative government.

However, not everyone is getting cut. While food safety, tax inspectors, and accountability face cuts, the budget of the organization tasked with electronic eavesdropping, the one that we recently learned was spying on Canadians, is almost doubling to $829 million.

Canadians deserve a government that will respect their privacy and invest in programs that help them. Canadians deserve an NDP government.

New Democratic Party of Canada

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the next federal election is over a year away. The NDP is already waving the white flag, pleading to join a Liberal-led coalition. Canadians know what a Liberal-led NDP high-tax coalition would mean: a soft on crime agenda, repealing mandatory prison sentences for violent offenders; a reckless plan to legalize marijuana, making it easier for children to smoke; and massive spending increases of, as the Liberal leader put it, thousands of billions of dollars, otherwise known as trillions. Of course, the coalition would have budgets that balance themselves. Perhaps this is why the Liberal leader should not claim to be a math teacher.

When will the anti-trade leader of the official opposition stop passing the pipe in an effort to close a deal with the pro-drug-trade, high on smiles, low on substance leader of the third party? Canadians are looking for the opposition to do its job, not toke the flames of an unwanted coalition fire.

Foreign Affairs

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this morning we learned that Russian troops are occupying the two main airports in Crimea, and Ukraine's border guards have indicated that 30 Russian marines have surrounded a Ukrainian coast guard base in Sevastopol.

Can the government tell the House what information it has about the situation in Crimea?

[David Anderson, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, as we have said before, Canada fully supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. Any outside involvement in Ukraine's democratic aspirations would be a dangerous development. All countries should be working together in the pursuit of unity, freedom, and democracy.

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, former president Yanukovych has fled the country. There are reports of Russian troops occupying airports in Crimea. Ukraine has said that a coast guard base in Sevastopol has been surrounded by Russian marines.

Can the minister update the House on the situation and tell us what the government has communicated to the Russian government regarding this very troubling situation?

[David Anderson, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, Canada will continue to work with our allies and like-minded countries to build a coordinated a path forward.

I would like to talk about some of the leadership that we have provided. The Prime Minister's decision to send a Canadian delegation to Ukraine is another example of Canada's leadership on the issue. This delegation is on the ground. It is listening and making clear that Canada wants to play a part in helping the Ukrainian people build their future.

Democratic Reform

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

Mr. Speaker, although we have tried many times to get answers, Canadians still do not know why the Conservatives refuse to consult them about the Canada Elections Act.

Committees are always travelling across the country to consult Canadians. The Conservatives are willing to waste more than $600,000 for the other committees that travel, but not to consult Canadians about this bill. This time, the government does not want to hear anything.

Why, exactly, is the minister refusing to consult and respect Canadians?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Minister of State (Democratic Reform)]

Mr. Speaker, we have already conducted consultations and will continue to do so.

The fair elections act will ensure that political power stays in the hands of average Canadians by preventing special interest groups from wielding power and preventing violations of the law. It gives more powers to the commissioner, who can conduct investigations to enforce the law. It will make it easier for Canadians to vote.

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

Mr. Speaker, that was a simple question on a reasonable and democratic proposal to consult with Canadians, yet the minister thinks only Ottawa Conservatives have a right to be heard.

The Conservatives were willing to spend more than $600,000 on travel for other committees and they did not think any of that was an expensive circus, so why now? Why with this bill? Why would they refuse to allow open and public consultations on such a critical piece of legislation that is the foundation of our democratic principles? Is the government really that scared of hearing what Canadians think of its unfair election act?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Minister of State (Democratic Reform)]

Mr. Speaker, if the member wants people to provide input on the fair elections act, then he should simply put together a list of witnesses he wants to have testify on that very act. The committee in question would then take into consideration their ideas and consider the amendments that those witnesses bring forward. However, the NDP declared its opposition to the fair elections act before even reading a single word.

The Canadian people understand that the fair elections act would keep everyday Canadians in charge of democracy by putting special interest groups on the sidelines and rule breakers out of business.

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

Mr. Speaker, historically, changing the laws that govern our elections has always been a non-partisan exercise, but not for these Ottawa Conservatives. Canadians from all walks of life and in every region of the country need to be able to tell their government how our democracy will run, not the other way around.

MPs travel and consult on new legislation all the time. What are the Conservatives afraid to hear with respect to their unfair elections act? Why will the minister not step out of his Ottawa bubble for just one minute, respect Canadians, consult with them, and allow the committee to travel?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Minister of State (Democratic Reform)]

Mr. Speaker, the member talks about partisanship, which is why I regret so much that his party has taken such a partisan approach to this bill.

NDP members announced before they even read the bill that they were opposed to it simply because it came from a different party. That is not the kind of leadership Canadians expect. He should have read the bill and studied his contents. He should be supporting a new ban on impersonators. He should support the new voter contact registry that would allow us to track robocalls and mass calling. He should support tougher penalties for voter deception.

All of these things are right in the fair elections act, if only he would read it.

Finance

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago, the Prime Minister and his Minister of Finance agreed that income splitting is bad economic policy. This week, while the Minister of Finance was out of the country, the Prime Minister backtracked and decided that he wants to implement this bad economic policy.

Is the government still listening to the Minister of Finance, or is he just a figurehead with no real power?

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

Mr. Speaker, the only income splitting the opposition understands is splitting the hard-earned income of Canadians from their pockets.

Once we balance the budget, we will look at all ways of reducing the tax burden on Canadian families. In fact, since taking office in 2006, we have reduced over 160 different taxes, resulting in a savings to the average Canadian family of over $3,400 in 2014 alone.

We are the only party reducing taxes on Canadian families. The Liberals and the NDP would both raise taxes to pay for their reckless spending schemes.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Party cut taxes and had eight consecutive surplus budgets.

Income splitting was the Conservatives' signature tax policy in the last election, but it was not even mentioned in the Speech from the Throne, the blueprint for this session.

The Prime Minister and his Minister of Finance were clearly on the same page last October. They must have agreed, to paraphrase the Minister of Finance, that income splitting was not that beneficial to society.

What convinced the Prime Minister to flip-flop yet again and throw his Minister of Finance under the bus?

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

Mr. Speaker, unlike the Liberal leader, who thinks that budgets balance themselves, we are working hard to balance the budget for Canadians. Once we balance the budget, our government is committed to greater tax relief for all Canadian families.

Only Conservatives can be trusted to lower taxes for families. We introduced pension income splitting for seniors, which the opposition voted against. As a result of our low-tax plan, the average Canadian family now pays nearly $3,400 less every year.

The Budget

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Speaker, groups that help people learn to read, write, and get their GEDs are being punished by the Conservative government. The Dartmouth Learning Network, the Adult Learning Association of Cape Breton, MetroWorks Halifax, Skills Up!, and other groups that help disadvantaged people are facing massive cuts.

The Minister of Employment and Social Development is telling provinces to find the money elsewhere, which the Minister of Finance says they can find by raising taxes.

Will the government tell Terry Wilson, Fred Spencer, or Pam Leary why the Conservatives are asking them to fend for themselves?

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for the question.

The federal government has significantly reduced and restructured its proposal based on provincial feedback. Today I am very excited that the Minister of Employment and Social Development has announced that an agreement on the Canada job grant has been reached with the provinces.

Training should lead to guaranteed jobs, not just training for the sake of training. Training should involve the employers. We are very proud of this agreement.

Democratic Reform

[Robert Chisholm, NDP, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Mr. Speaker, when the Conservatives promised a new elections law, it was meant to empower Elections Canada to fight the fraud we saw during the 2011 election. Instead, the Conservatives are using the act to muzzle Elections Canada and make it harder for thousands of Canadians to make their voices heard.

This law forms the cornerstone of our democratic process. It deserves better than a partisan rewriting.

Will the Conservatives admit that the bill is flawed and needs to be changed?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Minister of State (Democratic Reform)]

Mr. Speaker, according to the former chief electoral officer, the bill is an A minus. The committee, of which all parties have some membership, can work together to turn it into an A plus.

As to the issue of the investigator, he is the watchdog, and the fair elections act would give him sharper teeth, a longer reach, and a freer hand. That is what Canadians have asked for. That is what the fair elections act would provide.

[Rosane Doré Lefebvre, NDP, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, experts from all areas have pointed out major problems, including with the power granted to the Chief Electoral Officer, the investigative power of Elections Canada and the vouching for voters system. The minister believes that the only democratic reform possible is the one that was created in his ivory tower in Ottawa.

When will he get out of his bubble and go to the communities to listen to what the thousands of Canadians who signed the petition have to say about this reform?