Debates of March 7th, 2014

Employment

[Scott Armstrong, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment and Social Development]

Mr. Speaker, no government has done more for young people, people with disabilities, and aboriginals than this Conservative government under the leadership of the Prime Minister and under the leadership of this Minister of Finance.

Our government will strongly continue to support youth employment. In fact, this summer, literally thousands and thousands of young people will get jobs and employment due to the financial support. In the budget there is $100,000 to support youth internships in this country.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Mr. Speaker, all week the Minister of Justice has demonstrated that he does not understand that first nations actually are seeking meaningful action to stop the ongoing tragedy of missing and murdered indigenous women. They are demanding the elimination of rampant sexism and racism in policing, better support, and inclusion of the families of victims, but most of all, they want to see action to actually prevent this happening to others.

Will the minister stop the intransigence and finally call a national public inquiry?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I do not want to stop the action and the forward-looking policies of this government to stop and have an inquiry. I want to say that we will keep doing what we have been doing.

We will continue with policies like ending house arrest for sexual assault, strengthening sentences for child sex offences, toughening the penalties for those who import, produce, and traffic in date rape drugs, and the list goes on.

We have tabled some 30 bills in the House of Commons and have taken numerous initiatives across the country to directly invest in programs that help women and girls, especially those on reserve. What we do not need now is to stop and talk and study. We need more action, and I think the hon. member would agree with that.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today the Special Committee on Violence Against Indigenous Women tabled its report.

I ask the chair of the committee, the member for Mississauga South, whether she believes the report actually reflects the testimony of witnesses, or does she believe it was improperly influenced by the six Conservative parliamentary secretaries on the committee, taking orders from the PMO?

The trust between the government and first nations has long been broken. Does the chair of the committee agree that today's report will break the trust of indigenous people in Parliament?

[Stella Ambler, Conservative, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it was an honour for me to chair this Special Committee on Violence Against Indigenous Women. This was formed by an all-party unanimous decision in the House of Commons.

I believe that this report will go further to take action. This government has taken action with tougher crimes that the Minister of Justice was talking about, but more important, this report will outline, as members will find shortly, all of the actions that have been taken and all of the actions that can be taken.

I want to thank all members of the special committee for their work, including the member for St. Paul's.

Taxation

[Guy Caron, NDP, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we have learned that the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada does not have the resources it needs to monitor money laundering.

The Conservatives have plenty of money to go after the unemployed and charities they do not approve of. However, when it comes time to go after the real bandits—white collar criminals who cheat on their taxes and launder millions of dollars—the Conservatives never seem to have the money.

Will the minister give the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre the money it needs to crack down on money laundering?

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

Mr. Speaker, our government believes in keeping taxes low, but we also believe in ensuring that all corporations and Canadians pay their fair share of tax. That is why, since 2006, we have moved aggressively to close over 75 tax loopholes, and the loopholes we are closing amount to billions of dollars annually. That means lower taxes for all Canadians, not just a select few.

Shamefully, New Democrats have voted against every single attempt by our government to close tax loopholes since 2006. Why are New Democrats working so hard to protect tax loopholes?

[Guy Caron, NDP, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the question is not about loopholes. It is about the resources necessary to actually fight money laundering.

FINTRAC is clear. Conservatives are not providing the resources necessary to do the job. We are talking about money laundering and billions in lost revenues. FINTRAC must now review a massive amount of data from online casinos and bitcoin transactions, so why has the government failed to give it the resources it needs to go after 21st century money launderers and tax cheats?

[Gerald Keddy, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue and for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the resources are in place. There are nearly 400 more tax auditors today than there were in the past and when we formed government.

If the member would look at economic action plan 2013, we committed to crack down on those who avoid paying their fair share of taxes and to ensure tax fairness for all Canadians. In order to implement that, we put nearly 400 more tax auditors in place. That is the government doing the job it was elected to do.

Veterans

[Annick Papillon, NDP, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives claim that cuts to Veterans Affairs Canada will not affect the quality of services provided.

We have a report that states the opposite. On page 11, the Report on Plans and Priorities states that:

...there is a risk that quality service delivery could be affected due to VAC’s increasing reliance on partners and service providers in the federal, provincial and municipal governments as well as private sector.

Why is the minister making decisions that are bad for our veterans?

[Parm Gill, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, veterans have said they want faster services with less paperwork and red tape, which led to the veterans affairs transformation initiative in 2010.

As the report clearly indicates, any risks associated with such a wholesale change are being addressed by listening to veterans and experts. By streamlining our business practices with National Defence Canada and our partners, veterans affairs modernization will meet the needs of Canadian veterans.

[Peter Stoffer, NDP, Sackville—Eastern Shore, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the report goes on to say that there is a risk that the modernization of VAC programs will not be achieved and will not meet the needs of Canadian veterans and their families. That is the government's own report. The Prime Minister said on January 28 in the House, “What is happening here is a significant increase in service”. The Prime Minister is saying one thing and the Minister of Veterans Affairs own report is saying something completely different. This is one reason why veterans in this country do not trust the Conservative government.

Could the parliamentary secretary tell me when the government is going to reverse these draconian cuts and give our veterans the services they so rightfully deserve?

[Parm Gill, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the modernization of Veterans Affairs’ 50-year-old process is important and, so far, has eliminated dozens of forms and countless hours of headaches for Canadian veterans. More work must be done to ensure a seamless delivery of benefits and services available for veterans transitioning from the military, none of which is consistent with how Veterans Affairs Canada operated even a decade ago.

The only thing the NDP is interested in is more federal public servants to process more forms and red tape.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[LaVar Payne, Conservative, Medicine Hat, AB]

Mr. Speaker, while western Canadian grain producers had a record harvest this past year, farmers are depending on the railways to move their crops efficiently to market. For far too long, the railways have over-promised and under-delivered. Poor rail service is costing farmers money, and this needs to change.

Could the parliamentary secretary please tell the House how our government is taking action to put hard-working Canadian farmers first, including those in my riding of Medicine Hat?

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture]

Mr. Speaker, today in Winnipeg, the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of Transport announced concrete measures to get grain moving in western Canada. Our government will require the railways to move more than double the amount of grain currently being moved, or face penalties up to $100,000. In addition, we will be introducing get-to-work legislation to further address this situation.

We are sending the message that the way the railways have performed with respect to grain movement is unacceptable. Farmers knew we would act, and we are acting.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, first nations education should be a priority for the federal government today, but the Conservatives are making first nations children wait until 2015 to end the spending cap that has kept their schools chronically underfunded. To make matters worse, we now learn that the government did not even spend the money that it promised; $33 million was “re-profiled”.

When the need is so great, why is the government failing to invest money that it promised?

[Bernard Valcourt, Conservative, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, I thought the member was going to congratulate the government for not allowing these funds to lapse so they would be lost. Being re-profiled means that the funds will be spent and invested on the construction of schools on first nations territory.

The government's commitment to education can be no clearer than in the budget, where an incremental $1.9 billion is going to be invested. If the member really cares about education, she should have supported the budget.

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the minister claimed an inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women and girls was unnecessary. When asked to explain himself, the minister insultingly replied that you're not Canadian if you don't understand the problem.

An inquiry would investigate the root causes of violence against indigenous women. It would bring closure and some measure of justice to the families.

When will the minister listen to all Canadians and call a national inquiry?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I said no such thing, nothing even remotely resembling what she has put forward in her question. What I have said is that we have some 40 reports already tabled. In fact, what we have now, as referenced by the member for St. Paul's, is a 41st report dealing with these issues, all of which direct and call upon all levels of government to do more about violence and to do more in programming, which is exactly what our government is doing.

Rather than having more talks and studies and inquiries, we need action. That is what the government is doing. That is what her party is opposing.

[Jonathan Genest-Jourdain, NDP, Manicouagan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the appalling comments made by the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development are inexcusable, because they are recurrent. Furthermore, they clearly demonstrate that the minister is not taking this situation seriously.

Over 800 aboriginal women have been murdered or have gone missing since 1990. Their families, friends and communities want justice. The measures the Conservatives have brought forward are not working. Women continue to disappear.

Instead of making inappropriate comments, will the minister finally take this matter seriously and launch a public inquiry?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, there has been no government more firmly committed to taking action on violence against women and girls, against women on reserve, against those who have suffered violence, including young women like Loretta Saunders. What we do not need is any pause in the ongoing efforts of the government to attack violence at its core. That means tougher laws and sanctions for those who commit offences. It means more programming, more education, more opportunities on reserve. It does not necessitate more study. We have had over 40 now, including the one just completed by Parliament. So I say to the hon. member, while talk and advocating for more studies is one thing, taking action, what this government is doing—

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

The hon. member for Manicouagan.

[Jonathan Genest-Jourdain, NDP, Manicouagan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, their measures are not working, because no one has a proper understanding of the problem, since there has been no public inquiry.

Staying on the topic of the incompetence of the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, over $33 million has not been invested in first nations education, despite the crisis that exists in that regard.

Can the minister tell us exactly when that $33 million will be allocated to education infrastructure, as initially planned?

[Bernard Valcourt, Conservative, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, I will simply repeat to the member what I said yesterday in committee.

Because of circumstances beyond our control, $33 million set aside to build schools on reserves could not be invested. Those funds have been carried forward to the 2014-15 budget and will be invested for the original purpose, that is, building schools for first nations.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the so-called emergency action announced today on grain is little more than what the railways had already projected to do themselves in the weeks ahead.

Second, the government needs to fix the useless railway service legislation, Bill C-52, designed by the government, which fails to define service, fails to measure performance, and fails to impose damages payable to farmers.

Third is compensation. The system designed by the government has imposed costs and losses of $5 billion over the last five months. Will farmers get any of that money back?