Debates of April 1st, 2014

619 RAF Squadron

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in the early hours of April 25, 1945, 24-year-old Wilfrid DeMarco flew out with 619 RAF Squadron on the last great raid of the war. Their target was Hitler's mountain fortress at Berchtesgaden.

DeMarco was considered a brilliant pilot, but the young crew of Canadian and British airmen faced an impossible task. Flying low over the SS barracks, they were hit by a heavy wall of flak. DeMarco attempted to keep the plane level while the crew bailed out. Three men survived. The other four were the last of the 50,000 airmen lost in that brutal campaign.

Next April, the village of Adnet, Austria, will commemorate their loss, and on this side of the pond, the city of Timmins, our museum, Legion Branch 88, and the Algonquin Regiment will host our own commemoration.

On behalf of the Parliament of Canada, I want to thank Mayor Wolfgang Auer and the people of Adnet, as well as the supporters of 619 RAF Squadron, David Young and Kevin Ruane, for remembering our young men.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.

Royal Canadian Air Force

[Laurie Hawn, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, 90 years ago today, in 1924, King George V proclaimed the birth of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Building on our aviation heritage, from the Silver Dart of Baddeck in 1909 and Billy Bishop's courage of the early morning in World War I, the men and women of the RCAF, in service of King, Queen, and country,

have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings
Along the way, they have been supported by thousands of dedicated ground crew and support personnel as they

joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds—and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of—

They brought glory to themselves and Canada through large wars and small, peacekeeping, search and rescue, disaster relief, and maritime operations, while protecting our sovereignty and security and contributing to making the world a better place.

It did not come cheap, and more than 17,000 airmen and airwomen have made the ultimate sacrifice. They have

topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew
And, while silent lifting mind [have] trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space
Put out [a] hand and touched the face of God.

We salute you. Per Ardua Ad Astra

Volunteers

[Jonathan Tremblay, NDP, Montmorency—Charlevoix—Haute-Côte-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to the remarkable contributions and the excellent work of our volunteers and all of our community organizations.

We must show them our gratitude for everything they have accomplished. I want to thank all volunteers, whether they volunteer with youth or seniors, in the health care field or elsewhere. One hour, one day or one year is something quite remarkable.

I cannot overlook their passion and generosity. These volunteers play a very valuable role in our communities. They are role models for everyone.

Next week is National Volunteer Week, when we have the opportunity to use the Volunt-Hear hotline to thank a volunteer. It is a small gesture, but it can make a big difference.

First Nations Hockey

[Rob Clarke, Conservative, Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and pay homage to a great Canadian.

On Sunday, the Edmonton Oilers hosted a celebration of first nations hockey at the pre-game ceremony where Fred Sasakamoose, the first first nations NHL hockey player, was honoured as part of the many touching commemorations held in conjunction with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings in Edmonton.

Fred's story represents both the dark past experienced by first nations as well as their hopeful future. Fred was removed from his family, his community of Ataakahkoop First Nation, and his Cree culture at six years of age, and was placed in a residential school in Duck Lake. Like so many children in residential schools, Fred found refuge in hockey. He later attended hockey training camp and was called up on February 27, 1954, to play for the Chicago Blackhawks.

At 80 years of age, Fred remains involved in his community, mentoring young athletes and volunteering in sporting events. He remains an example to the younger generation of aboriginal NHL stars.

I would like to congratulate Fred for his leadership and encouragement of first nations youth to reach their full potential.

Sealing Disaster

[Yvonne Jones, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate a sad saga in Newfoundland history, as Sunday March 30 marked the 100th anniversary of the great sealing disaster of 1914, which claimed the lives of 251 Newfoundland men and boys as they worked on the edge of dangerous ice floes to earn a living for their families.

These men and boys, some as young as 13, would travel miles to the ice front. They would hunt in treacherous ice conditions and winter snow storms in temperatures that were below -30.

A hundred years ago these men were ordered onto the ice in the middle of a storm, a vicious snow storm with drifting so bad there was no visibility and they could not make their way back to the ship.

So 78 of them perished on the ice floes of the cold Atlantic. It was that same storm that took down the sealing ship, Southern Cross, and with it the lives of another 173 men and boys of our province.

Today we remember them and their determination and the importance of the industry in which they partook.

Taxation

[Terence Young, Conservative, Oakville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the opposition leaders cannot help but repeat the promise to not raise taxes on the middle class, which begs the question: what income range constitutes the middle class?

I will assume that the opposition did its homework and knows that the middle class is leading Canada's wealth increase, with the median net worth of Canadian families increasing by 45% since 2005.

However, based on the leader of the third party's answer to such a basic question, it is clear that the former teacher does not do his own homework. He claims that “...the middle class is people who work for their income, not people who live off their assets and their savings.” Under this reckless definition, our Canadian pensioners and retirees, who live off their savings, are not middle class. It is unbelievable.

Canadian families have seen increases of 10% or more in their pay since 2006. We are on the right track for Canadian families. As for the Liberal leader, he is clearly in over his head.

Ethics

[Ève Péclet, NDP, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Mr. Speaker, another name has been added to the list of bad appointments by the Prime Minister.

After Nigel Wright, Mike Duffy and the rest, now it is Dimitri Soudas' turn to have had the Prime Minister's full confidence before demonstrating a complete lack of judgment and being shown the door, or resigning, depending on the version of the story. That reminds of something.

In the midst of an unlikely love story straight out of a soap opera, Dimitri Soudas is being accused of misusing the Conservative Party database. It is odd that he is now able to say who used the database because during the robocall scandal, he claimed he did not know who had access to it. In fact, he maintains that claim.

While the middle class, which is not made up just of people living solely off their income, is struggling more and more, the Prime Minister is spending his time settling schoolyard disputes in his party.

Canadians want a government that focuses on what really matters. Unfortunately, they will have to wait until 2015 to vote for the NDP.

Taxation

[Phil McColeman, Conservative, Brant, ON]

Mr. Speaker, our government has delivered historic tax relief. We cut the GST, introduced pension income splitting, and created the tax-free savings account that has benefited more than nine million Canadians. Because of this tax relief, a typical family of four will save nearly $3,400 in taxes in 2014.

Our low-tax plan is working. Statistics Canada confirmed that middle-income families are better off today under the Conservative government than under Liberals. The net worth of families was up 44% from 2005. Unfortunately, the Liberal leader has no idea what it is like to be middle class. Middle-class families do not live spoiled lifestyles while collecting thousands in speaking fees on the backs of charities. They also know that budgets do not magically balance themselves.

Despite the inexperienced Liberal leader, Canadians can rest assured that this government will stand up for middle-income earners and all Canadians.

Justice

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Supreme Court categorically rejected Marc Nadon's appointment to the highest court. The judges rejected the Prime Minister's choice because Mr. Nadon did not meet the criteria required to represent Quebec on the Supreme Court.

I would like the Prime Minister to be very clear, as he is so fond of saying. Will he tell us clearly that he has no intention of reappointing Marc Nadon to the Supreme Court?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, obviously, the government will respect the letter and spirit of this ruling.

I must point out that, during hearings and consultations, the NDP said that it did not object to appointing a Quebecker from the Federal Court to the Supreme Court. Now, the NDP has changed its tune.

Ethics

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, it is one of two things: either the Prime Minister is revealing a secret that he does not have the right to tell or he is not telling the truth. I can tell you that he is not betraying a secret because what he just said is the opposite of the truth.

Can the Prime Minister tell us who Mark Kihn is? What is Mark Kihn's role in the government? Can the Prime Minister tell us why he invited Mr. Kihn to travel on the government plane on at least five occasions?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have already answered those questions.

We have been very clear. My practice as Prime Minister is that any use I make or anybody else makes of the Challenger for anything other than government business is reimbursed immediately at commercial rates.

That has been done in this and all cases.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, maybe he could tell Canadians where they can buy a commercially available ticket for $200 between Calgary and Ottawa on a private plane.

Mark Kihn is a Conservative Party bagman who raised millions of dollars for the Conservative Party and $3.5 million for the Prime Minister personally. By the way, we are all still waiting to see the final list of his donors from his leadership campaign.

Is it not clear that Mark Kihn was invited on the Prime Minister's taxpayer-funded jet as a reward for raising money for the Conservative Party? Can the Prime Minister tell us in good faith that he thinks there is nothing wrong with that?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Once again, Mr. Speaker, as I have said repeatedly, the RCMP requires me to fly on a non-commercial aircraft. Any use of government aircraft for non-commercial purposes is reimbursed.

When an individual is on the plane who is not a parliamentarian or a staff member, we are always sure that it is done in a way that actually lowers the cost of the flight to taxpayers.

Democratic Reform

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, I am pretty sure it was not the RCMP that invited a Conservative Party bagman on that flight. It is just a feeling I have.

Over the past few weeks, there has been increased opposition to the Conservatives' unfair elections bill across the country from federal and provincial election administrators, international observers, hundreds of constitutional law and political science professors, and most importantly, thousands of Canadians who participated in public consultations organized by the NDP. Scathing editorials have also been written in this regard.

Does the Prime Minister realize that this is the only time in Canadian history that a government has sought to use its majority in the House to change the fundamental rules of our democracy in its favour? Does he have no shame?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, perhaps this is the only time in Canadian history that an opposition party decided to oppose an electoral reform bill before reading it.

I encourage the NDP to really examine these proposals. The reform is important in order to maintain and improve the integrity of Canada's elections.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, even the slim support that the Prime Minister claims to have for his bill is evaporating before his eyes.

The former Chief Electoral Officer, Jean-Pierre Kingsley, has said that under this bill “...Canadians will lose their trust and their confidence in our elections.” Harry Neufeld has said that the Conservatives have been blatantly misrepresenting his work.

The Prime Minister has claimed that they were both supporting his bill. Of course, he was wrong. Is it not time for the Prime Minister to simply withdraw this undemocratic bill?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, of course, the NDP's main complaint, after not having read the bill, is that it tightens the rules to make sure people cannot vote without any identification whatsoever.

We know the fundamental rule of elections in democratic societies is that votes are supposed to be secret but voters are not supposed to be secret.

Justice

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, of all the recent appointments that demonstrate the Prime Minister's poor judgment, perhaps the most serious is the one that leaves a vacancy on the Supreme Court bench. That seat has been empty for seven months now, which means that the Supreme Court is less in tune with Quebec's stance on significant issues such as the structure of Parliament or the right to die with dignity. When will the Prime Minister appoint a qualified Quebec judge?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, during consultations, all of the parties in the House agreed with the idea of appointing a Quebecker from the Federal Court to the Supreme Court. It is surprising to learn that the rule for Quebec is completely different from the rule for the rest of Canada. I am disappointed that the Liberal Party keeps changing its stance and that it is trying to politicize the process. Obviously, the government will respect the letter and the spirit of the ruling.

Infrastructure

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is the first day of the fiscal year, and today the government has slashed the building Canada fund by 87%. Canadians and their communities need greater infrastructure investment to create good middle class jobs and improve economic productivity and quality of life. How does the Prime Minister justify today's 87% cut to the core infrastructure program?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, if the leader of the Liberal Party actually was familiar with the budget, he would know that last year the government announced the largest infrastructure program in Canadian history, $70 billion over the next 10 years.

To understand that, one would have to understand things like the fact that bank presidents are not members of the middle class and retirees living on their savings are members of the middle class.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this from the first Prime Minister in Canadian history to see his nominee to the Supreme Court rejected.

Today, the building Canada fund has been slashed by 87% for this fiscal year. Canadians know that infrastructure investments are a necessary part of creating good jobs for the middle class, increasing productivity and improving quality of life. How can the Prime Minister justify today's 87% cut to the infrastructure program?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, once again, in terms of the preamble, the Liberal Party in fact supported the nominee for the Supreme Court because all experts agreed that, as has been done in the past, judges who come from a certain province and sit on the Federal Court can be named for that province in the Supreme Court of Canada.

The Supreme Court of Canada has now made a decision otherwise. We will respect that, but it is disappointing to see the Liberal Party completely reverse its position and politicize the process. That is not the reason we do consultations.

Taxation

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

Mr. Speaker, from the unfair election act to Kijiji labour market stats, Conservatives love to cherry-pick facts to defend their ideological arguments, all in an effort to distract away from the very fact that 300,000 Canadians still do not have a job but had one before the recession. However, instead of helping small businesses, which create the vast majority of jobs, the Minister of Finance is killing the small business tax credit. Will the minister now reverse his decision to kill this valuable program?