House of Commons Hansard #110 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was workers.
Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, I would like to quote the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, which said: “This announcement is fantastic news for Canada’s entrepreneurs and their employees, and as such, can only be a positive for the Canadian economy.”
This organization, which helps Canada's small and medium-sized businesses, welcomed this announcement and completely rejects the hikes to EI premiums proposed by the Liberal Party.
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Mr. Speaker, after years happily raiding the EI fund for more than $57 billion, Conservatives and Liberals are now coming up with new ways to get workers to pay for their crackpot schemes. Just yesterday, we saw the Liberal leader make a bad idea even worse when he rolled out a plan that his so-called brain trust lowballed by almost $1 billion. I want to call it a battle of wits, but when it comes to EI, both sides seem to be a bit unarmed. Is this the only real debate between the old two parties, how best to use the employment insurance program for anything other than employment or insurance?
Joe Oliver ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, this summer when I joined the fight against ALS by participating in the ice bucket challenge, I named the critic from the NDP: tick-tock, tick-tock.
As to his preposterous allegations, this job credit will advantage 90% of Canadian businesses. That is 780,000 companies, $550 million to small businesses.
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Mr. Speaker, it is good that he had to read that zinger into the record. It is important.
Here is a radical new idea for the Minister of Finance and the Conservative government. How about we offer tax breaks to businesses when they actually create new jobs, rather than this hope, wing and a prayer for long-term prosperity? Both Conservatives and Liberals will force workers to subsidize tax breaks for their own employers. How about laying off workers for once? How about helping those who go unemployed rather than funding bad schemes?
Joe Oliver ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business has said this plan will increase jobs, 25,000 jobs. This has been praised by Dan Kelly, who is the president of the CFIB, because this will be good for small business. Small business is the generator of employment in this country and that is why this government has provided this benefit of $550 million over the next two years so that small businesses will grow, prosper and generate employment.
Robert Aubin NDP Trois-Rivières, QC
Mr. Speaker, according to the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, the employment insurance fund will have a $3.5-billion surplus in 2015.
To create that surplus, the government cut benefits and limited access to the system, just as the Liberals did. The unemployed may never lay eyes on that $3.5 billion.
The government cannot claim to be a good manager and dip blithely into the employment insurance fund.
Will the government support our bill and ensure that premiums are used the way they were meant to be used?
Joe Oliver ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, our small business hiring credit will lower employment insurance payroll taxes by 15% and allow small businesses to save more than $550 million.
The CFIB stated that the credit will create 25,000 person-years of employment. The Liberals and the NDP support a 45-day work year that would increase premiums—
Yvon Godin NDP Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Mr. Speaker, in the past, 90% of workers were eligible for employment insurance benefits. Now, less than 40% of them are.
The Conservatives and the Liberals limited access to employment insurance. They cut benefits and diverted money in order to balance the budget at workers' expense.
It is a disgrace that governments in our country would do such a thing.
Will the government keep dipping into the employment insurance fund and showing disrespect? What did workers do to the Prime Minister to make him hate them so much that he is still making cuts at their expense?
Joe Oliver ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, this goes to show how out of touch the NDP is with small businesses.
We are lowering employment insurance payroll taxes by 15% to allow small businesses to save more than $550 million. The CFIB has said that this is good news for people who are looking for work.
Sadia Groguhé NDP Saint-Lambert, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives promised to improve the temporary foreign worker program.
In June, this government promised, hand on heart, that employers who hired temporary foreign workers would not be allowed to lay off Canadian employees. Three months later, employers continue to lay off Canadians in order to use temporary foreign workers. Canadians deserve better than this government's empty promises.
Will the minister get the program back on the right track once and for all?
Jason Kenney ConservativeMinister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, the hon. member has it all wrong. Obviously, the reforms we made to the temporary foreign worker program were fundamental.
Since those changes, we have seen a 75% drop in employer requests for worker approvals. What the hon. member just described, employers laying off Canadians in favour of foreign workers, is completely illegal. It is not permitted, and serious penalties apply if employers do something like that.
Jinny Sims NDP Newton—North Delta, BC
Mr. Speaker, from EI to the temporary foreign worker program it is always Canadians who pay the price for Conservative mismanagement. Three months after making changes to the temporary foreign worker program, employers are still laying off Canadians while hiring TFWs. Canadians are getting tired of this smoke and mirrors policy-making.
When is the minister finally going to fix this badly broken program and protect jobs for those living in Canada?
Jason Kenney ConservativeMinister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism
Mr. Speaker, we announced a fundamental suite of reforms to the temporary foreign worker program earlier this year to ensure that it is used only as a last and limited resort, and that Canadians always come first in the workforce. Indeed, since those reforms were announced we have seen a 75% reduction in the number of applications for temporary foreign workers on the part of employers.
The reforms were so significant that even the NDP's finance critic was registering complaints that these reforms were too rigid and many other NDP MPs of course queued up to ask to overturn refusals on the part of our public servants.
Jinny Sims NDP Newton—North Delta, BC
Mr. Speaker, the minister should tell the 58 electricians with Alliance Energy near Saskatoon who lost their jobs because of the program that the program is working so successfully now.
The rule of asking employers if they think a Canadian will lose his or her job “now or in the foreseeable future” gives huge wiggle room to employers. When will the government make real changes and have real penalties?
Jason Kenney ConservativeMinister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism
Mr. Speaker, if the member is serious about this issue she should know how significant these reforms are. She should talk to businesses that understand that very well.
What she describes, employers laying off Canadians in order to replace them with temporary foreign workers, is simply and plainly illegal. If she has evidence of that I encourage her to bring it forward to Service Canada or to the Border Services Agency so that a formal inquiry can be launched.
The reality is this. The rules we have put in place will ensure that this program is used as a last and limited resort and that Canadians come first in our labour market, as they always should.
Chris Charlton NDP Hamilton Mountain, ON
Mr. Speaker, New Democrats believe that people who work 40 hours a week should not be living below the poverty line. When asked about raising living standards for employees in federally regulated workplaces, the Prime Minister simply shrugged his shoulders. Canadians deserve better.
In real terms the average minimum wage has increased by just 1¢ in over 40 years. Do the Conservatives really think that 1¢ every 40 years is an acceptable raise, or will they adopt our NDP motion for a $15 federal minimum wage?
Jason Kenney ConservativeMinister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism
Is that not interesting, Mr. Speaker? The federal NDP makes up all kinds of nonsensical commitments that it knows it will never keep, but when people actually elect provincial NDP governments they never implement those policies. In fact, there have been two provincial NDP governments in office, one currently and one recently in Nova Scotia, neither of whom proposed provincial minimum wages anywhere close to what the federal NDP is proposing.
There is a de facto federal minimum wage. It is established by each province based on their local and regional labour market conditions. We trust provincial governments to do what is right for their people.
Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
Mr. Speaker, we will introduce a federal minimum wage, because next year we will form the government.
The inequalities have not stopped growing since the Liberals and Conservatives misappropriated the employment insurance fund to balance their budgets on the backs of workers. What this means is that a growing number of people have to use food banks. The average yearly income has increased by just 1¢ since 1975, and because of their carelessness, 100,000 workers are currently living in poverty.
Why are the Conservatives so quick to give billions of dollars to corporations, yet are unable to get moving to increase the federal minimum wage?
Jason Kenney ConservativeMinister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism
Mr. Speaker, there were two provincial governments under New Democrat rule. Now there is only one. They never raised the minimum wage over $10 an hour. We think that the current system, where the provinces determine the minimum wage, is working well. However, I know that this is not really a relevant issue for the member because he belongs to Québec solidaire, a separatist party.
Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC
Mr. Speaker, the CBC has obtained a secret report prepared for Transport Canada on the impact of a toll on the Champlain Bridge. This damaging report predicts that there will be monstrous traffic jams on the other bridges because of the toll.
Will the Prime Minister finally agree to disclose everything about the Champlain Bridge so that Quebeckers finally have all the information?
Stephen Harper ConservativePrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, there is a contracting process for the construction of this new bridge. It will be an important asset for the greater Montreal area. I am very pleased to see that all aspects of this bridge are being studied.
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
Mr. Speaker, the new EI credit has a design flaw. It gives firms up to $191 to hire someone, but over $2,200 to fire someone. Jack Mintz calls this “a disincentive to growth”.
The Liberal plan would cut EI premiums for all employers who hire new workers. It fixes the problem and it would come at the same cost as the Conservative scheme, but would create around 176,000 jobs. Will the minister recognize the flaw in his plan, and will he adopt a plan that works and gets more Canadians working?
Joe Oliver ConservativeMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, I would not normally use reference to the New Democrats on a mathematical question. It is not their strong suit, but they calculate that this Liberal plan would cost $1.5 billion.
One thing we know is that it will not create the number of jobs that they pretend. Our plan will create over 25,000 jobs, according to the CFIB. It will generate employment because it will be giving $550 million to small businesses, who are the generators of employment.
Sean Casey Liberal Charlottetown, PE
Mr. Speaker, Conservative Senator Mike Duffy's case is before the courts today.
The Prime Minister is a central figure in this whole affair, and Canadians are just not buying his story when he says it is difficult to imagine that he would have any useful information to add. In fact, the trial will provide the Prime Minister with an opportunity to testify under oath as to just exactly what he meant when he said to Nigel Wright that we are good to go.
When subpoenaed, will the Prime Minister testify?
