Debates of Sept. 19th, 2014

Health

[Eve Adams, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, our government expects that Health Canada will take the health and safety of Canadians very seriously. That is why we introduced Vanessa's law, which is currently making its way through the Senate. It would provide the department with mandatory recall powers. No longer will the department have to negotiate with the pharmaceutical industry. It would also give the department wonderful powers to fine companies that put Canadians at risk.

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister still has not explained her inaction.

Just think about it. For the past eight years, Canadians and the NDP have been calling for better drug safety measures, including in Bill C-17, yet today Health Canada is still unable to stop the sale of a dangerous drug in Canada.

What steps will the minister take to fix this situation? The health of Canadians is on the line. When is she going to take responsibility?

[Eve Adams, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that the opposition would want to raise this issue considering it has stymied every opportunity to pass Vanessa's law before the summer recess. It was our government that went into late night sittings so that we could pass Vanessa's law. It is currently going through the Senate right now. It will provide the department with mandatory recall powers.

[Libby Davies, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, let us be serious. The government held up that bill for eight months. It was the government's agenda. The fact is that a U.S. investigation found that an Apotex facility in India was manufacturing unsafe drugs. The Americans banned it. Health Canada tried to follow suit, but Apotex just said no. This further demonstrates the Conservatives' failed record not only on drug safety but also on home care, wait times, drug coverage and aboriginal health.

How does this minister account for this dismal record on health care?

[Eve Adams, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, regarding Apotex, Health Canada did ask the company to stop importing the suspect products, and Apotex refused. These products have since been subject to additional safety testing. Health Canada has performed additional inspections to ensure all safety issues are addressed.

Taxation

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

Mr. Speaker, the income splitting policy is not very effective and will benefit only the rich. Three independent research institutions and even the former finance minister, Jim Flaherty, clearly showed that this measure is unfair. What is worse, the Conservative government intends to download part of the cost onto the provinces. The total cost is $1.7 billion as of the first year. For Quebec, that represents about $200 million. As usual, in the end, it will be Canadian families who have to pay for this tax gift to the wealthy.

Why is the Conservative government dragging the provinces into this irrational and ideological plan that will benefit only 15% of the population?

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

Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister said, income splitting was a good policy for Canadian seniors and it will also be a good policy for Canadian families.

Once the budget is balanced, our government is committed to greater tax relief for Canadian families. As a result of our low-tax plan, the average Canadian family pays nearly $3,400 less in taxes in 2014. Shamefully, the NDP voted against each and every one of our tax reduction measures.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is rather dishonest to pay for election promises by sticking the provinces with the bill.

The spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of Finance stated that “If the federal government wants to reduce taxes in its own budget, it should ensure that there is not a fiscal cost as a byproduct to provinces”. Ontario stands to lose over a billion dollars as a result of this measure.

This is not the first time that the provinces have had to deal with the negative impact of Conservative decisions. Take for example the health transfers and the employment insurance reform.

Does the Conservative government intend to provide financial compensation to the provinces if it moves forward with its promise to institute income splitting?

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

Mr. Speaker, under this government, over one million low-income Canadians, including 380,000 seniors, have been removed from the tax rolls entirely. We have reduced the overall tax burden to its lowest level in 50 years.

Unlike the high tax-and-spend NDP, our Conservative government believes in lowering taxes and leaving more money in the pockets of Canadians, where it belongs.

[Murray Rankin, NDP, Victoria, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' income-splitting plan will give nothing to 86% of Canadians while handing out tax breaks to the richest in our country. It is such a bad idea that even former finance minister Flaherty panned it. To make matters worse, the Conservatives plan to drag the provinces along for the ride and put a $1.7 billion hole in provincial budgets.

Does the minister truly intend to spend billions of taxpayers' dollars and provincial revenues on this hare-brained scheme?

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

Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister said, income splitting was a good policy for Canadian seniors; it will be a good policy for Canadian families as well.

Once the budget is balanced, our government is committed to greater tax relief for Canadian families. As a result of our low-tax plan, the average Canadian family already saves over $3,400 a year in taxes in 2014.

Shamefully, the NDP has voted against each and every one of our tax reduction measures.

The Environment

[Laurin Liu, NDP, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, while 125 heads of state are going to meet in New York next week for the UN summit on climate change, the Prime Minister will be missing in action. However, Barack Obama and David Cameron will be there. They understand that climate change is going to affect our environment, our health and our economy.

Why is the Conservative government turning its back on the international community and the interests of Canadians?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, our priority is to protect the environment while keeping the economy strong. We are taking a sector-by-sector regulatory approach to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We have taken action on the two largest sources of emissions in this country: the transportation sector and the electricity generation sector.

I am very much looking forward to taking part in the UN Climate Summit in New York on Saturday next week to speak to Canada's record on taking action on climate change.

[Laurin Liu, NDP, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the truth is that the Conservative government is in no position to lecture anyone.

In fact, the International Institute for Sustainable Development published a report on climate change, which shows that although the Conservatives are boasting that they are cracking down harder on the coal industry than the United States, the American plan is working better than the Conservative plan.

Why is the Conservative government refusing to make major greenhouse gas emitters do their part?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, Canada represents less than 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Canada has one of the cleanest electricity systems in the world, with 77% of our electricity supply emitting no greenhouse gas emissions, compared to 33% in the United States.

Our government is very pleased that the United States is following in Canada's footsteps in terms of regulating emissions from power plants. We will continue to build on our record and work with the United States to help reduce greenhouse emissions internationally.

[Matthew Kellway, NDP, Beaches—East York, ON]

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week we found out the government is no longer working on the oil and gas regulations it has been promising for seven years.

Also this week, the International Institute for Sustainable Development said that the Conservatives' coal regulations will have a negligible effect. So much for the Conservatives' vaunted sector-by-sector approach to greenhouse gas reductions.

Now the Prime Minister is skipping the UN climate change summit in New York next week.

Is this incompetence or do the Conservatives not yet believe in climate change?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, our government is the world leader when it comes to addressing climate change. We continue to work with the provinces and territories on reducing emissions in the oil and gas sector. It is premature to comment further on future regulations.

Thanks to our actions, we have seen a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Unlike the NDP, which thinks it can tax its way out of every problem, we are getting results without imposing a carbon tax.

Infrastructure

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives do not seem to be acknowledging the clear consensus throughout the country, namely that investing in infrastructure plays a significant role in economic growth.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce, David Dodge, the Canada West Foundation, the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, the Canadian Labour Congress, the C.D. Howe Institute and all of the provinces and territories are calling for action from this government. In response, the Conservatives have cut funding to infrastructure by 90%.

Will the Conservatives reverse these irresponsible cuts?

[Peter Braid, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Communities]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are out of touch on infrastructure as well.

The new building Canada plan is open for business. This is the most significant investment in infrastructure in our nation's history. We are working very closely with our municipal and provincial partners. Applications are being received and projects are being approved. We are getting the job done.

[Adam Vaughan, Liberal, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the City of Hamilton and its steel plants are facing a critical situation as a direct result of the failed economic policies of the Conservative government. Tax cuts do not solve every problem. What Hamilton steel plants need is new business, and they need it now.

Canada has a $400 billion infrastructure deficit, yet the government is cutting infrastructure spending by close to 90% this year. Investments in housing and transit drive demand for steel.

When will the government make the investments that cities need to build a stronger economy, stronger cities, and more importantly, a stronger Hamilton?

[Peter Braid, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Communities]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the hon. member on his by-election victory. I welcome him to the House. I regret to inform him, however, that the preamble of his question is incorrect.

We are making record investments in infrastructure. The new building Canada plan is a $53 billion plan over the next decade with stable, predictable funding. It includes the gas tax fund, which our government has doubled, made permanent and is universally praised by municipalities.

We look forward to working with our partners to renew infrastructure.

Employment

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the government is said to be investigating Alliance Energy Ltd. in Saskatchewan for possible violations of the temporary foreign workers program. During a slowdown, the company apparently laid off 58 Canadian employees while retaining all of its TFWs on the job. The company says the layoffs were based on merit.

Specifically, is this permissible under the rules? Did those rules change this spring? Is a federal investigation actually under way? Is the provincial government involved, and when will the results be made public?

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

Mr. Speaker, the temporary foreign workers program changes that we put in place were to ensure that Canadians always had the first crack at every available job. It is absolutely illegal and against the rules for any Canadian to be laid off and replaced by a temporary foreign worker and if that is the case, this company will be held fully responsible.

National Defence

[Malcolm Allen, NDP, Welland, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's navy will soon decommission four aging ships, including Canada's two remaining supply ships, but thanks to Conservatives' mismanagement, replacement of the resupply ships is at least a decade behind. We are facing gaps of years in our navy's resupply capacity before replacements will actually be seaworthy.

Conservatives are long on rhetoric, but the legacy for the navy is going to be what? Will it be fewer ships that can actually sail the world's oceans?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the Royal Canadian Navy is currently undertaking the most comprehensive fleet modernization and renewal in its peacetime history. This includes the modernization of our 12 Halifax-class frigates, seven of which have already been completed with their refits.

As always, we will ensure that the Canadian Armed Forces have the equipment they need to get the job done.