House of Commons Hansard #116 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was korea.
Chris Alexander ConservativeMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, as the Leader of the Opposition well knows, Canada has been at the forefront of the response to refugee resettlement from Iraq for years now.
There are well over 18,000 resettled Iraqi refugees in this country. We have a plan to fulfill our full commitment to resettle 20,000 Iraqis and then to move on to resettle 5,000 Iraqi and Iranian refugees now present in Turkey. We are at the forefront of helping our Turkish allies respond to this unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
Thomas Mulcair NDPLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, let us try to get a real answer from that minister and not more wordplay.
Canada has promised to accept a total of 1,300 Syrian refugees. We often hear the minister talk about people who are under the protection of Canada. Here is the question. Exactly how many of them have arrived here in Canada? He knows the number.
Canada has promised to accept a total of 1,300 Syrian refugees. The minister often deals in semantics, so we want to ask him a clear and specific question.
Of these 1,300 refugees, exactly how many are here in Canada?
Chris Alexander ConservativeMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, more than 1,500 Syrian refugees are present in Canada.
Marc Garneau Liberal Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Canadians learned that the United States is asking Canada to expand its military involvement against the Islamic State. The Prime Minister informed The Wall Street Journal that he was considering it and would decide how Canada will get involved.
My question is very simple. First, does the government commit to giving Parliament all the details of this request from the United States before taking action? Second, does the government commit to consulting Parliament if it is considering expanding Canada's military involvement against the Islamic State?
Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, we have certainly reached out to the opposition parties. We have given them briefings on this. I and the Minister of Foreign Affairs appeared before a parliamentary committee and we have been very clear. We have a 30-day non-combat role in Iraq at the present time. We will assess that and as I indicated we have received this request for additional military support from the United States.
Joyce Murray Liberal Vancouver Quadra, BC
Mr. Speaker, Canadians learned about the U.S. request for a larger military role against ISIL from the Prime Minister's comments in New York and not from a statement to Parliament. In the U.K., Prime Minister Cameron recalled Parliament to debate his country's role in the fight against ISIL.
Before extending the 30-day deadline for Canada's mission and before any larger role may be decided, will the Prime Minister inform Parliament of the nature of the U.S. request and will he commit to holding a debate in Parliament?
Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of National Defence
As I have indicated, Mr. Speaker, this government has been very forthcoming. Again, we have invited the hon. member and her party, on their oppositions days, that if they want to discuss this and want to have more debate, they are certainly welcome to do that.
That being said, we will analyze this non-combat role we have at the present time and come to some conclusions at the end of that 30-day period, but I would invite the hon. member, indeed all members of the House, to watch the Prime Minister tonight at the United Nations before the General Assembly.
Adam Vaughan Liberal Trinity—Spadina, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Foreign Affairs committed publicly that the government would engage and inform members of this Parliament about any extension or changes to the deployment of Canadian Forces members in Iraq. The best way to inform opposition members and all Canadians is to hold a debate in Parliament.
Before extending the current mission on October 5 and before any larger military role is decided, will the minister inform Parliament what the U.S. has requested and will he commit to holding that presentation in Parliament?
Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, as I pointed out, there has been considerable discussion and questions answered on this side of the House. Forthcoming information has been provided by the government, including the foreign affairs minister and the Prime Minister. I am surprised. When they have their opposition days, if they are concerned or upset about some of these issues, they are certainly welcome to have additional debate on that, but we will continue to be very forthcoming on this issue.
Thomas Mulcair NDPLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, the official opposition will not content itself with a presentation, nor will it consider it sufficient to have a debate.
The question for the government is: will there be a vote in the House of Commons?
Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, we have been clear that we are in support of those individuals who are opposing this monstrous organization in that part of the world. Again, the Prime Minister has been clear on that subject.
However, nothing will make the NDP happy, nothing, not debates, not votes, not statistics, not information about this, nothing will make it happy, but we will stand with our allies.
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to temporary foreign workers, the government's actions never match its rhetoric. Conservatives have now been forced to bring in penalties for employers that violate the temporary foreign worker program, but imposing sanctions depends on catching violators. Now we learn not all inspections include a site visit. One cannot just look at paperwork and conclude everything is fine.
When will Conservatives finally get serious about cracking down on abuse in the temporary foreign worker program?
Jason Kenney ConservativeMinister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism
Mr. Speaker, we are so serious that we have quadrupled the number of inspectors for this program. We have passed legislation to impose tough new administrative monetary penalties, lifetime bans on use of the program, fines of up to $100,000 that go retrospective, and measures that allow for warrantless searches of offices. We will not tolerate any abuse.
However, neither will we tolerate the attitude of the Leader of the Opposition, which is that everybody who works at McDonald's and Tim Hortons is a foreign worker. Just who are those people he is talking about?
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC
Mr. Speaker, an internal memo about the temporary foreign worker program at the Employment and Social Development Canada revealed that the Conservatives have been dragging their feet since they took power and that they are not protecting Canadians' jobs. The existing rules are inadequate, and in some cases, the government cannot even fine employers who break the rules and then regularize the situation.
Why has the government taken absolutely no action to punish abuse and why did it wait eight years to strengthen the controls and increase fines?
Jason Kenney ConservativeMinister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism
Mr. Speaker, this government was the first to introduce sanctions for bad employers in 2008 and 2009. There were no sanctions for bad employers under the previous Liberal government. That said, we have passed new legislation to impose tough new administrative and monetary penalties, we have adopted new regulations, and we have quadrupled the number of inspectors who can visit employees' offices.
We will not tolerate the NDP leader's claim that all workers in this area are temporary foreign workers. That is not fair.
Linda Duncan NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Mr. Speaker, my question is this: are they visiting?
Finally this minister has responded to our call for a credible enforcement compliance strategy for this program, and our call for consultation. However, a quick review of the strategy, in consultation with the skilled workers, indicates remaining problems, including continued reliance on complaint lines and refusal to publish the names of all violators.
Can the minister commit today to increased enforcement action for major constructions sites, including in the oil sands?
Jason Kenney ConservativeMinister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism
Mr. Speaker, I can commit to it because we have already done it with the quadrupling of the number of inspectors, funded by the new $1,000 application fee.
However, the member says the New Democrats called for sanctions. Why, then, did the NDP vote this spring against the bill that gave us the legislative power to impose new sanctions? Why did the leader of her party say that the program “morphed into having everybody in McDonald's or Tim Hortons coming from another country”, when in fact 96% of the people who work in those franchises are Canadians? Who are these people from other countries that he sees?
Guy Caron NDP Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC
Mr. Speaker, according to Morgan Stanley, Canada is one of the worst OECD countries in terms of low-paying jobs. In Canada, 22% of wage earners make less than $18,000. In the OECD, only two other countries are worse than Canada. Is this the Conservatives' vision for the Canadian economy: to keep wages as low as possible by using the temporary foreign worker program and pushing seasonal workers into unskilled jobs, among other things?
Kevin Sorenson ConservativeMinister of State (Finance)
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are better off under this Conservative government than they have ever been before. Canadian families in all income groups have seen increases of about 10% in their take-home pay. The lowest-income families in Canada have seen a 14% increase. For the first time, middle-income Canadians are richer than those in the United States. The median net worth of Canadian families has increased by 45% since we have taken office.
Guy Caron NDP Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC
Mr. Speaker, 22% of wage earners are making less than $18,000. The truth is that the Conservatives do not have a plan for creating jobs or a coherent development strategy. The proof is that the Prime Minister brags about his budgetary surpluses to New York's economic elite, but when he is in Canada, he says that the budget is too tight to help the unemployed and the provinces. The same goes for the Minister of Finance: when he is in Europe, he makes a case for fiscal restraint, but at the G20, he seems more open to economic stimulus measures.
Workers are tired of this lack of coherence and vision. When will the government come up with a plan that creates good, stable, well-paying jobs?
Kevin Sorenson ConservativeMinister of State (Finance)
Mr. Speaker, our progressive tax policies continue to benefit Canadians in all income groups. That is shown in every report that has been published, most recently in one that has been referred to here in the House of Commons.
Our measures have removed over one million low-income Canadians from the tax rolls. We have created the landmark working income tax benefit to help low-income Canadians who work; we have reduced the overall tax burden to the lowest in 50 years; and in this year, 2014, we have saved the average Canadian family over $3,400 in taxes.
Chris Charlton NDP Hamilton Mountain, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Conservative approach to the economy is not getting the results that Canadians need. Their low-wage agenda of cutting EI while boosting temporary foreign workers has resulted in Canada having the highest proportion of low-wage jobs of nearly any OECD country. Only two countries are worse.
The Conservatives are making it harder and harder for Canadians to make ends meet, while wealthy insiders get further ahead.
Will the Conservatives abandon their low-wage agenda, ensure access to EI, and raise the minimum wage?
Jason Kenney ConservativeMinister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism
Mr. Speaker, here is a bit of a news flash for the hon. member: provinces establish the minimum wage. Even NDP provincial governments do that, but not to anywhere near the job-killing levels to which the federal NDP proposes to raise the minimum wage.
When she talks about massively expanding EI, that means massively increasing premiums. Those are payroll taxes. Those are taxes on jobs. The NDP's plan for EI equals killing jobs by raising payroll taxes.
No, we will not do that. We are going in the other direction. We are creating jobs by reducing those payroll taxes.
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Mr. Speaker, only the current Conservative government says that giving a Canadian $15 an hour is somehow a job-killing initiative.
Yesterday the Prime Minister was off again, brunching in New York with rich bankers and bragging about the alleged strength of the Canadian economy, but the emperor has no clothes, as disturbing as that image may be. The reality is that more and more Canadians are being forced into low-wage, part-time jobs. The OECD shows that the Conservative government is one of the worst in the world in this respect.
Does the minister actually brag about the fact that nearly one-quarter of all jobs in Canada are now low-wage and precarious? Is this something to brag about to the world?
Kevin Sorenson ConservativeMinister of State (Finance)
Mr. Speaker, again, Canadians are better off under our Conservative government. Canadian families in all income groups have seen increases of about 10% in their take-home pay. The lowest-income families have seen an increase of 14%. For the first time, again, middle-income Canadians are better off than Americans. The median net worth of Canadian families has increased by 45% since we have taken office.
The opposition refuses to look at the facts.