Debates of Jan. 26th, 2015

Community Service

[Bradley Trost, Conservative, Saskatoon—Humboldt, SK]

Mr. Speaker, today, we honour Ron Ardell of Saskatoon, who exemplifies the faith of the common man that inspires us all.

Ron and his wife of 40 years, MaryAnn, met at Moose Lake bible camp, where he was a camp counsellor and she was the camp nurse. They raised a family of three boys and supported many local community and sports events, flipping thousands of burger with fried onions for good causes.

Ron's tireless support of grassroots democracy focused on pro-life and pro-family issues, as evidenced by his missing working in only two federal and provincial election campaigns in his entire adult life. A lifelong supporter of the local church, Ron views it as a calling to reach out to community and fellow neighbours in friendship and love.

In 2012, he received his Master of Theology degree, reflecting his lifelong love of God's word.

In 2013, he received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for lifelong volunteer efforts. In all that he has done, Ron has made putting Jesus Christ first and foremost in his life, running life's race alongside his wife and family.

I will miss my friend. I thank him for being there.

David Wynn

[Joy Smith, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I want to express my sincere condolences to the family of Constable David Wynn, who will be laid to rest in St. Albert, Alberta, today.

Today, I stand with all of the families that have lost loved ones in the line of duty. What a tragedy that four RCMP officers were killed in the line of duty this past year.

With my own son being an RCMP officer who was on the ground following the Moncton shooting, I know the sacrifice and dedication it takes to be in the force, but none know that sacrifice more personally, more profoundly or more painfully than the families and colleagues of a fallen officer.

I would like to thank all police officers from all across our great nation for continuing to ensure that our communities and our families are safe. Truly, they serve and protect.

Poverty

[Robert Chisholm, NDP, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the United Way for hosting its “Living on the Edge” poverty experience in Halifax last week. As I worked my way through the simulation, it was a powerful reminder of just how difficult life in poverty can be.

Poverty is not just about a lack of employment or money; it is a lack of safe affordable housing, reliable transportation, healthy food, child care, prescription medication, education and training. Poverty can box us in, limit our choices and rob us of our dignity.

I am grateful for the many organizations in and the people of Dartmouth—Cole Harbour who work tirelessly on these issues, including the Dartmouth Family Centre, the Public Good Society of Dartmouth, Feeding Others of Dartmouth, the Dartmouth Learning Network and the Circle of Care Society furniture bank, to name but a few.

As life becomes unaffordable for more and more Canadians, let us hope that 2015 is the year the government finally makes the elimination of poverty a top priority.

Taxation

[Scott Armstrong, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley, NS]

Mr. Speaker, over the break I was pleased to talk to hundreds of families across Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley. I was pleased to hear the confidence they had that our Prime Minister would protect the tax cuts that our government was delivering for Canadian families. They also expressed their concern with the Liberal leader's plan to actually reverse these tax cuts, raising taxes for Canadian families across the whole country.

This year, every parent in Canada will receive tax cuts equal to about $2,000 per child thanks to our expansion of family tax cuts and the universal child care benefit.

The Liberal leader has pledged to reverse these tax cuts and is threatening to do exactly what Liberal elites always do: raise taxes on ordinary hard-working people and spending it on big bureaucratic programs because they do not trust parents to make choices for their own families.

Canadians know that this Conservative government will continue to deliver these tax cuts and they can count on it to do what is right for Canadian families.

Maurice Dumas

[Mylène Freeman, NDP, Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to a former member for Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, Maurice Dumas, who passed away on January 17, 2014, at age 87 and eight months.

He served the people of my riding with integrity for seven years, from 1993 to 2000, just as he served all Quebeckers with integrity throughout his entire life.

He was a passionate man and a proud nationalist who loved the French language and Quebec culture. Mr. Dumas was a man of action who dedicated his life to moving our society forward. He will be remembered as a caring man with strong roots in the community he worked so hard for.

I invite all members of the House to join me in extending our sincere condolences to Mr. Dumas's family and friends and in remembering one of our colleagues, whose commitment should serve as an example to us all.

Russia

[Ted Opitz, Conservative, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Russian-backed proxies of Vladimir Putin attacked Mariupol killing and wounding over 100 people, a criminal act using Russian supplied weapons like those that shot down MH317.

Nadiya Savchenko, a Ukrainian MP and former pilot, was kidnapped by Putin's proxies in Luhansk last June 17 and delivered to Russia bound and gagged. She is jailed in Russia and resisting with a hunger strike.

Savchenko is falsely accused of involvement in the death of a Russian journalist and entering Russia illegally. Putin claims she is a prisoner of war, but Putin claims he is not waging war in Ukraine. This is right out of the KGB cold war playbook: lies, obfuscation, kidnapping, murders and proxy wars.

Vladamir Putin is turning Russia into a pariah state. The Russian people are suffering through a failing economy and Putin's rogue behaviour. They deserve better leaders, leaders that the international community can respect.

Today is Free Savchenko Day and Canada calls for Nadiya Savchenko to be freed.

Slava Ukraini.

David Wynn

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer our respects on the death of a courageous and honourable Canadian, RCMP Constable David Wynn.

Constable Wynn was shot in the line of duty as he tried to apprehend a criminal in St. Albert, Alberta. Tragically, he succumbed to his injuries last week.

All of us in this place know the bravery of the men and women who work to protect us. My whole life, I have been fortunate to see first-hand the selflessness of the RCMP in times of crisis, and I am reminded of it today.

Constable Wynn's wife, Shelly, said that the RCMP's recent support had been unbelievable. I rise today to say that she and her three boys have the support of the entire House, and of all Canadians. We stand with them, and we will never forget his sacrifice.

Taxation

[Joe Daniel, Conservative, Don Valley East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, under the strong and dependable leadership of our Prime Minister, our government will balance the budget and put money where it belongs: in the pockets of hard-working Canadians. The last thing we can do is put our economy at risk with high taxes and debt promised by the Liberals and the NDP.

With the enhancement of the universal child care benefit, moms and dads in my riding of Don Valley East and across the country will receive nearly $2,000 per year for every child under 6 and $720 per year for every child between the ages of 6 and 17. However, the NDP and Liberals want to take this money away and spend it on big government bureaucracy instead.

Our government understands the challenge of balancing a family budget and saving for education, while ensuring that Canadian children can take advantage of the opportunities available to them.

On this side of the House, we know Canadian families deserve to make their own decisions and we are proud to be the only party standing up for them.

The Environment

[Peter Julian, NDP, Burnaby—New Westminster, BC]

Mr. Speaker, climate change continues to be a threat to our future and costs our economy billions of dollars, but the Conservatives continue to evade any action on the climate crisis.

The Prime Minister promised to introduce regulations on oil and gas emissions. For years, that was his stock answer: “Just wait for the regulations.” Then one day, the Prime Minister decided his own plan was “crazy”. Despite promising a cap and trade system in the 2008 campaign, Conservatives now say they are opposed to dealing with the climate crisis.

What about the Liberals? Just a few days ago, the leader of the Liberal Party announced that he did not believe in any federal role in dealing with climate change. Shame. This is the voice of a corporate party that champions the Keystone pipeline and says that carbon pricing is for others.

Only the NDP can be counted on to take action on climate change. Later this year, with a new NDP government, we will take action because Canadians deserve better from their government.

David Wynn

[Jim Eglinski, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

Mr. Speaker, today, joined by family, friends and members of his law enforcement family, Constable David Wynn will be laid to rest in St. Albert, Alberta. With a heavy heart, we pay our respects to Constable Wynn for his dedication and service to our nation.

He was an RCMP officer, a paramedic, a father of three and was noted for his work in local minor hockey and the food drive during Christmas.

Let us also spare a thought for Auxiliary Constable Derek Bond, his partner who was also shot in the line of duty and is recovering.

Together, these two brave officers worked to keep us safe, and for that they have our gratitude. The horrific tragedy in St. Albert was a stark reminder of the dangers faced by all law enforcement officers.

On behalf of the government and all Canadians, I would like to thank all front-line police officers for putting themselves in harm's way each and every day to keep us safe.

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I understand there have been discussions among representatives of all parties in the House and there is agreement that we now rise and observe a moment of silence to commemorate RCMP Constable David Matthew Wynn who died on January 21, 2015, as a result of injuries sustained in the line of duty.

[A moment of silence observed]

National Defence

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, last fall, the NDP asked clear and specific questions about the deployment in Iraq. The Conservatives repeatedly said that our soldiers would be training the Iraqis and would definitely not be accompanying them into combat.

Now, the Chief of the Defence Staff has confirmed that the mission has changed and that our soldiers are accompanying Iraqi troops to the front lines. The Minister of National Defence says that there are no longer any limits on Canada's engagement. That is not what the Prime Minister said in the House in the fall.

Why have the Conservatives kept the truth from Canadians?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, that is not in fact the case. We were very clear before Parliament that our special forces would be in a position to advise and assist, and that is exactly what they are doing. From the reports that I have, they are doing an outstanding job. Of course there are risks, but they are risks that are being managed. We are 100% behind our armed forces, and everyone can be proud of the work that they are doing.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, we are proud of our forces and less proud of a government that does not tell the truth to Canadians.

Last fall the Prime Minister specifically said that Canadian Forces would not be pinpointing targets on the ground. The Chief of the Defence Staff agreed that such a role would be a “semi-combat role” and would not fit with a non-combat mission.

Is the Minister of National Defence now telling us that he disagrees with the Chief of the Defence Staff and with his own Prime Minister, or is he finally willing to admit that this is indeed a combat mission?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, we have been very clear. We have been giving continuous updates to members of the opposition and to the public, just as we indicated that we would do.

He asks if I agree with the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister says that if Canadian Armed Forces are shot at, they will shoot back, and I am very proud of the work that they are doing.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, of course they have to defend themselves, but the real question is why the government put them in harm's way after promising Canadians they would not be at the front. That is the real question.

We learned more today. We learned that our forces have been caught up in even more firefights. How many gun battles, how many air strikes, how many targets painted by our troops on the ground before the Prime Minister or this minister finally admits that our troops are indeed in a combat mission? Stop playing with words. Our troops deserve better.

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, we have been very clear throughout that we are there to assist the Iraqis in their fight against this terrorist organization and we are there in support of our air fighters who are operating out of Kuwait. I know the NDP has some problems with this, but I believe most Canadians are 100% with us behind our Canadian Armed Forces when they stand up against terrorism and take the fight to them.

The Economy

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Bank of Canada lowered its prime rate to less than 1%, the lowest rate since the financial crisis.

The bank seems to fully understand the economic risks and the potential impact on the middle class. Analysts and economists are sounding the alarm. We have been sounding the alarm for quite some time, but the Conservatives' only response has been to panic and delay the budget in the hope that things will work themselves out. Crossing one's fingers is not a good economic plan.

Where is the budget?

[Joe Oliver, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, our growth rate is higher than that of most G7 countries.

The Bank of Canada itself has said that our economic growth will be superior to 2%. The IMF actually was more optimistic: it said 2.3%. We will honour our commitments to the provinces to increase our transfer payments, we will honour our promises to four million Canadian families, we will honour our promises to 780,000 small businesses, and we will balance our budget.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, for nine years the Prime Minister has put all of our economic eggs in the resource extraction basket, leaving our economy at the mercy of falling oil prices. The Prime Minister has dithered as hundreds of thousands of well-paid manufacturing jobs have disappeared. Now, with a string of bankruptcies across the retail industry, he is watching tens of thousands of those jobs disappear as well.

Where is the Prime Minister's plan? When will he start creating the next generation of middle-class jobs? Where is the budget?

The minister said one thing and its opposite day after day last week. He—

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The hon. Minister of Finance.

[Joe Oliver, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians understand that we have a highly diversified economy. The manufacturing sector is something that we are proud of and that will continue to be an important contributor to the Canadian economy. It will be advantaged now by several things: the decline in energy prices and the fact that more growth will come to the global economy, particularly the U.S. economy.

We have a plan. The plan has created 1.2 million net new jobs. We have reduced taxes for Canadians. The last thing that Canada needs now is a high-tax plan, a bureaucratic plan, which will drive us—

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The hon. member for Papineau.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, instead of a plan to strengthen Canada's middle class, the Conservatives responded to the drop in oil prices with confusion, delays, and secrecy. In the fall the minister tabled an update rejecting $81 per barrel for oil. Today oil is closer to $45. Exactly how much has that difference cost the government so far?

[Joe Oliver, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, when I presented the economic and fiscal action plan, we based our results, our bottom line, on the price then. We made an adjustment of $2.5 billion, and when we present our budget we will take into account the 15 private sector economists, as we always do, and will base our projections on their projections.

What we are saying to Canadians is that they should be reassured that we have a strong economy. We will balance the budget and we will honour our commitments.