Debates of Dec. 11th, 2015

Questions on the Order Paper

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I ask that the remaining questions be allowed to stand.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

The House resumed consideration of the motion for an address to His Excellency the Governor General in reply to his speech at the opening of the session, and of the amendment.

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

We had three minutes remaining in the time for questions and comments for the hon. member for Sault Ste. Marie.

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the member for Sault Ste. Marie for his first speech in the House today.

The member mentioned child care. Costs for child care have reached crisis levels in Canada. Families are struggling with child care costs. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives released a study comparing Canada's 27 busiest cities, which revealed the dramatic differences between child care costs in our two largest cities. In one month in Toronto, child care costs are $1,033, but in Montreal they are $174. This vast difference is unacceptable and crippling to Canadian families.

Based on this, will the government drop its opposition to a universal child care program that will help Canadian families?

[Terry Sheehan, Liberal, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

Mr. Speaker, during my speech I mentioned the importance of the new Canada child benefit, which is going to raise 315,000 children out of poverty and support 9 out of 10 families. It will go hand in glove with the tax cuts proposed for the middle class, because we are going to strengthen Canadian families. We are going to look after everyone, and we will make sure that no one slips behind.

A lot of the investments that we will be making in infrastructure, including social infrastructure, will help those families who are in need of a home. There is a lot in there, and I look forward to working with the hon. member and all members of the House as we look after all children in this great country.

[Alex Nuttall, Conservative, Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, ON]

Mr. Speaker, there was a question earlier by the hon. member for Barrie—Innisfil regarding investment by the government in urban areas, and the response was related to green infrastructure and social infrastructure.

Could the member please give an example of how social infrastructure will help with bridges in urban areas and how it will help with the overall infrastructure problem?

[Terry Sheehan, Liberal, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the whole infrastructure program, which is historic in nature, and the doubling in such spending to $125 billion, is extremely important. As I looked at and delved into the program and how municipalities will access it, it will be much like how the gas tax transfers get to communities. I was pleased to see that there are opportunities for cities like Sault Ste. Marie to access a number of infrastructure requirements that we have, including roads and aqueducts, through the government.

I am very pleased with that. The program is of the utmost importance, because our infrastructure has been crumbling over the last little while and there are a number of places that also need roads and bridges, not just in the city of Sault Ste. Marie, but in the more rural areas around it.

It is there, and I look forward to working with everyone in the House. I would ask that the hon. member also delve into it and make sure that he gets his community ready, and prioritizes things so that the community is ready to hit the ground running and apply.

[Yvonne Jones, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, it is an absolute honour for me to stand in the chamber today and to speak to the Speech from the Throne. I would like to acknowledge and thank my colleague for the wonderful speech he made this morning, and for his response to many of those questions that are certainly important to people in our country.

I am going to start by thanking the people of my constituency, the people of Labrador, whom I am so proud to represent in this chamber as their member of Parliament. They re-elected me in the last election, and they did so with a number of issues in mind. They elected me with the best of intentions and tremendous hope for change that would happen for them, as it would for many other Canadians across the country. I want to acknowledge the hard work of many of my volunteers who went out every day over this long gruelling campaign, but certainly never relented in their mission because they believed there could be better. They believed in a stronger Canada, and they worked so hard for that.

I want to acknowledge my friends and my family for their love, support, and commitment that they have continued to show me in political life over the years. I certainly am very grateful for all of that, and I give thanks for those blessings.

I am pleased to stand here today as part of a new and exciting government in this country. Under the leadership of our Prime Minister, we have committed to work hard for Canadians. We have committed to work hard on their behalf for the issues that are important to them in their communities, in their towns and cities, within their families, and within their professional lives. Canadians were engaged on all of the serious issues that are facing our country, and they were looking for the kind of leadership that would matter, the kind of leadership that at the end of the day would include creating jobs, growing the economy, strengthening the middle class, and, most important, creating a Canada that would be inclusive, accepting, and fair to all Canadians.

I come from a riding in Labrador that is made up of a number of indigenous groups, both Inuit and first nations. It is an area that has played home to allied countries from around the world, more than seven allied countries over our history. We have become a region in northern Canada that has looked with optimism instead of pessimism. We are a region that has advanced despite our challenges, and we are a region that is focused on greater opportunity for the future.

We are lucky to be in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, one that I am so proud to say will be represented by the leadership of Premier Dwight Ball and his Liberal government over the next four years. I want to congratulate Premier Ball for his hard work and efforts on behalf of all the people of our province, and for laying out a wonderful mandate that is reflective of the issues and concerns of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. I want to thank him and his team for giving the people of our province real choice for real change in this past election.

I want to acknowledge and recognize the MHAs who were elected in my riding: the member for Cartwright—L'Anse au Clair, Lisa Dempster; the member for Torngat Mountains, Randy Edmunds; the member for Labrador West, Graham Letto; and the member for Lake Melville, Perry Trimper. I want to congratulate each of them and to say that I am looking forward to working with them to improve the lives of the people we collectively represent in the riding of Labrador.

I am also very happy to be joined by six very strong members of Parliament from Newfoundland and Labrador. Having a strong team of colleagues to work with in our province makes our job so much easier. I want to recognize and congratulate each of them on their election: the members of Parliament for St. John's South—Mount Pearl, Avalon, St. John's East, Long Range Mountains, Bonavista—Burin—Trinity, and Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame. Join me in congratulating all of them on their election to the House of Commons.

As my colleague, the member for St. John's South—Mount Pearl, mentioned in his speech today, we will be reopening the marine resource centre in St. John's, in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The centre was closed three years ago by the previous government without proper consultation with the people in our province. It was done at the peril of those who work and live by the sea and earn a living from this sea-based island. All of the people who work in the offshore oil and fishing industries depend upon the safety and security of a proper search and rescue capacity and the ability to have someone to call, and someone to answer to the call, in a time of crisis. I am proud that our government will be reinstating the search and rescue centre in Newfoundland and Labrador. We will also work to improve search and rescue services throughout our province and country to ensure that Canadians, whether they work on the sea or the land, have the protection of a search and rescue service and someone to respond in their time of need.

I represent an area that has a very diverse culture, which I will speak to for a few minutes.

We are home to 5 Wing Goose Bay, one of Canada's wonderful air force bases. It is a military base that has operated to serve not only Canada but many of our allies around the world. It has provided training to Italian, European, German, Netherlands, United States, and Great Britain forces. It continues to offer training to many of the allied countries that want to continue training in that part of our country, and we have seen a lot of that training happen. It is part of the NORAD exercise that will be carried out over the next five years in Canada. We are delighted to be a part of that program, and to support the military with respect to its efforts in our community and region in carrying out the important work that it does on behalf of all of our armed forces.

I come from a long line of military personnel. I have never served in the military myself, but I have a number of family members who have served and continue to serve, both in the Canadian air force and navy, and also in the RCMP. I know first-hand the valuable services that these front-line people provide to our country. Today, as I recognize those members of my family, I also recognize those members in all families across the country who work hard to protect our rights and freedoms and our country. I congratulate them.

I also come from an area that is inhabited by tremendous indigenous people who are proud of their culture, and proud to be the indigenous people of this great country. They work hard each and every day to make gains, both in their Inuit culture and in their first nations lands.

Our government has made a strong commitment to indigenous people. I could not be prouder than I am today to stand in this House and recognize that our government will undertake a review of nation-to-nation governance and the relationships between Canada and our indigenous people. It is a remarkable commitment by our government, and I look forward to ensuring that we work diligently with all indigenous people in this country to make this happen.

There is so much that I would like to speak to today, but time will not permit me. However, just like in many ridings across the north and many rural ridings across Canada, I want to outline a number of the needs in my riding that we would like to have met.

I can commit to the House that I, as one member, along with many of my colleagues on both sides of the House of Commons, will be working harder to address issues around telecommunications, Internet, broadband and cellular service; transportation and air and road connections; housing; and around creating jobs and growing the economy of northern and rural regions.

I look forward to serving the people of my riding, and many others, for the next four years on those issues that are of critical importance in developing our country and allowing everyone a fair opportunity to grow and succeed.

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my friend on her speech. I enjoyed being on political panels with her in the last Parliament, and I enjoyed her speech here today.

I am going to make an unfortunate prediction that in the course of this Parliament, 5 Wing Goose Bay will be part of the leaner Canadian Armed Forces that the government has already intimated. I fear it will close that base. I base that upon the fact that the member made a passionate plea to have 5 Wing involved in the Syrian project and it was not selected. Also, in the last Liberal government, the NATO low level flying was ended at that base.

Our government kept 5 Wing alive and invested in its infrastructure and other needs. However, the throne speech said clearly that the military is going to be a leaner military; we know on this side that means cuts. The Liberals almost closed 5 Wing Goose Bay in its last government, and I truly fear, despite the member's passion, it is on the chopping block already. Could the member confirm that to the House today?

[Yvonne Jones, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

Mr. Speaker, that is a very important question, and I am happy to speak to it. The difference between the previous government and our government is that we see opportunity in the future, and there is tremendous opportunity in 5 Wing Goose Bay to serve as part of the Arctic and northern mission. That is something that the former government did not see as an opportunity for that base and the people in that part of the country.

In fact, it was the previous government that continued to dismantle bases like 5 Wing Goose Bay. It tore down dozens and dozens of buildings and houses, and started to dismantle the entire base. Our job is going to be to strengthen military defence in the country, which we intend to do, and ensure that we make good use of the facilities and properties we have.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member made mention in her speech of the importance of a renewed nation-to-nation relationship with indigenous people, the Inuit and Métis communities. In my community, we have the missing and murdered women coalition. The coalition has worked long and hard. It is comprised of family members, community advocates, and women's organizations. It has advocated for a national inquiry for a very long time. We finally now have an opportunity for that.

One of the things we must learn from this is not to make the same mistakes that the B.C. government made with the Oppal inquiry. Therefore, the missing and murdered aboriginal women coalition is asking for three things. First, it is asking that the government ensure that the mandate actually looks into the root causes of violence against indigenous women and girls. Second is that the family members and the organizations that have expertise and knowledge around the issue be funded, supported, and resourced, and given the opportunity to participate in the inquiry so that they are not shut out from that process. Third is to ensure that there is commitment and the resources to implement those recommendations coming out of the inquiry

I wonder if the parliamentary secretary could respond to those three points and make that commitment to the coalition and the family members.

[Yvonne Jones, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

Mr. Speaker, we were very proud to move on implementing the inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls in our country. We know the value of doing this piece of work, but we also know the value of doing it right. That includes consulting with the families, which is ongoing at this stage. It will continue to be ongoing. As well, we will be consulting with others who have expertise to ensure that the inquiry will meet the needs, produce the outcomes, and see the follow-through that is required in order to do this successfully to ensure we honour the victims and heal the families.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with my good friend, the hon. member for Edmonton Riverbend.

It is a true privilege to rise in the House with my maiden speech in response to the government's Speech from the Throne.

At the outset, I would like to thank the tens of thousands of people in the St. Albert—Edmonton riding for placing their trust and confidence in me. I can assure them that I will work every single day to do my very best to represent their interests here in Ottawa.

Like every other hon. member in the House, I did not get here on my own. I got here because of the hundreds and hundreds of people who offered their support, commitment, and assistance, not just during the campaign but over the course of my entire life, in helping to shape the person I am today.

While it is not possible to thank each and every one of those individuals, I do want to pay tribute to and thank my family. In particular, I would like to thank my parents, Tom and Rita Cooper. At an early age, they instilled in me the importance of hard work, the value of education, and the need to be engaged and involved.

Indeed, it was they who encouraged me to get involved in the political process at a young age. They saw that I had been quite interested in politics and suggested that, rather than sit on the sidelines, I should roll up my sleeves. They themselves had never been politically active. I took their advice, and at the age of 14 I joined the Alberta provincial Progressive Conservative Party. I guess I have never really looked back since, in terms of my political involvement.

I would like to acknowledge my brother, Timothy Cooper, who is a medical doctor presently completing his residency in the area of the ear, nose, and throat at the University of Alberta, for his lifelong friendship.

I would also like to acknowledge my paternal grandparents, who came to Canada from Ireland, and my maternal grandparents, who fled communism and came to Canada from Lithuania. Like so many people from all around the world who come to make Canada home, they did not have much monetarily, but what they did have was a strong desire to work hard, contribute to Canadian society, and build a better life for their families. For that, I wish to pay tribute to their legacies.

I also wish to acknowledge Mary O'Neill, the former MLA for St. Albert, as well Doug Horner, the former MLA for Spruce Grove—St. Albert, who served in a number of cabinet portfolios, including deputy premier and minister of finance in the Government of Alberta. Both Mary and Doug are people with whom I first got involved and whom I supported in their campaigns. Over the years, they have been tremendous political mentors, and I was so very proud that they stood with me both during the nomination and during the election campaign.

I would also like to acknowledge Dr. Richard Plain, the former mayor of St. Albert, who served ably as my campaign manager during both the nomination and the general election.

Last but not least, I would like to acknowledge the partners of the Edmonton law firm, Ogilvie LLP, for their support and understanding as I tried to balance, on the one hand, a busy civil litigation practice with the demands of seeking elected office.

With that, I turn to the substance of my speech, namely, responding to the government's Speech from the Throne.

The Speech from the Throne accurately stated that Canadians want to trust their government. If anything is clear in less than two months, it is very clear that Canadians cannot trust the Liberal government. The list of broken promises in less than two months is truly breathtaking. With each new day seems to come a new Liberal broken promise.

One such broken promise was the government's commitment to run a $10 billion deficit in this fiscal year. It now looks as if we are looking at about a $1.2 billion shortfall. It may be billions of dollars more to pay for the government's spending spree. Who is going to pay for the government's spending spree? Well, of course, it will be working Canadians, because after all there is only one taxpayer, something that the Liberal government seems to have already forgotten about, if the members knew it in the first place.

For working Canadians, living in Canada is going to become much more expensive thanks to the Liberal government. How is it going to be more expensive, one may ask? The government wants to impose a carbon tax. It wants to hike payroll taxes. It wants to eliminate income splitting for single income families. It wants to eliminate the universal child care benefit. It wants to roll back TFSAs.

It is clear that the government has no plan and no vision other than job-killing, tax-and-spend, redistributed schemes. This is evidenced by the fact that there was no mention in the Speech from the Throne about the trans-Pacific partnership, the biggest trade deal in Canadian history, which is going to allow Canadian businesses to get their products to market, to 800 million consumers, duty-free, but the government did not even bother to mention it.

There was no mention of Alberta's vital energy sector. There was no mention about any meaningful strategy to create jobs to get the economy growing and to get Canadians back to work.

When it comes to keeping Canadians safe, the government has been equally shortsighted. The greatest security threat to Canada comes from ISIS. ISIS is responsible for slaughtering tens of thousands of people in Iraq, Syria, and around the world. Entire villages have been upended and literally rivers of blood flow in Iraq and Syria, and yet the government's response is to cut and run by pulling out the CF-18s. The Minister of National Defence, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Prime Minister cannot explain how that is going to assist the international coalition to defeat ISIS. The reason is that it is completely unhelpful.

I say to hon. members opposite, in closing, that in terms of a road to prosperity, it does not come by spending more, by regulating more, by taxing more, and by redistributing more. It comes from being fiscally responsible and trusting taxpayers and creating the conditions for growth.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Before we move on to questions and comments, I have the honour to inform the House that a communication has been received as follows:

Rideau Hall

Ottawa

December 11th, 2015

Mr. Speaker,

I have the honour to inform you that the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, will proceed to the Senate Chamber today, the 11th day of December, 2015, at 1:00 p.m., for the purpose of giving Royal Assent to a certain bill of law.

Yours sincerely,

Stephen Wallace

Secretary to the Governor General

The House resumed consideration of the motion for an address to His Excellency the Governor General in reply to his speech at the opening of the session, and of the amendment.

[Matt DeCourcey, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for his speech.

I do take issue with a lot of what he had to say in his speech, but that is okay. It is important that we all sit here in the chamber and listen intently as members across the aisle speak their minds and represent their constituents. I am glad to see many of my hon. colleagues here doing the same with the respect that should be accorded in this place.

I was reminded last weekend in my community of Fredericton, at the Boyce farmers market, just how hopeful and positive people are with the tone of inclusive leadership, of collaboration, and of goodwill demonstrated on this side of the House toward Canadians and toward others in the chamber.

Does my colleague not also think that a tone of civility, collaboration, working together, and listening intently to the wisdom that is delivered when others are speaking is important, and will he commit to acting in such a way to make sure that we can be constructive and develop positive policies for Canadians?

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for Fredericton for his question and also to congratulate him on his election, no doubt a hard-fought campaign.

I certainly share the hon. member's sentiments that we are all here to represent about 100,000 people, on average, and we represent people in our ridings with diverse views and diverse interests. We all have to do our best to take the issues and priorities that matter to the people of our ridings and advance them here in Ottawa. I know that I am certainly committed to doing that, and I believe he is as well.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the member for his speech. He is very eloquent and very compelling, and we would like to welcome him to the House and thank him for putting forward both a bit of a personal history, which is very interesting, and more about the issues.

I must say that I did not share everything that the member talked about, particularly when he talked about the economy. I have a couple of questions to put to him, because we have just come through an election campaign in which Canadians made some decisions, I think in large part because they saw what the record of the previous government was. The record of the previous government was the largest deficits in Canadian history, the largest trade deficits in Canadian history, and probably most significant, the largest debt load on average Canadian families that we have ever seen in Canadian history.

Many people in my riding say that Conservative economic development is an oxymoron, and given the record of the former Conservative government, that is a truism; it is very true. So I would like the member to comment on all of these things—largest deficits, largest trade deficits, record debt loads on the average Canadian family—and how that might mesh with what the Conservatives might be championing and speaking on in the coming months in the House of Commons.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of the record of achievement under the former Conservative government. For nine years the government provided sound economic management that made Canada lead the industrialized world when it comes to jobs, when it comes to growth, and when it comes to maintaining the lowest unemployment rate, on average.

With respect to deficits, it is true that the former government did run some deficits, but it was in the context of the worst global economic recession in decades; so there was some short-term stimulus spending that allowed Canada to turn around and grow at a faster rate than any country in the world, leading to long-term growth and prosperity.

I should remind the hon. member that, as far as debt to GDP ratio is concerned, Canada has the lowest debt to GDP ratio in the industrialized world thanks to the Conservative government. I do not apologize for the record of those nine years.

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I should note that I will be splitting my time with the hon. member for Mississauga—Streetsville.

I wish to take this opportunity to say hello to my wife Rose, and our daughters Eliana and Natalia, who are watching from our home in Vaughan. I would also like to thank the voters of Vaughan—Woodbridge for placing their trust in me.

As a new member, it is a real honour to be here to offer my thoughts on the throne speech on behalf of the people of Vaughan—Woodbridge, but before I do, it is important to add some context to my remarks and explain why I am here today.

Earlier this week, the Prime Minister said that the throne speech was about what matters most for the people who matter the most. By delivering a throne speech with an emphasis on giving a hand up to students, seniors, communities, and families, this government is setting out a plan for our future and for the future of our children.

Fifty years ago, my grandparents left Southern Italy with nothing but what they could carry. They arrived at Pier 21 in Halifax with only a strong work ethic and a desire for a better future for their seven children. One of those children, my mother Vincenza, married my father Rocco and set out to build a life together. They worked hard and sacrificed every day. They transformed their entrepreneurial spirit and drive into a good and productive life because Canada allowed them to do it. They worked hard and Canada provided the opportunity.

I am concerned that the kind of opportunities my parents and I had may not be within the reach of my daughters. As a father and husband, I am eager to make sure that my two wonderful daughters, Eliana and Natalia, grow up and have the chance to succeed. Certainly my wife Rose and I have worked hard to provide for our children, but like many families across Canada, a helping hand from a government that cares would make all the difference.

I understand there are those who would have us believe that hard work alone is enough to guarantee success, but that is not true. Hard work is a big part of it, but so is opportunity. This is why I ran for office. It is why I am happy to support the throne speech, because it promises opportunity for those who are willing to work hard. Most members here would agree that families and communities are the building blocks of this nation. I am immensely proud to be here representing the families of Vaughan—Woodbridge, but for too long, families and communities have been missing out. Better is always possible and it is time to put real people on the road to real change, change for the better, and that starts now.

Before I continue, I should again take a moment to thank the people of Vaughan—Woodbridge for their trust and support. This is my first opportunity to speak as a member of the House, but I temper each of my comments with the input and support that I have received from those I represent, and I thank them for their help, for their support, and for their trust. It is important for my constituents to know that this throne speech speaks to the priorities that are important to people living on Chancellor Drive, Davos Road, and Maria Antonia Road, and everywhere in-between.

This is not a throne speech written in Ottawa. Instead, it is a throne speech that takes its inspiration from the coffee shops, kitchen tables, and workplaces of this great country. This throne speech is for all Canadians. The focus of this new government is on good jobs, safe streets, and opportunity for all. I say to the people of Vaughan—Woodbridge that these are their priorities and they are mine, too.

Last week, this government delivered a throne speech that focused its energy entirely on the middle class, people like those living in my riding. This government recommitted to helping low-income seniors, students, families, and workers across Canada. It committed to using every mechanism at its disposal to create jobs, improve services, and restore Canada's glory for all citizens.

The middle class has not had a decent raise in years, and it is time for our working families and the unemployed to catch a break. It is time to again create a place where hard work can and will spark opportunity that delivers prosperity to everyone. This is what real change looks like and it is precisely what the government wants to achieve. I have heard critics to my left say that government should stand back and let the free market take over. I reject this hands-off approach because it ignores those at the bottom end of the income scale.

Certainly the world of international finance is not one that I am a stranger to. I have worked on Wall Street and Bay Street for nearly 25 years. I know the economy grows only with a strong middle class. Instead of sitting back, this government is doing what it can do to grow the middle class, invest in infrastructure to alleviate the gridlock that is choking our economy, to provide a clean environment, and to strengthen retirement security for all.

These are goals that we can and should all get behind, not because they are Liberal commitments but because they will strengthen us all. Canadians elected a government to bring us together. Canada is strong because of our differences, not in spite of them.

It is also true that the new Canada child benefit will direct substantial help to those who need it the most, and I am proud of this part of our platform. The new Canada child benefit will provide increased benefits to 9 out of every 10 families in Canada. The benefit will be tax-free and, most importantly, it will lift 300,000 children out of poverty.

Why is this important? Why not continue to pursue the short-sighted policies of the past? Why not allow the markets to decide everything?

Quite simply, there are too many Canadians who work two or three jobs with little benefits and still live in poverty. To make matters worse, public infrastructure is crumbling. The manufacturing sector is shrinking. Household debt is skyrocketing, and the cost of basic essentials continues to rise. These things are putting unimaginable pressure on the people I represent: families, students, and seniors, and this throne speech is trying to set things right.

This is the first debate of many, but it is tremendously important because it will set the tone for everything that comes next. New investments in public transit, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, and secure pensions each promise real and meaningful change for the residents I was elected to serve.

With this in mind, and with my wife Rose and our two daughters, Eliana and Natalia, watching, I am excited to support this throne speech, not just as a document, but as a plan for real change. I am pleased to vote in support of this blueprint for tomorrow because of what it represents for seniors, students, families, and workers in my riding and ridings in every part of Canada.

May God always bless Canada.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Before we proceed to questions and comments, I erred in recognizing the hon. member for Vaughan—Woodbridge ahead of the hon. member for Edmonton Riverbend. We will come back to that order after we do questions and comments.

We will go to the hon. member for Edmonton Riverbend, after which we will then go to the hon. member for Mississauga—Streetsville.

Again, I apologize, particularly to the member for Edmonton Riverbend. To the House's indulgence, I hope that this change in the order will be acceptable.

Questions and comments, the hon. member for Essex.

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the member for Vaughan—Woodbridge for his first speech here in the House. He mentioned the middle class and the tax cut the Liberals have offered. I would like to say that the middle class will still not get a raise, as the member indicated, with tax plans that leave out 70% of Canadians.

He mentioned the coffee shops. These are the places in my riding where working class people gather, and they will no doubt be asking the Liberal government why 70% of Canadians are being left out of the tax changes the the government has proposed. Why do they not get a break as well?

What will the member tell them, or does he only represent the 30% that he worked with on Bay Street?

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to express my ongoing support for the auto industry, which is so important for southwestern Ontario, all of Ontario, and our manufacturing footprint.

I would like to add that in our platform, we included a number of measures and one of those measures, which I spoke to in my earlier comments, relates to the new Canada child benefit. If we look at and read studies from such sources as the Caledon Institute, this new child benefit that will be arriving, hopefully, next year, will be tax-free to families in Canada. It will provide 9 out of every 10 families with increased benefits and will lift 300,000 children out of poverty.

I think that that is great news for families in Canada.