Debates of Dec. 8th, 2015

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply

[Raj Grewal, Liberal, Brampton East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour and privilege to rise in the House for the very first time.

Let me begin by thanking the wonderful people of Brampton East for giving me the opportunity to be their voice in Ottawa.

I also want to take a moment to thank the countless number of volunteers who put up signs, made phone calls, pounded the pavement, earning the trust of the people of Brampton East the old fashioned way, one house at a time and one vote at a time. I stand here because of their efforts. I will never forget the people who sent me here.

I have called Brampton East home for the past 24 years. My family's story is so similar to families all across our great nation. I am the proud son of a taxicab driver and a factory worker. My parents immigrated to our wonderful nation in the late seventies. They worked hard to achieve their very own Canadian dream. My mom even picked up an extra overtime shift to ensure that my sisters and I had the best of everything. What my parents realized was that anything was possible in this country with a bit of hope and a lot of hard work. It did not matter where one came from or what one looked like; if an individual worked hard, anything was possible. Only in the greatest nation in the world is my story even possible. Thirty-five years afer my parents immigrated to this country, I have had the opportunity to attend some of the best schools in this nation, be called to the Ontario bar, and take my seat as the member of Parliament for Brampton East. Only in Canada.

I was so proud to listen to the government's throne speech and its focus on helping Canadians, cutting taxes for the middle class, working with the provinces to enhance the Canada pension plan, making significant investments in public transit, green infrastructure, and social infrastructure, and ensuring that the government is more transparent and more accountable to Canadians.

Let us never forget the Canadians who have sent us here, fathers all across the country who drive taxis and trucks to ensure that their families have a better life, our single mothers who lift boxes in factories to put food on their family's table, the new immigrants who come to our nation in search of their very own opportunity to achieve the Canadian dream.

We need to ensure that the Canadian dream is alive and well for future generations, for they will judge us for our contributions. Were we nation-builders or did we play divide and conquer politics? Let us make this session of Parliament something special. Let us ensure that all Canadians have an equal opportunity to achieve their dreams. The best part is that we are all going to do it together.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am really pleased with the manner in which the previous speaker presented himself. He told an important story here on the floor of the House of Commons. Whether one comes to Canada as a permanent resident through immigration or as a refugee, there are so many success stories at all different levels, whether it is the economic or social fabric that make up our society. The speaker that we just listened to is just one of many examples of success. Parents make huge sacrifices so that their children will be able to succeed and do them proud. I am sure that both of his parents and his siblings are proud of him. The constituents he represents will no doubt be very grateful over the years ahead as he continues to represent them in an able way.

My question is specific to the throne speech. The member referenced the Canada child benefit, which will lift literally tens of thousands of children out of poverty and provide more money for the middle class. Maybe my colleague could comment on the importance of supporting Canada's middle class and our children.

[Raj Grewal, Liberal, Brampton East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the member on his re-election to the House. It is an honour and a privilege to sit with all hon. colleagues in this House.

That was an excellent question on our commitment to helping the middle class and the introduction of the Canada child benefit, which will be introduced in the government's budget. The Canada child benefit will help raise an estimated 300,000 children across this nation out of poverty with a direct investment into their families' pockets. For example, a family with two children with a household income of $45,000 will receive cheques in the amount of $6,000, after tax. These are rough estimates.

I am pleased that the government has made a commitment to helping the middle class. This Canada child benefit will have a direct impact on the pockets of families all across this nation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the member on his election to Parliament and his eloquent speech about the Canadian dream. The opportunity and tremendous ability to fulfill that dream is something we all share, on all sides of this House.

One thing that his family would have benefited from, because he is not far from my age, and indeed even the Prime Minister would have benefited, was the baby bonus, a previous generation's attempt to help families with the costs related to raising children. The interesting part of the baby bonus, which we both received, and our universal child care benefit that the last government introduced, was that it was universal. We did not pick and choose; we gave all families opportunities.

I would ask the member why Liberals are getting rid of a benefit that applies to all families to use as they try to support their children in their own way? Universal is something that worked for the baby bonus, and it worked for the UCCB. Why is government now picking and choosing which families will get that support?

[Raj Grewal, Liberal, Brampton East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the reason that the universal child care benefit did not work is that it disproportionately helped the richest Canadians.

Another thing to note on the tax credit that the former government imposed was that it was taxable. When we were in campaign mode, going door to door, families were saying that they were getting the benefit but then they had to pay taxes on it. It felt like it was coming in through one door and being taken out another door.

The Canada child benefit is a targeted investment to help the most vulnerable Canadians, the people who need the help the most, get more money. We are asking the richest 1% of Canadians to do a little more so that middle class families have more.

[Alistair MacGregor, NDP, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the member for Brampton East for a very impassioned speech in this House. When we bring our personal stories here, it brings to light the reasons for why we are here.

I would also like to share that I had the honour of working as a constituency assistant for the former member of Nanaimo—Cowichan, Jean Crowder, who was a colleague to many in this House. When doing that constituency work, I also had the experience of witnessing people who had to work two or three jobs just to make ends meet. For many of these people, the 40-hour work week was simply not providing the means to get the job done.

I would like to ask my hon. colleague to help those people, to give them a livable wage. Will he join with us and establish a federal minimum wage of $15 an hour, so we can show the leadership necessary in this great country of ours that the provinces may follow?

[Raj Grewal, Liberal, Brampton East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, that was an excellent question.

One thing I have in common with my hon. colleague is that we were both constituency assistants. I used to work for the hon. minister of industry. It is pretty cool that we get to come here and sit as colleagues today.

The question was about helping families across this country. Our government has made two clear pledges. One pledge is to reduce taxes for middle-class families, putting money right into their pockets, helping the most vulnerable Canadians across this nation. The other one is the Canada child benefit, which I already spoke on, another direct investment into people's pockets to help them with their day-to-day activities.

While I was a constituency assistant, a lot of Canadians came in to talk about how difficult it was to live paycheque to paycheque. Our government has taken a lead to ensure that all Canadians across this country have more money to live with.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Before we resume debate with the hon. member for Scarborough—Agincourt, I will let him know there are only about three minutes left in the time allotted for debate this afternoon, but he can get started and he will have his remaining time when the House next gets back to debate later on this week.

Resuming debate, the hon. member Scarborough—Agincourt.

[Arnold Chan, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to join the debate with respect to the Speech from the Throne, but before I do that, as this is the first time I am rising in debate, I want to first pay tribute to the residents of Scarborough—Agincourt for returning me to this place, despite the fact that I had some health challenges earlier this year. I deeply appreciate the tremendous show of support that I received, not only from my constituents, and it was an overwhelming response that I and my family received, I received a tremendous show of support from this place from colleagues from the 41st Parliament.

I want to pay tribute to members on all sides of the House for their tremendous show of support during what was, I will be honest, a difficult time.

I also want to take this opportunity to congratulate all of the new members who are joining this Parliament in the 42nd Parliament. I look forward to working with all members in the course of this particular Parliament in advancing our democracy and making sure that we work hard for all Canadians across this country from coast to coast to coast.

Turning to the substantive matter before the House, which of course is the Speech from the Throne, I will note that the Speech from the Throne outlined five major themes that were reflected in what was essentially a very workman-like speech. It basically outlined the importance that we ultimately had put forth during the election campaign, of making sure that we grow our middle class and that our middle class has that particular opportunity again to feel that they are participating effectively in the Canadian economy.

Over the course of debate and during question period, we have heard concerns about our proposed changes to the electoral system. I simply want to say to hon. members, particularly from the official opposition, that our intent here is to make sure that we end the first past the post system. We want to ultimately bring a parliamentary process to establish the terms of reference by which we can consult Canadians in moving beyond the first past the post process that we currently have to use to elect our members of Parliament.

The third issue is re-establishing our perspective with respect to the environment. The Speech from the Throne essentially outlined the fundamental change between the current government and the previous government as we recognize the importance of tying the environment to the economy. Clearly, we will be moving forward and making sure that we can grow our economy and do so in a sustainable manner.

The fourth theme that was established in the throne speech is ultimately recognizing the tremendous diversity that is Canada, whether it is diversity with respect to the different regions of our country or the very changing nature of our population.

Finally, the throne speech dealt with issues relating to security and opportunity. The Speech from the Throne outlined the really important component of making sure that we move forward in such a way that we keep ourselves safe, while at the same time pursuing new opportunities to grow our particular economy—

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Order please. I was slightly in error. We will be taking the decision on the debate on the subamendment moments from now, and when the hon. member gets up for debate at the next stage on, perhaps, the amendment, then he will have the whole slot available to him to speak to that point.

It being 6:16 p.m., it is my duty to interrupt proceedings and put forthwith every question necessary to dispose of the subamendment now before the House.

The question is on the amendment to the amendment. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the amendment to the amendment?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

No.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

All those in favour of the amendment to the amendment will please say yea.

[Some hon. members]

Yea.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

All those opposed will please say nay.

[Some hon. members]

Nay.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

In my opinion the nays have it.

And five or more members having risen:

Call in the members.

(The House divided on the amendment to the amendment, which was negatived on the following division:)

Vote #1

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I declare the amendment to the amendment defeated.

It being 6:56 p.m., this House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 2 p.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 6:56 p.m.)