House of Commons Hansard #5 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was chair.

Topics

Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Income Tax ActWays and MeansGovernment Orders

3:20 p.m.

Toronto Centre Ontario

Liberal

Bill Morneau LiberalMinister of Finance

moved that a ways and means motion to amend the Income Tax Act be concurred in.

Income Tax ActWays and MeansGovernment Orders

3:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

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

Income Tax ActWays and MeansGovernment Orders

3:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

No.

Income Tax ActWays and MeansGovernment Orders

3:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.

Income Tax ActWays and MeansGovernment Orders

3:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Yea.

Income Tax ActWays and MeansGovernment Orders

3:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

All those opposed will please say nay.

Income Tax ActWays and MeansGovernment Orders

3:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Nay.

Income Tax ActWays and MeansGovernment Orders

3:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

In my opinion the nays have it.

And five or more members having risen:

Call in the members.

(The House divided on motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #2

Ways and MeansGovernment Orders

3:30 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

I declare the motion carried.

Ways and MeansGovernment Orders

3:30 p.m.

Toronto Centre Ontario

Liberal

Bill Morneau LiberalMinister of Finance

moved that Bill C-2, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act, be read the first time and printed.

(Motion deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)

Ways and MeansGovernment Orders

3:30 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

Pursuant to Standing Order 81(5), the House will now resolve itself into committee of the whole to study all the votes in the Supplementary Estimates (B) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2016.

I do now leave the chair for the House to go into committee of the whole.

(The House in committee of the whole, Mr. Bruce Stanton in the chair.)

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2015-16Business of Supply

December 9th, 2015 / 3:35 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton

Order, please. I have a brief comment on today's committee proceedings. Today's debate is a general one on all votes tabled before the House on Monday, December 7.

Pursuant to the provisions in the motion adopted on Friday, December 4, 2015, the total length of time for debate will not exceed three hours. The first round will begin with the official opposition followed by the government and the New Democratic Party. After that, we will follow the usual proportional rotation.

Within each period, each party may allocate 15 minutes to one or more of its members for speeches or questions and answers. In the case of speeches, members of the party to which the period is allocated may speak one after the other, but the time allocated for speeches must not exceed 10 minutes.

The Chair would appreciate it if the first member to speak in each period would indicate how that time will be used, particularly if the time will be shared.

When the time is to be used for questions and answers, the minister's response should reflect approximately the time taken by the question.

Furthermore, no quorum calls, dilatory motions, or requests for unanimous consent shall be received by the Chair.

I also wish to indicate that in committee of the whole, comments should be addressed to the Chair, as is the case in normal debate in this place. l ask for everyone's co-operation in upholding all established standards of decorum, parliamentary language, and behaviour.

I would also remind hon. members that in the committee of the whole format, members are permitted to take a seat of their choosing in the chamber. They do not have to be in their assigned seat to be recognized to participate in the debate.

We will now begin this afternoon's session. The House in committee of the whole, pursuant to the provisional Standing Order 81(5), consideration in committee of the whole of all votes in the supplementary estimates (B) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2016.

The hon. member for Calgary Nose Hill.

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2015-16Business of Supply

3:40 p.m.

Conservative

Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB

Mr. Chair, the bulk of my questions will be related to the component of the estimates dealing with the Syrian refugee initiative.

For monies to be allocated to the government Syrian refugee initiative included in the supplementary estimates (B), could the parliamentary secretary provide a breakdown as to what programs, services, and initiatives these monies will be allocated to?

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2015-16Business of Supply

3:40 p.m.

Parkdale—High Park Ontario

Liberal

Arif Virani LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration

Mr. Chair, in the breakdown that has been provided, we have an aggregate amount of total budgetary expenditures of $280.2 million for the fiscal year 2015-16. That is composed of a portion that includes operating expenditures. We have a salary portion and a non-salary portion, and a grants and contributions portion. For the salary portion there is an amount of $11.7 million and the non-salary portion is $166.3 million, giving a total operating expenditure of $178.0 million. An additional $99.9 million is for grants and contributions, which is the resettlement assistance program, made up of two components—income support and reception facilities—as well as an amount of $10 million for settlement programs for service provider organizations.

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2015-16Business of Supply

3:40 p.m.

Conservative

Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB

Mr. Chair, I would like to know how many full-time equivalents are associated with those cost figures in the salary line.

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2015-16Business of Supply

3:40 p.m.

Liberal

Arif Virani Liberal Parkdale—High Park, ON

Mr. Chair, the number of full-time equivalents is 72. Could the member repeat the second part of the question?

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2015-16Business of Supply

3:40 p.m.

Conservative

Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB

Mr. Chair, that is fine.

The Province of Alberta has requested extra funding from the minister of immigration to help cover housing costs. When asked about this request in an interview in Calgary last week, the minister was characterized as being non-committal in stating, "I'm not saying no, but we've already put close to $700 million on the table."

How much of the $280 million included in these estimates will be dedicated to helping provincial governments cover the costs of housing Syrian refugees?

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2015-16Business of Supply

3:40 p.m.

Liberal

Arif Virani Liberal Parkdale—High Park, ON

Mr. Chair, the work with the provinces is an ongoing process. We are thankful for the support we have received around the country for what is truly a national project. We are engaged in active consultations with all of the provinces and territories. We are making a significant federal government investment. However, that is obviously not the only investment in this case.

We have already spent $1 billion supporting the integration of immigrants across the country. We will be adding $300 million more in funding to that total as a result of this announcement. We are working with our partners on some ongoing settlement and integration challenges, including the high costs of housing refugees. We recognize that securing housing is difficult. The Government of Canada already provides funding for government-assisted refugees—

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2015-16Business of Supply

3:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton

Order. The hon. member for Calgary Nose Hill.

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2015-16Business of Supply

3:40 p.m.

Conservative

Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB

Mr. Chair, I believe that the Standing Order said that we would have equal time.

This is a very pointed question. Do the supplementary estimates include additional money for provinces to cover the costs of housing?

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2015-16Business of Supply

3:45 p.m.

Liberal

Arif Virani Liberal Parkdale—High Park, ON

Mr. Chair, the answer is no.

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2015-16Business of Supply

3:45 p.m.

Conservative

Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB

Mr. Chair, in the government's campaign platform, it calculated the cost of the Syrian refugee initiative to be $250 million. Clearly, that is not attainable. I am wondering what cost assumptions have changed between its campaign platform commitment and its revised target of 10,000 refugees that—

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2015-16Business of Supply

3:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton

Order. The hon. parliamentary secretary.