House of Commons Hansard #174 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was terrorism.
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC
Mr. Speaker, we would not recommend that a person with dual Canadian-American citizenship contribute to a registered disability savings plan. The current situation is completely unfair. The person is taxed by the United States when the money is deposited and, surprise, taxed again, by Canada, when the money is withdrawn.
Will the minister change the tax treaty in order to protect the thousands of citizens living with a disability?
Candice Bergen ConservativeMinister of State (Social Development)
Mr. Speaker, we are very proud of the registered disability savings plan, the only one of its kind in the world. It was created and really birthed by the late Jim Flaherty. It is one that allows families to save for their children or adult children who have disabilities, because for most parents, a very deep concern is what is going to happen to their children when they are gone.
We are absolutely very proud of our registered disability savings plan. We are proud that there has been more and more uptake on it, and we encourage any family that has a child with a disability to invest, because we are providing a huge amount of grant money for that.
Mike Sullivan NDP York South—Weston, ON
Mr. Speaker, the government is double-taxing the disabled. That is a Conservative failure.
Canadian-American citizens are being taxed twice, once by Canada and once by the U.S., when contributing to their child's disability savings plan. Money invested is meant to increase the financial security of children living with a disability throughout their lifetime.
Why is the minister not listening to families and amending our tax treaty? Why are Conservatives penalizing parents for saving to secure their children's futures?
Kevin Sorenson ConservativeMinister of State (Finance)
Mr. Speaker, again, we are delivering historic tax relief, leaving money in all Canadians' pockets. We have increased the amount Canadians can earn tax free. We have introduced the family tax cut. We continue to bring forward measures to keep money in the pockets of Canadians.
Adam Vaughan Liberal Trinity—Spadina, ON
Mr. Speaker, $9,000 did not buy much of a speech for our last question, but we will try again.
The finance minister and another minister showed up in Toronto last week to re-announce no new money for housing for Toronto. No doubt the government's response to this is going to be about a Tory praising a Tory, but let me tell the House that it is fake praise in Toronto.
Just yesterday, their Tory was in Ottawa talking to us all about what he needs for that city to get better. What they need is money for transit, money for infrastructure, and—guess what?—new money for housing. Celebrating the status quo means that only 60 units of housing are going to be built in Toronto next year. The waiting list now is 1,500 years for someone on the wait list.
When will the government commit new money for housing? When will it build new housing with new money?
Candice Bergen ConservativeMinister of State (Social Development)
Mr. Speaker, we were very pleased to be in the city of Toronto with the Minister of Finance and the mayor of Toronto to announce $86 million for our homelessness partners.
What did Tim Richter, head of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, say? He said:
The policy shift that the federal government announced in its budget this year is going to radically overhaul Canada’s response to homelessness.
We will keep making these announcements, working together with our partners and working on evidence-based solutions to end homelessness.
Chrystia Freeland Liberal Toronto Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, in an email to the Conservatives about his plans to strip Muslim women of their right to wear the niqab at citizenship ceremonies, the immigration minister got the basic facts wrong. In a cynical political ploy, the government, he said, will appeal a court decision “allowing people to wear the hijab while taking the oath”. Surely the minister, of all people, ought to know the difference between a niqab and a hijab.
As the Conservatives seek to restrict the rights of Muslim women, can they not at least pay them the courtesy of getting the facts right?
Chris Alexander ConservativeMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member may not have had the honour of living in a majority Muslim country where the hijab has been used to cover the face of women just as the niqab has been used and just as the burka has been used under the terrible influence of the Taliban in places like Afghanistan and Pakistan. Those practices have no place in our citizenship ceremonies, where we insist on confirming the identity and confirming the commitment of new citizens to our laws, to our sovereign, to our values, and to our traditions.
Hélène Laverdière NDP Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, the new round of sanctions against Russia is missing the mark yet again. Vladimir Yakunin, president of the Russian Railways company, is still not on the sanctions list. Yakunin is an old friend of Putin's and they even co-founded a company together.
Why are key individuals such as Yakunin not included in the most recent sanctions against Russia? Why are the Conservatives sparing certain friends of the regime?
Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, the member could not be more wrong. Nobody is tougher on Putin and those associated with him than this government in its support for Ukraine. This is why just yesterday we announced further sanctions. We have now placed sanctions against 270 individuals and entities. That is the toughest sanctions record in the world. The member should be applauding that.
Paul Dewar NDP Ottawa Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, the minister just told us Yakunin is not on the list, but it gets worse. Including Yakunin, we have Putin's former deputy aide and former deputy prime minister, Igor Sechin. He is not on the list. He just had a meeting with Putin last week, and this person is not on the list.
Why are the Conservatives protecting Putin's friends? It is a very simple question: why are Sechin and Yakunin not on the list?
Rob Nicholson ConservativeMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, nobody has a better record of supporting Ukraine than this government. Why does the NDP not get behind that, just for a change, just to mix it up?
We have been very clear. We have the toughest sanctions regime in the world. We are very proud of that, and it should have the support of the NDP.
Brad Butt Conservative Mississauga—Streetsville, ON
Mr. Speaker, I attend many citizenship ceremonies in Mississauga. Becoming a Canadian citizen is a proud time when newcomers commit themselves to Canada and embrace all of the rights and privileges that come with being Canadian.
A very important step in joining the Canadian family is reciting the oath of citizenship. Can the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration please explain to this House why the government intends to file a notice of appeal in this matter?
Chris Alexander ConservativeMinister of Citizenship and Immigration
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Mississauga—Streetsville for his hard work for his constituents and for Canadian citizenship, because Mississauga is one of the places in this country where we swore in a record number of citizens in 2014, and we did it through a public declaration.
The oath of citizenship is a statement that one is joining the Canadian family and that he or she is committed to Canadian values and traditions. That is why most Canadians find it offensive that someone would conceal their identity at the very moment when they are joining and expressing their commitment to Canadian laws, values, and traditions.
It is not a matter of practical policy. This is a matter of principle. The oath of citizenship is something we do publicly. Someone keeping his or her face hidden from view at the moment he or she joins our country—
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Canadian Heritage told me that the ministers who were communicating electronically in just one language were sending out personal messages.
Could she explain why francophones are not entitled to personal messages from the Minister of Health?
“It is important to vaccinate your children. Download free information here” or “If you smoke, read more in my message here.”
This one is from the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.
“Important reminder: fishermen have until April 12 to comply.”
Why are francophones not entitled to get these public service announcements?
Shelly Glover ConservativeMinister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for repeating messages that are important to all Canadians.
First and foremost, official communications of the government are always in French and English. The fact that our ministers take the time to also put out messages on personal accounts is exactly that: they can do it personally.
We encourage them, of course, to send out messages that have to do with official communications in French and English. However, these are personal Twitter accounts that we are talking about, and they are not subject to the Official Languages Act.
Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
Mr. Speaker, the community mailboxes being forced on communities are a disaster—and some might say a nightmare.
Canada Post is not following through on its promises. These much-touted boxes are surrounded by garbage, covered in graffiti and are often not cleared of snow. That is not all. We can only imagine what will happen when these mailboxes are installed on Mount Royal, Beaubien or 9th Avenue. It will be an epic disaster.
Unlike Canada Post, the commission on social development and Montreal diversity conducted public consultations. Surprise, surprise, it recommended that Canada Post immediately reverse this decision.
When will the Conservatives finally listen to the public in Montreal and throughout Quebec?
Lisa Raitt ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, Canada Post is implementing a five-point plan to ensure that it remains self-sustaining going into the future. One aspect of that plan is the conversion of one million households to community mailboxes. However, in doing so, and I want to be very clear, Canada Post has the obligation to work with the municipalities to ensure that the siting is appropriate.
I know that consultations are ongoing and I encourage Canada Post to continue on with that process.
Dave Van Kesteren Conservative Chatham-Kent—Essex, ON
Mr. Speaker, free and open trade generates jobs, growth, and long-term prosperity. Today Canada, the U.S. federal government, and the State of Michigan have concluded and signed a plan of arrangement regarding the U.S. customs plaza with a new Detroit River international plaza between Windsor and Detroit.
Can the Minister of Transport please update this House on this important project?
Lisa Raitt ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, I would very much like to thank the member for Chatham-Kent—Essex for that excellent question. I would also like to commend the member for Essex, my parliamentary secretary, for all the great work that he has done on this project.
I can confirm for the House that an arrangement has been signed by all parties and all partners in the project to allow the U.S. customs plaza to be incorporated into the public-private partnership that will be building the other aspects of the bridge.
We said very clearly that we were not going to allow financial considerations to get in the way of having progress on this bridge, and indeed that is the case.
I think it is important to note as well that the entire amount will be compensated—
Raymond Côté NDP Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Mr. Speaker, overnight, while Quebec Stevedoring was moving nickel concentrate in the port, the air quality in Limoilou deteriorated even more. Quebec's environment minister sounded the alarm, warning that children and seniors could be affected.
This problem has been ongoing for two years and the government refuses to take action. The Prime Minister popped by Quebec City but did not make any announcements about addressing this problem.
When will the Conservative government take the health of people in Quebec City seriously?
Lisa Raitt ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, we have discussed this matter with the Port of Quebec, and this is what I am told it has undertaken: a full review of the company's operation, installation of sensors in sensitive areas to ensure monitoring of dust emissions, fully operational sprinkler systems in transmission, and washing stations in order to ensure that vehicles returning are free of dust.
The Port of Quebec is working with its tenants to ensure that the citizens of Quebec are actually protected from this.
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
Mr. Speaker, through you to the Prime Minister, in response to the very important decision today of the official opposition to oppose Bill C-51, I see that the Conservatives' talking points are to accuse opponents of the bill of either not having read it or of being forever ideologically opposed to anything the Conservative Party does.
I wonder if the Prime Minister would square that point with the fact that The Globe and Mail editorial board, which has consistently supported the Conservative Party, has read the bill and condemns it as a secret police act.
