Debates of Feb. 26th, 2015

Mount Saint Joseph Hospital

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Mount Saint Joseph Hospital has an emergency department that is staffed by excellent medical professionals. However, it is severely overcrowded and under strain. The emergency department was built to handle 14,000 visits per year. It is now seeing over 28,000. Up to three patients are being housed in rooms built for one and physicians are treating patients in the hallways. There is no proper isolation capability, which is a serious concern for the control of infectious disease. Patient privacy, proper medical histories, and staff safety are being sacrificed.

The hospital requested $24 million from the provincial government to build a new emergency department. Unfortunately, this funding was refused by the B.C. Liberals.

MSJ provides the only emergency department conveniently accessible to east Vancouver residents. Because the department is only open until 8 p.m., residents are put at unnecessary risk as they are forced to travel to Burnaby or the west side of Vancouver to receive emergency care.

I request that the federal government work with its provincial counterpart to ensure that this important facility can better protect the health of Canadians.

Taxation

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Peace River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to lowering taxes, and keeping them low for all Canadians. With the strong leadership of our Prime Minister we will balance the federal budget, and we are continuously putting forward measures to help Canadian families do the same.

We are proud that 11 million Canadians of all ages and income levels have opened an account that allows them to save tax-free with the tax-free savings account. We introduced the TFSAs as a way for Canadians to save for retirement, for their children's education, or for a down payment on a house. The vast majority of accounts belong to low- and middle-income earners.

However, the Liberals and the NDP will raise taxes and will reverse these benefits. They will implement a carbon tax that would hurt the Canadian economy and kill Canadian jobs.

The facts are clear. Only our Conservative government can be trusted to keep taxes low, and that is exactly what we are doing.

2015 Canada Winter Games

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, March 1 will mark the closing ceremonies of the 2015 Canada Winter Games, which are being hosted by the City of Prince George, British Columbia. The games showcase Canada's sports excellence, sportsmanship, health, and active living. This year's 17-day national competition will have welcomed about 2,400 of our best athletes in 19 sports ranging from alpine skiing and hockey to table tennis.

I was not aware that tennis table was a winter sport.

The games, which were run by volunteers, were a great success, and these volunteers deserve the recognition of all Canadians for their remarkable efforts. There is no question that the games help the athletes make a name for themselves, boost local economies and provide high-quality entertainment for people all across the country.

On behalf of my colleague, the member for Etobicoke North and the Liberal spokesperson for sports, and the Liberal Party of Canada, I congratulate everyone.

Taxation

[Susan Truppe, Conservative, London North Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, our government stands with and for Canadian families. That is why we implemented the family tax cut and enhanced the universal child care benefit. Under this plan, 100% of families with children will have more money in their pockets to spend on their priorities and their family. The average benefit for each of these families will be around $1,100, with the vast majority going to low- and middle-income households.

Meanwhile, if given the chance, the NDP and the Liberals will impose a job-killing carbon tax and reverse our tax cuts.

This Conservative government is delivering the largest tax breaks in Canadian history, and we are proud of that record.

Liberal Party of Canada

[Dan Harris, NDP, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Mr. Speaker, a new right-wing political party is haunting the land, one that is hell-bent on sending Canadian jobs to the U.S. while cheerleading American Republicans on the Keystone pipeline and looking the other way on climate change. It is a party that thinks Canada-U.S. relations should be like they were under Ronald Reagan and Brian Mulroney. It is a party easily browbeaten into lining up behind the latest attacks on our fundamental freedoms, a party that writes off manufacturing jobs and believes in big corporate tax cuts.

Is this a new Reform Party or a new Canadian Alliance Party? No. It is the Liberal Party. Under the Liberal leader, the views of middle-class families are being drowned out by oil lobbyists and CEOs. Progressives in places like Toronto are being ignored, while the Liberal leader falls into step behind draconian Conservative laws.

Canadians deserve better. They deserve a party of principle that will stand up for civil liberties, the environment, and Canadian jobs.

Taxation

[Jay Aspin, Conservative, Nipissing—Timiskaming, ON]

Mr. Speaker, under the leadership of our Prime Minister, our government will balance the budget and put money back where it belongs: in the pockets of hard-working Canadians.

Our family tax credit and enhanced universal child care benefit will give 100% of families with kids an average of more than $1,100 per year to spend on their priorities. Families in Nipissing—Timiskaming and across Canada will receive nearly $2,000 per year for every child under six and $720 per year for every child between six and 17.

The Liberal leader will reverse our tax cuts and will do exactly what the Liberal elites always do: raise taxes for ordinary Canadians while handing that money over to bureaucrats. Moms and dads do not need to be told how to spend their money.

Our Conservative government is the only party Canadian families can trust. With our family tax cut and benefits, we are proud to be standing up for their future.

Public Safety

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, in 2010, the Conservatives committed to improving oversight of our national security agencies. They also promised a mechanism to ensure that the RCMP and CSIS are accountable and obey the law. That was over four years ago and the Conservatives have still done nothing.

How can they be trusted on Bill C-51 when they do not even keep their own promises?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have strong, independent oversight committees and agencies that do very good work. Now is not the time to attack our police and security agencies. Now is the time to take on the terrorists. That is what this bill does.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, this bill is all about expanding powers, but there are no improvements to oversight. The Conservative record speaks for itself, because four years after promising to fix critical gaps in national security oversight across federal departments, the Conservatives have done absolutely nothing. In fact, they have actually weakened oversight by shutting down the CSIS inspector general, so how can they now expect Canadians to trust them on this sweeping and overreaching legislation?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have broad and effective oversight agencies that exist today. They have been recognized as such. On top of that, we have put additional oversight measures through the courts into the legislation.

Canadians are not going to trust oversight with a party that has opposed every single piece of security and anti-terror legislation ever proposed. Now is not the time for the NDP agenda of attacking the police and the security agencies. We have serious problems in this country. Now it is time to take on the terrorists, and that is what we are doing.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, 1,200 indigenous women and girls are missing or have been murdered in Canada. Families of the victims are coming together today in Ottawa to prepare for tomorrow's national round table. They are looking for answers and they are looking for concrete coordinated action. So far, all they have heard are the same empty lines from the government.

Will the Prime Minister take the opportunity that is offered to him today? Will he listen to the families? Will he change his rhetoric and finally recognize the need for a national public inquiry?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the government has been acting on a multi-pronged action plan to deal with this problem, beginning first and foremost with cracking down on violent crime. We are also funding shelters and family violence preventions to protect women and children, supporting dedicated RCMP project teams and the development of community safety plans, supporting a national centre for missing persons, providing additional investigative tools for the police, and providing additional rights for Canadian women who live on reserve in the form of matrimonial property rights and human rights. Now is the time for action, not for more NDP study.

[Romeo Saganash, NDP, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is not an either-or choice between investment and an inquiry. Families deserve both actions to end this crisis and answers to help them get much-needed closure.

I want to know what the government is still waiting for to finally commit to concrete actions with its provincial and territorial counterparts and call for a national public inquiry.

[Kellie Leitch, Conservative, Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister just said, we are taking action, whether that be safety programs on reserves or providing matrimonial property rights to aboriginal women. Maybe that might be just making sure they have a supportive shelter to go to when they are in their time of need.

Now is the time for action, not for another study, such as the one the NDP wants. Now is the time to stand up for these women who have experienced these violent crimes.

[Romeo Saganash, NDP, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, section 35 of the Constitution protects the rights of aboriginal peoples. Most aboriginal people feel that Bill C-51 threatens that protection. Given how often law enforcement has described our demonstrations as illegal, I cannot help but be concerned that we will be lumped in with terrorists.

Will the minister realize that Bill C-51 is unconstitutional and threatens the rights of aboriginal peoples?

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, first, we have the greatest respect for aboriginal peoples. We respect the rights of all Canadians. Nonetheless, we also have a responsibility to oppose terrorism, violence and Criminal Code offences.

Again, I invite the member to consult Bill C-51, where it is clearly indicated that peaceful protest is exempt. I invite him to reread the bill. If he needs help, we can go to committee. The NDP can stop obstructing the process and we can talk about the bill in committee.

Employment

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the recession ended six years ago. However, there are 140,000 more jobless Canadians now than there were in 2008. Last year, the government boasted that it had created 186,000 jobs, but it had to revise that figure to 120,000. The Bank of Canada says that 200,000 young Canadians are underemployed and live with their parents.

Does the government believe that it has done enough to help Canadians and create jobs?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, since the end of the recession, the Canadian economy has created more than 1.2 million jobs. That is one of the best job creation records in the developed world. That is the record; those are the facts.

We have not increased taxes as called for by the Liberal Party. We are not open to the idea of increasing the deficit and Canadians' debt. We are taking action that produces results.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, speaking of facts, in the nine years since the government took office, job creation has been half of what it was in the nine years before.

The recession ended nearly six years ago, and still the jobs record of the Conservative is anaemic. Last year, they first bragged about creating 186,000 new jobs, but had to admit it was actually one-third less than that, barely 120,000 jobs, and that was down from the year before, which was down from the year before that.

Why is the government such a failure at generating jobs?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, nothing could be further from the truth, and Canadians know this. Canadians know we are not living in another decade. We are living right now in one of the most troubled world economic environments. In spite of that, this government has overseen the creation of 1.2 million net new jobs.

We have done that by pursuing sound economic policies, reducing taxes, focused investment, balancing our budget, all of the things the Liberal Party opposes, all of the things the Liberal Party would reverse to give us the kind of result we have in Greece. We will never have that here.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister would not recognize a balanced budget because he has never met one.

There are 140,000 more jobless Canadians than six years ago. Job quality is suffering. York University says that low wage employment in Ontario has jumped by 50%. The OECD has said that Canada is the third worst country in the world for crappy jobs.

The government's former employment minister admits wages have barely kept pace with inflation. The Bank of Canada says that 200,000 young Canadians are underemployed and living in the basement.

Is that good enough for the government?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the reality is this. The vast majority of jobs created under this government are full time, high paying and they are in the private sector. The statistics on this are absolutely clear. It is why Canada has one of the few middle classes in the world whose incomes have been going up.

That is the difference between economic policy now and back then when he was doing it and budgets were followed by police investigations.

Public Safety

[Randall Garrison, NDP, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are watching the debate on Bill C-51 carefully. They want parliamentarians to do their jobs to review this sweeping bill thoroughly and to allow Canadians who want to be heard to appear before the public safety committee.

Why do the Conservatives want to ram this bill through the committee when there are significant problems with the legislation?

In 2001, 19 meetings were held on the Anti-terrorism Act and over 100 amendments were adopted. Could the minister explain why his parliamentary secretary refuses to give Bill C-51 equal attention?

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, if Canadians are watching the debate on Bill C-51, they will wonder why the NDP is obstructing a democratic process. There are more than 48 witnesses. I am told by my colleague that there are more than nine sessions. My counterpart, the Minister of Justice, and I are ready to appear with the department officials.

Why is the NDP obstructing a democratic process and preventing us from protecting Canadians?

[Randall Garrison, NDP, Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC]

Mr. Speaker, we have agreed to sit nights and weekends during the break week, whatever it takes to have a full study of this bill., but we have never called for a delay.

Today, we heard alarming news that six young people have left Canada to join ISIS. Police already have the power to stop people from travelling abroad to commit terrorist offences. What we do not have is a plan to counter radicalization and to stop our young people from turning toward extremist ideologies. It is exactly nowhere in the Conservative bill.

Why are the Conservatives ignoring the need to act on counter-radicalization?