Debates of March 27th, 2015

Châteauguay—Saint-Constant

[Sylvain Chicoine, NDP, Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend a wonderful display of solidarity by one of my constituents, who took on an ambitious project to give the Corbeil-Clément family a new home after they tragically lost theirs in a fire on December 15, 2014. With a huge mortgage and no insurance, the family might have had the worst Christmas anyone could imagine.

Moved by this terrible tragedy, Michel Énault, an electrical contractor, made it his mission to rebuild their destroyed house. With the help of volunteers, he managed to raise over $170,000 in cash donations, labour and building materials.

A week after the tragedy, Mr. Énault announced the amount that had been raised to rebuild the house at a fundraising event. By asking for help from basically all the business owners and merchants in the Châteauguay area, Mr. Énault's team was also able to give the family and the children a number of Christmas presents, a trip and enough furniture to fill the new house, which should be completed by mid-April.

Many thanks to Mr. Énault and his entire team for moving heaven and earth to transform what could have been a nightmare into a real-life fairy tale.

Ford World Curling Championships

[Ray Boughen, Conservative, Palliser, SK]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians will be riveted by the playmaking at the 2015 Ford World Curling Championships over nine days starting this Saturday. I know that Moose Jaw native Pat Simmons, along with John Morris, Carter Rycroft and Nolan Thiessen, will proudly represent Canada. The foursome delivered a stellar performance at the brier final just a couple of weeks ago.

Twelve countries will be represented at the 56th annual championship taking place in Halifax. Along with Canada, there are also teams from the United States, Switzerland, Sweden, Scotland, Russia, Norway, Japan, Italy, Finland, China and the Czech Republic.

I call on my colleagues to join me in wishing team Canada all the best as they wear the Maple Leaf, aim for the button and reach for the world title.

Go, Canada go.

Elmira Maple Syrup Festival

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, tens of thousands of people will visit Elmira to celebrate the 51st annual Elmira Maple Syrup Festival. This festival is the largest of its kind in the world. Over 2,000 dedicated volunteers devote hundreds of hours to make the day a huge success.

All proceeds from the festival are returned to charitable organizations. I am extremely proud of the festival and the incredible work they do to give back to our community. The Elmira Community Nursery School, Epilepsy Waterloo Wellington, Child Witness Centre, Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council, Women's Crisis Services of Waterloo Region and Woolwich Counselling Centre are just a few of the organizations that have benefited from the great work of the festival.

Join us in Elmira tomorrow to enjoy the sugarbush tours, pancake-flipping competitions, the famous outdoor mall, antiques, crafts and, of course, gallons of fresh Canadian maple syrup. From10,000 attendees 50 years ago, to the more than 64,000 who came out last year, let us make 2015 the biggest year yet.

My deepest thanks and appreciation to all who make the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival the best and biggest in the world.

Neil Young

[Matthew Kellway, NDP, Beaches—East York, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on March 7, a lovely man and the former MP for Beaches and Beaches—Woodbine died.

This chamber was Neil Young's place of work from 1980 to 1993, but Neil lived his life at the heart of the Beach and he will carry on in the hearts of many in Beaches—East York. Neil was what we all ought to be as people and as politicians: modest; determined; ambitious for those he represented, not for himself; loving to those who needed care and caring to those he loved; and what I loved most especially about Neil, joyful in the face of adversity.

Robbie Burns wrote Neil's epitaph and I paraphrase only slightly:

An honest man now lies at rest,
As e'er God with his Image blest:
A friend of man, the friend of truth,
The friend of age and guide of youth;
Few hearts like his—with virtue warm'd,
Few heads with knowledge so informed:
If there's another world, he lives in bliss;
If there is none, he made the best of this.

Rest in peace, Neil, and I thank him.

FIFA Women's World Cup Trophy Tour

[Pat Perkins, Conservative, Whitby—Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it will not be long now until the world's best female soccer players are here in Canada. I am looking forward to next week's launch of the first ever Coca-Cola FIFA Women's World Cup Trophy Tour going to 12 cities across Canada.

Those who visit the Fan Experience will have an opportunity for fun and games, and can have their photo taken with the actual FIFA trophy. I know a tour like this will also inspire Canadians to get active and to make sports and activity a part of their lives. Of course, it will build excitement ahead of the tournament.

I would like to thank Coca-Cola Canada and its president for supporting opportunities like this. It is a great example of community support and business leadership. And of course, I am wishing the tour great success. I encourage Canadians to visit the Fan Experience in their community. I wish Canada's national women's team success in the tournament.

50th Anniversary of Laval

[François Pilon, NDP, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to mark the 50th anniversary of the city of Laval, the city where I was born and raised and worked, the city I currently have the good fortune of representing in the House of Commons. Laval is also the hometown of the next Prime Minister of Canada, the hon. member for Outremont and leader of the official opposition.

This summer, more than ever, Laval will be the place to be. Laval's residents, its artistic and cultural diversity, its artists and its local merchants have helped the city to make its mark from the past to the present and become an example to follow. The people of Laval are supportive, committed, determined and welcoming, and over the past 50 years they have made Laval a prosperous city and a great place to live.

I am extremely proud to represent my constituents in Canada's Parliament. It is with that same pride that I invite the members of the House to take part in the festivities that will be held in Laval all year long and to join me in saying, “Happy 50th. The future belongs to Laval”.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

Mr. Speaker, first nations, like all Canadians, want and deserve transparency and accountability from their governments.

Two years ago today, the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and I were very pleased to announce that the First Nations Financial Transparency Act received royal assent. The passage of this important legislation into law represents a milestone for those first nations community members who have been calling for greater accountability and transparency. This act is helping to deliver more effective, transparent and accountable governments, which will contribute to stronger, more self-sufficient and prosperous communities. I am pleased to report that more than 96% of bands have complied.

Canadians, including first nations, support greater transparency from their leadership. It is shameful that the Liberal leader has said he would scrap a law that empowers members to access the basic information on their community finances. On this side of the House, we will continue to stand firm on accountability and transparency for all Canadians.

Komagata Maru

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, this week, a resolution calling on the Canadian Parliament to apologize for the Komagata Maru incident was unanimously passed by the Punjab assembly. Last year, we commemorated the centennial anniversary of the incident. However, the Canadian government has yet to issue a formal apology in the House.

The Komagata Maru incident was a dark moment in Canada's past. In 1914, 352 passengers aboard the steamship were denied entry into Canada based on a discriminatory immigration policy. The ship was forced to return to India and, as a result, 19 passengers were killed. In 2008, the Liberal Party introduced a motion that was unanimously passed in the House of Commons calling on the Canadian government to issue a formal apology.

On May 7, 2014, in reference to the Komagata Maru, I stated, “As we mark what will be the 100th anniversary of this tragic event, I would ask that the Prime Minister provide a formal apology here on the floor of the House of Commons this month”. The Prime Minister has not responded. With Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, visiting Canada next month, it is time that the Canadian government issue a formal apology on the floor of the House of Commons. If not, the leader of the Liberal Party will provide a formal apology if we are elected into government later this year.

Taxation

[Parm Gill, Conservative, Brampton—Springdale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, mothers and fathers should be able to make the important decisions that affect their own children. That is why our new family tax cut and enhanced universal child care benefit will give 100% of families with kids an average of more than $1,100 dollars per year to spend on their priorities. The majority of benefits flow to low- and middle-income families. Our government trusts parents to invest in their children.

The contrast is simple. The Liberals believe bureaucracy knows best when it comes to Canadian families. Both the Liberals and the NDP want to see this money back in the hands of bureaucrats. Moms and dads do not need to be told how to spend their money on their children.

Islamic State

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, when the leader of the official opposition stood in the House and asked pointed and important questions about Canada's legal justification for its planned intervention in Syria, the Prime Minister had the audacity and immaturity to respond by dismissing this serious question as a joke. Abiding by international law when sending our soldiers into conflict zones is not a laughing matter.

So far, we have heard many competing legal justifications from the government, all dubious at best. It is the same cavalier approach that the Conservatives are taking on Bill C-51, dismissing concerns about personal liberties and suggesting that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms is simply a matter of discretion.

Canadians have had enough of this. They want a government that will respect international law and protect their rights and freedoms, and that is precisely what an NDP government will do.

Taxation

[Pierre Lemieux, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, Canadian families recognize that the Conservative government is the only party that understands the needs of parents.

That is why we have lowered taxes for families and enhanced the universal child care benefit, which will provide significant support to four million families with children.

In fact, this is one of the biggest packages of tax relief for Canadian families in modern Canadian history. The vast majority of these benefits will go to low- or medium-income families.

Sadly, the New Democrats and Liberals have not followed our lead in supporting Canadian families to choose the type of child care that works for them. Instead, the New Democrats have pledged to undo our support and impose a one-size-fits-all bureaucratic scheme that would fail to do anything for 90% of families, while the Liberals, simply put, would take this money away. That is shameful. The NDP and the Liberals need to stop listening to elites and start listening to real Canadian parents.

Our government remains the only one that supports moms and dads in making the best decisions for their families.

Public Safety

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

Mr. Speaker, even though the Conservatives limited the number of witnesses and cut short the debate in committee, we still heard from a number of experts from across the country who practically all agreed with what we have been saying from the beginning: the Conservatives are making a mistake by refusing to listen to the criticism of BIll C-51.

Why is the Conservative government insisting on passing this bill when even its own witnesses are calling for major changes to the bill?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the reason we introduced this legislation is to protect Canada and Canadians. There is process in committee, and we respected that process. We need to continue hearing from witnesses.

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

Mr. Speaker, members need not take our word for it: 90% of Conservative witnesses said that changes were needed.

Bill C-51 is so flawed that even the former head of CSIS intelligence says that more oversight is needed. Unlike the minister, he understands that when CSIS is being given sweeping new powers, it needs increased oversight and review to go along with them. It is a very simple concept.

Will the minister accept our amendments to improve oversight, as 95% of all witnesses and 90% of Conservative witnesses have recommended?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, let us take a look at what some of the witnesses have actually said. Ms. Raheel Raza, president of the Council for Muslims Facing Tomorrow, said that legislation is important to combat radicalization and that we need better tools to track jihadists who travel overseas.

Let us listen to what Mr. Ray Boisvert, the former assistant director to CSIS, had to say. He said that Bill C-51:

...will be a very effective tool that way to get that material off the Internet.

These are the voices of the experts who are saying Bill C-51 will be an important way in which this government can continue to protect Canadians.

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

Mr. Speaker, almost every single one of them said more oversight is needed. The Conservatives are just not listening. That is the kind of answer that means the more Canadians hear about the bill, the less they like it.

Conservatives should really listen to the witnesses, including prominent first nation witnesses. Everyone from National Chief Perry Bellegarde to tribal councillors and activists has been clear that Bill C-51 poses a real threat to the ability of first nations to defend their rights and title.

Why is the minister refusing to acknowledge that Bill C-51 threatens first nations' rights, and why such disrespect to first nations?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, like so much of the rhetoric coming from members opposite, that is absolute nonsense.

This bill is not designed in any way to impact or affect peaceful protest or those who may take issue with government. This is a bill aimed directly at giving our security agencies the necessary support tools, legislation, and resources to go after people who are directly targeting Canada. Those are terrorists. They are those who have in the past and may in the future impact directly on the safety of Canadians inside and outside our country. That is why we are bringing forward the legislation. That is why we are participating in an important international mission.

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the more Bill C-51 is examined in committee, the more we see that the Conservatives did not do their homework.

Yesterday evening we learned that all of the changes to the no-fly list were developed without consulting the airlines, the ones who will be responsible for enforcing those changes. That is not due diligence.

Why did the Conservatives cut corners when drafting this bill?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should and would be aware that we have in fact consulted broadly, but let us not lose sight of the urgency of this matter. Let us not lose sight of the fact of what happened here in October and what has happened in other countries are terrorist actions that go directly to the safety and security of Canadians.

Similarly, the actions that we are taking with regard to the mission overseas are actions consistent with Canadians' story, history, and past, and promoting and protecting interests at home and abroad.

[Nycole Turmel, NDP, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, two weeks of study have revealed problem after problem with Bill C-51. Obviously, this is a botched bill. Any government that was the least bit serious would go back to the drawing board.

Why are the Conservatives insisting on passing a bill that jeopardizes our freedoms and ultimately is just not going to work?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, this is not a botched bill. The member's assessment of the bill is incorrect.

There are very important and comprehensive measures contained in Bill C-51 that go directly to the heart and effort of protecting Canadians. Whether it is giving our security forces greater ability to promote and protect Canadians' interests by pre-empting some of those actions or whether it is by changing the legislation with insertions in the Criminal Code to allow us to do more to prevent radicalization and recruitment online, this is a comprehensive, important bill before Parliament.

It is getting rigorous examination before committee. I would urge the hon. member to actually take the time to read it and delve a little deeper herself.

The Economy

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

Mr. Speaker, one of the most important roles of any government is to inspire confidence in the economy.

However, today, we are seeing that the trust of businesses and consumers is fragile. The problem is not only that the Conservatives are shirking their duties, but also that they are absolutely refusing to talk about the economy. They delayed the budget because they do not have a plan. The Minister of Finance, who is nowhere to be found, simply stopped answering questions about the economy two months ago.

When will the Conservatives deliver a budget?

[Kevin Sorenson, Conservative, Minister of State (Finance)]

Mr. Speaker, our government has a low-tax plan for jobs and growth for all sectors of the Canadian economy. That plan is working very well. It will return Canada to a balanced budget this year. The minister has been very clear that we will not bring forward a budget until at least April.

The hon. member can be certain that when this budget is tabled here in the House, it will be a budget that will continue on the same plan of lowering taxes, creating jobs, and coming to balance. Let us contrast that with the opposition, a high-debt, high-spend party that also believes that budgets balance themselves.

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

Mr. Speaker, that vaunted plan is clearly not working very well.

Outside of a full recession, we have had the slowest consecutive 15 months of job growth on record. TD says things are not going to get much better on the jobs front for two years. CIBC says we have the lowest-quality job creation in a generation.

The economy could use some confidence, not deafening silence. Where is the federal budget, and why has the Minister of Finance chosen not to answer questions in the House for two months now?

[Kevin Sorenson, Conservative, Minister of State (Finance)]

Mr. Speaker, it is exactly what we have been saying consistently: the global recovery is fragile. Our Conservative government is focused on what matters most to Canadians. That economic action plan is a plan that helps create jobs, keeps money in the pockets of Canadians, and lowers taxes for all Canadians.

We know that the opposition would take those tax cuts away. They would take pension income-splitting away. They would take universal child care benefits away. They would continue to spend and raise taxes. That would cost jobs. That is not what this economy needs.

Canadians know they are better off with our Conservative government.