Debates of March 31st, 2015

International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade

[Joy Smith, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I want to draw to the attention of the House that March 25 was the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has noted that “This year's Day of Remembrance pays particular tribute to the many women who suffered and died during the slave trade”.

While remembering the past female victims of the slave trade, we must continue to fight for the women and girls who are enslaved today in prostitution right here in our nation.

Earlier this month, Toronto police rescued a 14-year old girl being prostituted from a hotel room. A few days before this, the Halton Regional Police arrested a man in Mississauga for trafficking a female minor. In February, police rescued individuals from sex slavery in Edmonton, Toronto, Hamilton, Burlington and Ajax. All of the victims were women and many underage.

Today, our fight against slavery and against violence against women and girls must remain vigilant. We must end modern day slavery.

The Environment

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the Prince Edward Islanders who are involved with the watershed groups of P.E.I. The efforts and contribution that these individuals and groups make toward protecting the environment, enhancing their communities and instilling environmental awareness in others are to be commended.

These Individuals, who are often volunteers, promote public awareness of healthy streams and buffer zones, assist with stream restoration activities, and contribute to stream enhancement. They spend days working in streams to remove excessive debris and reduce sediment using innovative techniques so as to improve water channels and fish habitat. With their knowledge and experience, they help create water-related policies and strategies for the future.

All efforts for watershed protection and enhancement take time and commitment. I commend those islanders who support their local watershed groups and contribute in so many ways to improving our brooks, our streams and our environment. Our thanks for their hard work and dedication.

Veterans

[Andrew Saxton, Conservative, North Vancouver, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour the lives of two decorated veterans from my riding, who recently passed away.

Frank Zantolas was only 19 when he enlisted in our armed forces and was one of 14,000 Canadians who stormed Juno Beach on D-Day. For his efforts during World War II, he was awarded medals for his service in England, Italy, France, and Germany. Most recently, he received the French Legion of Honour, the highest decoration that can be given by France, which I presented to his family this past Sunday at the celebration of his life that was held at North Vancouver's Royal Canadian Legion 118.

The other veteran is Harold Finnegan, who joined the Canadian army special forces in 1950 and served in the Korean War. He will be remembered for a career that spanned more than 20 years throughout Southeast Asia and Europe. He remained dedicated to the North Vancouver Korean Veterans Association and the Royal Canadian Legion right up until his death.

These men exemplify the spirit and bravery of all of Canada's men and women in uniform, and their contributions to our great nation will not be forgotten. May they rest in peace.

Leader of the Official Opposition

[Pierre-Luc Dusseault, NDP, Sherbrooke, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about a very special day. On March 23, we had the immense privilege and honour of welcoming the Leader of the Official Opposition to Sherbrooke.

He did not come to Sherbrooke for photo ops, or to make an appearance and leave without proposing anything concrete to the people of Sherbrooke. No, on the contrary, he arrived in Sherbrooke with concrete proposals and clear commitments.

First he visited one of Sherbrooke's flourishing and innovative companies, Surplec HV Solutions, where he presented his plan to support small and medium-sized enterprises. Then he met with Ensaf Haidar, the wife of Raif Badawi. The opposition leader promised to ask the Prime Minister some questions about Mr. Badawi's situation and followed through on that promise two days later.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the commitment my leader made about the Sherbrooke airport: an NDP government will resolve this issue once and for all. This is something the Conservatives have failed to do since coming to power.

I want to thank the leader of the NDP for his clear commitments to Sherbrooke. On October 20, the day after the election, we will finally have a prime minister who truly knows and cares about our region.

Daundre Barnaby

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

Mr. Speaker, l am deeply saddened by the news of the death of Canadian Olympian and Brampton resident Daundre Barnaby, while swimming in the ocean with his athletics teammates at a training camp on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts.

His impact can be seen in the outpouring of messages online from Daundre's teammates and all Canadians. Daundre wore the maple leaf with distinction while competing for Canada internationally, including at the London 2012 Olympic Games and the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. I know his presence will continue to be felt by his teammates as they compete near his hometown this summer at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games.

On behalf of the Government of Canada, I offer my sincere sympathies to Daundre's family, friends, and teammates and the whole Athletics Canada family. Our collective thoughts and prayers are with the family during this very difficult time.

Parkinson's Awareness Month

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, St. Catharines, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this year Parkinson Society Canada will be celebrating its 50th anniversary of putting Parkinson's issues on the map, a milestone for which I offer congratulations.

April 1 will mark the beginning of Parkinson's Awareness Month, a month-long celebration to recognize members of the Parkinson's community across Canada. The needs of the men and women affected by this disease are extensive.

In Niagara, we have Canada's only Parkinson's clinic, funded entirely through private donations. I have had the opportunity to work extensively with former NHLer Steve Ludzik, who suffers from Parkinson's himself, to help develop and build the Hotel Dieu Shaver clinic into one of Canada's pre-eminent Parkinson's clinics. In partnership with the United Way, this clinic serves so many because it is a disease that impacts so many.

I would ask all members of Parliament to take the opportunity to recognize Parkinson's Awareness Month, the month of April, as a significant milestone and important aspect of why we should be paying attention to those who suffer from the disease.

Public Safety

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, at midnight tonight, federal funding will end for a program called circles of support and accountability, designed to prevent the most dangerous high-risk sex offenders from repeating their crimes.

Based on the principles of restorative justice, 16 circles of support across the country involve more than 700 trained volunteers, each circle consisting of a group of five to seven volunteers who support and hold accountable sex offenders who are returning to the community after serving their full sentence. The results speak for themselves. No fewer than four independent studies have found that the program dramatically improves public safety and saves money. This is a successful made-in-Canada model that has been copied around the world.

Last May, the Minister of Public Safety intervened and restored funding to the program so that it could continue its important work. I urge the minister to intervene again and support the many community members who are volunteering their time to enhance public safety, promote rehabilitation, and prevent released sex offenders from reoffending. Without this support, the risk of further victimization will be greater and public safety will be compromised.

Veterans Affairs

[Bryan Hayes, Conservative, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as part of our responsibility to those who sacrificed, our government places the highest priority on making sure that veterans and their families have the support and services they need when they need them.

Yesterday, our Conservative government announced the critical injury benefit, which would provide a $70,000 tax-free award for Canadian Armed Forces members and veterans who endure sudden and severe injury or illness while in the line of duty. This benefit is in recognition of the immediate stress and hardship endured by our brave men and women in uniform.

I am immensely proud of the leadership of our Prime Minister and the Minister of Veterans Affairs, who are ensuring that Canadian veterans and their families are treated with the care, compassion, and respect they so deserve.

200th Anniversary of Drummondville

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as we know, Ottawa is the capital of our beautiful country, and Quebec City is the capital of Quebec.

I am pleased to tell the House that the city of Drummondville, the uncontested home of poutine, will be the celebration capital of Canada in 2015, as it celebrates its 200th anniversary.

Drummondville was founded on June 29, 1815, by Lieutenant Colonel Frederick George Heriot, and the city is currently experiencing an economic, cultural and social boom. Its rich history is a reflection of the spirit of the people of Drummondville. I want to take this opportunity to commend the Corporation des fêtes du 200^e de Drummondville for doing an excellent job of organizing the festivities.

This year will be a busy one for Drummondville, which will host a number of activities and events. The city has already played host to the 50th finals of the Quebec Winter Games. Still to come are the Mondial des cultures cultural festival, the Festival de la poutine, and the Drummondville sur son 31 celebration on December 31.

In 2015, Drummondville will be the celebration capital. We hope everyone will join us.

Taxation

[Wladyslaw Lizon, Conservative, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, by now, we know what the Liberal leader and his band of high-tax advisors want for Canadians: more taxes. They do not like our Conservative plan to give money back to Canadian families, because it does not increase government. In fact, I think that the member for Toronto Centre spoke for all Liberals when she said, “amen to raising taxes”.

On this side of the House, we take action for Canadian families. That is why, according to the PBO, after-tax benefits for families with young children are expected to double for the bottom 20%.

When our government introduced the universal child care benefit in 2006, total federal spending on child care almost quadrupled when compared to the abysmal effort of the Liberals.

Canadian families can trust our government to do what is best and give money back to the real child care experts. Their names are Mom and Dad.

Health

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last week, I was honoured to attend a naming ceremony and feast for the new aboriginal health institute at our University of Toronto. The work of this world-class research facility will be instrumental in closing the health outcome gap between aboriginal and non-aboriginal people in Canada.

Interim Director Dr. Jeff Reading made it clear that this institute's exciting new approach will establish a true partnership between researchers and indigenous communities, and it will be grounded in the guiding principles of scientific excellence and community relevance.

The newly named Waakebiness-Bryce Institute for Indigenous Health will bear the ceremonial indigenous name bestowed on its benefactor, Dr. Michael Dan, by the Lac La Croix First Nation, and Bryce for Dr. Peter Henderson Bryce, who founded the Public Health Service of Ontario and was an outspoken advocate for indigenous health.

I would like to take this opportunity to pay special tribute to the vision and generosity of Dr. Michael Dan, who made this new institute possible with a $10 million donation.

[Member spoke in aboriginal language as follows:]

Chi-miigwetch, Michael and Amira.

New Democratic Party of Canada

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the rules have always been clear. It is not acceptable to use taxpayer-funded constituency offices for partisan purposes, yet the NDP has been caught doing just that as it continues its pattern of abuse on the taxpayers' dime.

We already know that the NDP is refusing to pay back the nearly $4 million it owes to the hard-working taxpayers for the illegal use of parliamentary offices outside of Ottawa and illegal mailouts. Today is the deadline for the NDP to repay that money, but all we get from it is excuses.

This is simply unacceptable. When will the leader of the NDP take some accountability, stop breaking the rules and finally pay back the taxpayers of Canada the money that they are owed?

Child Care

[Peggy Nash, NDP, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Statistics Canada reported today that, under Conservative mismanagement, the Canadian economy is actually shrinking.

However, Canadian families did not need StatsCan to tell them that they are working harder than ever but still struggling to make ends meet. Rising child care costs are putting the squeeze on families, and the Conservatives have broken their promise to create any new child care spaces.

Now a report from the Parliamentary Budget Officer confirms that their plan is entirely insufficient to help families struggling to afford child care. Meanwhile they plan to take billions from the middle class and give it to the wealthy few, through their unfair income-splitting scheme.

Canadians deserve better. That is why the NDP has an affordable child care plan that will create quality child care spaces for just $15 a day. We look forward to delivering the real help Canadian families need when we form the first NDP government later this year.

Taxation

[Lawrence Toet, Conservative, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, thanks to our family tax cut and enhanced universal child care benefits, every Canadian family with children will have more money in their pockets to help make ends meet.

That is because we know that Canadian families know how to best spend their hard-earned money. Today the Parliamentary Budget Officer confirmed that our plan will increase benefits for 100% of families with children.

The report also confirmed that our plan actually provides the greatest benefit to low-income Canadians. In contrast, the NDP has a plan to only help 10% of families with children, while the Liberals have pledged to take money away from parents and raise their taxes. In fact, the Liberal leader actually thinks that providing benefits to families is “a bad idea”.

I would like to reassure Canadians that our government will not listen to the opposition, and we will continue to increase benefits and provide money directly to parents to help them meet their needs.

The Economy

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, new GDP numbers out from Statistics Canada today show that the Canadian economy is again losing ground. GDP has been flat for over the last three months, but now it is actually starting to fall. The Governor of the Bank of Canada is warning of “atrocious” GDP numbers when the full first-quarter results are released in a couple of months. Governor Poloz is calling for immediate action to boost the economy and create jobs.

Where is the budget?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, just to look at all of the facts, the fact is, of course, that the Canadian economy has grown over the past year, and the Bank of Canada and all other experts predict it will grow in the year to come.

Obviously, we are all aware that there are negative impacts on the Canadian economy in the short run due to the fall of global oil prices. That is why we think it is more important now more than ever to make sure we have more money in people's pockets. That is why we cut taxes and provided benefits to every single Canadian family, legislation that is before Parliament right now. I encourage all members to support it.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, it is going to be the first time in a full generation that a sitting government enters a new fiscal year without a budget. There is no excuse.

In January, the Bank of Canada lowered interest rates to one of the lowest levels in history. The Prime Minister is still not doing anything. Canadian families are coping with major layoffs in the retail sector. Another 1,500 jobs were lost at Future Shop over the weekend. Still the Prime Minister has nothing to offer.

The new fiscal year begins tomorrow. When will we get a budget?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, once again, the Canadian economy has grown over the past year. All of the experts are predicting that it will grow in the year to come.

Naturally, the sudden drop in the price of oil has resulted in some short-term negative effects. That is why we introduced legislative measures in the House to put more money into the pockets of all Canadian families.

I encourage all parliamentarians to support the government's economic policies.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, for over three years now, we have been warning the government not to put all of our eggs in one oil sands basket. It did not listen. The sinking price of oil was predictable: it is cyclical. The government did nothing. We lost 400,000 good manufacturing jobs while the government stood idly by. That is the problem. This time, the Conservatives cannot blame the American economy. It is their own fault.

The provinces are doing their job: they are tabling their budgets. When will we see a federal budget?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the government is pursuing its economic action plan. I recently announced support to open new markets, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. Yesterday, I was in Ontario, where Honda announced plans to export Canadian-made vehicles to international markets—European markets—thanks to our free trade policies.

The current difficulties due to lower oil sands revenues are no reason to raise taxes, which is what the NDP wants to do. Clearly, it is time to give more money to Canadian families.

Child Care

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the government is sitting on its hands. What the Conservatives have is an economic inaction plan.

The Parliamentary Budget Office has revealed devastating details about the Conservatives' bogus child care policy. Under the Prime Minister's scheme, families with older kids or kids who are not even in child care actually get more benefits than families with kids who are in child care. That is the Parliamentary Budget Office's conclusion.

The Prime Minister promised to create exactly 125,000 spaces. Why has he delivered none?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, what the NDP will never understand is that the vagaries of the economy are no reason to start raising taxes on people. That does nothing but kill jobs, and on this side of the House, we are in the business of creating jobs. I know that the NDP is strongly opposed to anything that gives money to people as opposed to taking it for government for bureaucracy.

Let us see what the PBO actually said about the government's policies: “...all eligible families will realize an increase in their after-tax income if the enhancements to the UCCB...are legislated”.

Also, according to the Parliamentary Budget Office: “...total federal spending on child care nearly quadrupled” under this government.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Here is something that is not a vagary, Mr. Speaker. With the NDP, quality, affordable, $15-a-day child care is one election away.

The Parliamentary Budget Officer's report is scathing. Families that do not use child care are receiving more than those paying thousands of dollars a month for child care. Provinces like Quebec and Manitoba are being punished.

Why are the Conservatives paying billions of dollars for a child care program that does not provide any child care?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians do not want any of the NDP's policies, which consist of raising taxes for Canadian families and taking away the universal child care benefit.

The Parliamentary Budget Officer said that all eligible families will realize an increase in their after-tax incomes if the enhancements to the UCCB are legislated. He also said that total federal spending on child care has nearly quadrupled under our government.

The Economy

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, more disappointing news this morning from Stats Can. Our economy has shown negative growth three months of the last six. The middle class clearly needs a plan for growth, but we have seen no plan. We have seen no budget. When will we see any action by the government to get our economy moving again?