Debates of March 9th, 2015

University of Toronto Teaching Assistants

[Dan Harris, NDP, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to say that New Democrats stand in solidarity with the teaching assistants at the University of Toronto, who have been out on strike for a week.

The members of CUPE Local 3902 are on the picket line seeking fair wages and better working conditions. They are seeking to improve upon the $15,000 a year that they make, which includes salaries and scholarships.

They are not looking to join the thousands of U of T staff on Ontario's “sunshine list” or to make more money than the Premier of Ontario, as the President of U of T does. They are looking for a modest increase so that people who are actually teaching 60% of the courses at U of T do not have to be among the working poor.

As the president of the U of T Students' Union put it last week, the TAs' “working conditions are students’ learning conditions”.

It is time for U of T to get back to the bargaining table, earn their six-figure salaries, and negotiate a fair deal for students and for their teaching assistants.

New Democrats stand proudly in line in solidarity with CUPE Local 3902.

Taxation

[Brad Butt, Conservative, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, while the NDP and the Liberals want to impose a job-killing carbon tax, the Conservative government is delivering the largest tax breaks in Canadian history. With our new family tax cut, the average family will receive more than $1,100 per year to spend on their priorities.

But that is not all. We have also doubled the children's fitness tax credit and enhanced the universal child care benefit. All parents, including single parents, will benefit from our plan. That is over four million families and over seven million parents.

Perhaps only someone with a trust fund would think that middle-class families can afford higher taxes and higher prices, which is what the Liberal leader would do. We reject the high-tax, high-debt Liberal plan. Our government will continue to stand up for middle-class families.

Andrew Doiron

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I learned this weekend of the death of Sergeant Andrew Doiron, originally from Moncton. He was a pleasant, passionate and proud man. The memories of Sergeant Doiron's friends and colleagues are a testament to the character of this man whom we have tragically lost.

The fact that he rose to the level of sergeant in our Special Forces shows that Andrew was part of the best that Canada had to offer.

Many people in my riding knew him when he was a student at École Mathieu-Martin in Dieppe, and I know that the entire Greater Moncton community is proud to have known him and sad to have lost him so prematurely.

I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to his colleagues in the Canadian Forces. We also pray for those who were injured with Sergeant Doiron.

Above all, I would like to extend my condolences to his parents and his entire family. Know that our thoughts and prayers are with you in these difficult times.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour the memory of Sergeant Andrew Doiron of Moncton, New Brunswick. By all accounts, Drew, as he was affectionately known to his friends, was a force to be reckoned with.

He led a Special Forces detachment in Iraq. Before that, he had also been deployed to Niger and Italy. In Italy, he personally accompanied veterans from the First Special Service Force to the top of Mount La Difensa, which they had occupied during the Second World War.

He was a fierce competitor in the International Practical Shooting Confederation and won many three-gun competitions.

Sergeant Doiron was a man of action. His courage and indeed his life, which was dedicated to Canada's security, are a source of inspiration for us all.

Rest in peace, Sergeant Doiron. We will never forget you.

[Malcolm Allen, NDP, Welland, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today I join with all members of the House as we mourn the loss of Sergeant Andrew Joseph Doiron. Our hearts go out to his family, his friends, and the Canadian Forces community.

Our thoughts are also with the three brave soldiers who were injured. We wish them a swift recovery.

This is another reminder of the heavy responsibility we have as parliamentarians when deciding whether to send our men and women into harm's way. His family said, “Our son gave all and through his loss, we gave all.”

His friends described him as passionate, determined, charismatic, funny, humble, and sensitive. These are words we can use to describe our own sons and daughters.

As we attempt to comprehend what Sergeant Doiron's death may mean, let us recommit ourselves to providing all the assistance we can to our veterans and to comfort all those who have suffered such losses.

[Robert Goguen, Conservative, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise here today to honour the memory of Sergeant Andrew Doiron of Moncton, New Brunswick. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and colleagues.

Known to his friends as “Drew”, he was a force that, by all accounts, loomed larger than life. He led a Special Forces detachment while deployed in Iraq. Other deployments included Niger and Italy. There, he personally escorted veterans of the first Special Service Force up Monte la Difensa, which they had occupied and captured during World War II.

He was an avid competitor in international practical shooting competitions. He competed successfully in numerous three-gun competitions. Sergeant Doiron adored skiing, physical fitness training, motorcycles, and dogs.

Sergeant Doiron's bravery and lifelong dedication to Canada's security is an inspiration to all of us.

Rest in peace, Sergeant Doiron. Lest we forget.

National Defence

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, this weekend the New Democrats shared in our country's sadness at the death of Sergeant Doiron. Our thoughts are with his family and friends and his comrades from the Canadian Forces community. Our thoughts are also with the other soldiers injured in this incident. We stand with all Canadians as we reflect on Sergeant Doiron's tragic sacrifice.

Could the Minister of Defence give us a precise account of what happened this weekend? How did Sergeant Doiron die?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of National Defence and Minister for Multiculturalism]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Halifax for her condolences. I join with all members in expressing our most profound condolences to the family of Sergeant Doiron. His comrades, the other three Canadian troops wounded on Friday night, are in our thoughts and prayers.

This incident was a tragic question of friendly fire resulting from mistaken identity. Our troops followed all of the established protocols that they have for several months in these kinds of training missions. They were well within the rules of engagement of their advise and assist mission to provide training to the Kurdish peshmerga.

Obviously, our operators are ensuring that steps are taken to ensure there is no repeat of this tragic incident. There are three investigations that we hope to see the results of very soon.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, since the start of this mission in Iraq, the government has been hiding the truth from Canadians.

In the beginning, it talked about an air mission and training. Now we have discovered that our troops are on the front lines and being targeted by the enemy and that there have been Canadian casualties.

The Prime Minister must tell us the truth. How many Canadian soldiers are presently in a combat situation in Iraq?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of National Defence and Minister for Multiculturalism]

Mr. Speaker, once again, I would like to express our sincere condolences to Sergeant Doiron's family. We are obviously keeping in our thoughts the three Canadian soldiers who were wounded Friday night near Erbil.

Our soldiers are professionals and among the best in the world. They have been fulfilling their mandate of helping and advising the peshmerga and the Kurds. Unfortunately, Friday night's friendly fire incident was the result of a reconnaissance error by the Kurdish militia. Our commanders in the region are obviously making the necessary changes and there are three investigations into the incident.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the Conservatives have not been transparent about this mission from the start. Women and men of our armed forces, their families and all Canadians deserve to know the truth.

The mandate for this current mission is ending in just a few weeks. The decision about deploying our service people overseas is among the most important decisions that we make as parliamentarians. Therefore, could the government tell us when a debate and a vote on a mission extension will occur?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of National Defence and Minister for Multiculturalism]

Mr. Speaker, the truth is that Canada believes we have a responsibility, a moral and national security responsibility, to act in the defence of global security and of our own security against this genocidal terrorist organization, ISIL, this death cult that has sought to destroy entire minority communities, that has explicitly declared war on Canada. That is why we have Canadian special operations forces in their advise and assist mission in northern Iraq. That is why we have the Royal Canadian Air Force flying sorties against ISIL positions in Iraq.

Of course, we believe there is an important ongoing role for Canada to play. If we seek an extension, we obviously will table a motion in this place.

Transportation Safety

[Carol Hughes, NDP, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Northern Ontario has now seen three train wrecks in less than a month. Two of them in Gogama and one between Hornepayne and Oba. The last two were only a few days apart this week.

This most recent derailment had 94 cars on the train carrying crude oil. Thirty-five of them derailed, caught fire and several ended up in the Makami River.

The people of Northern Ontario are concerned about their safety, about the destruction of air and water quality. Could the minister tell us what measures she has taken to protect the communities of Northern Ontario today?

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, always, the safety and security of Canadians is Transport Canada's top priority. In the past number of years, strong statements and strong actions have been taken with respect to trains and the movement of goods and transportation of dangerous goods in the country. Most notably is the fact that we have moved 5,000 cars out of the system and that we have brought in new standards to be followed for tank cars. We are working with the United States on a new tank car standard to be utilized in the future. We have been working diligently on this file since then.

We need to wait to see the response of the Transportation Safety Board as to why this accident happened.

[Carol Hughes, NDP, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the standards are not working.

There was another derailment in northern Ontario on Saturday. This time, 35 cars carrying oil derailed and caught fire. Three weeks ago, in the same area, 30 cars of the same type were involved in another derailment, yet the TSB had found that the new Class 111 tank cars did not perform any better than those involved in Lac-Mégantic.

Will the minister finally put in place stricter safety standards to protect Canadians?

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, last year we took an unprecedented move of indicating that over the next three years we would be moving out of the system the DOT-111 cars.

We are working with the United States on what a new system will be in terms of a new tank car standard. We have changed the operating procedures for railways in our country. We have added inspectors. We have invested hundreds of millions of dollars.

The safety and security of Canadians in the transportation of dangerous goods is our top priority. We work diligently on this, and we will continue to do so.

Employment

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

Mr. Speaker, before I ask my question, I would like to say that the tragic death of Sergeant Andrew Doiron reminds us once again of the risks our soldiers face on our behalf.

We owe Sergeant Doiron a debt that cannot be repaid. We extend our most sincere condolences to his loved ones.

According to the CIBC's analysis, job quality in Canada is the lowest it has been in the 15 years that the bank has been collecting statistics.

What is the government doing to respond to the deterioration of job quality?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Democratic Reform]

Mr. Speaker, first, of the 1.2 million new jobs created, 85% are full time, 80% are in the private sector and approximately two-thirds are in high-wage industries.

We are reducing taxes not only for families but also for the companies that hire workers.

The Liberal Party believes that the budget will balance itself, but that is not true, just as it is not true for families' budgets either. Given the opportunity, the Liberals would raise taxes, which would be harmful to families and employment.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, last week's CIBC report shows that the Canadian job quality index is at its lowest point on record. It confirms what middle-class Canadians already know: that more jobs now provide lower pay and fewer benefits.

The Conservatives are so out of touch that they boast about their jobs record. Does the Conservative government understand the findings of the CIBC report? Does it understand that the quality of Canadian jobs has reached a new low under its watch?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Democratic Reform]

Mr. Speaker, here is what the New York Times actually said about the middle class in Canada, “Life in Canada, Home of the World’s Most Affluent Middle Class”.

The article then compares the Liberal era, actually, saying, “After-tax middle-class incomes in Canada — substantially behind in 2000 — now appear to be higher than in the United States”.

We have the wealthiest middle-class in the world. Its net worth has gone up by approximately 40%, and take-home pay, after taxes, after inflation, is up 10%. The middle class is better off with us.

[Scott Brison, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the only good-paying jobs the Conservatives want to protect are their own.

CIBC is not alone in raising the alarm on Canada's job market. The Bank of Canada has reported that Canada's jobs market is weaker than unemployment rates suggest. The bank has reacted by lowering interest rates.

However, our soft jobs market cannot be fixed by monetary policy alone. Why are the Conservatives ignoring the facts and delaying the budget? Why do they not understand that Canadians need a real plan now for good jobs and growth?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Democratic Reform]

Mr. Speaker, we have a real plan. It is called the low-tax plan for jobs and growth. It has put $3,400, on average, into the pockets of the average Canadian family.

The Liberal Party has a one-point plan for the middle class: raise taxes. We oppose the high-tax plan of the Liberals. We are not surprised they would have one, because their leader believes that budgets simply balance themselves.

Families know this is not the way it works around the dinner table. They know we have to keep taxes low and the economy strong, and we have to work hard to get the job done.

Ethics

[Ève Péclet, NDP, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the trial of former Conservative senator Mike Duffy will start in less than a month. He is facing 31 charges, ranging from corruption and fraud to breach of trust. The Prime Minister's Office is at the core of this scandal. Furthermore, a number of his closest advisors have been subpoenaed, including his former chief of staff.

Can the Prime Minister tell us how many members of his inner circle received subpoenas and can he tell us whether his current chief of staff, Ray Novak, will testify?

[Paul Calandra, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and for Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, as you know, we will continue to provide every possible assistance that we can to the crown in its case against Mr. Duffy.

We know the NDP and, of course, the member and a number of members over there owe hundreds of thousands of dollars, in fact, millions of dollars. The member, I believe, owes $22,000 to the taxpayer of Canada. I certainly hope the member will find the time to cut that cheque to the taxpayers of Canada.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Well, Mr. Speaker, those bizarre evasions will not make this one go away, because we know from the RCMP investigation that at least a dozen key Conservative insiders are involved in the Duffy expense scandal and the PMO-orchestrated coverup.

With the Duffy trial about to begin, will the Prime Minister tell us how many of his current staff have received subpoenas and does the Prime Minister know whether there is any indication that he himself will be called as a witness by the defence?