Debates of April 22nd, 2015

Ethics

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, let us look at what the Prime Minister actually thinks about Mike Duffy's actions:

To Duff, a great journalist and a great senator. Thanks for being one of my best, hardest-working appointments ever.

As a senator, Mike Duffy never put forward a single piece of legislation. What great, hard work was the Prime Minister actually referring to?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as the House knows, Mr. Duffy has since been charged with a number of offences. We have been working with the police and the Crown on these matters. I am not going to comment on those.

Just as another example, I am sure that the leader of the NDP works very hard. That does not entitle him to take $3 million of public money, to which his party was not entitled, and use it for illegal purposes.

The Budget

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is a great country because we believe in building a better country for our kids and grandkids than the one we inherited from our parents and grandparents. Incredibly, the Minister of Finance said yesterday that his TFSA increase for the rich will be paid for by the next generation of Canadians.

He said, “Why don't we leave it to the Prime Minister's granddaughter to solve that problem”.

Since when does Canada burden our grandchildren instead of building for them?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, once again, the Minister of Finance was clearly dismissing a preposterous argument because balancing the budget is good for future generations.

Cutting taxes and allowing people to save and keep money in their own pockets is good for future generations. Giving to money to Canadian families, so they can raise their children is good for future generations.

I noticed yesterday, and everybody noticed, the leader of the Liberal Party was condemning tax cuts for small businesses claiming that they are all rich. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and we are proud to cut taxes.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is paying for doubling the TFSA contribution limit by cutting old age security for seniors. We know from evidence at the Mike Duffy trial that even his Conservative caucus is uncomfortable with this old age security cut.

Why is the Prime Minister taking $28,000 from our most vulnerable seniors to pay for his tax break for the rich?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, that is, of course, completely false. The government has not taken a dime from seniors. On the contrary, this government brought in the single biggest increase to the guaranteed income supplement in a quarter of a century and the Liberal Party voted against it.

This government brought in income splitting for Canadian pensioners. That party voted against it and that party has, in the past, threatened to take it away from our seniors.

One party and one party alone stands for middle-class Canadians and seniors, and that is this party. We are going to fight them every step of the way.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. The hon. member for Papineau.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, by increasing the contribution limit for tax-free savings accounts, the Prime Minister is giving even more money to those who need it the least.

How is he getting the money to do that? By making cuts to old age security, something that even his own caucus finds extremely worrisome.

Why is the Prime Minister giving tax breaks to the most wealthy rather than helping people in the middle class who need it? When will he introduce a plan that helps the middle class?

[Stephen Harper, Conservative, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, that is completely false.

It is the Liberal Party that wants to raise taxes for middle-class families, middle-class seniors, middle-class consumers and SMEs in this country.

We have lowered taxes. Tax-free savings accounts are used by middle-class seniors, and we have increased the annual contribution limit. That is a good policy for seniors.

We have always resisted the Liberal Party's attempts to take away income splitting from seniors.

Ethics

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister keeps telling us that the rules for appointing senators have been clear for 150 years.

However, when he appointed Mike Duffy to be a Conservative senator, Mr. Duffy had been living in Ottawa since 1971. He had an Ontario driver's licence, and his passport indicated that his permanent residence was in—you guessed it—Ottawa. Nevertheless, the Prime Minister still appointed Mike Duffy to be a Conservative senator representing Prince Edward Island.

Can the Prime Minister tell us today what ancient magical rule dating back 150 years made Mike Duffy a resident of Prince Edward Island?

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

Mr. Speaker, as I already said, the constitutional practice on this has been clear for nearly 150 years. What is also very clear is that it is against the rules of the House to use taxpayers' money for partisan purposes.

This particular member owes Canadian taxpayers $122,122 for illegal offices in Montreal. He is not alone of course. He is joined by the member for Scarborough Southwest who took it to a bigger level at over $140,000, not to be outdone by the Leader of the Opposition who owes taxpayers $400,000.

I suggest they pay it back.

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

Mr. Speaker, that was not Parliament's finest hour.

We are talking about the role of the prime minister, as defined by the Senate, in determining the eligibility requirements for Mike Duffy. What we find is that the Crown attorney says that Duffy did not meet those eligibility requirements, which is why he is up on fraud charges.

The Deloitte auditors also found that Mike Duffy in Kanata did not meet those requirements, yet the Prime Minister's Office intervened to try and have the issue of residency whitewashed out of the audit. If these rules of 150 years were so clear, why was it whitewashing the audit? Why did it allow Mike Duffy to sit in the Senate when he clearly was not eligible to represent Prince Edward Island?

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

Mr. Speaker, what we are seeing again today is the Liberals trying to make a victim out of Mike Duffy. Mike Duffy is responsible for his actions and he is facing those actions in front of a court.

He is absolutely right that it is not the finest hour for Parliament when the members for Trois-Rivières, Honoré-Mercier, Jeanne-Le Ber, Pierrefonds—Dollard, Louis-Hébert, Gatineau, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, Hochelaga, Saint-Jean, Berthier—Maskinongé, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, Davenport, Drummond, and Trinity—Spadina are just part of the crew that owe $2.7—

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order. I know it is a Wednesday, but the noise level is getting rather elevated. I will ask members to come to order to allow members to both put the questions and answer them.

The hon. member for Newton—North Delta.

The Budget

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

Mr. Speaker, while Conservatives like Mike Duffy got to live large on the taxpayers' dime, ordinary Canadians are feeling squeezed, and yesterday's budget provides them with little relief.

In nine years, the Conservatives have failed to create a single child care space. The budget offers costly tax breaks for the wealthiest Canadians, the top 15%. Families desperately need help with child care costs that are breaking the family budget.

Why has the government abandoned middle-class families?

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Conservative government tabled a low-tax plan for jobs and families. We know that the New Democratic Party wants a high-tax plan for middle class families. It wants high taxes for middle class seniors. It wants high taxes for middle class consumers. That is its plan. High taxes on everything. High taxes on the middle class.

Our Conservative government has reduced taxes on the middle class. We put $6,600 back in the pockets of the average Canadian family of four. The NDP wants to take that money out.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative budget shows that the government still does not understand that a strong Canada requires strong cities. Under this budget, desperately needed public transit funding is still years away, and even then, it is a slow ramp-up to meaningful dollars, all of it complicated by red tape and many strings attached.

Why do multi-billion dollar income splitting handouts to the wealthier few start immediately while the vast majority of Canadians are left waiting for the bus?

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Conservative government tabled a budget, a low-tax budget for families and jobs. However, we know that the New Democrats want high taxes on the middle class. They want high taxes on families. They want high taxes on middle class seniors. They want high taxes on middle class consumers.

That is their plan. That is their strategy: high taxes on everything and high taxes on the middle class.

Our government has reduced taxes. We will continue to reduce taxes on the middle class. We have put over $6,000 back intro the pockets of Canadian families. They will take it way.

Canadians know they are better off with this Conservative government.

Infrastructure

[Hoang Mai, NDP, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that their priority is giving gifts to the wealthy instead of helping the middle class.

The Conservatives had an opportunity to invest in our cities to promote public transit and help repair our bridges and roads. The provinces are outraged. The Government of Quebec is saying that the funds allocated to infrastructure in the Conservatives' budget are woefully inadequate.

Why are the Conservatives giving gifts to the wealthy instead of investing in our infrastructure?

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday we tabled a balanced budget that lowers taxes for all Canadians. I remind the opposition that it wants to increase taxes for the middle class, seniors and small businesses.

On this side of the House, we know that we can create wealth by lowering taxes for people and putting money back in their pockets. That is quite clear and that is what is most important. The opposition believes in and even glorifies big government, and it puts down Canadians. We believe in Canadians, and we are putting money back in their pockets.

Aboriginal Affairs

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill, MB]

Mr. Speaker, this is a budget that is failing another generation of first nations, Métis and Inuit children with inadequate funding for basic services like child welfare, education and health.

We should all know that no matter where children live in Canada, they should have access to quality education, but the Conservatives are more focused on blaming indigenous communities for their own failure with Bill C-33.

Why is the Prime Minister not honouring his pledge to invest $1.9 billion to bridge the education gap that first nations in Canada tragically face?

[Bernard Valcourt, Conservative, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is that unlike the Liberals and New Democrats, whose mantra is to increase taxes for every Canadian family, we on this side of the House believe that they should get the money back in their pockets.

As a matter of fact, we are focused on the priorities of all Canadians. The economic action plan 2015 will help create jobs, spur economic growth, and ensure the long-term prosperity of all Canadians, including aboriginals.

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

Mr. Speaker, it reeks of petty political revenge.

The minister's numbers are nothing but smoke and mirrors. All this budget will do is maintain the status quo. The National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations called the federal budget a “missed opportunity” and “one of the weakest for First Nations”.

Abandoning yet another generation of this country's first peoples—is that what a balanced budget means to the Conservatives?

[Bernard Valcourt, Conservative, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, unlike the Liberals and the white-collar socialists in the NDP, our government is focused on Canadians' priorities. This economic action plan will help create jobs and new wealth and ensure the long-term prosperity of all Canadians, including aboriginal Canadians.

Economic action plan 2015 makes strategic investments in major initiatives intended to improve the well-being of first nations by enabling them to benefit fully from Canada's economic prosperity.