House of Commons Hansard #199 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was families.
Ruth Ellen Brosseau NDP Berthier—Maskinongé, QC
Mr. Speaker, it is nothing new for the Conservatives to say one thing and then to do another, as they have done in the case of Quebec producers.
The Minister of State for Agriculture gave his word to Quebec producers: the mandate of Canadian negotiators in discussions on the trans-Pacific partnership is “to preserve and promote supply management”.
Can the Minister of International Trade confirm that the Conservatives will keep their promise and protect supply management?
Ed Fast ConservativeMinister of International Trade
Mr. Speaker, we have made it very clear for many years that we will continue to support farmers, including those in the supply managed sector. At the same time, supply management has never prevented our government from concluding trade agreements.
This government understands that trade and investment are the twin engines of economic growth for our country. We are going to continue to seek out opportunities to expand Canada's trade opportunities all around the world to give Canadian businesses, exporters, and investors new opportunities.
Malcolm Allen NDP Welland, ON
Mr. Speaker, the minister may say that, but what the Prime Minister actually said was that negotiations on the trans-Pacific partnership will involve difficult decisions. Then, in the budget, what do they do? They start implementing the changes the other countries actually want. They do not even wait for negotiations to be concluded. They simply start making the changes, giving stuff away.
Are these the kinds of difficult decisions the Prime Minister talked about? Are we going to actually see supply management offered up by this Conservative government, or is it finally going to stand up for farmers in this country and make sure that it protects supply management?
Ed Fast ConservativeMinister of International Trade
Mr. Speaker, I would caution that member about prejudging the outcome of these negotiations. I just explained that this government has, since its election in 2006, always promoted and defended the interests of our supply management sector. In fact, there is no government that has ever done as much for farmers as this Conservative government.
As we continue to negotiate at the trans-Pacific partnership table, we will be promoting Canada's interests. We have always made it clear that the standard we will set and achieve is that we will only sign a trade agreement that is in Canada's best interests.
Malcolm Allen NDP Welland, ON
How ironic, Mr. Speaker. The minister says the Conservatives protect farmers across this country, but when it came time to sell the Wheat Board, did they sell it to farmers? Not at all. They did not sell it to farmers. I guess they like the Saudis, because that is who they sold it to. They sold the Wheat Board to the Saudis, even though Canadian farmers wanted to buy it. Canadian farmers said that they would give them more money for it. The Conservatives said, “No thanks, we will just give it to the Saudis”, and so they did.
At the end of the day, if you really stand up for farmers, then you should have let farmers buy the Wheat Board.
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
I am sure the hon. member for Welland was directing his question at a member of the government not at the Speaker, but I will recognize the Hon. Parliamentary Secretary.
Agriculture and Agri-foodOral Questions
South Shore—St. Margaret's Nova Scotia
Conservative
Gerald Keddy ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture
Mr. Speaker, for the hon. member's benefit, a fully commercialized Canadian Wheat Board increases competition in the sector by giving farmers another buyer competing for their grain.
I know the hon. member does not want to hear the answer, but I really would like to deliver the answer. The investors are injecting $250 million into the company and have plans to develop a coast to coast grain handling and shipping network.
Growing infrastructure and new delivery points means lower delivery costs for who else? Farmers. The new Canadian Wheat Board includes a farmers trust, which offers farmers an opportunity to build equity simply through their deliveries of--
The Speaker Conservative Andrew Scheer
Order, please.
The hon. member for Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry.
Guy Lauzon Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week the Minister of Finance tabled our government's balanced budget and a low-tax plan for jobs and growth, and contrary to what the Liberal leader thinks, it did not balance itself.
On this side of the House, we believe in helping families and in giving them back more of their hard-earned money. I wonder if the Minister of Employment could please tell the House what budget 2015 does for Canadian families.
Andrew Saxton ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry for that excellent question.
Small businesses make up over 90% of Canadian businesses and employ two-thirds of all Canadians. Since we formed government, we have reduced the small business tax load by almost 50%. We are also providing unprecedented tax relief, such as reducing the small business tax rate from 11% to 9%.
We will not increase taxes on almost 700,000 small businesses and kill Canadian jobs like the Liberal leader, who confirmed that he would reverse tax credits for small businesses. That is their plan. Our government will reduce taxes--
Niki Ashton NDP Churchill, MB
Mr. Speaker, today the family of Loretta Saunders joined their voices to the thousands of families, leaders, premiers, and Canadians who are calling for justice. They are calling for a national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women.
To quote the powerful words of Loretta's mother: “Why are our children, our people, being murdered and killed more”.
What more is there to say than that? The question is, why is the government not calling a national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women?
Kellie Leitch ConservativeMinister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women
Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times in the House, these are terrible crimes against innocent people, just like Loretta Saunders.
The RCMP has said in its own study that they focus and make sure these cases are addressed and the majority of them solved. But let us be clear. What these people do not need now is another study. What they need is action, just as Mrs. Saunders has spoken about, making sure that action is taken on behalf of her daughter.
We are focused on that—protecting, supporting, and preventing—unlike the NDP, which has no interest in supporting that initiative.
Hélène Laverdière NDP Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC
Mr. Speaker, Canada's aid budget is at a historic low point, and this week's budget will not fix anything.
Recently the government got a report on its aid program in Afghanistan, which showed a rather mixed result. Now we learn that there is also a report on its program in Haiti, but the government is not releasing it. What is it hiding? Why has the minister not made the report public, as required by law?
Christian Paradis ConservativeMinister of International Development and Minister for La Francophonie
Mr. Speaker, Canadian humanitarian assistance increased 62% last year over the previous year, and since 2003 we have nearly doubled the amount of aid to low-income countries over the previous Liberal government.
We are at the forefront of crises like Ebola, Syria, and Iraq. We are at the forefront, and Canadians can be proud of our actions.
While the NDP wants to increase taxes on the middle class, we are lowering taxes while providing accountable and effective aid to people in need.
Chris Charlton NDP Hamilton Mountain, ON
Mr. Speaker, this week on Hamilton Mountain, Canada Post is installing new super mailboxes in flagrant violation of municipal law. It is digging up municipal property and installing concrete pads without any permits or permission from the city.
Hamilton's duly elected city council has been clear: Canada Post cannot use municipal land without a permit. Will the government show respect for the people of Hamilton and the council they elected, or will it allow Canada Post to simply bulldoze ahead?
Lisa Raitt ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, we know why Canada Post is moving forward on its five-point plan. It is because it is not in a position to continuously self-sustain its finances. As a result, it has moved from having door-to-door service to having community mailboxes. In siting these community mailboxes, Canada Post must work with the communities, and it must follow all rules and regulations. The particular incident is before the courts. As such, it is inappropriate to comment further.
David Christopherson NDP Hamilton Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, it sounds as though the minister has already commented on it.
The fact of the matter is that Canada Post is claiming that it has the right, under federal law, to march into Hamilton and run roughshod over zoning decisions and land-use decisions and to ignore its permit restrictions and regime.
Is the current government prepared to put Canada Post in its place and respect the right of municipalities to decide land use and to bring in permit regimes that will be respected by the federal government?
Lisa Raitt ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, the appropriate place for this to be debated, as to who has what jurisdiction in this matter, is before the courts. That is exactly where it is. A decision will be forthcoming, and then we will all know exactly who had the right to do what.
Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON
Mr. Speaker, it is unconscionable that the Conservative government is playing politics with the future of first nation children.
Last year, the government admitted there was a funding gap for first nation K-12 students and promised $1.25 billion to help close that gap. This election budget claws back that promised money and then tries to portray woefully inadequate dollars as an increase.
How can the current government justify denying first nation students the equality of opportunity they deserve? Where is the promised money for aboriginal education?
Mark Strahl ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
Mr. Speaker, our government believes that first nation students deserve access to the same quality education as all other Canadian students. We have invested over $10 billion to support elementary and secondary education for approximately 120,000 first nation students living on reserve and about $1.7 billion for 429 education infrastructure projects, including the construction of 36 new schools.
Additionally, economic action plan 2015 provides $200 million to improve first nation education, and that builds on our investment of $500 million over six years for first nation school infrastructure.
Carolyn Bennett Liberal St. Paul's, ON
Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary needs to admit that these deplorable funding gaps for first nation students are part of a much larger pattern. The minister's own department confirmed billions of dollars of funding shortfalls for education, housing, water, and other basic needs on reserve, such as fire protection.
The current government's budget offers no new money to address these ongoing issues. At the same time, it is giving big tax breaks to rich people.
Why is the current government's priority to help those who need it least and to ignore those who need it most?
Mark Strahl ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
Mr. Speaker, there is a disturbing pattern. Every time we invest in aboriginal communities, the Liberal Party votes against it.
In this budget we have additional funds for key initiatives aimed at first nations' well-being.
Let us hear from a stakeholder. Roberta Jamieson, president and CEO of Indspire, says, “Thank you to the Government of Canada” for its new commitment through economic action plan 2015 to advancing education for indigenous use, the country's fastest-growing demographic. This funding will enable Indspire to help lift the financial burden faced by thousands of indigenous students across the country as they strive to complete their education.
We are getting the job done.
Guy Caron NDP Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC
Mr. Speaker, the west pier at the port of Rimouski is in such a state of disrepair that Transport Canada has told the organization managing the Institute for Ocean Sciences research vessel, Coriolis II, that it will not be able to dock there.
For Rimouski and the marine science park, closure of the pier would be catastrophic. It would threaten the development of scientific research and deprive the Institut maritime du Québec of its training area for professional diving.
Why has Transport Canada neglected its own pier for so long? Will the government undertake to repair the pier as quickly as possible in order to remedy this negligence?
Lisa Raitt ConservativeMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, with respect to this particular incident, I am going to ask the member if he will provide me with some more information. I will go back and discuss it with officials, and I can provide an answer to his question more fulsomely.