Debates of April 24th, 2015

The Budget

[Andrew Saxton, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, it is our Conservative government that has fought for seniors. We have increased the guaranteed income supplement by the largest amount in more than a quarter of a century. They voted against it. We have introduced pension income splitting for seniors. They voted against it. Economic action plan 2015 introduces even more support for seniors, such as the new home accessibility tax credit, more compassionate care benefits, and lower required RRIF withdrawals.

They want to raise taxes on seniors. We are putting money back in the pockets of Canadian seniors.

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

Mr. Speaker, increasing the TFSA limit will mainly benefit the richest Canadians and will impose a heavy tax burden on future generations. That is not fair or prudent. Canada is facing many challenges: an ageing population, a stagnant economy, a shortage of quality jobs and crumbling infrastructure. We must not mortgage our future and create problems for the Prime Minister's granddaughter to solve.

Why is the government favouring the richest Canadians by mortgaging our children's future?

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

Mr. Speaker, nearly two-thirds of Canadians who contributed the maximum amount to a tax-free savings account earn less than $60,000. The Liberals think that everyone who earns $60,000 or less is rich and that they need to raise those people's taxes. That is the Liberals' position. We support taxpayers and seniors, and we are going to let them save more money without having to pay taxes on their earnings.

Government Advertising

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

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about another Conservative mess. A government ad promoting the apprentice loan program shows workers committing a wide range of serious violations of workplace health and safety standards.

Now the Conservatives want to spend $7.5 million to promote their election budget at taxpayers' expense and with faulty advertising.

Will the Conservatives stop wasting taxpayers' money on partisan advertising that is full of misleading information and depictions of health and safety standards being violated?

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

Mr. Speaker, our government is funding apprentice grants. Why? Because we will need one million skilled workers over the next seven years. We are giving out grants and loans to apprentices to prepare them to fill those jobs. The New Democrats do not believe in the skilled trades and oppose these investments. We will create jobs by training our young people in those trades.

The Budget

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

Mr. Speaker, we actually think health and safety is important for the workplace and Conservatives cannot even get that right. They are spending $7.5 million in advertising for a snake oil sales job on a budget that leaves Canadians behind and the Minister of Finance has admitted the truth that our grandchildren will be saddled with the fiscal problems of billion dollar handouts to the wealthiest few. Meanwhile, the number of out-of-work Canadians applying for EI benefits has surged, but fewer and fewer are being accepted.

Why do the Conservatives think that helping the wealthy buy a second BMW is more important than helping Canadians and parents put food on the table?

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

Mr. Speaker, New Democrats think anybody who makes $60,000 a year is too wealthy. Sixty per cent of those who have maximized their tax-free savings accounts earned less than $60,000 a year. Two-thirds of those who have maxed out are seniors. These are people who are taking money from their RRSP and putting it into their tax-free savings accounts so that they can have a tax-free nest egg to live on. These are middle- and lower-income seniors and the NDP wants to raise their taxes.

Intergovernmental Relations

[Guy Caron, NDP, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is very clear that the Conservatives are placing a major burden on the shoulders of future generations.

The Conservative budget is a disappointment to Quebec, the regions and families. The Conservatives are unilaterally reducing the growth of health transfers to Quebec, and infrastructure funding will be both delayed and insufficient.

In addition, the Conservatives are making further cuts to the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec.

Is regional economic development not a priority for the Conservatives?

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec is continuing to help all regions of Quebec with their economic development.

We are a privileged partner of choice, and we would like other partners, such as the NDP, to vote for our budget, which will support many economic development projects in Quebec in the future.

Labour

[Laurin Liu, NDP, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, with soaring rates of youth unemployment many young Canadians are being pressured into taking unpaid internships in hopes of one day landing a job. Under the Conservatives' watch, thousands of interns have been left without basic workplace protection. After finally committing in the budget to take action to protect interns, Conservatives then voted against my private member's bill, the intern protection act.

Why are handouts to the wealthy few put on the fast track while rights for vulnerable workers are put on the backburner?

[Kellie Leitch, Conservative, Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, I ask the member opposite if she is supporting the budget, because we are supporting interns. Economic action plan 2015 specifically outlines for interns in federal jurisdiction, regardless of the pay they receive, occupational health and safety benefits. Please, just read the text. We are very focused on making sure that people are safe and productive in the workplace.

In addition to that, we are also focused on making sure Canadians have jobs which New Democrats are also against. We are for lowering taxes. They are for heightening them on middle-class Canadians. The facts are that we are doing things to make sure workplaces are safe, productive, and individuals are making funds. The NDP totally opposed all those things.

[Laurin Liu, NDP, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government talks a good line, but its actions do not measure up.

The youth unemployment rate is double the national average. Too many young people are accepting unpaid internships because there are no jobs available. In their last budget, the Conservatives promised to do something about that, but they voted against my bill to protect interns.

Does the government really intend to act, or will it leave those problems to the Prime Minister's granddaughter to solve?

[Kellie Leitch, Conservative, Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, I just mentioned what is in economic action plan 2015. Our government knows that internships in particular can provide important learning experiences so people get that first job. We are focused on making sure internships are available. They have been available in our previous budgets and would be available in this one. In fact, we have created 1.2 million net new jobs since the downturn of the recession, through numerous mechanisms. The New Democrats are against those things.

In addition to that, we are about lowering taxes, ensuring middle-class Canadians and even those students getting an income have lower taxes. The New Democrats want to heighten taxes on every Canadian.

Status of Women

[Mylène Freeman, NDP, Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, while the Conservative government is putting billions of dollars into the pockets of the wealthiest Canadians, we find nothing in its latest budget to support women, nothing to provide them with support in their careers, such as affordable child care, nothing to ensure that they get pay equity.

With income splitting, this spring the Conservatives told women to stay at home; now, with their budget, the Conservatives are not giving them any other option.

Why is the government doing nothing to help women?

[Kellie Leitch, Conservative, Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, in the budget there is a new action plan for women entrepreneurs, again creating new jobs. That is what we need to do, create new jobs. We know that when women lead a company they actually hire more women, again creating more jobs. Let alone, the universal child care benefit which would actually benefit every mother and every father by ensuring they have a benefit. That is unlike the plan that the NDP put forward.

We are about supporting families, particularly women, ensuring they have great jobs. The New Democrats vote against it every time.

[Mylène Freeman, NDP, Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this budget would take no action on violence against women, pay equity or child care. There would be nothing to empower women to make those choices. Women are more than half of the university graduates, but when they graduate they will earn 10% to 30% less than men.

Women need access to child care, to proactive pay equity, freedom from violence and strong federal leadership on gender equality.

Why did the budget help the wealthiest few while ignoring half of Canada's population?

[Kellie Leitch, Conservative, Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women]

Mr. Speaker, the economic action plan specifically focuses on issues with sexual harassment in the workplace, ensuring women are protected there, as well as a number of initiatives that we have moved forward on to make sure we are supporting victims of crime.

About job creation, there there would be a new action plan for women entrepreneurs, creating jobs. They in turn create more jobs, particularly for women.

I encourage the member opposite to read the budget. We are about making sure jobs are created, taxes are lowered and Canadian women are supported through the universal child care benefit. They vote against these things every single time.

Public Service of Canada

[Paul Dewar, NDP, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in this budget the Conservatives showed once again they have no respect for public servants. How can they claim to be bargaining in good faith with the public service on sick days when they are already declaring what the outcome will be? That is not good faith, that is not respecting the process and it is not negotiation.

Why does the minister show such disrespect for the public servants who work hard every day for all Canadians? They work hard for him and they work hard for the current government every day. Why is there such disrespect for public servants here in Ottawa and across the country?

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, the government is committed to having good faith and meaningful negotiations with bargaining agents on sick leave and the short-term disability plan. The proposed disability plan would give public servants the comprehensive safety net that they need while protecting taxpayers who pay the bill. This is a win-win situation.

[Mathieu Ravignat, NDP, Pontiac, QC]

Mr. Speaker, with their budget, the Conservatives are already banking on saving $900 million on public service sick leave and disability benefits this year even though no agreement has been reached with the unions.

The President of the Treasury Board maintains that he wants to negotiate in good faith, but does he realize that he is doing exactly the opposite through his actions? Is he purposely derailing the negotiations with public servants who are working hard to provide us with top-quality services?

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, again, the government is committed to good faith and meaningful negotiations with bargaining agents on sick leave and the short-term disability plan. The 40-year-old sick-leave accumulation system is antiquated and not responsive to the needs of the majority of our employees.

Over 60% of employees in the core public administration do not have enough banked sick leave to cover a full period of short-term disability. That is why the government is proposing a short-term disability plan that would help public servants get healthy and back to work.

Again, we are looking out for the taxpayer and we are looking out for our employees. This can be a win-win for everyone.

Government Advertising

[Emmanuel Dubourg, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, intimidating charities was not enough for the Canada Revenue Agency. Now it is campaigning for the Conservatives. Under the guise of requesting to confirm information it already has, the CRA is sending out mail to promote Conservative policies that have not even been approved here in Parliament yet.

Canadians are no fools. Rosemary Ronald is not happy that this money is being spent on partisan letters. Why are the Conservatives using tax dollars to campaign?

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

Mr. Speaker, the notice the government sent to parents indicates that Parliament voted twice in favour of increasing the universal child care benefit to almost $2,000 for every child under 6 and $720 for every child between 6 and 17.

The Liberals do not want parents to know that this money is available because they want to take that money away and hand it over to big bureaucracies. We are putting that money directly into mom and dad's pockets.

Veterans Affairs

[Frank Valeriote, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Mr. Speaker, veterans' benefits must also be an issue the government wants to leave to the Prime Minister's grandchildren.

First, the Conservatives claw back $1.1 billion from veterans affairs so they can dole it out in inadequate portions later. Then they deny that firing 900 front-line workers was badly impacting veterans, despite their own department's warning, until they were forced to rehire a small fraction of them.

Now the Conservatives announce new financial benefits, but will not cover PTSD. Why are Canada's veterans always an afterthought for these Conservatives?

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

Mr. Speaker, how untrue. Economic action plan 2015 not only benefits all Canadians, including low- and middle-income Canadians but also veterans.

Let me give some examples. Within this economic action plan is the new retirement income security benefit, which provides moderately to severely disabled veterans with a monthly income support payment beginning at age 65. There is also the family caregiver relief benefit, a new benefit for caregivers, and the critical injury benefit, which provides a $70,000 tax-free award to support those Canadian Armed Forces personnel who experience a sudden injury.

Will this member support our veterans by supporting our economic action plan? That is the question.