Debates of May 26th, 2015

Same-Sex Marriage

[Irwin Cotler, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

Mr. Speaker, 10 years ago Parliament and Canada at large were in the midst of an intense yet generally dignified and democratic discussion about the recognition of same-sex marriage. Appellate courts began upholding the constitutionality of same-sex marriage, and as the minister of justice in 2004, I referred the matter to the Supreme Court. The court heard from some 27 intervenors before unanimously affirming that same-sex marriage was consistent with the Constitution, and I was proud to draft and introduce the Civil Marriage Act in February 2005.

It took effect 10 years ago this summer, enshrining two fundamental charter rights: the equality rights of same-sex couples and the fundamental principle of freedom of religion.

At the time, Canada was only the fourth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage, and the first outside of Europe. Today, with the recent addition of Ireland, same-sex marriage is recognized in some 20 countries, with more to come.

This year, as we mark the 10th anniversary of the Civil Marriage Act as well as the 30th anniversary of the charter's equality rights provisions, we can be proud of Canadian leadership in matters of equality, freedom, justice, and human rights.

Public Safety

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the opposition would prefer that we sit on the sidelines in the fight against the death cult ISIS, a group that has carried out unspeakable atrocities and called for such horrors to be committed against Canada.

We cannot protect Canada by simply ignoring this threat. That is why our government is supporting military action in Iraq and Syria, taking action to stop the flow of foreign terrorist fighters, cutting off ISIS' funding sources, providing significant humanitarian assistance to victims, and supporting stabilization efforts to address local needs in the region.

Canada will continue to stand at the forefront of international efforts against this death cult.

Winnipeg General Strike

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the Winnipeg General Strike was the most significant turning point for working people in Canadian history. Before the strike was over, many were injured, some were killed and its leaders were thrown into jail on trumped up charges of sedition.

However, because of their courage and determination, Canadian workers won the right to organize, the right to free collective bargaining and the right to a living wage.

The lesson is that prison bars cannot contain ideas, just as revisionist Conservatives cannot sanitize history by eliminating the exhibit paying tribute to the strike at their museum of selective history.

The Conservative government never misses a chance to undermine the rights of workers and the Liberals inexplicably even find fault that the NDP's staff enjoy the protection of union representation. It is clear that the old line parties cannot be trusted to respect collective bargaining.

I assure everyone that after October 19, the newly elected NDP administration will set the history books straight and ensure the trade union movement gets the respect it deserves in the story of the social development of our country.

Taxation

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

Mr. Speaker, our government brought in the family tax cut and the universal child care benefit to ensure that Canadian families keep more money in their pockets. In contrast, the Liberal Party leader believes that making sure every family benefits is not fair. He wants to eliminate our family tax cut, our universal child care benefit and income splitting and replace them with a family tax hike.

We will not let that happen.

Public Safety

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Director of Public Prosecutions has asked the police to look into laying charges against senior government officials for the destruction of government archives.

My question is simple: who gave the order to illegally destroy these documents?

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition is well aware that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police complies with all Canadian laws.

Even more importantly, it respects the will of Parliament. We are very proud to have put an end to a costly and ineffective registry and to be implementing measures that will keep people safe.

When will the NDP support our measures?

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to our “law and order” minister, the problem is that his government is trying to make an illegal act retroactively legal. That is contrary to the very foundation of our democracy.

Conservatives are retroactively rewriting a law to make this illegal act legal. Conservatives are cutting off an ongoing police investigation. Is it to protect someone on the Conservative benches? Who gave this order to the RCMP?

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, the budget implementation act is closing the loophole that prevents officers from respecting the will of Parliament.

However, what is behind this question is that the member and his party want to harass the law-abiding citizens of our country. We will stand up and not let it happen.

Ethics

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Exactly so, Mr. Speaker. No one rewrites laws retroactively for honest citizens.

They are retroactively rewriting laws to stop a police investigation. The Prime Minister's own chief of staff ordered an audit report altered to help Mike Duffy. Now Conservatives are blocking the release of the full details from the investigation on Senate residency. The Prime Minister is retroactively legalizing obstruction of justice.

Will the Prime Minister release the full Senate audit on Mike Duffy's residency now, for all Canadians to see?

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, if the Leader of the Opposition is serious about democracy, he should let members have a free vote on the common sense firearms licensing act, to restore dignity for law-abiding citizens. We will support that bill, close the loophole and defend Canadians.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Here is the foundation of our democracy, expounded by Dicey, that the law applies equally to everyone, Mr. Speaker.

Dicey and Lévis: it is not the same fight.

Is it not convenient that the Prime Minister's Office can doctor the Duffy report, but it cannot release it to the public?

The Prime Minister did say right here on April 22 that Mr. Duffy had signed a declaration before he was sworn in.

Will the Conservatives make that public, yes or no?

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

Mr. Speaker, as the House knows, this case is before the courts, and we will allow the courts to complete their work.

However, as we know, whether it is a senator or a member of Parliament, when Canadian taxpayers see their money being used inappropriately, they are angry. They have the right to be angry and to expect that money to be returned to them. That is why I would suggest that the New Democrats avoid the sad spectacle of having the Leader of the Opposition in court this summer trying to defend the over $2 million that they owe the taxpayers. Do the right thing for the taxpayer and pay the money back.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

When the Conservatives get him to stand up, we know they are having a very bad question period, Mr. Speaker.

The Auditor General is now investigating nearly half of all senators for illegal spending. Ten other cases are being referred to the RCMP. That means 14 senators are currently under criminal investigation before the courts.

How can we trust that the issues before the Senate will be properly examined, when the Prime Minister's new official policy is to obstruct justice?

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

Mr. Speaker, as members know, it was the Senate that invited the Auditor General in to examine expenses, and we expect all senators to assist in this.

However, let me be very clear that it is the opposition, the NDP, that has 68 members who owe over $2 million to Canadian taxpayers and another 23 who owe over $1.1 million to taxpayers. They broke the law, and this summer we are going to see the sad spectacle of the leader of the opposition, his House leader and other members of his caucus before the courts trying to tell Canadians why they used that money. Avoid that and simply pay it back.

Seniors

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' decision to raise the eligibility age for old age security and the guaranteed income supplement to 67 is unfair. This decision will cost our most vulnerable seniors $32,000.

At the same time, the Conservatives are helping people who can afford to set aside $10,000 every year by raising the TFSA limit.

Why are the Conservatives helping those who need it the least on the backs of our most vulnerable citizens?

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

Mr. Speaker, when a senior loses his or her spouse, they inherit a little bit of money and they want to hang on to that money without having to pay taxes on it. When seniors sell their home because it is too large and they want to downsize to a place they can maintain more easily, that gives them a little more money.

That is why 60% of the people who max out their tax-free savings accounts earn less than $60,000 a year. The Liberals want to raise taxes on the backs of those people.

Taxation

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

Mr. Speaker, today the Parliamentary Budget Officer confirmed that TFSAs will cost the next generation tens of billions of dollars each year. A third of that cost will be borne by provinces that are already struggling to pay for health care.

The Minister of Finance once admitted that the new TFSA limit would create a problem and said “why don’t we leave that to [the] Prime Minister['s] granddaughter to solve that problem”.

Why are the Conservatives willing to mortgage our children's future with a reckless plan to buy votes on the eve of an election? Will the Minister of Finance please answer this question?

[Joe Oliver, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I spent four hours yesterday evening answering questions, and some from the hon. member. I am happy to do it again and repeat the answers I gave before.

The TFSA is a wonderful way for Canadians to save for their first home, for their education and for their retirement. That is why 11 million Canadians have TFSAs, the vast majority middle and lower-income Canadians, with 60% who have maximized their contributions earning less than $60,000 a year and those earning $42,000 represent half of those who have accounts in TFSAs.

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

Mr. Speaker GIS is meant for low-income seniors, but the Conservatives have created a loophole where soon even the rich can qualify. Here is how.

If people maximizes their TFSAs and delay other income until the age of 70, they could get the maximum GIS for three years while living off their TFSAs. This morning the PBO confirmed that this will lead to billions of dollars per year in extra GIS payments.

Why are the Conservatives raising the age of GIS for those most vulnerable Canadian seniors and leaving this loophole for wealthier seniors who do not need the help?

[Joe Oliver, Conservative, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, 600,000 seniors with incomes below $60,000 are currently maximizing their TFSA accounts and they benefit from this measure. The Canadian Association of Retired Persons, CARP, strongly supports this measure.

I wonder what the member opposite will tell them. How will he explain why he wants to cancel this extremely important tax saving measure for retired people and for people in the lower and middle-income brackets? Why would the Liberals take this money away rather than give an opportunity for Canadians to save?

Ethics

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister appointed Mike Duffy to the Senate, and the PMO was directly involved in altering a report on senators' expenses. His silence is unacceptable. The Auditor General's next report will name 10 other senators who allegedly submitted claims for inappropriate expenses. A total of 14 senators are now facing an RCMP criminal investigation.

Why did the Prime Minister's Office intervene to protect senators who misused public funds?

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

Mr. Speaker, the member is completely wrong.

It was the Senate that actually invited the Auditor General in to examine all of the expenses of the Senate. As I have said, if any senator is found guilty or has used money inappropriately, that senator should pay it back. If they have done something criminal, then they should face the full consequences of that.

It is no different for members of Parliament. Canadians work hard and they expect the money they send here to be used properly. When it is not, they expect it to be paid back. That is why it is important that the NDP pay back the millions of dollars it owes taxpayers; do it now and avoid the sad spectacle of court.

[Some hon. members]

Pay it back; pay it back!

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Let us put a quick stop to any chanting in the chamber. It is unbecoming.

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

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are hard working. They expect better from a government that is embroiled with 50 senators being investigated for corruption.

This is a scandal that begins and ends in the Prime Minister's Office, from the potentially ineligible Senate appointments to the whitewashed audit. We learned from the RCMP that when it came to whitewashing the Deloitte audit, the Prime Minister's key staff were heavily involved in discussions with the Senate.

Will the Prime Minister's spokesman tell the House who in the Prime Minister's Office has been discussing, with the key Conservative senators, the bombshell Auditor General's report that is coming out next week?