Debates of June 15th, 2015

Government Polling

[Some hon members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order. The hon. member for Burnaby—New Westminster.

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

Boy, Mr. Speaker, do Conservatives not want to talk about these most recent scandals. We have a scandal-plagued government on its last legs, spending its last days wasting millions of tax dollars on self-promotional partisan advertising and partisan public opinion polling and rolling out cynical election-style infrastructure photo ops and taking every unfair advantage they can think of to try to cling to power.

Now the Prime Minister is playing the part of Paul Martin. How can the Prime Minister justify this cynical electioneering when he should be hanging his head in shame?

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

Mr. Speaker, talking about hanging his head in shame, this is the member of Parliament who was very happy to accept an extra $40,000 in salary when the member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley was fired, but not the responsibility that comes with the office. When he was asked how he would repay the $189,000 he owed, he said, “No, no, no”, and then he went on to say, “Well, first off, Peter, these are figures that go for previous folks in the office.”

That is this man's legacy. Pay back the $189,000—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order. The hon. member for Etobicoke North.

Social Development

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, 2015 marks a watershed moment as the international community negotiates a new development agenda. The central tenet is the principle of universality, which would require all countries to address inequality within their borders. Despite tough talk abroad, a memo prepared for the minister of international co-operation concedes that “...Canada has no plans to apply the Post-2015 Agenda domestically”, beyond the status quo.

Why does the government settle for the status quo when it comes to poverty and income inequality in Canada?

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Minister of State (Social Development)]

Mr. Speaker, our government has done more than any other government to lift Canadians out of poverty. In fact, more than 1.4 million fewer Canadians are living in poverty.

That is because of our benefits, such as the universal child care benefit and the family tax cuts. These are benefits that give money directly to those parents who are living in low-income or poverty situations. We are going to expand it and increase it. The Liberals would end it.

Canadians know they can count on this government to give them more money in their pockets.

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

Mr. Speaker, one in seven Canadians is living in poverty. In 2011, 13.3% of our children were living in poverty and 40% of our aboriginal children were living in poverty.

However, according to a memo to the minister, the government has no intention of applying the post-2015 sustainable development agenda in Canada or taking on any new reporting obligations. Canada is setting a terrible example for other countries.

Why is the government not taking the lead and setting an example?

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Minister of State (Social Development)]

Mr. Speaker, it is shocking to hear this coming from the Liberals, who have promised to end the universal child care benefit, the same benefit that UNICEF said is what lifted 180,000 children in Canada out of poverty during the depth of the recession. That is the kind of policy that gives money back to families.

The Liberals want to tax families and they want to end universal benefits for families. We are going to continue to lift Canadian children and families out of poverty by implementing good, sound Conservative policy.

Employment

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

Mr. Speaker, for Canadian students, the search for summer jobs is even tougher this year. There are more students looking for work and there are fewer jobs for them. Layoffs in the retail sector have hit young Canadians particularly hard. Students need summer work to pay for school and they need the work experience. However, the Conservatives have slashed the number of jobs created by the Canada summer jobs program by more than half.

When will the government reverse these cuts? When will the Conservatives do more to help young Canadians who are struggling to find work?

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

Mr. Speaker, I begin by correcting a falsehood. The Canada summer jobs program has actually been maintained at its existing funding levels.

As for employment for young people, we have an approach that is the three t's: training, trade, and tax cuts. We have expanded trade through agreements with Europe and South Korea, and actually added 38 free trade agreements. We have given over half a million apprenticeship grants to help young people get high-paying jobs in blue-collar trades. Finally, we have cut taxes so small business owners can hire more young people.

The Liberals promise a brand new $1,000 payroll tax that would start applying to young workers even when they are still in university.

Health

[Christine Moore, NDP, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a new survey shows that Canadians are very concerned about our deteriorating health care system. The list of concerns is very long and includes lack of access, lack of long-term care and lack of money to pay for medication.

However, the Conservatives' solution is to cut $36 billion in transfers to the provinces. Health is Canadians' top priority.

Why is our government abandoning the public health care system?

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and for Western Economic Diversification]

Mr. Speaker, the comment by the member is absolutely absurd.

Since we took office, health transfers have increased by 70%. We will reach record funding, $40 billion annually, by the end of the decade. What we have done is we have ensured that the provinces have stable, long-term, sustainable funding.

[Murray Rankin, NDP, Victoria, BC]

Mr. Speaker, what the Conservatives have done is unilaterally cut $36 billion from future health care funding. At the same time, they refuse to sit down with the provinces and territories to address urgent priorities, such as seniors care, palliative care, and the high cost of prescription drugs.

The results are clear. A majority of Canadians now believe our health care system is deteriorating and is increasingly unsafe, so why have the Conservatives failed to work collaboratively with the provinces and territories to address these concerns and strengthen our public health care system?

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and for Western Economic Diversification]

Mr. Speaker, I hate to make another comment about the NDP and its math, but I have to say that a 6% increase every year is not a cut and 3% is not a cut.

The other important fact is that dollars are not the only thing that is going to make the difference. Today our minister was talking about investments in innovation that are going to make a huge difference.

We are proud of record levels of transfers to the provinces. We are proud of the work that we do.

Citizenship and Immigration

[Andrew Cash, NDP, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives have landed in a familiar place once again: they are back in court.

This time they are throwing away taxpayer money, as they love to do, fighting a Federal Court ruling that told them their cuts to the interim federal health program were “cruel and unusual”.

Their pathological single-mindedness to attack children and pregnant women, to deny them health care, is an obsession that goes right against the main frame of Canadian values. These are some of our most vulnerable people. Therefore, will they do the right thing and reinstate health care for refugees?

[Chris Alexander, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, once again the member opposite is completely misleading the Canadian public and a broader public. Refugees in our country receive health care. We are proud that they continue to receive that health care from their federal government.

Yes, we will continue our appeal, because we do not think it is fair that those whose asylum claims have failed or those whose asylum claims are fraudulent should be receiving better health care than Canadians themselves.

This is a government that is looking after refugees. This is a government that has done more than any other party in this place for refugees over the last several decades.

[Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe, NDP, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, what is most deplorable is that the minister is denying that there is a problem.

The Conservatives should stop playing petty politics at the expense of people's health. The Federal Court was clear: cutting health care coverage for those seeking asylum is against the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Instead of heeding the ruling, the Conservatives decided to appeal it. That is shameful.

Will the Conservatives finally listen to doctors, experts and the Federal Court and stop targeting health care for asylum seekers?

[Chris Alexander, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, once again, the hon. member is wrong. Refugees and protected persons receive excellent health care in Canada. Yes, we are going to court because taxpayers should not shoulder the cost for people whose asylum claims have failed or people who make fraudulent claims. Unlike the NDP, we will protect the interests of refugees and Canadian taxpayers.

Public Safety

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my constituents believe in justice. They want to know that when a criminal or a terrorist harms a Canadian, their government will work to ensure that justice is delivered and that those responsible will have to answer to the law. Too often crimes go unpunished, and people lose trust in our justice system.

Could the Minister of Public Safety provide an update on the case of the 2008 kidnapping of my former constituent, Amanda Lindhout?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Red Deer for the support he gave to Amanda Lindhout and her family. I would also like to recognize the work of the integrated national security enforcement team under the command of Assistant Commissioner Malizia. I would like to confirm that an arrest has been made in connection with the crime committed.

The complex operation was successful. The message this sends is as follows.

Any criminal, any terrorist who harms a Canadian anywhere in the world can be assured that Canada will hunt them down and ensure they face the full force of the law.

Labour

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

Mr. Speaker, hundreds of aircraft refuelers at Trudeau and Pearson airports are worried about losing their jobs.

They are accusing Air Canada and other airlines of changing contractors to hire the same employees for less pay and fewer benefits. The workers whose jobs are in peril have submitted complaints of unfair labour practices to the Canada Industrial Relations Board.

Will the Conservatives stand by twiddling their thumbs while hundreds of people lose their jobs?

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

Mr. Speaker, as I said in the House last week, we allow the employers and employees to work together to come up with the best solution for themselves at their place of work. We will continue to encourage them to do that. If they require the support of the mediation and conciliation service at Labour Canada, we are happy to help.

[Peggy Nash, NDP, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the jobs of hundreds of airport workers at Pearson and in Montreal are in peril. Some are being asked to take a 30% pay cut and others will lose their jobs. This is just the latest in a pattern of contract flipping at Pearson, which has meant lost jobs, reduced pay and cuts to benefits.

Given that the deadline for layoffs is looming, which is at the end of this month, will the minister now take concrete action to protect these jobs and wages while the Industrial Relations Board investigates these serious complaints?