Debates of Jan. 25th, 2016

The House resumed from December 11 consideration of the motion for an address to His Excellency the Governor General in reply to his speech at the opening of the session, of the amendment, and of the amendment to the amendment.

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking the voters in the riding of Rivière-du-Nord for placing their trust in me during the last election. During my time in office, I will represent them with humility, wisdom and dedication.

I would also like to thank the hundreds of thousands of Quebeckers who decided to put their faith in the Bloc Québécois to speak on their behalf in the House.

The Bloc Québécois is Quebec's party. Our purpose and our primary function here in the House is to stand up for Quebeckers' interests and values. We have a solid team made up of men and women of conviction. Our team will do a great job of representing the thousands of voters who chose to put their faith in our party and who believe in our mission: to fight for Quebec's independence and champion the interests of the Quebec nation.

Since its creation, our party has always acted responsibly in the work it does. Over the years, successive governments have been able to rely on our support when their policies served the interests of Quebec. Our party has also vigorously objected, and rightfully so, any time the rights of Quebeckers have been violated or ignored. For instance, the Bloc Québécois supported Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's work to create the now-defunct long gun registry. We did the same thing when it came time to ratify the Kyoto protocol in order to fight climate change.

We also supported the same Prime Minister in introducing same-sex marriage and imposing a moratorium on the criminalization of cannabis. However, governments that ignored Quebec or abused the rights of Quebeckers remember the opposition work of the Bloc Québécois.

I am sure that no one in this House is proud of the notorious sponsorship scandal. In any case, it was because of the hard, tireless work of the Bloc Québécois and its members that Quebec and the rest of Canada learned of the extent of the corruption surrounding the government of the day.

Hundreds of thousands of Quebeckers have long put their trust in the Bloc Québécois because doing so is good not only for Quebec, but also for democracy. The reasons are clear. First, making Quebec a country is still on the table. I can assure everyone listening that our caucus' commitment to the cause remains unwavering. Another reason we are still in the House is that the Bloc Québécois has always been beyond reproach and devoted to its work.

The Bloc Québécois is not a conventional opposition party. We do not oppose something simply because we are in the opposition. That would serve no purpose or make any sense and, as such, would be disrespectful to those who gave us our mandate. The Bloc Québécois stands up for the interests of Quebec. Until Quebec becomes a country it is critical that its choices are respected. Provided the federal government's decisions reflect such respect then the Bloc Québécois will support the government's policies. One day Quebec will collaborate with Canada, side by side within the community of nations.

We watched the sad spectacle put on by the previous government for far too long. The rights of parliamentarians were violated for nearly a decade. The House of Commons was reduced to playing a supporting role to a prime minister who did not believe in parliamentary work. The public service, scientists, women and workers were muzzled and treated with disdain, and the Conservative government basically ignored the environment, when the time has long since passed for critical action on climate change.

The Conservative government worked to achieve a single goal: to use its power to remain in power. A change in direction and tone was needed. In that regard, all the parties that ran against the Conservatives in the last election can congratulate themselves for expressing and doing something about Canadians' frustration and dissatisfaction with that government by removing it from power. That is why we commended the Prime Minister's announcement in the throne speech of his intention to return to a parliamentary tradition where respect for the opposition is a given.

There is no democracy without the work of a real opposition. The Bloc Québécois supports a number of the objectives set out by the Prime Minister. We will support some of those initiatives in keeping with our tradition of working together constructively.

First of all, we are thrilled to see that the government shares our concerns about climate change. However, we are asking that the efforts to combat climate change that Quebec has been making for a long time now be taken into account in the plan that the government will be putting forward in this regard.

That being said, all states must do their part, and there is a consensus in the scientific community to that effect. Even former U.S. vice-president Al Gore recently pointed out the major efforts Quebec has made to help combat climate change. The government cannot ignore that fact. If the government wants our support, it needs a plan that takes into account the leading-edge work that the Quebec nation has done to date.

The same is true for the matter of end-of-life care. We believe that Canada must enter into an informed and thorough debate on this issue, similar to that undertaken by the Quebec National Assembly.

However, Quebec cannot be penalized for having led the way in this area. On the contrary, we believe that the government must acknowledge Quebec's invaluable contribution, get the rest of Canada up to speed and adjust the targets for each province based on the efforts made since 1990 and the Kyoto accord.

In his speech, the Prime Minister claims that he intends to strengthen the employment insurance system. We support that. We believe it is high time that employment insurance truly was an insurance program and not a tax on labour. At present this is not the case, as EI seems to be a deficit reduction tax.

For the past 20 years, the EI fund has been ransacked time and again. If the Prime Minister is serious about strengthening the program, he must agree to make the fund truly independent. We are still adding up the billions of dollars that have been looted from this fund since 1996.

It is time to put a stop to that practice and to ensure that workers have real support when they lose their jobs. There is currently no indication that the Prime Minister intends to solve this problem once and for all. We are asking him to do so.

The Bloc Québécois has always been a staunch defender of workers' rights. We urge the Prime Minister to listen to our proposals if he truly wants to find appropriate, sustainable solutions for employment insurance.

Health is another very important issue. The Prime Minister has told us that he plans on talking to the provinces to reach a new agreement. Again, we have some conditions. Ottawa will have to increase federal health funding by 6%, until 25% of Quebec's system costs are covered. Ottawa must also consider that our population is aging.

The Bloc Québécois will remain opposed to any law to implement the trans-Pacific partnership or the Canada-Europe agreement if the following conditions are not met. First, supply-managed cheese and agricultural producers will have to be fully compensated for any revenue losses. In addition, the federal government will have to provide considerable support for the next generation of farmers, to the tune of $100 million a year in investments. Lastly, the government will have to bring in border controls to prevent milk proteins from entering.

The fiscal imbalance is still a reality, and it could doom Quebeckers to decades of austerity unless something is done.

In the not-too-distant past, the Bloc Québécois was instrumental in partially addressing this issue. However, let us not kid ourselves. Everyone here is well aware that the expenses are in Quebec City, but the money is here in Ottawa.

The Prime Minister can get the Bloc's support if he acknowledges this situation and starts restoring the spending balance between the federal government and the Government of Quebec.

We salute the government's intention to renew its relationships with first nations. We fully support the Prime Minister's plan to tackle, at long last, the many issues they have been facing for too long. The Prime Minister said that he will initiate a nation-to-nation dialogue with aboriginal peoples. This is a noble initiative, and we will make sure that what is good for first nations is also good for the Quebec nation.

We will also support the government's plan to reduce taxes for the middle class. We believe that the middle class in Quebec and Canada must be strengthened. However, we would also like to see the government do more for low-income citizens. The middle class has been shrinking over the past 30-plus years not because the people of Quebec and Canada are getting richer, but because the number of people with low incomes is growing. If the government really wants to be progressive, it has to tackle poverty. Yes, we have to do whatever we can to strengthen the middle class, but all governments have an even more pressing duty to eradicate poverty. We would like the government to take meaningful steps toward that goal.

For all these reasons, we see many areas on which the Bloc Québécois and the Liberal government can agree and work together. The Prime Minister's wishes and goals are in line with many of the Bloc Québécois's demands and commitments. However, some important issues were ignored in the throne speech. We believe that a tax-free UCCB would be far more beneficial to Quebeckers than the proposed Canada child benefit.

We also believe that scrapping Bill C-51, the Anti-terrorism Act, 2015, would be better than a lengthy process to reform it.

In terms of infrastructure development, we want to make sure that Quebec's jurisdictions will not be violated for the umpteenth time by a federal program that ignores federal-provincial jurisdictions. If the federal government is serious about coming up with solutions to modernize our infrastructure, it needs to provide the Quebec government with the resources. It is up to Quebec City to decide the best way to modernize its infrastructure, with support from and by working with the municipalities in Quebec.

Allow me to reiterate that our work has always been accountable and honourable. That said, we have a duty to work together and ensure that our constituents can get the most out of every Parliament. Ever since the Bloc Québécois has been in the House, that motivation has made our party one of the most respected parties by Quebeckers. Over the years, we have even received praise and encouragement from the rest of Canada on our constructive work. Today, we are continuing in that vein with our tradition of promoting and defending Quebec's values and interests regardless of the circumstances. That is why we support, with reservations, the general scope of the Speech from the Throne.

That is also why we are asking to be heard and to join the government in a discussion with our parliamentarians in order to meet the needs of Quebeckers. We have always taken this approach because we represent Quebec. Our nation is our raison d'être. Our nation adopted a model more than 50 years ago when a tremendous group of people set out to make Quebeckers masters of their own house. This model is universally supported in Quebec. Under this model, no citizen is left behind.

We cherish a just and fair society. Modern Quebec is a society with a thirst for social justice and self-determination. However, the government in Ottawa always seems to stand in the way of the Quebec model. It has become increasingly obvious over the years that Quebec would be in a better position to develop its economy, environment, society and social programs if it alone could choose its priorities.

Earlier I mentioned that we unequivocally support the Prime Minister's efforts to engage in real nation-to-nation dialogue with our aboriginal peoples. This should set an example for the government's relations with the people of Quebec.

The Bloc Québécois is the standard-bearer for an ideal that is shared by millions of Quebeckers and that cannot be ignored.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the comments by the member and the many positive comments generally about the contents of the throne speech and how the Prime Minister and the Government of Canada are approaching the upcoming budget. My question will be focused on his reference to the child tax benefit.

In his speech, he talked about the importance of dealing with the issue of child poverty. One of the policy platforms from the election that has been incorporated into the throne speech is that to get children out of poverty, we have the most generous tax plan or benefit that would go directly to children. It is estimated that it would lift tens of thousands of children all across Canada out of poverty.

Does the member see the value of giving money on a sliding scale to those who have children, so that we would in fact lift children out of poverty in Canada? Does he see that as a positive step in the right direction?

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it goes without saying that we wholeheartedly agree, and that we are committed to lifting children and Quebec families out of poverty. That has been our objective for a long time.

What I was pointing out in my previous speech was that we found the UCCB to be more beneficial for poor families and the middle class than the program that the federal government wants to implement.

There is also the issue of taxation. Benefits for families in need should not be taxed. The UCCB payments made to eligible families in 2015 will be taxed when they file their taxes in 2016. That is unacceptable. We wanted the Liberal government to make this a non-taxable benefit immediately so that families that received the UCCB in 2015 would not be subject to this unacceptable tax.

As for the rest, we clearly support the objective of eliminating poverty and helping middle-class workers.

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, since it is our first day back, I would first like to wish everyone here a happy new year. I would also like to commend my colleague on his speech, which demonstrated his sincerity and commitment.

Since he spoke a lot about the middle class, I would like to remind members that, before Christmas, we came to the House somewhat hastily to pass tax credit regulations for the much talked-about middle class. However, so far, that initiative has been a bit disappointing, so I hope that the government will make the necessary adjustments. Right now, an average family with two children earning an income of $45,000 will not benefit from those tax credits.

I would also like to check something with my colleague. Unless I missed it, he did not make any mention of the Liberals' much-vaunted promise to invest $20 million in social housing infrastructure. In my opinion, that situation is urgent. There is a major shortage of such housing in Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, and the social housing community is very concerned about it. I would like to hear what the member has to say about that.

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question, since I did not talk about infrastructure investments, although this is a major concern for the Bloc Québécois and all of Quebec.

Equalization payments and the energy east pipeline have been front-page news in the newspapers as of late. I do not want to get into this right now since I do not have the time, but I will say that infrastructure investments have a big impact on equalization payments.

Quebec would rather have investments instead of equalization payments or social assistance. Our infrastructure is crumbling. We need major investments in infrastructure. Quebec's infrastructure is a big load to carry. The money is in Ottawa and the needs are in Quebec.

We are calling on the government to restore infrastructure investment programs and to allocate that money based on the provinces' objectives, not the other way around. We think that Quebec is in a better position to decide where to invest in infrastructure. We want the federal government to transfer the money required to Quebec, so that it can implement some long-overdue programs.

[Louis Plamondon, Bloc, Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my colleague on his first speech in the House. He covered a lot of ground and is clearly well prepared and very determined to fight for Quebeckers' interests here in the House of Commons.

I would also like to take the opportunity to wish you a happy new year, Mr. Speaker, and a happy new year to all members of Parliament.

I did a bit of research on representation in the House. The legislative assemblies of every Canadian province recognize all parties that hold seats. For example, in Quebec, the three Québec solidaire members have the same rights as all other members. They have a budget and the right to speak in committee. Their speaking time in the assembly is proportional to the number of members they have.

That is the case in the other Canadian provinces as well as in Europe. The only democracy in the world that does not recognize political parties that hold seats—other than North Korea, if that can be considered a democracy—is Canada. Maybe it is time to take a close look at that. This is 2015. Social networking has opened the door to new ways of thinking. Debates about these issues should be happening here, not in the streets.

Does my colleague agree?

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I hope everyone knows that I agree entirely with my colleague from Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel. Indeed, in this age of democracy and at this time of change, which the Prime Minister promised when he was elected, recognizing a party that represents over one million voters should be a no-brainer.

How many voters does it take for members to have the right to speak in this House?

I am not sure of the exact figure, but I believe that approximately 1.1 million voters are represented by 10 members here, members who are not entitled to research budgets and not allowed to take part in question period. They actually do take part in question period, but from the opposition benches with the other parties. They are not invited to sit on committees and cannot make any proposals or amendments in committee. We find this unacceptable in a self-respecting democracy.

I call on our Prime Minister, who has been in that role for just a few months now, to rectify the situation and make sure that all parliamentarians receive the budget they need and time to speak in the House and in committee in order to fulfill their obligations to their voters.

Whether we are talking about the Green Party, which has one member, the Bloc Québécois, which has 10, or the Liberals, NDP, and Conservatives, there is a simple way to resolve these matters through a proportionality rule. We see this as the very least the current government could do for our democracy to immediately address this situation.

[Fayçal El-Khoury, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague spoke of the need to provide infrastructure funding to the Province of Quebec. Our Minister of Finance visited Canada's provinces from coast to coast to coast to get a clear idea of what every province needs.

What does my colleague think of our Minister of Finance's approach and how he is going about allocating the funding that every province needs?

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the fact that the Minister of Finance is consulting people before getting ready to invest in infrastructure is commendable.

What the Bloc Québécois is saying is that investment in infrastructure should not depend on the Minister of Finance's interpretation of his visits to the provinces. What we are saying is that investment in infrastructure should be coordinated by the provincial governments.

That is how Quebec would like to see this unfold. The Government of Quebec is in great need of infrastructure investment and we would like the Minister of Finance to take that into account when he divvies up his budgets.

[Adam Vaughan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister (Intergovernmental Affairs)]

Mr. Speaker, I rise for the first time in the House to speak to the assembled members. I welcome them back after the break and extend my congratulations and best wishes on the new mandates they have also received from voters in their ridings. I would like to acknowledge that.

I would also acknowledge that we gather here today on the official territories of the Algonquin. A practice that has become much more common out west and has now moved east is also to acknowledge the traditional territory on which one's riding is based, in my case the traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, and before them the Nishnawbe.

It is important when we rise to speak that we keep in mind some of the needs of our aboriginal and first nation community members and fellow citizens, because the challenges put before the House by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission will define the success of this Parliament, including the steps that we have already taken to initiate an inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and the ongoing work that is being done on that. The work we are doing to fulfill the commitment to honour all recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission really give us an opportunity as a country to turn a new page. The throne speech speaks to this, but I think all of our hearts and minds speak to it as well. As we look at the events that took place over this last weekend in Saskatchewan, I think we are required to acknowledge and move forward on this agenda.

I would be remiss if I were not also to remind the House and the Speaker that I will be splitting my time with the member for Scarborough Centre. That piece of housekeeping seemed to have escaped my memory to this point. However, that is indeed what I will be doing.

I represent the riding of Spadina—Fort York. It is a new riding in downtown Toronto. It is one of 78 ridings that draw their names from our aboriginal history. “Spadina” comes from the Ojibwa word “ishpadinaa”, which means “the hill”. The hill refers to the old lake bed that is no longer in the riding. However, the street of Spadina runs up to Spadina House at the top of the hill near Casa Loma. It is an interesting street that has welcomed thousands of Canadians over time. It runs from the waterfront north into the rest of Ontario. It is an important street in so many ways because that immigrant experience defines the city that I come from. It defines my family and other families that call the riding home. It is an experience that is spoken to directly in this throne speech. It is not just the work we are doing on settling refugees and on welcoming immigrants to our city and our country, but also the work that we do to ensure that their aspirations and hopes match and meet those of multigenerational Canadians in finding a great future in the city and country. The throne speech speaks to that opportunity and lays the foundation, in my perspective, for that better future for all of us. Nowhere is that more specific than in the conversation about infrastructure.

Before I describe why the infrastructure components are so critical to my riding and this country, I would remind us all that it has been 97 days since the last election. That is all the time we have had so far. I realize that everyone wants every problem solved in the country within those 97 days. However, to put it in perspective, we were sworn in as a government just 81 days ago. To make that completely clear for all members, the election campaign was only three days shorter than that. In other words, we have now sat as a government for three days longer than the campaign. Although it has been a short period of time, it has been action-packed, with the progress on refugees, on the indigenous files, and on making sure that the budget consultations roll out and that we get into the meat and bones of this throne speech.

It really has been a short period of time. What it also highlights is that there is much time in front of us to get this work done. Therefore, I hope that we have the collaboration and co-operation of our colleagues across the House to provide good, strong criticism and also good, strong ideas coming forward to ensure that this throne speech is not only delivered with great flourish but also delivered to Canadians with great capacity so that we can change the future and the outcomes for so many in this country.

The riding I represent is a waterfront riding. It is probably the “tallest” riding in Canada in terms of its number of condominiums. However, it is also a riding with one of the poorest postal codes in this country, with a neighbourhood that has been bypassed for the last 10 years in terms of its housing, daycare, and social service needs. We have seen services disappear from this part of the riding. As a result, that part of the riding has struggled to keep pace with the growth that has been experienced in the rest of the riding, in particular on the issue of housing.

In downtown Toronto, in the riding that I represent, we are creating or probably will create this year more housing than most ridings create in a decade.

The expected population growth in my riding over the next five years is 137%. If we do not find a way to speak, not just to the cultural diversity of our cities, but also to the economic diversity of our cities, if we do not find a way to invest in that growth and create opportunities for new Canadians and multi-generational Canadians, for aboriginal Canadians, for folks who are born abroad or folks who are born in the city, if we do not find a way to embed in that program affordable housing and sustain the affordability of existing housing, people will not succeed in the city that I represent, in the riding that I have been sent here to talk about.

The housing component of infrastructure spending is profoundly important for my riding. The requirement that we get that money out the door as quickly as possible is good for the people who will live in the housing, or live in the repaired housing, which is perhaps the more pressing issue in some parts of Toronto. It is also the way of getting people back to work right across the country.

There is no project more job-intensive than housing. It is not just the construction jobs that are so dearly needed in all parts of this country, but it is the architects, the planners, the folks who furnish the housing, and the work that the factories do producing that furniture. It is the work that the electricians get, it is even the work that folks tending the gardens of some of these houses get as a result of the growth we can generate from housing. However, if we do not do it for everybody and only do it for some, the social problems we leave in the wake of a poor housing program are the costs that we quite often struggle to meet in this very House.

We have to reposition the way we talk about housing in this country, so that it is not just an infrastructure program. Housing has to be seen no longer as a problem to be solved, but the tool to solve our problems. If we get housing right, not only do we build stronger families and stronger communities, but we also start to tackle greenhouse gas emissions and unemployment. We can use housing to reduce the cost of health care, post-secondary education, and transportation.

When we build good, strong housing, we build good, strong cities. The challenge we have had surrendering housing to market forces is that we are starting to see slippage on all those issues. We can see it right across this country.

We talked to the mayor of Edmonton about the largest, most significant problem facing that city. One of the big problems they had over the last 10 years was that while they were creating all kinds of six-figure salary jobs in Edmonton, they could not find a way to create housing to house people with that salary. As a result, there was a housing crisis in Edmonton that saw affluent families displacing low-income families, pushing them further and further away from the city centre. Suddenly, transportation needs emerged.

When we talk about the challenge faced by seniors trying to age in place in Atlantic Canada, we find that we have housing but no people. We need to transition that dynamic. We need to find a way to solve those problems by investing in housing that allows people to age in place and that creates jobs, creating new opportunities for families to stay in Atlantic Canada and develop those economies. This is the infrastructure program writ large. It is fundamental to the success of this country to get that housing program up and running as quickly as possible.

This throne speech reinforces our commitment made during the campaign to $60 billion of new infrastructure money, a third of which is designated for social infrastructure, which is largely the housing program. It also talks about the $20-billion environmental green fund. Money from that fund can also be used to rehabilitate housing, making it more energy efficient and cutting greenhouse gas emissions, and also delivering jobs and reducing the cost of housing.

When we drive solutions into the housing sector, and when we drive housing as a solution into the cities and communities across this country, the economy, the environment, the social outcomes of this country change. That is the heart and soul of this throne speech. Add to that the measures on reduction of poverty and tax relief for the middle class and tax relief and support for families. When we add it all in, it all starts to make sense. It is the foundation, the heart and the base of it all. It is building stronger housing programs to build stronger cities and communities, and delivering economic and social opportunities to millions of Canadians who live here now, as well as the millions more who are coming.

[Alex Nuttall, Conservative, Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the member on his re-election to this House.

I take issue with a couple of things that were brought up, specifically regarding poverty being at the centre of this throne speech. That may be the case, but the first move the government made was to provide a tax cut that helped those earning $190,000 a year the most.

Could the member please tell this House how the government rationalizes that with the statement that was just made?

[Adam Vaughan, Liberal, Spadina—Fort York, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as the member said, it has been literally three days longer than the election campaign. It has been 81 days since we were sworn in, which is a very short period of time.

We take a look at the totality of the movement, and the changes that we anticipate will be introduced and hopefully supported by this House moving forward. By this time next year we will see a much more comprehensive and integrated program as described in our election platform, in the throne speech, and in the forthcoming budget, which actually addresses all of the issues to create that support.

We know that a good, strong middle class is critically important for this country. We know that the tax breaks address a range of income groups. We also know that additional measures are on their way. The child tax benefit, doubling it making and it tax free, is one of the ways lower-income Canadians are going to benefit in a much more targeted way than the tax breaks we talk about. We also know that public housing, the savings and affordability that we drive into low and middle-income Canadian households by managing the full spectrum of the housing market comprehensively, which was spoken to in this throne speech, will also deliver that relief.

Therefore, to take one measure and criticize the entire platform and the entire throne speech is a little disingenuous. To take the first 90 days and say that is all that we will do across the full spectrum of needs in this country also does not really tell the full story. The full story is not—

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Order.

The hon. member for London—Fanshawe.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and congratulations on your re-election.

My colleague across the way spoke of many things, but one of the things he did not speak about was veterans. During the past election campaign, many promises were made to veterans and their families. They need to know if those promises will be kept. We know that an incredible and heartbreaking number of veterans are homeless, and we know that their families are suffering.

What does the member plan to do to make sure that those promises are met and our veterans are respected?

[Adam Vaughan, Liberal, Spadina—Fort York, ON]

Mr. Speaker, clearly, specific services for veterans that have been overlooked or depleted in the previous government need to be spoken to again; revisiting the veterans offices that were closed, and quite frankly, stopping the process of taking them to court all the time as they seek to be treated properly by a government that owes them a debt of service.

However, when I speak about housing as a solution to challenges, the jobs in the housing sector are jobs that returning service personnel are often trained for. When we talk about delivering affordable housing, many of the veterans who have financial challenges as a result of injuries they have sustained benefit from those sorts of programs.

Therefore, we may not hear the word “veterans” in front of the program, and they may not be described in particular as we describe the program, but they are part of a group of Canadians who need our support. The infrastructure programs not only promise jobs but services to those individuals. That is part of a comprehensive approach to make sure that the veterans who have served this country are served by this government.

[Rodger Cuzner, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment]

Mr. Speaker, it is good to see you back in the chair.

I know my colleague is very passionate about the housing issue, but in a broader context, I want to talk about the functioning of our democracy and what has gone on over the last four years.

In committees, we have heard questions from the Conservatives about poverty. There was good work done by the human resources, skills and social development committee before the 2011 election. It put forward quality recommendations to the minister that were cast aside by the last government.

In conversation with the former NDP member, Peter Stoffer, he and I reminisced a couple of weeks ago about how committees used to get together. We could have John Cummins on one end, who would be considered a little bit to the right, and a social democrat like Stoffer on the other end, but they would come together and make a unanimous recommendation to the minister and the government to go forward and help those stakeholders.

Does my colleague see that there is potential to change what has happened over the last four years where committees have been used as a vehicle to drive home a specific ideology? Does he see some kind of hope for it in this Parliament?

[Adam Vaughan, Liberal, Spadina—Fort York, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am one of many people in this chamber who has the experience of municipal council. However, one of the shocks coming to Ottawa was to see how dysfunctional and ideologically focused the committees were, as opposed to taking an opportunity to allow us as members to represent the needs and the diverse and particular concerns of our communities, to really shape legislation to make sure it worked in every corner of this country.

I believe that the committee system is fundamental to the fine tuning of legislation. It is fundamental to the work we do as individual MPs. We have got to find a way to make those committees more successful, because they make us more successful as representatives of our communities regardless of which party we represent in this House.

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise today in the House for the first time as the member of Parliament for Scarborough Centre, and in response to the Speech from the Throne. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the good people of Scarborough Centre for placing their trust in me to deliver the real change they need and deserve. I will work hard to be their strong and effective voice here in Ottawa.

I would like to thank all the hard-working volunteers who made my being here possible for their tireless dedication and support, particularly my husband Salman and my children Umaid and Usman. Today, I am also thinking of my parents. They are no longer with us. I lost my mother during the campaign. I would not be here without the values they instilled in me that I have carried with me throughout my journey.

I am honoured to represent Scarborough Centre. Scarborough is a community of hard-working, middle-class families. We are a community of parks, community centres, and some of the best pancit and biryani one can find outside the Philippines and South Asia. We are also one of the most diverse communities in Canada. Thousands of people from around the world have chosen Scarborough as the place they want to live, work, play, raise their families, and build a better life for their children.

The families of Scarborough Centre need help making ends meet. Families are increasingly challenged to stretch each paycheque further and further. My family came to Canada 16 years ago to build a better life for our sons. We have shared the challenges of so many Scarborough families, trying to balance paying the rent and buying groceries on entry-level wages, getting to work and school on public transit, and now, preparing to send our children to university.

Scarborough families need better transit. Gridlock is crippling Toronto and cities across Canada. This is not just an economic issue; it is a quality of life issue. Time spent in traffic means lost productivity and it means time not spent with our families. For too long, Scarborough has not had a federal partner at the table when it comes to transit. This needs to change.

I am pleased to see that so many of the priorities of the families of my riding were addressed by the Speech from the Throne. I welcome the promised historic investment in public transit, green infrastructure, and social infrastructure. This means not only badly needed new transit for communities like Scarborough and funds for community and senior centres, but also support for affordable housing.

Every Canadian deserves to have access to a safe, clean, and affordable place to live, yet today too many Canadians are living on the economic edge. According to the Canadian rental housing index, 22% of rental households in Toronto are spending more than half their household income on rent and 20% are living in overcrowded conditions. The people of Scarborough welcome the historic 10-year investment in social infrastructure. They are relieved to finally again see a federal government that understands the need to invest in affordable housing.

I am also heartened to hear about the middle-class tax cut and new Canada child benefit. That, according to the parliamentary budget officer, will lift over 315,000 Canadian children out of poverty and will benefit nine out of 10 Canadian families.

As a mother whose eldest son is now applying to universities, and with a second one who is not far behind, I also welcome the government's commitment to making post-secondary education more accessible and more affordable.

There are many young people living in my riding who are having trouble finding work, especially that first important job after college or university, to begin building their work experience. The youth unemployment rate is unacceptably higher than the overall national rate. The government's youth job strategy is badly needed in my riding.

I welcome the four-year investment in programs that will help Canadian youth enter the workforce and that will create tens of thousands of jobs every year. The youth of Scarborough will also benefit from thousands of new green jobs, help for employers to create co-op placements for science, technology, mathematics, engineering, and business students, and the restoration of a youth service program to help youth gain work and life experience by participating in community-building projects across Canada. When it comes to investing in Canada's future, there is no better investment than our young people.

Finally, I am so pleased to see the throne speech recognize something that my neighbours in Scarborough have known for so long to be true: Canada is stronger not in spite of our differences but because of them.

We have seen some unfortunate incidents recently in Canada, including in Toronto. Two Muslim women were verbally assaulted on a subway train. One was beaten and robbed and another one was allegedly spat on, and a mosque in Peterborough was a target of arson. These are the actions of a hateful minority, and they do not represent the majority of Canadians. For every hateful individual, there were many more who stood up to condemn this violence, to say, “I will ride with you”, and to say, “this is not our Canada”.

I was honoured recently to join the Prime Minister and the Minister of Democratic Institutions as the community rallied together to reopen that mosque. The message that day was very clear: a Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian.

In Scarborough we are Christian and Catholic, Muslim and Hindu, Buddhist and Jewish. We speak English and French but also Tamil and Tagalog, Mandarin and Cantonese, Greek and Urdu, Gujarati and Bengali. We may come from many places, but we share the important things in common: our love for our families and for this great country and our desire to build an even better Canada for our children.

We enjoy an unparalleled equality of opportunity in Canada. I immigrated to Canada 16 years ago. We first moved to a small apartment in Regent Park, where I started a catering service, making kebabs and curries, to supplement our income while taking care of two toddlers, and now, today, I stand in the House as a member of Parliament. This is the Canada that is the envy of the world, and this is the proof of what the Prime Minister says, that in Canada, better is always possible.

I look forward to working with all my hon. colleagues in this place to make the commitments in this throne speech a reality and to deliver the real change that middle-class families need and deserve.

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate my fellow member on her first speech.

In both of the last speeches I have heard about housing needs. It is true that there are needs in members' ridings. Also in my small riding of Sarnia—Lambton we have a need for shelter improvements, houses for seniors, and houses for those who are without. I am interested to understand what the government's plan is to make sure that the infrastructure spending does not just go to the big cities.

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be part of a government that has promised historic infrastructure investment. We all agree that Canada is facing a massive deficit in infrastructure. We cannot ignore that and we cannot pass it to our kids. We, as the government, will do our best to work with the municipalities and provinces to identify local needs and to make sure that we have long-term predictable funding available to look after those needs.

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague, the member for Scarborough Centre, for her excellent speech today, her first speech in the House.

My colleague mentioned day care needs, which is incredibly important to Canadians. Canadian families are suffering because they are unable to access affordable child care. They are unable to access child care in their communities that is safe and that they can access in a way that does not require them to choose between going to work and taking care of their children in the way they would like.

I would like to ask my colleague whether she would agree that we need to make child care spaces more affordable and accessible for Canadian families.

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we, as a government, totally agree. Within our promised infrastructure investment, the complement of social infrastructure will provide the funding to build more day care centres, and our middle-class tax breaks, together with the Canada child benefit, will lift 315,000 kids out of poverty and will benefit nine out of 10 Canadian families.

[Pierre Breton, Liberal, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank and congratulate my colleague for her first speech in the House and wish her all the best in 2016.

In the throne speech, our government announced investments and tax cuts for the middle class. I would like to ask my colleague how these measures will stimulate the economy in her riding.

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Scarborough Centre is a community of middle-class families.

Our tax breaks, together with the Canada child benefit, will provide relief to nine out of 10 Canadian families, and Scarborough Centre, which many middle-class families call home, will definitely benefit from those investments.