Debates of Jan. 26th, 2016

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.

During the economic crisis of 2008, the Conservatives formed the government, and Canada was one of the countries with the best outcome. We made strategic choices so that Canadians would have more money in their pockets.

You supposedly inherited something from us, but when we came to power in 2006, we inherited your dreams. It is recognized everywhere: the Liberals sell dreams. However, what money do they do that with? They do it with taxpayers’ money. Where will you get that money? If you have a seed from which to grow money, give it to us. That is all we are waiting for, to have money. What you are doing now is mortgaging my grandchildren’s future, and I will never let you do that.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Before continuing with questions and comments, I would like to remind members that they are to address the Chair and not other members directly.

The hon. member for Jonquière.

[Karine Trudel, NDP, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech.

In my constituency, many workers are coming out of a three-year lockout. Unfortunately, for three years, garage employees were left out in the street by their employer. Fortunately, that was settled this week. We will soon see the garages open again, and the employees will be able to go back to work. On the other hand, since these are service jobs, many of them will not able to resume work right away and, unfortunately, because of the Employment Insurance Act, they will not be able to get employment insurance benefits.

Does my colleague think that an independent, autonomous fund accessible to workers could help those people? Similarly, would the repeal of the employment insurance reform passed under the former government be good for those workers and help the families in my constituency of Jonquière?

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.

I am pleased that a three-year lockout has been resolved. For people who work, it is good to be able to work.

With respect to employment insurance, we have always said that job creation is just as important. When we create jobs, we give people the opportunity to work. I have collected employment insurance benefits, and I can tell you that it is not always easy. I understand the situation, but sooner or later, we have to move forward and find ways to create jobs so that people can feel useful. When people create jobs—this is what I always tell the people in my riding—they need good ideas to make sure that those jobs last longer than six months, that they are long-term jobs so people can work. That is how people earn a living.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Order, please. It is my duty, pursuant to Standing Order 38, to inform the House that the question to be raised tonight at the time of adjournment is as follows: the hon. member for Calgary Forest Lawn, International Development.

Resuming debate, the Minister of Veterans Affairs.

[Kent Hehr, Liberal, Minister of Veterans Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour and privilege for me to be here in this august House to make my comments on the Speech from the Throne.

It is also the first time for me to thank my constituents of Calgary Centre who put their trust in me, along with my colleague from Calgary Skyview, to become one of the first Liberals to be elected to the House of Commons from Calgary in 48 years. It is truly a privilege to have earned their trust and to be here to serve the people from that community going forward.

Calgary Centre is a unique place. We have a whole host of different people, different communities, and different situations that exist on the ground. We have kids in school and seniors in the later stages of their lives. We have school teachers and businessmen, and we have a great many people who are doing very well and a great many who struggle in my community. It is almost a microcosm of what would be found in almost any urban centre. Many of the policies that we ran on as a party and that were identified in the throne speech really captured their imagination and the issues they were facing. In my view, the issues that Alberta and Calgary are facing at this time are well addressed in both the throne speech and in what we put forward as a party during the election.

I would like to thank numerous people in my life who helped me along the way. I would like to start with two people who have been there from the beginning, my mom and dad, Richard Hehr and Judy Hehr, two pragmatic, hard-nosed school teachers from Alberta, who taught me the value of being a public servant, of being a reasonable human being most days, and who carried me along from my recalcitrant and lackadaisical youth to a more productive future. I thank them for being there each and every step of the way. They worked very hard on my election campaign and taught me the value of understanding the concept of equality of opportunity. Whether one is born to a wealthy family or one that struggles, one is going to get a fair shake in this country and we need government to ensure that there are strong public schools, access to health care and to universities, and that there is a social safety net if they stumble or fall, allowing the government to help them get up and get on their way.

I have been fortunate enough to represent a constituency that I was born in. I live 17 blocks from the hospital that I was born in. My parents were there from day one and door knocked harder than anyone else, and without their love and support, I definitely would not be here today.

Another person I need to recognize is my sister, Kristie Smith. Although she is two years younger than I am, she has always been my older sister. She was more organized, a little brighter than I was, a little more competent than I was, and helped me along the way through a great many trials and tribulations. It was not always easy for her. I recognize that, and she is doing very well. Some of the joys in my life are my family, as well as her three kids, Marshall, Jackson, and Parker. They really mean a great deal to me and have helped me get here.

I can also say that it was not without a tremendous number of volunteers and people who followed me on this journey and who we worked very hard on a long campaign. They were there for the stretch, banging on doors, handing out pamphlets, telling people that I am a reasonable guy most days. I thank them for being out there and assisting me along this journey.

If we look at our campaign pledges and how these fit with Alberta and Calgary at this time, we need to look at the factors that are going on in Alberta. Some of the measures that we implement in our platform will assist in what is no doubt a difficult time.

We are cutting taxes for the middle class. This will allow people to have more money in their pockets that they can spend in the economy right now to help prime the pump. I am also very proud of the fact that we are going to lift more than 300,000 kids out of poverty with the introduction of our child benefit plan. These are some truly great things that will assist a family's pursuit of equality of opportunity. Some of that money will be spent in the economy as well.

On our infrastructure investments that we are going to make, one does not have to look too far. Just read The Globe and Mail. Virtually every economist in the land says now is the time to do it. Government has to make these investments anyway, and long-term projects will make the economy and the people more successful. There are many of those projects out there that will allow us to be more productive and allow people to work right away. Many people are out of jobs in Alberta; this will help. I think that resonated with many in the campaign.

I look forward to addressing these issues and more going forward.

I would be remiss not to mention that a large part of our economy is in oil and gas. I was born in Calgary in 1969, and I have benefited greatly from the success of that industry. It has contributed and allowed people opportunities to build their lives. It allowed us to accomplish a great many things.

I sense that we are looking at this correctly as a government, as we are seeing energy and the economy as two sides of the same coin. We are seeing that we cannot have access to markets without building a consensus. I will point out, and I think even members opposite will recognize, that they have not been overly successful in this. Since 2006, despite claiming that we were going to be an energy superpower, we have not seen our products reach tidewater. We have not seen our energy products go south in the way the former government thought was going to occur. I sense that we have a Prime Minister who is willing to engage in the Canadian energy strategy.

Mr. Speaker, I will need to split my time.

We see a Prime Minister who is willing to be involved in the Canadian energy strategy, which is something former premier Redford started and in which Premier Notley has been fully engaged. It is something that will allow us to interact with the premiers on this nation-building project.

We see that we have a Prime Minister who is committed to working with first nations and aboriginal groups, to work with our environmental community, and to see that we are getting serious on climate change.

However, I will point out that even if we get our product to tidewater, we need to have people willing to buy it. I will also point out that three years ago the European Union was within one vote of saying no to our oil. This is how serious an issue it is.

I will close by saying, look, a kid from Calgary got elected. One, that is a pretty amazing thing. Two, he wound up in national government. Three, he was named a minister of the Crown. My goodness, that is a trifecta at the horse races. As Minister of Veterans Affairs, I have been given an aggressive mandate to do things better on that file, to work closely with the Minister of National Defence, and to close the seam to see our men and women who have served this great nation find greater success, be that through employment, education, or dealing with issues of injury either physical or emotional. I am very proud to be given this responsibility.

The last thing I will close with is to thank the citizens of Calgary Centre for giving me this opportunity to, hopefully, not only work for good public policy in the long run, but to share my life with each and every one of them. It is a true joy.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, as deputy critic on this side of the House, I would like to preface what I am going to say by making mention of the fact that the previous minister, Erin O'Toole, was able to bring DND and Veterans Affairs Canada together to start to make it much easier for our soldiers facing injury to transition out of the service and into civilian life. As he said, that seamlessness is so important. I look forward to working together to make sure that happens.

On that point, during the election the Liberal Party made 15 significant promises to our veterans that are going to cost significant dollars. We on this side of the House want to see those veterans get what they deserve as we grow and improve the veterans charter. At the same time, as I mentioned in my speech, vets in my area are very concerned. They told me that they heard all of these promises but they saw in the past how the Liberals behaved by cutting the national defence budget. They asked me if the Liberals became government if they would keep these promises on the backs of our men and women currently serving in the armed forces.

I would like to know what kind of costing has taken place? Has something been put forward so that we can know how these 15 promises are going to come to be?

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Before we go on to the Minister of Veterans Affairs, I want to remind members that when we refer to other members in the House we are to refer to their ridings and not their names.

[Kent Hehr, Liberal, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the former minister responsible was moving the chains of justice forward on this file. Part of the trouble was that the previous nine and a half years had not gone so smoothly for the Conservative government. Maybe he should have been made minister a lot quicker. However, that is all grist for the mill.

As the member is aware and as she rightly pointed out, I am now the minister responsible for what is happening in our veterans affairs department. You are right. Our party made 15 specific promises to veterans. They are outlined clearly in our mandate letters. I am proud of our Prime Minister for posting them. Now you can track specifically our mandate and whether I am following through on this. This is a great move by our government. It is going to allow you to do your job better, as well as me—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I am sure it is not me you are talking about.

[Kent Hehr, Liberal, Calgary Centre, AB]

I am sorry about that, Mr. Speaker.

As the hon. member points out, yes, and this is a great way to have openness and transparency and allow her to do her best to keep track of progress on this file.

There are easier things to do, in this mandate letter, and there are harder things to do. We recognize that. I have a great team forming, and it has been working on implementing this aggressive agenda from day one. As the member is aware, there is a process that we must go through. We will be making an announcement shortly, and I ask her to give us some time. It has only been 100 days. I have every confidence that four years into this mandate, veterans affairs will be in a better place than it is today.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the minister on his election and his appointment. I was very moved to hear his personal story and encouraged to hear about the journey he has travelled.

On the issue around addressing poverty, which is big in Vancouver East, I wonder if the minister would agree and call on his government to bring forward a national strategy to end poverty.

There is another piece related to that and it has been highlighted through the refugee situation. The income assistance level for people is exceedingly low and this makes it very difficult for people to survive. I wonder whether or not the minister would work with his government and call on the provincial and territorial governments to increase welfare rates, so that we can effectively address the issue of poverty for all Canadians.

[Kent Hehr, Liberal, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has rightly pointed out that one of the issues facing the Canadian people, governments, and many around the world is inequality. We have a great many people struggling, and fewer doing very well. The concerns my colleague outlined are concerns for this government. How do we get people who are struggling further along? How do we see that provincial welfare rates ensure that people are getting adequate money to allow them to keep their hopes and dreams alive? I am not certain that is happening today. My sense is that our government is going to work on a lot of these issues. My door is always open to hearing the member's ideas, because we need to get working on these issues.

[Colin Fraser, Liberal, West Nova, NS]

Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour to rise for the first time in this magnificent chamber to speak on behalf of the great people of West Nova. I am very proud to have the privilege of representing the 83,000 people who live in my riding. I sincerely thank them for the confidence they have placed in me to be their voice in this important national dialogue.

West Nova has been called a microcosm of rural Canada. From Waterville to Pubnico and in every wonderfully charming community in between, my riding boasts an incredible wealth of natural riches, industrious people, and a fascinating history. However, like other rural places in the Maritimes and across Canada, we face significant challenges: an aging population, transportation difficulties, and not enough good jobs. This is why I am so encouraged by the Speech from the Throne and the opportunity that this 42nd Parliament offers to make real change happen for all Canadians, including rural Canada and most particularly West Nova, from my perspective.

As we approach Canada's 150th birthday celebrations in 2017, it is important to recognize the story of our incredible history as a country. The Speech from the Throne clearly stated that diversity is Canada's strength, and the intersection of diversity and our history is clear in West Nova. Four founding peoples of Canada are rooted in the history of my riding. The story of western Nova Scotia is Canada's story.

Canada is bilingual and multicultural, and my riding, West Nova, has a rich history that deserves to be shared and recognized in that context.

Acadia was born in Port Royal, the cradle of the first francophones in North America ever since Samuel de Champlain created a settlement there in 1605. Close ties were forged between the Acadians and the Mi'kmaq as the two founding peoples intermingled.

In nearby Annapolis Royal, a royal charter was signed, creating the province of Nova Scotia in 1621. It is through this charter that Nova Scotia later received its coat of arms and flag, representing its relationship with Scotland. Following the War of American Independence, a large number of black loyalists arrived in Nova Scotia between 1783 and 1785, representing the largest group of African birth and African descent to come to Nova Scotia at any one time. It is this rich diversity—Acadian, Mi'kmaw, Métis, British, and African Canadians—that contributes to the character and vitality of West Nova.

The Acadian communities of Baie Sainte-Marie and Argyle possess a vitality that drives their rural economic development. For example, the Université Sainte-Anne, the only French-language post-secondary institution in Nova Scotia, makes a major contribution to the cultural and creative industries in my region.

I should also note that promoting our country's official languages is inextricably linked to promoting and creating French second language learning opportunities. That is why I support a throne speech that encourages the use of the country's official languages and commits to investing in Canada's cultural and creative industries.

Today we see that many people in West Nova have opened up their hearts to Syrian refugees, with generosity of spirit. Several communities across my riding have assisted the good people who have been welcomed, whether they be organizations like the Yarmouth Refugee Support Group or the Annapolis Royal Community Assisting Relocation, or church groups like the Digby Wesleyan or Hillgrove United Baptist Church, our communities are enriched by the part we are playing in Canada's national project on Syrian refugees. They enrich our communities and make us a stronger country.

Canada is a strong country not only because of its people, but also because of its natural riches. This is as true in West Nova as anywhere in the country. My riding is blessed with the world's finest seafood. Lobster, scallops, and haddock are fished in our waters off southwestern Nova Scotia, and the fertile lands in the Annapolis Valley have world-renowned apples, crops, and now the amazing wineries producing excellent wines. These incredible products of the highest quality depend on a clean environment that nurtures and fosters an abundance of harvest. This is the most basic example that a clean environment and a strong economy go hand in hand. We must ensure not only that these riches are enjoyed today but that the quality and bounty with which we are blessed are preserved for generations to come.

Also, the Bay of Fundy off our shores is a true natural wonder. With the highest tides in the world, there is vast potential for the development of new technologies that would harness the incredible tidal power and produce clean, powerful energy. Such development would spur economic activity and reduce carbon pollution in the move toward renewable and sustainable energy. Also, there is tremendous opportunity for wind power generation with a steady and consistent source on and off our coast.

Investments in such clean technologies to seize the emerging opportunities would not only help our country meet its obligations to combat climate change, it would produce lots of good jobs and further potential to export such technological innovation as well.

With our natural riches and friendly people, West Nova has unrealized potential to attract new businesses and tourists. We have many quant towns and villages dotting our riding. I invite all Canadians to experience the hospitality and charm of one of our beautiful bed and breakfasts, or visit Kejimkujik National Park to see the vast and pristine wilderness and many lakes of the interior of Nova Scotia. Commitments to provide additional resources for our national parks is very welcomed in West Nova, especially as we look to celebrate our great outdoors as part of our national celebration in 2017.

Ensuring we have transportation links available to get people and goods in and out of our area will be key to future economic development as well. Going forward, investments in these types of infrastructure, as enunciated in the Speech from the Throne, will certainly benefit the important transportation issues and others that we have in West Nova.

The Canadian Forces Base at 14 Wing Greenwood is an exceptionally key part of West Nova, not only because of the economic benefits that it provides for our area but because we are proud of the brave men and women of the Canadian Forces and their families that live, work, and retire there. As a result, I have the good fortune of representing many veterans, not only in the valley but across West Nova, and also across generations. I am therefore fully supportive of the commitment to not only have a better equipped military, but also a government that takes care of our veterans as a first priority. Re-establishing mental health facilities, restoring lifetime pensions for injured veterans, and ensuring their families get greater support, are the right things to do.

Because of our shared history, culture, and our natural riches, the residents of West Nova enjoy a good quality of life. We want people to live, work, and raise their families there in dignity. However, as I went throughout the riding during the election campaign it became clear that far too many seniors in West Nova were finding it difficult to make ends meet and in fact were living in poverty. The commitments to seniors are very important to my constituents. They should be secure in the knowledge that their incomes on old age security and the guaranteed income supplement will keep up with the rising cost of living. After working many years Canadians deserve a dignified retirement, starting at age 65. That is why I support a plan to restore the eligibility age from 67 to 65 for the OAS and GIS. Assisting single seniors by increasing their GIS by 10% will make a big difference in improving the quality of life for many of the good people I represent.

An aging population also means an increased strain on our local health care resources. I fully support the government's commitment to work with the provinces and territories to develop a new health accord. As demographics change so too do the challenges faced by smaller provinces like Nova Scotia to deliver reasonably comparable health care services at reasonably comparable levels of taxation. The quality of life for families in West Nova is paramount to ensuring we have thriving communities and healthy kids. The investments the government has outlined in the throne speech will go a long way to providing the help we need to ensure we have the country we want for our next generation.

Therefore, let us come together as the 42nd Parliament and be worthy of those who have gone before us in this place. Let us work together in constructive dialogue, offering different points of view on difficult matters, but doing so in a manner that respects each other and respects the decency and goodwill of the people we are elected to represent.

I look forward to working with all of my hon. colleagues and moving Canada forward in our pursuit of peace, order, and good governance.

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate my colleague from West Nova. I call him my fellow search and rescue MP because of I have Gander as a base and he has Greenwood, and they work together to save lives on the east coast, which they do valiantly.

He is a rural MP like me. One of the major problems we have with an elderly population is that in many cases when there are surviving partners resulting from death, they live in the homes they have lived in for many years. Although they had two streams of income, old age security, now they have one. Unfortunately, bills stay the same. That is why I am proud to say that we will increase the old age security to the surviving person by 10%.

Could the member could expand on that, using illustrations from his own riding? I know has many seniors, much like my own riding.

[Colin Fraser, Liberal, West Nova, NS]

Mr. Speaker, it is an important component of the way we will improve the lives of seniors. I have many seniors in my community, and during the campaign it was apparent to me, in talking to them and going into their homes, that they were having financial difficulties.

The commitments that have been made in our campaign platform and also enunciated in the Speech from the Throne clearly identify that assisting single seniors in particular and, as I mentioned, adding 10% to the GIS for those single seniors would go a long way in helping these folks to pay their bills.

There are other measures that are being introduced to help seniors in the future, certainly working with the provinces on extending the Canada pension plan and also ensuring that the health care system is adequately meeting the needs of those especially in rural areas where sometimes they cannot get access to the medical help they need.

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, throughout debate, many members in the House spoke about families and people in their ridings who were struggling. People in my riding of Essex are struggling as well. Unfortunately the speech failed to outline plans to fight poverty and reduce inequality in Canada. There is nothing to address the fact that the absence of federal minimum wage leaves far too many Canadians working full time, but still living below the poverty line.

A way to provide direct help to tens of thousands of families is by giving them a raise, by reinstating the $15 an hour federal minimum wage.

Does the member opposite agree that the government needs to take a leadership role for all Canadians and provide direct help to them by giving them a raise through reinstating the federal minimum wage and raising it to $15 an hour, and also to support workers and ensure that minimum wage workers in Canada do not fall below the poverty line?

[Colin Fraser, Liberal, West Nova, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I respectfully disagree with the member opposite. I outlined in my speech quite clearly some of the things that were being done to help families that were struggling, including the Canada child benefit. We look at the ability that will provide to families, certainly in my riding, that are having difficulty making ends meet. It is means tested and tax free. Putting money back in the pockets of those who need it the most is an important investment that our government is committed to doing.

With regard to seniors, I clearly outlined in my speech some of the measures that were being taken to assist seniors who were living in poverty. My friend asked a question a moment ago exactly on that point.

With regard to the federal minimum wage in particular, this was an election campaign commitment by the New Democratic Party. It would affect zero people in my riding. It is not a measure that would increase the wealth of anybody in my riding or help them to make ends meet.

Certainly, discussion with the provinces about what we can do to alleviate poverty is important, such as investments in social infrastructure, ensuring people have affordable housing. These are important investments that our government is committed to doing.

[Brenda Shanahan, Liberal, Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to inform you that I will be sharing my time with the member for Fredericton.

It is an honour for me to rise and speak to the House for this, my first real speech. First of all, I want to once again thank the people of Châteauguay—Lacolle for the trust they have placed in me.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank my family for their tremendous support, which I enjoyed even before I decided to run. Thank you to my daughter Emily and her husband Michael, my twin boys Benjamin and Daniel, my mother and father, as well as my three brothers and five sisters. We have a small family. I also warmly thank the fathers of my children, my ex-husband John and my ex-husband Bill, for their good advice and, above all, for the mutual support we have given one another over the past 30 years as parents raising our beloved children.

My life experience brought me to a place in my career in which I felt the need to transition from being a banker to a social worker. I began a mission to help Canadians better understand and better manage their financial resources.

In 2005, I came here to Ottawa on my own initiative to attend the first national conference on financial literacy, called Canadians and Their Money: A National Symposium on Financial Capability. The participants represented an impressive range of Canadians with the authority to define the notion of financial capability, which is defined as “a concept with three different components: financial knowledge and understanding, financial skills and competence, and financial responsibility”.

I have applied these principles, which are now recognized as being part of financial literacy, in my work presenting workshops on personal finance, and also in my work as a columnist. I have had the pleasure of taking part in various forums on the subject and developing financial education activities for all stages of life. The goal was to help people achieve what they truly wanted in life, regardless of their choices or lifestyle, and that is financial security.

In doing this work with Canadians from all walks of life, and in particular with vulnerable and low-income Canadians, I realize that financial education by itself cannot solve the problem of insufficient predictable monthly income for families and seniors. That is why I am delighted to see that our government has committed to implementing a tax-free Canada child benefit as of this month. That will not only benefit nine out of ten Canadian families with young children, but will effectively lift 315,000 children out of poverty, much as the guaranteed income supplement did for low-income seniors, reducing seniors poverty significantly 20 years ago.

In the same way, I applaud our government's attention to increasing the current guaranteed income supplement by 10%, and its intention to work with provinces and territories to enhance the Canada pension plan, another important source of predictable periodic income for people retired or contemplating retirement. By the way, as one of the 58ers, Canadians born in 1958 or later who were subject to that change in the OAS eligibility age from 65 to 67, I am thankful that the measure has been repealed by our government. Let us just say that my long-time retirement plan is back on schedule.

On another topic, I want to reiterate our government's commitment to having a strong economy in concert with a healthy environment, a highly important target for the riding of Châteauguay—Lacolle and one that generated a lot of interest throughout Montreal's south shore area.

More than 120 stakeholders took part in our pre-budget consultation in Montérégie last week, including local economic players, mayors, business people, educators, social development leaders, and the list goes on.

People almost unanimously agree that the environment must be protected in the economic development process, not only because we want a healthy environment for ourselves and our families, but also because the real Canada is back on the world stage.

We also have the opportunity to become leaders in the area of clean technologies and to export them around the world. For example, in Châteauguay—Lacolle, stakeholders in the agriculture industry want to improve integrated pest management for land. However, they need financial support and support for research on new practices.

The people of Châteauguay—Lacolle are also very proud of the Île Saint-Bernard protected area, which was purchased in 2011 by the City of Chateauguay and has been protected since then. It is one of the most beautiful wildlife areas in Quebec, and it also has a sound tourism, cultural, and educational business model. It has won several awards of excellence for its heritage efforts. This tourist attraction, which includes an ecomarket, sightseeing cruises on Lake Saint-Louis, and an archaeological site, hosts almost 180,000 visitors every year and provides 40 quality jobs.

However, we also have a serious environmental disaster in the lagoons in Mercier and Saint-Martine. These lagoons were industrial waste dumps from 1968 to 1972. The groundwater is still so contaminated that the people living along the Châteauguay River cannot even drink their own water.

Consequently, I am very relieved that our government has committed to implementing a major investment program for infrastructure, including green infrastructure. This financial participation will encourage innovation and fund the development of technologies to clean up environmental messes, such as the Mercier lagoons. I know that this will not be easy given the complexity of the problem, but we can and must do better.

In fact, just like President Kennedy did in the United States when he created NASA, our government has given us an opportunity to come up with and carry out major projects under its green infrastructure program, the purpose of which is to protect and revitalize our environment in a sustainable manner for our future generations.

Finally, in recognition of the many anniversaries we are celebrating this year, such as the 175 years since the elections of Robert Baldwin and Sir Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine, partners in achieving responsible government, and the150 year anniversary of Confederation next year, I would like to close with a quote, slightly amended from one of our honourable predecessors here in this House, my personal hero, Irish immigrant and great statesman, Thomas D’Arcy McGee.

In 1860, seven years before Confederation and eight years before he was tragically murdered by a Fenian on his way home after a late night debate here in Parliament, Thomas D'Arcy McGee said:

I look to the future of my adopted country with hope [...] I see in the not remote distance one great nationality bound like the shield of Achilles by the blue rim of Ocean.[...] I see within the round of that shield the peaks of the Western Mountains and the crests of the Eastern waves, the winding Assiniboine, the five fold lakes, the St. Lawrence, the Ottawa, the Saguenay, the St. John, and the basin of Minas. By all these flowing waters in all the valleys they fertilize, in all the cities they visit in their courses, I see a generation of industrious, contented moral men [and women] free in name and in fact - men [and women] capable of maintaining in peace and in war, a constitution worthy of such a country!

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the member on her remarks.

We have heard a number of members of the government talk today about the importance of helping the vulnerable and the middle class, and I would very strongly agree with that. However, there is a disconnect between the words and the record.

The government significantly cut back on tax-free savings accounts in spite of the fact that more than half of those who max out their tax-free savings accounts are making less than $60,000 a year. Those are the numbers available from the Finance Department.

The government's tax changes have brought absolutely no tax relief for those making less than $45,000 a year.

There is a disconnect between the rhetoric on helping the middle class and the most vulnerable, and the record on this.

Would the member agree with me that helping those who make below $60,000 and below $45,000 a year is important and should be a priority?

[Brenda Shanahan, Liberal, Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this is a subject that is dear to my heart, the tax-free savings account. When I was working as a social work educator, I spoke to my students about this as a way to encourage asset-based savings to help people off of welfare and living on a month-to-month routine.

The tax-free savings account was originally, if we go back to the late Hon. Flaherty's thinking on this, intended as a savings vehicle for low-income earners and in that regard, the ceiling of $5,500 per year is more than adequate to meet that requirement.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my honourable colleague for her remarks.

As mentioned earlier, the NDP believes that it is important to combat inequality and poverty among children. This is a hot-button issue, one that comes up quite frequently in my riding of Drummond. Our young people must not be allowed to live in poverty. It is by helping them and by combatting poverty and hunger that our youth will have an opportunity to go to school and have a future.

We have a very interesting proposal to combat child poverty: to tax the compensation in the form of stock options received mainly by CEOs of major corporations, which constitutes absolutely shameful tax avoidance. This money could be invested directly into combatting child poverty.

What does my honourable colleague think of this approach of recouping the money currently being lost through completely egregious tax avoidance and investing it in the fight against child poverty?

[Brenda Shanahan, Liberal, Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for his question.

As a matter of fact, we are investing in our youth by tying the Canada child benefit to basic income. This is not charity but rather a fair redistribution of our national resources. That is precisely why we set up this plan. It is non-taxable. It is money that families can keep. They can spend this money without having to worry that it will be taxed down the road. That is why we worked hard to put this program in place.

[Matt DeCourcey, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

Mr. Speaker, thank you for the honour to rise again in this new year, in this new Parliament, this time in the true fashion of a maiden speech. It is truly an honour to represent the good people of Fredericton, New Maryland, Oromocto, the Grand Lake region and all the parts in between.

The opportunity to partake in such a privileged way to help govern and steer the course of our great country and provide voice for the region I represent is not only a true privilege but also stands as the realization of a lifelong dream for this young guy from Freddy Beach.

Over the past number of Saturdays at Fredericton's Boyce Farmers Market, I have been reminded just why I sought to find myself in this chamber in the first place. It has been encouraging to hear the many words from constituents eager to see the positive tone of inclusive leadership continue to pervade in the way we govern. These encounters, in addition to the 10 community round tables and town halls our office co-ordinated last week, have reminded me that we are here to build a Canada worthy of all those who we represent.

There are, for example, our young indigenous leaders, including those receiving guidance and education from staff at Chief Harold Sappier Memorial Elementary School on the St. Mary's First Nation; our entrepreneurial and socially-minded graduates of the University of New Brunswick, of my alma mater, St. Thomas University and of the New Brunswick Community College; a Canada worthy of our aging population who in New Brunswick we look to as an asset for our collective prosperity; and a Canada worthy of all constituents who provide varying points of view and expertise on a wide range of issues with which this Parliament must wrestle.

I would also like to thank everyone who worked tirelessly during my election campaign. Their smarts and foresight were of great help in getting me elected. As all members here know, the determination and passion of a team are crucial to winning an election. I would like to thank them all.

During the campaign, what was most inspiring to me was the engagement in leadership of young people in the democratic process. Their enthusiasm and wisdom is important to the well-being of our democracy and their continued engagement will be an important component of the government's commitment to reform and ensure relevancy of our democratic institutions.

I, along with them, pledge our support and collaboration to the important work of the Minister of Democratic Institutions. We all share a goal of making our country stronger and I intend to work hard for the people of Fredericton.

This community boasts of the title of Atlantic Canada's “most entrepreneurial city” and is among Canada's top 10 best places to live. It has also been recognized as one of the most cost competitive places to do business in the Americas.

As the 2009 cultural capital of Canada, Fredericton boasts of a burgeoning and diverse artistic and cultural scene, a scene sure to be enhanced through the government's reinvestment in social infrastructure and in the arts.

As a startup capital and Canada's first wireless city, Fredericton's richness includes its two world-class universities, community colleges, its hub of smart, high-tech entrepreneurs and businesses which are eager to see the government move ahead with an ambitious research and innovation agenda.

The riding I represent boasts of Canada's largest military training base, Base Gagetown, which infuses over $500 million annually into New Brunswick's economy and employs over 4,500 permanent military personnel and 100 civilian staff who keep the lights on as military families come and go.

The Speech from the Throne was clear. Our government is focused. We have a plan that is forward-thinking as it is direct. The speech demonstrated, and this government so far has demonstrated, that we are ambitious when it comes to Canada's potential and, in fact, the potential of all Canadians.

At the same time, we have put forward a realistic plan that we know will deliver.

This plan is intended to ensure that all Canadians have a fair chance to succeed, and central to that success is a strong and growing middle class. The plan also indicates that the government will prove to Canadians and to the entire world that a clean environment and a strong economy go hand in hand. We cannot have one without the other.

To encourage economic growth, the government will make strategic investments in clean technologies, provide more support for companies seeking to export those technologies, and lead by example in their use. This can be done at our innovative research institutions in Fredericton.

Because it is both the right thing to do and a certain path to economic growth, the government will undertake to renew, nation-to-nation, the relationship between Canada and indigenous peoples, one based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation, and partnership.

The government has committed to work with the provinces and communities to welcome and resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of February. Not only has this commitment demonstrated the true character of Canada within its citizens from coast to coast, it has helped reintroduce the compassionate and caring Canada for which we were once renowned to the rest of the world.

No other event has given me so much pride and made me feel so privileged as the opportunity to welcome the first arrival of Syrian refugees at the Fredericton airport in December. The smiles on the faces of the two young boys and the 12-year-old's pronouncement that he would grow up in our community to be a bone doctor, an orthopaedic surgeon, is a moment I will not soon forget.

The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship has stated numerous times about how New Brunswickers have gone above and beyond to open their arms and hearts to refugees.

I wish to thank the greater Fredericton community, our multicultural association, and community groups, for their leadership in this process.

To support the health and well-being of all Canadians, the government will begin work with the provinces and territories to develop a new health accord. I want to point out that in Fredericton and in New Brunswick, we are counting on innovative health care. We want home care and mental health care to be more accessible, and we want mental health services to be of the highest quality for Canadians who need them, such as veterans and first responders.

When looking to innovate in health care, in its administration and its delivery, New Brunswick can lead. We are French, we are English, we are indigenous, we are newcomers, we are urban, we are rural, and we are close and well connected. We are convinced that our region can lead in this approach.

Let me reiterate that the Fredericton riding is home to leading institutions and high-quality research and innovation. We are home to a highly qualified, educated, and professional public service. We want to grow a stronger economy, and we need to invest in helping our businesses and entrepreneurs become even more innovative, competitive, and successful in order to retain our young, skilled, and bilingual talent.

In Fredericton, as well, we will focus on real change for our veterans, and we will ensure that the government unconditionally cares for every soldier who has unconditionally sacrificed his or her physical and mental well-being to protect our country. It is important to give veterans more compensation, more choice, and more support in planning their future. Canada must be a world leader in caring for and supporting our veterans. With Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, the research capacity of our universities, and robust clinical supports close at hand, the Fredericton riding is ideally suited to lead in an approach that will care for the physical and mental health of soldiers, veterans, and their families from the moment they enlist, during their service, and after they leave the Forces and return to civilian life.

I know the greatness that Fredericton, New Brunswick, and our great country are capable of, and I know that our success is not only about doing well for ourselves, but also about leaving a better, more peaceful, more prosperous world for our children.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate my colleague on his speech and his election. I was listening carefully to his saying that he is very proud of his party's plan for the economy. I think we all recognize that we are going through some challenging times.

The manufacturing sector is worth about 8% of our GDP. It is a huge part of our economy. I know it is very important that we address different sectors, but in the Speech from the Throne that we are debating today there was absolutely no mention of the manufacturing sector. We also note that there was no mention of the resource sector or the agriculture sector. However, in my community of Oshawa, manufacturing is huge and it is important. One good assembly job, for example, can have anywhere from five to ten spin-off jobs.

The member said he is very proud of this economic plan. I wonder if he could comment on what the Liberal Party's plan is for manufacturing, particularly the auto manufacturing sector, because it is such a huge economic driver for all of our country.