Debates of Oct. 18th, 2016

Health

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we will have a deficit of over $40 billion if we do that—in fact, more than that.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister told the House that the provinces were not doing what needed to be done in the area of health and that the money was not being used properly.

It is a return to an interfering, centralizing government that makes all the decisions here in Ottawa. The simple way of dealing with this problem and preventing any arguments would be to respect the provinces' jurisdictions. It is as simple as that. Health care falls under provincial jurisdiction.

The Prime Minister said yesterday that the provinces were not using the health transfers properly—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order.

The hon. Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect us to work together to improve the health care system, and that is exactly why the Minister of Health is meeting with her provincial and territorial counterparts today. Canadians also expect that the investments for health care actually go to health care, and that they see tangible improvements to their care.

We are providing leadership in supporting things like improving Canadians' access to increased home care through investments of $3 billion over the next four years, and we look forward to the results of today's very important meetings.

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, people are now realizing that this government is falling into the old habits of previous Liberal governments. The government is centralizing everything. It is eliminating the role of regional ministers and that of economic development agency ministers across the country, and it is telling the provinces that they are not managing the money for health care properly and that it knows what do do with that money. Yesterday, the government indicated that the provinces were not using that money properly.

According to the current government, what provinces are not using the money from the health transfers properly?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, unlike one of the contestants for the leadership of the Conservative Party, our government actually believes in investing in health care. We believe that things like $3 billion over four years for home care is a very important thing that will result in better care for Canadians and for all provinces and territories. That is why the Minister of Health is meeting with her provincial and territorial counterparts today and reiterating our commitment to stable and predictable health care funding.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister claims shortages in health care funding can be fixed by dictating to the provinces how they must spend their health care dollars. The numbers tell a different story.

By adopting Harper's cuts to health care transfers, the government will see the federal share of health care spending drop to just 18% over the next 10 years, when the initial deal was fifty-fifty. Does the government not understand the only real problem here is its cuts to health care?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, there will be no cuts to health care.

It is a bit rich coming from his party, which actually promised it would invest in health but in the last election promised to balance the budget, which would have resulted in deep cuts to all programs across the government.

Our government is committed to investing in the health of Canadians and by—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order, please. I am going to ask members to settle down and listen to the answers.

The hon. member for Outremont.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Liberals committed to a different relationship with the provinces, but the Prime Minister refuses to even be in the same room with the premiers to negotiate the new health care deal. He promised he would never reduce health care funding without good faith negotiations, but he decided to move forward with Harper's cuts anyway.

How can the provinces be expected to provide people better health care while their funding is being cut?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I will repeat it. There will be no cuts to health care.

In fact, there will be more money for home care, and what we are hearing very clearly is that people want investments in things like prevention and mental health. It is going to be very important that the Prime Minister meet with the premiers of the provinces to discuss their priorities. The health minister meets with the health ministers—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order, please.

Hon. members, including the member for New Westminster—Burnaby, know that you are not to interrupt when someone is speaking in the House, so I would ask him and others to refrain from doing that.

The hon. member for Outremont.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there has been talk about expertise and jurisdiction in this debate on health.

The federal government provides health care to the armed forces, indigenous people living on reserves, and inmates. With regard to expertise, the federal government has none. With regard to jurisdiction, health care for the general population falls under the exclusive jurisdiction of the provinces.

What right does the federal government have to lecture Quebec on health care when it has no expertise or jurisdiction?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, health is actually a shared jurisdiction between the different levels of government. It is very important that our government play a leadership role in helping indigenous people.

We have to do better. We are going to have to do better for the military, veterans, aboriginal people, people in corrections, and for the public service, but in the meantime, this is a joint effort and we are going to do better together.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

Mr. Speaker, that is rather interesting, because yesterday, the Prime Minister himself said that, in Canada, health care falls under the exclusive jurisdiction of the provinces. Meanwhile, he is refusing to sit down with his provincial counterparts who have been asking for a meeting on health since June.

Will the government finally commit to meeting with the provincial premiers to discuss health care funding? I am asking for a simple yes or no answer.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, it is very important that the leader of the third party recognize the major difference between health and health care. Health is the responsibility of all levels of government.

The Prime Minister will soon be meeting with the provincial and territorial premiers.

Small Business

[Alice Wong, Conservative, Richmond Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, first the Liberals cancelled the small business tax cut. Then they decided to cancel the hiring credit and raise CPP premiums, which will make it difficult for employers to hire new staff. To make matters worse, the Liberals' new tax on everything will make it harder for small businesses to survive. The Liberals are determined to make job creators pay for their reckless spending.

How can the minister justify this treatment of our small businesses?

[Bill Morneau, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to take this question. I would like to address one particular issue in that question, and that is around the Canada pension plan.

We were so proud to work together with nine provinces to come up with a Canada pension plan enhancement. What that is going to do for small businesses, we know, is to allow them to put in place a very gradual increase in contributions from employees and from companies, a contribution that will go from 2018 to 2025. We put in place a long implementation plan that will allow us to increase the amount of retirement security for Canadians, enabling small businesses to keep their employees comfortable for the long term.

[Alice Wong, Conservative, Richmond Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, our small business owners are our middle class and are being attacked by the Liberals' policies.

With this week marking small business week, can the minister assure small business owners that the Liberals will do the right thing and reinstate the small business tax cut?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism]

Mr. Speaker, I am so proud to stand on this day to answer the member's question, especially because it is small business week. Small business week was started 37 years ago under the leadership of the Business Development Bank, a bank exclusively committed to small business owners.

This government has lowered taxes on middle-class Canadians. Middle-class Canadians are our small business owners, they are our consumers, and they are the people who support the backbone of the Canadian economy.

This government has invested $11.9 billion in infrastructure spending. This government has invested $500 million in broadband for rural and remote areas, and the list goes on.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, 10.5 million Canadians currently work for small and medium-sized businesses. Conservatives know that small businesses are the key to economic development. They are the ones creating jobs, and they are the ones creating wealth.

The Liberal carbon tax is bad enough for small businesses. Breaking election promises is even worse.

Mr. Speaker, since you yourself were a candidate, I am sure you will remember that, about a year ago, the Liberal Party made the following promise on page 80 of its platform: “[we will] reduce the small business tax rate to 9 percent from 11 percent”.

Will the Minister of Finance give his word today that he will keep that election promise?

[Bill Morneau, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I want to welcome my colleague to his new portfolio. I am sure we will be getting plenty of good questions.

Our goal is to generate a higher economic growth rate. That is why we decided to invest in the future. We have invested in infrastructure. Those investments will help our economy and make things better for small and medium-sized businesses. Things will be better for Canadian families and better for the Canadian economy.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for his kind words, but it is not that what he is saying is good just because he is answering in French, not at all.

What we are asking is that the Liberal Party live up to its commitment. Maintaining the small business tax rate at 11% instead of dropping it to 9%, as promised, is going to cost small businesses $800 million. That is an extra $800 million in the government's coffers, which is not good, and $800 million less for businesses to invest in employment.

Why is the government not keeping its election promise?

[Bill Morneau, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, we know that what matters most is having a strong economy, an economy that works, and a level of economic growth that provides opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses as well as for large corporations. That is our goal.

We have made investments in the future that will put our economy in a better position than it was before, for the past decade.