Debates of Oct. 31st, 2016

Ethics

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister set in place ethics rules for his own ministers to follow in his document called “Open and Accountable Government” that forbid the kind of cash for access fundraisers they are involved in. In fact, the Prime Minister is also involved, and he is violating his own ethics rules.

What kind of an example is the Prime Minister setting when he cannot even follow his own rules?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, for over a year now, the members opposite have been criticizing this government regularly for engaging with Canadians too much, for being too open and accessible, for consulting regularly with Canadians and demonstrating, quite frankly, the most open and accessible government this country has ever seen.

We, of course, follow all the rules and make sure that we engage with Canadians. We are listening to them in the most positive and respectful way possible.

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the fact is the Prime Minister brought in new rules that he claimed would raise the ethical standard, but he is not doing that. In fact, he is violating these very ethical rules that he brought in. These fundraisers are not open to the general public. These are exclusive fundraisers for people who can afford it and who happen to be invited.

I ask again, how can we expect other people to follow the rules when the Prime Minister will not even follow his own?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite well knows, I spend a tremendous amount of time working hard for Canadians right across the country, meeting with them, meeting with crowds, meeting with individuals, listening to consumer groups, listening to small businesses, engaging with Canadians right across the country, and I will continue to do so, as will the members of our cabinet.

The finance minister has embarked on unprecedented levels of public consultations to make sure that we are responding to the very real challenges that Canadians are facing. This is why we did things like raise taxes on the wealthiest 1% and lower them for the middle class. These are things Canadians wanted.

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, “unprecedented” is one word that I could use for these very exclusive fundraisers. These invitations are completely hidden from the general public. They all feature a cabinet minister as the star attraction. Worse, they are being hosted and attended by insiders and lobbyists who want something from government. The Prime Minister could put an end to this problem today, if he wanted to.

All he has to do is enforce his own rules: no cash for access fundraisers, no preferential access to government. Why does he not just stop doing this?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the fact is there is no preferential access to this government. This government is demonstrating the most open and transparent approach, not just of following the rules but being more engaged with Canadians than any previous government.

Canadians, people with concerns, want to meet this government. We are consulting. We are engaging. We are, quite frankly, constantly receiving criticism from the other side of the aisle that we are spending too much time listening to Canadians.

The fact of the matter is that listening to Canadians is what is allowing us to deliver for Canadians, as we have been doing for the past year and as we will continue to do.

The Economy

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about that because every day, life for families is getting more expensive under the Prime Minister.

His expensive carbon tax will raise the cost of home heating, gasoline, and groceries. He is making decisions every day that will cost households thousands of dollars extra every year. He is even taking away tax breaks for kids' hockey, music lessons, and arts classes.

Tomorrow's economic update is going to unveil even more expensive promises that Canadians cannot afford. Who does the Prime Minister think is going to pay for this next spending spree?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the fact is that over the past year, we raised taxes on the wealthiest 1% and lowered them for the middle class. The members opposite voted against raising taxes on the wealthiest 1% and lowering them for the middle class.

We have been working hard to support the middle class, to invest in their future, to demonstrate that the government understands the concerns that Canadians are living with and is actually responding to them. That is what Canadians expect, that is what we are going to continue to do, and that is why I am looking forward to the fall economic update tomorrow.

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, here is the reality. The economy has not created a single net new full-time job since the Prime Minister was elected. In fact, the economy is on track to create approximately 100,000 fewer jobs this year than last year. The Prime Minister's plan has clearly failed.

Tomorrow, is he going to table a new plan that will actually create jobs, or can we expect the same old, same old, with billions of dollars in spending and higher taxes?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to tomorrow's announcement that is going to put more money in the pockets of the middle class and put us on a positive growth trajectory, but it is important to take a moment right now to recognize a significant landmark that we reached yesterday.

For seven years, there was an awful lot of work done on a free trade deal with Europe, and I need to credit the members opposite, including the member for Abbotsford, for doing a lot of work on that over the years. I am very pleased to also credit the Minister of International Trade, who did an extraordinary job on getting the deal signed. We can all be proud that we now have an extraordinary, positive deal with Europe.

Indigenous Affairs

[Romeo Saganash, NDP, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we were pleased to learn via Twitter this morning that, after seven months of legal battles and four days of attacks against Cindy Blackstock's expertise, the government plans to support our motion to put an end to discrimination against indigenous children.

We are getting used to this government's empty rhetoric. I am therefore asking the Prime Minister this question: can he tell us what deadline he has set for implementing the will of Parliament?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times, very few commitments are as important to this government as fixing the broken relationship with Canada's indigenous people and ensuring that the young people from these communities have a bright future. That is why we invested $8.4 billion over five years in our first budget and why we are continuing to work with the communities to invest in the health and safety of their young people.

That is a priority for us. We are going to continue to work on this with everyone in the House.

[Romeo Saganash, NDP, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I did not hear an answer. Without a deadline, it is all just hot air.

In 2007, the Liberals voted for our motion on Jordan's principle. Now the Liberals are in power, and even after two court orders, the children are still waiting. They cannot and must not wait any longer.

Therefore, I will repeat my question: what deadline has the government set for putting an end to this discrimination?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as I have often said, we must address problems that have existed not just for a few years, but for decades and even generations. That is why we must take action now. We must come up with solutions now and build a system that will address these issues in the long term.

That is why we are taking action right now and making historic investments. We will continue to put in place the tools required and to work in partnership with indigenous peoples to improve the situation.

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

Mr. Speaker, we thank Justice Murray Sinclair for reminding parliamentarians of our duty to put the children first and to vote to order the current government to be in compliance with the Human Rights Tribunal. Until forced to vote, the government refused mediation from the tribunal, ignored two compliance orders, and its Liberal caucus members were insinuating in the House that the shortfall numbers put forward by Cindy Blackstock to the tribunal were pulled out of thin air or like throwing confetti around.

Will the Prime Minister commit to the immediate implementation of the $155 million shortfall in child welfare that was identified this year?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, one of the challenges this House and this government have always faced is the fact that dictating the solutions from the government side upon indigenous peoples has not worked. Indeed, that has continued to fail.

That is why we are so committed to working with indigenous peoples and with provinces and territories, municipalities, and partners to ensure that we are building a strong and resilient future for young people right across the country. That is what we are committed to. That is why we have made historic investments of $8.4 billion in budget 2016, and that is why we recognize there is much more to do and why we are going to continue working on that.

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

Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, reconciliation is not a hashtag. We are talking about a court order. So I will take that as a no.

The motion tomorrow specifically instructs the government to end the court cases against children who have been denied medical treatment. Let us look at his government. It has decided to spend four times more on lawyers to fight a child denied special orthodontic surgery that would keep her teeth from falling out than the actual cost of the treatment.

This question is for the Prime Minister. Will he at least assure the House that he will respect tomorrow's vote, end this court fight against this child, cover the medical costs, and end the systemic denial of medical services to indigenous children? Yes or no?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, since we took office, this government has demonstrated that no relationship is more important to us than fixing the broken relationship with indigenous peoples and making real investments in partnership with indigenous communities to be able to end the systemic neglect and pain that young people across the country in indigenous communities are going through.

This is something we are committed to fixing; it is something we are working very hard on, in partnership with indigenous Canadians; and we will continue to do so.

Finance

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

Mr. Speaker, last Friday the Minister of Finance was in Toronto and said, “we will continue to be fiscally responsible”.

Fiscally responsible? Is it fiscally responsible to run up a $30-billion deficit, or three times the amount projected? Is it fiscally responsible to make announcements about family benefits and forget to index them? Is it fiscally responsible to impose a Liberal tax on carbon?

Is it fiscally responsible to do such stupid things?

[Bill Morneau, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, we know that what is most important to Canadian families and the middle class is to invest for the future. We know that investments can make the future better for our children and grandchildren.

At the same time, it is true that we must act responsibly with the country's money, and our goal is to invest responsibly in order to have a future that is better than the present.

Taxation

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the minister for the quality of his French.

There will be an economic update tomorrow. Will the minister be providing an update on his election promises, particularly those relating to small and medium-sized businesses?

During the election campaign, the Liberal Party promised to reduce the tax rate to 9%, but it has not done so. Instead, it brought in the Liberal carbon tax and higher Canada pension plan contributions.

The government's plan is not working, so what is it going to do to help small businesses, which create wealth and jobs?

[Bill Morneau, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow I will be telling the House about our economic plan for the future and reviewing the current economic situation.

We will have a long-term plan to improve our economy, thereby helping small and medium-sized businesses, families, and the middle class. That is our goal. We have a long-term plan to make things better for our country and the future.

Employment

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister is telling our young workers that they have to accept a lifetime of contract work and job churn. The Liberals' plan is making things even worse. They are making it difficult for businesses to hire and are piling up the debt that this younger generation will have to pay back on their behalf. The participation of young workers has dropped because they cannot find jobs.

When will the Liberals stop taxing our job creators into the ground and actually provide economic stability and hope for the rising generation?

[Bill Morneau, Liberal, Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, we believe that it is critically important that we create success for this generation and for the next generation of Canadians.

We know that helping students to do well and get money so they can get through secondary and university education is critically important. That is what we have done.

We know that thinking about training and retraining is critically important. We know that we need to consider the challenging economy that young people face and to do better for their future through the kind of investments that will make a real difference.

Housing

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, on October 20, I asked the finance minister why he is making it harder for young families to buy homes through new mortgage rules.

The parliamentary secretary agreed that buying a house is the most important investment most Canadian families will make. However, a few minutes later, when confronted on the Liberals' out-of-control spending and borrowing, the same member said that when interest rates are low, that's the time to invest.

The finance minister cannot have it both ways. Why does the minister use low interest rates to justify huge deficits, while denying families the opportunity to buy homes?