House of Commons Hansard #87 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was change.
Catherine McKenna LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, once again, I find it very surprising that the party opposite, which had suggested putting a price on carbon in 2008, is now backtracking on this.
We understand that this is the way we will grow our economy and create good jobs for the future. We are positioning ourselves well. We need to show leadership, and that is exactly what we are doing.
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Mr. Speaker, it looks like the new era of federal-provincial relations lasted about 10 months. After the Liberals announced they would continue Stephen Harper's cuts to health care, the premiers wrote a letter to the Prime Minister asking for a special meeting on a new health accord. His response was, “Not interested.” Yesterday, the Prime Minister's unilateral approach saw the provincial ministers walk out of their meeting.
Will the Prime Minister agree to the latest request of the provinces? Will he hold off on the cuts to the health care transfers for one year? It is a reasonable request.
Jane Philpott LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, this government is demonstrating an approach to health care that has not been seen in our country in a decade. We are collaborating with the provinces and territories. I will be meeting with the health ministers from across the country two weeks from today.
We will be specifically investing in areas where Canadians know we need change. Canadians need better access to home care, including palliative care. Canadians need better access to mental health care. We will talk to the provinces and territories. We will deliver on those promises.
Brigitte Sansoucy NDP Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
Mr. Speaker, after more than three months of radio silence, the provincial premiers finally found out that they will be granted a meeting with the Prime Minister in December to discuss long-term health care funding. This is really not what they were hoping for.
If the Prime Minister is not willing to meet with them before that, will he at least commit to respecting their request to maintain the 6% increase for next year?
Jane Philpott LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, our government is currently doing something Canadians have not seen in over 10 years.
We are co-operating with our provincial counterparts across the country. I expect to have a very productive meeting with my provincial and territorial counterparts two weeks from now. We will talk about Canadians' needs and the best way to improve our health care system across the country.
Lisa Raitt Conservative Milton, ON
Mr. Speaker, in introducing policy, there is always the devil in the details, and one of those details is my Aunt Collen who lives in Cape Breton. She is a widow on a fixed income. The things that she worries about are the cost of her power, how much it costs to fill her tank, and ultimately how much her food costs.
Therefore, when she heard about yesterday's announcement on everything going up, her natural concern to me was, “What's going to happen”, because this is what it means. It is about her dignity. It is about her independence. It is about her quality of life.
What does the minister have to say to give Collen comfort on these things, which are very real?
Catherine McKenna LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, what I would say is that we are putting a price on carbon because this is a way to grow our economy in a cleaner way and position ourselves well to have the solutions to produce cleaner natural resources and renewable power, which will create good jobs and a positive future.
However, maybe I should just point to Conservative Mark Cameron, the former policy adviser to the prime minister, who said, “Federal carbon price plan looks like a good start.” As most free market economists realize, it is the most effective way to reduce emissions.
Lisa Raitt Conservative Milton, ON
Mr. Speaker, I think the Liberals are not getting the point that actual seniors will be in a lot of pain. A fixed income actually means a fixed income, and that is all they get. If taxes come into it, that means there is less for them to spend on what they put in their gas tanks and whether they put on sweaters in the winter instead of increasing that thermostat a bit.
We have learned that lesson in Ontario. Kathleen Wynne has taken a massive backward step because she realizes that actually cranking the rates on hydro does not work well for politics. Therefore, is the minister cognizant of the fact that at some point people are going to squeal?
Bill Morneau LiberalMinister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, we are proud of what we have done to help seniors in our country. In our budget, we actually took a look at the most vulnerable seniors and raised the guaranteed income supplement for them by about $947 a year. Importantly, we reversed the decision taken by the member opposite's party by moving old age security back to age 65.
More important, we have helped seniors in the future by working together with the provinces to enhance the Canada pension plan. We are so proud to say that B.C. came on board today. Now nine provinces are in support.
The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan
Most members in all parties are able to hear things they do not like without reacting and are able to wait their turn to speak. I ask those who have not being doing it to do so.
The hon. member for Foothills.
John Barlow Conservative Foothills, AB
Mr. Speaker, employment insurance claims in Alberta are up 90%. More than 200,000 Albertans are out of work. My home province is facing a jobs crisis. Even Royal Bank's CEO David McKay understands this dire situation, saying that Canada will not succeed if Alberta's energy sector does not succeed. The Liberals' response to this crisis is imposing a punitive job-killing carbon tax.
Why is the Liberal government so determined to destroy Alberta's economy with national energy program 2.0 and why are Alberta's four Liberal MPs willing to let this happen?
Jean-Yves Duclos LiberalMinister of Families
Mr. Speaker, we are very concerned with jobs across Canada and with the particular situation in Alberta. We are there to help, to support growing the economy both in the short term and the long term with sound environmental, sustainable, as well as sound social policies, of which EI is an important component.
We have signalled very important changes to the EI system, the quality of services, the care, and the compassion we feel for all workers, including those in Alberta.
John Barlow Conservative Foothills, AB
Mr. Speaker, Albertans appreciate the compassion, but they want jobs; they do not want EI.
The Liberal government is imposing a carbon tax that is going to plow Alberta's agriculture sector into the ground. Alberta's farmers and ranchers want to know why the government is attacking their livelihoods. One worried farmer in my riding said this carbon tax would drive the cost of his fuel alone from $125,000 a year to $150,000 a year, putting his operation in jeopardy.
I am sure the Liberals' response will be to use public transit or get an electric car. The farmers and ranchers in my riding have one question. How many head of cattle can I fit on a bus—
MaryAnn Mihychuk LiberalMinister of Employment
Mr. Speaker, as a westerner, it gives me an opportunity to indicate how concerned we are about the workers and businesses in Alberta and across Canada. In fact, we stepped up. Not only have we increased EI benefits for workers, we have helped small business through the work-sharing program by doubling it. We have added $16 million more for skills and training. We have doubled the number of youth getting skills training. We have added 245 young people to help—
The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan
Unless it gets quieter, there will be one less question from this side.
The hon. member for Nanaimo—Ladysmith.
Sheila Malcolmson NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
Mr. Speaker, today Canadians across the country are standing with Sisters in Spirit to honour murdered and missing indigenous women. Families of victims are calling out the government for failing to deliver on its promise for action. They are calling this place the House of broken promises. Families cannot wait until the end of the inquiry before they see real change.
What action will the government take right now to ensure we have no more stolen sisters?
Carolyn Bennett LiberalMinister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member and all members of the House who stood with the families of Sisters in Spirit on the Hill today.
This is a really important question as we go forward. We cannot wait for the result of the commission. We need to get going now on housing, shelters, and safe transportation, but also racism, sexism, policing, and the total overhaul of the child welfare system, as we learned from the B.C. report today, which is devastating.
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice was regional chief of the AFN when it took the government to court to end systemic discrimination against first nations children, but now her government has ignored two compliance orders to address the crisis of children at risk.
She has the responsibility to ensure that the government meets its legal obligation, and pretending that an under-funded plan written in the final, dying days of the Harper government was somehow a response to the ruling in January is not acceptable. We are talking about children here.
Will the minister respect the tribunal? What steps will she take to restore credibility in the House regarding these broken promises.
Carolyn Bennett LiberalMinister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately the assertion by the minister across the way is absolutely false—