Debates of Feb. 25th, 2016

Dunbarton High School

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this week we learned of a stabbing incident in Pickering at Dunbarton High School. As a graduate of Dunbarton, I extended my heartfelt concern for the students, teachers, and community. A 14-year-old girl came to school with knives and injured students and teachers. Thankfully, no one was fatally injured.

The incident could have been far worse if not for the bravery and quick action of the students and teachers. I would like to thank these brave individuals for their quick thinking during what must have been a very terrifying event. I also want to thank the first responders, who were there very quickly and acted professionally. I am extremely proud of the way everyone involved has reacted to such an unnerving event.

My thoughts are with the victims. I know I speak for everyone in this House when I wish them a full and speedy recovery.

Special Olympics Canada

[Gudie Hutchings, Liberal, Long Range Mountains, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the house that the riding of Long Range—Mountains will be hosting Special Olympics Canada next week.

Two weeks ago, I was thrilled to announce our government joined provincial and municipal counterparts and committed $250,000 to ensure the event is a success and raise awareness of our country's Special Olympians.

I also want to thank the many organizers, volunteers, and sponsors. Without their valuable contributions, this event would not be possible. Because of them, from March 1-6, Corner Brook will host over 1,600 athletes, coaches, families, and friends from coast to coast to coast. The games include alpine and cross-country skiing, figure and speed skating, curling, floor hockey, and snowshoeing. These winners will represent Canada at the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Austria.

The Canadian Special Olympics is dedicated to enriching the lives of Canadians with disabilities through sport. Their spirit and determination could not be more inspiring. I ask all members of the House to join me in wishing all the athletes good luck next week.

Defibrillators

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in June last year, I pointed out to the House that over 300 lives could be saved every year if defibrillators were installed in all 5,600 RCMP cruisers at a cost of $10 million.

I calculated this as follows. For over a decade, the Ottawa Police Service has had a defibrillator in each cruiser. In each of the past two years, an average of one life has been saved for every 17 installed defibrillators. Multiply that by 5,600 RCMP cruisers, and it add up to 320 lives saved each and every year.

I am not the only person who understands this. In 2013, the present Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness presented a private member's motion, Motion No. 446, which called for defibrillators to be installed in all RCMP cruisers. He is now the minister in charge of the RCMP. I asked him to follow through on Motion No. 446. If he does so a year from now, that will be better than nothing; but if he does so today, the lives of 320 Canadians who would otherwise be dead a year from now would be saved.

Franco-Ontarian Community

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Province of Ontario and Premier Kathleen Wynne for apologizing to Franco-Ontarians on Monday. With that historic gesture, Ms. Wynne recognized that Ontario violated the rights of the Franco-Ontarian community and threatened its long-term survival.

I would like to pay tribute to the hundreds of thousands of Franco-Ontarian men and women who resisted and fought to continue teaching in French and transmitting their language to their children. With nearly 600,000 members, hundreds of community organizations, and dozens of cultural institutions, today's Franco-Ontarian community is flourishing.

Recognizing the mistakes of the past is an essential step toward greater appreciation of both of our official languages from sea to sea. Canada as a whole can be proud of the Franco-Ontarian community's contribution to our vitality and our identity.

Jack McFarland

[Scott Duvall, NDP, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is with a great deal of sadness and respect that I rise today to mark the passing of Hamilton icon and World War II vet Jack McFarland. He was a hero. Mr. McFarland, who celebrated his 95th birthday in January, was one of the three remaining veterans from the 582 Rileys who stormed the beach of Dieppe on August 19, 1942.

Alongside his fallen comrades, Jack was wounded and captured and spent over two years as a prisoner of war. After his release, Jack returned to Hamilton, where he enjoyed a distinguished career with the Hamilton Police, retiring with the rank of staff sergeant in 1981. As president of the Hamilton United Council of Veterans, he worked tirelessly to have a Dieppe Veterans' Memorial Park built in Hamilton and was able to see that dream fulfilled in August 2003.

My colleague from Hamilton Centre and I have had the privilege of many interactions with Jack over the years. Jack spent his entire life serving his country and his beloved hometown, Hamilton, and for that, I and all Canadians sincerely thank him and salute him.

The Economy

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, times are tougher than ever for my constituents in Lakeland, and for all Albertans. Businesses in all sectors are shutting down. EI is running out for those who even qualify. Food banks are packed. People are losing their homes and, in some most drastic situations, their lives. People move to Alberta or commute from other provinces to work and to live their dreams, and now they are living a nightmare. That hard work has provided more than $200 billion over the last decade to increase the standard of living for every person in every community across Canada.

Chris Timbury is a recently laid-off young father from Nova Scotia. Instead of enjoying the first years of his baby's life, he is worrying how he's going to pay the mortgage and feed his family. He's trying, but no one's hiring. There are many thousands of Chris Timburys across Canada.

Government members show much compassion about people struggling in other ways, but when it is about Alberta and energy job losses, it is meaningless robotic talking points, no plan, and "hang in there".

March First Movement

[Ali Ehsassi, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Mr Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to bring to the attention of the House a matter of great pride to many of my constituents in Willowdale and indeed to the Korean Canadian community in general. Next Tuesday, March 1, marks the 97th anniversary of the dawn of the March First Movement, also referred to as Samil or the Man-Se demonstrations.

The March First Movement marks an important milestone in the Korean independence movement. On this day we pause not only to remember the ideals articulated in the Korean Declaration of Independence, but to celebrate Korean independence and the Korean Canadian community. One can only marvel at how far the Republic of Korea has come since then, positioning itself as one of the world's most advanced and innovative societies and a beacon to the rest of the free world.

On March 1, I ask all Canadians to join members of the Korean Canadian community in celebrating this historic milestone.

[Member spoke in Korean as follows:]

Dae Han Min Guk Man Seh.

The Economy

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, in only 100 days, the Prime Minister has gone from sunny ways to a cloudy haze, creating complete incoherence. He claims we are fighting ISIS, but then says Canada has no combat role. He claims we support Ukraine, but he wants to normalize relations with Putin. He claims he wants to create jobs, but does nothing but spend billions of dollars he does not have.

How can Canadians have confidence in the direction of our country when the Prime Minister is so incoherent?

[Navdeep Bains, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, I had the honour and privilege of serving with the Right Hon. Paul Martin, the former prime minister who gave the previous Conservative government a $13-billion surplus. What did it do with that surplus? It turned it into a $150-billion debt.

It is also important to note that we have a plan. We have been articulating that plan since the campaign. That plan includes a historic investment in infrastructure and helping to reduce the burden for middle-class Canadians. We will grow the economy and create jobs.

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians did not vote for this. During the campaign, the Liberals promised Canadians they would cap their borrowing at $10 billion. The Liberals have broken their promise.

Now we have learned that they are borrowing $30 billion. As for next week's numbers, who knows?

After the Conservatives left the Prime Minister a surplus, why is he borrowing money that he does not have, on a recession we are not in, with no plan to pay it back?

[Navdeep Bains, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, we have a plan and we are very committed to that plan. That plan is to ensure that we not only help small businesses and help the economy grow but that we have an innovation plan that will make us more productive and more competitive. Many businesses from across this country are supporting our plan because they understand we are making key investments to grow the economy and to create jobs. Not only are we investing in infrastructure and helping the middle class, the Canada child benefit will help hundreds of thousands of Canadians out of poverty.

We have a plan and we will remain committed to that plan.

Taxation

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, I am looking forward to it.

The Prime Minister has broken yet another promise. He said that the provinces would decide if they wanted a carbon tax. However, now he is going to impose a carbon tax on every province whether they want one or not.

Canadians are already struggling, so why is the Prime Minister piling on more taxes when they fill up their cars and heat their homes?

[Catherine McKenna, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, we were very clear when we were elected that we would take real action to tackle climate change, unlike the previous government.

Members should not just take it from me that a carbon tax is the most efficient way to tackle emissions. The Suncor Energy Inc. CEO said, “We think climate change is happening. We think a broad-based carbon price is the right answer.” Someone else the Conservative Party members might remember is well-known Conservative Preston Manning, who said that he wholeheartedly supports carbon pricing.

We are going take action because it is the right thing to do.

The Economy

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we are only about 100 days in and the Liberal Party and the Minister of Finance have broken another election promise.

We were supposed to have a small deficit of about $10 billion, and it was not supposed to be permanent. What do we have? We have a permanent deficit of more than $25 billion. Goodbye balanced budget. Balancing the budget has been put off indefinitely.

Will the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance at least have the decency to apologize to Canadians for deceiving them during the election campaign?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, in the last election, Canadians were given a choice between a plan to grow the economy and cuts to balance the budget at any price. They chose economic growth and support for the middle class.

Imagine the alternative: the opposition parties would be making budget cuts at the worst possible time. That would lead to job losses, cuts to programs in every region of the country, and it could even lead to a recession. Canadians made the right choice.

[Maxime Bernier, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, their plan is to scare Canadians.

The Liberals' plan was to spend $10 billion. Now it is more than $10 billion. They want to spend and drive Canadians into debt, knowing that the household debt rate is 160% of disposable income. The credit card is maxed out. This is not the time to drive Canadians into debt.

I would like to ask the Liberals how driving Canadians further into debt will create more wealth.

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, after years of weak growth, our government's approach to managing the Canadian economy is fundamentally different from that of the Conservatives. We know that many Canadians are suffering because of the recent economic slowdown. That slowdown makes our plan more important than ever. We will stimulate the economy, create jobs, and put Canada back on the right path.

Health

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

Mr. Speaker, we lost another young person in Moose Factory this week. That brings the number to over 600 young people who have killed themselves or tried to kill themselves in the northern part of my riding since 2009, and requests for suicide and depression counselling are regularly turned down by government. This week Mushkegowuk Nishnawbe Aski Nation declared a state of emergency. It needs action now.

I am asking the government, will it meet with the leaders Jonathan Solomon, Isadore Day, and Alvin Fiddler, and commit to a comprehensive plan to end this systemic discrimination?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member of Parliament for his dedication and interest in this important topic.

Our government acknowledges the scope and seriousness of the health and mental health issues faced by our northern Ontario communities and elsewhere in Canada. Federal, provincial, and first nation partners are working strongly together to address these complex issues of mental illness and suicide, addictions, chronic disease, and at improving access to quality health care needed by everyone in Canada and, in particular, our indigenous communities.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for the answer, but a nation-to-nation relationship needs a commitment by the leadership to meet. Ever since the government of Paul Martin, everyone in Ontario has received an annual 6% increase in health transfer payments, and first nations got nothing like that. What they do have are the highest rheumatic fever rates in the world, hep C, a suicide pandemic, and children with parasitic bacterial infections.

I am asking the government, what commitment will it make to close that gap in the coming budget for health care and why will it not meet with the leadership now and commit to ending this discrimination once and for all?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, I again thank the hon. member for his sensitivity to this very important issue.

He has heard over the last few weeks and months this government's commitment to working on a renewed nation-to-nation relationship with indigenous peoples in order to make progress on the issues that are most important to them, including health. Our government is working with our partners everywhere in Canada, including provincial and territorial governments, to provide effective, sustainable, and inclusive services to our indigenous communities.

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, far too many first nations peoples are living in atrocious conditions. The current crisis in northern Ontario is just the latest example. This is unacceptable and intolerable. We have a duty to help them and to rectify decades, or even centuries, of injustice.

In the next budget, will the government commit to funding first nations health care services to the same standard as services for other Canadians?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her comments. I certainly appreciate her sensitivity to this serious need in our aboriginal communities.

As everyone knows, our government recognizes that our aboriginal communities in northern Ontario and across Canada are facing significant, serious physical and mental health challenges. Our government is working closely with the provinces, territories, municipalities, and first nations to significantly and seriously improve living conditions in our indigenous communities.

Democratic Reform

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the former chief of staff of the outgoing Conservative prime minister, the former clerk of the Privy Council, unions, and student groups are urging the government to adopt a new proportional representation system.

The Prime Minister said that the October 2015 election would be the last one under the existing system, yet nothing has been done since then. The NDP suggested that we create a committee that would include all the parties represented by a member elected in the last election.

Will the minister accept our suggestion so that we can finally move forward without partisanship?

[Maryam Monsef, Liberal, Minister of Democratic Institutions]

Mr. Speaker, we are pleased to see an emerging consensus on this issue where even our Conservative colleagues agree that the status quo must end.

We look forward to engaging in a meaningful conversation with Canadians that will ensure that all voices are heard.