Debates of April 12th, 2016

Financial Statement of Minister of Finance

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her very detailed question.

She asked me what we are going to do for farmers. I spoke a little about this already. This morning, when I spoke with Ontario and Quebec farmers, they were very pleased to see that we have taken steps to invest in science in order to support them. They, too, have noticed how climate change is affecting agriculture.

We are prepared to help them respond to this situation. Personally, what I see is that we have supports for farmers.

In terms of infrastructure, we are investing in broadband Internet service across the country. People living in rural areas will have access to it.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to share my time with the hon. member for Haldimand—Norfolk.

I am pleased to rise to speak to budget 2016 presented by the Liberal government. However, I would like to waste no time at all though and express my opposition to the direction of this budget and particularly where the Prime Minister is taking the country.

I am here on behalf of my constituents in Edmonton Riverbend, and I owe it to them to represent our views and our vision for the future. I have pledged to view every decision made in the House through that very lens, but this budget makes it so very easy to feel like we have been let down in Edmonton and in Alberta.

This budget took away what hope struggling Canadians had left and failed to explicitly do what Liberals promised Canadians during the 2015 election campaign. The Liberal candidates in Edmonton paraded around the city saying, “Don't worry, it's only a $10-billion deficit,” and “Don't worry, we have a plan to ensure people don't lose their jobs.” These are words that perhaps every Liberal candidate in my city believed, and perhaps even some Liberals in this House still believe. However, this budget is something that should make every member of that caucus go back to his or her riding, particularly in Edmonton, and feel embarrassed. The messages of “don't worry” are certainly worrying Albertans more and more each day.

The unemployment situation in western Canada is dire. Families are struggling to pay their bills, and some are even foreclosing on their homes. Their hardships are made even worse when many are facing layoffs, and the ones who are wondering when it will be their turn cannot simply, as the Prime Minister put it, “hang in there”, nor should they be forced to. These hard-working Canadians deserve a budget that gets them back to work.

The Liberals said, “Don't worry, we'll build bridges, roads, green transit.” However, the infrastructure announcements in the budget go absolutely nowhere to help those in the energy sector. My constituency office phone is ringing off the hook with not only my constituents but those from the ridings of Edmonton Centre and Edmonton Mill Woods asking for my help and if I can talk any sense into the Liberal government, the Liberal members, and the Prime Minister. They want to know where the Liberal government's claim that its spending will create 143,000 jobs over the next two years and boost the GDP by 0.5% in 2016 and 1% in 2017 came from. Bank economists have said that the Liberal budget as delivered vastly overestimates the jobs that will be created, and will only increase GDP by 0.1% to 0.3%. This is a “real” change.

I cannot ignore the major focus of Edmontonians over the past two weeks without addressing the impact of leaving Edmonton out of the EI expansion. Edmonton and area residents were the only region in Alberta that were left out of the expansion and left without any sort of financial relief, even though Edmonton is a region that is uniquely positioned within our country.

It is easy to look at the cold, hard mathematics, as the Prime Minister said, and determine that Edmonton is a very small percentage, below the arbitrary number selected by the Prime Minister for this expansion. However, that is not understanding Edmonton; that is not understanding Alberta, and that certainly is not understanding the energy sector.

Edmonton and the Edmonton area have an immense impact on the energy sector in our province. For example, in my riding I have a number of workers who live in Edmonton Riverbend; however, they commute weeks on and weeks off to Fort McMurray. These people are counted in the Fort McMurray mathematics and not the Edmonton mathematics.

Another example, and a place I had the honour of touring over the last week is Nisku. Nisku, if members have ever visited, is a hub of activity for heavy machinery and industrial work specifically related to the oil sands. This region has been hit hard, so hard that a major company like PCL Industrial does not know where its next job will come from six months from now. That is scary. Denying these workers and these companies the expansion of EI benefits like the rest of the province shows a serious lack of understanding of how our province operates.

When the Prime Minister did come to Edmonton, flanked by two very uncomfortable MPs for that matter, and proceeded to tell us that we should be, and I quote, “thankful”, I was shocked. The previous day I was asked by a number of media outlets to comment on the visit by the Prime Minister. To be completely honest, I was expecting the Prime Minister to adjust his thinking, show up in Edmonton, and say that Edmonton is now included, what a terrible oversight that was, and offer an apology to Edmontonians. I was ready to commend the Prime Minister and tell him he did the right thing, but he did not say what I had hoped he would say, and we are still fighting with his office to have him reconsider the unique situation Edmonton is in.

To further drive home the point of how out of touch the Prime Minister really is, even the provincial New Democrats pulled themselves away from their latest attack on Alberta workers and jobs in the province, to raise alarms on what the decision to exclude Edmonton from the extended EI benefit means to the Edmonton region. Granted, they did it a day too late, as the Prime Minister had already left town, but at least they were making an effort.

Setting this aside, I wonder why there was an EI expansion package plan but no formal road map to get unemployed Canadians back to work. It seems that the Prime Minister would prefer to grasp at the low-hanging fruit and spend money giving a few more weeks of EI rather than providing a necessary job growth plan that would allow workers to be financially independent and generate revenue for the government. Getting hard-working Canadians back to work, not in a decade but right away, should have been the primary objective of this budget. It is jobs that are ultimately going to put money in Canadians' pockets and help to balance the budget without raising taxes.

I am proud of the previous Conservative's government record of prioritizing jobs. Under the Conservative government, 1.3 million net new jobs were created, the most per capita in the G7. These were high-quality jobs, with 80% of them full time and in the private sector. The budget presented by the Liberals is a failed budget attempt and has let down hard-working Canadians who are struggling to pay their bills and seeing their savings dwindle away. It is obvious that the Prime Minister and the finance minister do not truly understand what is happening in western Canada.

However, to be honest, I am mostly disappointed with the Liberal MPs from the west who, in caucus, had a real opportunity to raise these issues on behalf of their constituents and did not. That is something that these MPs will have to live with back home. Perhaps some of them have been too busy over the past few weeks attending JUNO celebrations, hockey games, farewells to arenas, and hosting the Prime Minister in his riding. I can tell those MPs' constituents that on this side of the House, we listen to our constituents. We are here for them, and we will not let hard-working Canadians down.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I am somewhat amazed at the member's speech, in the sense that he has forgotten what is important to the Prairies, in particular Edmonton, which is pipelines. For over 10 years, the Conservative government, which he gloats about, failed miserably at developing one inch of pipeline to tidewater. That had a devastating impact on the province of Alberta. Edmontonians are not going to be fooled by this or any member of the Conservative caucus saying that they understand Alberta's problems when the former government failed so miserably in delivering progress.

I can talk about the pipelines; I can talk about the Wheat Board and what the Conservative government did. The previous Conservative government failed western Canada, and that is why Liberals won as many seats as they did. I think the potential in the future is going to be greater because of this budget. Manitobans, Albertans, and people in the Prairies understand that this is a budget that is progressive, that is going to invest in Canada and Alberta. It is going to employ more Canadians, including those on the Prairies.

My question to the member is this. Would he not recognize that the Conservative government failed at delivering the important jobs related to the pipeline industry for over 10 years?

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I appear to have caused the member for Winnipeg North to get worked up over there, which is fine.

Quite honestly, I thought it had been determined in the House that four pipelines were approved during the tenure of the previous government. He keeps spouting off about there being zero. I guess we will agree to disagree on that point.

However, the point he brought up about how Liberals are supporting western Canada, I find laughable. He mentioned that he was amazed at my speech. I was amazed by watching Liberal after Liberal vote against the energy east motion that the Conservatives brought before the House, which explicitly asked members to show support for western Canada. They stood en masse and voted against it.

The most shocking part, getting back to my speech, is the four Liberal members of Parliament from Alberta who stood one after the other and voted against the energy east pipeline. If winning four seats in Alberta is the record number that he is so excited about, then I would encourage him to keep working.

[Erin Weir, NDP, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I was somewhat disappointed that the member for Edmonton Riverbend used his speech to take a shot at the Alberta NDP government for allegedly being a day or two late in critiquing the fact that the federal budget EI extension omitted Edmonton.

That strikes me as very interesting. In the question period following the budget, not a single one of the Conservative MPs who represent Edmonton, Regina, or southern Saskatchewan said anything at all about our regions being left out of this extension of EI benefits that were supposedly targeted to areas hit by the downturn in oil and gas. In fact, it was only the NDP that raised this issue and called for the inclusion of Edmonton, Regina, and southern Saskatchewan in this extension.

My question for the member would be this. Does he recognize that the previous Conservative government's cuts to employment insurance are a major part of what led to this situation in which a majority of unemployed Canadians, including in Alberta and Saskatchewan, are not receiving EI benefits at all?

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is rich coming from the NDP, which time and time again in Alberta has devastated our job market, has devastated our workers. People are losing jobs en masse, largely because of what has happened not only at the federal level but also at the provincial level. To stand up in the House and defend what the provincial NDP is doing is borderline laughable.

However, the member does bring up a good point. It is making sure that all of us together are standing up for Edmonton, for southern Saskatchewan, because quite frankly, it is not being done by the government. If that member is willing to stand up and fight for Edmonton, I support him 100%.

When I go—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Resuming debate, the hon. member for Haldimand—Norfolk.

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on March 22, the Liberal government released its 2016 federal budget, and I stand here today deeply disappointed with the many broken promises in that document.

The Prime Minister made promises to support the middle class while keeping the annual deficit at no more than $10 billion a year for three years. This is what Canadians were led to expect, but the Liberal's own deficit forecast has come in much higher than that, and over many more years. Indeed, over the term of the current government, there is no end in sight to deficit financing.

It is so bad that the Liberals are actually repealing the Federal Balanced Budget Act, because, as the budget itself says, the current legislation is “inconsistent with the Government’s plan”. In other words, the law is an inconvenience. This is a plan that is reckless. It is ineffective, and it is one that gives little consideration to the future financial health of our families, or indeed our country.

The budget confirmed that the Liberals are raising taxes on honest hard-working families, eager young students, and on enterprising small businesses, which will only hurt the people in my home of Haldimand—Norfolk.

Members know, and I know, and every responsible Canadian knows, that borrowed money has to be paid back, That is why I guess the Liberals are already raising taxes. In fact, personal income taxes are set to go up by $1.3 billion this year and $2.4 billion next year. Yet, despite promising support for middle-class families, the Liberal government is going to repeal many tax programs that were brought in by our last Conservative government, especially to help families. These are programs such as the family income splitting, the child tax benefit, and the universal child care benefit, of which I am particularly fond. Over 9.4 million families in Canada will be directly affected by these changes, including 32,000 families in my home riding.

The new Canada child benefit claims to boost payments to some families, but it comes at the expense of existing child benefits. At least 10% of families will be losing support altogether, and mark my words, that 10% number could go a whole lot higher.

The Liberal government is also taking away the children's fitness and arts tax credits. In Haldimand—Norfolk alone, the parents of some 21,000 children under the age of 16 have been eligible for these tax credits up until now. These are tax credits totalling $1,500 each year. Unfortunately, these families will no longer be eligible.

Conservatives have always understood that Canadians work hard, and we support policies that put more money where it belongs, back in the pockets of Canadians.

One of the things I was pleased to see in the budget is that there will be an increase to the guaranteed income supplement for seniors. However, I was disappointed in the Liberal's changes to the Canada student loan program. Despite what they said, their own numbers show that only one in five students will benefit. That is certainly not the way that they are promoting it. This becomes even more disturbing when we realize that they are also taking away the tax credits introduced by Conservatives for text books and tuition, which were available not just to a few but to all post-secondary students.

Another huge hit is going to be to Canadian small businesses through higher payroll taxes. The government will not be lowering the business tax rate to 9% as it promised. Instead, the government will hold it at 10.5% and introduce new conditions around eligibility.

Many small businesses describe this broken promise as a shock. Here is what the Canadian Federation of Independent Business had to say:

In its platform, in a written letter to CFIB members, and in campaign stops across the country, the new government promised to reduce the small business corporate tax rate to nine per cent by 2019. That promise was broken today....

This was said by Dan Kelly, the president of CFIB.

This decision alone will cost firms almost $1 billion per year, starting in 2019.

This broken promise comes as no surprise, considering that the Prime Minister himself called small businesses tax havens for the rich. Canadians know that this is simply not true. Small business owners devote countless hours to their businesses, with a 51% survival rate over five years. There are some 1.2 million SMEs in Canada with the average worker taking home just $750 a week before taxes, which is $100 lower than the average of $850.

The government has to do better for small businesses because small businesses are the backbone of the Canadian economy. Small businesses are indeed a key to a thriving Canadian economy because they make up 98% of all Canadian companies and employ 70% of the private sector labour force.

The Liberal budget did not renew the tax credit for EI premiums paid by small businesses, and over $1 billion in new EI expenditures points only to higher premiums for all employers in the near future.

Another disappointment was that there was nothing new in the budget that offered support for our agricultural producers such as I have in Haldimand—Norfolk, or indeed anywhere else in Canada, despite the agrifood sector accounting for over $100 billion in economic activity and employing more than two million Canadians. There was no direct commitment to this key part of our economy.

Conservative MPs have always supported infrastructure, investing more than any federal government in history, to the point that we ranked second among the G7 in 2014. Infrastructure spending needs to be prioritized in a way that creates both short-term and long-term jobs and makes Canada an attractive place for a business to invest.

Most people envision infrastructure as building roads and bridges. They think of investments that reduce gridlock, thereby making it easier for people to get to work, to get home, and to get their goods to market.

To the Liberals, infrastructure is divided into three main project pots: transit, green initiatives, and what they refer to as social infrastructure.

For transit, the budget allocates $3.4 billion over three years, which does nothing to help rural ridings like Haldimand—Norfolk. Their green infrastructure fund accounts for $5 billion over five years, but only $650 million is to be spent this year.

The Liberals also claim that they will spend $3.4 billion on social infrastructure over the next five years. Now we have to wonder if that will be put off until after the next election too. Also, will it too focus only on the cities?

If we add it all up, infrastructure spending is far less than what the Liberals promised Canadians in order to get elected. In fact, by 2019, only one-fifth of the promised funding will be available to create jobs.

It is a fact that roads, highways, ports, and rail infrastructure will get their funding from existing funds that our previous Conservative government already committed under our new building Canada plan.

The bottom line is that, over the next five years, the Liberal government will borrow billions of dollars with little to show for it. Budget 2016 contains undisciplined spending, has no plan to balance the books, will fail to boost economic growth, and will raise taxes on families, on individuals, and on small businesses, taxes they cannot afford to pay if they are to not only grow but thrive.

Therefore, that is why the Conservative Party of Canada and I as a member of it cannot support the budget.

[Nick Whalen, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Haldimand—Norfolk especially for her approval of the increases to GIS and the old age security, and also the priorities we put on infrastructure spending. These are also important to the people of St. John's East.

What I find a little unusual is the member's feelings on the idea of balancing budgets and that the balanced budget scheme the Conservatives passed is something that the current government needs to follow. However, the previous Conservative government added $130 billion of new debt that Canada will have to pay for. Over the past year in the election campaign, the Liberal Party campaigned long and hard on the idea of using deficit spending to finance growth. This is exactly what we have done.

Therefore, while the member would say the Conservatives are going to balance the budget at all costs, it was a promise they could hardly ever deliver upon, whereas the Liberal government's plan has achieved the confidence of Canadians using deficit spending to finance growth. Why can the member not look to the House and say that deficit spending is something Canadians support and voted for in the previous election, and it is exactly what the government is delivering?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member was not here in the day, but during the worst global recession since the 1930s, our government made a reluctant but responsible decision to invest in the economy, to invest in programs that would create jobs right away, things like the home renovation tax credit.

That is one of the reasons that our country went into the great recession later and more shallowly and came out stronger and faster than almost any other country in the world. It was necessary under those conditions, but we also made a promise to balance the budget.

The difference between our government and the Liberal government is that we kept our promise. The Liberals, in the election, promised a deficit, but they have far exceeded everyone's expectations by multiple factors. As well, they have no plan and have made no promise to balance the budget.

In fact, that is why they are throwing out the balanced budget legislation, so they do not ever have to balance it. That is not a responsible course. No family can survive that way, no business can survive that way, and no country is going to be healthier that way.

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I was astounded to find out that, with the $113 billion deficit the government is going to create, the Bank of Canada will charge us about $10 billion of interest every year, ongoing. That is on top of the almost $2 billion from this non-tax neutral middle-class income tax cut.

It makes it increasingly difficult for the government to ever balance the budget and work its way out. That is $12 billion before it starts doing anything else. At the end of the day, if I read the numbers right, it is only going to reduce unemployment by 0.3%.

I am extremely concerned. In my riding of Sarnia—Lambton, we have a project for an oversize load corridor. For $12 million of infrastructure investment, we could create 3,000 jobs. However, it was totally ignored in the budget.

I wonder if the member could comment on the deficit and how it is really going to help.

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

Mr. Speaker, there is no question that paying interest on burgeoning debt loads does not create jobs, certainly not in the private sector and not in the Canadian economy.

That is where the Liberal budget fails. The Liberals think that by borrowing more money they can create jobs, and yet their infrastructure investments are all slated to be pushed off, with a very small fraction of them happening this year, when they say it is needed. The Liberals are planning to spend it later, in fact most of it after the next election. That is not going to create jobs.

Meanwhile, they are burdening Canadian taxpayers with extra debt, which means taxes will have to go up. That $12 billion that my colleague cited is money that is not going into job creation programs nor is it going into things like health care, transfers to the provinces, or social programs that would help look after Canadians, when it should.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I will be brief.

The Conservatives brought the HST to British Columbia and Ontario, and they borrowed $2 billion for British Columbia and they borrowed $4 billion for Ontario. An independent study analysis showed that if they balanced the budget right away, the interest to pay that off was actually going to be between $8 billion and $10 billion.

How does the member justify borrowing money from Canadians to bring in a new tax on them and having to pay interest for that in perpetuity?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the member should know that, when the HST was introduced in those provinces, it was at the request of those provinces. We did not impose it upon them; it was not our choice. We worked with the provinces to do this.

My real fear when it comes to the GST is that the Liberals, somewhere along the way over the next four years, probably sooner rather than later, are going to feel compelled to raise the GST. That is a tax on everyone. There are very few ways that the Liberals can raise as much money as would pay for these programs and pay for that $12 billion a year in extra debt, just the interest on it, without doing that.

Canadians deserve better than that, because w know, we believe, and we have seen evidence that, if Canadians have more money in their pockets, they will save it, they will invest it, and they will invest in their children's education and in projects that stimulate the local economy, which stimulates the national economy, and the whole country is better off for it.

[Peter Schiefke, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister (Youth)]

Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for York South—Weston.

First, I would like to point out how honoured I am to be able to talk about the historic budget tabled by the government on March 22. I am proud that this budget reflects the hopes and expectations not just of the people in my riding of Vaudreuil—Soulanges, but of many Canadians across the country.

When I was elected to represent Vaudreuil—Soulanges, I promised to help seniors, because they played a part in building our great nation. I promised to help the middle class because theirs is the typical Canadian success story. Finally, I promised to help all families who are working hard to become part of the middle class.

As the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister for Youth, and especially as a father, I made a commitment to our youth because they are our future and our legacy. They represent our hopes for the country.

In Vaudreuil—Soulanges, too many seniors need help. Even though they worked hard all their lives to contribute to the success of our country by building our cities and communities brick by brick, business by business, many of them cannot live with dignity and are not proud of their current standard of living.

Given the contributions they have made to Canada's prosperity, we recognized in the budget that we must guarantee that seniors no longer need to lie awake at night worrying about whether their retirement plan is viable.

I am proud of the fact that we are responding to the needs of our seniors in numerous ways. First, as promised during the election campaign, we would increase the guaranteed income supplement of our most vulnerable seniors by 10%, ensuring that those who worry for their future may no longer have to do so. However, we did not stop there. We realize that increasing income every two, four, or even six years may not always be adequate, as staples for seniors, such as medications, certain foods, and other expenses including transportation are subject to rising costs and fluctuations in the global market. This poses an unnecessary risk to the security of our seniors.

Our government is committed to ensuring that old age security and guaranteed income supplement benefits keep pace with the actual cost of living faced by seniors. The government is therefore looking at how a new seniors price index that reflects the cost of living faced by seniors could be developed. If deemed viable, this idea could ensure that, when seniors receive their monthly support, they would no longer have to ask if it will be enough.

We have also kept our promise to ensure that income splitting for seniors is kept in place. We recognize this as a valuable financial tool for countless seniors across our country. Further, this budget would significantly increase investment for social and affordable housing as part of the new infrastructure investment strategy. After Canada's seniors built this country, I believe this budget recognizes that they are owed a life of dignity and a life they deserve.

All of these investments would benefit the seniors all across Canada as well as in my riding, and so I am proud to support them in this budget.

In Vaudreuil—Soulanges, from Île-Perrot to Rigaud, and from Vaudreuil to Saint-Lazare and Hudson, I see small business owners, teachers from many schools in the region, firefighters, aerospace workers, public servants, and particularly parents, who are working harder than ever to build a good life for themselves and their children.

They are our country's middle class. However, many of them worry that they will never manage to make ends meet. I am therefore proud that we have taken the first steps toward changing that.

Just 35 days after we took office, we lowered taxes for nine million Canadians. Along with that, there is the new and more progressive Canada child tax benefit, which will put more money in the pockets of nine out of 10 Canadian families.

According to the parliamentary budget officer, this measure will lift 300,000 young people out of poverty. One in five Canadian children lives in poverty. That is unacceptable, and I am proud that we are taking action.

In my riding alone, hundreds of children go to school in the morning on an empty stomach.

Some needs are being met thanks to the extraordinary work of community organizations, but these organizations cannot do it alone. They need a government ally, and this budget ensures they have found one. We have helped the middle class and those working hard to join it. We are giving Canadians the financial security they need to raise their families, help grow our economy, and build their lives.

Although Canadian parents are working harder than ever these days, government assistance no longer takes into account the needs of our young people. It is becoming more and more difficult for them to find work. Today, I can finally confirm with pride that our government is going to help young people to find their path.

We are increasing Canada student grant amounts for low-income students. This investment will give thousands of students access to the classrooms of our best universities and colleges and help them build a real future for themselves.

Furthermore, in order to lessen the impact of student debt, we will ensure that recent graduates will not have to repay their loan until they are earning at least $25,000 per year. To give our young people the professional experience they need to break into the job market, we are investing more than $300 million in the Canada summer jobs program. This will create an additional 35,000 summer jobs for young people, every year, for the next three years.

Although these investments show a clear commitment to our young people, they also show that we are committed to all Canadians. All young people have a chance to succeed, and their success will strengthen the new middle class; this will in turn help our seniors and make Canada stronger for everyone.

Our budget also considers the Canada we are going to leave behind. With new and historic investments in infrastructure and in Canada's environment, this budget shows the commitment that this government has to the literal foundations of our country and to our long-term prosperity. Our infrastructure investment strategy will serve to work with provinces and local communities to build and develop new projects where they are needed most.

In my riding, one of the main concerns raised with me is that our current public transportation infrastructure is insufficient to keep up with the fast growing pace of our community. This echoes the concerns of far too many Canadians in communities across the country. Through consultation and input from people who are affected by our decisions in Ottawa, federal funding will be less of a roadblock to action in increasing our collective potential for growth, development, and long-term success. Through unprecedented investment in infrastructure, including public transportation, much-needed and overdue projects that will improve the lives of Canadians will finally be realized.

Finally, I would like to speak to what the budget would do to ensure a cleaner, healthier environment and to protect the rightful legacy of future generations.

As part of our plan to modernize the way we go to work and move around our communities while also reducing emissions, we have announced $3.4 billion over the next three years in public transit.

To ensure that we are building the communities of tomorrow that are smarter, more efficient, and more sustainable, we are investing $5 billion over the next five years in green infrastructure, including investments in water infrastructure and electric vehicle charging stations.

Further, my constituents have worried for years about the potential hazards posed by oil being transported through their neighbourhoods and backyards without a well-funded, thorough, and transparent environmental impact assessment process in place. Modernizing the National Energy Board and following through on our pledge to strengthen and reform the environmental assessment process with an investment of $30 million is something that is strongly supported by my constituents.

Budget 2016 is also about investing in new technologies that will take key steps toward our country playing a leading role in efficient and clean innovation. With our investment of $400 million over two years, we will create strong Canadian green tech companies and create good paying jobs for Canadians.

I took this opportunity to rise in the House and speak to the budget, on behalf of the people of Vaudreuil—Soulanges. With this budget, this government has expressed loud and clear that Canada's greatest asset is, without a doubt, its people: our seniors, our young people, our middle class, and those who are working hard to join the middle class. By investing in them, in our communities, and in our future, we are ensuring that our country will flourish.

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the government is throwing around words, saying that it has followed through with its promises. What we see is a string of broken promises. It misled Canadians during its campaign by saying that it had a plan.

The Liberals like to point out the promises they think they have followed through on, but going through their budget, some key areas are missing, some of the things that resonate for Canadians from coast to coast to coast. One is that the government campaigned on a promise to invest $3 billion over the next four years to deliver more and better home care services for all Canadians, palliative care for all Canadians who are facing terminal illnesses and challenges within their end of days and, indeed, some of our seniors.

Is this something that was merely overlooked, or is this not important for the government?

[Peter Schiefke, Liberal, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Mr. Speaker, when we looked at the budget, we considered how we could help the most vulnerable seniors living across the country. We felt strongly about about ensuring money was in the budget to invest in social housing for those seniors who needed it most.

Over a quarter of a million Canadians took part in our budget consultations across the country. They made their priorities very clear to us and we incorporated those priorities into this budget.

We are very confident with this budget, and we are doing right by our seniors.

[Anne Minh-Thu Quach, NDP, Salaberry—Suroît, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague, who represents the riding next to mine, and whose path crosses mine from time to time, said that the Liberal budget included a lot of investments for seniors.

However, in the budget that was tabled, there is next to nothing for home care. The Liberals announced that they would spend $3 billion to help seniors, but that is not reflected in the budget. There is nothing about federal transfers either, which is what would help the aging population in Vaudreuil—Soulanges, Salaberry—Suroît, and across Canada.

However, it looks like there will be $36 billion less in our health system, which means that it will be harder for seniors and everyone else to access the health care system.

I am the NDP youth critic, and all of the youth groups that come to see me want to talk about unpaid internships. There are 150,000 to 300,000 unpaid internships across Canada, which means that unpaid internships will affect this generation more than any other. These are good jobs that young people cannot really benefit from because they are unpaid. The Liberals are not tackling this problem either.

I would like to hear my colleague's thoughts on that.

[Peter Schiefke, Liberal, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague from Salaberry—Suroît.

To answer her question regarding what we are doing, we are investing in the future of our young people to help them find jobs. We want to invest so that young people who are struggling to go to school because of their financial needs or because they have no money can actually go to school. We are increasing the student grants available to young people so that they can attend college or university and find a job in order to fulfill their dreams.

We also invested an extra $300 million to double the number of positions available through the Canada summer jobs program, in order to ensure that young people can find work and avoid being forced into an unpaid position because they cannot find a paying job.

We are investing in our young people. That is precisely what we are doing with this budget.

[Wayne Long, Liberal, Saint John—Rothesay, NB]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have spoken. When a budget is viewed over 70% favourable, that should tell the party opposite something.

Do cuts lead to prosperity? No, they do not. We have seen what cuts over the past 10 years have done to our country. They have hurt our families and people living in poverty, first nations, veterans.

Canadians were ready for a budget that delivered for all Canadians. I am particularly proud of the Canada child benefit, which is transformational. What does my colleague think about the Canada child benefit and how will it be transformational for his riding?

[Peter Schiefke, Liberal, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Canada child benefit will be transformational in what it will do for young people and their future in our country.

My hon. colleague asked me what it would do for young people. I stand here today as the son of a single mom who raised my brother and I on a secretary's salary for 24 years. The reason I am here today is because our social system, the Government of Canada, the governments of various provinces across the country, gives young people with little or no hope, the ones who are at the bottom, who dream of better things, that foundation from which to grow their lives. I used that to go to university, get an education and find a good job. I am now sitting in this chair, coming from where I came.

That is the kind of future I hope for every single young Canadian who is thinking about a better life, and every parent who is hoping for a better life. They will benefit from this program.

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by thanking the people of York—South Weston for the trust and support they have shown me. I intend to honour that trust with hard work and a commitment to be the voice of the community in Ottawa and the champion for all the issues that matter to them.

I also want to thank my family, my campaign team, and supporters for all their hard work and support, as well as their belief in my vision of bringing a new generation of leadership to York—South Weston. I remain deeply grateful to all of them.

Our government recently tabled the federal budget 2016, restoring hope for the middle class. The budget puts people first. People in communities such as York—South Weston will benefit from our government's investments to boost the economy and create jobs. By carrying out these investments, the budget will deliver the help Canadians need right now. It is also about our government's sustained and strategic effort to restore optimism and prosperity to our country. Our government believes that we must do more to help Canadians prosper.

I am proud of the fact that we have cut taxes for the middle class. Since January 1, 2016, roughly nine million Canadians have seen more money in their pockets. In addition to this, our government has introduced the new Canada child benefit, a plan to help families and lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. For example, a single mother earning $30,000 a year with one child under the age of six will receive an annual benefit of $6,400 tax-free. A family earning $90,000 with two children will receive $5,650, an increase of $2,500 from the current system. The Canada child benefit will be simpler, tax-free, better targeted to those who need it the most, and much more generous.

Budget 2016 has a big role for infrastructure. Our plan to invest in new roads and bridges will help Canadians move goods and services faster. Investing in waste-water treatment plants, sewers, and water mains ensures the safety and integrity of our water system. Our plan to invest in social housing will ensure that Canadians have access to affordable homes. Our record investment in mass transit will ensure that there is much less congestion in communities like York—South Weston, and will allow Canadians to spend less time commuting to school or work.

Budget 2016 includes a historic plan to invest more than $120 billion in infrastructure over the next 10 years. Phase one of the plan includes $3.4 billion over three years for a public transit infrastructure fund, and $5 billion over five years to invest in water, waste-water, and green infrastructure projects across Canada. Phase two of our plan will deliver on the remaining eight years of the government's long-term infrastructure plan to invest more than $120 billion over 10 years in transit, green, and social infrastructure.

In addition to this new funding announced in 2016, our government will continue to make available approximately $3 billion each year in dedicated funding for municipal governments and infrastructure projects through the gas tax fund and the incremental goods and services tax rebate for municipalities.

Budget 2016 is also about stronger communities. My government will make significant investments totalling $1.5 billion over two years in order to create access to safe, adequate, and affordable housing, including shelters for victims of violence. My government will also support the construction of up to 4,000 new affordable housing rental units through an investment of $208.3 million over five years. The government will also provide up to $500 million in loans each year for five years.

Finally, for stronger communities, our government will support the establishment of a national framework on early learning and child care through a proposed initial investment of $500 million in 2017-18, recognizing the deep connection between child care and the economic security of families.

When it comes to young people, as I continue my work in York South—Weston, I have been approached by many young people who are worried about access to jobs and the affordability of post-secondary education. I am proud to say that our government has listened to these concerns by raising the Canada student grant by 50%, from $2,000 to $3,000 per year for students from low-income families, and from $800 to $1,200 per year for students from middle-income families. These measures will provide assistance of $1.53 billion over five years, starting this year. To help these students gain valuable work experience, we will create up to 35,000 additional jobs for young Canadians in each of the next three years under the Canada summer jobs program.

Young people will have access to a regime of expanded eligibility for Canada student grants to help even more students receive non-repayable assistance through an investment of $790 million over four years starting in 2017-18. We will increase the loan repayment threshold under the current Canada student loans program's repayment assistance plan to ensure that no students will have to repay their Canada student loans until they are earning at least $25,000 per year. This measure will provide assistance of $131.4 million over five years starting this year.

In addition to this, budget 2016 is about creating employment opportunities for youth through an investment of an additional $165.4 million this year for the youth employment strategy. Budget 2016 also helps young Canadians to gain valuable work and life experience through an investment of $105 million over five years to support youth services.

I am proud to say that our budget includes support for new co-op placements and work-integrated learning opportunities for young Canadians through an investment of $73 million over four years starting in 2016-17 for the post-secondary industry partnership and co-operative placement initiative.

Seniors in communities such as York South—Weston have been concerned about their living costs. To address this, I am proud to say that our government will increase the guaranteed income supplement top-up benefit for single seniors to help lift low-income seniors out of poverty. The government will also provide support for low-income seniors by introducing legislative changes so that couples who receive GIS and allowance benefits and have to live apart for reasons beyond their control will receive higher benefits based on their individual incomes.

In conclusion, I know that the people of York South—Weston will benefit greatly from our government's budget 2016, which contains investments to help Canadians now by boosting the economy and creating jobs, as well as making the necessary long-term investments to ensure prosperity for all. Our middle-class tax cut has already ensured that roughly nine million people have already seen more money in their pockets. Our Canada child benefit will mean that nine out of ten families will get more help than they do under existing programs. Our infrastructure plan will invest in new roads and bridges to enable Canadians to move goods and services faster. Our record investment in mass transit will ensure that there is much less congestion in communities like York South—Weston. We will help students and seniors and we will ensure that Canadians can prosper today and tomorrow.

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Mr. Speaker, many members have spoken already, and on that side of the House they have focused on the spending side of things, how much they are spending and what they are spending on. It is easy because they are spending so much they can pick and choose what they would like to talk about.

However, I want to talk about fiscal anchors and how important they are to public budgeting. On page 53 of the budget, it says, “Repealing the Federal Balanced Budget Act”. In fact, the government does not talk about amending it. The Liberals are going full out and eliminating any fiscal anchors that we used to have.

Fiscal anchors ensure that when budgeting, the government is going to return to a balanced budget some day to pay off that debt and it is planning for it. In this budget document, there is no such section and the government does not talk about it at all. All the Liberals really talk about is how much they are spending.

I would like the member to comment on that. Does his government have a plan to reduce the deficit to zero and start paying down the national debt, and if so, when?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by saying that our government understands one key point: Canadians need help now. Canadians need their government to step forward and assist them, and that is what we have done. We have listened to Canadians and we have put together a plan that makes the necessary investments for prosperity today and tomorrow. We are investing in infrastructure and innovation, making sure that families have more money in their pockets and students have better access to post-secondary education, making the necessary long-term investments in the environment and moving toward clean technologies. These are necessary things to do, and they are what Canadians have asked our government to do.

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

Mr. Speaker, what really shocked me in the budget was the lack of mention of the importance of health care, particularly the issue of palliative care. The current Prime Minister stood in the House and voted for a national palliative care strategy, and then did not deliver.

We are on the eve of the Liberal government bringing in right-to-die legislation so that people will be able to terminate their lives in any jurisdiction in the country, but they will not have access to quality palliative care. That is an oversight and a lack of willingness to ensure that the most vulnerable in society are given the support they need.

I want to ask my colleague why the government has not followed through on the call from Parliament to work with the provinces and territories to establish a proper palliative care strategy and to ensure that people who require health care in the federal system, such as veterans, the military, prisoners, and particularly indigenous people, have access to quality palliative care. There are zero dollars for that. How can the Liberals justify overlooking that important issue for Canadians?