Debates of Oct. 23rd, 2017

Opposition Motion—Minister of Finance and Conflict of Interest Act

[An hon. member]

No way!

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Yes, Madam Speaker. It had a direct impact. Morneau Shepell shares went up, and the Minister of Finance himself could profit from that. That is why we moved this motion today and why we are holding this debate in the House of Commons. The Minister of Finance must—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Questions and comments, the hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Madam Speaker, I listened carefully to my hon. colleague's speech.

What I did not hear was anything about the NDP's previous positions in favour of tax fairness. Last week the Minister of Finance travelled across Canada to talk about tax cuts for SMEs and clarify the rules in favour of SMEs, which were the subject of extensive consultations over the summer. This is a giant step forward, something that my hon. colleague advocated for, as did the candidates for the leadership of the NDP all summer long.

[Some hon members]

Oh, oh!

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

Is this not smoke and mirrors and obfuscation on the part of the NDP, who simply want to draw attention away from the giant step towards tax fairness that we took last week?

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Before I recognize the member, I have to say that I heard some yelling from across the floor. I do not know exactly who it was. I would remind the members again that if they have something to say, they can stand up during questions and comments.

The member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie.

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Madam Speaker, I find the Liberal government's definition of tax fairness fascinating.

I always thought that tax fairness meant taking more from the rich and giving it to the poor, but it turns out that the Minister of Finance and the Liberal Party are reverse Robin Hoods. They rob from the poor and give to the rich.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Madam Speaker, I would like to remind members of the House that the Minister of Finance was elected two years ago, and that it took him two years to set up a blind trust. He helped pass bills that benefited his business.

I would like to ask my colleague from Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie a question: what could possibly be wrong with that? I am sure it is perfectly fine and legitimate for a Minister of Finance to do that.

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his comment and his question.

I know he is being ironic because everything is wrong with that. A finance minister is expected to make decisions that are good for workers and the people of this country, not his own interests and his own shares in his company. That is the whole problem; that is the issue here. Once again, the Liberals are betraying the voters' trust and breaking their election promises. The Liberals are just in it for themselves and their Bay Street buddies, not for the people of this country.

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

Madam Speaker, could my colleague indicate whether he has any faith in the commissioner's office? We have a commissioner's office that is truly independent, unlike the opposition, whether a New Democrat or a Conservative. I have highlighted the tax break and so many other fine things that have been accomplished. The opposition members constantly, every moment they get, criticize the Minister of Finance.

Why should Canadians believe the opposition when the Ethics Commissioner has said that nothing wrong has been done, that the Minister of Finance has followed that. Each and every one of us has responsibility for that. Even the member across the way has to be held to account in good part by the Ethics Commissioner.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Again, I will remind members that when someone has the floor, to please wait for the person to finish speaking to ask questions and give comments. Heckling is not appropriate in the House.

The hon. member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie.

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Madam Speaker, I do not know what universe the parliamentary secretary is living in, but it is not the same one that the people of Quebec and Montreal live in. They see what the Minister of Finance is doing and they understand full well that he made choices that benefit his company and increased the value of his shares.

Everyone agrees that this is unacceptable. It might be time for the parliamentary secretary to wake up and see things for what they really are, and come to terms with the fact that his government is not very ethical on a number of files. In fact, the Liberals are attacking people with diabetes by eliminating the disability tax credit. That is what the Liberal government is doing right now.

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

Madam Speaker, seeing no one from the opposition wants to engage on this, I am more than happy to so.

It is important to recognize, and I put it in the form of the question for the previous speaker, many wonderful initiatives have been taken by our government, led by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance.

Let me highlight a few of those initiatives.

Canadians are very much aware of the tax break for the middle class. When the Minister of Finance introduced that, the NDP and the Conservatives voted no, and they were critical of the Minister of Finance. The same applied when it came to the special tax on Canada's wealthiest. When that tax was put in place, again, the opposition parties jointly criticized the minister. Over the summer, when the Minister of Finance tried to bring in tax changes that would make our system fairer, once again the NDP and the Conservatives, working together, said no to the minister. Every opportunity they get, the opposition members' standard policy, whether New Democrat or Conservative, is to criticize the Minister of Finance.

As a government, the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister have made it clear from day one that the government's priority is Canada's middle class and those aspiring to be a part of it. Canada's middle class has been given number one priority in all the initiatives taken by the Minister of Finance. Time and again, on each and every one of those initiatives, opposition parties have joined forces to criticize the Minister of Finance.

Canadians should therefore not be surprised today that once again the New Democrats and the Conservatives are coming together, calling for who knows what. All we know is it is against the Minister of Finance.

There is an Ethics Commissioner. I would suggest Canadians take into consideration that each and every one of us, even New Democrats and Conservatives, has an obligation to follow, consult, and work with the commissioner. The Minister of Finance has done that in this case.

I would suggest that Canadians disregard the criticism coming from the opposition benches and listen to what the commissioner is saying. We believe Canadians will give attention to that and recognize the wonderful work being done for Canada's middle class.

Education

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, Humber River—Black Creek, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the leadership and service of Monday Gala, former principal of C.W. Jefferys Collegiate Institute.

In 2000, Mr. Gala joined the staff at C.W. Jefferys, becoming vice-principal in 2007, and then principal in 2012. Incredibly connected to his students and school community, under his guidance, C.W. Jefferys has seen a turnaround and is the fastest improving school in the GTA.

Named one of Canada's 40 outstanding principals by The Learning Partnership, Mr. Gala believes in the future of his students and encourages them to aim high, genuinely believing that no student should be left behind, particularly when people in the communities of Jane and Finch often feel that they are.

I thank Mr. Gala for his dedication to our community and wish him the best at Westview Centennial Secondary School

Post-Secondary Education

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure to recognize and celebrate the outgoing president and vice-chancellor of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Oshawa, Dr. Tim McTiernan. Tim has had a profound impact on Oshawa. His work at UOIT has been instrumental in developing our community as a STEM-based institution and a research and innovation hub.

Tim is from Kilkenny, Ireland. He earned his bachelor of arts from Trinity College in Dublin and his masters and Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia. In his six years, Tim oversaw enrolment increase from 8,300 to over 10,000 students. He opened a new software and informatics research centre, increased the number of scholarships and bursaries available to students, and finalized the agreement of the joint UOIT/Durham College campus master plan. The impact of these projects will be felt in our community for generations.

Because of Tim, Oshawa's students will be focused with the skills they need to innovate and compete in a globalized environment. I thank Tim for all his great work.

Ádh mór ort ! Good luck.

Bahá'u'lláh

[Ron McKinnon, Liberal, Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this weekend, Bahá’is in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam celebrated the 200th anniversary of the birth of Bahá'u'lláh, the prophet founder of the Bahá’i faith. Unity of humanity and world peace are among the main principles of the Bahá’i faith, and these values are of the utmost importance.

As Bahá'u'lláh said: “The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.”

These values are of the utmost importance to the entire world and certainly to Canada.

Founded more than a century and a half ago, the Bahá’i faith has spread around the globe. Members of the Bahá’i faith live in more than 100,000 localities and come from nearly every nation, ethnic group, culture, profession, and social or economic background.

Baha'is believe that the crucial need facing humanity is to find a unifying vision of the nature and purpose of life and of the future of society.

Please join me in celebrating the birth of Bahá'u'lláh and his mission.

Health

[Sheri Benson, NDP, Saskatoon West, SK]

Mr. Speaker, at the Wîcihitowin Aboriginal Engagement Conference in Saskatoon, I had the honour of attending a presentation by Dr. Jaris Swidrovich. Jaris is a member of the Yellow Quill First Nation and the first self-identified indigenous doctor of pharmacy in Canada. However, after joining the profession, Jaris witnessed over and over again the systemic racism faced by indigenous people accessing these services.

Dr. Swidrovich decided to change the way pharmacists practise and were trained in Canada. He gave up a professional salary, took a teaching position at the University of Saskatchewan, and did just that. He created the indigenous learning outcomes for entry-to-practice for pharmacy programs in Canada. In 2017, his work was included as learning outcomes by the Association of Faculties of Pharmacy of Canada for first degree pharmacy programs.

Inspired by calls to action number 18 to 24 of the TRC, Dr. Swidrovich has taken on ending racism within the pharmacy profession as his personal call to action. Please join me in celebrating this exceptional show of leadership in my community.

Manitoba

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to offer my most sincere congratulations to Dougald Lamont, the new leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party, and also to extend my congratulations to my daughter Cindy, and Jon Gerrard, for putting such a wonderful effort in the leadership contest itself.

I would like members across the way and all members to read the latest edition of the Canadian Parliamentary Review. It is a wonderful read, in particular page 8. I am a little biased because it includes something that my daughter wrote. It says: “Dear former Cindy from future Cindy, You can do this. Every day remind yourself that people are inherently good and in this job you have the opportunity to change lives for the better. Don't be discouraged by negativity, bad articles and feeling pushed outside of your comfort zone. Stay determined, remain honest, and always fight for your constituents.” It continues “Politics has many highs and lows, but as long as you surround yourself with good people, you take care of yourself and you don't take anything for granted, you will be okay.”

I congratulate all of those who were involved.

2019 Canada Winter Games

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

Mr. Speaker, in February 2019, the city of Red Deer in central Alberta will host the 2019 Canada Winter Games. This will be the largest multi-sport event held in Alberta since the 1988 Winter Olympics and will have an economic impact of over $132 million.

The 2019 games will provide a stage for Canada's future national, international, and Olympic athletes to compete. These games will leave a lasting legacy of new sports facilities such as the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre at Red Deer College, and improved spaces at Great Chief Park and Canyon Ski Resort.

It is clear that events such as this are only successful with the support of the entire community. I would like to thank partners like Nova Chemicals, the City of Red Deer, Red Deer County, and the hard-working games committee under the direction of Lyn Radford, and a army of volunteers.

I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate 12-year-old Mackenzie Van Damme for her outstanding design of the games' mascot, Waskasoo. Mackenzie's design was selected from more than 300 entries and truly captures the warmth and spirit of the people of Red Deer. I congratulate Mackenzie. We can truly say that Red Deer is ready.

Liette Massé

[Yves Robillard, Liberal, Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this being Women's History Month, I rise in the House to acknowledge an inspiring woman from Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, Liette Massé, president of the Sainte-Rose Meals on Wheels program.

For more than 20 years, Ms. Massé has made a mark on this Laval community. She is also involved in the local soup kitchen and the Saint Vincent de Paul society.

She leads by example through her dedication to these organizations and proves daily that the little things can make a big difference. What Ms. Massé and her colleagues do for the less fortunate, especially people with diminishing independence, is truly remarkable. The humanity and compassion she shows them is priceless.

On behalf of my constituents in Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, I thank Ms. Massé and everyone like her.

Manitoba

[Doug Eyolfson, Liberal, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today to share that Manitobans gathered this past weekend to select a new leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party, Dougald Lamont. Dougald is a leader committed to changing politics in Manitoba. He knows that everyone matters and that for democracy to thrive, we need to have an economy that is focused on the many and not the few.

In a competition with excellent candidates, Dougald's campaign focused on empowering Manitobans with grassroots job creation; local control of health care; and reconciliation by addressing the first five recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which are all concerned with the number of indigenous children in care. Dougald's extensive experience and expertise in government and business give him a unique perspective and insight into making Manitoba a better place.

I offer my heartiest congratulations to Dougald. I thank him and his fellow contestants Cindy Lamoureux and Jon Gerrard for their tireless service to Manitobans.

Foreign Affairs

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the appointment of Robert Mugabe as a WHO goodwill ambassador was the extreme height of stupidity. “Goodwill” and Robert Mugabe do not belong in the same sentence. His government brutalizes its own people and has done severe damage to the country's economic and social infrastructure.

Mercifully, this appointment has now been rescinded, but questions remain about how anyone could have thought this was a good idea in the first place. This event provides an opportunity to highlight human rights abuses in Zimbabwe and we must also take this occasion to demand greater accountability from international institutions, accountability to suffering around the world and to the lofty principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Current members of the UN Human Rights Council include Pakistan, Qatar, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and China. The UN-Women Executive Board includes many of the same countries, with the notable addition of Iran.

Canada must demand accountability and reform from international organizations and an end to the absurd spectacle of obviously unfit leadership in key areas. As long as autocrats and abusers run UN human rights bodies, and as long as Robert Mugabe continues to terrorize his own people, the work is far from done.

Skiing in Laurentides—Labelle

[David Graham, Liberal, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, ski season is just a few weeks away, and the people of Laurentides—Labelle cannot wait for it to start.

The Laurentian mountains are the birthplace of skiing in Canada. Thanks to pioneers like “Jackrabbit” Johannsen, Emile Coshand, Lucile Wheeler, and even my own grandmother, Pat Paré, skiing has become an industry.

Alpine skiing, snowboarding, telemark skiing, and cross-country skiing are made possible through the efforts of thousands of men and women across my riding, and I want to pay tribute to them today.

I applaud all of the ski instructors and trainers, customer service workers, administrative staff, cooks, ski patrollers, trail groomers, maintenance workers, mechanics and technicians, lift operators, parking attendants, rental technicians, and food service and accommodation workers who work hard every winter to make our region the ultimate skiing destination.

I want to thank them and wish them a great ski season.