Debates of Feb. 2nd, 2017

Opposition Motion—Taxes on Health and Dental Care Plans

[Georgina Jolibois, NDP, Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I stand here today to speak about the Liberal government's plan to tax Canadian workers' private health and dental plans.

This is very concerning, as 75% of working Canadians, 22 million Canadians in total, have access to a health care benefit plan and would be affected by this policy. The people who will be affected the most will be the people in my riding.

This change would particularly affect the coverage of preventive care and services, such as prescription drugs, mental health care, and musculoskeletal care. This will result in medical insecurity and a lack of follow-up if these changes are implemented.

What we New Democrats want is health care coverage for all Canadians, regardless of their income and regardless of their social status. We want more coverage, not less. This is at the very core of our values. We do not want to jeopardize the coverage that already exists.

As members know, Quebec is the only province that taxes private coverage. Statistics show that since this tax was introduced in 1993, we saw 20% of employers drop their coverage, including 50% of small and medium-sized businesses.

I am proud to represent Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River. It is an honour for me to stand in the House of Commons and pay tribute to the thousands of constituents who wake up every day to go to work and make a living to take care of their families and communities. However, hardship also exists in my riding. If we impose this tax on working Canadians, it will result in the loss of coverage for millions of Canadians.

The way I see it, the federal government is trying to take with one hand what is given with the other. This is particularly disturbing to me, as many of my constituents are already having a hard time making ends meet.

A recent report called “Child and Family Poverty in Saskatchewan”, put together by professors at Regina University, Paul Gingrich, Garson Hunter, and Miguel Sanchez, states that 160,000 people in the province of Saskatchewan were living in poverty in 2014, and 64,000 of those people were children. The report showed that the situation for first nation families appeared worse, with a child poverty rate in 2010 of 59%. In 2010, of the 55,000 poor children in Saskatchewan, 31,000 were from first nation or Métis families. The report also showed that 69% of indigenous children on reserve are living in poverty, which is more than two of every three and much higher than the provincial average.

These numbers are staggering. It shows that there is a collaborative failure of the federal and provincial governments to address the social shortfalls that these communities live with every day. Instead of laying the path for deterring people from acquiring medical and dental health care, the federal government ought to find ways to bring good jobs to regions like my riding. This would combat the startling high unemployment rate and encourage employers to offer medical and dental coverage.

Access to health services is a huge challenge in northern Saskatchewan. Already we have long waiting periods to see dentists. Many people of all ages suffer from the effects of infections and other dental-related issues, because they cannot afford to get the medical care or prescription they require.

Once more, it is no secret that the suicide rate is three times the national average in Saskatchewan. Issues such as systemic poverty, addictions, high unemployment, and loss of language and culture are the accumulated and intergenerational effects of residential-school abuse.

Now I ask that action be taken to redress the legacy of residential schools and advance the calls to action for Canadian reconciliation, as recommended by the TRC. Further to this, Canada must sign the indigenous declaration of human rights as a step in good faith toward concrete action, showing that the Canadian government respects and will ensure that for the first peoples of this nation, treaty and human rights are implemented to improve people's lives.

In the north, constituents resort to drastic measures, because they cannot get the health services they require on time. Many constituents travel and drive hours to attend southern emergency departments, hoping to get the care they require.

One of my constituents attended two or three southern walk-in and emergency centres within a short period and was dismissed each time. If not for his tenacity he could have had his whole leg amputated, instead of his foot, due to the spread of gangrene related to his diabetes. I cannot wonder if his foot could have been saved if our northern emergency departments were not so completely overwhelmed.

In northern Saskatchewan, elders, veterans, youth, pregnant women, and even babies struggle to acquire the health services they need. People are dying from preventable illnesses.

Consider how the staggeringly high HIV/AIDS infection rates in northern Saskatchewan are impacted by this issue. The HIV infection rate in Saskatchewan is 13.8 per 100,000 population, almost double the national average of 7.8 per 100,000. On reserves, the infection rate is 64 per 100,000. Medication, medical care, mental health, addictions, and prevention services must be more accessible, not less.

In my riding, those who will be affected by this added tax are teachers, nurses, RCMP officers, paramedics, construction workers, and everyday workers. These are hard-working Canadians we depend on for the well-being of our communities. The government's move to tax medical care coverage and dental coverage will only deter employers from offering it and further fuel the medical crisis that currently exists in my riding.

In her mandate letter, the Minister of Health is asked to ensure that health care is accessible as much and as widely as possible.

The Keewatin Career Development Corporation reported that northern Saskatchewan lags behind other regions significantly in income. The median income for northern Saskatchewan was $16,860 compared to $28,792 for Saskatchewan, and $27,334 for Canada. The low income cut-off, known as the poverty line, was $14,454 for people living in small communities in Canada. There is not enough information to determine the number of northern Saskatchewan individuals and families living below the poverty line in northern Saskatchewan, but it is likely to be significant, given that the median income for individuals is so close to the low income cut-off.

It is because of the lack of a diversified northern economy that we have seen an increase in job losses in the mining sector and forestry industry. Why is this important in today's debate? For one, northerners' income is painfully insufficient, limiting access to food, fuel, heat for their homes, transportation to go to work, or to reach the facilities to acquire the medical help they need. Further than that, homelessness is on the increase in my riding and people are forced to make decisions between food or fuel to heat their homes.

Northerners of all ages experience difficulties in different ways. For instance, I recently brought up the reality of young women and girls who have been missing school because of how expensive feminine hygiene products are in the north. Let me just take a moment to thank all Canadians from Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta, and Ontario who helped these young women and girls by donating these products. Their generosity has touched me and is very much appreciated.

I would like to conclude by saying that the government's responsibility is to protect its citizens. Universal health care is the core of Canadian values. No one should be left behind. Wherever they are in Canada, accessible health care should be non-negotiable. The Liberal approach would force low-income and middle-income families to make an impossible choice and deter them from seeking preventative medical care. This is not what constituents of Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River want.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to again ask my colleague to reflect on what the government is doing in terms of the impact the tax changes are having on those who are of relatively modest means. It has not lowered taxes for those making less than $45,000 a year. In fact, it has raised them through the carbon tax and the lowering of the amount an individual can contribute to a tax-free savings account. People in my riding are very concerned about the impact of higher carbon taxes which they have to pay as a result of the actions of provincial and federal governments.

I wonder if the member can reflect on the impact on those of modest means and how we can help those who need the help the most by lowering their taxes.

[Georgina Jolibois, NDP, Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK]

Mr. Speaker, every day I hear from my constituents in the Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River riding. I hear from RCMP officers, paramedics, teachers, everyday workers, and low-income earners who struggle every day to make ends meet. I think every Canadian across Canada can reflect on those words and can understand the impact of not having enough money to buy food and to cover other expenses. It is the same thing across Canada as it is in my riding. Any tax which, by its nature, takes away from hard-working Canadians is not cool, because it makes it very difficult for Canadians to make ends meet.

I wish the Liberal government would understand how its taxes, its policies, and its broken promises are impacting everyday Canadians in my riding and across Canada.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am sure that many of the constituents who the member represents appreciate the tax cuts they are receiving. There is the additional child care money that is being given over and above what was there previously, and the additional dollars that are going into the pockets of some of the most vulnerable seniors, many of whom live in the member's riding.

I want to take a different approach with the member. She has raised a number of issues. Indigenous people are a very high priority for this government, right from the Prime Minister's Office to the minister responsible, and we have seen that.

Today we are debating a motion dealing with taxes on health and dental benefits. The Prime Minister has been clear that there is no tax on those benefits. No matter how much the Conservatives and New Democrats talk about that issue, it is not there.

I think it would have been a far more productive day had the member lobbied her colleagues with respect to some of the thoughts that were given in her speech. Maybe these are the types of issues she could raise in an opposition motion next week or when the NDP is afforded the opportunity, because we agree on the importance of the issues being experienced in the communities of indigenous peoples, such as food-related and health care issues. They are all important issues that I think would be wonderful to see debated.

[Georgina Jolibois, NDP, Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Liberal government for the chance to answer that.

How could the Liberal government be so condescending and continually lie to my constituents and all Canadians? I would invite the Liberals to come to my riding to see some of the poverty and the circumstances my constituents live in. Farmers are struggling with finding ways to attract young people to farming communities so that it can be sustainable. The Liberals should visit the indigenous municipalities. My constituents include hard-working RCMP officers, teachers, paramedics, and other everyday workers. I invite the government to meet with these constituents, to listen carefully to them, and not break any more promises to assist them.

I will believe the government when the time comes and this tax does not occur. However, to be lectured to by the Liberal government about the constituents in my riding who struggle every day, like all Canadians, is very insulting and condescending.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

I would remind the hon. member that the use of the words that she used reflecting on the dishonesty of the subject of her remarks is something that we stay away from and frown upon. In the House, the use of the word “lie” is not considered to be in keeping with parliamentary language, even when it is referred to in a broader sense.

That is something for the member to keep in mind for the future. I am not going to ask the hon. member to retract it at this time, but perhaps pass along a caution for another time and for the benefit of all other hon. members. It is a boundary that we try to guard in the House of Commons.

Before resuming debate, it is my duty, pursuant to Standing Order 38, to inform the House that the questions to be raised tonight at the time of adjournment are as follows: the hon. member for North Island—Powell River, Telecommunications; the hon. member for Beauport—Limoilou, Public Services and Procurement; the hon. member for Peace River—Westlock, the Environment.

Resuming debate, the hon. member for Oshawa.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte.

Today we are debating the Liberals' irresponsible spending, leading to higher taxes for all Canadians. The promise of a modest $10 billion deficit has become an out-of-control borrowing scheme leaving no one but the taxpayer to pick up the tab, not only this generation but future generations to come.

The Liberals can repeat themselves like a broken record that they care about the middle class, but since being elected they have accomplished nothing for Canadians. We found out this past week that the finance minister does not even know what the middle class is.

I do, however, think that we could all agree that simplifying the tax system is a good thing, but improving the tax system should not mean more tax hikes to take money out of the pockets of families, workers, and of course, our job creators. Simplifying the tax system should not punish Canadians. It should assist them in making life more affordable.

We are here to debate the Liberals' attempt to tax absolutely anything they can, even our air, with their mandatory carbon tax. The Conservatives brought forward this motion to be the voice of the taxpayer and call the government out on its attempts to unfairly punish hard-working Canadians.

It is thanks to our Conservative Party that just yesterday we saw the Prime Minister apparently back away from his attempt to tax Canadians' health care and dental benefits. We stood up for 13.5 million Canadians who would have likely lost their benefits, all so the Liberals could generate $2.9 billion in revenue to pay for their reckless spending. While $2.9 billion in revenue may seem like a huge loss, this is in comparison to the $23 billion in needed health care delivered directly to Canadians.

I want to elaborate a bit on exactly what taxing these benefits would mean for Canadians. To start with, it would mean that workers who currently receive these benefits would be stuck with over $1,000 per year in taxes. It would mean a dramatic cut in employer health and dental coverage. Since 1990, we have seen an almost 30% increase in coverage by employers.

In contrast, if implemented, this new tax would see a decrease in employer coverage the same way Quebec saw a 20% decrease. This tax would not only have a huge impact on Canadians but also put pressure on the public health care system. Canadians would cancel their benefits due to high costs, thereby negatively affecting their overall health. This would lead to people no longer being able to afford their prescriptions and their dental and doctor checkups, because they would be forced to pay the high cost directly out of their own pockets. This means Canadians who need prescription drugs, mental health services, treatment for back pain and other musculoskeletal conditions, dental care, and preventive care would no longer be covered. As a chiropractor, I know how important it is for Canadians to have access to employer health insurance. Services that are not covered by the provinces, essential life-saving services, would become impossibly unaffordable for the average Canadian.

Liberals cannot be trusted when it comes to their budgets. The Liberals in Ontario promised not to cut health care but went ahead and cut benefits for chiropractors and physiotherapists. This affected patients of mine, patients who suffered.

It is clear to see that taxing health and dental benefits would have no benefits. It is not the way to address fairness and equality. All it would do is target the most vulnerable and add pressure on provincial health care systems.

When it was leaked to the public, the outrage was immediate. I received many calls and emails directly to my office. We brought this up in the House more than 20 times, and the Prime Minister waffled and the finance minister refused to answer. That was until yesterday. That is why we are ensuring they are clear with Canadians and making them vote on our motion.

Liberals have a credibility problem when they talk about balancing the budget. They promised a $10 billion a year deficit, and now we are looking at a $30 billion a year deficit. They promised to balance the budget by 2019, and unbelievably, that will not happen until 2055. Canadians know Liberal history.

The health and dental tax is just the cherry on top of all the other taxes the Liberals have implemented and all the benefits they have already cut. They put in a carbon tax. Look at the CPP. They removed income splitting for families. They also removed the children's art and fitness tax credit as well as the education and textbook tax credits.

They implemented new mortgage rules, making it harder for young people to buy their first homes. They reduced the tax-free savings account contribution amount, they cancelled small business tax credits, and they have eliminated hiring tax credits. This has taken place in one budget. Canadians are justified in asking, and rightly so, what is next. Now Canadians are preparing for another wave of new tax hikes in budget 2017, and Conservatives, as the only voice of the taxpayer, are calling on the Liberals not to raise taxes on working Canadians who cannot afford them.

I worry. I worry that the government is making Canada less competitive on the world stage. I am the member of Parliament for Oshawa and have been for 14 years. Oshawa is the home of GM Canada, which depends on our ability to compete for products internationally. I am proud of our auto manufacturing community, and everyone can rest assured that I will stand up for my constituents and all manufacturing communities across the country.

Irresponsible actions taken by the Liberals, like increasing the CPP and implementing a mandatory carbon tax at a time when the United States is putting its jobs and products first, is going to force businesses out of communities like mine and send them to the United States or Mexico. Recently, there were 600 job losses at the CAMI Assembly plant in Ingersoll because it is moving production to Mexico. The provincial and federal Liberals continue to negatively impact Ontario's auto sector with their risky economic policies, and it is only expected to get worse, unfortunately.

Yesterday's report from Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters stated, “Right now, Canada is not a competitive location for investment”. My gosh. “Increases in business taxes, regulatory demands, and energy costs...are making it more difficult and costly to do business in Canada”. There is a new carbon tax and more payroll taxes to come.

Canada went from the seventh most favourable manufacturing environment to the 10th. This is what is going to really kill us, while America is moving from third to first. Something is wrong. I have listened to the finance minister and his parliamentary secretary say that they are reviewing the tax structure. This is code for, “We are looking for ways to increase our revenue by making you pay out of pocket”. This is their hidden agenda.

With budget 2017 coming up, there is a list of tax credits the Liberals are likely to target, a list that I know many of my colleagues have already shared today, but I will share with the House to remind everyone of the damage that could be done. The list is as follows: non-taxation of employer dental and health benefits; pension income splitting; tax credits for employee stock options; a public transit tax credit for students; the Canada employment tax credit; the foreign employment tax credit; the volunteer firefighter tax credit; non-taxation of capital gains on principal residences; the dividend gross-up and tax credit; partial inclusion of capital gains; the mineral exploration tax credit; and tax credits related to charitable donations. They could go after charitable donations.

This list directly targets working and vulnerable Canadians. It is their pockets that will be emptied, meaning less money for groceries, mortgage payments, and savings. This is a $1 trillion debt in just 15 years, with no plan to return to a balanced budget until 2055. My daughter is 15 years old. That means under the irresponsible Liberal government, she will be paying off their debt until she is 53 years old. Is that fair? This should raise red flags for all Canadians, especially parents and youth.

The Prime Minister has appointed himself the voice for our youth, the minister of youth; so why is he making it impossible for them to get a job, to save for their future, and to buy a home? The impacts will be felt into the future, but they are already having negative impacts today. Taxes are already going up, and well-paying jobs are getting harder and harder to find. As a member of the only party that stands up for taxpayers by calling out reckless, irresponsible, and unnecessary spending, I ask the following question for the government. Will it prove to Canadians that it can, in fact, keep a promise, and support the Conservative motion to not implement another burdensome tax on Canadians?

[Greg Fergus, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I did not know that my hon. colleague not only is a member of Parliament who represents his riding well but also is a bit of a stand-up comedian. He kept saying that the Conservative Party is the only party that stands up for taxpayers, if I have it correct. That is a funny way of showing it.

I am certain the hon. member would like to let me know how he stood up for Canadian taxpayers in December of 2015 when there was a government bill to reduce taxes for the middle class. How about this? What about helping nine out of 10 Canadian families by agreeing to some of the changes to the Canada child tax credit. Is this funny, because it certainly does not seem to be based on reality?

I would ask my hon. colleague to help me out.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to help a Liberal out.

My colleague should note that the Liberals seem to be what a colleague earlier called them, the reverse Robin Hood. Yes, last year they put a little bit of money into Canadians' pockets, but they are clawing it back.

This is the problem, because the Liberals actually think it is funny. They are smiling about it. They are talking about balancing a budget that their Prime Minister says balances itself.

We are finding out now that the Liberals' budget will not balance until 2055. It will put us $1.5 trillion more into debt. For me, that is not funny. For my 15-year-old daughter, that is not funny. For the next generation, that is not funny. When we are losing jobs, losing our competitiveness, that is not funny.

This is serious business. This is not a job that the Prime Minister should be learning as he goes. He should know what he is doing. This is totally irresponsible, and we are the only party that is standing up for Canadians and Canadian taxpayers.

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

Mr. Speaker, when I was a child, my family was not exactly rich. For us, going to the dentist was not something we could do because it was too expensive. I think I was in my early thirties before I saw a dentist for the first time. It was only because I had a dental plan through my employer that I was able to go. Fortunately, I have good teeth.

Today, my colleagues have probably heard that 82% of people with dental insurance have better dental health than the 58% of the population without. They probably also heard that ever since Quebec decided to tax health care plans, the rate of employers who provide coverage decreased by 20%. This type of tax prevents low-income families from getting preventive medical care.

I do not get it. Does my colleague understand how the Liberals can say that helping the middle class is one of their priorities, when they come up with a tax plan like this that is going to hurt the middle class?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

That is a great question by my colleague from Hochelaga, Mr. Speaker, and she is not unusual. In our generation many people did not have benefits. I remember my father being in the armed forces. We were not rich, but we did have benefits, luckily, and we were able to see dentists and different professionals, and we did have that. It was fortunate.

In the last few years, we have seen an over 30% increase in Canadians having benefits, so when the Liberals start talking about the middle class, I agree with my colleague. They have no idea what the middle class is when they talk about their tax benefits. As my colleague said earlier today, most of the people who benefit are wealthy Canadians who make over $100,000 up to $200,000 under their plan, because they think that every Canadian is like them, and they are not. Canadians do not make money like that.

We all have to stand up and understand that the government has no money. It is taxpayers' dollars, and we are sent here to be responsible for it.

I want to thank my colleague from Hochelaga because she is a real person and she understands the real middle class. That is who we all should be working for, and we want to hold the government to account. Let us make sure we work together to make sure that future generations are benefiting from the policies we make and that we do not let this government lead it out to 2055 before it balances the budget.

[Alex Nuttall, Conservative, Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have had the opportunity to be here now for close to a year and a half and have witnessed tax after tax brought forward by the Liberal government. These taxes have been wide-ranging. They have included, obviously, the payroll taxes and carbon taxes and removing tax credits for recreation, hockey, soccer, organized sports, the arts, piano lessons, drama, many other activities, and taking care of loved ones at home.

What we have seen to date is Canada becoming less competitive. Canada is behind the rest of the world, while things are obviously changing south of the border in the other direction, where there is a reduction in regulations and taxes taking place.

Every opportunity I get to stand in this House I like to go back to where we started and what brought us here. On November 20, the government was sworn in, and on December 4, the Liberal government put its throne speech out. I would like to quote a few paragraphs from that throne speech to give some context to the speech I am giving today:

[Canadians] want leadership that is focused on the things that matter most to them. Things like growing the economy; creating jobs; strengthening the middle class, and helping those working hard to join it.

[Canadians] want to be able to trust their government.

This is not a speech on electoral reform, so I will leave that to the side today. However, certainly, I would question whether the policies the government is putting forward are actually doing the things it set out in the throne speech.

Is this increased taxation helping people join the middle class? Is this increased taxation helping the middle class that is working hard? Is this increased taxation creating prosperity in Canada?

Further on in the throne speech, there is an entire section called “Growth for the Middle Class”. I would like to read a little out of that as well:

First and foremost, the Government believes that all Canadians should have a real and fair chance to succeed. Central to that success is a strong and growing middle class.

The Government will, as an immediate priority, deliver a tax cut for the middle class.

This is the fair thing to do, and the smart thing to do for Canada’s economy.

The Government has also committed to provide more direct help to those who need it by giving less to those who do not. The new Canada Child Benefit will do just that.

It later goes on to talk about creating and supporting “economic growth, job creation and economic prosperity” and “significant new investments”. It talks about “a more secure retirement” and the EI system. In the last paragraph of “Growth for the Middle Class”, this is the one that stands out for me:

The Government will undertake these and other initiatives while pursuing a fiscal plan that is responsible, transparent and suited to challenging economic times.

Canadians are asking this today: Is it responsible for the government to create a deficit of $30 billion when it promised a $10-billion deficit and for that deficit to continue up to 2050? Is it responsible for the Liberal government to leave our children and their children paying for the decisions it is making today? Is it responsible for the government that promised to invest $10 billion a year in new infrastructure spending, matching the $10 billion deficit it promised, to deliver only half of that, only half the economic activity that was promised with this increased deficit?

What the Prime Minister heard day in and day out when he was doing his tour across the country is that it is not. It is not responsible what the government is doing. It is not only hurting Canadians today, it is not only hurting jobs today, it is hurting Canadians of tomorrow, my children, my grandchildren, and the jobs that will not exist because of the increased spending the government is doing.

The second part of that was transparency. When we were first elected, we knew that there was a carbon tax that would be coming down. The Minister of Environment and Climate Change went to Paris with, I think, 300 people and communicated to the Canadian public and to Parliament that there would be a carbon tax brought forward. This House subsequently had a motion putting a $50 per ton carbon tax in place. The bill is yet to be received, but the motion has been adopted by this House.

As Conservatives, we call a tax a tax. Unfortunately, my friends across the way in the Liberal government cannot seem to figure that out, so they called it a “price on carbon”. Then they realized that, hold on, Canadians understand that a carbon tax and a price on carbon are the exact same thing. So they said they are going to call it a “revenue lever”, and they used that for two days, but all of the media held them to account on it and so did the Conservative members and New Democratic members across the way.

We came back after the break for Christmas and we resumed our parliamentary sitting, and it is no longer called a carbon tax, nor a price on carbon, nor a revenue lever. The government is now calling the carbon tax a “pan-Canadian strategy on a clean environment and carbon footprint”. This is because Canadians know that a carbon tax is bad for the economy. It is Orwellian. It is completely changing and whitewashing what the government is doing, and trying to change the channel. However, we know a tax is a tax is a tax. We know that this carbon tax exists. Therefore I question how this throne speech, which clearly says the Liberals are going to be transparent, lives up to the words that were spoken on December 4, 2015.

The third part of that was suited to the challenging economic times. I am not sure that the government members understand what is going on. Last year, we went month by month seeing changes in jobs, with months when more than 30,000 entrepreneurs closed their doors. At the end of the year, we had this as the picture from Stats Canada: more than 20,000 people in the natural resources sector were without jobs this year; more than 19,000 people in the agricultural industry were without jobs this year; more than 70,000 entrepreneurs closed their doors last year; more than 53,000 manufacturing jobs left our country last year.

These are the wealth creators. These are the sectors of our economy that help Canada be a prosperous and free country. At the same time, in Canada last year there were more than 71,000 new public-sector jobs, meaning fewer people paying tax into the system and more people taking taxes out of the system.

It is clear that the current government's policies last year were not suited to the economic times, and introducing a $50 fee per ton of carbon is not suited to these economic times. Who pays the most? It is those who can least afford it.

Many members in this House know that I grew up with very little, in government housing. Quite frankly, there were things that we did without, like a car, many times. However, I can say this. Those who are struggling to make ends meet, who have a job and who are working day in and day out just so they can provide for their families, will be hit hardest by this carbon tax. It will make it harder for them to get the gas to go to work and home. It will make it harder for them to put food on the table as inflation kicks in and the costs are increased. It is going to be more difficult for those who can afford it the least, for those who need the most help to survive.

Therefore what our Conservative Party is doing today is requesting the government to actually have a heart and understand that the taxes it is introducing, whether it is the payroll tax, the carbon tax, or any of the cancellations of tax credits, are affecting Canadians and affecting lower-income Canadians the most.

As members can tell, I love to speak and I could speak all night, but I know my time is coming to an end, so I will end with this. I would ask the government to change its policies, to get in line, and create prosperity in this great country.

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, was it the right thing for our government to introduce the Canada child benefit, which will see approximately $9 billion of net new money flow to families across Canada? Was it the right thing for us to cut taxes for middle-class Canadians, which will benefit nine million Canadians over a five-year period and provide $20 billion of tax relief? Was it the right thing for our government to come to a historic agreement to enhance and strengthen the Canada pension plan for this generation and for generations to come, including my two daughters, Eliana and Natalia?

[Alex Nuttall, Conservative, Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it seems that all the people of Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte know where Vaughan—Woodbridge is it is just 45 minutes away. I hope the member knows where Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte is.

I know the government's heart was in the right place when it brought forward this policy. I am not debating whether Liberals are trying to do the wrong thing. I am telling them they are doing the wrong thing. When they say to people that here is a little bit back, or here is a little more because people are in a situation that is challenging economically and financially and then charge them more for gasoline, for food and for everything they need in their lives to survive, it just does not work.

We need to focus on reducing costs for families. We need to focus on ensuring that Canada is competitive going forward, especially in these times where we have a regime south of the border that is reducing regulation and taxes. We need to ensure that Canada is not just competitive with the United States, but better.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, we hear the Liberals say that they want to strengthen the middle class and help lift those out poverty to join the middle class, although they cannot identify the middle class. They say that they are going to base all their decisions on evidence-based decision-making.

Today, I have heard from people from the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada. They are saying that this is going to do the counter of what the intention is. It is going to hurt health and dental plans. We heard from the business community. People are going to negotiate for higher wages and give up their plans, so it is going to hurt the health of employees. We heard from mill workers who cannot afford to buy houses, and this will increase costs for them.

We are hearing the opposite. Is there any evidence that this will strengthen the middle class, or help lift those out of poverty to join the middle class, which they have not identified? Has the member heard of any evidence-based decision-making that this will improve the health of Canadians?

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I want to remind hon. members that there is a process. One person speaks at a time and shouting across the floor does not really accomplish much. I just wanted to point that out in case anyone forgot that those are the rules.

The hon. member for Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte.

[Alex Nuttall, Conservative, Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would implore my colleagues across the way to show the respect for the New Democratic member that he deserves, being a member of this place and elected by his constituents.

Going back to the question, what the government is doing is taking let us say $10 from a family, then giving them a little back, and then taxing them far more. It does not matter whether it is the health benefits, or a carbon tax, or payroll taxes, there will not be a Canadian, after the government has finished raising all of these taxes, who will get more back than he or she has given.

The Liberals are making us less competitive, and harder for entrepreneurs, young people, and those who are fighting day in and day out to make ends meet. They are making it harder for everyone to be successful, to be prosperous. That is why we need a change in direction. It is time to change course, and I implore my colleagues to do so.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

It being 5:15 p.m., pursuant to order made earlier today, all questions necessary to dispose of the opposition motion are deemed put and a recorded division deemed requested and deferred until Tuesday, February 7, 2017, at the expiry of the time provided for oral questions.

[Deepak Obhrai, Conservative, Calgary Forest Lawn, AB]

When I participated in the debate in Quebec City, I tried very hard to speak French. A lot of people had a lot of comments on that, so I am going to try one more time to speak in French.

Mr. Speaker, if you seek it, I think you will find unanimous consent to see the clock at 5:30 p.m.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

It being 5:30 p.m., the House will now proceed to the consideration of private members' business as listed on today's order paper.

The House resumed from November 22, 2016 consideration of the motion that Bill C-305, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (mischief), be read the second time and referred to a committee.

Criminal Code

[Murray Rankin, NDP, Victoria, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in strong support of Bill C-305, an act to amend the Criminal Code regarding mischief. I want to thank the member for Nepean for bringing this bill forward.

Bill C-305 would make small but significant changes to the way we handle hate-motivated crimes against communal spaces. There are many things we can do to stand up to discrimination and make our communities safer for all of us. This bill is one good step in that direction, so I hope we can all work together to see it debated, improved, and passed into law.

Canada is thought of, at home and abroad, as an inclusive nation, a place that welcomes all people, regardless of culture, language, or religion, with equality and respect. It is a country where diversity is not just accepted but celebrated. We strive to make Canada a nation free from racial intolerance and xenophobia, but recent events remind us that we still have more work to do.

Here in Ottawa, right here in the nation's capital, we have seen mosques, synagogues, and a Jewish community centre vandalized. We have seen discrimination in communities right across Canada, and in Quebec City this weekend, we saw where hatred can lead.

In Canada, racial and ethnic discrimination motivates about half of all police-reported hate crimes. Another quarter of these crimes are driven by prejudice towards religion, and that number, sadly, is rising. In just the last three years, hate crimes against Muslim Canadians have more than doubled. These statistics should not cause us to despair. They should call us to action.

Bill C-305 would expand the protection we give to communal spaces against vandalism driven by hate and discrimination. As it stands, the crime of mischief in our Criminal Code is punishable by up to two years' imprisonment, but where that mischief is motivated by “bias, prejudice or hate based on religion, race, colour or national or ethnic origin”, it becomes punishable by up to 10 years behind bars. This is only the case, however, when the crime is committed against religious property. It does not apply to other community spaces.

Bill C-305 would extend these legal protections to more communal places, including daycare centres, seniors' homes, schools, town halls, and sports arenas, granting them the same protected status as places of religion.

Let us be clear. This is not just some arcane criminal law question. It is about our values. It is about supporting Canadians' right to live without fear of discrimination and to enjoy spaces free from hateful vandalism. It is about making it clear that hate-fuelled vandalism is a hate crime, regardless of where it is committed.

A second benefit of Bill C-305 is that it would expand the list of discriminatory motives for hate crimes to include “gender identity” and “sexual orientation”.

Ten years ago, New Democrats pioneered legislation calling for the inclusion of gender identity as a prohibited basis for discrimination under federal human rights law. I want to acknowledge the incredible hard work and dedication of my colleague for Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, who advanced the cause this far. I want to thank all members from all parties who have joined that cause along the way. Because of the efforts and advocacy of thousands of Canadians, that cause succeeded in passing Bill C-16 recently, which is a milestone in Canada's commitment to inclusion and protection for all.

However, as it stands, the wording of Bill C-305 before us today is inconsistent with Bill C-16 in that it includes gender identity but does not include gender expression. Therefore, for the sake of clarity and consistency, I would propose that both be included and protected by this bill.

We know that one in six hate crimes in Canada is motivated by discrimination toward sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. These are not the most common hate crimes, but they are the most likely to be violent.

I believe an amendment at committee to mirror the language used in Bill C-16 and change “gender identity” to “gender identity or expression” would strengthen the bill and affirm our policy of zero tolerance for transphobic discrimination.

These and other amendments can be considered at committee. However, I want to thank, again, the member for Ottawa West—Nepean for opening the door for much-needed conversation on hate crimes in Canada.

Better laws can counteract these offences. However, changing laws is obviously not enough. We need to teach empathy in our schools, tolerance in our workplaces, and openness and inclusivity in our community centres and spaces. We have a responsibility, now more than ever, to stand up to discrimination. The roots of prejudice are in lack of understanding, and that is within our power to change.

We know that Canada is not immune to the disturbing trends we see south of the border and across Europe. We have seen how playing with the fire of fear and division can spark violence. However, we have also seen acts of great strength. We have seen citizens speaking up for their friends, for their colleagues, or for complete strangers, refusing to let differences divide them. Now is the time when we must look to that strength and reaffirm our commitment to building a safe, resilient, and welcoming Canada for all.

We know what happens when we fail to stand up to those who seek to divide us.

This week, six Canadians were murdered in a mosque, targeted because of their faith. That act of violence shook our country and triggered an outpouring of support for our Muslim friends and neighbours, as Canadians gathered in vigils across the country to remember the victims. However, we cannot ignore that the hatred that led to a gunman in a mosque in Sainte-Foy, Quebec, is not so different from what drives a teenager to spray a swastika on a door in Ottawa or a commuter to hurl racial slurs on a streetcar in Toronto.

It is critical, now more than ever, that we condemn, not only these acts, but also the divisive rhetoric that inspires them.

At a time when so many are fearful, we can lead by example. We can do more to protect the diversity we are so quick to call our greatest strength.

Every individual in Canada has the right to live without fear of persecution. This bill would be one more step to ensuring that right is protected. I urge every parliamentarian to commit to that cause and support the bill.