House of Commons Hansard #359 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was jurors.
The House resumed consideration of Bill C-86, A second Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on February 27, 2018 and other measures, as reported (with amendments) from the committee, and of the motions in Group No. 1.
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his speech. I do not doubt his sincerity, but I really did not get an answer to the question I asked earlier. It was a very simple question.
My colleague attends many of our committee meetings and he knows very well that the Quebec cultural sector sees as an injustice the fact that regular buyers of their content will be at a disadvantage compared with Netflix, for example, when it comes time to offer content on the web using their on-demand platforms.
He knows full well that the entire cultural sector would at least like to make sure that buyers are not at a disadvantage on the web, since the government is not requiring that Netflix collect GST on acquisitions and services in Canada, just as it does not require that Google collect tax on ad sales.
I am asking the question. I hope that my colleague will not give excuses and that he will answer my question. It is baffling that, despite the fact that Canada is a G7 nation and that it is performing better in certain areas—although it is also less savvy—we are not asking that federal and provincial taxes be collected on these subscriptions.
I hope to get an answer or at least an admission that he does not know.
Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 2Government Orders
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism (Multiculturalism), Lib.
Madam Speaker, I certainly do not doubt the sincerity of my friend on the other side with respect to this issue. He has been a very strong advocate for culture in Quebec and Canada.
The nature of production is changing. Our government has made it very clear that high-tech companies are not getting a free ride in Canada. If they participate in the system, we expect them to pay into the system. That is why we will be undertaking consultations on this issue.
With respect to the overall strength of the economy, I can speak to the greater Toronto area. Virtually, every weekend if I go downtown, I am seeing dozens of vehicles stopping traffic because of productions taking place. There are many production houses in the greater Toronto area, Montreal and Vancouver. I think this speaks well of our overall cultural sector.
The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes
The hon. member for Longueuil—Saint-Hubert on a point of order.
Pierre Nantel NDP Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
Madam Speaker, I do not know whether this is a translation problem, but I was expecting a very simple answer. It took two minutes and I did not hear the words “I do not know”.
The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes
I think that is a matter for debate. If the hon. member for Longueuil—Saint-Hubert has a question, he may stand.
Resuming questions and comments, the hon. member for Beauport—Limoilou.
Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Madam Speaker, I am sure that the member must have skipped one of the paragraphs in his speech where he was intending to announce when the government would balance the budget. That has always been the case in Canada's history. Maybe he could check his speech once more. All of my constituents are calling non-stop every single day about when the budget will be balanced.
Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 2Government Orders
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism (Multiculturalism), Lib.
Madam Speaker, I am surprised the member has time to be in the House when he is answering so many questions from his constituents.
The paragraph I want to refer to is one that deals with the strength of the economy. Canada has one of the lowest debt-to-GDP ratios of any G7 country. We are on a sound economic footing.
I would love to talk about deficits. We can talk about the social deficits resulting from 10 years of neglect by the previous Conservative government. If one looks at the infrastructure deficit in Toronto community housing, where walls are falling apart and have not been painted for over a decade, one can see a serious deficit. We can talk about a number of issues, but when we talk about deficits it is also important to understand the effects that our infrastructure deficit has had on our country.
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Madam Speaker, as their federal member of Parliament, I thank the good people of my riding of Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke for giving me the privilege to represent their interests. Together, we inform all Canadians about the deteriorating state of the nation's finances, as demonstrated by the economic update that was delivered by the government less than a week ago. It is even less relevant today than on the day it was delivered.
The Conservatives believe in clean air, low taxes and a healthy economy. A clean environment and well-paying jobs are only possible when taxpayers are treated with respect. This is in marked contrast to the Liberal governments, which stifle competitiveness and investment with their out-of-control deficit policies.
In Ontario, we have suffered rising small business and personal taxes. A higher minimum wage was introduced with no thought of its negative impacts, like job losses and soaring electricity rates. However, the additional environmental laws and regulations brought on by the federal Liberal government are driven by ideology rather than common sense, including the new carbon tax that will do nothing to help the environment and will make Canada a bad place to invest. Of course, entrepreneurs already figured this out years ago when they moved their capital out of Canada after the last election.
Carbon taxes raise the cost of doing business, a cost that will be shouldered on the backs of ordinary Canadians.
Thoughtful Canadians who follow my speeches in Parliament will recall when I first sounded the alarm, shortly after the 2015 election, on where the finances of our nation where headed.
Since the 2015 election, there has been an unprecedented flight of capital from Canada. After October 19, 2015, over $122 billion fled the country. For the first time, according to Statistics Canada, total Canadian investment in the United States exceeded that of the United States holdings in Canada. Scared investors fled the country. Capital that should have been available for the private sector to create jobs in Canada instead was used to create jobs in Trump's America.
Make no doubt about it, the government has been getting a free ride on the American recovery. As demonstrated by the announcement of more job losses in the automotive manufacturing sector, the free ride is over. Between Canadian investment dollars and cheap oil, the Prime Minister has been Donald Trump's best friend, to the harm of working Canadians.
In the first five months of office, the Liberals spent the Conservative budget surplus and burned through billions more. Then they proceeded to fake news their way through their bad spending and changing accounting methods to try to cover up the Conservative budget surplus. Ontario taxpayers have seen this cover-up before, when the disgraced former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne tried to cover up how much the Toronto Liberal Party had driven Ontario into debt with her bad spending and making election bribes and promises that taxpayers could not afford.
This economic statement is costly and dogmatic, with no plan to balance the budget and the finances of Canada anytime in the future. Only a Liberal government would brag about taxes fattening coffers.
What did the finance minister do with the tax windfall the government collected from average, working, middle-class Canadians? He spent it. Rather than slowing the growth of the federal deficit in a budget that will never be balanced, as long as the member for Toronto Centre is the finance minister, he spent the additional tax revenues and more on bad spending.
The government wasted taxpayer dollars on things like a $500,000 logo and $40,000 on propaganda and Facebook ads aimed at telling children how to use a stove. Let us not forget the $65 million dollars that was spent on big greenhouse gas producing SUVs to impress G7 members as part of the Prime Minister's vanity project to buy a seat on the UN Security Council.
The Liberals broke their election promise in raising taxes on small business. By selectively raiding the employment insurance account, payroll taxes are set to rise along with the changes to CPP the government has legislated to start next year.
These additional costs are layered on top of the rise in minimum wage.
Our party left government with a $3.2 billion surplus and had the best job creation record among the G7 countries. As a result, we were able to keep taxes low for Canadian families and businesses. We reduced taxes to their lowest point in 50 years, with a typical family of four saving almost $7,000 a year.
Energy poverty is now a fact of life in my riding of Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke. This economic statement does nothing to help people in need. Luckily, smart voters elected Doug Ford to put a stop to corrupt electricity practices of the previous provincial party. The good he is trying to do is being undermined by the deficit-obsessed Liberal Party. The economic statement makes energy poverty worse for all Canadians, with more money for industrial wind turbines. Unlike before in only Ontario, now every time one is put up, everyone's taxes increase.
In Ontario, the price of electricity to consumers rose to the highest level in North America. This federal government action just picks a different taxpayer's pocket with the same failed policies that resulted in Ontario being the most indebted subnational government in the world.
What is the policy of the government that is driving the deficit so high and costing more job losses in the automotive manufacturing sector? The policy of the Liberal government is to intentionally wind down Canada's fossil fuel industry and with the most recent announcement from General Motors, the products which use the fuel as well.
The Prime Minister clearly stated in January of 2017, “We need to manage the transition off our dependence on fossil fuels.”
The Calgary Herald wrote:
That’s what the Liberals have been doing since being elected in 2015.
They’re managing down Alberta’s industry by imposing new regulations, killing pipeline options, withdrawing tax incentives and passing energy-hostile bills such as C-48 and C-69...
The crash in prices for Alberta oil and bitumen is a direct result of Liberal hostility to both the Northern Gateway and the Energy East pipelines....The damage to federal finances...will be huge...but it seems slow to sink in.
[Maybe that's because] for many [government] MPs and ministers, the energy crisis may even look look like a kind of victory.
Now, the Liberal Party can claim another victory with the announcement that thousands will lose their jobs at the General Motors factory in Ontario. While the policy to kill the Alberta economy is working, maybe a bit too well, it remains to be seen how the federal government will react as this policy to shut down the fossil fuel industry is felt across the country, with more job losses, particularly in the automotive manufacturing sector which is centred in central Canada.
The policy to shut down the oil and gas industry can only be followed by shutting down the industries that need fossil fuel to operate. I am waiting for proper main stream media reporting on this story.
As the rising deficit and more of the government's disastrous policies work their way into Canada's economy, the only response by the government can only be labelled as a threat to democracy in Canada.
Rather than changing direction, the response by principal secretary Gerald Butts and the rest of the Prime Minister's handlers is to double down with a propaganda campaign and an audacious plan to bribe the Canadian media in how facts are either reported or selectively omitted.
When a Conservative MP utters the words “fake news”, it launches headlines in the Globe and Mail, Global News and the Ottawa Citizen. When the member for Ottawa Centre calls a columnist she does not like “fake news”, or attacks a climate scientist or another member of Parliament, the response by too many members of the captive media is silence or some form of fake news. How many more independent voices in the media will be silenced with this bribe that is being offered? As well, how about the timing, in an election year?
Democracy depends on an independent media. The so-called “arm's-length panel” that will act like a government censor board to determine who gets direct funding is a model ripe for abuse. Censor boards will censor. That is what they are intended to do. The Liberals have stolen the media's power to set the federal election debates. Now they are turning the media into a political wedge issue on what gets reported.
The voters in my riding know a bribe when they see it and they know when a political party is trying to stack the deck in its own favour. All of this bad spending is being done with borrowed money.
Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Madam Speaker, the problem with asking a question is because there is so much inaccurate information, where does one begin. Every year, over 200,000 people die in Canada. I am surprised she did not blame that on the Government of Canada.
To focus the member on a specific question, could she explain to the House why the Conservatives, who have been in power for 38% of the time in Canada's 151 years, have accumulated 75% of the debt. They are very good at debt accumulation. When I asked the previous Conservative member this, he said “blame the Liberals”.
In case she is thinking of blaming the Liberals, let me just remind her that Stephen Harper inherited a multi-billion dollar surplus and before the recession even got under way, he converted it into a multi-billion dollar deficit. I wonder if she could explain to Canadians why they should believe the Conservatives know anything about deficit management.
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Mr. Speaker, once again, I thank my most loyal fan across the way for asking the first question today.
I want to remind everyone of the Flaherty principle, which really does work. Flaherty's principle is that as we reduce taxes, overall revenues increase. That is why when we were government, we were able to lower taxes and grow jobs and the economy at the same time. In fact, we saved the average family of four $7,000, the lowest tax rate in over 50 years.
Let us not forget what has happened just this week. It is not just the oil sands the government is shutting down. Now, and we are seeing it at GM, it is beginning to shut down the industries that are related to and use fossil fuels. This is only going to compound the problem. The debt it is racking up is going to cost even more.
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Mr. Speaker, I think all parliamentarians were quite shocked when the retirees and employees of Sears, after it shut down, lost significant amounts of their pensions. I know one of the deficiencies in the bill before the House, and something on which the government chose not to act, was to amend the Bankruptcy Act and other similar legislation that would ensure that workers' pensions would be protected upon bankruptcy.
Does my hon. colleague agree that workers who defer their salaries and wages and put them into company pension plans should have their money protected from creditors in the event of a bankruptcy or is she content with the status quo?
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Mr. Speaker, like the member who just spoke, we in our community have many people who were already retired and were collecting pensions from Sears. We also endured many people who suffered as a consequence of Nortel.
With Sears specifically, and with the different automotive companies that have huge debts, this has come from the provincial holiday given these companies. Therefore, the most important measure to be taken first is for the non federally-regulated pensions to be required to ensure there is always more than enough funding in the pension pool.
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
Mr. Speaker, I heard my hon. colleague mention several times through her address that reducing fossil fuels was put forward as a bad thing. I wonder if her view is that we should increase production of fossil fuels or eliminate them so we have some chance of survival on this planet.
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Mr. Speaker, as the fossil fuel industry in Canada winds down and more fossil fuels are taken out of the ground in countries outside of Canada, in places where they do not have the environmental laws we do, the emissions are actually increasing. As a total result of shutting down our oil sands, we are getting more emissions overall in other countries, because they do not sequestrate the carbon, let alone pay attention to the overall emission rules.
Eva Nassif Liberal Vimy, QC
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak today on the topic of Bill C-86.
As the member for Vimy and a member of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women, I am proud of our government’s accomplishments and their impact on the lives of middle-class Canadians in my riding and across the country.
We continue to implement policies to benefit the middle class and all those who are working hard to join it. We believe in the importance of investing in all Canadians. Our economy is strong and in full expansion, and middle-class Canadians are enjoying the direct and concrete benefits of our plan’s effectiveness.
The number of employed Canadians is on the rise; the unemployment rate has reached its lowest level in 40 years; we have seen the strongest economic growth of all the G7 nations; salaries are increasing; consumer and business confidence is on the rise; and businesses are investing because they believe in our plan, which promotes sustainable growth.
A year from now in 2019, a typical middle-class family of four will be taking home $2,000 more. Thanks to the Canada child benefit, 300,000 children will be lifted out of poverty. Nine out of 10 families receive this benefit, which, in my riding alone, has helped more than 19,000 children.
Thanks to programs such as the Canada child benefit and the national housing strategy, we have improved Canadians’ living conditions. Last week marked the strategy's first anniversary. Since we took power, we have also improved seniors’ benefits by bringing the eligibility for old age security back down to age 65 and by enhancing the guaranteed income supplement. We have done all this by reducing taxes for the less fortunate and increasing them for the wealthy.
We have also invested in sustainable infrastructures and created numerous jobs. I am pleased to inform the House that, in the past 12 months alone, more than $55 million was invested in the electrification of public transit in my riding of Vimy. I am proud that the City of Laval is showing leadership in the area of sustainable infrastructure.
Moreover, to address the affordable housing crisis across Canada, we invested to help our most vulnerable families. In my riding, we invested in the first stage of the Val-Martin affordable housing project, and people are thrilled. There is still a long waiting list as 1,000 people still await affordable housing. This is a first step, and we are moving in the right direction.
Our constituents are happy because they are seeing the positive impact of our investments on their lives. Yes, we have a lot of debt, but we are investing in Canadians’ lives. Affordable housing is an issue of interest to all Canadians. There is still a lot to be done, but we are happy to continue to work to solve this problem that has been around for decades.
As a woman and a member of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women, I would like to point out that, like each year, the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence will take place from November 25 to December 10. This is an opportunity for every one of us to reaffirm our commitment to preventing and eliminating the violence suffered by almost half of all girls and young women in Canada.
These 16 days are essential because we honour the work done in the past to fight gender-based violence. We also see the importance of contributing to the fight so that we can make a difference by working together.
Our government has also advanced the cause of pay equity, since ensuring equal pay for equal work is the smart thing to do. It is a key initiative our government has taken to honour its commitment to ensuring gender equality.
We have passed legislation according to the results of gender-based analysis to make sure that every Canadian has a fair and equal change to succeed. It is not simply the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do. Canada’s future prosperity depends on it. Our government placed gender equality at the heart of its decision-making process in order to support women, reduce the gender wage gap, promote the participation of women in the workplace, and continue to build a country and an economy that works for everyone.
We have created a whole new department: the department of women and gender equality. Our government understands that gender equality is key to economic growth. The new Status of Women department will improve our ability to advance the cause of gender equality, and grow the middle class through policies, programs and the funding of community organizations dedicated to ensuring equality.
Thanks to these laws and policies, the government will be better able to capitalize on the momentum of international movements such as #MeToo, Time’s Up and women’s marches to make major changes for the benefit of Canadians of all gender identities. Our government launched the women entrepreneurship strategy and gave it $2 billion in funding.
We also opened the country up to foreign markets and new clienteles. This is the spirit in which our government negotiated the trade agreements that will give Canadians privileged access to 1.5 billion new overseas customers.
We have made a lot of progress in three years, but there is still a lot to do. I am proud to be part of this government. I am still very proud of representing the people of Vimy, and I promise them that I will do my best, with our government, to help all of the poor and grow the economy in my riding and across the country.
Harold Albrecht Conservative Kitchener—Conestoga, ON
Mr. Speaker, my colleague listed a number of accomplishments that the current government has achieved, but she did not list the great increase in the deficit and the increase in interest costs. At one point, she said that investor confidence is growing.
It certainly is not growing in my area. I can tell her of a number of small and medium-sized enterprises that are losing confidence. Not only are they unable to expand like they had hoped to do, they are laying off people. This is going on across the country.
The Bank of Canada actually confirms this because the new Canadian investments into the U.S. have gone up by two-thirds, by 66%, over the last three years. U.S. investment into Canada decreased by 52%.
I would like it if my colleague could give us some actual concrete evidence for her comments that investor confidence is growing, because that is not my experience.
Eva Nassif Liberal Vimy, QC
Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague opposite for his question. Yes, in fact, we do have a lot of debt but we have invested in economic growth and infrastructure and we have created over 600,000 jobs. I can assure my colleague opposite that a lot of jobs have been created in my riding of Vimy. We have also boosted investor confidence. Investor confidence has increased since we were elected. We are leading the G7. We are working hard to continue on this positive course.
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Mr. Speaker, this has been a question asked regularly and I wonder if the member has any thoughts on it. Since we have limited time, I will state it simply. When will the budget balance itself?
Eva Nassif Liberal Vimy, QC
Mr. Speaker, that is not what is most important right now. We inherited a lot of debt from the Conservative government, which never managed to achieve good economic growth.
I just told the member's colleague that we are sure that we are on the right track. In the current economic situation, investing is the right thing to do. The numbers speak for themselves. We are leading the G7. We have a good economy that works. We have a lot of jobs. That is the proof. We will balance the budget, but we are proud of what we have accomplished and of the fact that Canada is leading the G7 at this time of global uncertainty.
The Deputy Speaker Conservative Bruce Stanton
It being 5:45 p.m., pursuant to order made earlier today, it is my duty to interrupt the proceedings and put forthwith every question necessary to dispose of the report stage of the bill now before the House.
The question is on Motion No. 2. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?
The Deputy Speaker Conservative Bruce Stanton
All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.