House of Commons Hansard #295 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was information.

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A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.

Status of WomenAdjournment Proceedings

6:25 p.m.

NDP

Sheila Malcolmson NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC

Madam Speaker, the Liberals promised pay equity 42 years ago. That was a promise made by former prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. They promised it again in 2016, with no rationale at all for the delay. In 2016, a unanimous all-party committee called for pay equity legislation by June of 2017. Here we are, almost a year later, and there is still no legislation. All the women's organizations that testified at committee said there is no reason for delay, and they said repeatedly that justice delayed is justice denied.

In December 2017, the labour minister said, “Our consultations on how to do this are over”, and still we have no pay equity legislation in the House.

The budget documents said that pay equity is essential for women's economic justice, but the budget had no money for pay equity. Barb Byers, who is the former secretary-treasurer of the Canadian Labour Congress, said:

Let us also be mindful that women have been waiting for longer than [14] years. We have been waiting for decades and decades, and while we wait, the debt owed to those who are caught in the wage gap continues to mount.

My team asked the Library of Parliament to calculate the cost of that debt over the 2004-2017 period. The calculation begins in 2004 because that is when the previous Liberal government had a pay equity task force and had legislation and never moved on it. The Library of Parliament calculated that over this period, the wage theft from Canadian women was equivalent to $678 billion in wages. That figure represents about 33% of the gross domestic product in 2015. That is a colossal effect.

Fourteen years have passed since the pay equity task force called for pay equity legislation, and over those years, Canadian women would have had $678 billion more in their pockets. Still there is no legislation and no money in the 2018 budget.

Last year, an alternative federal budget was put together by progressive NGOs across the country under the banner of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, and it stated that $10 million a year would fund pay equity. The CCPA also recommended it in last year's budget, and nothing was done. For this year's budget, the Canadian Labour Congress asked the federal government to, at a minimum, fund the establishment of a pay equity commissioner and a pay equity office and the infrastructure needed to implement legislation once it comes. Again there was nothing. No funds were devoted to implement pay equity.

To the minister's representative, why does the government continue to delay justice with respect to funding for the implementation of pay equity, and how much longer will women have to wait to be paid equally for work of equal value?

Status of WomenAdjournment Proceedings

6:25 p.m.

Acadie—Bathurst New Brunswick

Liberal

Serge Cormier LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration

Madam Speaker, our government strongly believes in the principle of equal pay for work of equal value, regardless of gender.

However, as we know, that is not the case. Regardless of how we measure it, women continue to be paid less than men. A recent Statistics Canada survey found that, in 2017, Canadian women earned only 88.5 cents for every dollar earned by men. We know that our government must take action, and that is exactly what we are doing. In budget 2018, we committed to implementing a pay equity reform in federally regulated workplaces and to bringing in proactive pay equity legislation by the end of 2018. Ensuring that Canadian women get equal pay for equal work strengthens our economy and families and helps our communities to prosper.

This historic proactive pay equity legislation will ensure that on average, women and men in federally regulated sectors will receive the same pay for work of equal value.

We know it took a little time. However, we have to acknowledge that reforming pay equity is a complex task. There are examples of proactive pay equity systems, and we can learn from them. However, we also have to come up with pay equity reforms that work for various kinds of federally regulated workplaces, from the public service to small businesses.

We want to be sure we are implementing well-designed, effective policies that will produce positive results.

A proactive approach would require employers to regularly review their wage systems, identify inequalities between men and women, and take action to eliminate them.

That way, we are presenting Canadians a balanced, sensible, and effective pay equity reform. To get there, we promised them that we would introduce a bill on pay equity before the end of 2018. That is exactly what we will do.

The Special Committee on Pay Equity was set up in 2016. It produced a report with several recommendations, including one to consult stakeholders on developing new legislation. That is precisely what we did. We consulted a huge number of stakeholders. As we move forward with pay equity reform, new legislation will be based on the valuable feedback we gathered during our consultations.

We have also taken measures to impose a zero tolerance policy with regard to workplace violence and harassment. Even though workplace violence and harassment can happen to everyone, women are more likely than men to be victims of this behaviour. We know that this behaviour can have an adverse effect on women's careers and futures.

We want to help create a society where the contributions of women are recognized and valued, and where everyone is treated fairly, regardless of their gender. Achieving pay equity in the federal jurisdiction is also an important part of that.

Status of WomenAdjournment Proceedings

6:30 p.m.

NDP

Sheila Malcolmson NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC

Madam Speaker, it is frustrating how the rhetoric of the government does not line up with its legislative or spending priorities. What the member just described in detail, I could have done myself, except for the finish, which has no action associated with it. Therefore, women are not going to get any benefit of pay equity until after the next election, if the government follows through and keeps its word.

At the status of women committee, the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, the largest nursing organization in Canada, representing 200,000 nurses, who are largely female as it is a gendered industry, said that an important first step for economic justice for women in Canada would be to implement the 2004 pay equity task force recommendations. Why is the government so slow to act?

Status of WomenAdjournment Proceedings

6:30 p.m.

Liberal

Serge Cormier Liberal Acadie—Bathurst, NB

Madam Speaker, I do not know whether the member heard my response, but I repeat that we will be introducing a bill this fall. We have said this a number of times, and I think that the member has heard us.

We know that we need to do more for women, in particular by implementing effective, well-designed policies that yield positive results. This is exactly what we are doing. For example, we increased support for day care services, we made home care more accessible, and we made massive investments in training for women. We will be introducing a bill this fall. I do not know whether the member heard me, but we will do it. This is a clear commitment from our government.

The EnvironmentAdjournment Proceedings

6:30 p.m.

Conservative

Kevin Waugh Conservative Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK

Madam Speaker, last Friday, May 4, right here in the House, I raised the issue of the Liberal cover-up of the carbon tax with the public safety minister. I explained how this tax would lead to severe negative economic consequences for my province of Saskatchewan. I might add that the minister is also from Saskatchewan. I mentioned how it will reduce Saskatchewan's international competitiveness as an energy exporter. We have many oil companies in our province of Saskatchewan and they are competing directly with the United States.

A tax increase of this size and of this scale affects everyone in my province, in fact, everyone in the country. The carbon tax is everyone's business. Why then is the Liberal government refusing to offer any accountability to Canadians by withholding information on the cost that this carbon tax will have on families in Saskatchewan? We know that families are going to see their heating prices go up. We know that families will be faced with the prospect of a higher price for gasoline: 11.5% is the speculation. Families will see more of their own money disappear due to the policies of the Liberal government and the Prime Minister. We already know the Prime Minister could care less, because he is a multi-millionaire.

This affects the first-class citizens of my province and our country, the people that go to work from 8 to 4, or 9 to 5, or 3 to midnight, or midnight to 8 in the morning. This tax will affect every man, woman, and child in my province of Saskatchewan.

How can Canadians hold the government to account for critical information being withheld from them on the carbon tax which they will be forced to pay come September? The people of Saskatchewan deserve transparency. They deserve it from the public safety minister who comes right from the city of Regina. They deserve to know the truth about the cost of this legislation coming from the federal government.

However, the Liberals continue to fail to afford them any basic respect at all and instead have chosen to withhold this information, despite multiple requests for information which have been filed by our party.

We have talked to the public safety minister. We have talked to the finance minister. We have talked to the environment minister. We get absolutely no answers on what this carbon tax will cost Canadians, including those in my province of Saskatchewan.

This kind of behaviour from the government signals it has no intention at all of having an open debate on the carbon tax or its costs on Canadians and on our economy.

The Province of Saskatchewan understands the critical negative impact which is at stake. It is going to take this carbon tax all the way to the Supreme Court. It is the only jurisdiction in this country that has stood tall against the federal government.

Why will the minister not defend my province of Saskatchewan and give us the numbers on the carbon tax cover-up? People in my province of Saskatchewan deserve the numbers.

The EnvironmentAdjournment Proceedings

6:35 p.m.

Northumberland—Peterborough South Ontario

Liberal

Kim Rudd LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know polluting is not free. Severe weather due to climate change is already costing Canadians billions of dollars a year in insurance costs. Across the country, Canadians have experienced first-hand devastating wildfires, extreme flooding, severe droughts, and stronger storms.

Canadians overwhelmingly support action on climate change and a growing economy. We know pricing pollution works. It is a low-cost solution that fights climate change, encourages innovation, keeps our economy strong, and creates good middle-class jobs.

According to the World Bank, nearly half the world's economy is pricing pollution today, including China, California, and the EU. Canada's five major banks, along with many companies in the consumer goods, energy, and resources development sectors also support putting a price on pollution.

A price on carbon pollution gives households and businesses a powerful incentive to save money by making choices like turning down the thermostat and taking transit, or investing in clean solutions like more efficient appliances and vehicles.

We have released an analysis that shows that putting a price on pollution across Canada will significantly reduce carbon pollution while maintaining a strong and growing economy. Our analysis found that a price on carbon across Canada could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90 million tonnes in 2022. This is as much as taking 23 million to 26 million cars off the road or shutting down 20 to 23 coal-fired power plants for a year. It also shows that carbon pricing reduces pollution without hurting Canada's GDP.

National GDP is estimated to grow by about 2% a year between now and 2022, with or without carbon pricing. This does not include the huge opportunity that clean innovation spurred by carbon pricing will have in helping Canadian companies create jobs and compete successfully in the global shift to cleaner growth, an opportunity the World Bank estimates will be worth $23 trillion globally between now and 2030.

Real world experience backs that up. Last year, the four provinces with a price on pollution, B.C., Alberta, Quebec, and Ontario, led the country in economic growth. Putting a price on pollution will make Canada's economy stronger over time, help create new economic opportunities, and good middle-class jobs.

The EnvironmentAdjournment Proceedings

6:40 p.m.

Conservative

Kevin Waugh Conservative Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK

Madam Speaker, last Friday, the public safety minister boasted about a speech he had given in his city of Regina on July 20, 2017. I am will quote one of the sections from his speech. It says, “the revenue that comes directly from carbon pricing must go to the people of the province in which it is raised – not to Ottawa...” We have since found out that the government will keep the GST from carbon tax. That is not sharing with my province of Saskatchewan. This is a false document that the Minister of Public Safety gave to the Canadian Club in his city of Regina.

We have done some calculation on gas, and 43 billion litres was sold in 2016. At $1 a litre, the government of the day would collect over $2 billion in taxes from the GST alone, yet the Liberals are not sharing this. It is all about transparency.

Why have the Liberals hidden the numbers and the GST numbers from Canadians?

The EnvironmentAdjournment Proceedings

6:40 p.m.

Liberal

Kim Rudd Liberal Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON

Madam Speaker, carbon pricing, as we know, is the key to any credible climate plan because it is a cost-effective way to significantly reduce pollution while driving clean innovation and creating new jobs. A price on carbon creates a powerful incentive to cut pollution. It encourages people and businesses to save money by making cleaner choices like better insulating their homes or upgrading to more efficient equipment.

Carbon pricing is a foundation of Canada's clean growth and climate action plan. Four out of five Canadians live in jurisdictions that are already pricing carbon pollution today. By ensuring all parts of Canada price pollution at the same standard, we will help ensure we drive down our emissions and grow our economy.

The EnvironmentAdjournment Proceedings

6:40 p.m.

NDP

The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes

The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 2 p.m., pursuant to order made on Tuesday, May 8, 2018.

(The House adjourned at 6:44 p.m.)