House of Commons Hansard #378 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was quebeckers.

Topics

Indigenous Languages ActRoutine Proceedings

10:05 a.m.

Pablo Rodriguez Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism, Lib.

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-91, An Act respecting Indigenous languages.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Animal WelfarePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

10:05 a.m.

Conservative

Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to table a petition submitted by constituents in my riding of Calgary Midnapore. These individuals clearly care deeply about the welfare of animals and are asking that the sale and/or manufacturing of animal-tested cosmetics and their ingredients be banned in Canada moving forward.

PlasticsPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

10:05 a.m.

NDP

Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC

Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions to introduce today, signed by many residents of Vancouver Kingsway and the Lower Mainland of British Columbia.

The first is a petition to establish a national strategy to combat plastic pollution. Many residents point out their concern that plastics are making their way into various bodies of water via storm drains and are interfering with our global ocean currents, and this is causing massive problems for species and bodies of water around the world. They call on the government to adopt a national strategy to combat this immediately.

Public TransitPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

10:05 a.m.

NDP

Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC

Mr. Speaker, my second petition is calling on the government to enact a Canadian public transit strategy that would provide a permanent investment plan to support public transit and establish funding mechanisms for that purpose and to work with all levels of government to provide sustainable, predictable, long-term and adequate funding.

PharmacarePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

10:05 a.m.

NDP

Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC

Mr. Speaker, my final petition calls on the government to immediately implement public, comprehensive, universal pharmacare. It points out that 20% of Canadians are unable to fill their prescriptions due to cost, that people have to struggle to pay for the medicine they need, that Canada is the only country in the world with universal medicare that does not include prescription drugs and that we can save billions of dollars while covering every Canadian. They urge the government to follow the New Democrat plan and to do so immediately.

Trans Mountain PipelinePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

10:05 a.m.

Green

Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise this morning with an e-petition signed by 15,577 Canadians. When the petition started, it was not post-dated, as things now stand. They were calling on the government not to do what the government has done. The 15,577 residents of Canada were calling on the government to immediately halt plans to purchase the Trans Mountain pipeline or otherwise support its expansion. I submit that the petitioners would want it noted that they asked the government to take into consideration that shipping out raw bitumen is also shipping out Canadian jobs and that we do not know how to clean up a spill of diluted bitumen.

HealthPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

10:05 a.m.

NDP

Anne Minh-Thu Quach NDP Salaberry—Suroît, QC

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition signed by residents of Akwesasne.

The petitioners ask the government to provide funding for the clinical treatment of drug and alcohol abuse disorders for first nations, because drug and alcohol abuse disorders have significant impacts on first nations. People suffering from these disorders have a right to proper treatment and culturally appropriate treatment methods, and holistic approaches are essential to treat substance abuse disorders.

They call on the government to make funding available immediately for treatment centres throughout Canada, such as in the White Pine Healing Lodge in Akwesasne.

Canadian HeritagePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

10:05 a.m.

Liberal

John Aldag Liberal Cloverdale—Langley City, BC

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table a petition this morning that is a follow-up to a series of petitions I tabled in the fall calling on the government to invest in historic places in Canada, including with the reinstatement of $10 million per year for the national cost-share program. The signatures come from across Ontario. I am pleased to present this petition on behalf of those interested in heritage in Canada.

PharmacarePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

10:05 a.m.

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB

Mr. Speaker, I would like to table yet another petition from the residents of Winnipeg North in support of the government looking into the possibility of having a national pharmacare program for prescribed medicines and working with the many different stakeholders to somehow make that happen.

Vision CarePetitionsRoutine Proceedings

10:05 a.m.

NDP

Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to present two petitions in the House this morning. The first is from citizens calling on the government to commit to acknowledging eye health and vision care as a growing public health issue and to respond to it, particularly for Canada's vulnerable populations, namely children, seniors, diabetics and indigenous people, through the development of a national framework for action to promote eye health and vision care, which will benefit all Canadians through the reduction of vision impairment resulting from preventable conditions and the modification of known risk factors.

Falun GongPetitionsRoutine Proceedings

10:05 a.m.

NDP

Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB

Mr. Speaker, the second petition I have the honour of presenting today has to do with the persecution of practitioners of Falun Gong in China and is particularly concerned with the apprehension of Canadian citizen Ms. Sun Qian, who was abducted by the Chinese government.

The petition calls for Canada to condemn the illegal arrest of a Canadian citizen for practising Falun Gong and calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Canadian citizen Ms. Sun Qian.

Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

10:05 a.m.

Winnipeg North Manitoba

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all questions be allowed to stand at this time.

Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

10:05 a.m.

The Speaker

Is that agreed?

Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

10:05 a.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

10:10 a.m.

Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism, Lib.

Pablo Rodriguez

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order. Minutes ago I was able to table first reading of our bill to preserve and revitalize indigenous languages across the country. This is a historic moment and a great initiative of co-development.

Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

10:10 a.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

I thank the hon. minister, but of course, this is not a point of order. I understand, and I think members understand, why he wanted to do that, but it is not strictly a point of order.

Opposition Motion—Single Tax Return in QuebecBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

10:10 a.m.

Conservative

Alain Rayes Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC

moved:

That, given:

(a) the House has great respect for provincial jurisdiction and trust in provincial institutions;

(b) the people of Quebec are burdened with completing and submitting two tax returns, one federal and one provincial;

(c) the House believes in cutting red tape and reducing unnecessary paperwork to improve the everyday lives of families; therefore,

the House call on the government to work with the Government of Quebec to implement a single tax return in Quebec, as adopted unanimously in the motion of the National Assembly of Quebec on May 15, 2018.

Mr. Speaker, I am truly proud to rise in the House to talk about the motion we moved today. I want to thank my colleague Pat Kelly, the member for Calgary Rocky Ridge, for seconding it. He is also the Conservative revenue critic.

To begin with, allow me to read out the motion, so that everyone can understand the sizeable impact it could have on Quebeckers if the government finally decides to drop its paternalistic, centralist approach and instead start listening to the public, the way we on this side of the House listen to the public.

The motion that we moved today is fairly simple, and I cannot understand how anyone could be against it.

I would like to give some background for those watching at home. This is not something we made up. It is a fact. The only place in Canada where people still have to fill out two tax returns is Quebec. This is a critical moment in Canada's history. For the first time, all of the political parties in Quebec—the right, the left, the federalists and the sovereignists—and members of the National Assembly from the regions and urban centres voted unanimously on May 15, 2018, to say that they want to do the same as the rest of Canada and fill out only one tax return in the spring. No one likes filling out their tax return, but we all have to do it.

That is what we heard from people on the ground. That is what MPs, senators and our leader, Andrew Scheer, heard. Our leader kicked off his “Listening to Quebecers” tour last April and wrapped it up two weeks ago with a 75-plus-page report. I myself tabled the report, which details what the people of Quebec's 17 administrative regions told us. We are not making any of this up. We are just moving a motion that addresses the concerns and the wishes of the people of Quebec and those elected to represent them in the National Assembly.

Acting on that evidence, at our first general council in Saint-Hyacinthe last May, the vast majority of Quebec members of the Conservative Party of Canada voted to pursue this matter even further.

Last August, during our national convention in Halifax that brought together 3,000 members from across Canada, Conservative Party of Canada members unanimously voiced agreement with this resolution to support Quebeckers and the National Assembly's call to make their lives easier.

Is it not our job to simplify things for people, cut red tape and ensure that government is working for the people? Surely we are not here to serve the machinery of government and the Prime Minister's ambition, though that is apparently what the Prime Minister and the Liberals opposite would prefer, given how freely they spend our money. Does our money belong to the government? No, it is the people's money. Maybe we can talk about this more later, but the Prime Minister's never-ending deficits speak volumes.

The Conservative Party of Canada leader, Andrew Scheer, clearly stated—

Opposition Motion—Single Tax Return in QuebecBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

10:15 a.m.

Liberal

The Assistant Deputy Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

Order. The hon. member for Elmwood—Transcona on a point of order.

Opposition Motion—Single Tax Return in QuebecBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

10:15 a.m.

NDP

Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB

Mr. Speaker, the member referred to the Conservative leader by name, which is not allowed in the House.

Opposition Motion—Single Tax Return in QuebecBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

10:15 a.m.

Liberal

The Assistant Deputy Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

I believe the member has understood. That was the third time he did so, and I allowed it, but I am sure the hon. member will avoid doing so again. I invite the member to continue.

Opposition Motion—Single Tax Return in QuebecBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

10:15 a.m.

Conservative

Alain Rayes Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC

Mr. Speaker, I want to apologize. I know the rules, but believe me when I say I got too excited about the upcoming election and I want to support my leader in everything he is doing. You are quite right, and I will try to be more careful for the rest of my speech.

The leader of the official opposition and, I must say, the future prime minister of Canada, has clearly stated that the day after a Conservative government is elected on October 21, 2018, we will begin taking steps with the Government of Quebec to ensure that all Quebeckers, like the rest of Canadians, will have to file just one tax return in March, when they tackle the task in the spring.

The Liberals and NDP will engage in fearmongering on this issue. They will bring up all kinds of stories rather than listen to the people of Quebec. We on this side will continue working for the people, because the Conservative Party of Canada is a party that recognizes provincial and municipal areas of jurisdiction. We support decentralization and want to put decision-making powers back into the hands of citizens as much as possible, whether that be the patients, the clients, the entrepreneurs, the students, and so on.

The ultimate goal is to decentralize powers and make the process more effective and less expensive to make the public happy. That is our job here in the House. That is why people elected us. They elected us to manage the money they entrust us with.

Barely two weeks ago, during a meeting with the newly elected Premier of Quebec, I heard the Prime Minister say that he would address the issue. Just yesterday, I saw two ministers and a parliamentary secretary unequivocally reject the idea by basically telling Quebeckers this will not be part of their electoral platform in October.

The good news is that an election is coming up and there are candidates working on the ground making a strong and serious case in response to the public's concerns. Our party is working hard every day to propose strong measures that also respect the distinct nature of Quebec society within Canada and provide additional tools to the Government of Quebec so that it may do its job for the people of Quebec.

Even as I give my speech, I hear our opponents whispering that these are merely electoral promises, but in fact, that is not the case at all. Conservative members have been very clear: the day after the October 21 election, once we are in power, we will begin taking steps with the Government of Quebec to ensure, once and for all, that we too can file a single tax return. We think it is ridiculous that our business people have to fill out and mail in two documents that have the same information. The same information is being input twice.

For our part, we believe in the expertise of our federal and provincial employees. They are capable of sitting down together and finding solutions for Canadians. That is what we do in committee when we have discussions, go out into communities and talk to people to find solutions that improve their quality of life. The Liberal government, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance and the Liberal caucus, in particular the Liberal MPs from Quebec, who did not stand up to tell their Prime Minister that that is what Quebeckers want, do the complete opposite.

I encourage them stand up today and say that this makes a lot of sense. We will work on getting the Prime Minister to listen to reason, to common sense. He needs to understand that we work for the people and not for the government or for our own interests. That is not why we were elected.

Right now, the Liberal government is increasing the cost of living for Canadians by creating the carbon tax and by eliminating the public transit and the sports and culture tax credits. This is important to note, since people need to understand that it was this Liberal government that eliminated these tax credits.

This government also tried to tax the little perks of working in the restaurant industry. Some restaurant employees receive a free meal during their 30-minute break, and the government tried to tax this meal. Why did it do this? The government tried to tax these meals so that it could take even more money from Canadians. That is the reality. No matter how you look at it, the government tried to do this simply because our Prime Minister does nothing but spend, spend spend.

In all of his debates and speeches during the 2015 election campaign, the Prime Minister and the Liberal members repeated over and over that they would run a modest $10-billion deficit for the first two years in order to invest in infrastructure and that they expected to return to a balanced budget by the end of their term. This government inherited a $1.9-billion budget surplus, yet its total deficit now stands at more than $80 billion.

What does that $80 billion represent? Everyone in the House throws these big numbers around, but we do not really understand what they mean. Let me give an example. One year's deficit amounts to about $20 billion, which is how much it would cost to build 50 NHL arenas. That is 50 hockey arenas like the Videotron Centre or the Ottawa Senators' arena. The Prime Minister's irresponsible spending over the span of a single year is equivalent to the cost of building 50 arenas. At a rate of 50 arenas a year for four years of deficits, that adds up to 200 arenas. The way things are going, every city in Canada could have its own NHL arena. That is outrageous.

The Prime Minister naively suggested deficits are not so bad, they pay for themselves, just like budgets balance themselves. We know better. We all keep budgets. We all work hard for our money, like the people who sometimes struggle to make ends meet. A deficit or a loan has to be paid off. Who is going to pay for the deficits? The public, workers, parents, citizens, and businesses, that is who.

Businesses are trying to create jobs, but they are stuck with a government that is sabotaging all our international relationships. Every business is worried because our relations with China, the United States and India, key players in our economic development, are at risk.

The current government is trying to take more money out of Canadians' pockets to pay for its reckless spending. Let me go even further. Anyone who has been following my work since 2003 knows that it was this type of situation that drove me to get into politics in the first place. I have always said that one of my primary motivations was to work on managing our public finances. I have three children. Most members of the House have children. Our children just want a better world and the same opportunities we had to accomplish their own goals.

The problem is that this Liberal government and the Prime Minister are burying our children and our grandchildren under a huge pile of debt, running recurring deficits with no plan to balance the budget. I do not know how many times my colleagues, our leader and I have asked the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance if they could at least table a plan to balance the budget.

When someone wants to buy a new house, a cottage or a new car, they go to the bank and meet with a financial advisor. They ask if they can borrow some money. The advisor asks them whether they have any collateral. Would a bank lend someone money without coming up with a plan for that individual to pay back the capital and the interest? Never. No one can get away with that, except the Prime Minister, who is managing our money so irresponsibly.

As time goes by, I think that Canadians are starting to realize that. It is a good thing that the election is approaching. On October 21, Canadians will have the opportunity to decide whether they want to spend another four years with this Prime Minister, who manages the public purse this way. The answer is no.

Opposition Motion—Single Tax Return in QuebecBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

10:25 a.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

Opposition Motion—Single Tax Return in QuebecBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

10:25 a.m.

Conservative

Alain Rayes Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC

Mr. Speaker, people are applauding to show they are happy to say “no”. That is the reality. The party is over.

We are going to clean house. We are going to put money back in Canadians' pockets. We are going to work to make life easier for Quebeckers and Canadians, workers and business people, those who invest their money to create jobs and to support Canadians so that they can achieve their ambitions.

What became evident on this tour was that Quebeckers want a single tax return. We also heard proposals that would benefit everyone, such as prohibiting the dumping of wastewater into our waterways and our environment. In Quebec alone, there have been 62,000 incidents of wastewater discharge into our waterways. We want to put a stop to that.

We want to sit down with municipalities and experts. We want to invest in infrastructure, unlike the current government, which waited until the last year of its term to start making announcements about such projects. The Liberals waited for three and a half years. They talked. Now they are recycling old announcements about projects. Just yesterday, near my riding, they announced an investment in a Revenue Canada building that will not be made in the near future, but in 2024. What kind of timeline is that? It is not even in this mandate. They had four years to make their announcement. It is not even in the next mandate, but in one later in the future. That makes no sense.

On the plus side, at least it will be a Conservative cutting the ribbon, because Canadians have had enough of this government and this Prime Minister.

We want real solutions that will improve the lives of Canadians, which starts with this resolution. Today we moved a motion calling on the government to immediately work with the Government of Quebec to implement a single tax return for Quebeckers as soon as possible. Otherwise, we will take care of it on October 21. We will get things moving and support the public.

Opposition Motion—Single Tax Return in QuebecBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

10:30 a.m.

Gaspésie—Les-Îles-de-la-Madeleine Québec

Liberal

Diane Lebouthillier LiberalMinister of National Revenue

Mr. Speaker, I have a question for my colleague. He is talking about a single tax return for Quebec. We are talking about more than 5,500 Canada Revenue Agency employees, most of whom work in the regions of Quebec.

How do the Conservatives plan to save the more than 5,500 CRA jobs in Quebec?

Opposition Motion—Single Tax Return in QuebecBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

10:30 a.m.

Conservative

Alain Rayes Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Minister of National Revenue for her question. It is a very relevant question, but I do sense something a bit vicious about it, since it implies that we want to eliminate these jobs. The answer is a categorical no. Our leader has been clear that this initiative is in no way intended to cut jobs. Its only purpose is to make people's lives easier.

The reality, which they will not admit, is that these highly skilled Canadian government employees, whom I thank for the work they do every day, do not just process tax returns. Their job also involves recovery and other problems that have to be taken care of, as the minister knows full well. This goes for Quebeckers and for all Canadians as well. There is an important issue that she has not managed to address in the three and a half years she has been Minister of National Revenue, and that is tax evasion in tax havens. These employees could use their expertise to go after that money and increase the Government of Canada's revenues, which will allow it to fulfill its commitments and do the work it needs to do for Canadians across the country.

I repeat, we have no intention of cutting jobs, despite what the Liberals will keep repeating day after day until October 21.