Debates of Feb. 6th, 2019

Taxation

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, once again, I wonder how the Conservatives actually talk to their constituents when they know they voted against the Canada child benefit. They voted against the Canada workers benefit. They voted against increasing the amount of the guaranteed income supplement for the most vulnerable single seniors. They voted against strengthening the Canada pension plan. They voted against infrastructure investments, which are making a huge difference in the lives of Canadians across the country. That is what they do not understand about how to build a strong economy. One invests in the middle class. One does not help the wealthiest, like the Conservatives always do.

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

That was a little rich, Mr. Speaker.

Thirty-year-old Ashley lives with her parents in a rural part of my riding and has to drive almost 100 kilometres a day just to go to school or to work. Last year, she made under $19,000. The Prime Minister says that people like Ashley do not pay tax and yet her payroll taxes have gone up, she pays the gas tax and GST, and she never got the so-called Liberal tax cut for the middle class.

Every time she turns around, Ashley is paying more and more under the Liberal government.

Will the rich—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The right hon. Prime Minister.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservatives resort to personal attacks when they cannot defend the fact that they consistently have voted against all the initiatives that we have made to invest in the middle class and people working hard to join it.

Our investments in families through the Canada child benefit, in workers through the Canada workers benefit, in our seniors through restoring the age of retirement to 65 from the 67 they had put it at are all things that have helped people concretely and have led to the kind of economic growth they never saw under 10 years of Stephen Harper.

[Glen Motz, Conservative, Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has demonstrated yet again just how out of touch he really is, stating that low-income Canadians do not pay taxes. Rhonda, whose income is below the poverty line, struggles to keep a roof over her head and pay her bills.

Like thousands of low-income Canadians, she wants the Prime Minister to know that she pays payroll taxes, income taxes, the GST and every other kind of tax, and she cannot afford more taxes.

Will our trust fund Prime Minister continue to tell Rhonda and every other low-income Canadian that they do not pay taxes?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, our focus from the very beginning has been investing in the middle class and people working hard to join it, and that is exactly what we have done step by step.

The Canada workers benefit helps low-income Canadians stay in the workforce, and indeed, if they want to go back to school, we have made sure that employment insurance continues to cover them while they go to school. That is something the Conservatives never did. We know this because the Conservatives continue to insist that tax benefits and advantages to the wealthiest 1% is the way to grow the economy. Three years of Canadian—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Winnipeg Centre.

Indigenous Affairs

[Robert-Falcon Ouellette, Liberal, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister often says, no relationship is more important to our government than the one with indigenous peoples. It is in that spirit that the government committed to work nation-to-nation with indigenous partners and implemented the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as well as all 94 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's calls to action. The UN has declared 2019 to be the International Year of Indigenous Languages.

Can the Prime Minister explain to the House what the government is doing to support indigenous languages?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Winnipeg Centre for his question and for the hard work that he does for indigenous languages in the House of Commons.

For too long, government policies focused more on destroying indigenous languages than on protecting them. That is why we support our partners who want to revitalize and strengthen their language and culture.

Yesterday, in the House, we introduced the first bill dealing with indigenous languages. In it, we recognize the right to use an indigenous language. We will appoint a commissioner, to ensure that future governments respect that obligation. Protecting language and culture is how—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for St. Albert—Edmonton.

Taxation

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Ana Mae is a constituent of mine who works hard, but is struggling to get by. She earns $15.50 at a fast-food restaurant. Contrary to the Prime Minister's insulting assertion that low-income Canadians do not pay taxes, Ana Mae pays federal income tax, CPP, EI and the GST.

Will the millionaire Prime Minister, with his vast family fortune, look Ana Mae in the eye and tell her that she does not pay taxes?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, over the past three years, we have seen over 800,000 jobs created in Canada and the lowest unemployment rate in 40 years. That happened because, unlike the Conservatives, who had an approach for 10 years to support and invest in the wealthiest 1%, we made investments in the middle class and those working hard to join it. Those investments are leading to the kinds of economic growth that are giving more opportunities for everyone.

The Conservatives continue to vote against tangible, concrete measures that make things better for people who are working hard to join the middle class, and they will continue to—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Berthier—Maskinongé.

Agriculture and Agri-food

[Ruth Ellen Brosseau, NDP, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, our dairy farmers believed the Liberal government's lofty promises and nice words, but they have been betrayed. Once again, trade agreements have been signed at the expense of our farmers.

The Liberals have put our food sovereignty at risk. They have once again proven their incompetence, with the diafiltered milk file and the reciprocity of standards.

On January 18, the Prime Minister promised that he would make sure farmers, and not the government, would determine the amount of compensation.

Will the government keep its promise? When will our dairy farmers be compensated?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, during negotiations for the new NAFTA, we said that we would protect supply management, and that is exactly what we did. We announced three working groups made up of representatives from the supply management sector to help farmers and processors adjust to the new NAFTA, to adjust to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and to innovate in the dairy sector. We are helping workers in the dairy industry. We will always help farmers and workers across the country.

Infrastructure

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, our government came to office with a commitment to invest in infrastructure across Canada, including my home province of Alberta and my hometown of Edmonton. Since taking office, we have been doing just that.

After a decade of inaction from the Harper government, we have been making the much-needed investments in transit, recreational infrastructure, water systems, cultural spaces and more that Edmontonians deserve.

Could the Prime Minister please update the House on the investments our government has made to support Alberta's communities and those infrastructure investments in the city of Edmonton?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Edmonton Centre for his hard work.

We have indeed made historic investments in Edmonton's infrastructure, which includes reducing traffic with investments in the Yellowhead Trail and the 50th Street overpass; investments in the Fort Edmonton Park expansion; investments in the Jerry Forbes Centre; investments in public transit; and investments right across the city, like we are making right across the country.

The Conservatives want to cut infrastructure investments in Alberta. We will continue to invest in communities.

Taxation

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

Mr. Speaker, the reality is this is personal. I did not realize that the Prime Minister and I had so much in common. We both grew up in taxpayer-funded housing, he in 24 Sussex; me in the projects in Barrie.

The Prime Minister said that low-income Canadians did not pay tax. He does not understand who pays for his nannies, for his planes and for his houses. It is all paid for by servers like Andrea in Barrie.

When will the trust fund Prime Minister look Andrea in the eye and tell her she does not pay taxes?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, in Canada, nobody chooses where they are born, but we make choices about what we choose to do in life.

The choices the Conservatives consistently make are to stand against investments in public and affordable housing and to stand against investments in the Canada child benefit which is helping nine out of 10 Canadian families and lifting hundreds of thousands of kids out of poverty. The choice the Conservatives continue to make is against increasing benefits for our most vulnerable single seniors. The choice the Conservatives make consistently is to help the wealthiest 1% instead of Canadians who need the help.

Fisheries and Oceans

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, on February 1, this place happily passed Bill S-203 at second reading. It started in the Senate with Liberal Senator Wilfred Moore and then went to Senator Murray Sinclair. It is not yet before the Standing Committee on Fisheries. We need it to be there. In this place, we need to let Canadians know, before the next election, that we will not tolerate the keeping of whales and dolphins, sentient beings, in conditions that amount to torture.

Does the Prime Minister stand with us? Could we get this passed before the next election?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands for bringing this issue forward in the House.

We agree that the capture of whales and dolphins for the sole purpose of being kept for public display should be ended. While the banning of whale captivity is not yet legislation, in practice it has been in place for years.

We put forward legislation that includes putting an end to the captivity of whales unless it is for rehabilitation. We supported Bill S-203 at second reading. We look forward to the work the committee is going to do on it.

Oral Question Period

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I made some remarks in the House that were hurtful to the Minister of National Revenue and to all of my francophone colleagues.

I want to offer my sincere apologies to the minister and to all of my colleagues. I had a chance to apologize to the minister personally just before question period. I realize that I should never have made such remarks in the House. They absolutely did not reflect my views about the fundamental right of every member to speak in the language of their choice, especially in French.

Every member has the right to speak to the House in the language of their choice and be proud to do so.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I thank the member for Mégantic—L'Érable for his gracious and earnest apology.

The hon. Minister of National Revenue on a point of order.

[Diane Lebouthillier, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, I just want to tell my colleague opposite that I gladly accept his apology on behalf of the francophone community of Quebec and all francophone communities across Canada.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Kings—Hants.