Carolyn Parrish

[Division No. 1266, April 10th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to be recorded as an abstention on the last vote.

[Canada Post, March 17th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I would like the hon. member for Peterborough to note that Canada Post is a world leader in the distribution business and has developed many innovative online solutions.

E-parcel helps Canadian small businesses set up websites to sell their products online. E-parcel allows e-commerce shoppers to choose how quickly their purchases are delivered and at what cost. With e-parcel, Canada Post is proving to be an active player in the new world of electronic commerce.

[Canada Post Corporation Act, February 28th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, it is with pleasure that I rise today to participate in the debate on Bill C-238, an act to amend the Canada Post Corporation Act.

It is important to remind all members present of the incredible economic progress and turnaround that Canada Post has achieved in the years since its creation as a commercial crown corporation. I will not go into great detail on this point other than to say that since 1981 Canada Post has transformed itself into a profitable enterprise through a combination of innovation marketing, sound planning and good business practices. However, above all, this remarkable performance is a tribute to the men and women of Canada Post who daily provide to Canadians a high quality and cost efficient postal service. I know all members join with me in paying this tribute.

As stated earlier in the debate, Canada Post's primary mandate is to ensure that all Canadians receive reliable and affordable postal service. To some this essential service is taken for granted. It is sometimes easy to forget the challenges the sheer size of the nation presents to Canada Post in maintaining service on a daily basis yet remaining competitive with businesses that do not have to meet such an important and vital requirement.

The key to Canada Post's ability to provide a reliable and cost efficient mail service is its use of contractors. Here is the crux of the matter and why I believe Bill C-238 to be fundamentally flawed. The bill seeks to repeal subsection 13(5) of the Canada Post Corporation Act, thereby allowing that contractors who consider themselves to be dependent within the meaning of part I of the Canada Labour Code may be found to be employees for collective bargaining purposes.

This would involve or impact upon all contractors regardless of the nature of their work or contracted activity. Put simply, to allow passage of the bill would significantly affect the corporation's ability to meet its objective and would mean serious increases in costs with no accompanying improvement in service.

Canada Post simply cannot afford to take on thousands of new full time employees. Such an unnecessary and unjustified action would wipe away years of hard work to build a profitable, competitive, world class business. The author of the bill, in a misguided attempt to change the status of one type of contractor, the rural route contractor, has failed to comprehend the dire consequences and far-reaching implications of this proposed legislative change.

Rural route contractors have had a long and proud relationship with Canada Post. For decades now these people have delivered the mail in rural and in some cases remote areas of our country. They play an important part in Canada Post's mandate to deliver mail to all Canadians. They are reliable, hardworking individuals who take pride in the valuable work they perform.

In many cases mail contractors reside on or near their designated routes and are therefore not only performing a vital service on behalf of Canada Post but also ensuring that their own neighbours receive mail in a reliable and efficient manner.

However, what has been overlooked by some is the essential fact that rural route contractors are not employees of Canada Post or a group of workers being denied fundamental rights. They are valued contractors who have fundamentally different work relationships than those employed full time by the corporation. Let us examine very briefly the wording of subsection 13(5) which states:

Notwithstanding any provision of Part I of the Canada Labour Code, for the purposes of the application of that Part to the Corporation and to officers and employees of the Corporation, a mail contractor is deemed not to be a dependent contractor or an employee within the meaning of those terms in subsection 3(1) of that Act.

Rural route mail contractors are awarded their respective contracts through a competitive tender process. This type of work is of a part time nature and individuals seek this work to supplement their income, not to obtain full or part time employee status with Canada Post.

These conditions are spelled out in the contract documentation. Let me make it very clear that rural route couriers agree that these terms are in full understanding of conditions governing this type of contracted work. It is also not their primary employment or source of income. Nor does it lead to some form of permanent employment status within the corporation.

Let me remind members that the Federal Court of Appeal ruled in 1987 that rural route couriers were indeed contractors as defined in the Canada Post Corporation Act. In addition, the federal court found that subsection 13(5) did not violate any equality rights as defined in our charter of rights and freedoms.

Behind the bill is an attempt to portray rural route contractors as being abused, underpaid and generally exploited by Canada Post. Nothing could be further from the truth. Rural route contractors are treated and compensated fairly.

My hon. colleague has already mentioned the improvements made by Canada Post to its contract tendering process that will increase opportunities for more Canadians to do business with it, particularly in rural areas. In addition, I believe the corporation should also be congratulated on a number of improvements it has made as a result of listening to rural route contractors.

Measures that have been recently implemented are designed to improve their training, support and the early resolution of issues. There is always room for improvement and any business that ignores this basic rule does so at its own peril. I know that Canada Post is an organization that constantly strives for improvement in everything it does.

In closing, I will not support the bill and I would encourage my fellow members to seriously consider the factors that have made Canada Post the world class organization it is. It has proven its ability to meet its primary mandate and to successfully compete in a demanding and rapidly changing market. Let us not place unnecessary hurdles such as Bill C-238 in front of those at Canada Post. They have earned our support and it is our duty to give it by voting against the proposed legislation.

Strangely enough I find myself agreeing with Reformers in that many of the changes implemented over the last two years have been implemented as a result of their regular communication with the department. I think that is the avenue they need to pursue to improve conditions as we have done in the last year.

[Canada Post, February 23rd, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, all members of the House and all Canadians will surely welcome the news that Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers have negotiated a new collective agreement that will help to ensure labour co-operation until the year 2003 and beyond.

The union announced today that the tentative agreement reached with Canada Post in December has received overwhelming support from its members in the ratification vote held during the past month. This is a clear sign that labour relations at Canada Post are improving. Canada Post has now successfully negotiated new collective agreements with each of its four unions.

The new collective agreement provides an avenue for building on this new spirit of mutual trust. Both parties have agreed to work together to develop new work rules to serve customers better and face the competition posed by new technologies and multinational corporations.

On behalf of my fellow members, I congratulate the union and the management of Canada Post for this significant accomplishment.

[Municipal Grants Act, February 18th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I seek the unanimous consent of the House to consider this bill having been read a third time so that we can vote it in and the municipalities can get their money.

[Questions On The Order Paper, February 18th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.

[Homelessness, February 18th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, the CMHC provides mortgage loan insurance to Canadians from coast to coast to coast. Last year over half a million units were insured. The Government of Canada spends about $1.9 billion annually in support of housing assistance for 644,000 low income households.

Since 1994 the government has fostered public-private partnerships to create approximately 13,000 units of affordable housing. Right here in the capital region an anonymous donation of $1 million was matched and bettered through federal funds of $1.5 million for five innovative programs.

[Housing, February 11th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to address Motion No. M-123 presented by the member for Vancouver East.

Time and again the member has spoken out on this issue calling attention to the importance of housing. I do not think anyone in the House can doubt she is a passionate advocate. I am pleased to say that our government already shares her concern on this question and has taken a number of steps to help low income Canadians generally and to ensure Canadians have access to quality housing.

The motion recognizes that the issue of housing need is directly related to the root issue which is that of poverty. A housing affordability problem occurs when a large portion of a family's income is consumed by housing costs to the extent that money for other necessities is lacking.

The Government of Canada has recognized the needs of low income Canadians and is currently taking action. Last year 438,000 new full time jobs were created. Over 1.8 million jobs have been created since the government took office in 1993.

The Speech from the Throne set out ambitious new goals and objectives to create new prosperity and enhance our quality of life. This is supported through prudent economic and fiscal management and additional support for the less fortunate in our society.

We have and will continue to strengthen support for low income families. Significant investments in the welfare of children have been made, including the introduction and enrichment of the child tax benefit. The child tax benefit will reach an annual level of close to $7 billion by the middle of this year.

We are working with the provinces and territories on the national children's agenda to improve supports for families and for their children. We have sought to reduce the burden of taxation on low income families. Targeted tax cuts in the 1998 and 1999 federal budgets have taken 600,000 lower income taxpayers completely off the tax rolls. The significance of this initiative cannot be overstated. Some 600,000 lower income Canadians no longer pay a penny of federal tax.

Income support is not the only approach. My hon. colleague will recall that last year the government made the commitment to invest $11.5 billion in our health system. This represents the largest single investment we have ever made. Because administration of the health system falls under the constitutional jurisdiction of the provinces and territories, the federal government made this offer on the condition that each provincial and territorial government must commit to use these funds exclusively for health care.

This additional funding was designed to help the provinces and territories to deal with immediate concerns in the health system, including diagnostic and treatment services for those with mental health issues or drug addictions, those most likely to be found on the streets in need of adequate housing.

Members know that decent housing at a reasonable cost is essential. There are current housing problems in the country which need to be addressed such as the pressing housing needs that exist in a number of aboriginal communities. We must address the changing needs of an aging population. There is the problem of homelessness particularly in larger cities across the country.

Our government is committed to action across the broad spectrum of housing issues. We are taking a comprehensive approach. We are seeing concrete results. The primary instrument for the Government of Canada's action in the area of housing is the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. As Canada's national housing agency, CMHC is responsible for the government's housing policy. The corporation's goal is to promote affordability, accessibility and choice in housing for Canadians. Each of CMHC's core activities supports this goal.

The corporation's work on behalf of Canadians rests on four solid pillars: housing finance, assisted housing, research and information transfer, and export promotion. Let us take the example of housing finance. CMHC mortgage insurance, which guarantees mortgage loans issued by financial institutions, plays a crucial role in helping Canadians gain access to home ownership or rental accommodation with the lowest possible down payment and interest rates no matter where they live in Canada.

For generations of Canadians saving for the down payment on a first home has been a challenge. Thanks to CMHC-protected reduced down payments, home ownership has become a reality for more than 610,000 first time home buyers since the program's inception in 1992.

The second important pillar that supports the valuable work of CMHC is research and information transfer. CMHC's research helps Canadians to understand and meet the housing challenges of tomorrow. Working in partnership with the housing industry, research into housing issues results in developing solutions to improving the quality and technical performance as well as the affordability of housing.

As well there is the commitment to assisted housing. The Government of Canada currently contributes $1.9 billion annually to meet the housing needs of low income Canadians, supporting 644,000 units across the country. For years Canada's social housing services have been provided in partnership with provincial, territorial and municipal governments, and with housing agencies and sponsor groups.

Another successful program which the Government of Canada supports through CMHC is the residential rehabilitation assistance program. The minister responsible for CMHC announced last December a further $200 million over four years, effectively doubling the budget for RRAP. This is part of the Government of Canada's overall $753 million strategy to address homelessness. As well the minister announced the creation of a new component of the program to convert non-residential buildings to residential use for a total contribution of another $40 million.

The current budget for RRAP on Indian reserves was doubled, which will result in an additional $28 million over four years. These funding increases are in addition to the $300 million over five years announced in 1998 for this program.

RRAP is a very successful program. It provides funds to low income home owners and owners of properties where low income Canadians live. The owners use the funds to bring their properties up to minimum health and safety standards. They have been referred to by other speakers as safe, clean and affordable buildings.

Over the years we have seen firsthand that RRAP makes a tangible difference in the lives of thousands of disadvantaged people across Canada. The examples of RRAP's success stories are too numerous to list, but the program is having a positive impact in communities across Canada.

I will give the House a brief glimpse of what the government is achieving through two examples. In Winnipeg there is a 40 bed rooming house in the inner city called Nakiska II. This facility is primarily used by natives from communities in northern Manitoba who come Winnipeg for medical care. Nakiska II received a RRAP commitment of over $380,000.

In Vancouver there is the Metropole Hotel, a 60 unit building that received CMHC loan insurance to purchase the building and $1.1 million in RRAP funds for much needed repairs. The Metropole provides affordable housing for low income inner city residents.

These are just two examples of what RRAP is achieving throughout Canada. What these projects all share is that they are based on partnerships and involve the local community. They prove the worth of our emphasis on community solutions.

In closing, I stress again that CMHC is committed to ensuring that Canadians remain among the best housed people in the world. However, our government is aware that there are too many of our citizens who do not have adequate housing. Rest assured that the government through CMHC will continue to improve Canadians access to quality, affordable housing. By working together with our partners at other levels of government, with community groups and with the housing industry, we will continue to help Canadians buy, build and rent homes. In so doing we will improve the quality of life for all Canadians.

Housing is a joint responsibility of all levels of government: federal, provincial and municipal. For this reason the government cannot support this specific motion.

[Municipal Grants Act, February 11th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to address a couple of issues raised in this last portion of the debate.

It is true that the panel's recommendations would not be binding but we must understand that the property of Canada was exempt from taxation under the Constitution Act, 1867 and federal payments in lieu of taxes remain at the discretion of the Minister of Public Works and Government Services. The discretionary powers of the minister under the act may not be delegated to another body. There is no doubt however the Minister of Public Works and Government Services would place a high value on the advice of the panel which will be structured to be as independent as possible from the Department of Public Works and Government Services.

In respect to making the recommendations of the panel public, I would like to remind members of the House that the panel's recommendations will be provided simultaneously to the minister and the taxing authority which requested the review.

In summary, this bill ensures the prompt payment of taxes. It provides certainty. It gives structures for dispute mechanisms and an ongoing joint technical advisory committee. It has the full support of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. The government has accepted amendments at committee. All parties except the Reform Party are satisfied with the bill in its present form. The government respectfully suggests that the bill be adopted in its present form without amendment.

I would like to give my personal compliments to the minister who travelled around the country to get input from all municipalities, the departmental staff who have done an amazingly good job of putting everybody's requests into the bill and particularly the Federation of Canadian Municipalities which co-operated so effectively.

[Municipal Grants Act, February 11th, 2000]

Mr. Speaker, as all other speakers in the House today have noted, this legislation ensures that the federal government pays its fair share of taxes to all municipalities in a timely fashion. The development of this legislation should be considered as a model in terms of co-operation and consultation with interested stakeholders.

When representatives of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities testified before the committee examining Bill C-10, they indicated their strong support for the bill and praised the level of consultation between themselves and the Department of Public Works and Government Services. In light of the depth of consultation that has taken place, including amendments made by the Conservative Party that were accepted at report stage, the government will not be supporting any further amendments, specifically those listed in Group No. 1.

References have also been made to the dispute advisory panel that is enshrined in this legislation. It will serve as a forum for the presentation of respective positions of both municipalities and departments or crown corporations when differences of opinion respecting amount of payments in lieu of taxes arise between the two parties, which is to be expected at times. This was a key recommendation by the municipalities during the minister's consultations.

Members will also note that appointees will be required to possess a background of knowledge in the areas of real property evaluation, real property assessment, real property or assessment law, or other related disciplines. This is a relatively small area of expertise and typically the same people are recognized as impartial experts by municipalities, assessment authorities and federal officials.

The municipal payments programs has served both the government and municipalities well since 1950. Extensive consultations between the government and municipalities have led to the bill before the House today. It improves existing legislation and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities supports the bill in its current form. It applauds the relationship with the Department of Public Works and Government Services. I believe it is time to adopt the bill without any further amendment.