Brenda Chamberlain

[Guelph Police Chief, December 2nd, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, once again the city of Guelph has made history. On November 29 the Police Services Board announced the appointment of the first woman to head a city police force in Canada.

I join my constituents in congratulating Lenna Bradburn on her appointment. Ms. Bradburn becomes police chief at age 34. She is described as extremely intelligent, extremely innovative and extremely productive. She was chosen largely because of her innovative ideas on strategic planning and community policing.

On December 19 Lenna Bradburn becomes chief of police and will lead Guelph's 142 officer force for the next five years. The city of Guelph and the residents of Guelph-Wellington welcome Chief Lenna Bradburn and wish her much success in this challenging position.

[Income Tax Act, December 1st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank my hon. colleague from Mississauga South. There is no silver bullet to the mess that we are in, quite frankly. That is the reality. I think it is going to take numerous methods and types of procedures to decrease this deficit. I think that we all have to be committed in this House, every party in this House. It is going to be necessary that we put our energies together to bring some sort of financial stability to this country again.

Some of the methods that my colleague from Mississauga South has talked about are certainly going to be some of the options that the finance minister is going to explore.

As the finance minister has spoken about many times, we are going to hit our budget targets and that is going to make things a lot better in this country.

[Income Tax Act, December 1st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I will be pleased to give my speech.

I am pleased to participate in this debate on Bill C-59, an act to amend the Income Tax Act and the income tax application rules. Last February the Minister of Finance told this House that he was restoring fiscal sanity to government.

That budget was about jobs for Canadians now and lasting jobs for their future. More important, that budget also offered Canadians for the first time in memory real deficit reduction and comprehensive changes to government programs.

Guelph-Wellington residents are concerned about their future. They know that in the past governments have overspent. They are also concerned that our current debtload includes increased borrowing from foreign lenders. They see their money being sent abroad and they would prefer that we concentrate on programs that will encourage domestic growth.

They know that the only way to show the world that Canada is committed to real deficit reduction is to prove our commitment to fiscal discipline. This bill is an example of this commitment and I am sure that all members of Parliament will want to support this government in these measures.

Guelph-Wellington residents voted Liberal because they know we promised to bring the deficit down to 3 per cent of GDP in three years. That is a real commitment we intend to make. They knew then and they know now that the Reform Party does not have the plan for deficit reduction. They know that the Reform Party has admitted that Reformers have no idea what impact their ideas for spending cuts will have on Canadians.

Guelph-Wellington residents want spending cuts and government action to be wise, made with their well-being in mind. They want a government that is serious about its commitment to Canadians.

Let me remind this House that our program of net spending reduction over the next three years is the most significant of any budget in a decade. Eighty per cent of the net fiscal improvements set out by our government will be from spending cuts.

These cuts as demanded from my constituents and constituents all across Canada will reduce the operating budgets of government departments by $400 million in the next fiscal year, with savings rising to $620 million annually in 1995, 1996 and beyond.

As well, the extension of the freeze in government salaries including those of members of Parliament will provide an additional saving of almost $1 billion annually by 1996-1997.

We have extended our ideas to include all facets of government. Grants and contributions made by government including foreign aid and grants to businesses have also been trimmed for savings of $253 million this year and $409 million in 1996-1997.

Changes to unemployment insurance will reduce expenditures by $725 million this year and $2.4 billion annually thereafter. We are reducing. There is no question. We are making changes to our social security system. These changes are necessary in order to respond to a different and more challenging society.

In an earlier speech in this House I outlined the support that my constituents have shown for changes to social security. They know that I as their member of Parliament and we as government are listening, but they also know we can no longer provide everything to everyone.

Social security changes like those announced to unemployment insurance will recognize our diverse society, our difficult economic situation and our commitment to ensuring that our children, and my children, have a future.

Our budget is about co-operation. We have launched various consultation initiatives asking Canadians what they want in our future. These consultations have been welcomed by my constituents. They also welcome co-operation with the provinces and local levels of government which study reforms and test new approaches. The challenge for deficit reduction and wiser spending is not only going to result from spending cuts but also from revenues.

My constituents have told me that taxes are too high and I agree with them. Lower deficits will mean lower taxes. People in Guelph-Wellington do not mind paying taxes as long as they are fair and as long as they know the money is well-spent.

Bill C-59 answers some of those concerns. Included in this legislation are changes to the corporate tax system that make it fairer and also allow it to better target the tax assistance made available to certain businesses. These include the reduction in the business income tax deduction and GST credit for meals and entertainment expenses; the elimination of certain tax preferences aimed at small businesses that are utilized by some large, private corporations; the elimination or reduction of certain regionally based investment tax credits that have not been cost effective in attracting new investment.

This legislation is about tax fairness and further broadening the tax base. For example, the full value of employer paid life

insurance premiums will now become taxable. This will remove the advantage that people with corporate plans enjoy over self-employed Canadians or those whose employers do not offer insurance benefits.

The $100,000 lifetime capital gains exemption will no longer be available for gain realized after budget night. The income tax credit provided to persons over the age of 65 will be income tested, affecting one out of every four seniors in Canada.

This legislation also modifies the provisions of the home buyer's plan, extending it indefinitely for first time home buyers, a move welcomed by real estate people in my area and all across Canada.

The 1994 budget and this legislation are only the beginning. These fiscal measures are but the beginning to our efforts to reach our goals. Action must be taken. Our response must be comprehensive and wide reaching.

Last year we spent $38 billion on interest payments, money my constituents believe could have been used for programs and services. My constituents have asked me to come to Ottawa and end the past excesses. Most are prepared to do without certain government services if it means we really make an effort to end that cycle of deficit and debt.

Our government is committed to action. We will meet our budget targets. There is no question. We have put an end to unrealistic projections. We are serious about meeting our commitments to the Canadian people. The measures included in Bill C-59 deserve speedy passage so we can move on to the next stage of our fiscal challenge. This legislation includes significant measures that will improve the fairness of our tax system while at the same time improving our fiscal situation.

These measures originated in last February's budget. This was a budget that took concrete committed action to bring government finances under control, action that is an essential step in Canada's economic revitalization.

My constituents heard the message in February. They accepted it during the last election. My constituents want a return to fiscal sanity. If we accept the challenge of fiscal management we will not only restore our faith in ourselves, but we will have made a real step in ensuring that our children will have faith in us because we have acted for them and for their future.

We cannot turn back, and this legislation today calls for our support.

[Income Tax Act, December 1st, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I have listened to the Reform Party speak. I would like some clarification. The hon. member has talked a lot about support, that the Reform Party is collectively supporting a flat tax idea. I would like him to explain the rationale for that briefly if he could.

[Canada Post, November 29th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the parliamentary secretary responsible for Canada Post.

Canadians from coast to coast are astonished to learn that last year Canadian postage stamps were printed in Australia instead of in Canada. What has the minister done about this issue?

[Standing Committee On Industry, November 14th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member mentioned that we cannot afford to spend money on training programs. I would submit that we cannot afford not to spend money on training programs. If we do not we will not have a future in this country, quite clearly. There is no question about that.

There is an issue on partnerships. He raised from my speech the issue that other countries do develop and put far more into their training than Canada does. Those are true statistics but Canadian companies are now finally realizing that this is a very important part of their survival too.

I spent this summer visiting the CEOs at many factories in Guelph-Wellington. They realize they have made an error in not bringing people along and not always at a great cost. Many times they could have people on the floor doing things halfway through a shift that they have not been thinking about doing. They have not necessarily seen the new technology coming down the pipe. I submit to the hon. member there are a lot of things we can do better in that area. Our industries know that. I encourage the hon. member to take some time to see this for himself.

The member is quite right. Our businesses have a real problem with some of the wages, CPP and other programs they have to pay into. Our finance minister has continually said that one of the things this government is committed to doing is that we will meet our 3 per cent target. That will help us a lot.

[Standing Committee On Industry, November 14th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise to participate in this debate concentrating on one of the most important aspects of Canadian society. The government has recognized that small business is our future.

Small business creates many of our new jobs, stimulates our economy and provides employment for millions of Canadians. In Guelph-Wellington and elsewhere when small business succeeds, Canada succeeds.

I was a small business owner. I am excited about what the government is doing to assist small and medium sized business in my riding of Guelph-Wellington and across Canada. I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, that many of my constituents are excited about it too.

I would like to spend some time concentrating on labour skills and the importance of further enhancing the competitiveness and growth of our small and medium sized businesses. I have had the opportunity to meet with many small business owners and managers throughout Guelph-Wellington. They are excited about their future. They believe they have one. They weathered the recession and they weathered the GST. They want government help in order to succeed. They need government, though, to get out of the way where it creates unnecessary bureaucracy and red tape.

I have been told over and over again: "Please, get this red tape away from us". Single shop people cannot handle it and the government is going to address some of those needs.

They want government to initiate incentives which will encourage their success. They count on us to do that. We can assist the small and medium sized business owner who wants to expand through providing Canadian workers with the skills to compete in this highly competitive and rapidly changing environment.

Guelph-Wellington has one of the finest skilled worker forces in Canada with one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. However there are still some who are unemployed. They want to work. There are still some in Guelph-Wellington receiving social assistance. They also want to work. There are also thousands of unskilled or underskilled workers who can contribute if given the skills. They have to have those skills.

Business leaders in Guelph-Wellington know what they need to succeed. Our economy depends on small business; 69.7 per cent of businesses in Ontario have less than five employees. The needs of each one of those businesses are unique but government can help.

In the past we have spent too much time training people for skills that are not required. What is required now is flexible training programs that provide on the job training, training for which the employer provides time off or tuition assistance, or classroom training at educational institutions. Business people in my community will help to train workers because they want to ensure that our community and, more important, all of Canada have the best skilled labour force so that we can compete in this world.

We must train people for jobs that do exist or will exist and business must play a role in both identifying these positions as well as helping in the training process. This is a win-win situation.

Guelph-Wellington business people want better information. They want to share that information with other business leaders across Canada. Our knowledge based economy means that we must work together to make it work. Eighty-five per cent of new employment is being created today in small and medium sized businesses.

Our businesses will need child care workers, veterinarians, dental hygienists and psychotherapists in the near future. If we are going to prepare for the future we must invest in people today.

The social security review process will assist us in identifying priorities and overcome the obstacles to successful skills development in Canada. We must decide how basic skills training can best be improved and what priority this training should receive.

Employers in my riding want to be given a better role in training. They want to be consulted and informed and they want to participate in all facets of skills training. Already employers and employees are working together to shape this kind of training. The reason for quality skills training is obvious: Well-trained workers are more employable and can adapt more easily if they must change jobs.

The enthusiasm is there. Guelph-Wellington workers want the skills necessary to compete. They want to be able to adjust to marketplace changes and they do want to work. The employers in my riding are asking for new and innovative ways to provide training. They want tax credits, direct government assistance, educational leave and work sharing agreements. Like their workers, they are not looking for handouts. They want the tools which will enable them to invest in developing employee skills. Investing in the workforce of Guelph-Wellington means investing in our future.

The workplace is changing. Canada is looking to expand into an ever competitive global market. As the Prime Minister and Team Canada have shown us over the past few days, we are not afraid of competing with the world's best. We are the world's best. Business people in Guelph-Wellington and elsewhere in Canada know they can do business anywhere in the world. They need workers who are adaptable, flexible and willing to learn new job skills.

We are talking about investment. Business leaders know that smart investment leads to success. We must invest in our people in order to compete, to expand, to grow, to be healthy. We must encourage lifelong learning. Gone are the days where a worker can be trained for a position of 30 or 40 years. We must build on providing literacy training, encourage our young people to stay in school and to prepare for the jobs that are available and provide incentives for individuals and employers to invest in continuous skills upgrading. Learning is a lifelong adventure.

Responding to the demands of the global marketplace means keeping pace with changes in today's workplace. The progressive business person in Guelph-Wellington knows that for every dollar spent on training by Canadian businesses American businesses spend twice as much. Japanese business spends five times that and German business spends eight times that. Without ongoing skills training we cannot survive.

This government is forging partnerships. Team Canada has shown what working together can do for Canada. Guelph-Wellington business people want to be partners with their employees. Workers want their employers to be successful. All want government to work. We know that investing in people will result in a highly skilled and competitive workforce in Canada. I am proud of the optimism of businesses in Guelph-Wellington. They are looking ahead. They have weathered a terrible storm.

Our workers do not want unemployment insurance or social welfare. They want to work. They want to contribute in a successful and expanding society. They want to give their children and they want for themselves the skills necessary to ensure economic prosperity. They are tired of facing layoffs and work slowdowns. They want sustainable employment. They want to be the best that they can be.

The United Nations has stated that Canada is the best place in the world in which to live. Through continued partnerships while fostering training, Canada will continue to be the best place in the world to live.

[Federal Election, November 14th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, in the past few weeks we have acknowledged the anniversary of the last federal election. We must never forget the volunteers who worked on the behalf of all candidates and all political parties throughout the election.

My campaign manager, Alex MacCrae, worked very hard on my behalf. His caring and enthusiasm always supported me and provided encouragement to the volunteers who knocked on doors, delivered brochures, telephoned and did all of the work associated with elections.

All of us are here today because of individuals who worked with endless energy on our behalf. Volunteers represent all ages and come from every background in order to elect their candidate. Whether we are elected or not we are all winners because of these people who are often strangers to us and who believe in us and in what we do.

[University Of Guelph, October 24th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, the young Liberal government and policy information centre recently opened at the University of Guelph. This is designed as a resource centre for students requiring information on various government projects and programs.

I congratulate Jeff Paul, president of the University of Guelph Liberals for this initiative. This centre is Jeff's idea and he hopes to encourage University of Guelph students to learn more about government and to help create dialogue and discussion.

Young people will be the leaders of government and of tomorrow. Resource centres like the one recently opened at the University of Guelph can help students to understand government programs and more important, encourage participation in the decision making process.

Best wishes to Jeff Paul and everyone associated with this important project.

[Social Security Programs, October 24th, 1994]

Mr. Speaker, I was just getting started. There is no doubt a Liberal government has been responsible for many of the innovative and new reforms that have made Canada what it is today, clearly the best country in the world rated for the second time. Let us put that on record.

It is important to understand that all of the benefits brought in by a Liberal government were brought in for the country as a whole, including Quebec. It is very important for that member to understand that we look after all Canadians.

The member for Frontenac talks about our growing the debt. I wish to inform him that to begin with some of the debt was caused by the Liberal government. Then we had the new regime, the Tories, and a small debt grew into a huge debt.

The member for Frontenac says that we are on the verge of bankruptcy. I wish to be very clear on that. We are not on the verge of bankruptcy. That is clearly a tactic to entice Quebec people to buy into that notion. As we know from the recent election many Quebec people do not buy into that sort of thinking or mindset. We know it is not true.

We are however at a crossroads. Clearly the government is going to act on reforming social programs. I draw the attention of the hon. member to the Financial Post of today that states clearly Canadians are in support of this reformation. We are catching up to what all Canadians want, Quebec included.