Chandra Arya

[Somaliland, March 26th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring awareness to Somaliland, an autonomous region of northwestern Somalia with nearly four million residents. In the recent Somaliland elections, Muse Bihi Abdi was elected as president, the first Somaliland president to be voted in with a very good majority.

The state introduced legislation to address gender-based violence, intending to significantly reduce the rising sexual violence rate. Somalilanders are optimistic that the new president will strengthen the region's democratic credentials and set itself on a more prosperous path.

I would also like to thank the Somali-Canadian community in Ottawa for all of its hard work and contributions to the community, and for continuing to help foster the relationship between Canada and Somalia, including Somaliland.

[The Budget, March 21st, 2018]

Madam Speaker, millions of working Canadians do not have a workplace pension plan. Our government started in previous years a historic agreement with the provinces to change the CPP.

In this budget, we have initiated steps to consider and look into universal pharmacare. We have also introduced the Canada workers benefit, with an investment of $1 billion, to help about two million working Canadians. It is also expected, under this particular program, that about 700,000 low-income working Canadians will come out of poverty in under two years.

Could the hon. member tell us what her views are on this particular program?

[The Budget, March 21st, 2018]

Madam Speaker, I would like to ask my hon. colleague if he understands that the prosperity and standard of living Canadians enjoy today had earlier been based on our natural resources, such as forestry products, fossil fuels, and minerals, and to an extent on basic industries such as aluminum, steel, autos, and aviation. However, things are changing today.

About 25 to 30 years back, Canada was number two or three in the world in aluminum production, yet in the last 25 to 30 years, we have not seen one single new smelter. The future for Canadian jobs, today and tomorrow, is in the knowledge-based economy.

I would like to know if the member appreciates the kinds of investments we are making in the innovation and technology sectors and in leading the knowledge-based economy, which is creating a level playing field globally.

[The Budget, March 19th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to know if the member knows that according to recent articles in both Forbes and U.S. News, Canada is the best country in the G20 for establishing a business. Also, KPMG's 2016 “Competitive Alternatives” report ranked Canada ahead of all other G7 countries in terms of having the best overall business cost advantage relative to the U.S.

Does the member know that no developed country will ever completely pay back its debt? The key is not the absolute amount of debt but the relative amount of debt compared to the GDP. Is the member not proud that Canada has the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio among all the G7 countries?

[The Budget, March 19th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, investment in infrastructure is very important, because this is the investment that was needed for a long period of time. The debt is important to create investment in infrastructure, but the debt has to be at a manageable level. The Government of Canada has managed very well and has kept the debt-to-GDP rate low. It is committed to keeping it low in the future as well.

Does the member agree that a prudent policy of the Government of Canada is to keep the debt-to-GDP rate low in the medium to long term?

[The Budget, March 19th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, for a long time Canada's prosperity and the high standard of living Canadians enjoyed was based basically on natural resources, including forestry resources, minerals and fossil fuels, and to an extent with manufacturing in basic industries like steel and aluminum, and in auto and aviation. However, the future is not in these industries. It is going toward a global-based, knowledge-based economy.

Could the member kindly highlight the investment this budget is making to foster innovation in Canada's economy?

[The Budget, March 19th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the temporary February job report showed that 283,000 jobs have been added to the Canadian economy compared to the previous 12 months. More importantly, all of that job growth was full-time work. Also, since we have come to power, there have been 600,000 jobs added to the Canadian economy.

The member referred to personal finances. In my personal life, I do not like credit card debt. However, I like mortgages, because a mortgage allows me to create an asset that will yield returns for a long period of time. With respect to the government, it is not the debt that is important. No rich or developed countries have ever repaid their debts in full because the debt will always go up. The key factor is the debt-to-GDP ratio, which is low and is going lower. It is currently at around 28.5%. Does the member not like the low debt-to-GDP ratio, which is the best in all of the G7 countries?

[Business of Supply, February 8th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, according to an Oxfam report, 82% of the wealth created last year went to 1% of the global population. That means 3.7 billion people in the world, who form almost half of the world's poorest, saw no increase in their wealth at all. In Canada, last year, the wealth of Canadian billionaires grew by $28 billion, which is enough to pay for universal child care and lift 4.9 million Canadians out of poverty. Liberals have taken steps in this regard.

Why did my hon. colleague vote against our proposals to increase the tax on the richest Canadians in previous budgets?

[Business of Supply, February 8th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, one union leader told me that for every dollar invested in a tax audit that focuses on the average taxpayer, the return is eight dollars. However, for every dollar invested in an audit that focuses on corporations that use aggressive tax avoidance schemes, the return is about $40 in tax revenues. Obviously, the investment our government is making in creating special groups focusing on offshore non-compliance corporations is good. In fact, the cuts made by the previous administration led to the dismantling of these specialized groups within the CRA. It is good that these groups are back in action.

At the same time, we should continue to invest in CRA call centres, which are used by average Canadian taxpayers to ask for legal clarification and information. With the investments we are making in these specialized groups within the CRA, when can we expect to start seeing the results in terms of tax revenue?

[Petitions, December 13th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, Her Majesty's Canadian Ship Haida, the most fighting ship in the Royal Canadian Navy, sank more enemy tonnage than any vessel in Canada's entire naval history. HMCS Haida served with distinction during the Second World War, the Korean War, and the Cold War, demonstrating throughout Canadian excellence at sea.

I rise to present petition e-560, initiated by Patrick White, which asks that HMCS Haida be recommissioned and recognized as the flagship of the Royal Canadian Navy, that it be examined as to the feasibility of including it as a permanent part of the Canadian War Museum, and that the Royal Canadian Mint commission a commemorative coin featuring the Battle of Vimy Ridge, Billy Bishop, and HMCS Haida.