House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2011, with 55% of the vote.
Petitions May 29th, 2012
Madam Speaker, today I rise to present a petition from my constituents of Okanagan--Shuswap.
The petitioners call upon Parliament to adopt legislation to recognize suicide as a public health issue. They are asking Parliament to provide guidelines for suicide prevention, promote collaborative and knowledge exchange regarding suicide, promote evidence-based solutions and define best practices for the prevention of suicide.
Jobs, Growth and Long-Term Prosperity Act May 11th, 2012
Madam Speaker, as was said before, the budget bill has been debated longer than any other bill in the last 20 years. I really do not agree with the member in respect of that criticism.
There are a lot of things in the budget, but we have had adequate time to address them in debate in the House. I would ask him to support this so we can move forward with providing jobs for those in his constituency. People who are out of work and looking for employment need these initiatives.
Jobs, Growth and Long-Term Prosperity Act May 11th, 2012
Madam Speaker, part of the economic action plan was well received in my constituency because there were initiatives in that plan for the forest sector, to help increase market accessibility in the Pacific Rim and to look at innovative ways for the use of fibre. I have heard many comments from the operators of the mills in my constituency regarding that initiative.
That is all part of this huge plan. It is about growing our economy through trade and assisting people with training to ensure they can get jobs. This is a huge plan. Opposition members criticize the document, but, like I said before, it is multifaceted so that with all of the pieces of the puzzle, we can move forward on jobs and growth.
Jobs, Growth and Long-Term Prosperity Act May 11th, 2012
Madam Speaker, this bill is about budget 2012-13 and our first priority in this bill is jobs and growth. This is a strategic plan to move forward. It is multifaceted and comprehensive. It is important that all of these initiatives are in the bill so we can continue on the path of job creation and growth for Canadians.
Jobs, Growth and Long-Term Prosperity Act May 11th, 2012
Madam Speaker, I rise in the House today to speak to Bill C-38, the jobs, growth and long-term prosperity act, legislation to implement key initiatives contained in the 2012 economic action plan.
When we introduced the first phase of this plan more than three years ago, the Canadian economy was threatened by a looming recession, begun beyond our borders, yet endangering our prosperity. Acting decisively, our Conservative government introduced temporary measures to fight the effects of the global recession through stimulus to safeguard jobs and protect the incomes of Canadians, while making important investments to ensure long-term growth.
Today the positive impact of our plans is abundantly clear, despite the misguided commentary we hear from the opposite side of the House. One should not take that opinion from me. Patricia Croft, former chief economist with RBC Global Asset Management, recently said, “In a global context, I think Canada is in a fabulous position. Canada continues to manage its fiscal affairs in a fabulous fashion”.
Thanks to our plan, our fiscal record is second to none. Although judging from their remarks throughout the debate on the bill, opposition members seem to be ignorant of these facts.
Both the IMF and the OECD have forecast that Canada will have among the strongest record of economic growth in the G7, both this year and next. Not only that, but for the fourth year in a row the World Economic Forum has rated Canada's banks as the most solvent in the world.
We all know that the prestigious Forbes magazine has ranked Canada number one in its annual review of the best countries in which to do business. The three major international credit rating agencies, Moody's, Fitch Ratings and Standard and Poor's have reaffirmed their top ratings for Canada.
I think it is clear to anyone who is listening that under our government's stewardship, Canada has weathered the economic storm with strength and the world has noticed.
This praise is not hollow. In truth, it speaks to the sound fiscal planning that has been the hallmark of this government. Our economic resilience reflects the actions our government took before the crisis, lowering taxes, paying down debt, reducing red tape and promoting free trade and innovation. I am proud the prudence continues to be reflected in action plan 2012 and in the measures contained in Bill C-38.
While my time is limited, I would like to speak specifically to our government's actions to ensure the retirement security of Canadians, as these measures reflect our commitment to fiscal planning that is sustainable well into the future.
This is of particular importance to my constituents in Okanagan—Shuswap, as we are the number two destination for Canadians to retire, and we actually have the largest number of seniors per capita in any place in Canada.
Since 2006, our government has taken steps to strengthen Canada's retirement income system, including increasing the guaranteed income supplement for the most vulnerable seniors, introducing pension income splitting, increasing the age credit and creating innovative savings vehicles like the tax-free savings account and co-registered pension plans.
Economic action plan 2012 takes further steps to ensure that Canadians will have access to a secure retirement for years to come by ensuring the sustainability of old age security and the guaranteed income supplement by gradually raising the age of eligibility from 65 to 67, starting in 2023.
The facts on OAS are clear. The OAS program was conceived at a time when Canadians were not living the long and healthy lives that we are today. We know with certainty that over the next 20 years the number of Canadians over the age of 65 will increase from 4.7 million to 9.3 million. Consequently, the cost of the OAS program will increase from $36 billion per year in 2010 to $108 billion per year by 2030. Meanwhile, by 2030, there will only be two taxpayers to support every senior, down from four to one in 2010.
We are not the first government in the world to recognize this inevitable demographic reality. Many countries are increasing the age of eligibility of their public pension programs. Of 34 OECD countries, 22 have recently increased, or announced plans to increase, the eligibility age. It is a long list that includes: Australia, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and United States.
This change in Canada does not start tomorrow. It would start in April 2023, with full implementation by January 2029. That is a 17-year notification period and, as such, it would not affect anyone who is 54 years of age or older as of March 31, 2012.
There is no question that this is the right move to ensure that our generous system of retirement benefits is there for Canadians when they need it most. Just listen to the words of the Globe and Mail editorial board, speaking directly to the measures contained in the bill that the opposition is voting against. It said, in part:
The two-year deferral of the Old Age Security for those now below the age of 54 is a fair and reasonable adaptation to an era of greater longevity and mostly prolonged health... Likewise, the reform of public-sector pensions, by higher employee contributions and a normal retirement age, will before long greatly relieve strains on the public purse....[The Prime Minister] and [the Minister of Finance] can, and do, truthfully say that the federal government’s finances are on track....Ottawa’s books of account are headed in the right direction. This is why the Conservatives were elected, to prudently manage public finances in a tumultuous time.
Canadians have told us that as they live longer and healthier lives, many older workers wish to remain in the workforce and increase their retirement income. Our changes to the OAS program reflect this new reality, while assuring that the OAS program is on a sustainable path.
To this end, we are also improving the amount of flexibility and choice Canadians can exercise by allowing the option of deferring the take-up of their OAS benefits to a later time. This way, should Canadians wish to work and save a little longer, they will receive higher annual benefits when they eventually collect their pension.
This too has received support from the strongest voice of Canada's small business community. The Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses has said, “[we are] supportive of the idea that Canadians should be incented to work longer by receiving additional OAS if they push back their retirement”.
Further, we are working to provide increased support to the retirement income system with pooled registered pension plans. These will provide an accessible large-scale and low-cost pension option to employers, employees and the self-employed.
Not only that, we will continue to deliver on promises to Canadians to keep taxes low and return to a balanced budget over the medium term.
Jobs, Growth and Long-Term Prosperity Act May 11th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I listened to my colleague from British Columbia earlier and I commend her on the good work she does in protecting the environment. We, on this side, are also concerned about protecting the environment.
Related to our bill, this is a comprehensive bill that has a plan in place for jobs and growth. The member knows that the Province of British Columbia, for a number of years, has been requesting that the federal government streamline the environmental review process to stop the duplication and to make the process happen in a more timely fashion.
Could the member tell me if there is any compromise to the actual regulations? No, there is not. It is simply the fact that we are trying to do it in a more timely fashion and to cut the duplication of the reviews.
We on this side are concerned about the environment and we are simply trying to expedite this. We are not saying that we are doing it to ensure there is a “yes” answer to the applications. That is not case. We are simply saying that those applications, for resource development or whatever, for environmental review get a timely yes or no answer. That is the important thing—
Tom Foord April 27th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, in 1953, Tom Foord and Jim Lockhead started a little tire shop in Vernon, in my constituency of Okanagan—Shuswap, and named the tire shop Kal Tire.
The company is now Canada's largest independent tire dealer, with 4,000 employees and 240 locations across the country. With its head office still in Vernon, B.C. Kal Tire has operations in 20 countries and is the number one supplier of tires to the world's mining sector.
Tom and Jim built the company on dedication to customer service and their commitment to the family of Kal Tire employees.
Tom Foord passed away on April 12, but his values and energy were passed on to the next generation of the Kal Tire family. Tom received many awards for his contributions to the community of Vernon and was named to the Order of British Columbia.
Tom Foord will always be remembered as the man with a big smile who would tell someone, “Go to the Kal Tire shop and tell them Tom Foord sent you.” Tom loved life and was loved in return. What more could a man desire?
Our condolences go to the Kal Tire family at the loss of their father, founder and friend.
Business of Supply April 26th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, the prudent planning of our government is to ensure these programs are available for future generations.
My colleague is absolutely right. I wanted to be here today and make the right decisions for my grandchildren so that when they retire they will have the same opportunities to have the benefits that will be put away for them to retire in dignity.
I support the government's policy. It is thinking for future generations.
Business of Supply April 26th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, the experts are saying that if the OAS system stays on its present path it will not be sustainable.
When the problems with the CPP arose, his party, when it was in government, had to deal with that. The experts at the time said that it was not sustainable, that it would not be there for future generations and that the government needed to increase the premiums. The member's government at the time listened to that information and made the adjustment, which was a wise thing to do at that time.
We are doing the same thing right now with OAS. We are listening to the experts, looking at the projections and realizing that we need to take action now so that this program will be sustainable for future generations.
Business of Supply April 26th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, the member is looking at the downside of things. The upside is that, fortunately, because of modern health, we are healthier and live longer. I would like to work into my late sixties just because I am a healthier person. That is a fact with all seniors in Canada. We need to look at how this program will be sustainable for the seniors who are living longer.
When we look at the figures the member just mentioned, the experts are saying that because of the fact that we are healthier and living longer, it is just not sustainable at the current age for eligibility.