Dan Vandal

[Income Tax Act, February 1st, 2016]

Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to add my voice to today's discussion on the government's middle-income tax cut, which we introduced in December 2015.

Before I touch on the legislation, I will begin by taking a few moments to extend my congratulations to the Minister of Finance and his parliamentary secretary for pursuing one of the most comprehensive pre-budget consultations in recent history.

The 2016 pre-budget consultations began when the Minister of Finance held a Google hangout with eight Canadian universities on January 6 to get the views of students and faculty on how to best grow the economy. On January 11, the minister and his parliamentary secretary struck out on a six-day tour in an effort to speak to as many Canadians as possible. They hosted upwards of 26 separate meetings and round tables with stakeholders and Canadians across the country, beginning in Halifax.

In addition to these meetings, the minister spoke to full-capacity crowds at the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations, and the Surrey Board of Trade, with a total attendance of well over 1,500 people.

For those Canadians who have not been able to make it out to meet the minister and the parliamentary secretary personally, they can continue to share their ideas and comments through various online channels, such as the Your Money Matters Facebook page and hashtag #pbc16.

Through our pre-budget consultations, we are engaging with Canadians, looking for input on how the federal government can best support the middle class and those working hard to join it, meet infrastructure needs and help grow the economy, protect the environment and meet local needs, as well as ensure that the most vulnerable do not get left behind. It is an ambitious list, to say the least, but one that respects Canadian values of honesty, hard work, and fiscal prudence.

I would like to thank all those who have and will contribute to the pre-budget consultations, whether in person or online. This input will be vital to ensuring that Canadians can direct and focus the decisions that our federal government can make. More importantly, Canadians will be able to see their contributions when the 2016 budget is tabled.

I want to assure Canadians that we are listening and we hope that this renewed interest by Canadians will make a better country for all of us; for our families and for our communities. We are hearing that Canadians want to push forward with our plan to grow the economy, strengthen the middle class, and help the vulnerable.

We have a clear mandate, and expectations are high. First and foremost, we are here to serve Canadians. They expect us to implement our ambitious economic agenda. They want a government that is open to the world. They want a more transparent government.

No one will be surprised to hear me say that the economy is going through a very difficult period. However, in the face of this real challenge, there is also real opportunity to put in place the conditions to create long-term growth that will create good jobs and help our middle class—the lifeblood of our economy—prosper. The plan for growth is more important now than ever.

The good news is that we have a plan to grow the economy, and we have already begun to implement the plan: we introduced the middle-class tax cut in December and tabled Bill C-2.

As of January 1, the middle-class tax cut is putting more money in the pockets of nine million Canadians each year. We are focused on smart investments that promote economic growth while maintaining a commitment to fiscal responsibility. We will improve economic prospects for our middle class, which is the backbone of our economy. We simply cannot call ourselves prosperous as a country if our middle class is struggling. This is why Bill C-2 is so important to Canadians.

I will now touch on the specifics.

Our middle-class tax cut and accompanying proposals would help make the tax system fairer by reducing the second personal income tax rate to 20.5% from 22%; introducing a 33% personal income tax rate on individual taxable income in excess of $200,000; returning the tax-free savings account, TFSA, annual contribution to $5,500 from $10,000; and reinstating indexation of the TFSA annual contribution limit.

We expect nine million Canadians will benefit from the reduction of the personal income tax rates, which are to take effect on January 1 of this year. Single individuals would see an annual tax reduction of $330 per year, and couples would see an average tax reduction of $540 every year. This measure would put more money in the pockets of Canadians to save, to invest, and to grow the economy.

In addition, the government is introducing a new personal income tax rate of 33% that would apply to individual taxable income in excess of $200,000. This means that only Canada's top income earners are expected to pay more tax as a result of the government's proposed changes to personal income tax. As with other bracket thresholds, the $200,000 threshold would be indexed to inflation.

Finally, the government is returning the tax-free savings account annual contribution limit to $5,500 from $10,000 effective January 1 of this year. Returning the TFSA annual contribution to $5,500 is consistent with the government's objective of making the tax system fairer and helping those who need it most. When combined with other registered savings plans, a $5,500 TFSA annual contribution limit would permit most individuals to meet their ongoing savings needs in a tax-effective manner. Indexation of a TFSA annual contribution limit would be reinstated so that the annual limit maintains real value over time.

Finally, let me quickly review some of the other measures that are included in today's legislation.

The bill proposes to change the current flat top taxation rules applicable to trusts to use the new 33% tax rate. It proposes to set the tax on split income to the new rate of 33%. It would amend the charitable donation tax credit to allow higher income donors to claim a 33% tax credit on the portion of donations made from income that is subject to the new 33% marginal tax rate. Finally, the bill would increase the special refundable tax and the related refund rate imposed on the investment income of private corporations to reflect the proposed new 33% personal income tax rate.

There has never been a better time to make targeted investments to support economic growth in this country. We are confident that our plan will accomplish this, and that is one reason why I am optimistic about our prospects going forward. Given that, I encourage all members to support this legislation.

[Business of Supply, January 28th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I know how hard the hon. member has worked in the last few months to be elected on October 19. I am wondering if he could share with us how important it is to him and to his constituents to achieve the right balance between the energy sector and the environment. How important is that to his constituents?

[Employment, January 27th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, non-profit organizations in our communities are already working on their summer programming and will soon be hiring employees for the summer period.

Can the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour confirm which programs will be available to non-profit organizations and small businesses?

[Resumption of debate on Address in Reply, January 25th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I was very proud when the government said it was going to implement all 94 recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It is very important and groundbreaking work that the commission did. I think that once the report flows through the systems of the House of Commons, it will be analyzed very closely, in all degrees and in all aspects.

[Resumption of debate on Address in Reply, January 25th, 2016]

Again, Mr. Speaker, after my intensive consultations of the last six months, the middle-income tax cut was very well received at the doors.

I also know there were some questions in the past about what we were doing for people who were struggling to join the middle class. That is where the Canada child benefit comes in. It is more generous and is tax free. That was a huge attraction for many of the young families to which I spoke. It will put more money in the pockets of young families. In fact, it will raise 300,000 children out of poverty over the long term.

If we couple that with a 10% increase in the guaranteed income supplement for seniors, we will be doing an incredible job when those initiatives are rolled out all across Canada.

[Resumption of debate on Address in Reply, January 25th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to say that in the last eight months I quite literally knocked on thousands and thousands of doors in Saint Boniface and Saint Vital. Many of the issues were paramount to the citizens I now represent, not the least of which was infrastructure funding.

As the hon. member has mentioned, I was a city councillor for many years. I was chair of public works and infrastructure renewal at the city of Winnipeg. I know that people care and people want better infrastructure for the taxes they are paying, whether it is transportation infrastructure at Marion and Archibald, or the Waverley Underpass, or the many other priorities in the city of Winnipeg, or simply better residential streets for citizens who live all over the community, better regional streets, which not only is needed but it enhances productivity. As high a priority as any to the people I have spoken with is infrastructure renewal.

[Resumption of debate on Address in Reply, January 25th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I am going to share my time with another hon. member.

It is a real honour for me to represent the people of Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, who voted overwhelmingly for change on October 19.

Saint Boniface—Saint Vital is the birthplace and the resting place of the father of Manitoba and leader of the Métis Nation, Louis Riel. Mr. Riel is very well known, but aside from the leader himself, there are literally thousands of other, lesser-known and some completely unknown Métis who were born, raised, lived, worked, and today are buried in the cemeteries along the Red River in Saint Boniface—Saint Vital.

Today, I am proud to say that there are many citizens, young and old alike, who are reclaiming their Métis identity that has been historically oppressed and taken away by the powers that were in Manitoba of that era.

Saint Boniface—Saint Vital is also a franco-Métis community, and without a doubt the most vibrant one in all of western Canada. Institutions like the Université de Saint-Boniface, the Centre culturel franco-manitobain, the Cercle Molière, the Maison Gabrielle-Roy, Riel House, the Saint-Boniface Museum, and the Union nationale métisse, among many others, help ensure that residents can remain proud and retain their language for years to come.

Saint Boniface—Saint Vital is also one of the most diverse communities in the city of Winnipeg. We have some of the oldest, most historic communities in the city. We have some communities that are facing some real poverty challenges, as well as some of the wealthiest neighbourhoods in the entire city.

Immigration has been a positive force in my constituency. There are many communities and neighbourhoods that boast a wide variety of new Canadians, including many of East Indian and Sikh descent, and many eastern Europeans.

More and more French-speaking Africans are living in Saint-Boniface because they want to study at the Université de Saint-Boniface. This is great news, and I hope this will continue for a long time.

All of this to say that the citizens of Saint Boniface—Saint Vital voted overwhelmingly to rebuild our cities through Canada's largest ever infrastructure program that is reflected in the throne speech. The citizens of my area voted overwhelmingly for a renewed middle class who will benefit from a middle-income tax cut as reflected in the throne speech. The citizens of my constituency voted for an enhanced, more generous and tax-free Canada child benefit that will raise over 300,000 children out of poverty. The citizens of my constituency voted for a Canada that recognizes that climate change is real and needs to be addressed in an intelligent, comprehensive fashion so that our future citizens, our sons, daughters and grandchildren, do not bear the brunt of the short-sighted, myopic policy of today.

As a former city councillor for many years, I can tell members that our cities from coast to coast are in desperate need of funding for the most basic of infrastructure. Regional roads, residential streets, sidewalks, back lanes, bridges, underground infrastructure, community centres and more all need the investment of the federal government.

I will give members a real-time city of Winnipeg example.

The city currently spends over $1 billion a year on infrastructure, underground and above ground, which is not nearly enough. A report, several years old now, said that the city should actually be spending an extra $400 million annually just to maintain the infrastructure at its current level. I repeat that this would not improve the infrastructure, but it would prevent further decay.

The time is right for federal investment in Canada's infrastructure and I am proud that the throne speech speaks about getting the ball rolling. We will create thousands of jobs across Canada in the construction sector of this great country, and with interest rates at historic low levels, there has never been a better time than now to borrow to invest in publicly owned infrastructure.

The citizens of my constituency also voted for leadership in developing and improving the relationship with our Métis, first nation, and Inuit citizens. Whether we recognize it or not, there are too many indigenous citizens represented in poverty statistics, on unemployment lines, on welfare rolls, in hospitals, in child welfare rolls. We need to turn that around. Canada needs to work with indigenous communities and indigenous leadership to improve indigenous health care, indigenous education, and indigenous employment.

The city I represent is the indigenous capital of Canada. We have more Métis, first nation, and Inuit people in Winnipeg today than Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, and the Yukon Territory combined. The fastest growing populations in Winnipeg today are young Métis, first nation, and Inuit people. Canada needs to partner on a nation-to-nation basis to create opportunities for those young indigenous populations. The throne speech lays out the framework for addressing these challenges.

The citizens of Saint Boniface—Saint Vital voted for the Government of Canada to finally put forth a critical path to resolve the Manitoba Métis land claims issue of 1870 as per the decision of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court decision was clear and unambiguous. The court ruled that the Government of Canada at the time acted inconsistently with the honour of the crown when it bungled land distribution to Métis families as negotiated by the provisional government as Manitoba entered Confederation. Thanks to strong leadership and 30 years of challenge by the Manitoba Métis Federation, we now have a clear legal ruling and finally have a federal government that promises to make good on the Supreme Court decision. I am proud to stand as a member of that government.

The citizens of Saint Boniface—Saint Vital also voted for justice for the Métis people of Manitoba and Canada and for a federal government that will follow a critical path to resolve the land claims of 1870 as per the 2013 Supreme Court decision. Employment is a major issue for our Métis youth, and our people demand better of the federal government.

The throne speech laid out a positive and encouraging plan and highlighted many of the elements I spoke about. I am proud to support these important initiatives. My constituents are pleased that our great country is finally moving toward a positive plan that will create jobs, rebuild our cities and communities, and fight poverty and climate change.

The throne speech of 2015 lays out a positive, hopeful agenda. It outlines actions on many of the initiatives I have identified.

I am proud to support these important initiatives, and the people I represent are proud of our great country finally moving in a positive direction that creates jobs, rebuilds cities, addresses poverty, addresses indigenous issues as well as climate change.

As a final clarification, I am sharing my time with the member for Steveston—Richmond East.

[Louis Riel, December 8th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, on November 16 of this year, at his gravesite in the Saint Boniface Cathedral, the Manitoba Métis Federation, the Union nationale métisse Saint-Joseph du Manitoba and I paid our respects on the 130th Anniversary of the execution of the Father of Manitoba and leader of the Métis nation, Louis Riel.

The Father of Manitoba, Riel stood out for his passion, his respect for difference, his acute sense of social justice, and his unwavering defence of Métis and francophone rights.

Riel understood the importance of consulting all interested parties, Métis and non-Métis, when negotiating Manitoba's entering Confederation. It was his ability to build consensus that resonates with us still today.

As a proud Métis, I am inspired by this great Canadian hero, this man of vision and consensus building. Riel's legacy is still felt today in Manitoba and across the country.