Francesco Sorbara

[Canada Labour Code, February 5th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about a very important bill, a bill I invite all members of the House to support in order to restore a clear and balanced approach to labour relations in Canada.

Before I begin, I wish to acknowledge that both my parents were union members. It is through the labour movement and through their fight for fair wages, fair benefits, and safe working conditions that my family and our family prospered in Canada. We owe it to a strong middle class.

If passed, Bill C-4 would repeal the legislative changes made by Bill C-377 and Bill C-525, both of which have undermined labour unions and labour relations in our country. Let me tell members how.

I will start with Bill C-377.

Bill C-377 amended the Income Tax Act to require all labour organizations and labour trusts across Canada to provide very detailed financial and other information to the Minister of National Revenue. This information would then be made available to the public on the Canada Revenue Agency's website. If labour organizations do not comply with these rules, they would face hefty fines.

At first glance, these new reporting requirements might seem like a good thing; sharing financial information promotes transparency and accountability. I am sure members of the House would agree that is a worthy goal. I do. However, and there is a big however, if we examine the bill further, we will find that in fact it discriminates against labour unions.

First, Bill C-377 discriminates against unions because it places onerous, unfair public reporting obligations on them that do not apply to other organizations, such as professional associations that benefit from similar treatment under the Income Tax Act.

Why is this onerous task imposed on unions alone? Why tip the scales? Perhaps these financial reporting requirements would be justified if similar requirements did not already exist elsewhere, but they do.

Unions already are required to disclose financial information to their members under the Canada Labour Code and many provincial labour relations statutes. This includes British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and the beautiful province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

In addition to Bill C-377 discriminating against unions, it is also unnecessary. It creates an extra administrative burden, just another layer of red tape. The Liberal Party of Canada does not like red tape.

There is another reason that the bill is inherently unfair to labour unions. Simply put, it creates an imbalance between unions and employers during the collective bargaining process. How exactly? By giving employers access to key union information, without employers being required to share similar information. This makes for a very uneven playing field during the collective bargaining process.

For example, employers would know how much money the union had in a strike fund for a possible work stoppage and how long they could stay out if it came to a strike. This clearly undermines the union's most important negotiating lever.

I would like to move on to Bill C-525, which Bill C-4 would also repeal.

Bill C-525 changed the way that unions were certified and decertified under the Canada Labour Code, the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act and the Public Service Labour Relations Act. It replaced what is known as a card check system with a mandatory vote system.

For decades, and I emphasize decades, prior to Bill C-525 coming into force, if a union demonstrated that a majority of workers had signed union cards, the union could be certified as the bargaining agent for those workers. A vote was only required if less than a majority signed, but there was still enough to indicate a strong interest. Under the Canada Labour Code, it was 35% of workers. Bill C-525 changed that to require that unions show at least 40% membership support before holding a secret ballot vote and to require a vote even where more than 50% of workers had signed a union membership card.

More important, Bill C-525 also makes it easier for unions to be decertified. It lowers the threshold to trigger a decertification vote from majority support to 40%.

Overall, as stakeholders such as the Canadian Union of Public Employees have pointed out, the card check model is faster, more efficient and more likely to be free of employer interference than the new method.

In short, Bill C-525 makes it harder for employees to unionize and makes it easier for a union to be decertified. It tips the scales in an unbalanced manner.

Bill C-525 made significant changes to a system that worked. There was a democratic and fair system in place for employees for decades to express their support for a union. A card check system relies on majority support, a key democratic principle.

The bottom line is that Bill C-377 and Bill C-525 upset the delicate balance between the rights of employers and the rights of employees. The bill put before the House, Bill C-4, seeks to repeal the legislative changes made by these two bills. It seeks to restore the rights of labour organizations in our proud country.

Unifor's national president, Jerry Dias, welcomes Bill C-4. He said, “we have simply been given back rights that were taken from us”. Why are these rights so important? Because the rights of labour unions and the workers they represent are also the rights of Canadians. Who are those Canadians? They are carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and cleaners, the people we encounter every day. They are Canadians who are working hard to put money in their banks and to save for their children's future.

As elected officials, we have a responsibility to protect those rights. Labour unions advocate for decent wages and safe working environments. They play an essential role in maintaining positive labour relations between employers and employees. Sound labour relations protect the rights of Canadian workers and help the middle class grow and prosper.

Let us not allow Bills C-377 and C-525 to continue to diminish and weaken Canada's labour movement. I urge the members of the House to repeal Bill C-377 and Bill C-525 and lend their support for Bill C-4, which would restore a fair and balanced approach to labour relations in Canada.

[Canada Revenue Agency, January 29th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, many registered charities have seen their important work impeded by the former government's decision to audit them for political activities. In many cases, these charitable organizations felt that the reason for which they were being audited was because they disagreed with the policies of the government at the time.

Could the Minister of National Revenue update the House on the Canada Revenue Agency's political activities audit program?

[Vaughan, January 29th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 25th anniversary of the city of Vaughan, one of Canada's most vibrant and rapidly growing communities.

The last quarter century has seen its unprecedented transformation from a small municipality to a dynamic city boasting more than 10,000 businesses and a population of over 320,000.

Vaughan's growth shows little signs of slowing, with initiatives like the Toronto-York Spadina subway extension, the Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital, and the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre well under way.

Vaughan is on its way to becoming a world-class city fuelled by its extraordinary people.

As the member of Parliament, I am privileged to represent such a diverse multicultural community where 99 languages are spoken and almost half the population are immigrants.

I ask members to join me in wishing the city of Vaughan a happy silver anniversary.

[Business of Supply, January 28th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to repeat that we are going to put in place a robust consultation process and regulatory environmental process for this pipeline and the other pipelines we commented on yesterday in our release. We will put in a place a process where all Canadians can rest assured and have faith in the process we will undertake in the coming months. It will be thorough and full, and all stakeholders will have an opportunity to participate in the process.

It is imperative that Canadians understand that we are working with them not against them, and we will continue to do so. It is imperative that our resource sector has a voice, that it is brought to the table so its concerns are listened to as well.

Canada is a resource-dependent entity; 30% of our business investment over the last few years has come from the oil and gas sector. That is recognized. What the oil and gas sector needs now is a partner in the federal government that it knows will have a regulatory review process that is fair and balanced and links the economy and environment together, so all provinces and Canadians can move together. We will consult with aboriginal Canadians, so that they are full and active partners in these projects as we move forward.

[Business of Supply, January 28th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, we live in a time when we cannot de-link the environment and the economy. They are part and parcel of a partnership, and they must move forward on a sustainable basis.

We need to have a serious conversation, and our government is having that conversation. That was one of the reasons we won on October 19. Canadians were tired of a government that ignored the environment, that ignored the challenge of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. Our government promised to move forward on that, and we are, with COP 21, with the announcement yesterday. That is what we are moving forward with so that Canadians know and understand fully that we have an environmental regulatory review process they can have faith in, that when these projects are evaluated there is no political interference, that these projects are evaluated for their merits, and that the various groups of stakeholders are consulted properly, fully, and thoroughly.

[Business of Supply, January 28th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the most important point we must come up with at this time is to have a robust consultation process through the National Energy Board. That consultation process was obviously broken during the last 10 years of Conservative rule. We need to consult with our indigenous partners and with industry and business to move forward. We need to have a robust review of all major projects that are currently outlined. We need to make sure that all communities are heard.

This is something that may be new to my opposition neighbours next door, but it is not new to us. We must consult with aboriginal Canadians and all Canadians who work in this sector. We know how important the resource sector is to Canada. We understand that we need to reduce the differential between WTI and WCS, and we are working hard to attribute that. However, we need a robust NEB process, and that is what we are putting in place.

[Business of Supply, January 28th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for North Vancouver.

I appreciate the opportunity to offer a few words with respect to the motion by the hon. member for Portage—Lisgar. If I may, I would like to focus my remarks today on consultations and engagement with indigenous people.

When any project presents either a challenge or opportunity for an indigenous community, meaningful consultation is crucial. Aboriginal and treaty rights are affirmed in section 35 of the Constitution. The government needs to ensure that, moving forward, we uphold the honour of the crown and that proposed projects make good policy sense for indigenous peoples and all Canadians. As the hon. members know, there are many projects representing potential new investments that are either planned or under way in Canada, and many are located in or near indigenous communities or on traditional territories. These projects have the potential to create important new opportunities for indigenous communities.

Today, over 30,000 indigenous people work in energy, mining, and forestry jobs throughout Canada, this great country. That makes the natural resources sector a leading private sector employer of indigenous Canadians. What is more, the indigenous population is young and growing at a time when there will be an increasing number of opportunities in these sectors over the coming years. Yet we know the strong leadership in indigenous communities is also an integral part of responsibly developing Canada's natural resources, as more indigenous leaders take a proactive role in determining how their communities engage in resource development. We know that properly consulting those communities and leaders is paramount to ensuring that we get things right.

We also know that we need to do things differently. Yesterday, we heard the government deliver on a key promise to do just that. As the Minister of Natural Resources noted, the Government of Canada has taken an important first step to restoring the public's trust and faith in the way Canada reviews and assesses major resource projects. I am pleased to highlight today that the first step includes enhanced collaborations and consultations with indigenous populations, respecting their rights and interests. This is an important point. The Prime Minister has said that no relationship is as important to him as the one with indigenous peoples. This government has been very clear: It will begin to renew that relationship based on the recognition of rights, respect, collaboration, and partnership.

Yesterday's announcement also made our intentions clear. The government takes our consultation obligations very seriously. The Prime Minister has also said how “critically important it is for First Nations to be full partners at those tables where shared decisions about the future of our country are made, from resource development to environmental stewardship”. As we all know, consulting indigenous groups is already mandatory where a proposed activity may have an adverse impact on potential or established aboriginal and treaty rights. With this new development, the government is confirming our commitment to work even more closely with indigenous groups, building on the relationship that provides the foundation for proper and full consultation.

As the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and the Minister of Natural Resources noted yesterday, the government will respect the rights and interests of indigenous peoples while responsibly supporting our natural resources sector, and it will make decisions based on science and evidence, including traditional knowledge from indigenous peoples. Hundreds of first nations, Métis nations, and Inuit groups may be impacted by projects like pipelines, and yesterday's announcement confirmed that this government is absolutely committed to seeking their views and input.

As announced, a process for those consultations will be developed and funding will be available for these groups to participate in those consultations. Currently, consultations with these groups are already integrated into environmental assessments, but it is clear that more must be done. Improvements to Canada's whole-of-government approach are needed to undertake these consultations and fulfill our legal duty to consult.

I would like to take a moment to shed further light on some of the steps being taken with respect to consultation with indigenous peoples. What is different after yesterday's announcement is threefold.

First, the government will take immediate steps to improve awareness of the environmental assessment process within indigenous communities through education and training programs.

Second, the government will promote early community engagement by proponents on upcoming project environmental assessments.

Third, it will enhance indigenous capacity to actively participate in project environmental assessments through improved participant funding, better integration of traditional knowledge, and the building of technical capacities within indigenous organizations.

Further, the government will meet with indigenous groups to determine the ways they would like to be engaged in the broader review.

The Government of Canada looks forward to providing further details on these steps over the coming weeks and months.

I firmly believe that working together is the best way to achieve our shared goal of healthier, more prosperous, self-sufficient indigenous communities. Indeed, it is the only way toward the nation-to-nation relationship that has been promised.

The Government of Canada is listening to indigenous groups and is renewing the relationship to advance reconciliation. When any project, energy or otherwise, may impact indigenous peoples, the government looks forward to continuing to work with all partners on shared solutions that can deliver positive results for those communities, not only for their benefit today but for future generations.

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, December 11th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, as someone who has worked in finance for 25 years and covered the auto sector for the last 15, it is close to my heart and something that we need support in this country.

We need to maintain those jobs here in Canada, and our government will do everything it can, through consultation with its partners, on the automotive OEM base, the auto suppliers, and the small parts manufacturers throughout southwestern Ontario to make sure that those jobs are maintained here and that we maintain a very strong, robust global auto industry.

We need those jobs and our government is dedicated to ensuring that those jobs remain in Canada and that we can grow the OEM base, the supplier base. That is very important and we will move forward with it.

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, December 11th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, it is a bit rich for the hon. member for Durham to address deficits and debt when the Conservative government added $150 billion to our national debt in the last 10 years. It took a $15 billion surplus and moved it to a deficit position before the great financial recession even set in.

I will state that we are in a very low interest rate environment. My humble advice would be for the government to undertake strategic investments in infrastructure to help grow our economy.

With that, our debt-to-GDP ratio will continue to decline under this government and we will balance the budget, as we have indicated, at the end of the four-year period.

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, December 11th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to express my ongoing support for the auto industry, which is so important for southwestern Ontario, all of Ontario, and our manufacturing footprint.

I would like to add that in our platform, we included a number of measures and one of those measures, which I spoke to in my earlier comments, relates to the new Canada child benefit. If we look at and read studies from such sources as the Caledon Institute, this new child benefit that will be arriving, hopefully, next year, will be tax-free to families in Canada. It will provide 9 out of every 10 families with increased benefits and will lift 300,000 children out of poverty.

I think that that is great news for families in Canada.