Garnett Genuis

[Income Tax Act, February 1st, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I have a hard time squaring the government's rhetoric on helping the middle class and the reality of how its tax plan would actually work. It would be of absolutely no benefit to people making less than $45,000 a year.

The government is going to do away with the $10,000 limit for tax-free savings accounts, when in reality more than half of those who max out their tax-free savings accounts make less than $60,000 a year.

How does the member compare those realities, in terms of how his government's tax plan would affect ordinary Canadians, with some of the high-minded rhetoric?

[Foreign Affairs, February 1st, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, this weekend over 80 people were killed by Boko Haram in Nigeria, including a number of children who were burned alive. Canada's Office of Religious Freedom is part of a project in rural Nigeria that created a network of Muslim and Christian leaders, who have been working together to reduce this type of violence.

These projects are needed now more than ever, so why are the Liberals shutting down the Office of Religious Freedom and once again running away from the fight against radicalization and terrorism?

[International Holocaust Remembrance Day, January 27th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, today is Holocaust Memorial Day, a day when we remember the six million Jews and many others who were killed by the Nazis.

Many of my relatives were among the victims. My grandmother, a half-Jew living in Germany at the time, survived but not without suffering the loss of her grandparents, cousins, and many friends.

My relatives could have left Germany earlier, but stayed behind because they did not believe that such unspeakable evil was possible in their civilized society.

As uncomfortable as it may be, the Holocaust forces us to contemplate evil and how we respond to it. We must never be afraid to call evil what it is. When we say, “Never again”, it is time we mean it.

Fighting evil had a cost in World War II and it has a cost today. My grandmother was always grateful that Canada was prepared to pay the cost in her time.

Let us be firm in our resolve when we say, “Never again”.

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, January 26th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the member on her remarks.

We have heard a number of members of the government talk today about the importance of helping the vulnerable and the middle class, and I would very strongly agree with that. However, there is a disconnect between the words and the record.

The government significantly cut back on tax-free savings accounts in spite of the fact that more than half of those who max out their tax-free savings accounts are making less than $60,000 a year. Those are the numbers available from the Finance Department.

The government's tax changes have brought absolutely no tax relief for those making less than $45,000 a year.

There is a disconnect between the rhetoric on helping the middle class and the most vulnerable, and the record on this.

Would the member agree with me that helping those who make below $60,000 and below $45,000 a year is important and should be a priority?

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, January 26th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the member talked a bit about the middle class and I want to ask a specific question about that.

The government has significantly cut back on the amount individuals can contribute to their tax-free savings accounts, in spite of the fact that all data shows that those in the middle and the low end are, in fact, more likely to use tax-free savings accounts. Over half of those who have maxed out their tax-free savings accounts are making less than $60,000 a year.

Meanwhile, the new tax changes the government has brought in provide absolutely no tax relief for those earning less than $45,000 a year. They are concerned for the middle class. People already have to be doing better than that in order to be considered. Meanwhile many low-income people who were using tax-free savings accounts are now worse off under the government's plan.

How does the member square those economic realities with the comments he has made about the middle class?

[Foreign Affairs, January 25th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, last week leaders from the Jewish, Sikh, and Muslim communities wrote to the Minister of Foreign Affairs indicating their strong support for the Office of Religious Freedom. They wrote that the office “has proven an effective advocate...raising our country's profile as a world leader in human rights promotion on the international stage.” This office is bringing people together internationally and here at home.

Will the minister commit today to keeping this vital office open?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the member about his perspective on the energy east pipeline. There is virtually no mention in the throne speech of the importance of the energy sector. The energy east pipeline would create jobs and opportunity in my region, as well as his, so why was there was no reference to the energy sector in the throne speech and what is his view of the energy east pipeline?

[Business of Supply, December 10th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the member has some very good points. I come back to the point that we have something happening right now, and training and humanitarian support are important for the long term. Of course, training is important in not just the long term but the medium term, and what our allies need right now is firepower, direct support, so we can stop the violence against the innocent.

[Business of Supply, December 10th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, we all understand in this place that it is a very complicated region. Certainly, foreign interventions have failed. There are plenty of cases where a western power coming in to help those in need has in fact succeeded in bringing about genuine transformation. There are cases where it works, and cases where it does not, and there are reasons in each individual case that we can talk about.

One of the most important things about this particular mission is that we are working and were working effectively with allies on the ground. There are, of course, ground troops, Kurdish troops and others. We are not just a foreign power trying to do this on our own. We are working with local powers to try to combat this group. We are there in fact at the request of the Iraqi government. That is a reality that makes this situation very much different from the situation that the member alludes to.

[Business of Supply, December 10th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member and the government are trying to offer us false choices. We, of course, agree that there is an important component of training, but the troops on the ground have said, our Kurdish allies have said, that the firepower we bring to the fight is critically important as well.

I asked this question of an hon. member earlier. If members think that our response in terms of the bombing mission is not effective, and instead we should be doing something else, who are they getting that information from? Our allies on the ground are telling us that not just training but firepower to stop the violence that is happening right now are critically necessary.

I do not dispute that the hon. member is aware of what is happening, but he does not seem to appreciate its imminence. We cannot just hope that training will lead to a better result in the future. We have to respond effectively right now to protect innocent people whose lives are at risk right now.