Gary Anandasangaree

[Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 2, November 6th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, poverty is absolutely an important issue. My friend opposite is correct that it affects all of us in all of our ridings. Particular communities are affected much more deeply than others, such as those in northern and rural areas across the country. That is an important issue we need to address.

I know that in the past decades, we have failed to address the root causes of poverty. That is what we are really getting into here, particularly the shortage of housing, the lack of investments in public infrastructure and in transportation. It is those very important investments that are critical to uplifting people out of poverty.

At the same time, we cannot ignore the environment. It is critical and the way that our pricing on pollution has been undertaken, 90% of the money will go back to those families in communities who need it the most. That is our fundamental—

[Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 2, November 6th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise to speak in support of Bill C-86, the second act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on February 27, 2018 and other measures.

Let me start by acknowledging that I am speaking on the traditional land of the Algonquin peoples.

On this very auspicious day, I would like to wish all those who are celebrating Diwali a very happy Diwali. I hope all my constituents and all those in Canada who celebrate this very special occasion are able to see the light and overcome darkness.

Speaking of the light, the last three years the Liberal government has shone quite a bit of light on our country. A number of remarkable achievements are worthy of note, in particular on trade. We have set Canada on a course that will enable Canada to be one of the freest and most open trade markets anywhere in the world. These trade agreements include: the Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement between Canada and the EU, also known as CETA; the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership between Canada and countries in Pacific Asia; and of course most recently, the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement with our North American allies. This means millions of new markets, billions of new dollars in trade and countless opportunities for Canadians today and for the future.

This unprecedented access to new and emerging markets will create unimaginable global opportunities for all of us. I know my constituents were quite worried earlier in the year about getting a good deal under the USMCA. They were worried about Canada giving in too much or Canada being shut out altogether. That is no longer the case. For close to 18 months, our negotiators have worked day and night to get not any deal, but a good deal for Canada. I want to thank and acknowledge our Minister of Foreign Affairs and her entire team for their tireless work. She has indeed made us all very proud.

There is more good news. Every time I meet employers, one of the issues they bring to my attention is the difficulty finding the people to fill good jobs in Canada. They complain that they are unable to hire people and retain them, regardless of the money they pay, and oftentimes these are high-paying jobs.

Right now, we have historically low rates of unemployment. In fact, it is the lowest it has been for the last 40 years. Our government has helped propel our economy forward, making it the fastest growing economy among G7 countries and one of the fastest in the world. This has led to the creation of over a half a million jobs since we were elected in 2015. Of course there is more good news for small business, as our tax rate will go from 11% to 9% as of this January.

There are many important initiatives in the budget, and I could talk about all of them. In particular, the establishment of the status of women as a full ministry, the implementation of pay equity legislation, along with legislating gender budgeting, are critical parts of our government's agenda. I know many of my colleagues have spoken about it extensively.

Today, I want to highlight two very important things and focus on them. First is the issue of poverty reduction. The second is the price on pollution.

Let me start with poverty reduction. Poverty is linked to a number of different socio-economic outcomes in our society. Whether the longevity of our life, or success in education or success in the workplace, poverty is one of the central determinants of success or limitations in our society. Our government believes that everyone deserves a real and fair chance of success. That is what drives us to grow the middle class and support people who are working hard to join it.

Canada's first-ever national poverty reduction strategy sets new poverty reduction targets and establishes the federal government as a full partner in the fight against poverty. It also builds on the progress we have made together so far. These include the introduction of the Canada child benefit in 2015 and, most recently, the indexing of the CCB. This has lifted over 300,000 children out of poverty. My riding of Scarborough—Rouge Park alone has been given $76 million in just the last year.

The second is the reversion of the previous government's changes to the guaranteed income supplement and old age security, which basically restores the age of retirement from 67 to 65 years old and makes benefits for seniors more generous, lifting 100,000 seniors out of poverty each year.

The launch of Canada's first-ever national housing strategy last year will not only create 100,000 new housing units and renew and renovate more than 300,000 existing units, it will also remove more than half a million Canadians from critical housing need.

Since 2015, our government has been working hard to lift Canadians out of poverty with the help of programs like the CCB, the top up to the GIS and the Canada workers benefit. By 2019, the government's investments are expected to help lift over 650,000 Canadians out of poverty. The poverty reduction strategy, called “Opportunity for All: Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy”, is a bold vision that will build a Canada where every Canadian has a realistic chance to succeed.

“Opportunity for All” is a long-term strategy that builds up significant investments that the government has made since 2015 to reduce poverty altogether. There are three pillars to this strategy: first, dignity, lifting Canadians out of poverty by ensuring everyone's basic needs are met; second, opportunity and inclusion, helping Canadians join the middle class by promoting equality of opportunity and full participation in every aspect of our society; and third, resilience and security, supporting the middle class by protecting Canadians from falling into poverty by supporting income security and resilience.

I want to note one aspect of our government's agenda is the anti-black racism aspect, and I would be remiss if I did not address it. It is part of the work I do as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

Our government understands that any plan for reducing poverty must also address systemic barriers, such as racism and discrimination, that hold some Canadians back. By removing barriers and levelling the playing field, all Canadians will be able to reach their full potential. To help address systemic barriers of racism, our government is launching, and is currently in the process, consultations across the country, which will establish a national framework for anti-racism. We will bring together experts, community organizations, citizens, interfaith leaders and others to work out a national strategy. A first step toward this is the recognition that anti-black racism is at the core of the discussions among other forms of racism and discrimination.

The second aspect I want to highlight is the price on pollution. There is no question that we have a problem with our environment. The disasters we have seen for the last number of decades seem to be getting worse every year. Whether it is the floods in Toronto or the wildfires out west, we see the challenges of climate change first hand.

Last year for Canada's 150th birthday, I had the opportunity to visit St. Anthony, Newfoundland, a beautiful part of our country where icebergs are prevalent. One thing the local folks told me was that the number of icebergs really spoke to the reality of climate change. We know the temperature is rising and it is hurting the environment and limiting our way of life, particularly for indigenous people. That is why it is important that this government address the issue of climate change by pricing pollution and ensuring that those who pollute pay a fair share to ensure pollution no longer is free. This is not a free commodity that Canadians or industry can take for granted. If people pollute, they must pay. That is the principle behind our pollution pricing plan.

With that, I would like to once again reiterate my support for Bill C-86.

[Sri Lanka, October 29th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, over the weekend, the Sri Lankan President appointed his predecessor, Mahinda Rajapaksa, as prime minister. The Rajapaksa family is accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. This recent development underscores the need for structural change on the island. The government continues to play politics with the lives of Tamils and other minorities. Successive governments have failed to secure a political solution based on the Tamils' right to self-determination, to end impunity and abide by the rule of law.

Journalists and human rights activists in Sri Lanka continue to be in danger. Reporters Without Borders recently outlined the harassment by the Sri Lankan intelligence unit against Tamil Guardian correspondent Uthayarasa Shalin.

In the nearly 10 years since the end of the armed conflict, peace has not been achieved. The current constitutional crisis among Sri Lanka's political class is again at the expense of the Tamils seeking justice, accountability and a just political solution. The international community must be seized of the issue, and ensure that Sri Lanka abides by international norms and is in line—

[Canadian Heritage, October 26th, 2018]

Madam Speaker, we, on this side of the House, are here for our artists, artisans and creators. We made that very clear with our cultural policy last year.

We have made historic investments of $3.2 billion in the cultural sector, including the CBC, the Canada Council for the Arts, Telefilm and the NFB.

Due to the previous Conservative government's inaction, our laws on culture predate the Internet, which is why we are reviewing them so that we can continue to support high-quality Canadian production. The principle of this review is clear. If one is a participant in the system, one will continue to—

[Elections Modernization Act, October 26th, 2018]

Madam Speaker, Bill C-76 essentially puts severe limitations on third-party advertising. There will be a very well-grounded regime to ensure there is transparency with regard to who those parties are.

Bill C-76 strengthens our democracy from foreign influence. While it imposes certain restrictions on third parties and the influence of foreigners, there are other important mechanisms that the government will undertake to ensure there is security in the Internet, to make sure that foreign influence is curtailed.

It is certainly a problem in parts of the world, and in Canada as well. Bill C-76 is a very important step in addressing this issue.

[Elections Modernization Act, October 26th, 2018]

Madam Speaker, I agree with my friend opposite that Canadians' right to vote is sacrosanct. It is a right that is available to every Canadian citizen aged 18 and over. When we vote, we reiterate our citizenship commitment to our country.

I want to clarify that the voter information card is not the only form of identification. It is in fact not an ID. It needs to be coupled with proper identification that verifies who the individual is. Under the Elections Act, it is illegal for anyone to vote who is not eligible to vote. I am confident that Bill C-76 would ensure that all citizens who wanted to vote would be able to vote. While fraud may be an issue in one or two instances, we cannot make public policy based on those very minor infractions that can be enforced through our Elections Act.

[Elections Modernization Act, October 26th, 2018]

Madam Speaker, I am glad to speak this morning in support of Bill C-76.

The goal of Bill C-76, the elections modernization act, is to modernize Canada's electoral system and to strengthen its integrity by making it more transparent, accessible and secure. It would do so, among other things, by establishing spending limits for third parties and political parties during a pre-writ period by increasing transparency regarding the participation of third parties in the electoral process and by expanding the powers of the commissioner of Canada elections.

The commissioner's new powers would include the imposition of administrative monetary penalties for contraventions to key parts of the act, including those governing political financing and third party activities.

In recent months, we have heard a great deal of news about the influence of foreigners, fake news and the impact of emerging technologies on elections around the world. The Government of Canada has already included in Bill C-76, right upon its introduction in the spring, a number of measures aimed at preventing foreign influence or the malicious use of technology. However, new details about undue influence attempts in the electoral systems in western democracies are brought to the public's attention almost weekly.

Amendments to the Canada Elections Act only represent one tool at our country's disposal in its fight to protect our democracy. Members of Parliament, political actors, academics and Canada's civil society at large also have important roles to play, for example, in the area of civic literacy.

I would like to focus my remarks today on the improvements brought to the elections modernization act during its study in committee, which the Government of Canada sees as a great tool aimed at increasing the transparency of political advertising practices.

In 2017, Statistics Canada estimated that almost every Canadian under the age of 45 was using the Internet every day, while approximately 80% of Canadians aged 45 to 65 were using the Internet every day.

As of April 1, Statistics Canada estimated Canada's population at just above 37 million. This means that roughly between 22 to 23 million Canadians between the ages of 18 to 65 access the Internet and online platforms virtually daily.

Given the impact of new technologies on the lives of Canadians, the time has come to require more transparency from online platforms during election periods.

Online platforms, whether they are smart phones, applications or websites, which sell advertising space on a commercial basis during the pre-writ and election periods, will now be legally compelled to maintain an online registry of all partisan and election advertising messages that they publish.

This new requirement will apply to those online platforms having a medium to high reach to persons present in Canada, no matter where the platform is actually located. Each online platform will be required to maintain this registry on the platform itself and to make it fully accessible to the public. The registry will include at least a copy of each partisan and election advertising message that has been published during the pre-writ and the election period respectively, as well as information about the person or entity that authorized the publication of the message.

Traditional media, such as radio, television and newspapers, offer political ads to Canadians in plain view. They allow all political actors to be held accountable for the information they share and for the promises they make. In comparison, online platforms allow advertisers to target a very precise segment of the population. Without a registry of political ads, it is impossible for Canadians to know how their neighbours, their families and their co-workers might be targeted.

The new online platform registry of political ads in Bill C-76 will help Canadians better understand who is trying to influence them and how. For example, even if an election advertising message was targeted to only 50 Canadian electors, a copy of the published advertisement would need to be published in that registry. Along with that copy would be found the name of the financial agent who authorized its publication, whether it was the official agent of a candidate, the chief agent of a registered party or one of his or her delegates, or the financial agent of a third party.

The Canada Elections Act will require online platforms to maintain public access to the new registry for a minimum period of two years after the polling day. This will ensure more transparency on political advertising targeting techniques, as Canadians, including academic researchers and journalists, will be able to take a close look at all messages conveyed by political entities and third parties in their attempts to influence Canadians.

In addition, online tax forms would be required to safeguard the information found in the registry for a total of five years after the polling date. This retention requirement would ensure the commissioner of Canada elections would have sufficient time to initiate investigations and, when necessary, seek access to the contents of the registry.

Of course, political entities and third parties would be legally required to co-operate with online platforms by providing them the information they need in order to publish them on their registry. Political entities, third parties and online platforms that fail to comply with the new Canada Elections Act requirements could potentially face criminal charges.

The Government of Canada recognizes that some online platforms have already announced voluntary transparency measures of the kind I am talking about today. This is a helpful development, but on subject matter as important as Canada's democracy, voluntary measures are not always sufficient anymore.

The new Canada Elections Act requirements would ensure that all qualifying online platforms would be subject to the same disclosure rules and the same minimum information would be made available in each online platform's registry of political ads. These new requirements, along with the bans on use of foreign funding and on selling of advertising space to foreigners, as well as new financial returns required of third parties during the election period, will go a long way toward affording Canadians a more secure and transparent electoral system.

I strongly encourage all members of the House, across party lines, to support Bill C-76.

[Filipino Heritage Month, October 25th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today once again in support of Motion No. 155 to designate the month of June as Filipino heritage month. As I initially indicated, I would like to thank my good friend and colleague from Scarborough Centre for bringing forward this important motion.

As members know, Filipino Canadians are the third-largest Asian Canadian group in our country. The 2016 Canadian census shows that over 837,000 people of Filipino descent live in Canada, and that is expected to hit one million in a few years. The same data tell us that Tagalog is the fastest-growing language in Canada. Based on a study conducted from 2011 to 2016, the use of Tagalog has increased by a staggering 35%. The Filipino community has embraced Canada, and Canada has welcomed and will continue to welcome its heritage, culture and contributions. Therefore, on the government's part, I am pleased to support this motion.

Before I get to the substantive areas of my comments, I want to acknowledge the enormous Filipino community in Scarborough, who work very hard. I know I have a significant population. Just recently, the Filipino Centre Toronto moved from downtown Toronto to Scarborough in the riding of my good friend, the member for Scarborough North. Koro Pilipino is a choir group that regularly goes to St. Joseph's, and I often go there for Christmas. St. Joseph's Christmas mass is one of the things that I look forward to during that season. As well, there is Seniors in Action, a very vibrant senior population of Filipino Canadians who have, in their retirement and twilight years, danced away many evenings throughout the year. St. Joseph's Parish is located in my riding. It is the only Catholic church in my riding and we have monthly Filipino masses. It is one that I often attend, especially during holidays. Of course, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate my good friend, Garry Tanuan, who has just been re-elected as the local Catholic school board trustee.

This is the type of vibrant Filipino Canadian community that exists in the Scarborough—Rouge Park riding, and in Scarborough generally. This is not unique to Scarborough. The Filipino Canadian community is vibrant and strong in many parts of this country. My good friend from Winnipeg North routinely talks about their successes, as do many other colleagues.

I want to give some perspective. June is an important month in Philippine history and culture. Independence Day takes place on June 12. It is an annual celebration that is celebrated not just in the Philippines but around the world, in recognition of the independence of the Philippines from Spain in 1898. Recognizing June as Filipino heritage month would speak to the historical and cultural significance of this month to the vibrant community.

Canadians of Filipino heritage have contributed in many invaluable ways to the fabric of our society. Many Filipino Canadians have received international recognition for their work and established themselves as leaders and trendsetters in their fields. They continue to leave an indelible mark on our diverse fabric in every aspect of our lives, strengthening Canada in this process.

Filipino Canadians have attained notable political stature in Canada, and are tireless champions of multiculturalism and advocates for the most vulnerable members of our society. The Hon. Rey Pagtakhan made history by being the first Filipino Canadian to be elected to Parliament. In 1988, he won a seat in the House of Commons in the riding of Winnipeg North. Mr. Pagtakhan served as a parliamentary secretary to Prime Minister Jean Chrétien from 1996 to 1998, and was the first Filipino Canadian appointed to cabinet when he took on the role of secretary of state in 2001. In 2017, he was invested as a member of the Order of Manitoba. As an anti-racism champion, he was given an award in September 2018 by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation. Incidentally, today is the 25th anniversary of the election of Prime Minister Chrétien, if I could just digress for a moment.

Filipino Canadians are very prominent in Canadian film, television, radio broadcasting, newspapers and magazines. They are active in their communities, whether it be helping newcomers through the Multicultural Helping House Society in Vancouver or organizing festivals, like the Taste of Manila, Manitoba Filipino Street Festival and Fiesta Filipino Calgary. They are business owners and add invaluable diversity to our multicultural country.

The Filipino community has given Canada so much. Its hard work and dedication has a vast impact on culture and heritage and is often overlooked.

One of the interesting statistics about Filipino Canadians is that there are more women of Filipino heritage than men. This is in part due to the immigration patterns, where oftentimes many women have undertaken the journey to Canada to work in precarious employment situations. Their labour is essentially used in many parts of our country to support Canadians, be it through the health care system or through assistance for children or seniors. It is an enormously difficult situation. Oftentimes people are separated from their families for many years.

I know of the hard work of many of these mothers, particularly, and I want to thank them for their sacrifice. These women have worked so hard to build a life for themselves and their families. It is that bold and difficult journey that has really bolstered the community to the numbers we see today, and the contributions they make throughout our country.

I want to give an example. Mikey Bustos is a vlogger, actor and author. He is a popular YouTuber with over 375 million views on his channels. His popularity has won him prizes and accolades. In addition, he was a finalist on Canadian Idol.

There are other examples, like Martina Ortiz-Luis, a prominent young singer of Philippine heritage. She was on Parliament Hill to sing O Canada this past year.

Maria Aragon is a prominent singer of Filipino descent. She was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her rendition of Born this Way by Lady Gaga went viral and reached over 11 million views within a week. Her cover also garnered her a performance with Lady Gaga herself in 2011.

This designation of June as Filipino heritage month would enable all Canadians an opportunity to reflect on, celebrate and appreciate the history, heritage and important contributions of the Filipino Canadian community and to celebrate their successes.

Our multicultural heritage is about more than just a commitment to welcoming diverse people from around the world. It is a commitment to principles of equality and freedom, grounded in human rights and enshrined in our laws and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The contributions of Filipino Canadians are vital to our social, economic and political fabric. Today we have an opportunity to acknowledge the critical role Filipino Canadians have in Canada's rich cultural fabric as a country and an opportunity to recognize that their contributions to Canada are appreciated and valued.

Once again, I would like to thank my good friend from Scarborough Centre for bringing forward this motion and reiterate our support for making each June Filipino heritage month.

[Multiculturalism, October 25th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is an open and diverse country, but there are still real challenges for many people in this country.

Throughout our history and even today, there are many people and communities who experience systemic racism, oppression and discrimination, preventing them from fully participating in our society.

These experiences are still felt by many Canadians, and now we can and must do better. That is why we are engaging communities across the country and people with lived experiences to modernize our approach and to develop concrete solutions to these problems. That is why we are undertaking these consultations. As we speak right now, our Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism is in one of those sessions.

[Indigenous Affairs, October 18th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians understand that diversity is our strength. While we have much to celebrate, we know that there are still real challenges for many people in this country. Throughout our history, there have been people and communities, particularly indigenous peoples, who have experienced systemic racism, oppression and discrimination that has prevented them from fully participating in society. We know these experiences are a reality for many, and we can and must do better. This is why our government is engaging communities and experts to modernize our approach and to take action on this really important issue.