Gerald Keddy

[Canada Revenue Agency, September 19th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, the CRA is not reducing the number of auditors, nor the number of tax evasion and tax avoidance experts.

Again, since 2006, we have substantially increased the amount of auditors at the CRA, and tax cheats are feeling the pressure like never before. In fact, since 2006, the CRA has seen a 400% increase in the use of its voluntary disclosure program, proof that there are fewer places than ever before for tax cheats to hide.

[Canada Revenue Agency, September 19th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, let me clear: the CRA is not reducing the number of auditors, nor the number of tax evasion and tax avoidance experts. Between April 1, 2006, and April 1, 2014, the overall number of auditors has actually increased by 750. The hon. member is simply wrong.

[Business of Supply, September 16th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I believe there has been agreement among all the parties to unanimously see the clock at 5:30 p.m.

[Business of Supply, September 16th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I listened to most of my hon. colleague's speech, but I missed the first part of it. I appreciate the candour that he brings to the House and the importance of this subject. We both come from similar areas where there are a lot of low-wage jobs. However, if we are to have this discussion, let us have an honest discussion about what minimum wage does.

There would be a handful of jobs affected if this federal minimum wage was put in place, so let us have a discussion about getting youth employed in our country, and it is not through the minimum wage. The minimum wage can be a disincentive for employers to hire youth.

Let us have an honest discussion of how we get youth employed and how we do something about internships, unpaid internships in particular. Let us not look at window dressing and in all honesty, the motion is window dressing.

Let us have this discussion. I would be happy to have it.

[Business of Supply, September 16th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I listened to the comments of my hon. colleague very closely. In a nutshell, she pointed out in her speech that in the next five to seven years in Canada, we will be requiring in the neighbourhood of 700,000 to a million to 1.1 million new qualified workers for very high-paying, good jobs in this country. That is a huge challenge.

Had New Democrats taken their time and effort to talk about that challenge, I think we could have a much more vigorous debate. Instead, they picked a very narrow, very small segment of the federal civil service, some 396 or so individuals whom they think should be paid a couple more bucks an hour. Not that it is not important, but is that what we should be talking about today? We have some really huge issues facing this country, which we really do need to work together to try to solve.

[Points of Order, June 18th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is incorrect. That is not what I said.

[Regional Development, June 13th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that our government is committed to supporting economic development in Cape Breton and throughout Atlantic Canada.

The hon. member went off on several issues there, but on ACOA, we maintain the office in Sydney. The minister has also directed ACOA staff to re-staff the office in Port Hawkesbury in order to better assist entrepreneurs, local economic development organizations and community leaders in Cape Breton.

[Economic Action Plan 2014 Act, No. 1, June 11th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, after listening to opposition members speak on the budget tonight, I am sure the hon. member would agree that they left out a lot of information, and he just had an opportunity to list some of those items. They talk about our trade deficit, but they forget to talk about the fact that they have never supported expanding trade anywhere around the world. Of the 38 countries we have signed trade agreements with, they have not supported one single agreement, not ever.

The hon. member mentioned that he is from an area that is very dependent upon resource exploitation, and on mining in particular. My question to him is quite simple. There is a lot of noise coming from across the way, but it is a basic question. How can Canadians expect to sell those resources to develop our economy if we do not have trade agreements in place with countries around the world so that we can trade with those countries on fair terms?

[Economic Action Plan 2014 Act, No. 1, June 11th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I listened to the hon. member and this discussion on trademarks. The reality is that this would allow us to adopt the Nice classification, which would allow us to adopt the Madrid protocol and the Singapore treaty. At the end of the day, that would allow Canadian companies and individuals who are developing trademarks to list that trademark in more than one country at a time.

What is wrong with that process?

[International Trade, June 6th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the reality in this place is that the NDP would prefer to isolate Honduras. We believe that engagement is the best way to promote Canadian values around the world. Through engagement, we are able to share with Honduras our best practices in areas such as human rights, labour rights, democracy, and the environment. Trade is absolutely a solution, not a problem.