John Carmichael

[Canada-Korea Economic Growth and Prosperity Act, September 25th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, in my colleague's mostly positive speech, he kept slipping between the Korean free trade agreement and the Canada-China FIPA. I am trying to follow where he got lost a bit, but I will focus strictly on Korea, which is the purpose of this debate.

In his comments, he mentioned the U.S. snap-back provision that was provided through the U.S. free trade agreement with Korea. From my understanding of snap-back provisions, they have really limited practical value. I think that when we measure the tariff level of 2.5% between U.S. and Korea against the 6.1% level that we are dealing with in the Canada-Korea relationship, there is a different set of dynamics. The other piece of the snap-back provision, which I think really minimizes its impact, is that it is a 10-year provision in the U.S.-Korea agreement, and it cannot even be used in the first four years.

I wonder if my colleague opposite would comment on where he sees the deficiency in our agreement and the substantive impact that he was referring to.

The other thing I want to mention quickly is that 85% of Canadian production is built for export. I wonder if he would comment on where he sees the impact of that export production impacting this relationship.

[Public Safety, September 24th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have seen atrocity after atrocity committed by the barbaric group ISIL. Western journalists have been executed in cold blood, residents of Iraq and Syria have been brutalized, and Canadians have been singled out as a target. This is all in the name of radical Islamic terrorism. While our Conservative government has created new tools for protecting national security, the Liberal leader has mused that taking a passport away from a radical extremist is an affront to Canadian values.

Can the Minister of Public Safety update the House on what our government is doing to protect Canadians from the threat of ISIL?

[Small Business, September 18th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, over the summer I listened to many small business owners in my riding of Don Valley West, and a common concern was the amount of red tape that businesses face on a yearly basis. Administrative red tape impacts the ability of small businesses to create jobs, to innovate, and to grow the economy.

Earlier this week I was pleased to see debate on Bill C-21, the red tape reduction act, take place in the House, and I hope all members will support small business across this country.

Could the minister update the House on what our government is doing to reduce red tape for small business?

[Situation in Iraq, September 16th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, having not heard a question in that series of comments, I just want to acknowledge that as Canada contributes to this crisis, we do so on behalf of the many minorities, the Christians, Yazidis, Sufis, Shiites, Ahmadis, and so many others who are being traumatized and attacked mercilessly by this evil of ISIL. I applaud those nations who have become involved in this crisis to ensure that, to quote the President of the United States, we “degrade and destroy ISIL” so that the region can return to a normal balance of long-standing peace.

[Situation in Iraq, September 16th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, tonight we heard the Minister of Employment speaking a few minutes ago to the humanitarian crisis as it exists, as it affects children and families. As we know, and as the Minister of Foreign Affairs stated, our commitment to this point in humanitarian aid is insufficient, and I am quite confident it will be topped up with hundreds of millions of dollars pouring in from other corners of the globe with friends and allies in the region.

However, my concern goes deeper than that. While I worry for the children and I understand exactly what the member is articulating, this issue will have far worse consequences as it unfolds unless we react more strongly. We have heard support from members of the Liberal Party tonight on its support of this direction, for which I applaud them. I also applaud those members of this House who went to Iraq last week and witnessed first-hand the atrocities and the evil that is permeating that region.

We have to do more. We have to react. Our government is doing just that. I think that as time progresses, we will see that we are on the right side of this argument and we must assist our friends.

[Situation in Iraq, September 16th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, clearly the debate tonight is carrying a great deal of emotion on all sides, and I applaud the Minister of Employment for his comments.

The Prime Minister has said numerous times that the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, ISIL, poses a global threat. If Canada and the U.S. view ISIL as a threat, one can easily imagine how it is viewed among countries in the region. ISIL has made no secret of its expansionist views. For Iraq's neighbours and for Canada's friends in the region, ISIL is not a long-term threat; it is an immediate and very direct one. After standing on the front lines with Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers, our Minister of Foreign Affairs witnessed first-hand what it feels like to be within shooting range of these terrorists.

It comes as no surprise that ISIL's recent advance in Iraq has caused many countries of the region to reframe their priorities. ISIL's extremist violence has resulted in common cause among Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, and Israel, among others. Like Canada, these states consider terrorism to be the single greatest threat to the region. This includes both Sunni extremists groups like ISIL as well as the state-sponsored terrorism of the Iranian regime and its proxies and allies, including Hezbollah.

Currently ISIL controls significant territory in both Syria and Iraq. ISIL is moving fighters, equipment, and weapons between the two countries without consideration for international borders. In both countries it plays an equally destabilizing role. In both countries it has generated unprecedented humanitarian catastrophes.

However, the situation in Syria is very different from the one in Iraq. There is a government in Baghdad that Canada and its allies can work with, a government whose aim is to protect its people, not to slaughter them. That government has asked for the support of the international community to defeat ISIL. If Iraqi security forces, supported by an international coalition, manage to halt or reverse ISIL's gains in Iraq, ISIL will likely continue to threaten Iraq and other states of the region from its bases in Syria. Canada welcomes intensified U.S. efforts to destroy and degrade ISIL's capabilities in the region.

Iraq also shares a border with Iran, the greatest state sponsor of terrorism. Iran must share the blame for creating this crisis in the first place. Its support for the murderous Assad regime, its constant regional meddling, its arming of Shia militants, and its bankrolling of terror are not exactly contributing to stability and security in that region.

Despite a so-called “charm offensive” by the Iranian leadership over the past year, the toxic reality of Iranian meddling in Iraq remains. Iran continues to run its Iraq policies out of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force's headquarters. The IRGC Quds Force is a listed terrorist entity responsible for some of the deadliest terrorist attacks of the past decade. This force, which is part of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, can only compromise efforts to bring peace and stability to Iraq and the region. It is arming Shia militias within Iraq, which undermines attempts by the new government to gain the trust of its Sunni population. While the Iraqi government is trying to bring its people together regardless of religion or ethnic group, Iran is promoting discord and violence among Iraqis. Iran is sowing the seeds for a longer-term conflict, one that risks inflaming sectarian tensions throughout the region.

Thankfully, other countries in the region have stepped up to the plate on a constructive and very important role. The gulf countries have roundly condemned and rejected ISIL's disgusting brand of terror.

Last week, Saudi Arabia hosted a meeting in Jeddah, which was attended by 10 Arab foreign ministers and the U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry. The meeting resulted in a commitment by the group to a coalition to counter ISIL's presence in Iraq and Syria. The group stated that participation would include, “...as appropriate, joining in the many aspects of a coordinated military campaign against ISIL”.

The Arab League also met earlier this month and agreed on the use of all necessary measures to counter ISIL. Indeed, our friends in the Gulf and elsewhere in the region recognize, as we do, that countering ISIL and its despicable brand of terror will require a combined international effort.

Gulf countries have also provided generous assistance to address the humanitarian crisis caused by ISIL. Saudi Arabia, for example, contributed over $500 million of humanitarian assistance to Iraq.

Saudi Arabia's highest religious authority, its Grand Mufti, has unambiguously condemned ISIL and al Qaeda, describing them as the enemy number one of Islam. Last month, it also donated $100 million to the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre, or UNCTC, for efforts to combat terrorism.

Another of our close partners affected by ISIL's campaign is Turkey, which represents a beacon of stability in a fracturing region. ISIL is a serious threat to the security of our ally. Iraq is also Turkey's second largest export market, so the economic consequences of the crisis have been severe. Turkey has also been steadfast in condemning the brutality of the Assad regime in Syria and it has, like Jordan and other countries of the region, selflessly hosted millions of Syrian refugees.

As a fellow NATO ally, Canada looks forward to continued co-operation with Turkey in responding to the threats to our collective peace, including the threat represented by ISIL.

ISIL's violence has had tragic consequences in the region. The atrocities it has committed on innocent civilians in Syria and Iraq, including the use of rape as a weapon of war, have resulted in the displacement of religious and ethnic minorities that have occupied this region for thousands of years. However, ISIL does not intend to stop there. It has made the region a magnet for terrorists and aspires to expand its so-called state beyond Iraq and Syria into Jordan and Lebanon.

Such expansion would not only have disastrous humanitarian consequences, but it would destabilize the sectarian, ethnic and political map of the Middle East with consequences that we can hardly imagine. That is why we need to act together with our allies and friends in the region to counter ISIL and support an effective, inclusive and representative federal government in Baghdad, one that will govern for all Iraqis and preserve the rich, centuries-old fabric of this region.

Finally, we will continue to push for an effective, inclusive and representative federal government in Baghdad through our programming and diplomatic actions.

Several members of the international coalition that is forming against ISIL were present at yesterday's Paris conference on the peace and security of Iraq, including 10 countries from the region. Participants committed to support the Iraqi government by any means necessary, including appropriate military assistance.

As we build this coalition, let us not forget that some of the countries in the region, namely Iran and Syria, have different agendas. Although they may currently claim to stand on the right side of history, these regimes only aim to replace one brand of violence with another one just as cruel. They cannot be part of the solution when they are in fact a large part of the problem.

Canada is committed to working with countries that reject all forms of terror.

[Business of Supply, September 16th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for the question. This is my first opportunity to welcome him to the House.

Yes, we both come from Toronto in Ontario, where these are significant issues. As my colleague, the parliamentary secretary, alluded to earlier, we would all like to eradicate poverty. We would all like to find solutions to that issue that will help those in need, but at the end of the day we have to do it through incentive and opportunity. We create jobs. We create economic growth.

In answer to my colleague, an apprenticeship incentive grant is an opportunity for apprentices to increase their skill set and help them improve their ability to not only earn a wage but earn a higher wage. That is the important piece of this puzzle, and that is what this government clearly sets as a standard.

[Business of Supply, September 16th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question and congratulate him on his new official riding.

Yes, I do agree that equity is important, but it is also important, as we have heard today in debate among all parties, that the numbers in question are somewhat dubious. In fact, one of my colleagues' colleagues on the opposite side, for lack of a better term, agreed that this motion was purely symbolic.

We, as a government, are in support of provincial jurisdiction, which has the authority over establishing minimum wage, as I have seen in my own province. The new government in Ontario has recently established new guidelines for minimum wage. That is its jurisdiction, and we endorse and support that as its responsibility. To that end, we believe that is the route the federal government must take in order to support our provincial cohorts.

[Business of Supply, September 16th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to respond to the motion proposed by the hon. member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie in regard to minimum wages. Today I would like to reassure the hon. member that our government's top priority remains focused on creating jobs and economic growth while ensuring that all Canadians have the opportunity to share in the benefits of a strong economy.

Contrary to what the official opposition may believe, most Canadians are becoming wealthier. The median net worth of Canadian families has increased by 45% in real terms since 2005. The federal tax burden is now the lowest it has been in 50 years. Now more than one million low-income Canadians have been removed from the tax rolls and do not have to pay federal income tax.

Canadians in all major income groups have seen increases of about 10% or more in their real after-tax, after-transfer income since 2006. Income inequality has not increased in Canada since 2006, and the share of Canadians living in low-income families is at its lowest level in three decades. Clearly, these actions are paying off for Canadians, including those with lower incomes.

Given my limited time today, I would like to focus members' attention on what our government's economic action plan has done to reduce taxes for Canadian families since we took office in 2006.

Unlike the official opposition, Canadians know that when it comes to tax reduction, the Conservative government has a long-standing record of outstanding achievement. Since 2006, Canadians have benefited from significant broad-based tax cuts introduced by our government. These tax reductions have given individuals and families more flexibility to make the choices that are right for them. These initiatives have helped build a solid foundation for future economic growth, more jobs, and higher living standards for all Canadians.

The evidence is clear, even if some other hon. members steadfastly choose to ignore it. An average Canadian family of four will pay close to $3,400 less in taxes in 2014.

Under our government's long-term agenda to keep taxes low, significant broad-based action has been taken to reduce taxes for all Canadians. This includes a reduction in the GST rate to 5% from 7%; an increase in the amount that all Canadians can earn without paying federal income tax; a reduction in the lowest personal income tax rate to 15% from 16%; and the introduction of the tax-free savings account, or TFSA, a flexible, registered, general purpose savings vehicle that allows Canadians to earn tax-free investment income to more easily meet their lifetime savings needs.

Our government has also introduced a number of targeted tax reduction measures. For example, we have helped families with children by introducing the child tax credit, the children's fitness tax credit, and the children's arts tax credit. We have introduced the registered disability savings plan to help individuals with severe disabilities and their families save for their long-term financial security. We have enhanced support for caregivers to infirm, dependent family members by introducing the family caregiver tax credit.

We have provided additional annual targeted tax relief for seniors and pensioners by increasing the age credit and the pension income credit amounts, raising the age limit for maturing savings in registered pension plans and registered retirement savings plans, and introducing pension income splitting.

We have provided further support to students and their families by exempting scholarship income from taxation, introducing the textbook tax credit, and making registered education savings plans more responsive to changing needs.

Last, we have introduced the public transit tax credit to encourage public transit use.

At the same time, we have increased and enhanced benefits for Canadian families and individuals by introducing the universal child care benefit, introducing and enhancing the working income tax benefit, and increasing the amount of income families can earn before the national child benefit supplement is fully phased out and before the Canada child tax base benefit begins to be phased out. Last, we have maintained the GST credit level while reducing the GST rate by two percentage points.

Mr. Speaker, I neglected to mention that I will be sharing my time today with the member for Willowdale. I apologize for the delay on that.

In total, our government will have provided almost $160 billion in tax relief for Canadian families and individuals over a six year period ending in 2013-2014.

As all members of the House can see, if they choose to do so, our government is committed to lower taxes for all Canadians. Our recent budgets have built upon our record of supporting families and communities while establishing a path for returning to balanced budgets.

Economic action plan 2013 introduced enhanced support for Canadian families by keeping taxes low; better recognizing the costs of adopting a child; helping to lower the price of consumer goods; better protecting financial consumers, including seniors; and promoting low-cost and secure pension options.

It also introduced measures to support communities by investing in quality affordable housing, honouring our veterans, improving the health of Canadians, supporting our arts and cultural community, and creating the largest and longest federal investment in job creating infrastructure in Canadian history.

Economic action plan 2014 continues to focus on controlling spending and using every tax dollar as efficiently as possible. We will enshrine our responsible, prudent approach in law with the introduction of balanced budget legislation. Balancing our books, as all business leaders know, gives us greater flexibility to respond to the unforeseen. It would enable us to reduce the burden placed on future generations and would promote investment by keeping taxes low.

Let me conclude by saying that I am very optimistic about our prospects as a nation. The Canadian economy continues to expand, enjoying one of the strongest job creation records in the G7. Over 1.1 million more Canadians are working now than at the end of the recession, with the vast majority of new jobs being full-time, high-wage, private sector positions.

However, while all our jobs and growth performance is encouraging, we still have work to do. I believe that economic action plan 2014 is the way to go. If we hold to the course we have chosen, our future looks bright. I am eager to see this progressive agenda unfold and the positive impact it will have on our country and jobs and growth, which is why I cannot support the motion.

[Business of Supply, September 16th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his comments. However, as I listened to him, I understood his impassioned presentation but I think he has the argument backwards. He talked about leadership, but leadership is demonstrating change that will ensure change happens through tax cuts, tax credits, leadership and job creation in the economy, and economic growth.

I would like to ask the hon. member, as he considers the data and his argument, to source where he found these numbers for people, which he has been discussing. We see minimal numbers that would be impacted by this particular motion, and that is supported by the third party, I might add.

I think that the opposition members are either working from flawed data or no data. I would ask the member to confirm what the motion would do in numbers, where the NDP members got these numbers, and more importantly, what are we going to do for youth with the motion, because I do not see it.