Joyce Bateman

[Terrorism, April 25th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government takes its responsibility to protect Canadians very seriously. That is why we introduced the anti-terrorism bill.

It is an important bill that gives law enforcement officials the tools they need to protect law-abiding citizens from those who would do them harm.

However, the NDP never misses a chance to oppose common-sense measures that would keep Canadians safe.

In a shocking admission yesterday, the NDP member for Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca said that we know what happened to Japanese Canadians in the panic of World War II and that the act would risk those same kinds of restrictions on civil liberties for Canadians.

The NDP needs to come clean. Why does it think Canadians should have less protection from terrorists than the Supreme Court allows?

[Financial Administration Act, April 23rd, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak about the government's position on Bill C-473, concerning the balanced representation of men and women on boards of directors of federal crown corporations.

This government wants to see women fully participating, not only in the senior ranks of crown corporations, but also throughout the public service and the private sector.

In a modern, progressive democracy like Canada, women contribute in every respect to corporate enterprises and it has long been acknowledged that the presence of women on corporate boards brings a different perspective and a very important voice to Canadian corporations.

It makes perfect sense that increasing opportunities for women to sit on boards of directors would be good for Canadian women, for Canadian companies, as well as for the economy and economic growth. Not only does it make sense, but it is also the right thing to do.

However, we know that, despite the ever-increasing numbers of women with higher levels of education and significant professional experience, they are under-represented on boards of directors and in senior leadership positions in Canada.

That is exactly why we have taken concrete action to change the situation.

On April 5 the Minister for Status of Women announced the launch of the Government of Canada's Advisory Council on Women on Corporate Boards. This advisory panel will include such notable Canadian women as the president of Sun Life Québec, Isabelle Hudon; Venture Communications CEO Arlene Dickinson; former Ontario finance minister Janet Ecker; Canadian Federation of Independent Business chairwoman Catherine Swift; and Senator Linda Frum.

This panel will advise the minister on how industry can increase the number of women on corporate boards. It will also be asked to find the best way to measure the participation of women on boards and in senior management positions and whether the government should be involved. What is more, it will be asked to suggest ways of recognizing or rewarding companies that have met their own targets for increasing the representation of women, and it will report back with its recommendations this fall.

We welcome the minister's announcement. We applaud it because we support equitable representation of women at all levels in the workforce and broader diversity on corporate boards.

Of course, as economic action plan 2012 confirms, we have committed to supporting the creation of opportunities not only for women but also for all under-represented labour groups, including visible minorities, aboriginals and people with disabilities.

Having said that, Bill C-473 would achieve its objective of enhancing gender balance on boards of directors and in crown corporations through legislated quotas.

Here are the facts about Bill C-473.

Bill C-473, as proposed, would amend the Financial Administration Act to impose gender quotas for the boards of directors of crown corporations. The rollout would be 30% in the second year, 40% in the fourth year and 50% in the sixth year and onward. For boards of eight members or fewer, the difference between the number of directors of each sex could not be greater than two.

The bill also states that appointments that violate these quotas would be invalid, and the responsible minister, with the approval of the governor in council, would need to fill the position immediately in order to respect quota levels and ensure boards have the required number of members for decision-making purposes.

In addition, we believe Bill C-473, when combined with the existing provisions of the Financial Administration Act, could provide grounds for rendering decisions of boards invalid, with the potential to disrupt crown corporations' operations.

There are a number of problems with legislated quotas. The most obvious is that legislated quotas are rigid and arbitrary thresholds that would negatively affect the appointment process. The appointment process has to remain flexible enough to attract qualified men and women who have the range of skills, expertise and experience needed by the boards of directors to effectively fulfill their mandates. The process also has to be flexible enough to allow us to fulfill our commitments to reflect Canada's linguistic and regional diversity on these boards.

Yes, we want to advance the representation of women on boards, but we are also committed to fair treatment for all under-represented employment equity groups. That includes not only women but also visible minorities, aboriginal people and people with disabilities. Legislated quotas may constrain our ability to meet our goals in these areas.

There is a better way to achieve gender balance on the boards of crown corporations.

Key Canadian groups that promote gender equality on boards of directors—for instance, groups like the Canadian Board Diversity Council, the WXN community, the Institute of Corporate Directors and Catalyst Canada—do not support legislated quotas. I repeat, those groups do not support quotas. They believe that efforts to promote qualified candidates in the business community and to recognize and encourage business leaders are more effective.

Allow me to reiterate our position in this matter. Women are truly essential to the business success of the country's corporations, in both private and public sectors. That is why, in economic action plan 2012, we created an advisory council to promote and boost the participation of women on corporate boards in the private and public sectors.

However, in the public sector, legislated quotas are not in the best interests of women or the corporations they would serve. It is always interesting when legislation and private member's bills of this nature come forward and it is clear that the solution that has already been taken by government was voted against by the presenting member.

[Canada Israel Hockey School, April 18th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, last month, in Winnipeg, 17 children aged 11 to 14 came to visit us from the Canada Israel Hockey School. They faced off with the Winnipeg South Centre-based Corydon Comets. Five of these children were Arab, 12 of these children were Jewish. The teams met not only to improve their hockey skills, but also to just get to know each other.

This hockey initiative was organized by the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, in conjunction with the Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University and the Canada Israel Hockey School, which is most generously funded by Sidney Greenberg. I had the opportunity to meet with Michael Mazeika, a Canadian who is the head coach of the Canada Israel Hockey School in Metula, Israel. His efforts have helped the youth improve their hockey skills on the ice and their cultural acceptance of one another off the ice.

I would like to commend the organizers of this event and also to let my colleagues know that CIJA will be taking a group of students from Norway House Cree Nation to the Canada Israel Hockey School in Metula next month.

Long may this cultural collaboration continue.

[Family Homes on Reserves and Matrimonial Interests or Rights Act, April 17th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, as the minister said, this is the fourth time that we have discussed this issue in the House. One of the key recommendations in the ministerial representative's report on on-reserve matrimonial real property issues, which was tabled in the House of Commons on April 20, 2007, was that the legislative measure include a way for first nations to exercise their legislative power in this area.

In response to those recommendations, Bill S-2 provides for two ways in which on-reserve matrimonial real property rights and related protections can be guaranteed. First, it allows first nations to enact their own laws to reflect their culture and traditions and, second, it provides for provisional federal rules.

Could the minister describe how the ability to enact their own laws would empower first nations and what role the centre of excellence for matrimonial real property plays in the implementation of Bill S-2?

[Aboriginal Affairs, April 17th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, for decades, women on reserves have been without the legal protections that are available to all other Canadians. In situations of family violence women have been victimized and kicked out of their homes with nowhere to go.

Aboriginal women, international associations and the NDP government in Manitoba all agree that something must change now. Could the Minister for the Status of Women please update the House on what our government is doing to protect women in aboriginal communities?

[Infrastructure, March 27th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, thanks to our government, the economic action plan has introduced the largest long-term federal commitment to infrastructure in our nation's history: $70 billion over the next 10 years. No wonder the FCM said that our budget delivered significant gains for Canada's cities and communities. Investment in Canada's public infrastructure will create jobs, economic growth and provide a high-quality of life for families across Canada.

Through our investments in infrastructure, the average age of public infrastructure has dropped from 17 to 14 years.

Over the next two years, we will invest close to $10 billion in infrastructure. That is more than the previous Liberal government spent in the 13 long years it was in office.

The municipalities are on board with our infrastructure plan. Will the NDP do the same for Canadians?

[The Budget, March 26th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to help my colleague with the logic in this.

Our government's logic is very simple. We are here for all Canadians. We are here to create jobs. We are here to create economic growth. We are here to create prosperity in the long term—not just for our generation. We have a record of doing so on this side of the House. We are here for all future generations.

I am going to give a specific example of that. I must say it is a pleasure and an honour to serve under a Prime Minister who is clearly a transformational leader. He made a tough decision, and was roundly criticized by the NDP and Liberals at the time, when he decided to pay down Canada's debt by $37 billion. He brought Canada's debt level to its lowest in 25 years, notwithstanding the manufactured commentary sur l'autre côté.

We actually have a record we can be extremely proud of, and because of those decisions, this is the country that survived the crise mondiale, the absolute crisis that took so many countries into despair. We survived it with the strongest banking system in the world.

[The Budget, March 26th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I want to clarify something.

My hon. colleague does not understand how the Government of Canada's budget works in reality.

Before the global recession hit, our Conservative government had paid down $37 billion of the debt, bringing our national debt to its lowest level in 25 years. That is the reality.

I must add that this decision was made by all parties present in the House at the time, including my hon. colleague's party.

[The Budget, March 26th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to rise today and speak about a budget that will continue to propel our nation towards long-term prosperity, not just for now, not just for our generation but for all future generations.

I would like to indicate that I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Fort McMurray—Athabasca.

For our government, as it is for every Canadian from coast to coast to coast, a budget is a very serious thing. It is an integral part of a responsible way of life. Just as for any family, the budgetary choices we make today define the available opportunities for tomorrow.

By this measure, our government is signalling what a prosperous future in Canada will require, and we are taking concerted action today to make that happen: action by eliminating the deficit; action by investing in public infrastructure; action by providing incentives for hard-working Canadians to develop the skills and training that will provide them with good, high-paying jobs that will make a difference in the economy; action by investing in Canada's youth, who will drive Canada's economy long into the future, by supporting their educational endeavours.

As we all know, Canada is outperforming other G7 nations in economic growth by leaps and bounds. This budget will ensure that remains the case long into the future.

Our Conservative government is squarely focused on what matters to Canadians: creating jobs, supporting economic growth and securing Canada's long-term prosperity.

In fact, through the economic action plan, Canada has achieved one of the best economic performances of the G7 nations, during both the global recession and the economic recovery.

Here are the facts. Canada has created over 950,000 net new jobs since the depth of the global recession in July 2009. This is an indication that our economy is healthy. What is more, 90% of these jobs are full-time and almost 80% of them are in the private sector.

Over this period, Canada has had the strongest job creation record in the entire G7 by far. Canada's unemployment rate is at its lowest level in four years.

The unemployment rate is the lowest it has been in four years, and it is much lower than that of the United States. This is a phenomenon that has not been seen in almost 30 years.

Both the independent International Monetary Fund and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development are projecting that Canada will have among the strongest growth in all the G7 countries for many years ahead.

For the fifth straight year, the World Economic Forum has ranked Canada's banking system as the soundest in the world. Canada also has the lowest overall tax rate on new business investment in the G7. All the major credit rating agencies, Moody's, Fitch and Standard and Poor's, have affirmed Canada's rock-solid AAA credit rating. Our net debt to GDP ratio remains the lowest in the G7 by far.

As we have said over and over again, the Canadian economy is not immune to the economic challenges beyond our borders. We are and will continue to be affected by the ongoing economic turbulence in the United States and Europe, which are among our largest trade partners.

For that reason, economic action plan 2013 focuses on positive initiatives to support job creation and economic growth, while balancing the budget and ensuring that Canada retains a strong economic advantage today and in the future.

We will maintain this impressive record of success by maintaining our focus on balancing the budget.

Before the global recession hit—and the hon. member who spoke just before clearly did not understand this—our Conservative government paid down $37 billion in debt, bringing Canada's debt to its lowest level in 25 years.

As a result of our fiscal responsibility and our debt reduction plan, Canada was in an optimal fiscal and financial position to weather the global economic recession. When the recession hit, we deliberately decided to post a temporary deficit in order to protect our economy and our jobs. All political parties in Parliament agreed.

I have to repeat that in English. All parties in Parliament agreed with that plan in 2009.

While other countries continue to struggle with debt that is spiralling out of control, Canada is in the best fiscal position in the G7. It is very important to note that Canada's net debt to GDP ratio is 35.8%. That is the lowest level in the G7 countries. The G7 average is 80.4%. That is a sign of a healthy economy.

Whereas the NDP and the Liberals want to engage in reckless and risky spending, our Conservative government will balance the budget by 2015.

I have some pieces of information I want to share here. The previous discussion clearly misunderstood what we are trying to achieve for youth, so this information is important, and I will change the order of what I am speaking on to ensure that I am able to address this. Let us not forget that this budget would provide many things for Canada's youth, the next-generation drivers of our economy.

It is vital that we provide young Canadians with the information and the opportunities they need to make good choices about education and employment if we want to create sustainable economic prosperity for Canada.

That is why economic action plan 2013 provides for strategic investments that will ensure that today's youth have the necessary skills for tomorrow's jobs.

We would do this by promoting education in high-demand fields, like the skilled trades, the sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics. We would extend support for Pathways to Education. As a former school trustee who saw the benefit of that to my community, I applaud this investment. It supports students who are at risk of dropping out of high school, through tutoring and mentoring.

We would support more internships for recent post-secondary graduates by investing $70 million to support 5,000 more paid internships for recent post-secondary graduates.

We would support post-secondary education for first nations and Inuit students by investing $10 million to Indspire, an organization that provides scholarships and bursaries to first nation and Inuit students.

We would also support youth entrepreneurship. These are the commercial leaders of tomorrow and, by providing $18 million to the Canadian Youth Business Foundation to provide mentorship, advice and start-up financing, we would be helping many young entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 34.

These investments are part of our government's solid support for Canadian youth. Since 2006, we have increased funding for the Canada social transfer and, since 2008, we have added $800 million a year in order to strengthen the competitiveness of the post-secondary education system.

Investing more than $330 million per year through the youth employment strategy is critical to help young Canadians get the skills and work experience they need to transition to the workplace.

We would add $123 million to streamline and modernize the Canada student loan program. We would allow full-time students to earn more money: doubling the in-study income exemption, benefiting approximately 100,000 students; increasing the eligibility threshold for part-time students; and reducing the in-study interest rate for part-time students to zero.

Canadians can have confidence that there are many specific issues in this budget whereby we would help Canadians who are going to make a difference in this economy. I am proud to be part of a government serving the constituents of Winnipeg South Centre, who will make a difference with this economy.

[The Economy, March 19th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, while our government is working for Canadian families, the Leader of the Opposition is planning to impose a $20 billion job-killing carbon tax on Canadians. Such a tax would increase the price of food, gas, electricity, everything for Canadian families.

Thankfully, Canadians elected our Conservative government, which is focused on jobs and economic growth. In fact, our government has cut taxes over 140 times, putting an average of $3,100 back in the pockets of Canadian families.

And it does not stop there. Canada has the strongest first-quarter economic growth in the G7.

The OECD is projecting Canada to lead the G7 in economic growth over the next 50 years. While the NDP is focused on imposing a job-killing carbon tax that would ruin our economy, our government will continue to work for Canadian families to ensure the long-term prosperity of our country.