Lynne Yelich

[Red Tape Reduction Act, June 19th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, before the member gets carried away blaming the federal government for all of her small and medium enterprises in her province, perhaps she should go back to her SMEs and find out what burden the province itself is creating, because I think that, as was mentioned earlier, if we can find an area that is an imposition on small and medium enterprises, it is the internal barriers between the provinces. I would like to see if the member could perhaps survey her small companies and see what a burden that might be.

I do think that the member and her party should learn a little more about what this one-for-one rule is. It is not the Treasury Board's call. It is the department that is instilling it. It is not a one plus one and it is not to be aggregated. It is to be something that is no longer a useful regulation or something that is no longer a regulation that applies, and it does not compromise safety and does not compromise any business.

I think the member should be a little more honest in her speech, rather than blame the federal government for her SMEs having problems with burdens. I think it could be her own jurisdiction.

[Red Tape Reduction Act, June 19th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I think the member has a great deal to offer with this legislation. He has cited a lot of good examples showing why we need changes made to the regulations, because it is a burden.

I found his comments on computers and passwords interesting because I too am frustrated with trying to access my receipts and bills. I find it all frustrating. However, lately I also had quite an incident over bills that come in the mail as well, so I am not sure if Canada Post is a good option either.

That said, I believe that the member has good things to offer, so I am surprised he did not mention the interprovincial barriers that are also causing small and medium-sized enterprises a great deal of grief. The hon. member could look to the big picture, as we are. The industry minister's next challenge is to try to sit down with the provinces and see where we can start cutting red tape between borders. I would like to ask the member if he has any suggestions on that to kick off what I think will be good legislation for breaking down some of the interior barriers, because he did mention some areas that he feels are good with respect to this kind of legislation.

[Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act, June 12th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the member has missed the point of the strengthening Canadian citizenship act, which has been on debate tonight.

What she has said is, in fact, not true. It would only be revoked from dual citizens if the person served as a member of an armed force or organized armed group engaged in an armed conflict with Canada; was convicted of treason, high treason, or spying offences and sentenced to imprisonment for life; or was convicted of a terrorism offence or an equivalent foreign terrorism conviction and sentenced to five years' or more imprisonment. The member is misleading Canadians by suggesting that it is anything less than someone who has indeed compromised our safety in Canada.

[Foreign Affairs, June 6th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister attended the swearing-in ceremony of President-elect Petro Poroshenko in Ukraine. Canada has been a leader in the global response to Russian aggression in the Ukraine. Canada has put in place sanctions against over 100 individuals and entities responsible for the crises, contributed hundreds of Canadian observers to help facilitate free, fair, and democratic elections in the Ukraine, and is providing funds this year to help Ukraine implement needed economic reforms and promote democratic and social development.

Russia's illegal occupation of Crimea and Ukraine and provocations in eastern and southern Ukraine remain a serious—

[Canada-Honduras Economic Growth and Prosperity Act, June 5th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, Canada does have a development program that Honduras has been very appreciative of. The development funding supports regional multilateral initiatives as well as initiatives of Canadian partners in the areas of human rights, gender inequality, security, justice reform, citizen participation, and democratic governance. Canada believes that supporting economic and sustainable growth for the poor and reducing inequalities are essential to addressing the multiple challenges facing Honduras.

Recently there has been a new government and the new leader's priorities have been very much in line with our priorities. They also want to promote sustainable economic growth and reduce social exclusion and inequality through investments. They have worked through rural development, food security, health, and education. All of the priorities that we have, the new government in Honduras is working toward.

I would think that the NDP would be looking into some of the new changes that have happened in Honduras before its members continue to use such, I think, unacceptable language such that they have been using tonight. The member should know, with his recent remarks about working with the Hondurans and their blood, that in fact we are working very much with programs that are developing and--

[Economic Action Plan 2014 Act, No. 1, April 8th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, TransCanada Pipeline Limited's 4,500 kilometre energy east pipeline project would carry 1.1 million barrels of crude oil per day from Alberta and Saskatchewan to refineries in eastern Canada. According to TransCanada Pipeline Limited, the project is expected to add $35 billion to Canada's gross domestic product over 40 years and would create 10,000 jobs.

Would the member agree that it is important for us to have the laws we are putting in place for responsible development of our resources so that we can indeed have an economy and protect the environment, which is why we do have the regulations in the bill she denies are there?

[Economic Action Plan 2014 Act, No. 1, April 8th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, my notes say that this is an important piece because it updates the automatic exchange of information for tax purposes. Without an intergovernmental agreement between Canada and the United States, Canadian financial institutions and United States persons holding financial accounts in Canada would be required to comply with that, regardless, starting July 1, 2014, as per the FATCA legislation enacted by the U.S.A. unilaterally.

It is important for people to understand that this is important. It is an intergovernmental agreement. It is something that Canada has to support because of recent G8 and G20 commitments on the multilateral automatic exchange of information. The G20 leaders committed to this automatic exchange as a new global standard, and it was endorsed as the OECD proposal developing a global model.

It is important to understand that this is not just enhancing but also protecting Canadians, and it is important for us as we trade more and more.

[Economic Action Plan 2014 Act, No. 1, April 7th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I just want to make a correction. Canadians are not treated differently, as the member tries to suggest in her speech.

One of the areas we are working on with taxes is enhancing reporting and verification, trying to combat international tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance. That is something I believe the NDP would want to support.

To misrepresent any of our clauses in the budget by saying we are treating the American Canadians differently is incorrect, and I just want to put that on the record.

[Economic Action Plan 2014 Act, No. 1, April 4th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I thought it was very kind of the member to acknowledge the best finance minister, probably in the world, that Canada has ever had. I believe it is very honourable that he would mention how because of that finance minister we have one of the best places in the world to do business. We have a stable economy and low taxes. In fact, the overall tax rate on new business investment is the lowest in the G7. We have the soundest banking system, the best net debt to GDP ratio in the G7, and are one of the few countries in the world with the highest credit rating possible.

The member fell short when he spoke about the best finance minister. What he said about infrastructure is false. The finance minister and the Prime Minister made it law that the gas tax is shared; it had never been shared before. It also goes with inflation. I would like the member to please acknowledge that.

[Economic Action Plan 2014 Act, No. 1, April 4th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the section on creating jobs and opportunities, on page 208, talks about how the government played a key role in addressing the recent economic downturn with housing-related measures in the action plan of 2009. I was parliamentary secretary for human resources at the time, so I know that the $2 billion to create new housing and to renovate existing social housing resulted in more than 16,500 social housing and first nation housing projects across Canada.

Through the $2 billion for the municipal infrastructure lending program, CMHC provided 272 low-cost loans to municipalities for house-related infrastructure projects in towns and cities across the country. Our homelessness partnering strategy for housing first, announced in 2013, was renewed.

I just wanted the member to know that if he read page 208, he would see that we have addressed housing.