Mark Warawa

[Taxation, January 25th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to speak during the adjournment proceedings this evening.

On December 8, I asked the Prime Minister, and received an answer from—

[Petitions, December 10th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, a number of us have received petitions regarding Molly. Molly was about to be born, but both she and her mother were tragically killed one year ago today.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to pass legislation to allow a separate charge to be laid in the death or injury of a preborn child.

[Petitions, December 10th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by congratulating you, sir, on your being acclaimed to the illustrious position of Speaker of the House.

I have two petitions to present today. The first, sadly, informs the House that 22-year-old Kassandra Kaulius was tragically killed by a drunk driver who chose to drive while impaired. Kassandra's family was devastated, as was Families for Justice, a group of Canadians who have also lost loved ones to impaired drivers.

The petitioners believe that Canada's impaired driving laws are much too lenient and they want the crime called what it is, vehicular homicide, and they want mandatory sentences for anyone convicted of that offence.

[Taxation, December 8th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Liberals announced with great fanfare that they would pay for their spending schemes on the backs of Canadian seniors by cutting $4,500 off tax-free savings accounts. These accounts are an important tool for seniors to save their hard-earned money, and 50% of tax-free savings accounts are held by seniors. Why is the Prime Minister paying for his promises on the backs of Canadian seniors?

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, December 8th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, what we have just heard is that the NDP does not understand where the taxpayers' money from. It comes from taxpayers. Every time CPP benefits are increased, the money has to come from somewhere. It comes from Canadians in their deductions off their payroll and the employer also has to match that at a 2.4 level. It means less income and more taxes for the employers. Is that good for Canada? No.

This party supports increasing a CPP package that is sustainable so we will not only help this generation, but future generations.

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, December 8th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for his hard work already in the House. He gets it; Conservatives seem to naturally get that it is important to protect those and assist those who helped build this great country. To help seniors is important. It is a priority for this party and I encourage every member of Parliament to support our seniors.

We should start off with appointing a minister for seniors, amend the Speech from the Throne to include seniors and include tax cuts, but what we are seeing now is a removal of the tax-free savings plan. Over half of Canadians who use the plan are seniors and that is going to be removed.

Are the Liberals going to keep their promises on the backs of seniors? Shame.

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, December 8th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the member across the way on his election. It is nice to hear he has talked to seniors, yet, the government does not have a minister for seniors. Previous governments did. Why are seniors not a priority for the Liberal government? They should be. One in six Canadians is a senior. It is the largest growing demographic in this country, yet the Liberals do not have anybody to represent seniors.

I, as a Conservative, am proud to take on that mantle and represent seniors in the House. I hope one day very soon the Prime Minister will appoint a minister for seniors, because it is needed. The issues that the member brought up should be addressed in the House. Why are they not being addressed?

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, December 8th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to stand before you today in this honoured House in response to the government's Speech from the Throne.

I would like to begin by thanking my constituents of Langley—Aldergrove for, once again, giving me the great honour to be their voice in Canada's Parliament. I and my beautiful wife, Diane, love our community of Langley—Aldergrove. Four generations of Warawas have called Langley their home and, with our five children and 10 grandchildren, we expect many more generations of Warawas are to come.

I also want to congratulate you, Mr. Speaker, on your posting as Deputy Speaker.

I also want to thank the member for Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa for the incredible job he did in the number of Parliaments in which I served with him. He is passionate about the environment and has been very effective in working on the environment for Canadians.

I also want to thank the interim leader for Canada's official opposition, the member for Sturgeon River—Parkland. She has given me the great privilege of being Canada's voice for seniors across this great country. Taking care of Canadian seniors has always been a priority for the Conservative Party, and Canadians appreciate greatly the work that the previous government did for seniors.

I am very concerned that the new Prime Minister did not appoint a minister for seniors. I am also concerned that seniors were not mentioned at all in the Speech from the Throne and that the new Liberal government has no plan to keep the promises it made to seniors during the election campaign.

The speech delivered by the Governor General on behalf of the new government called on the chamber to represent the diverse voices of Canadians, which include seniors. It also called on parliamentarians to work together collaboratively to improve the lives of all Canadians, and in this spirit, I stand before the House today. While I agree with the government that the economy and the job creation is very important, as is the strengthening of the middle class, there has been a serious omission. The government forgot to address a growing Canadian demographic with unique concerns. Seniors have been forgotten or ignored.

As we know, right now, one in six Canadians is a senior. In 14 short years, one in four Canadians will be a senior. That is a fundamental shift. Canada needs a sustainable plan for seniors that will meet their needs. While the Speech from the Throne mentions an enhancement to the Canada pension plan for future generations, the Liberal government does not have a plan for seniors' needs today. It is vitally important not only that Parliament create programs that are beneficial to Canadians, but that those programs be financially sustainable and secure. This would ensure that our children and grandchildren can enjoy the stability and economic security that we all enjoy today, due to the past government. Changes to the CPP in the future will not address the needs of seniors today.

I am very concerned that health care and the health of seniors do not appear to be a priority of the new government. The development of a new health accord does not address the growing need for a national palliative care strategy due to Canada's aging population. It is very important that the Liberal government present a plan to ensure quality of life for seniors and all Canadians.

In May of last year, in the 41st Parliament, members voted on a private member's motion calling for the creation of a national strategy on palliative and end-of-life care. That motion passed unanimously in the House, and I want to thank the member for Timmins—James Bay for bringing it to the House. Every Conservative, Liberal, and NDP member supported that motion, including the new Prime Minister. I urge the new Liberal government to keep that promise and immediately start to create the national strategy on palliative and end-of-life care.

One important aspect of palliative care is the caregivers. Caregivers are both medical professionals—such as doctors, nurses, physical therapists, pharmacists—and family members and friends. All of these groups and people must work together to create a healthy, supportive, and loving environment for a dying person. That is not to say that the task is either easy or free of economic concerns. Too often the painful choices that families must make in the care of their loved ones are tied to financial concerns.

This is why the compassionate care benefit was developed to help Canadian families struggling with the impending loss of a loved one, in order to ensure that families have the ability to leave their employment for a period of time to care for the dying loved one or friend. The program was launched in 2004, and it has been growing ever since. When the program was launched, it provided financial support to a very restricted list of caregivers for a period of up to six weeks in a 26-week window. I am very proud that our Conservative government expanded the benefits from six weeks to six months and let the dying persons choose who would be their care provider. It is also important to note that Canadian women represent 75% of claimants of the compassionate care benefit.

In addition to the increase in eligible time that can be claimed for the compassionate care benefit, our Conservative government of the past nearly doubled the funding for this important program from $6.9 million in 2004-2005 to $12 million in 2013-2014. This is part of what led to the increase of caregivers, that they receive the support they need. This support is a real demonstration that the government can show Canadian caregivers and their loved ones that their federal government cares about their plight and wants to help them in the painful ordeal of losing a loved one.

While the government is on the right track to follow our support for caregivers, it does not address the other issue raised in Motion No. 456 in the last Parliament. I would like to encourage the government to present this House with a national palliative care strategy that takes into account Canada's geographic, regional, and cultural diversity. As legislators, we are faced with the challenge of an aging population. In my role as critic for seniors, I must shine a light on this important issue, and that is why I bring it up today.

Another concerning omission from the throne speech is the issue of elder abuse. How is the legalization of marijuana going to prevent elder abuse? While I applaud the government's decision to provide further support to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, preventing violence against seniors is just as important. Elder abuse exists in numerous ways: physical and sexual abuse, psychological and emotional abuse, financial abuse, and neglect. All of these areas are harmful when they occur to any Canadian, but there is a special grievous nature to the crimes when they are committed against the most vulnerable Canadians.

To give an example, we were all shocked and saddened to learn last year of the restraint and robbery suffered by a 101-year-old man, Second World War veteran, retired Colonel Ernest Côté, here in Ottawa. This crime rocked the community and shone the light on a vulnerable demographic that is growing. While on this case, I mention the crime was perpetrated by a stranger.

What makes elder abuse unique is that quite often the abuser is an individual who is trusted by the senior. Family members, assistance providers, and friends can provide important care, or they may be a danger to a senior. It is important that Canadians, especially seniors, are aware of the signs of elder abuse, and that they know who they can call for help. What is the government's plan to educate seniors and the public about signs and dangers of elder abuse? We do not see anything.

The real test for the current Liberal government is whether it will deliver. Canadians want promises kept and a sustainable plan that will lead to long-term results, given our Conservative values that seniors are important, but unfortunately they are not a priority to a Liberal government.

The official opposition cannot support the throne speech as it has been presently written.

[Justice, June 17th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, we are tough on donuts, but let us talk about saving lives.

Impaired driving is a very serious crime that kills and injures thousands of Canadians every year. Can the hard-working Minister of Justice please update this House on what our Conservative government is doing to crack down on impaired driving?

[Petitions, June 16th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I am usually honoured to present petitions. However, the petitions I present today sadly inform the House that the number one cause of criminal death in Canada is vehicular homicide. About 1,200 to 1,500 Canadians are killed every year by drunk drivers, people who decide to drive a vehicle while they are drunk.

Families for Justice is a group of Canadians who have had loved ones killed by an impaired driver. The petitioners believe that Canada's impaired driving laws are much too lenient. They want the crime to be called what it is, vehicular homicide. They are also calling upon Parliament to introduce mandatory sentences for vehicular homicide, which this Parliament has just done.