Nick Whalen

[2016 Paralympic Games, September 19th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, fairness, respect, self-discipline, inspiration, the pursuit of excellence, these qualities, the hallmarks of the paralympic movement, shone brightly in all of Canada's athletes at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games.

We are thrilled by Canada's team and I am honoured by this opportunity to congratulate equestrian Robyn Andrews and wheelchair basketball team member Liam Hickey, both from St. John's, as well as Katarina Roxon from Kippens on the west coast of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Katarina just won a gold medal in the 100 metre breaststroke. We hope to see her name prominently displayed across the province, just as it has been etched in the minds of a new generation of young athletes.

Congratulations to all of our paralympians. Their excellence and determination inspire all of us.

[Business of Supply, June 14th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, would the minister talk a bit more about what the federal government, in its partnerships with provincial governments, can do to help start-up companies that are ready to scale. It seems to me that access to a national market will be helpful to start-up companies as they look for expanded markets and more customers to grow.

What specific things can the federal and provincial governments do together to help solve this scalability gap that seems to be plaguing our start-up companies?

[Business of Supply, June 2nd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Elmwood—Transcona for his well-reasoned and thoughtful comments on this topic.

Today, we are really speaking about the notion of the committee. However, I am interested in his thoughts on how the list would be determined with respect to a proportional system, whether he is in favour of open lists where citizens across the country decide the ordering of the lists or closed lists where the parties decide.

Also, with respect to this notion of the mixed member proportional system he envisions, would the votes for individual candidates also count toward proportionality or would it just be the party vote?

[Shallaway Youth Choir, May 31st, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to draw the House's attention to a special community organization in my riding that fosters talent and mentorship through music. Shallaway Youth Choir first performed 25 years ago this March, as the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra Treble Chorus, under the direction of Susan Knight, work for which she was made a member of the Order of Canada.

The choir has earned numerous national and international awards. Last year, under the direction of Kellie Walsh, they received top honours at one of the largest and oldest choral competitions in the world, the prestigious Llangollen musical festival in Wales. But the best work of the choir is not on the stage, it is through the mentorship of young people by their fellow choristers in music and in leadership.

Please join me in wishing Shallaway great success on their tour this summer to Cuba and as they prepare their program for Canada's 150th anniversary celebrations.

[Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 1, May 9th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I heard some great words from the member for Honoré-Mercier. He talked about building the type of Canada that we all want, a more just society. He talked about the Canada child benefit. He talked about student grants. He talked about a fair society for our seniors, affordable housing, infrastructure.

All of these promises, for the type of Canada we want to build today, cost a lot of money. We had the courage during the election to ask Canadians if they would be prepared for Canada to run deficits to afford the type of Canada that we want today.

I would ask the member if he believes that one of the most important things we are doing in this budget is repealing the Federal Balanced Budget Act. It will allow us to move forward, assume some of the responsibility for building the Canada that we want now, without putting the burden of growth solely on the taxpayers. It will allow the Government of Canada, in its better position, with its better borrowing rate, its ability to step forward and find some low commodity prices, to finance the type of productive infrastructure that we need today.

[Criminal Code, May 2nd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for his comments and reasoned commentary on this.

I had the good opportunity of having a round table last week with the Newfoundland and Labrador coalition of pensioners and seniors associations. To a person, they were favourable of the approach we have taken with this legislation. There was one issue that really hit to the crux of what they felt might be far enough or not far enough in the legislation. That was with respect to advance care directives. They also had a concern with respect to determining in advance whether or not one's condition would become intolerable. They were also concerned about the ability of provinces to have appropriate registries in place to handle that type of medical care.

I would ask the member if he agrees that this integrative approach of going incrementally toward medical assistance in dying is the proper way to go, or if he feels we should go even further at this stage.

[The Budget, April 14th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I would even go farther to say that the new direction and new approach are transformational, putting this extra money where it is needed at the levels of the economy into the hands of the people who spend essentially every cent they receive every month. They are not able to save for their retirement. They are not able to save for their children's education. They are not able to take vacations or buy fancy clothes. This puts money into the hands and the pockets of people who are going to spend it very quickly.

It accelerates the money through our economy. It should lead, and we hope that it would lead, to stronger economic growth. When millions of Canadians have more money to spend in their local communities, it will create local jobs. We know that is true. While we are asking the more wealthy to pay a bit more to help support these initiatives, we know that when people are struggling in Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Alberta, it is the right thing to do at the right time.

[The Budget, April 14th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, certainly I understand that in this commodity prices crisis, many people are suffering. I and our party feel that we are doing what is necessary to provide them the necessary support in this troubling time, and we are putting a plan in place to see future growth and new clean energy jobs.

With respect to seniors, we have in fact put real money in the hands of families and the most vulnerable seniors. Single women seniors will receive up to $947 more per year, which is meaningful money to seniors who are living on such low incomes. It is a 10% increase in that envelope of money that they receive.

There are changes to some of the other tax benefits that the previous government provided which really only benefited the most wealthy seniors. These changes are for people who need the help of the Government of Canada to make ends meet and to put good quality food on their tables. Seniors who have over $5,000 in disposable income at the end of the year to reinvest in TFSAs do not need the help of the Government of Canada to do that. It is the people who are living on fixed incomes, buying food at the dollar store and other places, and are not able to access clean, high-quality, highly nutritious food who need our help, and these are the people the Government of Canada is helping.

[The Budget, April 14th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Saint Boniface—Saint Vital.

It was truly a pleasure for me to sit in this House as the representative of the people of St. John's East when the Minister of Finance presented the government's priorities.

During the three weeks since budget 2016 was laid before the House, I have had the opportunity to visit with many groups in St. John's East. We discussed their pleasure with the new direction our federal government is taking and the opportunity it signals to the local business community.

Economic indicators show that nationally, companies may already be investing with newfound confidence now that they have a government that is prepared to invest as well.

However, in my riding, people are anxiously awaiting the provincial budget to be delivered later today by the Newfoundland and Labrador Minister of Finance, Cathy Bennett. She has the difficult task of squaring the fiscal realities of a devastating collapse in oil prices with an aging population and a shrinking workforce. A $2-billion deficit such as was experienced in Newfoundland and Labrador last year would be akin to Canada running on a $140-billion deficit and is not sustainable.

However, the people of St. John's East are glad to know that the Government of Canada supports them and is here to help in tough times.

Infrastructure spending is important, but there are three other ways of particular importance to my community the budget will help Newfoundland and Labrador, and I hope these may convince the other progressives in this chamber to support the budget: support for seniors; the Canada child benefit; and support for our scientists.

Budget 2016 shows compassion for those seeking to retire and age with dignity. We understand that many seniors are suffering, and budget 2016 seeks to help them.

Budget 2016 will lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. My constituents are heartened to see that we are delivering on this promise immediately, notwithstanding a worse than expected economic forecast.

Finally, budget 2016 supports innovation, research, and entrepreneurship. The Liberal government has listened and understands the role that Canadians expect us to play in helping support economic growth in 21st century jobs.

First of all, the previous government raised the age of eligibility for old age security to 67. I believe that was a mistake. Our party campaigned against that change. Budget 2016 fulfills our promise to restore the age of eligibility for old age security to 65.

Second, the budget proposes to increase the guaranteed income supplement for single seniors by up to $947 annually. Single seniors are the most vulnerable. This increase will be in place starting in July 2016.

By supporting those seniors who rely almost exclusively upon old age security and the guaranteed income supplement and may therefore be at risk of experiencing financial difficulties, the government is delivering upon our commitment to improve the quality of life for seniors most at risk.

Third, in order to ensure that the true higher levels of inflation that are experienced by seniors are taken into account, the government has committed to indexing the OAS and the guaranteed income supplement to a more generous seniors price index.

To help address child poverty, the CCB, or Canada child benefit, which replaces the Canada child tax benefit and the universal child care benefit, will be paid monthly to eligible families beginning in July 2016.

The CCB will be simpler. Families will receive just one payment every month. Since the CCB is non-taxable, families will not have to pay back a portion of the payments they receive when they pay their taxes.

The CCB is better targeted to those who need it most. Lower- and middle-income families will receive more money, while those who have higher incomes will receive less money than under the current system.

Since the CCB is more generous, families who receive it will see an average increase in benefits of nearly $2,300 over the next year.

Nine out of 10 families will receive more money through this child benefit than under the current system. This will lift about 300,000 children out of poverty right away.

This is a more simple, tax-free, better targeted, and more generous benefit, one of which Canadians can and should be proud.

With respect to innovation and investment, Memorial University of Newfoundland is a key participant in past and future economic growth in my province and our country. Its main campus as well as its marine institute campus are both located in my riding of St. John's East.

The post-secondary institutions strategic investment fund will provide $2 billion over the next three years toward improving research and innovation infrastructure. This initiative has tremendous potential to harness the creativity of the dedicated researchers at Canada's world-class post-secondary institutions.

Canada's post-secondary institutions and affiliated research and commercialization organizations are at the front line for fostering science and research excellence. They train the workforce of tomorrow and create knowledge and insight necessary for a thriving clean economy. This strategic investment fund will enhance and modernize research commercialization facilities on Canadian campuses and will improve the environmental sustainability of these facilities.

The new fund will open new pathways for the future success of our institutions. For example, a university could repurpose and modernize underutilized space for use in a specialized field of strength or to meet energy efficiency standards. A college could create sector-specific training facilities in the Red Seal trades. On-campus business and technology incubators could be expanded to better support entrepreneurs and start-ups. Where these institutions support prototype development or proof-of-principle assessment, the program will be indirectly supporting the industry partners of those institutions.

As part of budget 2016, the Government of Canada has also proposed more funding, an additional $95 million a year, for granting councils to support discovery research, including $30 million for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, $30 million for the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, $16 million for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and $19 million for the research support fund, to support the indirect costs associated with federally sponsored research undertaken at outside institutions. This more than triples the funding provided to the granting councils in 2015. It increases it to $140 million this year alone.

Support for science and innovation does not stop there, with other measures to support internships, fellowships, genetics research, theoretical physics, stem cell research, and funding for the commercialization of health research. Our government understands and supports the independent work of scientists and their role in developing a modern economy.

Memorial University hopes to benefit in key research areas where it is a leader, such as in cold oceans research, naval architecture, oil and gas engineering, medicine, and many others.

These measures are pivotal. They are necessary to grow the middle class and revitalize the Canadian economy, and they also chart a new course to growing the middle class. Real change is being delivered.

Last October, Canadians sent a clear message that they wanted real change, both in how government does things and what it is doing. They asked for a government that would deliver on its commitments and would be focused on what matters most to them, like caring for our seniors, lifting children out of poverty, growing the economy, creating jobs, strengthening the middle class and those working hard to join it.

We are listening to what Canadians need, and our policies and this budget reflect what we have heard.

For my province, this also includes certain targeted measures which demonstrate an understanding of our local situation. Federal transfers are increasing by $31 million this year, in addition to the almost $32 million in stabilization funding in the last fiscal year; $5 million to help grow much needed public transit; $134 million in accelerated infrastructure spending; and $22 million for an improved ferry mooring system for Marine Atlantic. As well, many of the changes to EI provide essential support to Newfoundland and Labrador during this commodity prices crisis.

With evidence-based policy and a sense of fairness, budget 2016 ensures that Newfoundland and Labrador will not be left behind and Canada's best days lie ahead.

[Situation in Indigenous Communities, April 12th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Winnipeg Centre for his inspiring words earlier, not only to the people in the House but to anyone who might be listening at home on CPAC.

Our party campaigned and won on a promise to implement the recommendations in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report. The path forward under that is very long and will not necessarily provide solutions immediately, so in addition to those recommendations, I ask the member for his personal opinion on things we might be able to do to allow us to see more immediate results. I think that would be helpful to the House.