Phil McColeman

[Brantford Blast Hockey, October 31st, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, constituents in my riding need look no further than the Brantford civic centre for a source of exciting entertainment to fill this year's NHL void.

The Brantford Blast has been providing my community with high-flying entertainment since 2002. People are excited about the depth of this year's team as it embarks on a journey toward the Allan Cup.

It was a pleasure to be at the Blast home opener this past Friday where Blast owner and cancer survivor Peter Ham launched his “Pink the Rink” fundraiser. Teaming up with the Brant-Norfolk cancer society, the Blast committed funds from pink merchandise and ticket sales to the fight against breast cancer. Fans came dressed in pink and were treated to a 7-3 Blast victory, led by the dynamic one-two tandem of Mike Ruberto and Jon Jankus.

I offer my congratulations to Peter Ham and the Brantford Blast for their commitment to our community. We wish them best of luck for another exciting season and their drive to hoist the Allan Cup.

[Jobs and Growth Act, 2012, October 30th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the opportunity to describe in a little more detail what our policies have done for small business.

We have continued to make a more attractive environment for people to begin small businesses. Many communities like ours rely on the creation of new businesses. It is not a perfect world where all the companies within one's riding or community stay in business. Some companies shut down or move to other jurisdictions because of economic and competitive pressures. That is a reality. It is always fluid within our communities.

Therefore, Bill C-45 is important in what it does. It maintains the path we are taking to create the platform for businesses to prosper. They are the job creators. Small and medium-sized businesses employ 80% of the people in this country. We continue to lay out for Canadians exactly what we said we would, which are policies that align themselves to simplify being in business and to prospering and creating jobs.

[Jobs and Growth Act, 2012, October 30th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her question because, again, this is my background in terms of having a company that employed on average 20 to 30 people at any given point in time.

On the extent of the small business tax credit, it is known that half a million employers in Canada have taken advantage of it. We are moving forward with the small business tax credit and extending it to businesses. This is a job creator.

The other item I mentioned in my speech that I would like to underscore is the fact that we are dealing with the red tape with which small business people generally have a hard time dealing. They do not have the resources to have someone on staff or to take on the additional costs of dealing with all the things that government demands of them on the administrative side of their businesses. When we look at Bill C-45 and the action we have taken, we see we are moving forward to make it a lot easier for small businesses to deal with government.

[Jobs and Growth Act, 2012, October 30th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I am thrilled today to stand in support of Bill C-45.

The many Canadians I speak to are refreshed and excited to finally have a stable majority government that does exactly what it told voters it would do when it ran for election.

We are focusing on Canadians' priorities at a time when strong, steady economic leadership is needed. Canadians elected our government to work at building a stronger and more prosperous Canada, and that is what we have done.

We promised to streamline bureaucratic processing and build a leaner and more effective public service. We promised to eliminate government duplication, red tape and unnecessary paperwork. We promised to respect taxpayers' dollars and eliminate the deficit without raising taxes or cutting transfers. We promised to ensure the long-term sustainability of social programs, and we promised to aggressively implement pro-growth economic initiatives to create jobs.

In every area I just outlined, our government is delivering and there is no doubt that our economic action plan is working. Over 820,000 net new jobs have been created, most of them full-time, most of them in the private sector. Our debt-to-GDP ratio remains the lowest in the G7 by far, and just yesterday it was reaffirmed that we remain on track for balanced budgets. Moreover, the OECD and the IMF predict that Canada's economic growth will be among the strongest in the G7 over the next two years. The World Economic Forum has said that our banks are the soundest in the world. Forbes magazine has ranked Canada as the best place to do business in the world, and the IMF recently singled out Canada as an economic model for the world to follow.

Canadians know that our plan is working, and budget 2012 continues to build on the great progress we have made. Perhaps most exciting is how our plan, the direction of this government, is delivering results in my riding of Brant.

Like many communities in southwestern Ontario, the economy of Brant is evolving from large-scale historic heavy industrial manufacturing to value-added, small- and medium-size companies. Brant has a rich history of heavy industrial manufacturing dating back to the turn of the century when Brantford was the third largest economy in Canada, only behind Toronto and Montreal. We revolutionized the farm in our community by building the first tractors that were sold around the world, but recently, due to the global economic climate and necessity, Brantford has been in a large transition. I like to think of Brantford because of the great influence that post-secondary education has had on our community. Here I like to think that we are in our sophomore year.

Manufacturing continues to evolve. As our mayor so rightfully states, our goal is to build a 21st century city and county, and we are excited about our future. I will highlight the large influence of post-secondary growth in our community later in my speech.

Canada is attracting the world's attention as countries look to safe havens for trade and investment, and our government's smart economic policies are giving Brant businesses a competitive advantage to capitalize on these new opportunities. Our plan to keep taxes low, cut red tape, promote investment and aggressively expand trade is just what manufacturers and exporters need in our riding.

Cutting red tape and the small business hiring tax credit in our budget 2012 are things that I am intimately familiar with, having been a business person in the building industry who owned his own company for over 23 years. I have held many economic round tables in our community, and the two comments that keep coming back over and over again are the need to help small business hire new employees and for us to cut red tape to make the administrative side of business easier.

Our government is also supporting and investing in post-secondary expansion, which is attracting students, businesses, jobs and investment to our city and our now thriving downtown core. Our government has invested $13 million for the Laurier Research and Academic Centre and recently announced $16.7 million for the Laurier/YMCA Athletic Complex.

Here are some interesting statistics. In a 2011 analysis commissioned by the City of Brantford, the number of Brantford businesses reporting a positive impact from post-secondary institutions tripled to 47%, and that was up from 15% in 2005. Over the past dozen years, institutions have invested $130 million in Brantford's downtown core, a downtown core by the way that desperately needed an injection of people and investment.

I am thrilled to stand in support of Canada's economic action plan because it responds to the needs and priorities of my community and it is delivering results for the people of Brant. Members do not have to take my word for it. Here is what Scott Lyons of Extend Communications said about his company's plan to bring 70 new jobs into our downtown:

We are really excited about re-investing in the downtown. It's a vibrant and growing community down here. Brantford has a great workforce and we are excited to be expanding our workforce down here.

Here is another recent quote, from John Dimitrieff, CEO of Patriot Forge:

Although Patriot operates on both sides of the border, very soon Patriot will be undertaking a 35,000-foot expansion that will create jobs right here in Brantford. That we are choosing to invest and expand in Canada is due in large part to the current government’s plan that keeps taxes low and creates a competitive business environment.

The Massilly Group is delivering 100 new jobs to Brantford, because according to its CEO:

Brantford is an ideal location for us because of its close proximity to our core markets in Canada and the United States, its manufacturing-friendly business environment, and our ability to retain and add to our highly skilled workforce.

Wipro is actively recruiting resumés to fill more than 500 jobs it projects to create in our downtown core by 2013.

John Paul deBoer of Brant Screen Craft recently purchased a plant and moved 50 jobs to Brantford. He said:

...we had looked into locating our finishing and distribution facility in Michigan. The corporate tax cuts and programs provided by the Conservative government were the deciding factor to expand in Canada.

Brantford Mayor Chris Friel recently spoke about how small and medium-sized businesses are becoming a powerful engine of job growth in Brantford, as companies like Automodular, First Gulf, GreenMantra Recycling, and the Sunrise Warehousing Company grow and expand. He said:

It's not something that gets a lot of media attention but a lot of small to medium-sized businesses have opened in Brantford in the past year creating a lot of jobs. But I am not sure people realize or appreciate how important this is to the city.

Another statistic, office vacancy in Brantford, has been cut in half over the last two to three years. Also over the past two years, Brantford has risen 35 spots to number 64 on the CFIB “communities in boom” ranking of Canada's most entrepreneurial cities.

Cathy Oden of Chamber of Commerce Brantford-Brant describes how a growing entrepreneurial spirit is reviving our community:

They're opening up small restaurants, hair salons, spas and expanding retail locations. Typically, they are fulfilling a dream or desire that they have nurtured for some time.

She was speaking about that entrepreneurial spirit that we are feeling and experiencing.

Canada's economic action plan is supporting jobs and growth in my riding of Brant. The good news does not stop there. I would encourage all members of this House to support Bill C-45 on its speedy passage through the House of Commons.

[New Democratic Party of Canada, October 23rd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP is attacking Conservative members in an attempt to change the channel on their carbon tax plans.

The NDP leader thinks that by dispatching his benches to spread patently false information about Conservative MPs, Canadians might not flip to page 4 of his platform where it outlines that the NDP plans to raise $21 billion by putting a price on carbon.

Conservative members are active in our ridings, where we are hearing from constituents who care about their jobs and their pocketbooks. At every event I hear from people who oppose the NDP's plans to increase the costs of everything and threaten their jobs.

Perhaps this comes as a surprise to the member for Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, but my constituents do not want to pay higher prices every time they make a purchase in order to fund wild new NDP spending schemes.

I will continue to stand up for my constituents by opposing the NDP's reckless plan to threaten manufacturing jobs and hurt families in my riding.

[Secure, Adequate, Accessible and Affordable Housing Act, October 17th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak against Bill C-400. Our government believes in taking action. We are focused on delivering results, not holding more conferences.

Our plan is working. In September 2008, the government announced more than $1.9 billion in funding for housing for the homeless over five years, until March 2014. This included a two-year renewal of the homelessness partnering strategy and existing housing programs until March 2011, and a commitment to maintain annual funding for housing and homelessness until March 2014.

In the fall of 2009, the government consulted with other levels of government, as well as public and private stakeholders to tell us how the existing approach to housing and homelessness could be improved and how the federal government could make better investments in this area from 2011 to 2014. In line with the feedback we received during these consultations, we renewed our homelessness partnering strategy. Through the strategy the government continues to invest in communities and we are also working to further strengthen our relationships with the provinces and territories, building on the successful partnerships we have established to date.

What we do not need are endless talks and more committees. What we do need is action. That is exactly what the homelessness partnering strategy does. For example, just over a month ago the Edmonton Inner City Housing Society celebrated the grand opening of its new apartment complex for people who are homeless or are at risk of homelessness. The organization received more than $1.3 million in partnering strategy funding for the project. As a result, homes were built for people who may have addiction, mental health or developmental problems.

Examples like this Edmonton project prove that our partnering strategy is working. Since the strategy was first launched in April 2007, the government has approved nearly 2,200 projects to prevent and reduce homelessness in Canada. With approved funding of $134.8 million annually, thousands of Canadians have found shelter and restored dignity in their lives. This funding ensures that we can assist those who are homeless or are at risk, including women fleeing violence, people with disabilities, recent immigrants, seniors and off-reserve aboriginal people who need support.

Our partnering strategy recognizes that a stable living environment is a requirement for improving one's health, finding a decent job, becoming a parent and providing for one's children's education, in short, for leading a productive and fruitful life. It also recognizes that the best solutions are at the grassroots level, not imposed from the top down. That is why we encourage communities to develop local solutions to address their local housing and homelessness needs.

Despite being in a period of fiscal restraint and economic uncertainty, our government continues to invest heavily in this area. In total, the government is already investing more in affordable and supportive housing than any other government in Canadian history. Even more importantly, these investments are achieving rare results, making a real difference in the lives of Canadians right across the country.

The partnering strategy provides a comprehensive approach to preventing and reducing homelessness, providing both national and community based funding. Most of the program's funding is delivered to 61 designated communities across Canada. These are primarily major urban centres that have been identified as having a significant problem with homelessness. Organizations and local stakeholders that are contributing to the fight against homelessness set the priorities for funding in their local communities. This ensures that those who are closest to those requiring our assistance are the ones developing the solutions.

Funds are also targeted to rural and remote areas of the country where housing and poverty can be an issue.

The strategy's aboriginal homelessness funding stream addresses the specific needs of the off-reserve homeless aboriginal population.

At the national level, the partnering strategy funds pilot projects developed with other federal programs dealing with policy issues related to homelessness. As an example, we are working with Veterans Affairs Canada to test innovative approaches to addressing homelessness among those who have served our country.

The knowledge development funding stream provides grants and contributions to stakeholders for research. The funding is widely disseminated to support the communities' ability to identify problems and develop solutions.

The national homelessness information system is a federal database development initiative. It helps stakeholders across the country, including service providers, researchers, and different levels of government, to establish baseline data related to the use of emergency shelters across Canada so that we can better understand homelessness.

Finally, the surplus federal real property for homelessness initiative makes surplus federal properties available to community organizations, the not-for-profit sector, and other levels of government for projects and services to help prevent and reduce homelessness.

From 2007 to 2011, the partnering strategy has placed over 38,000 people in more stable housing, helped 11,000 homeless people pursue education or training opportunities, helped 15,000 people find full- or part-time employment, and successfully leveraged investments by external partners. For every dollar invested by the HPS program, nearly $2.45 has been invested by partners.

We have taken coordinated and strategic action to address homelessness. Helping the most vulnerable citizens in our society is a shared responsibility that requires the participation of our provincial and territorial partners, municipalities, first nations, the private sector and community groups. We will continue to work with our partners in a co-operative way to prevent and reduce homelessness across Canada.

Sadly, it was the NDP that voted against funding to provide desperately needed new social housing for aboriginal families, persons with disabilities, and low-income seniors. It is the NDP that voted against funding to renovate and put new roofs over the heads of thousands of families in need.

While the NDP talks about helping the needy, our government is getting the job done. While the NDP talks about helping the vulnerable, the reality is it has voted against every single measure we have put forward to help these very people. That is why I will be indicating my support for a plan that is working by voting against the bill.

[Small Business, October 16th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government is proud to stand with Canada's great small businesses during Small Business Week.

Our small business owners employ millions of Canadians and are the backbone of Canada's economy. We are proud of these small businesses, which bring important products and services to their local communities.

One thing that would threaten to undo the success of our small business owners is the NDP leader's job-killing carbon tax. The NDP leader's job-killing $21 billion carbon tax would increase the price of everything, including gas, groceries and hydro.

That is not the way to support entrepreneurs and that is why on this side of the House we will continue to fight it.

[Leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada, October 4th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, when running for his party's leadership in 2011, the NDP leader promised a carbon tax that would go even further than the NDP's 2011 election platform. The NDP leader's plan would apply a carbon tax to all major sources of GHG emissions, not just the 700 largest industrial emitters envisaged in the NDP 2011 election platform.

In explaining his reason for expanding the scope of the NDP carbon tax, the NDP leader said that Canada “can no longer afford to focus only on the worst of the worst”. That means even more money taken from Canadian families than the $21 billion the NDP is banking on. The NDP leader opposite can deny it all he wants, but his words are clear. The NDP would hit Canadians with a job-killing carbon tax that would drive up the cost of gas, groceries and electricity.

[Business of Supply, October 2nd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, in actual fact the member is totally wrong. He can go online to read the six factors listed in the Investment Canada Act that clearly define and take the uncertainty out of the transaction. These are the changes we have made to the Investment Canada Act.

I do not have the time to give the member the six factors listed here in my notes but I can say that our government has developed this to clearly define what the net benefit is. The member should go online and read those six factors and then he might change his mind on what he has purported, which is that our government has not defined it. They are right there.

[Business of Supply, October 2nd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the standards set out in the Investment Canada Act are very rigorous. It is multifaceted. The member narrowed in on one part but understanding business and understanding investments means that all things need to be taken into consideration. I mentioned in my speech the national security requirements that we added to the act.

Any company that operates in Canada must live by the environmental standards of our country. When a company comes here, it cannot apply different standards to environmental regulations. It is a little narrow to think that a particular investment should be narrowly defined as proposed by the member.