Rémi Massé

[Sport, June 6th, 2019]

Madam Speaker, I would also like to applaud my colleague for her work. Her commitment is unmistakable.

In closing, we need a model code of conduct to harmonize our efforts. That is why we supported cross-country consultations and an earlier national summit on the creation and possible implementation of a model code. We also provided funding to the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada in support of two major pilot projects.

We are convinced that these measures will lead to third-party solutions and we will continue to look for ways to put an end to harassment, abuse and discrimination, especially by raising public awareness and providing training.

We listened to those who sent us their comments on this important issue. There is obviously no place for abuse, harassment or discrimination in sport.

[Sport, June 6th, 2019]

Madam Speaker, I would first like to thank the member for Windsor—Tecumseh for her important question.

It gives me an opportunity to clarify the measures that our government has taken to address the problem of harassment, abuse and discrimination with all stakeholders.

This issue is a priority for our government, for the sports community, and for all the provincial and territorial governments.

We all need to do a better job. We have a historic opportunity to change the culture of sport in Canada and to support similar changes around the world. Harassment, abuse and discrimination are complex problems that require a logical and well-thought-out approach that will respect our Constitution, governments, and the roles and responsibilities of every stakeholder.

We have heard the calls from athletes, experts, the sports community and researchers, and we are taking action. There is no magic pill that will eradicate these terrible behaviours, and that is why we need a comprehensive approach.

I would like to highlight some of the key elements of our government's approach, which we started implementing over the past year.

First, we worked with the sports community. Last June, we jointly announced new measures to enhance existing mandatory policies on harassment, abuse and discrimination. These new measures specifically included the creation of a third-party process. Every federally funded sport organization will now be required to provide access to a third-party process when a case is reported to it.

In March, we also launched two important new initiatives to combat harassment, abuse and discrimination in sport. We set up an independent investigation unit, and our strategy also enabled us to create a national toll-free confidential hotline for victims and witnesses of harassment, abuse and discrimination in sport.

I will close by saying that there is obviously still more work to be done, but our commitment and determination are clear. We will ensure that our athletes can train in a healthy environment free from all forms of harassment.

[Veterans Affairs, June 6th, 2019]

Madam Speaker, most veterans are financially better off thanks to the financial benefits of the pension for life, as I mentioned earlier, compared to what they were receiving under the previous Veterans Well-being Act.

We are proud to have adopted the monthly pension that veterans asked for. We are also proud to have reopened the nine Veterans Affairs offices that the previous government shut down and to have opened an additional office. We are proud to have rehired more than 700 Veterans Affairs Canada employees who had been laid off by the previous government. We are proud of the work we have done since 2015 to improve benefits and services, rebuild trust with the veteran community and encourage our government to reduce costs to support veterans and their families.

[Veterans Affairs, June 6th, 2019]

Madam Speaker, I would like to acknowledge my colleague's hard work, passion and determination. We truly appreciate those qualities.

Like him, I would like to take a moment to recognize the 75th anniversary of D-Day. On this day 75 years ago, Canadian soldiers stormed Juno Beach in Normandy, France, forever changing the course of history. Nearly 14,000 Canadians participated in the landing, and, as many people know, 350 of them lost their lives and another 715 were wounded or captured. We remember all those who served and those who paid the ultimate price for Canada.

The Parliamentary Budget Officer confirmed that the pension for life is more generous and that most veterans will receive considerably more money from monthly benefits than they did from the previous program's lump sum payment. The pension for life, which came into effect on April 1, 2019, will invest $3.6 billion in support of veterans. It is part of a holistic program that takes into account every facet of veterans' well-being. Benefits include compensation for the pain and suffering veterans experience because of service-related injuries and illnesses. For veterans in rehabilitation, the benefit also delivers 90% of their salary at release.

Veterans told the government what they thought was wrong with the new veterans charter. They said that their needs differ from those of 20th-century veterans. They also want it to be easier to submit applications and understand which benefits they are eligible for.

We listened to them and we took action.

In the last four budgets, we invested over $10 billion in new and improved benefits to enhance veterans' well-being. We also added new benefits for career transition, employment, education and family support services, as well as for research into improving the quality of life of future veterans. We also included a significant increase in support and research into how post-traumatic stress and related mental health conditions are diagnosed and treated.

The well-being of veterans also turns on that of their families. That is why we have improved the programs and increased the benefits for families and caregivers, including a tax-free monthly benefit of $1,000 for people who provide daily, essential care to veterans with service-related disabilities.

The families of medically released veterans have access to the veteran family program at all 32 military family resource centres across Canada, as well as the family information line and the website www.CAFconnection.ca.

In conclusion, these measures significantly improved benefits for veterans compared to the new veterans charter. More than $5 million is paid every day in disability benefits.

Veterans Affairs Canada's most important job is to help Canadian Armed Forces members and veterans successfully transition from military service. With the pension for life, we are contributing to the overall well-being of veterans, which is what the veteran community asked us to do.

[Housing, June 6th, 2019]

Madam Speaker, additional information will provided over the next few weeks with respect to my colleague's question. However, let me reiterate that our government has the responsibility to support a stable housing market and the economy. Recent federal policies help ensure that Canadians take on mortgages they can afford, even if interest rates rise or income changes.

These policies underpin stability for Canada's economy, financial institutions and families, benefiting all Canadians. These actions have also contributed to slower growth in house prices and reduced speculation in key areas, helping to limit the amount of debt Canadians must take on to buy a home and improve housing affordability.

Our government continues to closely monitor the effects of its mortgage policies to support access to housing, while safeguarding financial stability.

[Housing, June 6th, 2019]

Madam Speaker, I thank my NDP colleague for his question.

Every Canadian deserves a safe, affordable and accessible place to call home. However, as we all know, one of the hardest things for a first-time homebuyer is to scrape together enough funds for a down payment and cover the associated costs of a home purchase. That is why budget 2019 announced a number of new initiatives to make it more affordable for Canadians to buy a home.

This builds on Canada's national housing strategy by taking concrete action to increase access to housing that is affordable and to help middle-class Canadians realize their dream of owning a home.

To address the difficulty that young families may be have in becoming homeowners, budget 2019, through Bill C-97, which is currently before Parliament, proposes a new first-time homebuyer incentive. With this extra help in the shape of a shared equity mortgage through the CMHC, Canadians can lower their monthly mortgage payments, making home ownership within reach. Qualified first-time homebuyers who save their minimum 5% down payment would be eligible for a 10% shared equity mortgage for a newly built home or a 5% shared equity mortgage for an existing home.

That means that first-time homebuyers will be able to save money every month, giving them more money to pay down their traditional mortgage sooner or to spend on their priorities.

It is expected that approximately 100,000 first-time homebuyers will benefit from this incentive over the next three years. The program criteria will make it easier for eligible first-time homebuyers to buy homes they can afford.

The even more generous incentive for new builds may also encourage home construction, which will address some of the housing supply shortages in Canada, particularly in our largest cities.

Bill C-97 also proposes to increase the home buyers' plan withdrawal limit from $25,000 to $35,000. That means first-time homebuyers will be able to withdraw larger amounts from their RRSPs in order to buy a home. This is the first time the withdrawal limit has been increased in 10 years.

In closing, the new measures set out in budget 2019 will make housing more affordable by lowering the barriers to home ownership for first-time homebuyers and stimulating the Canadian housing market.

[Telecommunications, June 5th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his question.

Our government believes that communities should have a say in where these cellphone towers are located in their jurisdictions. Telecommunications companies must consult communities in an open and transparent manner regarding the location of towers. The government has processes in place to respond to every reasonable and relevant concern raised during the consultations. This process guarantees that Canadians can stay connected, without having to pit them against cell tower construction in their communities.

[Budget Implementation Act, 2019, No. 1, June 4th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I am very happy that my colleague can list the excellent measures included in budget implementation act, 2019, No. 1. These measures are important for all Canadians.

She mentioned the support that we are giving to seniors who want to return to work. We are exempting them from guaranteed income supplement penalties on the first $5,000 they earn. That is an excellent measure.

I would also like to hear my colleague talk about the measures we put in place to make it easier for young people to buy their first home.

[Health, June 3rd, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I wanted to provide a full answer to my colleague. Unfortunately, I did not realize that I only had four minutes.

Let me tell my colleague about a few elements of our strategy. I think it is important. Canada's spending on prescription drugs is unsustainable. As I mentioned, Canadians pay among the highest prices for prescription drugs in the world. Many Canadians cannot afford the drugs they need and face real barriers to accessing them.

National pharmacare can help address this, and the Government of Canada is firmly committed to working with its partners to make improvements. As outlined here today, and as I said a few minutes ago, our government is taking clear action.

In conclusion, I simply want to say that a national pharmacare program cannot be implemented overnight. We will have to work closely with experts from all of the relevant areas, as well as with the provinces, territories and indigenous people.

[Health, June 3rd, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his commitment to defending and supporting his constituents and for raising this question in the House this evening.

I am pleased to be here today to participate in this important discussion on implementing national pharmacare.

Our government is committed to strengthening health care systems across the country and supporting the health of Canadians. We know Canadians are proud of their publicly funded health care system, which is based on need and not the ability to pay. We also recognize that almost a million Canadians give up food or heat to afford the prescription drugs they need. In other cases, they do not take prescribed drugs due to high prices.

That is why our government is taking steps to make prescription drugs more affordable and accessible, but we know that we can still do more.

In budget 2018 we announced the creation of the advisory council on the implementation of national pharmacare. This council, chaired by Dr. Eric Hoskins, will work closely with experts and provincial, territorial and indigenous leaders. In addition to assessing the options and exploring national and international models, the council will deliver, in spring 2019, independent advice to government on how to best implement affordable national pharmacare for Canadians and their families, employers and governments.

Over the course of the summer and into the fall, the council has been engaged with a broad range of stakeholders and Canadians. Through its consultations, the advisory council received over 150 written submissions and over 15,000 responses to its online questionnaire. The council also heard from many Canadians through its online discussion forums, public community dialogue sessions and regional stakeholder round tables.

On March 6, 2019, the council delivered an interim report which provided an overview of what it had learned in the past eight months. The report also identified three initial recommendations for the implementation of national pharmacare. First is creating a national drug agency that would oversee national pharmacare. The proposed agency could bring together key functions of health technology assessments of prescription drugs to evaluate their effectiveness and value for money and negotiations. Second is developing a national formulary that would harmonize drug coverage across Canada. This evidence-based list of prescribed drugs would be accessible to all Canadians. Finally, the council recommended that the government invest in a robust and coordinated information technology system that would be the technological foundation for national pharmacare.

Guided by the council's initial recommendations outlined above, our government announced key investments as part of budget 2019 toward the implementation of national pharmacare, including the creation of a new Canadian drug agency, the development of a national formulary for prescription drugs and a national strategy for high-cost drugs for rare diseases.

Our government awaits the council's final report. In the meantime, we will continue moving forward with other important initiatives to make medication more affordable for all Canadians.

Our government is modernizing the way that the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board works, through amendments to the patented medicines regulations. These changes will better protect Canadian consumers, governments and private insurers from excessive drug prices.

Our government remains committed to modernizing the way that patented drug prices are regulated. The feedback from—