Rick Norlock

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

Mr. Speaker, what I am in love with are the small businesses in Canada, especially in Northumberland—Quinte West, that are telling me and this government how proud they are that we are supporting them. We have lowered their taxes. I just mentioned the $1,000 tax benefit for hiring new employees.

However, what I failed also to mention, because of time constraints in this place, is what the continued support of our CFDCs and the eastern Ontario development program have done for small businesses by taking people who want start-up money and giving them a hand up, and by helping them organize their ideas into a presentable package so that they can take it to the bank and present a business plan. This is what people value, help for small businesses and help for start-up businesses.

What the member also forgot to mention when he was talking about small businesses was the fact that under this government, under the EI program, small businesses, especially those who are single entrepreneurs, now have the benefit of EI should they become pregnant. We just cannot single out one small thing we have done and put a dollar tag on it. We have done many things and when all those dollar tags are put on, as I mentioned, it far outweighs any kind of negativity.

This government supports small businesses. We have since 2006 and we will continue to do that.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is important at this stage to remind my hon. friend that since the depths of the recession we have created 820,000 net new jobs, one of the best records in the OECD. What my friend also forgets to mention is that Forbes magazine says that Canada is one of the best countries, if not the best country in the world, in which to invest.

He also needs to realize that we are not just talking about investment. We have been doing the things that a country must do to meet the challenges of the future. I admit we do still have too many people out of work and that is why this budget actually attacks that. How does it do it? It does it by making sure that small businesses continue to receive Government of Canada support by lowering their taxes and encouraging the hiring of new employees, as I mentioned in my speech, the $1,000 tax credit for hiring. This is huge in Northumberland—Quinte West and the member needs to know that this has received approval from almost every organization that represents small businesses as well as the Northumberland Manufacturers' Association.

The member quite rightly says that there are too many people out of work. We agree with that. That is what this budget does. It encourages people to find work and encourages small businesses to hire more people.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise in the House on behalf of the constituents of Northumberland—Quinte West to participate in the debate about the second budget bill, Bill C-45, our jobs and growth act, 2012, and how it would benefit all Canadians.

Our government's goal through the bill is to strengthen the financial security of Canadian workers and families to aid in job creation and long-term prosperity from coast to coast to coast.

Our jobs and growth act, 2012 would provide new support for families through improvements to the registered disability savings plan. This measure was designed to help ensure the long-term financial security of children with severe disabilities. To provide greater access to registered disability savings for small withdrawals, the 10-year-rule measure replaces the requirement to repay any Canada disability savings grants or Canada disability savings bonds paid into the plan in the 10 years preceding a withdrawal, with a requirement to pay these back at a fixed ratio to the amount withdrawn.

This will provide greater flexibility for parents who save in registered education savings plans for children with disabilities. This measure allows an investment income earned in an RESP to be transferred on a rollover basis to an RDSP, if the plans share a common beneficiary. This measure ensures that children with severe disabilities will be given the financial security that necessitates their daily lives into adulthood.

Our jobs and growth act, 2012 would ensure fairness to hard-working employees through taxable benefits from group sickness or accident insurance plans.

When an employer contributes an amount to a group sickness or accident insurance plan in respect of an employee, a taxable benefit is not currently realized by that employee. To encourage fair and neutral tax treatment for beneficiaries under group sickness or accident insurance plans, our government is proposing that the amount of the employer's contributions be a taxable benefit for the employee. Our jobs and growth act, 2012 proposes that the amount of an employer's contributions to a sickness or accident insurance plan is a taxable benefit and must be included in a person's income for the year in which the contributions are made.

Our jobs and growth act, 2012 would help small businesses grow and flourish through the small business hiring tax credit.

Our government is amending the Employment Insurance Act in order to extend the hiring credit for small businesses. Entrepreneurs and small businesses truly are the engine of our economy. The hiring credit for small businesses provides a credit of up to $1,000 against any potential increases in a firm's EI premiums from one year to the next. In the past this credit provided needed relief to small businesses by helping defray the costs of hiring new workers and allowing them to take advantage of emerging economic opportunities as the economy continues to recover amid continuing global economic uncertainty. The extension of this measure continues our government's strong record of support for small businesses, which includes help for entrepreneurs, a reduction in red tape and lower taxes for those businesses that stimulate our economy.

Our jobs and growth act, 2012 would provide support for seniors through retirement compensation arrangements, or RCAs. This measure would amend the Income Tax Act to allow a taxpayer under certain conditions to split his or her income from a retirement compensation arrangement with his or her spouse or common law partner.

Our government, through the jobs and growth act, 2012, also proposes to introduce new anti-avoidance rules to prevent the use of schemes that seek to take advantage of the features of the RCA rules to obtain unintended tax benefits. These rules will be similar to the existing rules for registered retirement savings plans, RRSPs, registered retirement income funds, RRIFs, and tax-free savings accounts, commonly known as TFSAs. The amendments to the retirement compensation arrangements would increase accountability and benefit seniors when they need it most.

Our jobs and growth act, 2012 would expand opportunities for aboriginal peoples to participate more fully in the economy. Maintaining the current designation provisions of the Indian Act would perpetuate the slow and cumbersome process that impedes economic development benefiting first nations on reserves. It would also undermine first nations governance while incurring unnecessary costs to Canada and first nations.

Reducing the timeframe for processing designation would align with the objectives of the 2009 federal framework for aboriginal economic development to enhance the value of aboriginal assets and remove impediments to developing the land and natural resource base on reserves. The amendments would also build on our government's commitment to ensure that aboriginal people benefit from economic development by streamlining land-related approval processes.

The government recognizes the contribution that aboriginal peoples can make to the labour force as the youngest and fastest-growing segment of the nation's population. Equipping first nations people with the skills and opportunities they need to fully participate in the economy is a priority both for this government and for first nation peoples. We have a plan to invest in first nation education on reserve, including early literacy programming and other supports and services to first nation schools and students.

Further, to the school programs, we propose school renovations on reserve, which would provide first nation youth with better learning environments. Our government is also committing to the introduction of a first nations education act and to working with willing partners to establish the structures and standards needed to support strong and accountable educational systems on reserve.

When it comes to job creation for first nations, our government will improve the incentives of the on-reserve income assistance program, while encouraging those who can work to access training that would improve their prospects for employment. Furthermore, our government would renew the urban aboriginal strategy to improve economic opportunities for aboriginal peoples living in urban centres.

I am content with the progress that has been made and the work that will continue to be done to balance the budget. In the past two years, we have already cut the deficit in half by ending our targeted and temporary stimulus as planned and by controlling growth and spending. Economic action plan 2012 would build on these efforts by implementing modern restraint in government spending and by ensuring that internal operations of the government are leaner and more efficient. In fact, our government is returning to balanced budgets, while continuing sustainable increases in transfers for health, education and social programs.

Going forward, I am proud to support the second budget bill, Bill C-45, for the benefits it would provide to the constituents of Northumberland—Quinte West and to Canadians across our great country.

I am prepared to answer any questions that may be posed.

[Public Safety, October 29th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, Hurricane Sandy is bearing down on the northeastern United States today. Media are reporting serious rains, winds and some localized flooding. It is expected that Hurricane Sandy will hit Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in the coming days.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety please, once again, reassure Canadians on preparations for the upcoming storm?

[Jobs and Growth Act, 2012, October 25th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I listened to some of the historic revisions that went on. When we talk about employment insurance, Canadians at home watching this remember when a Liberal government took billions and billions of dollars out of the employment insurance system in order to balance the books. The member talked about programs for post-secondary education, health care and others. It is this government that has put money into those programs. During economic tough times, this government was able to find extra money to put into health care and made changes to the employment insurance system. The Liberals are the ones who took billions of dollars out of health care and employment insurance and now they say that this government is mismanaging.

The member talked about the IMF. The IMF has praised Canada. Yes, it has concerns. The OECD and the rest of the world is looking at Canada as the right way to manage an economy, yet the member wants some kind of revision not only of the past but the present.

Why does he not acknowledge the fact that there are improvements needed in many respects? We need only to look at the employment insurance plan to see how it has benefited women who can now apply for employment insurance when they are pregnant or for people who own businesses. There have been improvements to employment insurance to cover people who did not have such coverage before because they were single employers and ran their own businesses.

A lot of good things have happened and why the member does not at least acknowledge that is beyond me.

[Brighton Cenotaph, October 24th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, this past Saturday I had the honour and privilege of attending the dedication of the new cenotaph in the municipality of Brighton in my riding of Northumberland—Quinte West.

This new monument was made possible by a caring and hard-working Brighton Memorial Park and Cenotaph Committee, chaired by retired General Ian Douglas, as well as a grant from our government's community war memorial program and the citizens of Brighton.

I applaud the community of Brighton for providing this special war and peacekeeping memorial. With Remembrance Day drawing closer, I cannot think of a better time to honour the achievements and contributions of those who served our country and made the supreme sacrifice for our freedom.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 100 and the Municipality of Brighton for investing their hard work into the restoration and rededication of the Brighton cenotaph.

We shall remember them.

[Strengthening Military Justice in the Defence of Canada Act, October 22nd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I have listened intently to some of the input put forward by the official opposition members with regard to the bill before us and some of the inferences that members of the military do not have recourse in their grievance procedure. We have a grievance board, the Military Police Complaints Commission and the Military Ombudsman. Further, I notice that several of the members of the official opposition have questioned the soundness of our military justice system.

How does the member reconcile this misguided notion with the fact that in the First Independent Review Authority, former Chief Justice Lamer, stated, “Canada has developed a very sound and fair military justice framework in which Canadians can have trust and confidence”.

Further, another chief justice, Chief Justice LeSage, stated in another independent review, “Although there are some areas where the military justice system and the grievance system can benefit from improvements, overall the system is operating well”.

Two chief justices of our country say that our system is functioning well although it could stand some minor improvements, and that is what this bill would do? How do the members opposite reconcile that?

[Combating Terrorism Act, October 22nd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I have been listening to the member talk about the anti-terrorism legislation. I see the member going all over the map. She refers to some technical things from the United Nations. I had the privilege of sitting on the special committee on anti-terrorism after the 2006 election when we had to deal with the sunset clauses. I think the member also leads people to believe there are cutbacks at Canadian border services. Actually the number of officers has been increased under this government by some 25-plus per cent. The member also infers that there is something internationally illegal or something wrong with this legislation.

What the member does not say is that the Supreme Court has upheld similar legislation. What the member does not say is that countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and South Africa have all initiated legislation along this line.

What is it about Canada that we would not want to be with our partners, fighting terrorism that we see on the news is rampant throughout the world?

[Safe Food for Canadians Act, October 22nd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I listened to the member and he used a lot of interesting phrases such as “scoring cheap political points”. I have not heard more cheap political points in five minutes than I heard coming from his corner. Because members raise their voices and yell does not make their point that much truer. The truth is we did increase the number of inspectors.

The member also asked why one plant was closed and the other plants were open. That is because this plant failed to comply and that is why CFIA closed it.

Why does the member choose to utilize certain phrases when in actual fact he is the perpetrator of most of these phrases? Why does he not recognize the fact that Bill S-11 is designed to make a good system, a system that the OECD says is a good system, in fact, it has used even higher words of praise? We want to make it even better. Why is it so difficult for the member to admit that and say that he wants to work with us to make it better? Why does he have to score those cheap political points?

[Employment, October 5th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, we are all used to the NDP's recklessness and its rabid determination to impose a radical, Canada-wide, anti-trade, anti-development program.

While the opposition insists on playing petty partisan politics, our government is remaining focused and working hard on creating jobs for Canadians.

Can the minister give the House an update on the progress that has been made with regard to employment?