Rodger Cuzner

[Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner's Report, April 17th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I have to disagree a little with my colleague on his comments about what people at the door in Toronto are talking about today. They are talking about the Leafs' great win last night and only 15 more left to hoist that cup. There is no love from the Conservatives on that.

I agree wholeheartedly with my colleague. We have seen a pattern by the official opposition over the last number of weeks. Those members do not want to talk about the real issues facing the nation. They are in there to get these “gotcha” moments as opposed to talking about what is important. They are trying to distract the Canadian public.

I was at a rodeo a couple of years ago. When the bull is let loose out of the pen, the rodeo clown waves his arms and jumps up and down, but he will not distract the bull easily. Canadians are not distracted. They see 600,000 jobs created. They see an unemployment rate at its lowest in 40 years.

Would the member rather be dealing with those types of issues, debating legislation that impacts job creation and the well-being of Canadians, as opposed to this?

[Humboldt Broncos Bus Crash, April 16th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, as a former Junior A hockey coach and the father of a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League graduate, I can speak first-hand to the near sanctity of the team bus. Aspiring young Canadians spend days, weekends, even weeks on what serves as the team's rec room, lunchroom, bedroom, and library. It is their sanctuary. However, when the bus pulls out of the home rink parking lot, parents and billets alike think more in terms of “I hope the team gets a win and brings back some points.” I know I can never recall thinking, “I hope they all make it back.”

That unspoken confidence in the team bus has been shattered, and the collective heart of a hockey nation has been broken. We mourn together.

We know that the first responders, who inherently and willingly accepted a high degree of danger and risk when they signed on to the job, could never have imagined the horror and tragedy of that night.

The Humboldt Broncos website posted, “They woke up that morning with hopes to win the game but instead they united a nation.”

To the family and friends of all involved, know that our country shares your grief, today and always.

[Labour, March 29th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the member well knows that all members in the House believe that harassment of any type is unacceptable in the workplace or anywhere. We put forward Bill C-65, which is legislation that would cover the Parliament Hill precinct and all federally regulated workplaces. The legislation is currently in committee and we are accepting some amendments from all parties. It is going to be a strong piece of legislation.

We committed to this in the past election and we are going—

[Employment, March 27th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the government appreciates and respects the work that those religious groups do, and they know. They were contacted and they know that they could very well apply for grants.

I know in my own riding there were 21 groups last year that applied and received funding. There are 21 groups that applied this year, and most likely will receive funding.

The MPs who did their job know that that is the truth.

[Employment, March 27th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, one of the benefits of being in this House for 18 years is that one can remember back to when the Conservatives wanted to cut the program entirely, but Mike Savage, Maria Minna, and the Liberal caucus fought hard to make sure that the program was reinstated. The Conservatives got dragged back into the program, and then put no more money into it from 2006 on.

We doubled the amount of money. We doubled the number of people—

[Employment, March 27th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, make no mistake that the actions taken by this government were actions that would defend the rights of all Canadians. Women's groups, immigrants, and the gay, lesbian, transgendered, queer community fought long, hard battles to earn those rights, and they expect their government to stand and defend them. I am proud to be part of a government that did exactly that.

[Social Development, March 26th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Saint-Laurent for hosting the important G7 ministerial meetings in Montreal.

Globally, we have entered an innovation race. To ensure our success, we must invest in new industries and in our people. That is why we are making smart investments in skills training and post-secondary education, creating nearly 60,000 paid internships and teaching digital literacy to young Canadians. We also know that we cannot afford to leave half of our population behind. That is why we are addressing pay equity and women's entrepreneurship, and we are committed to getting more women in STEM.

[Pay Equity, March 19th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand in the House today and speak about a simple but powerful idea, that providing Canadians with the opportunity to realize their full potential is not just the right thing to do but it is the smart thing to do for our economy.

It is unacceptable that in 2018, women in Canada earn 69¢ cents on average for every dollar earned by men.

That is why I am proud that through budget 2018, our government is announcing it will introduce proactive pay equity legislation, which would apply to about 1.2 million employed Canadians in federally regulated sectors.

Taking action on pay equity will move the dial for women. We know much more is needed, such as the government's investments in early learning and child care, better training and learning financing, enhanced parental leave flexibility, pay transparency, and the continued appointment of skilled and talented women to leadership positions.

We are taking action on the gender wage gap, and I hope my colleagues in the House will continue to support this too.

[Temporary Foreign Workers, March 2nd, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I agree with my colleague that the one-size-fits-all model does not work as it was imposed under the past Conservative government. We believe that Canadians deserve the first crack at jobs in this country. We believe that there can be no wage suppression or downward pressure on Canadian wages. We believe that workers who come in have to be protected by the laws of this country. We believe that companies need to have access to a skilled workforce, something that was set out of balance with the past government.

[Business of Supply, March 1st, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the intervention by my colleague today. Back in December, when there were some concerns raised, supplemental information was shared.

This is one program that members of Parliament are very much invested in. They have the opportunity to share the priorities of their ridings or areas with the program, and that weighs in on each of the applications. Everyone has a database.

What we did with the supplemental information was get it out to those who had applied in previous years. I think that satisfied the vast majority. Obviously, the number of applications is higher than it was last year, so most groups are comfortable with the additional information.

Would my colleague have undertaken a similar initiative? How did she address it when additional information was requested from the people in her riding who had applied?