Sean Fraser

[Canada Revenue Agency, September 25th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I would again like to thank the hon. member for raising the important issue of seniors poverty and the timely delivery of GIS benefits.

As I mentioned, it is heartbreaking to speak to seniors living in poverty. We know that seniors poverty has a disproportionate impact on women as well, which is why the government's measures to increase the GIS by 10% for low-income single seniors is going to have a positive impact on senior women who are living in poverty no matter which region of Canada they are from.

I would point out again that 95% of GIS beneficiaries have their benefits renewed automatically each year by Service Canada, which is determined by a person's income details.

There is a process in place so that seniors can get in touch with Service Canada should they be concerned about receiving the GIS, and I encourage them to do so. I encourage all members in this House to educate their constituents on how to do so.

The CRA is going to continue to provide quality service to Canadians so that they can receive their benefits as quickly as possible.

This is important and we need to get this right.

[Canada Revenue Agency, September 25th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for raising this important question.

Before I begin my prepared remarks, I would like to share that, growing up in rural Atlantic Canada, I never fully appreciated the plight of seniors living in poverty until I went knocking on doors in the 2015 election campaign. Therefore, I can say it was a very proud moment for me when I saw the implementation of our commitment to boost the guaranteed income supplement by 10% for low-income single seniors, who have seen an increase of up to $947 in places like Pictou County, Nova Scotia.

I am happy to share with the hon. member that our government is committed to making it easier for Canadians to file their taxes and to ensure that they are receiving the benefits to which they are entitled. We all know how stressful the end of the tax year can be. Often times we are scrambling to get documents together, and the government should do anything that it can to make this process easier for Canadians. For example, providing the income tax information for the given year to Service Canada for seniors who receive the GIS is a task we understand to be of the utmost importance.

To provide some background on the administration of the guaranteed income supplement, it is a program that is managed by Service Canada. The CRA works closely with Service Canada to ensure that seniors have the income information they require to assess whether they qualify for the benefit. Each year, because of changes to an individual's tax situation or information not received by the federal government, some individuals who were entitled to benefits the previous year may not receive them. We are aware of the importance of the timelines for delivery of this information and it is not a responsibility that we take lightly. I agree wholeheartedly with my colleague about the importance of processing returns quickly so that eligible seniors continue to receive the GIS, and in a timely way.

The CRA has implemented changes to ensure GIS recipients have their returns assessed in time for benefit calculations and issuance if they have filed on time. Specifically, the CRA has created a tracking process during peak filing season that will identify GIS-eligible files, ensure their returns are processed in priority, and inform Canadians of the importance of filing on time by including information on the cover page of the T1 guide, with online content and social media messaging. It is also important to note that 95% of the GIS beneficiaries have their benefits renewed automatically each year by Service Canada, as is determined by a person's income details.

I am sure we all agree that it is of great concern to CRA when a person who is entitled to a benefit does not receive it. Like my colleague, I have a great concern for the well-being of seniors who depend on these benefits.

It is important to note that there is an established protocol in place for seniors to get in touch with Service Canada should they be concerned about the timely delivery of their GIS benefits. It is especially important that, as a part of our duties as elected officials, we share information with Canadians on how to get the information they need to answer important questions like these. In the case of the GIS, there are several toll-free lines available to Canadians so their questions can be answered and their situations sorted out.

I am confident that we all have the same priorities in mind when it comes to making sure that benefits reach vulnerable Canadians who qualify for them in a dependable and timely matter.

As an Atlantic Canadian, I know first-hand what it is like to see seniors living in poverty in our constituency, and I am going to work as hard as I can in this role to ensure that our seniors who are entitled to GIS benefits receive them, and in a timely way.

[The Environment, September 25th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we were elected on a commitment to grow the economy and protect the environment at the same time. This means we are going to take steps to get our resources to new markets while we still take steps to protect our environment and meet our Paris Agreement commitments. I note, in particular, that we are moving forward with a price on pollution that will reduce emissions. We are investing in clean technology and we have put $1.5 billion into our oceans protection plan to protect our oceans and waterways.

As a coastal MP in an area that the hon. member is very familiar with, this is a commitment we share and I look forward to continuing to partner with her to move forward.

[The Environment, September 25th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, this government is confident that it is going to meet its Paris Agreement targets. The hon. member seemingly has not read the report from Stephen Harper's former director of policy that indicated that when we put a price on pollution, it is going to have an economic benefit for middle-class Canadian families.

I invite the hon. member to get on board instead of taking money out of his constituents' pockets so that he can make pollution free again.

[The Environment, September 24th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the government understands that Canadian northerners feel the impacts of climate change differently than other Canadians do, and it also understands the unique challenges facing those who live in the Canadian north, such as an enhanced cost of living, an increased cost of transportation, and food security issues that are not present elsewhere.

As we move forward, we will continue to work with the Government of Nunavut and the member opposite to ensure that we do it in a way that will have a practical reduction on emissions, but that also recognizes the unique needs of those living in Canada's north.

[The Environment, September 24th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has committed to addressing and responding to the World Heritage Committee in the requested time as part of the ongoing commitment to protect and care for Canada's heritage places now and for future generations.

Through budget 2018, historic investments are going to protect Canada's nature, parks and wild spaces. Thanks to this commitment to Canada's natural legacy, over $27.5 million is going to be invested over five years in the development and early implementation of the action plan for the Wood Buffalo National Park world heritage site.

This is an issue we take very seriously and I am pleased the member shares the same commitment that our side does.

[The Environment, September 24th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, plastic pollution is choking our oceans, our lakes and our rivers, damaging the places Canadians love most. That is why the Prime Minister launched the ocean plastics charter at the G7 in June and why reducing global plastic pollution is a top priority for Canada's G7 presidency. We were pleased to see several new supporters of the charter and to announce the government's commitment to diverting 75% of plastic waste from its operation in 2030 and commitment of $100 million to a marine litter mitigation fund. We all need to be part of the solution. I look forward to continuing to work with our partners to keep plastics in our economy and out of our oceans.

[Central Nova, September 21st, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise to celebrate one of the most giving constituents from my riding of Central Nova, Mr. Archie Kontuk. With the help of our community, Archie has collected over 70 million pop tabs over the last 23 years. He has been instrumental in not only diverting them from landfills but cashing them in to help make wheelchairs and to use the money for those in need.

As a child, Archie himself used a wheelchair for 12 years. Through much determination and rehabilitation, Archie was able to walk again. He says that he will never forget what it was like to use a wheelchair, and wants to help others living with that reality.

The going rate for the tabs is a round 50 cents a pound. To get a wheelchair, Archie needs to collect an astounding three million pop tabs. To date, he has helped secure over 22 wheelchairs, which have helped others regain their mobility and independence. Those wishing to help Archie can drop pop tabs off to Summer Street Industries in New Glasgow, head to the local bottle exchanges or visit our friends at CACL in Antigonish.

Archie shows us that people can do it and that a little pop tab goes a long way.

[Carbon Pricing, September 20th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I would be happy to carry on the conversation, which I think will take more than the 60 seconds I have, offline with the member opposite, to discuss the ideas he may have to ensure that the revenues from putting a price on pollution are delivered in the most effective way.

In the meantime, we are going to continue to work with provinces and territories to implement our collective commitments to fight climate change and to promote clean growth as set out in the pan-Canadian framework. Our federal pollution pricing system will apply in provinces and territories that request it, and in those that do not have a system that is aligned with the federal benchmarks.

As I mentioned during my remarks, we will make every effort to ensure that the revenues generated from putting a price on pollution benefit the residents of the provinces in which the pollution is generated.

[Carbon Pricing, September 20th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking my colleague and friend from Canada's second-newest political party, the CCF for the question.

From day one, our party has been focused on helping the middle class. We have programs like the Canada child benefit, that is putting more money in the pockets of nine out of 10 Canadian families, and we have a tax cut for the middle class that raised taxes on the wealthiest 1%. Now, by putting a price on pollution, we are making life even more affordable for Canadians and more expensive for polluters.

I can confirm with my hon. colleague that the plan will involve keeping the revenues generated from putting a price on pollution in the province where those revenues are generated.

This is evidence that steps taken to protect the environment can in fact spur economic growth. It is possible to grow the economy and protect the environment at the same time.

With respect to the dividends of a price on pollution, our government's focus will remain on helping middle-class families in Canada. We know that any real plan to tackle climate change is going to involve a price on pollution. Pollution should not be free. Our plan is the most cost-effective way to reduce emissions while driving clean innovation and creating new jobs in the green economy.

According to the World Bank earlier this year, approximately 70 different jurisdictions were putting a price on pollution. We have evidence right here in Canada that putting a price on pollution works to cut emissions while maintaining economic growth. Nearly half of Canadians already live in a jurisdiction that puts a price on pollution.

B.C. has had a price on pollution for over a decade, and evidence shows it has helped cut fuel consumption and GHGs while the economy continued to experience growth. Alberta, where I used to live, has had a price on pollution for many years, and has among the highest employment rates in our entire country.

We know that Canadians are smart and innovative. Many Canadian companies are developing and implementing new technologies and solutions to cut pollution. In fact, Canadians have created over 500,000 jobs since we took office. Carbon pricing spurs innovation because the price signal it sends encourages businesses and households to be more efficient and pollute less. This government's preference has been to work with individual provinces and territories, if they are willing to take the responsible step and put forward a plan that will have a meaningful impact on emissions in their province.

Let me be clear: Canadians gave us a mandate in the 2015 election to protect the environment and grow the economy at the same time. Our plan at that time involved putting a price on pollution. The government has been consistent, saying that the revenue generated from putting a price on pollution is going to stay in those provinces.

Our approach allows for the flexibility for provinces and territories to choose the pricing system that works best for them. However, to deliver on the climate commitments we made with the provinces and territories in the pan-Canadian framework, we are going to ensure that there will be a price on carbon pollution throughout Canada.

That is why the Government of Canada is going to implement a federal pollution pricing system in provinces and territories that request it and in those that do not have a system that aligns with the federal standard.

Clean growth represents a massive economic opportunity around the world, one that the World Bank estimates will be worth $23 trillion globally between now and 2030. We want to be on the front edge of that wave.

We are taking action to ensure that the Canadian economy takes maximum advantage of this opportunity. Putting a price on pollution is a key part of this, by creating an incentive to reduce emissions and invest in innovation. Given the report that we saw in the National Post last night, we know it is going to be a net benefit for middle-class families in provinces and territories throughout Canada.