Shelly Glover

[Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 1, May 31st, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise in the House once again to speak to an important piece of pro-economic and job growth legislation. Of course, I am talking about Bill C-60, the economic action plan 2013 act, which is BIA 1, at report stage.

Before I begin my remarks I want to take a moment to personally thank all of my colleagues on the finance committee for their outstanding work in their careful, detailed and timely consideration of the bill, and I mean all of the members from all of the parties, including independent members who came to committee.

Also, I would like to thank all the witnesses who took their time to come before the committee to share their thoughts and opinions about the bill and its importance to the Canadian economy.

I would also be remiss if I did not recognize the member for Edmonton—Leduc, our cherished chair of the finance committee, someone for whom all sides of the House have tremendous respect. They acknowledge his great work, I am sure.

I also want to remind all members and all Canadians that our government went to great lengths to ensure that Bill C-60 and its great measures received the appropriate consideration by the House, especially at committee stage.

That is why five additional committees—industry, veterans affairs, human resources, citizenship and immigration and foreign affairs—undertook comprehensive examinations of select portions of today's legislation. I was quite surprised to hear the NDP critic talk about it not being reviewed by other committees because, in fact, it was.

As all Canadians know, our government's main priority is the economy. Whether encouraging job creation, promoting economic growth or ensuring Canada's long-term prosperity, we focus first on what matters to Canadians.

However, in recent years, Canada has faced a challenging global economic landscape that has resulted in persistent threats from outside its borders, including from the United States and Europe, two of Canada's most important trade partners.

To add to this uncertainty, Canada is dealing with increasingly intense competition from emerging economies, such as China and India. In a constantly changing global market, we must continue focusing on the economy and building on Canada's strong economic plan.

Since the end of the global recession in July 2009, the Canadian economy has created more than 900,000 net new jobs. This is the very best job growth record in the entire G7. Even better, over 90% of those jobs have been full time and nearly three-quarters have been in the private sector.

On top of our very strong record of job growth, Canadians can also point with tremendous pride to other strong economic fundamentals, which include the soundest banking system for over five years, according to the World Economic Forum. We have the lowest net debt to GDP ratio in the G7, and we are the only G7 country to have more than fully recovered business investment lost during the recession. This is great news for Canadians.

What is more, Canada is forecasted to have among the strongest economic growth in the G7 for years ahead, according to both the IMF and the OECD. It is little wonder that all the major credit rating agencies, Moody's, Fitch and Standard and Poor's, have recently reaffirmed Canada's rock-solid Triple-A credit rating.

However, we all understand that Canada cannot afford to be complacent. We cannot rest on our laurels. While our position relative to other countries is strong, now we must take the bull by the horns and build on this strength to secure long-term prosperity for our children and their children and their children.

As the Vancouver Board of Trade pointed out recently, and I quote:

Given the state of the global economy — where we are seeing recessions, drops in national and sub-national credit ratings, and out-of-control deficits —we are truly fortunate in Canada to be contemplating balanced budgets, receiving AAA credit ratings, and growing our GDP.

That is why I am so proud of economic action plan 2013. It is forward looking and would build on our solid record with measured, prudent steps that would help position Canada for long-term success, both today and well into tomorrow. It is a really positive plan for Canadians.

Many elements of this plan will be implemented with this legislation. For example, in order to build a stronger Canadian economy and help promote job growth, Bill C-60 will enable the government to extend tax relief for new investments in machinery and equipment by Canadian manufacturers; index gas tax fund payments to better support job-creating infrastructure projects in municipalities across Canada; extend the mineral exploration tax credit; provide $165 million in multi-year support for genomics research; provide $18 million to the Canadian Youth Business Foundation to help young entrepreneurs grow and develop their firms and their future; provide $5 million to Indspire for post-secondary scholarships and bursaries for first nations and Inuit students; and finally, undertake many other important initiatives on the economic front.

In addition, today's legislation would help families and our communities by promoting adoption through enhancing the adoption expense tax credit; by introducing a new first-time donor super credit to encourage Canadians to donate to charity; by expanding tax relief for home care services; by providing $30 million to support the construction of housing in Nunavut; by investing $20 million in the Nature Conservancy of Canada to continue to conserve ecologically sensitive land; by providing $3 million to support training in palliative care for front-line health care providers; and by committing $3 million to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind to expand library services for the blind and partially sighted. Also, so much more is in this bill.

I would like to note one last time that this legislation is an important step in creating jobs and economic growth, all while keeping taxes low and balancing the budget in 2015. I urge all members to vote in favour of this bill and support jobs, growth and long-term prosperity for all Canadians.

I would caution Canadians who are listening today that they will hear two sides to this very important bill, but I want them to take an opportunity to actually look at the bill. It is available online through the Department of Finance website. The facts speak for themselves. This would be another tremendous leap forward for Canadians and for this country so that we preserve all of those jobs, create more of them and create an environment where business can flourish. Our children would benefit and the grandchildren they have would benefit for years to come.

I just wish the opposition members would reconsider their position to vote against this bill and maybe have some heart today, look into their souls, do what is right for Canadians, do what is right for taxpayers, stop blocking those all-important measures that would help Canadians and vote for this bill.

[Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 1, May 31st, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to say to my colleague opposite that some of the things he said in his speech are not accurate.

Regarding the securities system in Canada, the Supreme Court clearly said that the federal government has certain responsibilities with respect to the financial markets. We cannot ignore them. Everything in this bill clearly and strictly relates to federal proposals.

Quebec eliminated its special access for credit unions in 2003. Therefore, Quebec agrees with the federal government on that. I simply wanted to clarify the facts about these two matters for Canadians.

What is more, I have many quotes from Quebec organizations, such as the chamber of commerce, which support our 2013 budget. I invite my colleague to read them. This is a good bill and a good budget, and he should support it.

[Safer Witnesses Act, May 30th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I am just thrilled that my colleague is speaking to this very important bill. He is talking about the protection of my brothers and sisters in blue across the country. I know that the Canadian Police Association is very supportive and the president himself, who represents police officers across the country, has been very supportive.

Every time the government puts forward bills that give police another tool so they can keep our streets and our communities safe, I have to applaud the efforts by the government, and I want to applaud the member as well.

Could he tell us a little more about the stakeholders who have come forward to support the bill? There are several and I think it is important that he be allowed to put those on the record.

[The Canadian Museum of History Act, May 28th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, let me concentrate on veterans because, in fact, they are the people who did afford us the opportunity to have this wonderful country.

I am going to focus on the fact that I have a grandfather who fought at Dieppe with his brother who, unfortunately, lost his leg there. Both men returned alive. I also have a husband whose grandfather fought at Vimy. To know that the NDP have shamefully accused our veterans of leaving a scar on Canada as a result—

[The Canadian Museum of History Act, May 28th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I just want to remind the member opposite that it is this government that invested significantly in the youth employment strategy, which affords an extra $50 million to young entrepreneurs so that they can move forward in this tough economic time. Unfortunately, the Liberals seem to always want to vote against our youth by voting against legislation that puts that funding in the hands of our youth.

As I said in my speech, we also have the young Canada works program, which is affiliated with our museums. This new museum, this latest addition with a $25-million investment by this government, will in fact create jobs for young people under the young Canada works program. I would suggest that member share this information with the youth of his riding so that they benefit from the opportunities that this governments provides to those youth.

[The Canadian Museum of History Act, May 28th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I think I have actually convinced the member opposite to perhaps lean towards supporting this wonderful legislation. In that spirit of collaboration, I am going to respond with numbers.

Of course, we know that this government has in fact injected an extra $142 million into our museums. That is over and above what we last saw from a former Liberal government. That is a tremendous commitment to our museums. Unfortunately, the member opposite voted against all of that extra funding.

I might add that the member opposite from the NDP was talking about Mr. John McAvity, who supports this legislation. I am hopeful that my colleague will take Mr. McAvity's opinion to heart and that he will support this museum and support this all-important legislation for the future of this museum.

[The Canadian Museum of History Act, May 28th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues. It is great to be here late this evening to speak about this wonderful new Canadian museum of history. I am very fortunate to be here, in fact. I am the granddaughter of three World War II veterans, and I am thrilled to be able to speak about our Canadian history. The fact is that my grandparents, along with many of the grandparents of many of my colleagues, helped to create this wonderful country. It is a country we need to talk about and a country we need to educate our children about and that I am very proud of.

Unfortunately, tonight we have seen a bit of a display of Canada-bashing on one side of the House. I would like to take a different tone altogether and talk about the wonderful things, not only about Canada, but about Canadians.

Let us talk about the Canadian museum of history. Our government believes in our national museums, and it recognizes the tremendous value they hold for all Canadians. As we approach Canada's 150th birthday, it is an unprecedented opportunity to celebrate our history and those achievements that define who we are as Canadians.

Our government looks to young Canadians as our future cultural leaders and museum professionals. Since 1996, the Department of Canadian Heritage, as part of the youth employment strategy, has supported the creation of student summer jobs through the young Canada works program.This program exemplifies our government's commitment to the nearly 2,600 provincial, municipal, regional and rural museums outside the national capital region. It is a program with far-reaching and practical objectives that responds to the needs of the heritage community.

The young Canada works program has multiple key objectives. For youth participants, the program aims to increase their knowledge and appreciation of important local and national accomplishments, provide the opportunity to work with heritage sector specialists, and help them discover career choices in the heritage sector while acquiring the skills and knowledge necessary to join the labour force. For communities and regions, the program does two things. First, it promotes the knowledge and appreciation of collections at the local and national levels. Second, it contributes to the sustainable development of organizations and communities.

Until 2007, fewer than 50% of eligible applications could be funded through the program. However, recognizing the greater need, our government announced new funds in budget 2007, which enabled the creation of a special $4.6 million annual funding envelope targeting small and medium-sized museums. Today, with an annual $7.6 million budget, the program supports the creation of more than 1,600 summer jobs in as many as 1,000 heritage organizations, including Canadian museums, art galleries, archives, libraries, historic sites and heritage buildings.

Before my opposition colleagues, who I respect tremendously, stand up and accuse me of not being on topic, I would like to remind them of the opportunities the Canadian museum of history would afford our young people who may be getting involved in this very important program. By supporting museums and heritage organizations, the young Canada works program contributes to the ongoing health and future of the heritage sector, helping to build a pool of the young professionals necessary for the museum community's successful long-term human resources planning.

As members may know, program delivery is achieved by partnering with six key cultural stakeholders, including the Canadian Museums Association, the Canadian Council of Archives, the Canadian Council of Human Resources Associations, the Canadian Library Association, the Heritage Canada Foundation and l'Association pour l'avancement des sciences et des techniques de la documentation. The program leverages the professional knowledge and experience of these organizations, ensuring that program funds are allocated to the jobs that best meet the needs of employers and the training requirements of youth.

One program beneficiary, the Quesnel & District Museum and Archives in Quesnel, British Columbia, said:

As a smaller community museum and archives, we welcome the opportunity to hire students to assist with operations during our busiest season and to take on special projects. This program provides valuable work experience to students in a field related to their career aspirations. This year [our student] exceeded the objectives outlined in our original application.... We thank you for the opportunity provide this work experience.

These are the types of opportunities that the museum that we are talking about tonight could afford our young people. Many times we have heard in this place the concern we have for employment opportunities for our youth; this is another aspect for employment for young Canadians.

The need and benefits of the program are equally reflected in the words of youth participants. To quote one participant:

When I applied...with the Manitoba Craft Museum and Library... I was hoping to gain experience in archival photography and cataloguing; what I left...with was indeed that experience and much more.... The work performed...this summer has allowed me to tune my personal, professional and academic focus.... Working this summer has [provided] greater understanding of the historical significance of craft, especially the role of craft in welcoming and embracing new Canadians into society.

Another participant reported:

Working at the Spiritwood Museum this summer has been a great work experience. It differs greatly from any job I have had in the past.... One of the key parts of this job [was] cataloguing the item in the museum...another...was giving tours. This job has benefited me greatly. I have met and worked with so many wonderful people...have become more familiar with this community [and]...improved my history skills tremendously.

Beyond increasing their knowledge and their appreciation of important local and national accomplishments, it is hoped that some youth participants would consider further studies in pursuit of a career in a heritage field.

Representatives from the Bonavista Historic Townscape Foundation in Bonavista, Newfoundland recount:

We hired a young archivist to assist with the daily activities of the archives. The Intern did remarkable work with the historical and municipal records, and the employer has prolonged her contract...with the hope of securing funds to prolong even further the term of employment into a more permanent position.

Representatives from the Dawson City Museum in Dawson City, Yukon, also stated:

We needed an intern to revive the archival components of the museum. Being in Northern Canada, [we] could not find a candidate with an archives education degree so [we] hired a history graduate. The intern revealed herself to be a great acquisition for [us] [and] she appreciated so much her work experience at the archives that she has decided to do a master's in archival study.

In turn, Dawson City Museum planned to remain in contact with the intern with the hope that they could hire her permanently at the end of her studies.

The future of Canadian museums and other heritage organizations depends on the renewal of professional staff with the academic credentials, knowledge and skills required to maintain the high professional standards for which the Canadian heritage community is known worldwide. Most importantly, the future of the new museum of Canadian history depends on this program.

Contrary to what the opposition parties say, the Canadian museum of history will provide the public with the opportunity to appreciate how Canada's identity has been shaped over the course of our history.

Canadians deserve a national museum that tells our stories and presents our country's treasures to the world. Most importantly, Canadians deserve a museum that benefits them, while offering opportunity to our talented, hard-working youth.

I must say that I am the mother of five children. They are very much interested in Canadian history. I expect that through museums like the new museum of Canadian history, they will learn and be able to develop a history that they can then share with my grandchildren, and their children and their children, for many generations to come.

I am proud of our government's achievements. I am proud of what it intends to do with the museum. I look forward to visiting it.

[National Charities Week, May 28th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I am absolutely thrilled to be standing here today because I truly believe in Bill C-458. This is an important proposal before us today. It is intended to help Canadians across the country when they are involved in charities. We truly do have a commitment to help donors and ensure that they get the benefits that have been put forward by this government.

What would this proposal do?

This proposal would establish the last seven days of February each year as national charities week, and it would extend the deadline for individuals claiming charitable gifts for tax purposes from December 31 of a taxation year to 60 days after that day to match the deadline for contributions to registered retirement savings plans.

It is my sincere hope that members on both sides will set aside all of their talking points and listen to what is being said here. There is a member here in this House who has worked extremely hard on this bill, and I would hope that members, particularly from the NDP, will listen to the benefits the bill would provide to charities and donors.

Let me begin by saying that my hon. colleague for Kitchener—Waterloo has spent an awful lot of tireless effort advocating for charities and charitable organizations throughout his time here in Parliament. I have worked alongside this member and I am so proud to see the work that he has done.

He is in the House right now, and he is a humble fellow. However, I want to take this opportunity to thank him, not only on behalf of the government but on behalf of all Canadians, because they have seen his tireless efforts and appreciate everything that he does and continues to do so that charities can benefit from the best that we have here in Parliament. In fact, he is one of the best that I have the pleasure to work with.

The member also put forward another motion, Motion No. 559, which called for the Standing Committee on Finance to study tax incentives for charitable donations. That motion was supported, thankfully, by all parties in the House. As a member of the finance committee, I am pleased to report that after extensive consultations, we have presented the government with a comprehensive report that we can all be proud of.

To the member's credit, the recommendations of that report are clearly reflected in the most recent budget economic action plan 2013 in the form of an important initiative that I will speak about at great length later on.

With respect to the member's current bill, let me quote a recent editorial in the National Post praising the legislation before us today, noting that:

Too often of late, private members' bills have served explicitly partisan ends. [The member for Kitchener—Waterloo's] Bill C-458, however, seeks to improve the lot of needy citizens simply by adjusting a bureaucratic formality. This is the sort of effort we'd like to see more of in Parliament....

First, I would like to tell the House that the Conservative government proudly salutes the volunteers who contribute to charities established to improve the quality of life of people who need help.

Volunteers are remarkable, altruistic Canadians who have an impact on people's lives, and who do so without any hope of reward. They give of their time and energy because they are concerned for the less fortunate.

Canadians should be proud to know that Canada is one of the countries with the most charities and non-profit organizations.

According to estimates, there are more than 160,000 charities and non-profit organizations, and their goal is to help solve our country's greatest social problems.

In addition, ordinary Canadians know very well that the charitable sector plays an essential role in society and provides invaluable services to the most vulnerable individuals, thanks to generous financial support for their important work.

According to Statistics Canada, more than 5.7 million Canadians made donations totalling nearly $8.5 billion to registered charities in 2011. They also receive assistance through the tax system in the form of a personal tax credit and a corporate tax deduction for charitable donations.

In fact, federal government tax assistance for charitable donations exceeded $2.9 billion in 2012. Canadian tax incentives for charitable donations are among the most generous in the world.

Our Conservative government fully supports the charitable sector. In fact, we have taken numerous steps to enhance support for such organizations since 2006, including exempting donations of publicly listed securities to charities from capital gains tax, reforming the disbursement quota rules for charities, reducing their administrative complexity to better able charities to focus their time and resources on charitable activities, introducing integrity measures to combat fraud and abuse in the charitable sector and, lastly, enhancing public transparency and accountability to ensure that charities devote their resources to charitable and not political activities.

As I mentioned at the beginning of my speech, following the finance committee's report on charitable donation tax incentives, a direct response to another initiative by the member for Kitchener—Waterloo, economic action plan 2013 proposes a new temporary first-time donor super credit, designed to encourage new donors to give to charity. The FDSC, which is the first time donor super credit, will increase the value of the federal charitable donations tax credit by 25 percentage points if neither the taxpayer nor his or her spouse has claimed the credit since 2007.

The FDSC will apply on up to $1,000 in cash donations claimed in any one taxation year from 2013 to 2017. This new credit would significantly enhance the attractiveness of donating to a charity for young Canadians who are in a position to make donations for the first time. Helping to rejuvenate and expand the charitable sector's donor base will have an immediate impact in supporting the sector. This is great news.

It is clear that our government and the member for Kitchener—Waterloo are hard at work to ensure that charities have the help they need to do what they do best. Let me take a moment to remind my hon. colleagues of the member's outstanding reputation in this regard.

Imagine Canada, the leading umbrella organization representing Canadian charities, has praised his willingness to consult with charities on new ideas, stating:

[The member for Kitchener—Waterloo] has been and continues to be a real champion for the charitable sector. He demonstrates a sound understanding of the issues we’re facing.

I am sure my colleagues on both sides of the House would agree with that assessment and will join our Conservative government in sending this bill to the finance committee for the hearing it so richly deserves. Let the champion, the member for Kitchener—Waterloo, present this bill so that we can further assist charities across the country to ensure that their good work is being done.

Lastly, I want to say why it is important to support this proposal at second reading so that it can be studied in greater detail.

We realize the bill’s aims are clear and noble. By supporting it at second reading, we can conduct a thorough examination, reflecting contributions by parliamentarians, charities and other stakeholders, and thus report on the status of some important issues. For example, if the deadline is changed from December 31 to March 1, how much will donations increase, and what is the estimated cost of this measure?

The study of Bill C-458 will also be an opportunity for charities to indicate whether they are concerned about the reduced time limit for issuing tax receipts to last-minute donors. Charities currently have approximately six to eight weeks after the end of the year to issue receipts to donors. It is quite logical to believe that, if the time limit for making charitable donations is extended by two months, the organizations will have to make administrative adjustments to reflect the new deadline.

In saying all of that, I look forward to and count on the support of the members on both sides of the House so we can get this bill to the finance committee to do the important study that is required. We want to hear from charities and organizations that have no other interest except helping those who are most vulnerable. Let us give them a chance to speak, and we will do what we can to ensure that they have the assistance of this government, as we have demonstrated in the past, so they can benefit from the generosity of Canadians.

[Questions on the Order Paper, May 10th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Finance is not in a position to estimate any potential increase in economic activity that would result from this proposal.

As noted in the Department of Finance’s response to Question No. Q-1125, it is estimated that the cost of the proposal would be about $215 million in 2017. It is unclear to what degree the proposal would induce individuals to travel more or change their travel plans, but any increase in eligible travel would increase the cost of the proposal. As an example, if the number of eligible travelers would increase by 25% as a result of the proposal, the cost would increase to about $270 million.

[Questions on the Order Paper, May 10th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Finance Canada has estimated the cost of Bill C-463 using the public use micro-data files of Statistics Canada’s 2010 travel survey of residents of Canada. The data contain information on the number of non-business person-trips taken across three provincial boundaries by mode of transportation, as well as information on travel expenditures.

Using these data, the Department of Finance’s cost estimate for the proposal in Bill C-463 was based on the following information for bus, train and airplane modes of transportation: the estimated number of domestic travellers whose travel expenses would qualify for the deduction proposed in Bill C-463; the estimated cost of domestic travel, which was estimated for 2017 using projections of the Consumer Price Index; the average marginal federal personal income tax rate; and the percentage of expenses eligible for the deduction as proposed in Bill C-463.

As indicated in the response to Question No. Q-1125, these calculations result in an estimated cost for the proposal in Bill C-463 of about $215 million in 2017. It is unclear to what degree the proposal would induce individuals to travel more or change their travel plans, but any increase in eligible travel would increase this cost.