Wayne Easter

[Government Priorities, May 14th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, everywhere Canadians look, things are growing, but not just spring flowers. Canada's workforce grew by a record-smashing 106,000 jobs in April, bringing the number of jobs created since we formed government to over one million. This did not happen by accident. Our government put forward a plan in 2015, and we are seeing the rewards for Canadians.

First, we cut taxes. Middle-class Canadians now pay less income tax than they did under Stephen Harper. Canadian small businesses now enjoy the lowest tax rate in the G7.

We chose to invest in infrastructure and innovation, in science and R and D and in our primary industries. The fall economic statement gave business a competitive advantage. The Canada child benefit helps families raising children and distributes that money to the community.

We are on the right track. Commitments our government made in 2015 are bearing fruit, as advertised.

[Interparliamentary Delegations, May 10th, 2019]

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1) I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, three reports of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group.

The first report concerns the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region's, PNWER, 28th annual summit, held in Spokane, Washington, United States of America, from July 23 to July 26, 2018.

The second report concerns the 58th annual meeting and regional policy forum of the Council of State Governments Eastern Regional Conference, held in Rye Brook, New York, U.S.A., from August 5 to August 8, 2018.

The third report concerns the annual National Conference of the Council of State Governments, held in Covington, Kentucky, U.S.A., from December 6 to December 8, 2018.

[Committees of the House, May 2nd, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 29th report of the Standing Committee on Finance in relation to Bill S-6, an act to implement the convention between Canada and the Republic of Madagascar for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income. The committee has studied the bill and has agreed to report it without amendment.

While I am on my feet, I move:

That the House do now proceed to orders of the day.

[Lifetime Achievement Award, May 1st, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Boyd MacDonald of Crapaud, P.E.I., who was honoured recently by the Prince County Horsemen's Club with the Philip and Henry Doucette Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award.

Boyd started his own horse stable in 1971 and gained his licence to drive horses two years later. He had over 1,000 race wins, all with his own horses. That is a feat very few ever achieve, but the bumps and bruises of horse racing never slowed him down.

Boyd and his wife Claire, now 61 years married, also were successful farmers, establishing Boyd MacDonald Produce Ltd., which is still operating as a produce broker today. Starting his potato business by borrowing a neighbour's truck and hauling potatoes in the evening, he grew the business to two warehouses, employed over 20 people and grew 350 acres of those good Island spuds.

Congratulations to Boyd on a well-deserved award, and for his outstanding contribution to the community and life on the Island.

[Budget Implementation Act, 2019, No. 1, April 11th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, regardless of whether everything that was in the budget is in the budget implementation act, we have certainly set the direction we intend to go and where we will be after next October 21.

The member is a great member of the finance committee. I know he strongly fought for many of the things that are in the budget implementation act, especially those things that relate to challenging the tax reform in the United States to keep capital in Canada, attract capital to Canada and allow our businesses to be competitive on an equal playing field with the United States.

I wonder what the member has to say.

[The Budget, April 1st, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I know the member for Carleton is talking about a lot of fiction today. It was not the Liberals who kept us here. It was the Conservatives who kept us here, whereby they voted against every good program that was in the last budget.

[Special Olympics Medal Winner, April 1st, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a proud Islander to recognize Roy Paynter of Kensington, P.E.I., for his incredible accomplishments at the Special Olympics World Summer Games last month in Abu Dhabi. Roy brought home four medals in swimming: gold in the 200-metre freestyle, gold in the 100-metre breaststroke, silver in the four by 50-metre relay and bronze in the 100-metre backstroke.

Roy earned his place on Team Canada through his strong showing at the Special Olympics Canada Summer Games in 2018 when he took home five medals, including two gold. For Roy, the competition is not just about medals. It is about meeting new people, making new friends and being part of a team that supports each other in common goals. For Sarah, Roy's mother, who coached him all of these years, it was a proud moment.

Roy is a role model and has made his country, his province and his community proud. On behalf of Canada, I say thanks and congratulations to Roy.

[Committees of the House, March 22nd, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, on the same point of order, and I am not good in the French language, but I agree with the remarks of the member opposite.

Mr. Speaker, I think you have to look at this motion and the source of the motion, which is the member for Carleton. As you stated, there are clearly errors in this, just as we heard in the speech earlier from the member for Carleton; there were factual errors in many areas of his remarks.

However, in terms of the motion itself, there is no question. I chair the finance committee. The member for Carleton is on that committee. The motion was drafted in great haste, and you will see several motions that are just changing the number of days that the committee would travel. This is coming from a member who represents a party which is constantly blocking travel by the finance committee, and this motion, being written in haste, is all about trying to delay the debate on the budget, which was tabled this week, so that Canadians cannot hear about all the good things that are in that budget for Canadians.

[Interparliamentary Delegations, March 20th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, three reports of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group.

The first report concerns the 73th annual meeting of the Council of State Governments' Midwestern Legislative Conference, held in Winnipeg, Manitoba, from July 15 to 18, 2018.

The second report concerns the summer meeting of the National Governors Association, held in Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.A., from July 19 to 21, 2018.

The third report concerns the 42nd annual conference of the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers, held in Stowe, Vermont, U.S.A., from August 12 to 14, 2018.

[Business of Supply, February 4th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure what policy the government will be coming out with, if we are, but I will certainly tell the member where I am at personally.

I believe that pensions should be paid into in the same way as CPP and EI premiums. They should be put into a fund and guaranteed to be there for the workers who work in corporations and other companies. If the company fails in those obligations, then the board of directors should be responsible for those obligations to those citizens for the work they did for those companies over the years. That is where I stand.