Most toxic speeches
Mr. Speaker, today we have learned that a veteran has been evicted from her home because of delays in receiving her pension. This is unconscionable. Compound that by the fact this veteran had six tours of duty, two bouts of cancer, and is a single mom. It should make the minister and the Prime Minister hang their heads in shame. Enough is enough. Will the minister take action today to ensure that veterans have their pensions in place the day that they are released from service?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are cutting the monthly pay of soldiers deployed in Kuwait by more than $1,500. For the minister to cut their pay once they have been deployed is despicable. Our soldiers expect the minister to protect them, but that is obviously not happening.We brought this to the minister's attention in December, but nothing was done. Unfortunately, the minister ignored the issue. As a former unit commander, I am ashamed of my country and the way the Liberals are treating our soldiers.Will the Liberals stop pinching pennies at the soldiers' expense? Mr. Minister, will you fix this problem yourself?
Mr. Speaker, as the Liberals push to legalize marijuana by 2018, many Canadians are concerned about the consequences of people driving while high. There are screening devices that detect the presence of drugs in the body, but they are not authorized for use under the Criminal Code.Will the Liberals authorize the use of these devices before they introduce legislation, finally making the health and safety of Canadians a priority?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' Bill C-27 is an attack on stable, secure workplace pensions that would let employers back away from commitments to workers and pensioners. This week, workers came to Ottawa to raise their voices about this dangerous bill. Now, according to reports, the Liberal government has said it will put a hold on Bill C-27 because of widespread opposition. Will the government commit to withdraw this anti-worker bill and refrain from any further attempts to attack workers' pensions?
Mr. Speaker, this morning, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police submitted a report that confirms how important and urgent it is for the government to give police forces the tools they need to deal with drug-impaired driving before it even begins to think about legalizing marijuana.For my part, I took action by introducing Senator Claude Carignan's bill, which would allow police officers to detect drug-impaired drivers and thus save many lives.Do the Liberals plan to make Canadians' safety a priority and support this bill before legalizing marijuana?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities likes to boast about his project spending, but on this side of the House we know the devil is in the details. The fact is that things are just not being built.According to the Government of Canada's own website, which is updated weekly, only one of 127 projects announced in Alberta by the Liberals has started construction. Nothing has started in Edmonton.Another Liberal promise made; another Liberal promise broken. Why have these projects not started?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals can say what they want, but the record shows that on Tuesday they refused to vote against taxing the health and dental benefits of Canadians. That means that Canadians may be paying an extra $1,000 for their health and dental benefits.My question is this. The Liberals did not talk about this in their platform, and they voted against our motion on Tuesday. What other tax increases are they trying to keep secret, being wishy-washy about, and playing both sides of the ledger? Where else will they be taxing Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, the minister and others claim these taxes are revenue neutral. They claim that, for example, a single woman with an income of $45,000 will get back, in rebates and other tax relief, all of the taxes she pays on heat, gas, and groceries, but the only way to test that is to know what carbon tax amounts she will pay in the first place. Data contained in a blacked-out Finance Canada memo will tell us exactly that.If these new taxes are really revenue neutral for the poor, why will the government not prove it and release the data now?
Mr. Speaker, today the Liberals introduced a bill that would give a break to human traffickers who committed multiple crimes. This is unbelievable. The bill says that people convicted of human trafficking would not have to serve consecutive sentences when they committed additional unspeakable crimes against victims.Why are the Liberals always so worried about giving a break to criminals? Why do they not start sticking up for victims for a change?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the health and safety of all Canadians. The evidence is absolutely clear. In communities where they are needed and appropriate, harm reduction is an important part of a comprehensive approach to drug control. We put harm reduction back in as a pillar of our drugs and substances strategy. This is why we are proposing to streamline the criteria and process for supporting community applications in Bill C-37.
Mr. Speaker, millennials experienced Liberals' backtracking on electoral reform, and our veterans are suffering after Liberals promised them everything to get elected. Today, we hear another story of a veteran losing their home because they did not receive benefits owed to them after being medically released from the Canadian Forces. The DND ombudsman offered a simple solution that the veterans affairs committee agreed to: make sure our soldiers have everything in place before they go home. Enough with the platitudes. Enough with the talking points. When will the minister stop paying lip service to our veterans and do his job?
Mr. Speaker, what was despicable was actually sending our troops in the first place without all these compensations. When I first visited our troops, I discovered this. I have had conversations with members opposite on this. It is the reason why it was brought to my attention. We have to work through a process to be able to resolve some of these issues. Many different departments are involved, and we are working through it, and we will get through this.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for allowing me to repeat this. The first thing we did, and the promise that we made, was to reduce taxes for Canadians. What Canadians across this nation remember is that the Conservatives voted against that. They have voted against helping middle-class families. They have voted against helping Canadian workers. However, we will continue to do just that, working for middle-class Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, here is what we know about the effect of carbon taxes on the gap between rich and poor. One, we know that those with the least will suffer the most, because the poor spend a third more of family income on the items that get taxed. Two, prior experience shows that money generated from the tax always goes to those wealthy enough to lobby for it, like the super rich who will now get a taxpayer rebate to buy $150,000 Tesla cars. Three, we know the government is censoring a Finance Canada memo showing the impact of the carbon tax on the gap between rich and poor.Will the government release that memo today?
Mr. Speaker, I think the Liberals have actually lost the ability to tell when they are breaking promises. It is worrisome.Today in the House of Commons we are debating an NDP motion to simply acknowledge what everybody already knows: that when it came to electoral reform, the Liberal promise to fix our outdated and unfair voting system was broken and that the Liberals should apologize. Some Liberals have actually already started apologizing to their constituents, so this should be easy, but during the debate today, a Liberal MP from Toronto said he was actually proud of the Liberals' decision to betray their promise to Canadians.I have a question for the minister. Yes or no, is the minister proud of her Prime Minister's decision to betray his promise to Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's words are in question these days because of his long list of broken promises. He just cannot be trusted. Therefore, we were skeptical when the Prime Minister said that he would not tax the health and dental benefits of Canadians, so we put the question to the House. We asked him to say no to this regressive tax. In true form, the Liberals were completely inconsistent, and Canadians are now worried that this tax is on the table. Why do the Liberals keep breaking their word? How can Canadians know that they will not have to pay more for health and dental benefits?
Mr. Speaker, that does not fix this current situation. The defence minister is a proud veteran, and he knows better than anyone how important danger pay is not just for our brave men and women in uniform but for their families back at home as well. We all knew the Liberals would cut defence spending, but we did not ever imagine they would literally do it on the backs of our soldiers and military families. Will the defence minister quit taking his marching orders from the Prime Minister, fight for our troops, and reinstate all of the danger pay and benefits for all of our troops who are in the fight against ISIS?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know who to trust when it comes to taxes, because the first thing we did was reduce taxes for middle-class Canadians, and Canadians know that across the nation.The Prime Minister was very clear in answering the question from the member, and she knows that well. What we are doing is reviewing all the tax measures in this country. This is the right thing to do. That is what the responsible government is doing.One thing Canadians will always remember is that the first thing this government did was to reduce taxes for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, I am not sure we were at the same parliamentary committee because the experts told us during the last three consultations that this had absolutely no impact on Toronto and Vancouver, even though it ought to have affected them. However, it did have an adverse effect on first-time homebuyers from coast to coast.Yesterday, members of the Fédération des chambres immobilières du Québec were here and they told us that there were 6,000 fewer first-time homebuyers in Canada. We are talking about families, the middle class. That is $220 million less in the Canadian economy. Why does the government continue to attack families and the middle class in Quebec and across Canada with its bad real estate measures?
Mr. Speaker, reaction in Quebec to the so-called assistance the government is providing to Bombardier has been unanimous: cheap. Everyone agrees that it is too little, too late, and that it is disappointing.Apart from the government itself and the Conservative Party, no one in Quebec believes that 38 times less than what was given to the auto industry is sufficient to support the flagship of Quebec's aerospace industry.How can the Minister of Transport, a Quebec MP, justify waiting until Bombardier was gasping for its last breath before finally granting some support, which everyone in Quebec sees as vastly insufficient?
Mr. Speaker, again, I find it a bit ironic that the member opposite was at the cabinet table when the Conservatives cut a cheque for $350 million for Bombardier in 2008, but let me talk about now and the commitment that we have made. We have made a commitment to the workers. We have made a commitment to their families. We are investing in the aerospace sector, because this is an important sector that generates 211,000 jobs, that contributes $28 billion to our economy. We are proud of our record. We are proud of the fact that we are making investments, growing the economy, and creating good-quality jobs for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, according to the C.D. Howe Institute's recent study, the federal government could pocket up to $16 billion if it decides to sell our airports to private investors. The Calgary, Ottawa, and Vancouver airports and Air Canada are condemning this privatization plan because passengers and workers would be the first to pay the price. Canadians have already paid for this infrastructure. Therefore, if the government really has their interests at heart, is it not time for it to reject this privatization plan rather than financing the government's friends?
Mr. Speaker, the minister is not the only one who will apologize today. There has been a grievous procedural error, of which I am the author. The other day I raised a point of order in the House of Commons with respect to redacted documents, documents that would show the impact of an increased carbon tax on the most vulnerable people. I failed to table those redacted documents, and as a remedy, I ask for the unanimous consent of the House to table them now.
Mr. Speaker, Fadwa Alaoui is a Muslim Canadian born in Morocco. She has a Canadian passport, but that was not enough.Border guards berated her about how often she attends her mosque, what her views are about President Trump, and if she knew anyone killed in the Quebec City mosque attack. She was humiliated and four hours later she drove home.This kind of treatment goes directly against what the government has promised. What is the Liberal government doing about this situation? Can it confirm that there are no other Canadians who have faced this type of situation?
Mr. Speaker, when I asked the defence minister in December to fix the inequity of awarding danger pay and benefits to some but not all of our troops fighting ISIS, the minister said he would. It never crossed my mind the Liberals would do that by taking away everyone's danger pay. Canadian troops stationed in Kuwait are now having their paycheques reduced by over $1,500 a month by the Liberals. Why is the Prime Minister betraying our brave men and women who are in the fight against ISIS?
Mr. Speaker, that was not really what I asked, but whatever. We know that a Canadian family was stopped at the U.S. border. They are Canadian citizens who live in Brossard, and they happen to be Muslim.When the Prime Minister was asked about this, he replied that he is working with the Americans to figure out how to make things better for Canadians. That is not good enough under the circumstances. It is not good enough when that kind of thing happens.Can the minister tell us if this was an isolated incident or if other Canadian citizens have been turned away at the border?
Mr. Speaker, the government is looking at options, so it has not ruled out privatization, which is rather shameful. Airports are not the only infrastructure that the government is looking at privatizing. The Liberals promised to invest in infrastructure. We have been talking a lot about promises lately. As it turns out, the parliamentary budget officer, not the opposition parties, found that most of the infrastructure funding is not actually flowing.Instead of keeping its promises, the government would rather set up an infrastructure privatization bank. Can the minister reassure Canadians and tell them that it is not planning to sell off our public infrastructure?
Mr. Speaker, Only countries that respect human rights and offer a high degree of protection to asylum seekers may be designated as safe third countries. Twenty-two refugees risked life and limb crossing from the U.S. into Canada. No one risks their family's safety unless they have no choice. These refugees are blocked from the Canadian system while they are the U.S. because of the safe third country agreement.Does the minister still believe the U.S. is offering a high degree of protection to asylum seekers, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals ran on a promise to build consultation and social licence into their decision-making process when it had significant impact on local communities. However, it would appear that they are ignoring their own advice or promise in this regard in terms of drug injection sites. Just today in committee, the Liberal members voted down my amendment to Bill C-37, which asked the minister to give 45 days public notice before rendering a decision.Why are the Liberals afraid to give communities a voice in whether a drug injection site is in fact authorized for their community?
Mr. Speaker, when ageing sectors such as the auto and oil sectors need help, Ottawa has its chequebook at the ready, but when it is time to help the economic development of Quebec's cutting edge industries, Ottawa becomes a cheapskate. The government would rather see our plants suffer than to give us our fair share.How can the government justify offering Bombardier help that is 38 times less than what it offered the auto industry? Was the government afraid of how English Canada might react?
Mr. Speaker, the Translation Bureau does extremely valuable work to promote our two official languages, but over 400 positions have been eliminated over the past four years and there are plans to cut 140 more. Morale is at an all-time low, and bureau staff are under constant pressure.Today the Minister of Public Services and Procurement announced 19 new hires, but that is nowhere near what is needed. Will the minister commit to putting an end to the cuts and to replacing every staff member who leaves the Translation Bureau?
Mr. Speaker, homeowners refinance their homes for many reasons, to invest in a small business, for a home renovation project, to get through an extended strike or lock-out, or even a divorce, but at the finance committee we learned that the Liberals have cancelled CMHC insurance for those who want to refinance their homes. These changes have resulted in Canadians paying higher interest rates when refinancing their mortgage. These changes were imposed with zero consultation.Why are the Liberals hurting struggling Canadian homeowners by hiking their interest rates?
Mr. Speaker, last weekend, 22 refugees crossed the border in the freezing cold to seek safety in Canada, but under the safe third country agreement, refugees who enter the United States cannot then come to Canada.Yesterday, the Prime Minister said that we will always be welcoming to vulnerable people. These refugees are vulnerable people. Will the government suspend the safe third country agreement so that it can welcome them?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order arising out of question period. I have the O'Brien and Bosc citations, which I know you are familiar with and which I will not cite here today.In a previous incarnation, we saw the Minister of Democratic Institutions make disparaging remarks about the electoral reform committee, which she later, and later I believe the Prime Minister, apologized for.Today in question period, in response to a question I raised with respect to our motion today about the Liberal promise on electoral reform and the need to apologize, the minister, in response, made disparaging comments about my ability to perform my job as a member of Parliament and to listen to Canadians on the issue at hand.I do not think this does anything for decorum in this place, nor does it raise the level of debate with regard to our democracy and the ways we can collectively improve it. I would ask the minister now to respectfully withdraw those remarks.
Mr. Speaker, only a Liberal would try to make people believe that a program that helps 90% of the population is better than the universal child care benefit, which helped 100% of the population.The Minister of Finance has lost control of government spending, and our children and grandchildren will have to pay the price.Can he promise today that he will not cut any other benefits for families who need them?
Mr. Speaker, contrary to my colleague's comments, we are following through on a promise we made during the election to stop installing community mailboxes
Mr. Speaker, I am afraid my colleague has a short memory. The first thing that this government did was reduce taxes for nine million Canadians. It then came along with the Canada child benefit, which is helping nine out of 10 families, and then introduced an infrastructure program for $128 billion, something which is historic in this country. The sad thing that the people at home recognize is that the Conservatives voted against helping the middle class in this country every step of the way.
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to having a translation bureau that is productive and that produces quality. We are committed to making sure we have the employees we need to carry out the work expected of them. We are also committed as a party to official bilingualism. We are taking extraordinary measures to make sure that happens with this government, including putting in a different chief executive officer, a quality officer, and we are going to hire more employees. We are going to do what should have been done years ago. We are going to fix the wrongs of the past with respect to official bilingualism.
Mr. Speaker, last week the parliamentary budget officer identified a shortfall of $9 billion for infrastructure. We know that 96% of the announced projects are not under construction. We know Alberta was promised $700 million in fast-track infrastructure funds over a year ago, and no surprise, Alberta is still waiting for over 90% of those funds.When will the Liberals start taking the job crisis in Alberta seriously and fast-track the promised infrastructure funds?
Mr. Speaker, businesses, consumers, all Canadians benefit from government services. We want to strengthen the transparency and oversight of user fees that pay for some of these services. Everyone, including big businesses, should pay their fair share so middle-class Canadians and those working hard to join the middle class do not get stuck with the bill.We are going to treat all Canadians fairly. That is what our government does.
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to Bombardier, the Liberals need to understand that these are taxpayer dollars that they are spending, not their own. If they are going to give big handouts to one favoured company, they need to have a plan to get the money back. Can the Liberals explain what the repayment plan is for Bombardier, and how they are going to make sure that the hard-earned money of Canadian taxpayers will be returned?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie went on a second official visit to Haiti to view the impact of Hurricane Matthew and Canadian aid and to attend the inauguration of the 58th president of the Republic of Haiti, His Excellency Jovenel Moïse.Canadian aid is important to Haiti. Could the minister update us on the matter?
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister has completely lost control of the government's spending. The deficit will be two or three times more than was promised, and he will need to raise taxes in order to balance his budget. Will the finance minister confirm today that he will not attack Canadian seniors by removing pension income-splitting to balance his budget?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to veterans and their families, full stop. After the previous 10 years with the former government frankly ignoring veterans' concerns by the fact that it closed offices, that it reduced one-third of the front-line staff, it is shocking that we are actually getting this question. Our government is working hard to ensure that veterans receive the care, compassion, and respect they deserve. Budget 2016 saw us put $5.6 billion in more resources to veterans and their families. We are going to continue to deliver on their behalf.
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. gentleman may know, over the course of the last several weeks, the RCMP and other police forces across the country, in co-operation with the Government of Canada, have been testing a number of scientific devices for roadside testing of drug-impaired driving to determine their efficacy under Canadian weather conditions, including in the middle of the winter. We will ensure that we have both the legal regime and the scientific regime to deal with drug-impaired driving.
Mr. Speaker, what we do know about carbon pricing is that it is the most efficient way to reduce emissions and to innovate and create good jobs. It always surprises me that the member opposite, who professes to believe in free market principles, just cannot understand why carbon pricing makes sense.I already talked about Patrick Brown, the leader of the Ontario Conservatives, but maybe I will talk about Preston Manning. Conservatives profess to believe in markets, so why do Conservatives not major on how to harness markets to the environmental conversation and make that their signature contribution?I encourage the member opposite to work with me to reduce emissions, focusing on the economy.
Mr. Speaker, as I stated to the member opposite during committee, we are committed to looking after our men and women, including their compensation. Our government had concerns regarding the current situation that was not fully fair and equitable. That is why I have asked the chief of the defence staff to work with the relevant agencies to review the compensation rules and propose changes, including finding ways to prevent the negative impacts on our deployed personnel.
Mr. Speaker, as I explained to my hon. colleague during the debate this morning, we listened to Canadians, and listening means listening to all points of view. I know that is something the member has trouble understanding, but that is what we did
Mr. Speaker, this week, a number of government ministers went to Washington. Next week, it will be the Prime Minister's turn to go.Canadians want tangible results, not just tweets, photos, and words. They want jobs.How does the Prime Minister plan to maintain trade ties with the Americans while protecting jobs here in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, in 2012, the previous government approved four projects for Alberta, two projects in 2013 for Alberta and five projects in 2014 for Alberta. Compare that to 127 projects approved by our government for Alberta.When it comes to building infrastructure, growing the economy, creating jobs for Albertans, we take no lessons from the old, tired Conservative Party.
Mr. Speaker, for many families, their homes are the most important investment that they will make in their lives. That is why we have taken action to contain risks in the housing market and support long-term affordability. For example, the government has implemented a mortgage rate stress test to ensure that Canadians are taking on mortgages that they can afford even if the rates go up. The government also announced income tax measures to improve the fairness and integrity of the tax system. We will continue to monitor the market to protect middle-class Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, during the last election the Prime Minister promised only modest deficits, but, alas, that promise was broken. Since then, Liberal ministers have been looking for ways to raise taxes on hard-working Canadians to pay for the Prime Minister's billions of dollars in broken promises. We now learn that the President of the Treasury Board is planning to raise user fees, which is just a tax by another name. Will the President of the Treasury Board tell Canadians which fees are going up, by how much, and when?
Mr. Speaker, I thought I would also point out that there are other Conservatives across the country who believe in pricing pollution. Manitoba's Conservative government, in its speech from the throne, said that its climate action plan will include carbon pricing that fosters emission reductions, retains investment capital, and stimulates new innovation in clean energy businesses and jobs.Once again, I encourage members opposite to work with our government so that we can grow a clean economy and ensure a better future for our kids.
Mr. Speaker, out of the $180 billion that we will invest over 12 years in infrastructure, only 8% will be delivered through the infrastructure bank. The rest of the money is available to municipalities, the provinces, and the territories through the traditional means of national programs as well as bilateral agreements that we will sign with each province and territory.I can assure the member that every community will be served in an equitable way to grow the economy and create jobs for the middle class and those who working so hard to be a part of it.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to combatting human trafficking and better protecting victims who are among society's most vulnerable. Bill C-38 would bring into force the former private member's bill, Bill C-452, and also make it in compliance with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The bill would give law enforcement and prosecutors additional tools in terms of investigations and prosecutions to assist in combatting this challenge.
Mr. Speaker, we are continuing with the promise we made, and that was to stop the installation of roadside mailboxes and to consult with Canadians from coast to coast to coast to get their views on the type of Canada Post we need to have, one that is sustainable and delivers for Canadians. We are doing just that. We now have the two reports needed that we now
Mr. Speaker, Dave Bona, a veteran, waited eight hours in the freezing cold for the Prime Minister's town hall in Saskatoon. Once inside, a student, recognizing that he was a veteran by his uniform, in respect offered him his seat, but Dave was approached by a Liberal organizer and told he couldn't take it, that he had to go to the back. Clearly visible to the Prime Minister, Dave stood at attention for 20 minutes waiting to ask a question, but was ignored. Why did the Prime Minister ignore Dave Bona?
Mr. Speaker, our government has been recognized as being a global leader in welcoming refugees and asylum seekers. We are proud of that tradition.The safe third country agreement between the United States and Canada provides an orderly system of managing asylum claims. The hon. member knows or should know that the U.S. executive order has no bearing on the U.S. safe third country agreement with Canada.We are proud of our tradition of offering protection. Every eligible asylum seeker has access to a fair hearing in front of the Immigration and Refugee Board. Each case is assessed based on its merits.
Mr. Speaker, for many families, their homes are the most important investment that they will make in their lives. That is why we have taken action to contain risks in the housing market and support long-term affordability. For example, the government has implemented a mortgage rate stress test to ensure that Canadians are taking on mortgages that they can afford even if the rates go up. The government also announced income tax measures to improve the fairness and integrity of the tax system.
Mr. Speaker, when the previous government helped out Bombardier in 2008, it was in the initial stages of the C Series development, when it was doing research and development. Since then, Bombardier has secured many large orders and its balance sheet is much, much stronger. There are many smaller businesses in the aerospace sector, companies that have truly innovative products that could really have used that money to help get those products to market. How is the government going to explain to them that one company, which said it does not even need the money, is more deserving than they are?
Mr. Speaker, I think the microphone was cut off before the hon. member could hear the end of my previous answer. Number one, we encourage anyone facing this situation to appeal through the normal processes, but number two, draw the circumstances and the facts with complete details to my attention and I will take those cases up with the U.S. administration.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Lac-Saint-Jean.What I can promise him today is that, while we are in office, we will work for Canadian families and the middle class. That is what we did in budget 2016 and in the fall economic update. He can rest assured of that.Every day, every step of the way, the members on this side of the House are working to improve the lives of Canadian workers.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for VaughanWoodbridge for his hard work on behalf of his constituents.In December, we announced $46 million to support a new transit and carpool lot that would reduce congestion and get commuters home faster to spend time with their families. The York region will also receive additional funding under the long-term infrastructure plan, and the details will be announced very soon. Our government is proud to support investments in the York region and across the country.
Mr. Speaker, it was not until this story came out in the media yesterday that anyone heard about it. Since December, my colleague from SelkirkInterlakeEastman and I have been calling on the Minister of National Defence to address this. We have talked about it very discreetly. Nothing happened. Now that the media are talking about it, finally we see a response. People are calling for a response, but now is not the time.Can the minister resolve this case immediately, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, proper and appropriate treatment for all people from Canada seeking to enter the United States or any other country is a priority for this government.Canadian citizenship and travel documents need to be respected. In this particular case, the office of the member for BrossardSaint-Lambert has been touch with the Canadian citizen who made this complaint. When we get full details of the circumstances, I will both encourage her to apply for the redress process, but also
Mr. Speaker, the government made it clear a number of months ago that we intended to have a new legal regime in place and that we would introduce legislation to that effect in the spring of this year. The work is proceeding along in that direction very well. We have the expert advice of the task force, headed by the Hon. Anne McLellan, and we will also weigh very carefully the good advice from the chiefs of police.
Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, the Liberals and the Prime Minister himself promised to restore home mail delivery for those who had lost it.The minister has had Canada Post's review report since December, but we still have not heard anything about his decision.Much like the promise for electoral reform, can we expect this report to be torn up as well? Is this just another broken promise?
Mr. Speaker, that is why the Minister of National Defence and I are working very hard on closing the seam to ensure we professionalize the release process and ensure that when our men and women in uniform are leaving the service they get the help they need where and when they need it. I can also say that we are working hard to deliver timely benefit decisions and it is an area where we can do better. In 2015-16, we did see a 19% increase in the number of disability claims. We are working through those, putting processes in place to speed up delivery of our services. We can and will do better on behalf of veterans.
Mr. Speaker, we will be continuing today to debate the NDP opposition day motion.Tomorrow we will call Bill C-31, the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement, for debate at third reading.Monday, we will resume third reading debate on Bill C-30, the CETA legislation.In the coming days we will give priority to Bill C-37 on safe injection sites. Next Thursday, February 16, shall be an allotted day.
Mr. Speaker, Bell Helicopter Textron is a major employer in my riding and the Lower Laurentians region. Many of my constituents work for that company or are associated with Bell Helicopter suppliers.I was especially happy to learn that last year Bell Helicopter renewed its commitment to remain in and continue contributing to Quebec and Canada.Can the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development provide the House with an update on this important subject?
Mr. Speaker, this year alone, we will welcome 40,000 refugees in Canada. That includes 25,000 resettled refugees, which is double the number that the previous government welcomed. It also includes 16,000 privately sponsored refugees, which is triple the number the previous government had.We will take no lessons from those parties on our record. We are proud of record, and we will continue to support Canadians in their extraordinary generosity to those who are seeking protection.
Mr. Speaker, as I stated, we are working through the rules that were put in place by the previous government in 2014. I have asked the chief of the defence staff to work with the relevant agencies to look at the various processes they have to go through, making sure that we have equitable compensation for our troops.
Mr. Speaker, the well-being of veterans and their families is at the heart of all we do at Veterans Affairs. Delivering timely benefits is an area where we can and must do better. In 2015-16, we saw a 19% increase in the number of disability benefit claims. This is a good thing. It means more people are coming forward to get the help they need when they need it. In order to address this, we are streamlining the disability benefits process, hiring more staff, and simplifying the decision-making process. We know we are doing better for veterans, and we will continue to work hard to provide them with the services they need.
Mr. Speaker, would the government House leader tell us about the business of the House for the rest of this week and next week?
Mr. Speaker, earlier this month I had the chance to announce the start of construction of a new inter-regional transit terminal in the city of Vaughan. The Minister of Infrastructure and Communities has been advocating strongly for infrastructure investments that will grow the middle class and make a real difference day to day for families. The families in my riding appreciate investments in public transit. Could the minister inform the House what he has been doing to ensure communities like VaughanWoodbridge benefit from much-needed investments in public transit?
and I am looking forward to working on democratic institutions to strengthen, protect, and improve our system.
Mr. Speaker, helping Canadians achieve a safe and dignified retirement is key to our plan to help the middle class and those working hard to join it. Bill C-27 aims to broaden the scope of retirement saving opportunities available to Canadians. Under our legislation, individuals have a choice. Those who do not consent, they maintain their benefits. We are willing to take the necessary time to give all parties the opportunity to share suggestions within the process.
Mr. Speaker, as I said, this investment is going to help communities. It is going to help workers. There are 800 suppliers associated with Bombardier that will benefit from this investment, because they are part of the aerospace cluster. They are part of the ecosystem when it comes to that very important cluster and sector. That is what we are doing. We are investing not only in that large company, but we are investing in all of the supplier base from coast to coast to coast. This will help small businesses. More importantly, this will help Canadians and will strengthen the middle class by making sure that we focus on good-quality jobs.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be part of a strong team of about 40 MPs from across the province who are working hard for Quebec. This incredible team made sure that we put forward a proposition that will help Canadian families, that will create good-quality jobs, that will benefit our communities, and that will strengthen the aerospace sector. This investment is about the future economy of Canada. It is about growth and jobs. This will benefit Quebec. Two-thirds of the jobs will be in Quebec. This is exactly what we want to do. We want to create jobs, and we want to create growth.
Mr. Speaker, as I stated, we will always be looking after our troops. It was during my first visit into Kuwait when I was appointed defence minister where I realized some of these inequities. That is why I have asked the chief of the defence staff to look at these things. It is the interdepartmental team that does it. Some rules were actually put into place in 2014, so these things do take time, but we will be working through it and making sure we work with the relevant agencies and all the recommendations we made so that we can move forward on this.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I think that our strategy is clear and effective.As my colleague mentioned, I was in Washington this week, along with the Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Finance. We explained how important Canada and our economy are to American workers. The Prime Minister will do likewise on Monday. That is our job and we do it with pride.
Mr. Speaker, I understand the importance of collegiality and respect for all members of this House, and for that reason, I am happy to withdraw those comments.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Rivière-des-Mille-Îles for her question.I was very proud to be in Mirabel this morning to see Bell Helicopter Textron's new assembly line. This is another example of our government working closely with provincial governments to create a positive business environment for companies in Canada. This co-operation with the Government of Quebec has helped keep 900 jobs and create over 100 new jobs in the province. Our government committed to growing our economy and the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, the aerospace sector is one of the most innovative and export-driven sectors in Canada. It accounts for more than 211,000 high quality jobs in Canada. This announcement will ensure that 4,000 jobs are maintained and will create roughly 1,300 jobs. In Canada, Bombardier is the largest private-sector investor in research and development. Our government is committed to growing our economy and the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, with regard to airports, our first priority is service to passengers, whether it is in terms of cost, options, competitiveness, wait times at security or customs, or passengers' rights. We are exploring different options and everyone can rest assured that our first priority is and will always be service to passengers.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Bourassa for his question.I just got back from Haiti, where I attended the president's inauguration. I also toured two Canadian-sponsored projects, the hospital in Gonaïves and the national police academy. Yesterday, I announced an investment of $92.2 million over five years for five development projects focusing on the health of women and girls, child protection, and access to justice. Our government is committed to supporting the new Haitian government, and I had an opportunity to talk about this with the new president himself.
Mr. Speaker, the 127 projects I talked about leveraged $4.2 billion investment in partnership with the provinces and municipalities. As far as Edmonton is concerned, we approved 47 projects under the new plan introduced in budget 2016. Those projects are helping us build better transit systems, reducing commuter time for Edmontonians, as well as creating Canadian jobs in local communities.
Mr. Speaker, today we have learned that a veteran has been evicted from her home because of delays in receiving her pension. This is unconscionable. Compound that by the fact this veteran had six tours of duty, two bouts of cancer, and is a single mom. It should make the minister and the Prime Minister hang their heads in shame. Enough is enough. Will the minister take action today to ensure that veterans have their pensions in place the day that they are released from service?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are cutting the monthly pay of soldiers deployed in Kuwait by more than $1,500. For the minister to cut their pay once they have been deployed is despicable. Our soldiers expect the minister to protect them, but that is obviously not happening.We brought this to the minister's attention in December, but nothing was done. Unfortunately, the minister ignored the issue. As a former unit commander, I am ashamed of my country and the way the Liberals are treating our soldiers.Will the Liberals stop pinching pennies at the soldiers' expense? Mr. Minister, will you fix this problem yourself?
Mr. Speaker, as the Liberals push to legalize marijuana by 2018, many Canadians are concerned about the consequences of people driving while high. There are screening devices that detect the presence of drugs in the body, but they are not authorized for use under the Criminal Code.Will the Liberals authorize the use of these devices before they introduce legislation, finally making the health and safety of Canadians a priority?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' Bill C-27 is an attack on stable, secure workplace pensions that would let employers back away from commitments to workers and pensioners. This week, workers came to Ottawa to raise their voices about this dangerous bill. Now, according to reports, the Liberal government has said it will put a hold on Bill C-27 because of widespread opposition. Will the government commit to withdraw this anti-worker bill and refrain from any further attempts to attack workers' pensions?
Mr. Speaker, this morning, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police submitted a report that confirms how important and urgent it is for the government to give police forces the tools they need to deal with drug-impaired driving before it even begins to think about legalizing marijuana.For my part, I took action by introducing Senator Claude Carignan's bill, which would allow police officers to detect drug-impaired drivers and thus save many lives.Do the Liberals plan to make Canadians' safety a priority and support this bill before legalizing marijuana?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities likes to boast about his project spending, but on this side of the House we know the devil is in the details. The fact is that things are just not being built.According to the Government of Canada's own website, which is updated weekly, only one of 127 projects announced in Alberta by the Liberals has started construction. Nothing has started in Edmonton.Another Liberal promise made; another Liberal promise broken. Why have these projects not started?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals can say what they want, but the record shows that on Tuesday they refused to vote against taxing the health and dental benefits of Canadians. That means that Canadians may be paying an extra $1,000 for their health and dental benefits.My question is this. The Liberals did not talk about this in their platform, and they voted against our motion on Tuesday. What other tax increases are they trying to keep secret, being wishy-washy about, and playing both sides of the ledger? Where else will they be taxing Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, the minister and others claim these taxes are revenue neutral. They claim that, for example, a single woman with an income of $45,000 will get back, in rebates and other tax relief, all of the taxes she pays on heat, gas, and groceries, but the only way to test that is to know what carbon tax amounts she will pay in the first place. Data contained in a blacked-out Finance Canada memo will tell us exactly that.If these new taxes are really revenue neutral for the poor, why will the government not prove it and release the data now?
Mr. Speaker, today the Liberals introduced a bill that would give a break to human traffickers who committed multiple crimes. This is unbelievable. The bill says that people convicted of human trafficking would not have to serve consecutive sentences when they committed additional unspeakable crimes against victims.Why are the Liberals always so worried about giving a break to criminals? Why do they not start sticking up for victims for a change?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the health and safety of all Canadians. The evidence is absolutely clear. In communities where they are needed and appropriate, harm reduction is an important part of a comprehensive approach to drug control. We put harm reduction back in as a pillar of our drugs and substances strategy. This is why we are proposing to streamline the criteria and process for supporting community applications in Bill C-37.
Mr. Speaker, millennials experienced Liberals' backtracking on electoral reform, and our veterans are suffering after Liberals promised them everything to get elected. Today, we hear another story of a veteran losing their home because they did not receive benefits owed to them after being medically released from the Canadian Forces. The DND ombudsman offered a simple solution that the veterans affairs committee agreed to: make sure our soldiers have everything in place before they go home. Enough with the platitudes. Enough with the talking points. When will the minister stop paying lip service to our veterans and do his job?
Mr. Speaker, what was despicable was actually sending our troops in the first place without all these compensations. When I first visited our troops, I discovered this. I have had conversations with members opposite on this. It is the reason why it was brought to my attention. We have to work through a process to be able to resolve some of these issues. Many different departments are involved, and we are working through it, and we will get through this.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for allowing me to repeat this. The first thing we did, and the promise that we made, was to reduce taxes for Canadians. What Canadians across this nation remember is that the Conservatives voted against that. They have voted against helping middle-class families. They have voted against helping Canadian workers. However, we will continue to do just that, working for middle-class Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, here is what we know about the effect of carbon taxes on the gap between rich and poor. One, we know that those with the least will suffer the most, because the poor spend a third more of family income on the items that get taxed. Two, prior experience shows that money generated from the tax always goes to those wealthy enough to lobby for it, like the super rich who will now get a taxpayer rebate to buy $150,000 Tesla cars. Three, we know the government is censoring a Finance Canada memo showing the impact of the carbon tax on the gap between rich and poor.Will the government release that memo today?
Mr. Speaker, I think the Liberals have actually lost the ability to tell when they are breaking promises. It is worrisome.Today in the House of Commons we are debating an NDP motion to simply acknowledge what everybody already knows: that when it came to electoral reform, the Liberal promise to fix our outdated and unfair voting system was broken and that the Liberals should apologize. Some Liberals have actually already started apologizing to their constituents, so this should be easy, but during the debate today, a Liberal MP from Toronto said he was actually proud of the Liberals' decision to betray their promise to Canadians.I have a question for the minister. Yes or no, is the minister proud of her Prime Minister's decision to betray his promise to Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's words are in question these days because of his long list of broken promises. He just cannot be trusted. Therefore, we were skeptical when the Prime Minister said that he would not tax the health and dental benefits of Canadians, so we put the question to the House. We asked him to say no to this regressive tax. In true form, the Liberals were completely inconsistent, and Canadians are now worried that this tax is on the table. Why do the Liberals keep breaking their word? How can Canadians know that they will not have to pay more for health and dental benefits?
Mr. Speaker, that does not fix this current situation. The defence minister is a proud veteran, and he knows better than anyone how important danger pay is not just for our brave men and women in uniform but for their families back at home as well. We all knew the Liberals would cut defence spending, but we did not ever imagine they would literally do it on the backs of our soldiers and military families. Will the defence minister quit taking his marching orders from the Prime Minister, fight for our troops, and reinstate all of the danger pay and benefits for all of our troops who are in the fight against ISIS?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know who to trust when it comes to taxes, because the first thing we did was reduce taxes for middle-class Canadians, and Canadians know that across the nation.The Prime Minister was very clear in answering the question from the member, and she knows that well. What we are doing is reviewing all the tax measures in this country. This is the right thing to do. That is what the responsible government is doing.One thing Canadians will always remember is that the first thing this government did was to reduce taxes for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, I am not sure we were at the same parliamentary committee because the experts told us during the last three consultations that this had absolutely no impact on Toronto and Vancouver, even though it ought to have affected them. However, it did have an adverse effect on first-time homebuyers from coast to coast.Yesterday, members of the Fédération des chambres immobilières du Québec were here and they told us that there were 6,000 fewer first-time homebuyers in Canada. We are talking about families, the middle class. That is $220 million less in the Canadian economy. Why does the government continue to attack families and the middle class in Quebec and across Canada with its bad real estate measures?
Mr. Speaker, reaction in Quebec to the so-called assistance the government is providing to Bombardier has been unanimous: cheap. Everyone agrees that it is too little, too late, and that it is disappointing.Apart from the government itself and the Conservative Party, no one in Quebec believes that 38 times less than what was given to the auto industry is sufficient to support the flagship of Quebec's aerospace industry.How can the Minister of Transport, a Quebec MP, justify waiting until Bombardier was gasping for its last breath before finally granting some support, which everyone in Quebec sees as vastly insufficient?
Mr. Speaker, again, I find it a bit ironic that the member opposite was at the cabinet table when the Conservatives cut a cheque for $350 million for Bombardier in 2008, but let me talk about now and the commitment that we have made. We have made a commitment to the workers. We have made a commitment to their families. We are investing in the aerospace sector, because this is an important sector that generates 211,000 jobs, that contributes $28 billion to our economy. We are proud of our record. We are proud of the fact that we are making investments, growing the economy, and creating good-quality jobs for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, according to the C.D. Howe Institute's recent study, the federal government could pocket up to $16 billion if it decides to sell our airports to private investors. The Calgary, Ottawa, and Vancouver airports and Air Canada are condemning this privatization plan because passengers and workers would be the first to pay the price. Canadians have already paid for this infrastructure. Therefore, if the government really has their interests at heart, is it not time for it to reject this privatization plan rather than financing the government's friends?
Mr. Speaker, the minister is not the only one who will apologize today. There has been a grievous procedural error, of which I am the author. The other day I raised a point of order in the House of Commons with respect to redacted documents, documents that would show the impact of an increased carbon tax on the most vulnerable people. I failed to table those redacted documents, and as a remedy, I ask for the unanimous consent of the House to table them now.
Mr. Speaker, Fadwa Alaoui is a Muslim Canadian born in Morocco. She has a Canadian passport, but that was not enough.Border guards berated her about how often she attends her mosque, what her views are about President Trump, and if she knew anyone killed in the Quebec City mosque attack. She was humiliated and four hours later she drove home.This kind of treatment goes directly against what the government has promised. What is the Liberal government doing about this situation? Can it confirm that there are no other Canadians who have faced this type of situation?
Mr. Speaker, when I asked the defence minister in December to fix the inequity of awarding danger pay and benefits to some but not all of our troops fighting ISIS, the minister said he would. It never crossed my mind the Liberals would do that by taking away everyone's danger pay. Canadian troops stationed in Kuwait are now having their paycheques reduced by over $1,500 a month by the Liberals. Why is the Prime Minister betraying our brave men and women who are in the fight against ISIS?
Mr. Speaker, that was not really what I asked, but whatever. We know that a Canadian family was stopped at the U.S. border. They are Canadian citizens who live in Brossard, and they happen to be Muslim.When the Prime Minister was asked about this, he replied that he is working with the Americans to figure out how to make things better for Canadians. That is not good enough under the circumstances. It is not good enough when that kind of thing happens.Can the minister tell us if this was an isolated incident or if other Canadian citizens have been turned away at the border?
Mr. Speaker, the government is looking at options, so it has not ruled out privatization, which is rather shameful. Airports are not the only infrastructure that the government is looking at privatizing. The Liberals promised to invest in infrastructure. We have been talking a lot about promises lately. As it turns out, the parliamentary budget officer, not the opposition parties, found that most of the infrastructure funding is not actually flowing.Instead of keeping its promises, the government would rather set up an infrastructure privatization bank. Can the minister reassure Canadians and tell them that it is not planning to sell off our public infrastructure?
Mr. Speaker, Only countries that respect human rights and offer a high degree of protection to asylum seekers may be designated as safe third countries. Twenty-two refugees risked life and limb crossing from the U.S. into Canada. No one risks their family's safety unless they have no choice. These refugees are blocked from the Canadian system while they are the U.S. because of the safe third country agreement.Does the minister still believe the U.S. is offering a high degree of protection to asylum seekers, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals ran on a promise to build consultation and social licence into their decision-making process when it had significant impact on local communities. However, it would appear that they are ignoring their own advice or promise in this regard in terms of drug injection sites. Just today in committee, the Liberal members voted down my amendment to Bill C-37, which asked the minister to give 45 days public notice before rendering a decision.Why are the Liberals afraid to give communities a voice in whether a drug injection site is in fact authorized for their community?
Mr. Speaker, when ageing sectors such as the auto and oil sectors need help, Ottawa has its chequebook at the ready, but when it is time to help the economic development of Quebec's cutting edge industries, Ottawa becomes a cheapskate. The government would rather see our plants suffer than to give us our fair share.How can the government justify offering Bombardier help that is 38 times less than what it offered the auto industry? Was the government afraid of how English Canada might react?
Mr. Speaker, the Translation Bureau does extremely valuable work to promote our two official languages, but over 400 positions have been eliminated over the past four years and there are plans to cut 140 more. Morale is at an all-time low, and bureau staff are under constant pressure.Today the Minister of Public Services and Procurement announced 19 new hires, but that is nowhere near what is needed. Will the minister commit to putting an end to the cuts and to replacing every staff member who leaves the Translation Bureau?
Mr. Speaker, homeowners refinance their homes for many reasons, to invest in a small business, for a home renovation project, to get through an extended strike or lock-out, or even a divorce, but at the finance committee we learned that the Liberals have cancelled CMHC insurance for those who want to refinance their homes. These changes have resulted in Canadians paying higher interest rates when refinancing their mortgage. These changes were imposed with zero consultation.Why are the Liberals hurting struggling Canadian homeowners by hiking their interest rates?
Mr. Speaker, last weekend, 22 refugees crossed the border in the freezing cold to seek safety in Canada, but under the safe third country agreement, refugees who enter the United States cannot then come to Canada.Yesterday, the Prime Minister said that we will always be welcoming to vulnerable people. These refugees are vulnerable people. Will the government suspend the safe third country agreement so that it can welcome them?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order arising out of question period. I have the O'Brien and Bosc citations, which I know you are familiar with and which I will not cite here today.In a previous incarnation, we saw the Minister of Democratic Institutions make disparaging remarks about the electoral reform committee, which she later, and later I believe the Prime Minister, apologized for.Today in question period, in response to a question I raised with respect to our motion today about the Liberal promise on electoral reform and the need to apologize, the minister, in response, made disparaging comments about my ability to perform my job as a member of Parliament and to listen to Canadians on the issue at hand.I do not think this does anything for decorum in this place, nor does it raise the level of debate with regard to our democracy and the ways we can collectively improve it. I would ask the minister now to respectfully withdraw those remarks.
Mr. Speaker, only a Liberal would try to make people believe that a program that helps 90% of the population is better than the universal child care benefit, which helped 100% of the population.The Minister of Finance has lost control of government spending, and our children and grandchildren will have to pay the price.Can he promise today that he will not cut any other benefits for families who need them?
Mr. Speaker, contrary to my colleague's comments, we are following through on a promise we made during the election to stop installing community mailboxes
Mr. Speaker, I am afraid my colleague has a short memory. The first thing that this government did was reduce taxes for nine million Canadians. It then came along with the Canada child benefit, which is helping nine out of 10 families, and then introduced an infrastructure program for $128 billion, something which is historic in this country. The sad thing that the people at home recognize is that the Conservatives voted against helping the middle class in this country every step of the way.
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to having a translation bureau that is productive and that produces quality. We are committed to making sure we have the employees we need to carry out the work expected of them. We are also committed as a party to official bilingualism. We are taking extraordinary measures to make sure that happens with this government, including putting in a different chief executive officer, a quality officer, and we are going to hire more employees. We are going to do what should have been done years ago. We are going to fix the wrongs of the past with respect to official bilingualism.
Mr. Speaker, last week the parliamentary budget officer identified a shortfall of $9 billion for infrastructure. We know that 96% of the announced projects are not under construction. We know Alberta was promised $700 million in fast-track infrastructure funds over a year ago, and no surprise, Alberta is still waiting for over 90% of those funds.When will the Liberals start taking the job crisis in Alberta seriously and fast-track the promised infrastructure funds?
Mr. Speaker, businesses, consumers, all Canadians benefit from government services. We want to strengthen the transparency and oversight of user fees that pay for some of these services. Everyone, including big businesses, should pay their fair share so middle-class Canadians and those working hard to join the middle class do not get stuck with the bill.We are going to treat all Canadians fairly. That is what our government does.
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to Bombardier, the Liberals need to understand that these are taxpayer dollars that they are spending, not their own. If they are going to give big handouts to one favoured company, they need to have a plan to get the money back. Can the Liberals explain what the repayment plan is for Bombardier, and how they are going to make sure that the hard-earned money of Canadian taxpayers will be returned?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie went on a second official visit to Haiti to view the impact of Hurricane Matthew and Canadian aid and to attend the inauguration of the 58th president of the Republic of Haiti, His Excellency Jovenel Moïse.Canadian aid is important to Haiti. Could the minister update us on the matter?
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister has completely lost control of the government's spending. The deficit will be two or three times more than was promised, and he will need to raise taxes in order to balance his budget. Will the finance minister confirm today that he will not attack Canadian seniors by removing pension income-splitting to balance his budget?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to veterans and their families, full stop. After the previous 10 years with the former government frankly ignoring veterans' concerns by the fact that it closed offices, that it reduced one-third of the front-line staff, it is shocking that we are actually getting this question. Our government is working hard to ensure that veterans receive the care, compassion, and respect they deserve. Budget 2016 saw us put $5.6 billion in more resources to veterans and their families. We are going to continue to deliver on their behalf.
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. gentleman may know, over the course of the last several weeks, the RCMP and other police forces across the country, in co-operation with the Government of Canada, have been testing a number of scientific devices for roadside testing of drug-impaired driving to determine their efficacy under Canadian weather conditions, including in the middle of the winter. We will ensure that we have both the legal regime and the scientific regime to deal with drug-impaired driving.
Mr. Speaker, what we do know about carbon pricing is that it is the most efficient way to reduce emissions and to innovate and create good jobs. It always surprises me that the member opposite, who professes to believe in free market principles, just cannot understand why carbon pricing makes sense.I already talked about Patrick Brown, the leader of the Ontario Conservatives, but maybe I will talk about Preston Manning. Conservatives profess to believe in markets, so why do Conservatives not major on how to harness markets to the environmental conversation and make that their signature contribution?I encourage the member opposite to work with me to reduce emissions, focusing on the economy.
Mr. Speaker, as I stated to the member opposite during committee, we are committed to looking after our men and women, including their compensation. Our government had concerns regarding the current situation that was not fully fair and equitable. That is why I have asked the chief of the defence staff to work with the relevant agencies to review the compensation rules and propose changes, including finding ways to prevent the negative impacts on our deployed personnel.
Mr. Speaker, as I explained to my hon. colleague during the debate this morning, we listened to Canadians, and listening means listening to all points of view. I know that is something the member has trouble understanding, but that is what we did
Mr. Speaker, this week, a number of government ministers went to Washington. Next week, it will be the Prime Minister's turn to go.Canadians want tangible results, not just tweets, photos, and words. They want jobs.How does the Prime Minister plan to maintain trade ties with the Americans while protecting jobs here in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, in 2012, the previous government approved four projects for Alberta, two projects in 2013 for Alberta and five projects in 2014 for Alberta. Compare that to 127 projects approved by our government for Alberta.When it comes to building infrastructure, growing the economy, creating jobs for Albertans, we take no lessons from the old, tired Conservative Party.
Mr. Speaker, for many families, their homes are the most important investment that they will make in their lives. That is why we have taken action to contain risks in the housing market and support long-term affordability. For example, the government has implemented a mortgage rate stress test to ensure that Canadians are taking on mortgages that they can afford even if the rates go up. The government also announced income tax measures to improve the fairness and integrity of the tax system. We will continue to monitor the market to protect middle-class Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, during the last election the Prime Minister promised only modest deficits, but, alas, that promise was broken. Since then, Liberal ministers have been looking for ways to raise taxes on hard-working Canadians to pay for the Prime Minister's billions of dollars in broken promises. We now learn that the President of the Treasury Board is planning to raise user fees, which is just a tax by another name. Will the President of the Treasury Board tell Canadians which fees are going up, by how much, and when?
Mr. Speaker, I thought I would also point out that there are other Conservatives across the country who believe in pricing pollution. Manitoba's Conservative government, in its speech from the throne, said that its climate action plan will include carbon pricing that fosters emission reductions, retains investment capital, and stimulates new innovation in clean energy businesses and jobs.Once again, I encourage members opposite to work with our government so that we can grow a clean economy and ensure a better future for our kids.
Mr. Speaker, out of the $180 billion that we will invest over 12 years in infrastructure, only 8% will be delivered through the infrastructure bank. The rest of the money is available to municipalities, the provinces, and the territories through the traditional means of national programs as well as bilateral agreements that we will sign with each province and territory.I can assure the member that every community will be served in an equitable way to grow the economy and create jobs for the middle class and those who working so hard to be a part of it.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to combatting human trafficking and better protecting victims who are among society's most vulnerable. Bill C-38 would bring into force the former private member's bill, Bill C-452, and also make it in compliance with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The bill would give law enforcement and prosecutors additional tools in terms of investigations and prosecutions to assist in combatting this challenge.
Mr. Speaker, we are continuing with the promise we made, and that was to stop the installation of roadside mailboxes and to consult with Canadians from coast to coast to coast to get their views on the type of Canada Post we need to have, one that is sustainable and delivers for Canadians. We are doing just that. We now have the two reports needed that we now
Mr. Speaker, Dave Bona, a veteran, waited eight hours in the freezing cold for the Prime Minister's town hall in Saskatoon. Once inside, a student, recognizing that he was a veteran by his uniform, in respect offered him his seat, but Dave was approached by a Liberal organizer and told he couldn't take it, that he had to go to the back. Clearly visible to the Prime Minister, Dave stood at attention for 20 minutes waiting to ask a question, but was ignored. Why did the Prime Minister ignore Dave Bona?
Mr. Speaker, our government has been recognized as being a global leader in welcoming refugees and asylum seekers. We are proud of that tradition.The safe third country agreement between the United States and Canada provides an orderly system of managing asylum claims. The hon. member knows or should know that the U.S. executive order has no bearing on the U.S. safe third country agreement with Canada.We are proud of our tradition of offering protection. Every eligible asylum seeker has access to a fair hearing in front of the Immigration and Refugee Board. Each case is assessed based on its merits.
Mr. Speaker, for many families, their homes are the most important investment that they will make in their lives. That is why we have taken action to contain risks in the housing market and support long-term affordability. For example, the government has implemented a mortgage rate stress test to ensure that Canadians are taking on mortgages that they can afford even if the rates go up. The government also announced income tax measures to improve the fairness and integrity of the tax system.
Mr. Speaker, when the previous government helped out Bombardier in 2008, it was in the initial stages of the C Series development, when it was doing research and development. Since then, Bombardier has secured many large orders and its balance sheet is much, much stronger. There are many smaller businesses in the aerospace sector, companies that have truly innovative products that could really have used that money to help get those products to market. How is the government going to explain to them that one company, which said it does not even need the money, is more deserving than they are?
Mr. Speaker, I think the microphone was cut off before the hon. member could hear the end of my previous answer. Number one, we encourage anyone facing this situation to appeal through the normal processes, but number two, draw the circumstances and the facts with complete details to my attention and I will take those cases up with the U.S. administration.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Lac-Saint-Jean.What I can promise him today is that, while we are in office, we will work for Canadian families and the middle class. That is what we did in budget 2016 and in the fall economic update. He can rest assured of that.Every day, every step of the way, the members on this side of the House are working to improve the lives of Canadian workers.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for VaughanWoodbridge for his hard work on behalf of his constituents.In December, we announced $46 million to support a new transit and carpool lot that would reduce congestion and get commuters home faster to spend time with their families. The York region will also receive additional funding under the long-term infrastructure plan, and the details will be announced very soon. Our government is proud to support investments in the York region and across the country.
Mr. Speaker, it was not until this story came out in the media yesterday that anyone heard about it. Since December, my colleague from SelkirkInterlakeEastman and I have been calling on the Minister of National Defence to address this. We have talked about it very discreetly. Nothing happened. Now that the media are talking about it, finally we see a response. People are calling for a response, but now is not the time.Can the minister resolve this case immediately, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, proper and appropriate treatment for all people from Canada seeking to enter the United States or any other country is a priority for this government.Canadian citizenship and travel documents need to be respected. In this particular case, the office of the member for BrossardSaint-Lambert has been touch with the Canadian citizen who made this complaint. When we get full details of the circumstances, I will both encourage her to apply for the redress process, but also
Mr. Speaker, the government made it clear a number of months ago that we intended to have a new legal regime in place and that we would introduce legislation to that effect in the spring of this year. The work is proceeding along in that direction very well. We have the expert advice of the task force, headed by the Hon. Anne McLellan, and we will also weigh very carefully the good advice from the chiefs of police.
Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, the Liberals and the Prime Minister himself promised to restore home mail delivery for those who had lost it.The minister has had Canada Post's review report since December, but we still have not heard anything about his decision.Much like the promise for electoral reform, can we expect this report to be torn up as well? Is this just another broken promise?
Mr. Speaker, that is why the Minister of National Defence and I are working very hard on closing the seam to ensure we professionalize the release process and ensure that when our men and women in uniform are leaving the service they get the help they need where and when they need it. I can also say that we are working hard to deliver timely benefit decisions and it is an area where we can do better. In 2015-16, we did see a 19% increase in the number of disability claims. We are working through those, putting processes in place to speed up delivery of our services. We can and will do better on behalf of veterans.
Mr. Speaker, we will be continuing today to debate the NDP opposition day motion.Tomorrow we will call Bill C-31, the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement, for debate at third reading.Monday, we will resume third reading debate on Bill C-30, the CETA legislation.In the coming days we will give priority to Bill C-37 on safe injection sites. Next Thursday, February 16, shall be an allotted day.
Mr. Speaker, Bell Helicopter Textron is a major employer in my riding and the Lower Laurentians region. Many of my constituents work for that company or are associated with Bell Helicopter suppliers.I was especially happy to learn that last year Bell Helicopter renewed its commitment to remain in and continue contributing to Quebec and Canada.Can the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development provide the House with an update on this important subject?
Mr. Speaker, this year alone, we will welcome 40,000 refugees in Canada. That includes 25,000 resettled refugees, which is double the number that the previous government welcomed. It also includes 16,000 privately sponsored refugees, which is triple the number the previous government had.We will take no lessons from those parties on our record. We are proud of record, and we will continue to support Canadians in their extraordinary generosity to those who are seeking protection.
Mr. Speaker, as I stated, we are working through the rules that were put in place by the previous government in 2014. I have asked the chief of the defence staff to work with the relevant agencies to look at the various processes they have to go through, making sure that we have equitable compensation for our troops.
Mr. Speaker, the well-being of veterans and their families is at the heart of all we do at Veterans Affairs. Delivering timely benefits is an area where we can and must do better. In 2015-16, we saw a 19% increase in the number of disability benefit claims. This is a good thing. It means more people are coming forward to get the help they need when they need it. In order to address this, we are streamlining the disability benefits process, hiring more staff, and simplifying the decision-making process. We know we are doing better for veterans, and we will continue to work hard to provide them with the services they need.
Mr. Speaker, would the government House leader tell us about the business of the House for the rest of this week and next week?
Mr. Speaker, earlier this month I had the chance to announce the start of construction of a new inter-regional transit terminal in the city of Vaughan. The Minister of Infrastructure and Communities has been advocating strongly for infrastructure investments that will grow the middle class and make a real difference day to day for families. The families in my riding appreciate investments in public transit. Could the minister inform the House what he has been doing to ensure communities like VaughanWoodbridge benefit from much-needed investments in public transit?
and I am looking forward to working on democratic institutions to strengthen, protect, and improve our system.
Mr. Speaker, helping Canadians achieve a safe and dignified retirement is key to our plan to help the middle class and those working hard to join it. Bill C-27 aims to broaden the scope of retirement saving opportunities available to Canadians. Under our legislation, individuals have a choice. Those who do not consent, they maintain their benefits. We are willing to take the necessary time to give all parties the opportunity to share suggestions within the process.
Mr. Speaker, as I said, this investment is going to help communities. It is going to help workers. There are 800 suppliers associated with Bombardier that will benefit from this investment, because they are part of the aerospace cluster. They are part of the ecosystem when it comes to that very important cluster and sector. That is what we are doing. We are investing not only in that large company, but we are investing in all of the supplier base from coast to coast to coast. This will help small businesses. More importantly, this will help Canadians and will strengthen the middle class by making sure that we focus on good-quality jobs.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be part of a strong team of about 40 MPs from across the province who are working hard for Quebec. This incredible team made sure that we put forward a proposition that will help Canadian families, that will create good-quality jobs, that will benefit our communities, and that will strengthen the aerospace sector. This investment is about the future economy of Canada. It is about growth and jobs. This will benefit Quebec. Two-thirds of the jobs will be in Quebec. This is exactly what we want to do. We want to create jobs, and we want to create growth.
Mr. Speaker, as I stated, we will always be looking after our troops. It was during my first visit into Kuwait when I was appointed defence minister where I realized some of these inequities. That is why I have asked the chief of the defence staff to look at these things. It is the interdepartmental team that does it. Some rules were actually put into place in 2014, so these things do take time, but we will be working through it and making sure we work with the relevant agencies and all the recommendations we made so that we can move forward on this.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I think that our strategy is clear and effective.As my colleague mentioned, I was in Washington this week, along with the Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Finance. We explained how important Canada and our economy are to American workers. The Prime Minister will do likewise on Monday. That is our job and we do it with pride.
Mr. Speaker, I understand the importance of collegiality and respect for all members of this House, and for that reason, I am happy to withdraw those comments.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Rivière-des-Mille-Îles for her question.I was very proud to be in Mirabel this morning to see Bell Helicopter Textron's new assembly line. This is another example of our government working closely with provincial governments to create a positive business environment for companies in Canada. This co-operation with the Government of Quebec has helped keep 900 jobs and create over 100 new jobs in the province. Our government committed to growing our economy and the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, the aerospace sector is one of the most innovative and export-driven sectors in Canada. It accounts for more than 211,000 high quality jobs in Canada. This announcement will ensure that 4,000 jobs are maintained and will create roughly 1,300 jobs. In Canada, Bombardier is the largest private-sector investor in research and development. Our government is committed to growing our economy and the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, with regard to airports, our first priority is service to passengers, whether it is in terms of cost, options, competitiveness, wait times at security or customs, or passengers' rights. We are exploring different options and everyone can rest assured that our first priority is and will always be service to passengers.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Bourassa for his question.I just got back from Haiti, where I attended the president's inauguration. I also toured two Canadian-sponsored projects, the hospital in Gonaïves and the national police academy. Yesterday, I announced an investment of $92.2 million over five years for five development projects focusing on the health of women and girls, child protection, and access to justice. Our government is committed to supporting the new Haitian government, and I had an opportunity to talk about this with the new president himself.
Mr. Speaker, the 127 projects I talked about leveraged $4.2 billion investment in partnership with the provinces and municipalities. As far as Edmonton is concerned, we approved 47 projects under the new plan introduced in budget 2016. Those projects are helping us build better transit systems, reducing commuter time for Edmontonians, as well as creating Canadian jobs in local communities.
Most negative speeches
Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, the Liberals and the Prime Minister himself promised to restore home mail delivery for those who had lost it.The minister has had Canada Post's review report since December, but we still have not heard anything about his decision.Much like the promise for electoral reform, can we expect this report to be torn up as well? Is this just another broken promise?
Mr. Speaker, the minister is not the only one who will apologize today. There has been a grievous procedural error, of which I am the author. The other day I raised a point of order in the House of Commons with respect to redacted documents, documents that would show the impact of an increased carbon tax on the most vulnerable people. I failed to table those redacted documents, and as a remedy, I ask for the unanimous consent of the House to table them now.
Mr. Speaker, as I explained to my hon. colleague during the debate this morning, we listened to Canadians, and listening means listening to all points of view. I know that is something the member has trouble understanding, but that is what we did
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals can say what they want, but the record shows that on Tuesday they refused to vote against taxing the health and dental benefits of Canadians. That means that Canadians may be paying an extra $1,000 for their health and dental benefits.My question is this. The Liberals did not talk about this in their platform, and they voted against our motion on Tuesday. What other tax increases are they trying to keep secret, being wishy-washy about, and playing both sides of the ledger? Where else will they be taxing Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, last week the parliamentary budget officer identified a shortfall of $9 billion for infrastructure. We know that 96% of the announced projects are not under construction. We know Alberta was promised $700 million in fast-track infrastructure funds over a year ago, and no surprise, Alberta is still waiting for over 90% of those funds.When will the Liberals start taking the job crisis in Alberta seriously and fast-track the promised infrastructure funds?
Mr. Speaker, in 2012, the previous government approved four projects for Alberta, two projects in 2013 for Alberta and five projects in 2014 for Alberta. Compare that to 127 projects approved by our government for Alberta.When it comes to building infrastructure, growing the economy, creating jobs for Albertans, we take no lessons from the old, tired Conservative Party.
Mr. Speaker, I am afraid my colleague has a short memory. The first thing that this government did was reduce taxes for nine million Canadians. It then came along with the Canada child benefit, which is helping nine out of 10 families, and then introduced an infrastructure program for $128 billion, something which is historic in this country. The sad thing that the people at home recognize is that the Conservatives voted against helping the middle class in this country every step of the way.
Mr. Speaker, during the last election the Prime Minister promised only modest deficits, but, alas, that promise was broken. Since then, Liberal ministers have been looking for ways to raise taxes on hard-working Canadians to pay for the Prime Minister's billions of dollars in broken promises. We now learn that the President of the Treasury Board is planning to raise user fees, which is just a tax by another name. Will the President of the Treasury Board tell Canadians which fees are going up, by how much, and when?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are cutting the monthly pay of soldiers deployed in Kuwait by more than $1,500. For the minister to cut their pay once they have been deployed is despicable. Our soldiers expect the minister to protect them, but that is obviously not happening.We brought this to the minister's attention in December, but nothing was done. Unfortunately, the minister ignored the issue. As a former unit commander, I am ashamed of my country and the way the Liberals are treating our soldiers.Will the Liberals stop pinching pennies at the soldiers' expense? Mr. Minister, will you fix this problem yourself?
Mr. Speaker, I am not sure we were at the same parliamentary committee because the experts told us during the last three consultations that this had absolutely no impact on Toronto and Vancouver, even though it ought to have affected them. However, it did have an adverse effect on first-time homebuyers from coast to coast.Yesterday, members of the Fédération des chambres immobilières du Québec were here and they told us that there were 6,000 fewer first-time homebuyers in Canada. We are talking about families, the middle class. That is $220 million less in the Canadian economy. Why does the government continue to attack families and the middle class in Quebec and across Canada with its bad real estate measures?
Mr. Speaker, Dave Bona, a veteran, waited eight hours in the freezing cold for the Prime Minister's town hall in Saskatoon. Once inside, a student, recognizing that he was a veteran by his uniform, in respect offered him his seat, but Dave was approached by a Liberal organizer and told he couldn't take it, that he had to go to the back. Clearly visible to the Prime Minister, Dave stood at attention for 20 minutes waiting to ask a question, but was ignored. Why did the Prime Minister ignore Dave Bona?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to veterans and their families, full stop. After the previous 10 years with the former government frankly ignoring veterans' concerns by the fact that it closed offices, that it reduced one-third of the front-line staff, it is shocking that we are actually getting this question. Our government is working hard to ensure that veterans receive the care, compassion, and respect they deserve. Budget 2016 saw us put $5.6 billion in more resources to veterans and their families. We are going to continue to deliver on their behalf.
Mr. Speaker, today the Liberals introduced a bill that would give a break to human traffickers who committed multiple crimes. This is unbelievable. The bill says that people convicted of human trafficking would not have to serve consecutive sentences when they committed additional unspeakable crimes against victims.Why are the Liberals always so worried about giving a break to criminals? Why do they not start sticking up for victims for a change?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' Bill C-27 is an attack on stable, secure workplace pensions that would let employers back away from commitments to workers and pensioners. This week, workers came to Ottawa to raise their voices about this dangerous bill. Now, according to reports, the Liberal government has said it will put a hold on Bill C-27 because of widespread opposition. Will the government commit to withdraw this anti-worker bill and refrain from any further attempts to attack workers' pensions?
Mr. Speaker, reaction in Quebec to the so-called assistance the government is providing to Bombardier has been unanimous: cheap. Everyone agrees that it is too little, too late, and that it is disappointing.Apart from the government itself and the Conservative Party, no one in Quebec believes that 38 times less than what was given to the auto industry is sufficient to support the flagship of Quebec's aerospace industry.How can the Minister of Transport, a Quebec MP, justify waiting until Bombardier was gasping for its last breath before finally granting some support, which everyone in Quebec sees as vastly insufficient?
Mr. Speaker, when ageing sectors such as the auto and oil sectors need help, Ottawa has its chequebook at the ready, but when it is time to help the economic development of Quebec's cutting edge industries, Ottawa becomes a cheapskate. The government would rather see our plants suffer than to give us our fair share.How can the government justify offering Bombardier help that is 38 times less than what it offered the auto industry? Was the government afraid of how English Canada might react?
Mr. Speaker, this week, a number of government ministers went to Washington. Next week, it will be the Prime Minister's turn to go.Canadians want tangible results, not just tweets, photos, and words. They want jobs.How does the Prime Minister plan to maintain trade ties with the Americans while protecting jobs here in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's words are in question these days because of his long list of broken promises. He just cannot be trusted. Therefore, we were skeptical when the Prime Minister said that he would not tax the health and dental benefits of Canadians, so we put the question to the House. We asked him to say no to this regressive tax. In true form, the Liberals were completely inconsistent, and Canadians are now worried that this tax is on the table. Why do the Liberals keep breaking their word? How can Canadians know that they will not have to pay more for health and dental benefits?
Mr. Speaker, contrary to my colleague's comments, we are following through on a promise we made during the election to stop installing community mailboxes
Mr. Speaker, we are continuing with the promise we made, and that was to stop the installation of roadside mailboxes and to consult with Canadians from coast to coast to coast to get their views on the type of Canada Post we need to have, one that is sustainable and delivers for Canadians. We are doing just that. We now have the two reports needed that we now
and I am looking forward to working on democratic institutions to strengthen, protect, and improve our system.
Mr. Speaker, would the government House leader tell us about the business of the House for the rest of this week and next week?
Mr. Speaker, today we have learned that a veteran has been evicted from her home because of delays in receiving her pension. This is unconscionable. Compound that by the fact this veteran had six tours of duty, two bouts of cancer, and is a single mom. It should make the minister and the Prime Minister hang their heads in shame. Enough is enough. Will the minister take action today to ensure that veterans have their pensions in place the day that they are released from service?
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. gentleman may know, over the course of the last several weeks, the RCMP and other police forces across the country, in co-operation with the Government of Canada, have been testing a number of scientific devices for roadside testing of drug-impaired driving to determine their efficacy under Canadian weather conditions, including in the middle of the winter. We will ensure that we have both the legal regime and the scientific regime to deal with drug-impaired driving.
Mr. Speaker, out of the $180 billion that we will invest over 12 years in infrastructure, only 8% will be delivered through the infrastructure bank. The rest of the money is available to municipalities, the provinces, and the territories through the traditional means of national programs as well as bilateral agreements that we will sign with each province and territory.I can assure the member that every community will be served in an equitable way to grow the economy and create jobs for the middle class and those who working so hard to be a part of it.
Mr. Speaker, last weekend, 22 refugees crossed the border in the freezing cold to seek safety in Canada, but under the safe third country agreement, refugees who enter the United States cannot then come to Canada.Yesterday, the Prime Minister said that we will always be welcoming to vulnerable people. These refugees are vulnerable people. Will the government suspend the safe third country agreement so that it can welcome them?
Mr. Speaker, the minister and others claim these taxes are revenue neutral. They claim that, for example, a single woman with an income of $45,000 will get back, in rebates and other tax relief, all of the taxes she pays on heat, gas, and groceries, but the only way to test that is to know what carbon tax amounts she will pay in the first place. Data contained in a blacked-out Finance Canada memo will tell us exactly that.If these new taxes are really revenue neutral for the poor, why will the government not prove it and release the data now?
Mr. Speaker, I think the microphone was cut off before the hon. member could hear the end of my previous answer. Number one, we encourage anyone facing this situation to appeal through the normal processes, but number two, draw the circumstances and the facts with complete details to my attention and I will take those cases up with the U.S. administration.
Mr. Speaker, that was not really what I asked, but whatever. We know that a Canadian family was stopped at the U.S. border. They are Canadian citizens who live in Brossard, and they happen to be Muslim.When the Prime Minister was asked about this, he replied that he is working with the Americans to figure out how to make things better for Canadians. That is not good enough under the circumstances. It is not good enough when that kind of thing happens.Can the minister tell us if this was an isolated incident or if other Canadian citizens have been turned away at the border?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals ran on a promise to build consultation and social licence into their decision-making process when it had significant impact on local communities. However, it would appear that they are ignoring their own advice or promise in this regard in terms of drug injection sites. Just today in committee, the Liberal members voted down my amendment to Bill C-37, which asked the minister to give 45 days public notice before rendering a decision.Why are the Liberals afraid to give communities a voice in whether a drug injection site is in fact authorized for their community?
Mr. Speaker, the government is looking at options, so it has not ruled out privatization, which is rather shameful. Airports are not the only infrastructure that the government is looking at privatizing. The Liberals promised to invest in infrastructure. We have been talking a lot about promises lately. As it turns out, the parliamentary budget officer, not the opposition parties, found that most of the infrastructure funding is not actually flowing.Instead of keeping its promises, the government would rather set up an infrastructure privatization bank. Can the minister reassure Canadians and tell them that it is not planning to sell off our public infrastructure?
Mr. Speaker, the Translation Bureau does extremely valuable work to promote our two official languages, but over 400 positions have been eliminated over the past four years and there are plans to cut 140 more. Morale is at an all-time low, and bureau staff are under constant pressure.Today the Minister of Public Services and Procurement announced 19 new hires, but that is nowhere near what is needed. Will the minister commit to putting an end to the cuts and to replacing every staff member who leaves the Translation Bureau?
Mr. Speaker, as the Liberals push to legalize marijuana by 2018, many Canadians are concerned about the consequences of people driving while high. There are screening devices that detect the presence of drugs in the body, but they are not authorized for use under the Criminal Code.Will the Liberals authorize the use of these devices before they introduce legislation, finally making the health and safety of Canadians a priority?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities likes to boast about his project spending, but on this side of the House we know the devil is in the details. The fact is that things are just not being built.According to the Government of Canada's own website, which is updated weekly, only one of 127 projects announced in Alberta by the Liberals has started construction. Nothing has started in Edmonton.Another Liberal promise made; another Liberal promise broken. Why have these projects not started?
Mr. Speaker, I think the Liberals have actually lost the ability to tell when they are breaking promises. It is worrisome.Today in the House of Commons we are debating an NDP motion to simply acknowledge what everybody already knows: that when it came to electoral reform, the Liberal promise to fix our outdated and unfair voting system was broken and that the Liberals should apologize. Some Liberals have actually already started apologizing to their constituents, so this should be easy, but during the debate today, a Liberal MP from Toronto said he was actually proud of the Liberals' decision to betray their promise to Canadians.I have a question for the minister. Yes or no, is the minister proud of her Prime Minister's decision to betray his promise to Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, that is why the Minister of National Defence and I are working very hard on closing the seam to ensure we professionalize the release process and ensure that when our men and women in uniform are leaving the service they get the help they need where and when they need it. I can also say that we are working hard to deliver timely benefit decisions and it is an area where we can do better. In 2015-16, we did see a 19% increase in the number of disability claims. We are working through those, putting processes in place to speed up delivery of our services. We can and will do better on behalf of veterans.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to combatting human trafficking and better protecting victims who are among society's most vulnerable. Bill C-38 would bring into force the former private member's bill, Bill C-452, and also make it in compliance with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The bill would give law enforcement and prosecutors additional tools in terms of investigations and prosecutions to assist in combatting this challenge.
Mr. Speaker, only a Liberal would try to make people believe that a program that helps 90% of the population is better than the universal child care benefit, which helped 100% of the population.The Minister of Finance has lost control of government spending, and our children and grandchildren will have to pay the price.Can he promise today that he will not cut any other benefits for families who need them?
Mr. Speaker, proper and appropriate treatment for all people from Canada seeking to enter the United States or any other country is a priority for this government.Canadian citizenship and travel documents need to be respected. In this particular case, the office of the member for BrossardSaint-Lambert has been touch with the Canadian citizen who made this complaint. When we get full details of the circumstances, I will both encourage her to apply for the redress process, but also
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Lac-Saint-Jean.What I can promise him today is that, while we are in office, we will work for Canadian families and the middle class. That is what we did in budget 2016 and in the fall economic update. He can rest assured of that.Every day, every step of the way, the members on this side of the House are working to improve the lives of Canadian workers.
Mr. Speaker, it was not until this story came out in the media yesterday that anyone heard about it. Since December, my colleague from SelkirkInterlakeEastman and I have been calling on the Minister of National Defence to address this. We have talked about it very discreetly. Nothing happened. Now that the media are talking about it, finally we see a response. People are calling for a response, but now is not the time.Can the minister resolve this case immediately, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, earlier this month I had the chance to announce the start of construction of a new inter-regional transit terminal in the city of Vaughan. The Minister of Infrastructure and Communities has been advocating strongly for infrastructure investments that will grow the middle class and make a real difference day to day for families. The families in my riding appreciate investments in public transit. Could the minister inform the House what he has been doing to ensure communities like VaughanWoodbridge benefit from much-needed investments in public transit?
Mr. Speaker, Fadwa Alaoui is a Muslim Canadian born in Morocco. She has a Canadian passport, but that was not enough.Border guards berated her about how often she attends her mosque, what her views are about President Trump, and if she knew anyone killed in the Quebec City mosque attack. She was humiliated and four hours later she drove home.This kind of treatment goes directly against what the government has promised. What is the Liberal government doing about this situation? Can it confirm that there are no other Canadians who have faced this type of situation?
Mr. Speaker, according to the C.D. Howe Institute's recent study, the federal government could pocket up to $16 billion if it decides to sell our airports to private investors. The Calgary, Ottawa, and Vancouver airports and Air Canada are condemning this privatization plan because passengers and workers would be the first to pay the price. Canadians have already paid for this infrastructure. Therefore, if the government really has their interests at heart, is it not time for it to reject this privatization plan rather than financing the government's friends?
Mr. Speaker, as I said, this investment is going to help communities. It is going to help workers. There are 800 suppliers associated with Bombardier that will benefit from this investment, because they are part of the aerospace cluster. They are part of the ecosystem when it comes to that very important cluster and sector. That is what we are doing. We are investing not only in that large company, but we are investing in all of the supplier base from coast to coast to coast. This will help small businesses. More importantly, this will help Canadians and will strengthen the middle class by making sure that we focus on good-quality jobs.
Mr. Speaker, helping Canadians achieve a safe and dignified retirement is key to our plan to help the middle class and those working hard to join it. Bill C-27 aims to broaden the scope of retirement saving opportunities available to Canadians. Under our legislation, individuals have a choice. Those who do not consent, they maintain their benefits. We are willing to take the necessary time to give all parties the opportunity to share suggestions within the process.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Bourassa for his question.I just got back from Haiti, where I attended the president's inauguration. I also toured two Canadian-sponsored projects, the hospital in Gonaïves and the national police academy. Yesterday, I announced an investment of $92.2 million over five years for five development projects focusing on the health of women and girls, child protection, and access to justice. Our government is committed to supporting the new Haitian government, and I had an opportunity to talk about this with the new president himself.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie went on a second official visit to Haiti to view the impact of Hurricane Matthew and Canadian aid and to attend the inauguration of the 58th president of the Republic of Haiti, His Excellency Jovenel Moïse.Canadian aid is important to Haiti. Could the minister update us on the matter?
Mr. Speaker, millennials experienced Liberals' backtracking on electoral reform, and our veterans are suffering after Liberals promised them everything to get elected. Today, we hear another story of a veteran losing their home because they did not receive benefits owed to them after being medically released from the Canadian Forces. The DND ombudsman offered a simple solution that the veterans affairs committee agreed to: make sure our soldiers have everything in place before they go home. Enough with the platitudes. Enough with the talking points. When will the minister stop paying lip service to our veterans and do his job?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order arising out of question period. I have the O'Brien and Bosc citations, which I know you are familiar with and which I will not cite here today.In a previous incarnation, we saw the Minister of Democratic Institutions make disparaging remarks about the electoral reform committee, which she later, and later I believe the Prime Minister, apologized for.Today in question period, in response to a question I raised with respect to our motion today about the Liberal promise on electoral reform and the need to apologize, the minister, in response, made disparaging comments about my ability to perform my job as a member of Parliament and to listen to Canadians on the issue at hand.I do not think this does anything for decorum in this place, nor does it raise the level of debate with regard to our democracy and the ways we can collectively improve it. I would ask the minister now to respectfully withdraw those remarks.
Mr. Speaker, here is what we know about the effect of carbon taxes on the gap between rich and poor. One, we know that those with the least will suffer the most, because the poor spend a third more of family income on the items that get taxed. Two, prior experience shows that money generated from the tax always goes to those wealthy enough to lobby for it, like the super rich who will now get a taxpayer rebate to buy $150,000 Tesla cars. Three, we know the government is censoring a Finance Canada memo showing the impact of the carbon tax on the gap between rich and poor.Will the government release that memo today?
Mr. Speaker, as I stated to the member opposite during committee, we are committed to looking after our men and women, including their compensation. Our government had concerns regarding the current situation that was not fully fair and equitable. That is why I have asked the chief of the defence staff to work with the relevant agencies to review the compensation rules and propose changes, including finding ways to prevent the negative impacts on our deployed personnel.
Mr. Speaker, Only countries that respect human rights and offer a high degree of protection to asylum seekers may be designated as safe third countries. Twenty-two refugees risked life and limb crossing from the U.S. into Canada. No one risks their family's safety unless they have no choice. These refugees are blocked from the Canadian system while they are the U.S. because of the safe third country agreement.Does the minister still believe the U.S. is offering a high degree of protection to asylum seekers, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I think that our strategy is clear and effective.As my colleague mentioned, I was in Washington this week, along with the Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Finance. We explained how important Canada and our economy are to American workers. The Prime Minister will do likewise on Monday. That is our job and we do it with pride.
Mr. Speaker, homeowners refinance their homes for many reasons, to invest in a small business, for a home renovation project, to get through an extended strike or lock-out, or even a divorce, but at the finance committee we learned that the Liberals have cancelled CMHC insurance for those who want to refinance their homes. These changes have resulted in Canadians paying higher interest rates when refinancing their mortgage. These changes were imposed with zero consultation.Why are the Liberals hurting struggling Canadian homeowners by hiking their interest rates?
Mr. Speaker, with regard to airports, our first priority is service to passengers, whether it is in terms of cost, options, competitiveness, wait times at security or customs, or passengers' rights. We are exploring different options and everyone can rest assured that our first priority is and will always be service to passengers.
Mr. Speaker, I thought I would also point out that there are other Conservatives across the country who believe in pricing pollution. Manitoba's Conservative government, in its speech from the throne, said that its climate action plan will include carbon pricing that fosters emission reductions, retains investment capital, and stimulates new innovation in clean energy businesses and jobs.Once again, I encourage members opposite to work with our government so that we can grow a clean economy and ensure a better future for our kids.
Mr. Speaker, we will be continuing today to debate the NDP opposition day motion.Tomorrow we will call Bill C-31, the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement, for debate at third reading.Monday, we will resume third reading debate on Bill C-30, the CETA legislation.In the coming days we will give priority to Bill C-37 on safe injection sites. Next Thursday, February 16, shall be an allotted day.
Mr. Speaker, as I stated, we are working through the rules that were put in place by the previous government in 2014. I have asked the chief of the defence staff to work with the relevant agencies to look at the various processes they have to go through, making sure that we have equitable compensation for our troops.
Mr. Speaker, the 127 projects I talked about leveraged $4.2 billion investment in partnership with the provinces and municipalities. As far as Edmonton is concerned, we approved 47 projects under the new plan introduced in budget 2016. Those projects are helping us build better transit systems, reducing commuter time for Edmontonians, as well as creating Canadian jobs in local communities.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know who to trust when it comes to taxes, because the first thing we did was reduce taxes for middle-class Canadians, and Canadians know that across the nation.The Prime Minister was very clear in answering the question from the member, and she knows that well. What we are doing is reviewing all the tax measures in this country. This is the right thing to do. That is what the responsible government is doing.One thing Canadians will always remember is that the first thing this government did was to reduce taxes for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, the government made it clear a number of months ago that we intended to have a new legal regime in place and that we would introduce legislation to that effect in the spring of this year. The work is proceeding along in that direction very well. We have the expert advice of the task force, headed by the Hon. Anne McLellan, and we will also weigh very carefully the good advice from the chiefs of police.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for VaughanWoodbridge for his hard work on behalf of his constituents.In December, we announced $46 million to support a new transit and carpool lot that would reduce congestion and get commuters home faster to spend time with their families. The York region will also receive additional funding under the long-term infrastructure plan, and the details will be announced very soon. Our government is proud to support investments in the York region and across the country.
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to having a translation bureau that is productive and that produces quality. We are committed to making sure we have the employees we need to carry out the work expected of them. We are also committed as a party to official bilingualism. We are taking extraordinary measures to make sure that happens with this government, including putting in a different chief executive officer, a quality officer, and we are going to hire more employees. We are going to do what should have been done years ago. We are going to fix the wrongs of the past with respect to official bilingualism.
Mr. Speaker, what was despicable was actually sending our troops in the first place without all these compensations. When I first visited our troops, I discovered this. I have had conversations with members opposite on this. It is the reason why it was brought to my attention. We have to work through a process to be able to resolve some of these issues. Many different departments are involved, and we are working through it, and we will get through this.
Mr. Speaker, businesses, consumers, all Canadians benefit from government services. We want to strengthen the transparency and oversight of user fees that pay for some of these services. Everyone, including big businesses, should pay their fair share so middle-class Canadians and those working hard to join the middle class do not get stuck with the bill.We are going to treat all Canadians fairly. That is what our government does.
Mr. Speaker, this year alone, we will welcome 40,000 refugees in Canada. That includes 25,000 resettled refugees, which is double the number that the previous government welcomed. It also includes 16,000 privately sponsored refugees, which is triple the number the previous government had.We will take no lessons from those parties on our record. We are proud of record, and we will continue to support Canadians in their extraordinary generosity to those who are seeking protection.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for allowing me to repeat this. The first thing we did, and the promise that we made, was to reduce taxes for Canadians. What Canadians across this nation remember is that the Conservatives voted against that. They have voted against helping middle-class families. They have voted against helping Canadian workers. However, we will continue to do just that, working for middle-class Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the health and safety of all Canadians. The evidence is absolutely clear. In communities where they are needed and appropriate, harm reduction is an important part of a comprehensive approach to drug control. We put harm reduction back in as a pillar of our drugs and substances strategy. This is why we are proposing to streamline the criteria and process for supporting community applications in Bill C-37.
Mr. Speaker, the aerospace sector is one of the most innovative and export-driven sectors in Canada. It accounts for more than 211,000 high quality jobs in Canada. This announcement will ensure that 4,000 jobs are maintained and will create roughly 1,300 jobs. In Canada, Bombardier is the largest private-sector investor in research and development. Our government is committed to growing our economy and the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, what we do know about carbon pricing is that it is the most efficient way to reduce emissions and to innovate and create good jobs. It always surprises me that the member opposite, who professes to believe in free market principles, just cannot understand why carbon pricing makes sense.I already talked about Patrick Brown, the leader of the Ontario Conservatives, but maybe I will talk about Preston Manning. Conservatives profess to believe in markets, so why do Conservatives not major on how to harness markets to the environmental conversation and make that their signature contribution?I encourage the member opposite to work with me to reduce emissions, focusing on the economy.
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to Bombardier, the Liberals need to understand that these are taxpayer dollars that they are spending, not their own. If they are going to give big handouts to one favoured company, they need to have a plan to get the money back. Can the Liberals explain what the repayment plan is for Bombardier, and how they are going to make sure that the hard-earned money of Canadian taxpayers will be returned?
Mr. Speaker, when the previous government helped out Bombardier in 2008, it was in the initial stages of the C Series development, when it was doing research and development. Since then, Bombardier has secured many large orders and its balance sheet is much, much stronger. There are many smaller businesses in the aerospace sector, companies that have truly innovative products that could really have used that money to help get those products to market. How is the government going to explain to them that one company, which said it does not even need the money, is more deserving than they are?
Mr. Speaker, Bell Helicopter Textron is a major employer in my riding and the Lower Laurentians region. Many of my constituents work for that company or are associated with Bell Helicopter suppliers.I was especially happy to learn that last year Bell Helicopter renewed its commitment to remain in and continue contributing to Quebec and Canada.Can the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development provide the House with an update on this important subject?
Mr. Speaker, as I stated, we will always be looking after our troops. It was during my first visit into Kuwait when I was appointed defence minister where I realized some of these inequities. That is why I have asked the chief of the defence staff to look at these things. It is the interdepartmental team that does it. Some rules were actually put into place in 2014, so these things do take time, but we will be working through it and making sure we work with the relevant agencies and all the recommendations we made so that we can move forward on this.
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister has completely lost control of the government's spending. The deficit will be two or three times more than was promised, and he will need to raise taxes in order to balance his budget. Will the finance minister confirm today that he will not attack Canadian seniors by removing pension income-splitting to balance his budget?
Mr. Speaker, that does not fix this current situation. The defence minister is a proud veteran, and he knows better than anyone how important danger pay is not just for our brave men and women in uniform but for their families back at home as well. We all knew the Liberals would cut defence spending, but we did not ever imagine they would literally do it on the backs of our soldiers and military families. Will the defence minister quit taking his marching orders from the Prime Minister, fight for our troops, and reinstate all of the danger pay and benefits for all of our troops who are in the fight against ISIS?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Rivière-des-Mille-Îles for her question.I was very proud to be in Mirabel this morning to see Bell Helicopter Textron's new assembly line. This is another example of our government working closely with provincial governments to create a positive business environment for companies in Canada. This co-operation with the Government of Quebec has helped keep 900 jobs and create over 100 new jobs in the province. Our government committed to growing our economy and the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, this morning, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police submitted a report that confirms how important and urgent it is for the government to give police forces the tools they need to deal with drug-impaired driving before it even begins to think about legalizing marijuana.For my part, I took action by introducing Senator Claude Carignan's bill, which would allow police officers to detect drug-impaired drivers and thus save many lives.Do the Liberals plan to make Canadians' safety a priority and support this bill before legalizing marijuana?
Mr. Speaker, again, I find it a bit ironic that the member opposite was at the cabinet table when the Conservatives cut a cheque for $350 million for Bombardier in 2008, but let me talk about now and the commitment that we have made. We have made a commitment to the workers. We have made a commitment to their families. We are investing in the aerospace sector, because this is an important sector that generates 211,000 jobs, that contributes $28 billion to our economy. We are proud of our record. We are proud of the fact that we are making investments, growing the economy, and creating good-quality jobs for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be part of a strong team of about 40 MPs from across the province who are working hard for Quebec. This incredible team made sure that we put forward a proposition that will help Canadian families, that will create good-quality jobs, that will benefit our communities, and that will strengthen the aerospace sector. This investment is about the future economy of Canada. It is about growth and jobs. This will benefit Quebec. Two-thirds of the jobs will be in Quebec. This is exactly what we want to do. We want to create jobs, and we want to create growth.
Mr. Speaker, for many families, their homes are the most important investment that they will make in their lives. That is why we have taken action to contain risks in the housing market and support long-term affordability. For example, the government has implemented a mortgage rate stress test to ensure that Canadians are taking on mortgages that they can afford even if the rates go up. The government also announced income tax measures to improve the fairness and integrity of the tax system. We will continue to monitor the market to protect middle-class Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, for many families, their homes are the most important investment that they will make in their lives. That is why we have taken action to contain risks in the housing market and support long-term affordability. For example, the government has implemented a mortgage rate stress test to ensure that Canadians are taking on mortgages that they can afford even if the rates go up. The government also announced income tax measures to improve the fairness and integrity of the tax system.
Mr. Speaker, the well-being of veterans and their families is at the heart of all we do at Veterans Affairs. Delivering timely benefits is an area where we can and must do better. In 2015-16, we saw a 19% increase in the number of disability benefit claims. This is a good thing. It means more people are coming forward to get the help they need when they need it. In order to address this, we are streamlining the disability benefits process, hiring more staff, and simplifying the decision-making process. We know we are doing better for veterans, and we will continue to work hard to provide them with the services they need.
Mr. Speaker, our government has been recognized as being a global leader in welcoming refugees and asylum seekers. We are proud of that tradition.The safe third country agreement between the United States and Canada provides an orderly system of managing asylum claims. The hon. member knows or should know that the U.S. executive order has no bearing on the U.S. safe third country agreement with Canada.We are proud of our tradition of offering protection. Every eligible asylum seeker has access to a fair hearing in front of the Immigration and Refugee Board. Each case is assessed based on its merits.
Mr. Speaker, when I asked the defence minister in December to fix the inequity of awarding danger pay and benefits to some but not all of our troops fighting ISIS, the minister said he would. It never crossed my mind the Liberals would do that by taking away everyone's danger pay. Canadian troops stationed in Kuwait are now having their paycheques reduced by over $1,500 a month by the Liberals. Why is the Prime Minister betraying our brave men and women who are in the fight against ISIS?
Mr. Speaker, I understand the importance of collegiality and respect for all members of this House, and for that reason, I am happy to withdraw those comments.
Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, the Liberals and the Prime Minister himself promised to restore home mail delivery for those who had lost it.The minister has had Canada Post's review report since December, but we still have not heard anything about his decision.Much like the promise for electoral reform, can we expect this report to be torn up as well? Is this just another broken promise?
Mr. Speaker, the minister is not the only one who will apologize today. There has been a grievous procedural error, of which I am the author. The other day I raised a point of order in the House of Commons with respect to redacted documents, documents that would show the impact of an increased carbon tax on the most vulnerable people. I failed to table those redacted documents, and as a remedy, I ask for the unanimous consent of the House to table them now.
Mr. Speaker, as I explained to my hon. colleague during the debate this morning, we listened to Canadians, and listening means listening to all points of view. I know that is something the member has trouble understanding, but that is what we did
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals can say what they want, but the record shows that on Tuesday they refused to vote against taxing the health and dental benefits of Canadians. That means that Canadians may be paying an extra $1,000 for their health and dental benefits.My question is this. The Liberals did not talk about this in their platform, and they voted against our motion on Tuesday. What other tax increases are they trying to keep secret, being wishy-washy about, and playing both sides of the ledger? Where else will they be taxing Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, last week the parliamentary budget officer identified a shortfall of $9 billion for infrastructure. We know that 96% of the announced projects are not under construction. We know Alberta was promised $700 million in fast-track infrastructure funds over a year ago, and no surprise, Alberta is still waiting for over 90% of those funds.When will the Liberals start taking the job crisis in Alberta seriously and fast-track the promised infrastructure funds?
Mr. Speaker, in 2012, the previous government approved four projects for Alberta, two projects in 2013 for Alberta and five projects in 2014 for Alberta. Compare that to 127 projects approved by our government for Alberta.When it comes to building infrastructure, growing the economy, creating jobs for Albertans, we take no lessons from the old, tired Conservative Party.
Mr. Speaker, I am afraid my colleague has a short memory. The first thing that this government did was reduce taxes for nine million Canadians. It then came along with the Canada child benefit, which is helping nine out of 10 families, and then introduced an infrastructure program for $128 billion, something which is historic in this country. The sad thing that the people at home recognize is that the Conservatives voted against helping the middle class in this country every step of the way.
Mr. Speaker, during the last election the Prime Minister promised only modest deficits, but, alas, that promise was broken. Since then, Liberal ministers have been looking for ways to raise taxes on hard-working Canadians to pay for the Prime Minister's billions of dollars in broken promises. We now learn that the President of the Treasury Board is planning to raise user fees, which is just a tax by another name. Will the President of the Treasury Board tell Canadians which fees are going up, by how much, and when?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are cutting the monthly pay of soldiers deployed in Kuwait by more than $1,500. For the minister to cut their pay once they have been deployed is despicable. Our soldiers expect the minister to protect them, but that is obviously not happening.We brought this to the minister's attention in December, but nothing was done. Unfortunately, the minister ignored the issue. As a former unit commander, I am ashamed of my country and the way the Liberals are treating our soldiers.Will the Liberals stop pinching pennies at the soldiers' expense? Mr. Minister, will you fix this problem yourself?
Mr. Speaker, I am not sure we were at the same parliamentary committee because the experts told us during the last three consultations that this had absolutely no impact on Toronto and Vancouver, even though it ought to have affected them. However, it did have an adverse effect on first-time homebuyers from coast to coast.Yesterday, members of the Fédération des chambres immobilières du Québec were here and they told us that there were 6,000 fewer first-time homebuyers in Canada. We are talking about families, the middle class. That is $220 million less in the Canadian economy. Why does the government continue to attack families and the middle class in Quebec and across Canada with its bad real estate measures?
Mr. Speaker, Dave Bona, a veteran, waited eight hours in the freezing cold for the Prime Minister's town hall in Saskatoon. Once inside, a student, recognizing that he was a veteran by his uniform, in respect offered him his seat, but Dave was approached by a Liberal organizer and told he couldn't take it, that he had to go to the back. Clearly visible to the Prime Minister, Dave stood at attention for 20 minutes waiting to ask a question, but was ignored. Why did the Prime Minister ignore Dave Bona?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to veterans and their families, full stop. After the previous 10 years with the former government frankly ignoring veterans' concerns by the fact that it closed offices, that it reduced one-third of the front-line staff, it is shocking that we are actually getting this question. Our government is working hard to ensure that veterans receive the care, compassion, and respect they deserve. Budget 2016 saw us put $5.6 billion in more resources to veterans and their families. We are going to continue to deliver on their behalf.
Mr. Speaker, today the Liberals introduced a bill that would give a break to human traffickers who committed multiple crimes. This is unbelievable. The bill says that people convicted of human trafficking would not have to serve consecutive sentences when they committed additional unspeakable crimes against victims.Why are the Liberals always so worried about giving a break to criminals? Why do they not start sticking up for victims for a change?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' Bill C-27 is an attack on stable, secure workplace pensions that would let employers back away from commitments to workers and pensioners. This week, workers came to Ottawa to raise their voices about this dangerous bill. Now, according to reports, the Liberal government has said it will put a hold on Bill C-27 because of widespread opposition. Will the government commit to withdraw this anti-worker bill and refrain from any further attempts to attack workers' pensions?
Mr. Speaker, reaction in Quebec to the so-called assistance the government is providing to Bombardier has been unanimous: cheap. Everyone agrees that it is too little, too late, and that it is disappointing.Apart from the government itself and the Conservative Party, no one in Quebec believes that 38 times less than what was given to the auto industry is sufficient to support the flagship of Quebec's aerospace industry.How can the Minister of Transport, a Quebec MP, justify waiting until Bombardier was gasping for its last breath before finally granting some support, which everyone in Quebec sees as vastly insufficient?
Mr. Speaker, when ageing sectors such as the auto and oil sectors need help, Ottawa has its chequebook at the ready, but when it is time to help the economic development of Quebec's cutting edge industries, Ottawa becomes a cheapskate. The government would rather see our plants suffer than to give us our fair share.How can the government justify offering Bombardier help that is 38 times less than what it offered the auto industry? Was the government afraid of how English Canada might react?
Mr. Speaker, this week, a number of government ministers went to Washington. Next week, it will be the Prime Minister's turn to go.Canadians want tangible results, not just tweets, photos, and words. They want jobs.How does the Prime Minister plan to maintain trade ties with the Americans while protecting jobs here in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's words are in question these days because of his long list of broken promises. He just cannot be trusted. Therefore, we were skeptical when the Prime Minister said that he would not tax the health and dental benefits of Canadians, so we put the question to the House. We asked him to say no to this regressive tax. In true form, the Liberals were completely inconsistent, and Canadians are now worried that this tax is on the table. Why do the Liberals keep breaking their word? How can Canadians know that they will not have to pay more for health and dental benefits?
Mr. Speaker, contrary to my colleague's comments, we are following through on a promise we made during the election to stop installing community mailboxes
Mr. Speaker, we are continuing with the promise we made, and that was to stop the installation of roadside mailboxes and to consult with Canadians from coast to coast to coast to get their views on the type of Canada Post we need to have, one that is sustainable and delivers for Canadians. We are doing just that. We now have the two reports needed that we now
and I am looking forward to working on democratic institutions to strengthen, protect, and improve our system.
Mr. Speaker, would the government House leader tell us about the business of the House for the rest of this week and next week?
Mr. Speaker, today we have learned that a veteran has been evicted from her home because of delays in receiving her pension. This is unconscionable. Compound that by the fact this veteran had six tours of duty, two bouts of cancer, and is a single mom. It should make the minister and the Prime Minister hang their heads in shame. Enough is enough. Will the minister take action today to ensure that veterans have their pensions in place the day that they are released from service?
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. gentleman may know, over the course of the last several weeks, the RCMP and other police forces across the country, in co-operation with the Government of Canada, have been testing a number of scientific devices for roadside testing of drug-impaired driving to determine their efficacy under Canadian weather conditions, including in the middle of the winter. We will ensure that we have both the legal regime and the scientific regime to deal with drug-impaired driving.
Mr. Speaker, out of the $180 billion that we will invest over 12 years in infrastructure, only 8% will be delivered through the infrastructure bank. The rest of the money is available to municipalities, the provinces, and the territories through the traditional means of national programs as well as bilateral agreements that we will sign with each province and territory.I can assure the member that every community will be served in an equitable way to grow the economy and create jobs for the middle class and those who working so hard to be a part of it.
Mr. Speaker, last weekend, 22 refugees crossed the border in the freezing cold to seek safety in Canada, but under the safe third country agreement, refugees who enter the United States cannot then come to Canada.Yesterday, the Prime Minister said that we will always be welcoming to vulnerable people. These refugees are vulnerable people. Will the government suspend the safe third country agreement so that it can welcome them?
Mr. Speaker, the minister and others claim these taxes are revenue neutral. They claim that, for example, a single woman with an income of $45,000 will get back, in rebates and other tax relief, all of the taxes she pays on heat, gas, and groceries, but the only way to test that is to know what carbon tax amounts she will pay in the first place. Data contained in a blacked-out Finance Canada memo will tell us exactly that.If these new taxes are really revenue neutral for the poor, why will the government not prove it and release the data now?
Mr. Speaker, I think the microphone was cut off before the hon. member could hear the end of my previous answer. Number one, we encourage anyone facing this situation to appeal through the normal processes, but number two, draw the circumstances and the facts with complete details to my attention and I will take those cases up with the U.S. administration.
Mr. Speaker, that was not really what I asked, but whatever. We know that a Canadian family was stopped at the U.S. border. They are Canadian citizens who live in Brossard, and they happen to be Muslim.When the Prime Minister was asked about this, he replied that he is working with the Americans to figure out how to make things better for Canadians. That is not good enough under the circumstances. It is not good enough when that kind of thing happens.Can the minister tell us if this was an isolated incident or if other Canadian citizens have been turned away at the border?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals ran on a promise to build consultation and social licence into their decision-making process when it had significant impact on local communities. However, it would appear that they are ignoring their own advice or promise in this regard in terms of drug injection sites. Just today in committee, the Liberal members voted down my amendment to Bill C-37, which asked the minister to give 45 days public notice before rendering a decision.Why are the Liberals afraid to give communities a voice in whether a drug injection site is in fact authorized for their community?
Mr. Speaker, the government is looking at options, so it has not ruled out privatization, which is rather shameful. Airports are not the only infrastructure that the government is looking at privatizing. The Liberals promised to invest in infrastructure. We have been talking a lot about promises lately. As it turns out, the parliamentary budget officer, not the opposition parties, found that most of the infrastructure funding is not actually flowing.Instead of keeping its promises, the government would rather set up an infrastructure privatization bank. Can the minister reassure Canadians and tell them that it is not planning to sell off our public infrastructure?
Mr. Speaker, the Translation Bureau does extremely valuable work to promote our two official languages, but over 400 positions have been eliminated over the past four years and there are plans to cut 140 more. Morale is at an all-time low, and bureau staff are under constant pressure.Today the Minister of Public Services and Procurement announced 19 new hires, but that is nowhere near what is needed. Will the minister commit to putting an end to the cuts and to replacing every staff member who leaves the Translation Bureau?
Mr. Speaker, as the Liberals push to legalize marijuana by 2018, many Canadians are concerned about the consequences of people driving while high. There are screening devices that detect the presence of drugs in the body, but they are not authorized for use under the Criminal Code.Will the Liberals authorize the use of these devices before they introduce legislation, finally making the health and safety of Canadians a priority?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities likes to boast about his project spending, but on this side of the House we know the devil is in the details. The fact is that things are just not being built.According to the Government of Canada's own website, which is updated weekly, only one of 127 projects announced in Alberta by the Liberals has started construction. Nothing has started in Edmonton.Another Liberal promise made; another Liberal promise broken. Why have these projects not started?
Mr. Speaker, I think the Liberals have actually lost the ability to tell when they are breaking promises. It is worrisome.Today in the House of Commons we are debating an NDP motion to simply acknowledge what everybody already knows: that when it came to electoral reform, the Liberal promise to fix our outdated and unfair voting system was broken and that the Liberals should apologize. Some Liberals have actually already started apologizing to their constituents, so this should be easy, but during the debate today, a Liberal MP from Toronto said he was actually proud of the Liberals' decision to betray their promise to Canadians.I have a question for the minister. Yes or no, is the minister proud of her Prime Minister's decision to betray his promise to Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, that is why the Minister of National Defence and I are working very hard on closing the seam to ensure we professionalize the release process and ensure that when our men and women in uniform are leaving the service they get the help they need where and when they need it. I can also say that we are working hard to deliver timely benefit decisions and it is an area where we can do better. In 2015-16, we did see a 19% increase in the number of disability claims. We are working through those, putting processes in place to speed up delivery of our services. We can and will do better on behalf of veterans.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to combatting human trafficking and better protecting victims who are among society's most vulnerable. Bill C-38 would bring into force the former private member's bill, Bill C-452, and also make it in compliance with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The bill would give law enforcement and prosecutors additional tools in terms of investigations and prosecutions to assist in combatting this challenge.
Mr. Speaker, only a Liberal would try to make people believe that a program that helps 90% of the population is better than the universal child care benefit, which helped 100% of the population.The Minister of Finance has lost control of government spending, and our children and grandchildren will have to pay the price.Can he promise today that he will not cut any other benefits for families who need them?
Mr. Speaker, proper and appropriate treatment for all people from Canada seeking to enter the United States or any other country is a priority for this government.Canadian citizenship and travel documents need to be respected. In this particular case, the office of the member for BrossardSaint-Lambert has been touch with the Canadian citizen who made this complaint. When we get full details of the circumstances, I will both encourage her to apply for the redress process, but also
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Lac-Saint-Jean.What I can promise him today is that, while we are in office, we will work for Canadian families and the middle class. That is what we did in budget 2016 and in the fall economic update. He can rest assured of that.Every day, every step of the way, the members on this side of the House are working to improve the lives of Canadian workers.
Mr. Speaker, it was not until this story came out in the media yesterday that anyone heard about it. Since December, my colleague from SelkirkInterlakeEastman and I have been calling on the Minister of National Defence to address this. We have talked about it very discreetly. Nothing happened. Now that the media are talking about it, finally we see a response. People are calling for a response, but now is not the time.Can the minister resolve this case immediately, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, earlier this month I had the chance to announce the start of construction of a new inter-regional transit terminal in the city of Vaughan. The Minister of Infrastructure and Communities has been advocating strongly for infrastructure investments that will grow the middle class and make a real difference day to day for families. The families in my riding appreciate investments in public transit. Could the minister inform the House what he has been doing to ensure communities like VaughanWoodbridge benefit from much-needed investments in public transit?
Mr. Speaker, Fadwa Alaoui is a Muslim Canadian born in Morocco. She has a Canadian passport, but that was not enough.Border guards berated her about how often she attends her mosque, what her views are about President Trump, and if she knew anyone killed in the Quebec City mosque attack. She was humiliated and four hours later she drove home.This kind of treatment goes directly against what the government has promised. What is the Liberal government doing about this situation? Can it confirm that there are no other Canadians who have faced this type of situation?
Mr. Speaker, according to the C.D. Howe Institute's recent study, the federal government could pocket up to $16 billion if it decides to sell our airports to private investors. The Calgary, Ottawa, and Vancouver airports and Air Canada are condemning this privatization plan because passengers and workers would be the first to pay the price. Canadians have already paid for this infrastructure. Therefore, if the government really has their interests at heart, is it not time for it to reject this privatization plan rather than financing the government's friends?
Mr. Speaker, as I said, this investment is going to help communities. It is going to help workers. There are 800 suppliers associated with Bombardier that will benefit from this investment, because they are part of the aerospace cluster. They are part of the ecosystem when it comes to that very important cluster and sector. That is what we are doing. We are investing not only in that large company, but we are investing in all of the supplier base from coast to coast to coast. This will help small businesses. More importantly, this will help Canadians and will strengthen the middle class by making sure that we focus on good-quality jobs.
Mr. Speaker, helping Canadians achieve a safe and dignified retirement is key to our plan to help the middle class and those working hard to join it. Bill C-27 aims to broaden the scope of retirement saving opportunities available to Canadians. Under our legislation, individuals have a choice. Those who do not consent, they maintain their benefits. We are willing to take the necessary time to give all parties the opportunity to share suggestions within the process.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Bourassa for his question.I just got back from Haiti, where I attended the president's inauguration. I also toured two Canadian-sponsored projects, the hospital in Gonaïves and the national police academy. Yesterday, I announced an investment of $92.2 million over five years for five development projects focusing on the health of women and girls, child protection, and access to justice. Our government is committed to supporting the new Haitian government, and I had an opportunity to talk about this with the new president himself.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie went on a second official visit to Haiti to view the impact of Hurricane Matthew and Canadian aid and to attend the inauguration of the 58th president of the Republic of Haiti, His Excellency Jovenel Moïse.Canadian aid is important to Haiti. Could the minister update us on the matter?
Mr. Speaker, millennials experienced Liberals' backtracking on electoral reform, and our veterans are suffering after Liberals promised them everything to get elected. Today, we hear another story of a veteran losing their home because they did not receive benefits owed to them after being medically released from the Canadian Forces. The DND ombudsman offered a simple solution that the veterans affairs committee agreed to: make sure our soldiers have everything in place before they go home. Enough with the platitudes. Enough with the talking points. When will the minister stop paying lip service to our veterans and do his job?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order arising out of question period. I have the O'Brien and Bosc citations, which I know you are familiar with and which I will not cite here today.In a previous incarnation, we saw the Minister of Democratic Institutions make disparaging remarks about the electoral reform committee, which she later, and later I believe the Prime Minister, apologized for.Today in question period, in response to a question I raised with respect to our motion today about the Liberal promise on electoral reform and the need to apologize, the minister, in response, made disparaging comments about my ability to perform my job as a member of Parliament and to listen to Canadians on the issue at hand.I do not think this does anything for decorum in this place, nor does it raise the level of debate with regard to our democracy and the ways we can collectively improve it. I would ask the minister now to respectfully withdraw those remarks.
Mr. Speaker, here is what we know about the effect of carbon taxes on the gap between rich and poor. One, we know that those with the least will suffer the most, because the poor spend a third more of family income on the items that get taxed. Two, prior experience shows that money generated from the tax always goes to those wealthy enough to lobby for it, like the super rich who will now get a taxpayer rebate to buy $150,000 Tesla cars. Three, we know the government is censoring a Finance Canada memo showing the impact of the carbon tax on the gap between rich and poor.Will the government release that memo today?
Mr. Speaker, as I stated to the member opposite during committee, we are committed to looking after our men and women, including their compensation. Our government had concerns regarding the current situation that was not fully fair and equitable. That is why I have asked the chief of the defence staff to work with the relevant agencies to review the compensation rules and propose changes, including finding ways to prevent the negative impacts on our deployed personnel.
Mr. Speaker, Only countries that respect human rights and offer a high degree of protection to asylum seekers may be designated as safe third countries. Twenty-two refugees risked life and limb crossing from the U.S. into Canada. No one risks their family's safety unless they have no choice. These refugees are blocked from the Canadian system while they are the U.S. because of the safe third country agreement.Does the minister still believe the U.S. is offering a high degree of protection to asylum seekers, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I think that our strategy is clear and effective.As my colleague mentioned, I was in Washington this week, along with the Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Finance. We explained how important Canada and our economy are to American workers. The Prime Minister will do likewise on Monday. That is our job and we do it with pride.
Mr. Speaker, homeowners refinance their homes for many reasons, to invest in a small business, for a home renovation project, to get through an extended strike or lock-out, or even a divorce, but at the finance committee we learned that the Liberals have cancelled CMHC insurance for those who want to refinance their homes. These changes have resulted in Canadians paying higher interest rates when refinancing their mortgage. These changes were imposed with zero consultation.Why are the Liberals hurting struggling Canadian homeowners by hiking their interest rates?
Mr. Speaker, with regard to airports, our first priority is service to passengers, whether it is in terms of cost, options, competitiveness, wait times at security or customs, or passengers' rights. We are exploring different options and everyone can rest assured that our first priority is and will always be service to passengers.
Mr. Speaker, I thought I would also point out that there are other Conservatives across the country who believe in pricing pollution. Manitoba's Conservative government, in its speech from the throne, said that its climate action plan will include carbon pricing that fosters emission reductions, retains investment capital, and stimulates new innovation in clean energy businesses and jobs.Once again, I encourage members opposite to work with our government so that we can grow a clean economy and ensure a better future for our kids.
Mr. Speaker, we will be continuing today to debate the NDP opposition day motion.Tomorrow we will call Bill C-31, the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement, for debate at third reading.Monday, we will resume third reading debate on Bill C-30, the CETA legislation.In the coming days we will give priority to Bill C-37 on safe injection sites. Next Thursday, February 16, shall be an allotted day.
Mr. Speaker, as I stated, we are working through the rules that were put in place by the previous government in 2014. I have asked the chief of the defence staff to work with the relevant agencies to look at the various processes they have to go through, making sure that we have equitable compensation for our troops.
Mr. Speaker, the 127 projects I talked about leveraged $4.2 billion investment in partnership with the provinces and municipalities. As far as Edmonton is concerned, we approved 47 projects under the new plan introduced in budget 2016. Those projects are helping us build better transit systems, reducing commuter time for Edmontonians, as well as creating Canadian jobs in local communities.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know who to trust when it comes to taxes, because the first thing we did was reduce taxes for middle-class Canadians, and Canadians know that across the nation.The Prime Minister was very clear in answering the question from the member, and she knows that well. What we are doing is reviewing all the tax measures in this country. This is the right thing to do. That is what the responsible government is doing.One thing Canadians will always remember is that the first thing this government did was to reduce taxes for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, the government made it clear a number of months ago that we intended to have a new legal regime in place and that we would introduce legislation to that effect in the spring of this year. The work is proceeding along in that direction very well. We have the expert advice of the task force, headed by the Hon. Anne McLellan, and we will also weigh very carefully the good advice from the chiefs of police.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for VaughanWoodbridge for his hard work on behalf of his constituents.In December, we announced $46 million to support a new transit and carpool lot that would reduce congestion and get commuters home faster to spend time with their families. The York region will also receive additional funding under the long-term infrastructure plan, and the details will be announced very soon. Our government is proud to support investments in the York region and across the country.
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to having a translation bureau that is productive and that produces quality. We are committed to making sure we have the employees we need to carry out the work expected of them. We are also committed as a party to official bilingualism. We are taking extraordinary measures to make sure that happens with this government, including putting in a different chief executive officer, a quality officer, and we are going to hire more employees. We are going to do what should have been done years ago. We are going to fix the wrongs of the past with respect to official bilingualism.
Mr. Speaker, what was despicable was actually sending our troops in the first place without all these compensations. When I first visited our troops, I discovered this. I have had conversations with members opposite on this. It is the reason why it was brought to my attention. We have to work through a process to be able to resolve some of these issues. Many different departments are involved, and we are working through it, and we will get through this.
Mr. Speaker, businesses, consumers, all Canadians benefit from government services. We want to strengthen the transparency and oversight of user fees that pay for some of these services. Everyone, including big businesses, should pay their fair share so middle-class Canadians and those working hard to join the middle class do not get stuck with the bill.We are going to treat all Canadians fairly. That is what our government does.
Mr. Speaker, this year alone, we will welcome 40,000 refugees in Canada. That includes 25,000 resettled refugees, which is double the number that the previous government welcomed. It also includes 16,000 privately sponsored refugees, which is triple the number the previous government had.We will take no lessons from those parties on our record. We are proud of record, and we will continue to support Canadians in their extraordinary generosity to those who are seeking protection.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for allowing me to repeat this. The first thing we did, and the promise that we made, was to reduce taxes for Canadians. What Canadians across this nation remember is that the Conservatives voted against that. They have voted against helping middle-class families. They have voted against helping Canadian workers. However, we will continue to do just that, working for middle-class Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the health and safety of all Canadians. The evidence is absolutely clear. In communities where they are needed and appropriate, harm reduction is an important part of a comprehensive approach to drug control. We put harm reduction back in as a pillar of our drugs and substances strategy. This is why we are proposing to streamline the criteria and process for supporting community applications in Bill C-37.
Mr. Speaker, the aerospace sector is one of the most innovative and export-driven sectors in Canada. It accounts for more than 211,000 high quality jobs in Canada. This announcement will ensure that 4,000 jobs are maintained and will create roughly 1,300 jobs. In Canada, Bombardier is the largest private-sector investor in research and development. Our government is committed to growing our economy and the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, what we do know about carbon pricing is that it is the most efficient way to reduce emissions and to innovate and create good jobs. It always surprises me that the member opposite, who professes to believe in free market principles, just cannot understand why carbon pricing makes sense.I already talked about Patrick Brown, the leader of the Ontario Conservatives, but maybe I will talk about Preston Manning. Conservatives profess to believe in markets, so why do Conservatives not major on how to harness markets to the environmental conversation and make that their signature contribution?I encourage the member opposite to work with me to reduce emissions, focusing on the economy.
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to Bombardier, the Liberals need to understand that these are taxpayer dollars that they are spending, not their own. If they are going to give big handouts to one favoured company, they need to have a plan to get the money back. Can the Liberals explain what the repayment plan is for Bombardier, and how they are going to make sure that the hard-earned money of Canadian taxpayers will be returned?
Mr. Speaker, when the previous government helped out Bombardier in 2008, it was in the initial stages of the C Series development, when it was doing research and development. Since then, Bombardier has secured many large orders and its balance sheet is much, much stronger. There are many smaller businesses in the aerospace sector, companies that have truly innovative products that could really have used that money to help get those products to market. How is the government going to explain to them that one company, which said it does not even need the money, is more deserving than they are?
Mr. Speaker, Bell Helicopter Textron is a major employer in my riding and the Lower Laurentians region. Many of my constituents work for that company or are associated with Bell Helicopter suppliers.I was especially happy to learn that last year Bell Helicopter renewed its commitment to remain in and continue contributing to Quebec and Canada.Can the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development provide the House with an update on this important subject?
Mr. Speaker, as I stated, we will always be looking after our troops. It was during my first visit into Kuwait when I was appointed defence minister where I realized some of these inequities. That is why I have asked the chief of the defence staff to look at these things. It is the interdepartmental team that does it. Some rules were actually put into place in 2014, so these things do take time, but we will be working through it and making sure we work with the relevant agencies and all the recommendations we made so that we can move forward on this.
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister has completely lost control of the government's spending. The deficit will be two or three times more than was promised, and he will need to raise taxes in order to balance his budget. Will the finance minister confirm today that he will not attack Canadian seniors by removing pension income-splitting to balance his budget?
Mr. Speaker, that does not fix this current situation. The defence minister is a proud veteran, and he knows better than anyone how important danger pay is not just for our brave men and women in uniform but for their families back at home as well. We all knew the Liberals would cut defence spending, but we did not ever imagine they would literally do it on the backs of our soldiers and military families. Will the defence minister quit taking his marching orders from the Prime Minister, fight for our troops, and reinstate all of the danger pay and benefits for all of our troops who are in the fight against ISIS?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Rivière-des-Mille-Îles for her question.I was very proud to be in Mirabel this morning to see Bell Helicopter Textron's new assembly line. This is another example of our government working closely with provincial governments to create a positive business environment for companies in Canada. This co-operation with the Government of Quebec has helped keep 900 jobs and create over 100 new jobs in the province. Our government committed to growing our economy and the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, this morning, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police submitted a report that confirms how important and urgent it is for the government to give police forces the tools they need to deal with drug-impaired driving before it even begins to think about legalizing marijuana.For my part, I took action by introducing Senator Claude Carignan's bill, which would allow police officers to detect drug-impaired drivers and thus save many lives.Do the Liberals plan to make Canadians' safety a priority and support this bill before legalizing marijuana?
Mr. Speaker, again, I find it a bit ironic that the member opposite was at the cabinet table when the Conservatives cut a cheque for $350 million for Bombardier in 2008, but let me talk about now and the commitment that we have made. We have made a commitment to the workers. We have made a commitment to their families. We are investing in the aerospace sector, because this is an important sector that generates 211,000 jobs, that contributes $28 billion to our economy. We are proud of our record. We are proud of the fact that we are making investments, growing the economy, and creating good-quality jobs for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be part of a strong team of about 40 MPs from across the province who are working hard for Quebec. This incredible team made sure that we put forward a proposition that will help Canadian families, that will create good-quality jobs, that will benefit our communities, and that will strengthen the aerospace sector. This investment is about the future economy of Canada. It is about growth and jobs. This will benefit Quebec. Two-thirds of the jobs will be in Quebec. This is exactly what we want to do. We want to create jobs, and we want to create growth.
Mr. Speaker, for many families, their homes are the most important investment that they will make in their lives. That is why we have taken action to contain risks in the housing market and support long-term affordability. For example, the government has implemented a mortgage rate stress test to ensure that Canadians are taking on mortgages that they can afford even if the rates go up. The government also announced income tax measures to improve the fairness and integrity of the tax system. We will continue to monitor the market to protect middle-class Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, for many families, their homes are the most important investment that they will make in their lives. That is why we have taken action to contain risks in the housing market and support long-term affordability. For example, the government has implemented a mortgage rate stress test to ensure that Canadians are taking on mortgages that they can afford even if the rates go up. The government also announced income tax measures to improve the fairness and integrity of the tax system.
Mr. Speaker, the well-being of veterans and their families is at the heart of all we do at Veterans Affairs. Delivering timely benefits is an area where we can and must do better. In 2015-16, we saw a 19% increase in the number of disability benefit claims. This is a good thing. It means more people are coming forward to get the help they need when they need it. In order to address this, we are streamlining the disability benefits process, hiring more staff, and simplifying the decision-making process. We know we are doing better for veterans, and we will continue to work hard to provide them with the services they need.
Mr. Speaker, our government has been recognized as being a global leader in welcoming refugees and asylum seekers. We are proud of that tradition.The safe third country agreement between the United States and Canada provides an orderly system of managing asylum claims. The hon. member knows or should know that the U.S. executive order has no bearing on the U.S. safe third country agreement with Canada.We are proud of our tradition of offering protection. Every eligible asylum seeker has access to a fair hearing in front of the Immigration and Refugee Board. Each case is assessed based on its merits.
Mr. Speaker, when I asked the defence minister in December to fix the inequity of awarding danger pay and benefits to some but not all of our troops fighting ISIS, the minister said he would. It never crossed my mind the Liberals would do that by taking away everyone's danger pay. Canadian troops stationed in Kuwait are now having their paycheques reduced by over $1,500 a month by the Liberals. Why is the Prime Minister betraying our brave men and women who are in the fight against ISIS?
Mr. Speaker, I understand the importance of collegiality and respect for all members of this House, and for that reason, I am happy to withdraw those comments.
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Mr. Speaker, when I asked the defence minister in December to fix the inequity of awarding danger pay and benefits to some but not all of our troops fighting ISIS, the minister said he would. It never crossed my mind the Liberals would do that by taking away everyone's danger pay. Canadian troops stationed in Kuwait are now having their paycheques reduced by over $1,500 a month by the Liberals. Why is the Prime Minister betraying our brave men and women who are in the fight against ISIS?
Mr. Speaker, I understand the importance of collegiality and respect for all members of this House, and for that reason, I am happy to withdraw those comments.
Mr. Speaker, our government has been recognized as being a global leader in welcoming refugees and asylum seekers. We are proud of that tradition.The safe third country agreement between the United States and Canada provides an orderly system of managing asylum claims. The hon. member knows or should know that the U.S. executive order has no bearing on the U.S. safe third country agreement with Canada.We are proud of our tradition of offering protection. Every eligible asylum seeker has access to a fair hearing in front of the Immigration and Refugee Board. Each case is assessed based on its merits.
Mr. Speaker, the well-being of veterans and their families is at the heart of all we do at Veterans Affairs. Delivering timely benefits is an area where we can and must do better. In 2015-16, we saw a 19% increase in the number of disability benefit claims. This is a good thing. It means more people are coming forward to get the help they need when they need it. In order to address this, we are streamlining the disability benefits process, hiring more staff, and simplifying the decision-making process. We know we are doing better for veterans, and we will continue to work hard to provide them with the services they need.
Mr. Speaker, for many families, their homes are the most important investment that they will make in their lives. That is why we have taken action to contain risks in the housing market and support long-term affordability. For example, the government has implemented a mortgage rate stress test to ensure that Canadians are taking on mortgages that they can afford even if the rates go up. The government also announced income tax measures to improve the fairness and integrity of the tax system. We will continue to monitor the market to protect middle-class Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, for many families, their homes are the most important investment that they will make in their lives. That is why we have taken action to contain risks in the housing market and support long-term affordability. For example, the government has implemented a mortgage rate stress test to ensure that Canadians are taking on mortgages that they can afford even if the rates go up. The government also announced income tax measures to improve the fairness and integrity of the tax system.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be part of a strong team of about 40 MPs from across the province who are working hard for Quebec. This incredible team made sure that we put forward a proposition that will help Canadian families, that will create good-quality jobs, that will benefit our communities, and that will strengthen the aerospace sector. This investment is about the future economy of Canada. It is about growth and jobs. This will benefit Quebec. Two-thirds of the jobs will be in Quebec. This is exactly what we want to do. We want to create jobs, and we want to create growth.
Mr. Speaker, again, I find it a bit ironic that the member opposite was at the cabinet table when the Conservatives cut a cheque for $350 million for Bombardier in 2008, but let me talk about now and the commitment that we have made. We have made a commitment to the workers. We have made a commitment to their families. We are investing in the aerospace sector, because this is an important sector that generates 211,000 jobs, that contributes $28 billion to our economy. We are proud of our record. We are proud of the fact that we are making investments, growing the economy, and creating good-quality jobs for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, this morning, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police submitted a report that confirms how important and urgent it is for the government to give police forces the tools they need to deal with drug-impaired driving before it even begins to think about legalizing marijuana.For my part, I took action by introducing Senator Claude Carignan's bill, which would allow police officers to detect drug-impaired drivers and thus save many lives.Do the Liberals plan to make Canadians' safety a priority and support this bill before legalizing marijuana?
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister has completely lost control of the government's spending. The deficit will be two or three times more than was promised, and he will need to raise taxes in order to balance his budget. Will the finance minister confirm today that he will not attack Canadian seniors by removing pension income-splitting to balance his budget?
Mr. Speaker, that does not fix this current situation. The defence minister is a proud veteran, and he knows better than anyone how important danger pay is not just for our brave men and women in uniform but for their families back at home as well. We all knew the Liberals would cut defence spending, but we did not ever imagine they would literally do it on the backs of our soldiers and military families. Will the defence minister quit taking his marching orders from the Prime Minister, fight for our troops, and reinstate all of the danger pay and benefits for all of our troops who are in the fight against ISIS?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Rivière-des-Mille-Îles for her question.I was very proud to be in Mirabel this morning to see Bell Helicopter Textron's new assembly line. This is another example of our government working closely with provincial governments to create a positive business environment for companies in Canada. This co-operation with the Government of Quebec has helped keep 900 jobs and create over 100 new jobs in the province. Our government committed to growing our economy and the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, as I stated, we will always be looking after our troops. It was during my first visit into Kuwait when I was appointed defence minister where I realized some of these inequities. That is why I have asked the chief of the defence staff to look at these things. It is the interdepartmental team that does it. Some rules were actually put into place in 2014, so these things do take time, but we will be working through it and making sure we work with the relevant agencies and all the recommendations we made so that we can move forward on this.
Mr. Speaker, Bell Helicopter Textron is a major employer in my riding and the Lower Laurentians region. Many of my constituents work for that company or are associated with Bell Helicopter suppliers.I was especially happy to learn that last year Bell Helicopter renewed its commitment to remain in and continue contributing to Quebec and Canada.Can the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development provide the House with an update on this important subject?
Mr. Speaker, when the previous government helped out Bombardier in 2008, it was in the initial stages of the C Series development, when it was doing research and development. Since then, Bombardier has secured many large orders and its balance sheet is much, much stronger. There are many smaller businesses in the aerospace sector, companies that have truly innovative products that could really have used that money to help get those products to market. How is the government going to explain to them that one company, which said it does not even need the money, is more deserving than they are?
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to Bombardier, the Liberals need to understand that these are taxpayer dollars that they are spending, not their own. If they are going to give big handouts to one favoured company, they need to have a plan to get the money back. Can the Liberals explain what the repayment plan is for Bombardier, and how they are going to make sure that the hard-earned money of Canadian taxpayers will be returned?
Mr. Speaker, what we do know about carbon pricing is that it is the most efficient way to reduce emissions and to innovate and create good jobs. It always surprises me that the member opposite, who professes to believe in free market principles, just cannot understand why carbon pricing makes sense.I already talked about Patrick Brown, the leader of the Ontario Conservatives, but maybe I will talk about Preston Manning. Conservatives profess to believe in markets, so why do Conservatives not major on how to harness markets to the environmental conversation and make that their signature contribution?I encourage the member opposite to work with me to reduce emissions, focusing on the economy.
Mr. Speaker, the aerospace sector is one of the most innovative and export-driven sectors in Canada. It accounts for more than 211,000 high quality jobs in Canada. This announcement will ensure that 4,000 jobs are maintained and will create roughly 1,300 jobs. In Canada, Bombardier is the largest private-sector investor in research and development. Our government is committed to growing our economy and the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for allowing me to repeat this. The first thing we did, and the promise that we made, was to reduce taxes for Canadians. What Canadians across this nation remember is that the Conservatives voted against that. They have voted against helping middle-class families. They have voted against helping Canadian workers. However, we will continue to do just that, working for middle-class Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the health and safety of all Canadians. The evidence is absolutely clear. In communities where they are needed and appropriate, harm reduction is an important part of a comprehensive approach to drug control. We put harm reduction back in as a pillar of our drugs and substances strategy. This is why we are proposing to streamline the criteria and process for supporting community applications in Bill C-37.
Mr. Speaker, this year alone, we will welcome 40,000 refugees in Canada. That includes 25,000 resettled refugees, which is double the number that the previous government welcomed. It also includes 16,000 privately sponsored refugees, which is triple the number the previous government had.We will take no lessons from those parties on our record. We are proud of record, and we will continue to support Canadians in their extraordinary generosity to those who are seeking protection.
Mr. Speaker, businesses, consumers, all Canadians benefit from government services. We want to strengthen the transparency and oversight of user fees that pay for some of these services. Everyone, including big businesses, should pay their fair share so middle-class Canadians and those working hard to join the middle class do not get stuck with the bill.We are going to treat all Canadians fairly. That is what our government does.
Mr. Speaker, what was despicable was actually sending our troops in the first place without all these compensations. When I first visited our troops, I discovered this. I have had conversations with members opposite on this. It is the reason why it was brought to my attention. We have to work through a process to be able to resolve some of these issues. Many different departments are involved, and we are working through it, and we will get through this.
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to having a translation bureau that is productive and that produces quality. We are committed to making sure we have the employees we need to carry out the work expected of them. We are also committed as a party to official bilingualism. We are taking extraordinary measures to make sure that happens with this government, including putting in a different chief executive officer, a quality officer, and we are going to hire more employees. We are going to do what should have been done years ago. We are going to fix the wrongs of the past with respect to official bilingualism.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for VaughanWoodbridge for his hard work on behalf of his constituents.In December, we announced $46 million to support a new transit and carpool lot that would reduce congestion and get commuters home faster to spend time with their families. The York region will also receive additional funding under the long-term infrastructure plan, and the details will be announced very soon. Our government is proud to support investments in the York region and across the country.
Mr. Speaker, the government made it clear a number of months ago that we intended to have a new legal regime in place and that we would introduce legislation to that effect in the spring of this year. The work is proceeding along in that direction very well. We have the expert advice of the task force, headed by the Hon. Anne McLellan, and we will also weigh very carefully the good advice from the chiefs of police.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know who to trust when it comes to taxes, because the first thing we did was reduce taxes for middle-class Canadians, and Canadians know that across the nation.The Prime Minister was very clear in answering the question from the member, and she knows that well. What we are doing is reviewing all the tax measures in this country. This is the right thing to do. That is what the responsible government is doing.One thing Canadians will always remember is that the first thing this government did was to reduce taxes for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, the 127 projects I talked about leveraged $4.2 billion investment in partnership with the provinces and municipalities. As far as Edmonton is concerned, we approved 47 projects under the new plan introduced in budget 2016. Those projects are helping us build better transit systems, reducing commuter time for Edmontonians, as well as creating Canadian jobs in local communities.
Mr. Speaker, as I stated, we are working through the rules that were put in place by the previous government in 2014. I have asked the chief of the defence staff to work with the relevant agencies to look at the various processes they have to go through, making sure that we have equitable compensation for our troops.
Mr. Speaker, we will be continuing today to debate the NDP opposition day motion.Tomorrow we will call Bill C-31, the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement, for debate at third reading.Monday, we will resume third reading debate on Bill C-30, the CETA legislation.In the coming days we will give priority to Bill C-37 on safe injection sites. Next Thursday, February 16, shall be an allotted day.
Mr. Speaker, I thought I would also point out that there are other Conservatives across the country who believe in pricing pollution. Manitoba's Conservative government, in its speech from the throne, said that its climate action plan will include carbon pricing that fosters emission reductions, retains investment capital, and stimulates new innovation in clean energy businesses and jobs.Once again, I encourage members opposite to work with our government so that we can grow a clean economy and ensure a better future for our kids.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I think that our strategy is clear and effective.As my colleague mentioned, I was in Washington this week, along with the Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Finance. We explained how important Canada and our economy are to American workers. The Prime Minister will do likewise on Monday. That is our job and we do it with pride.
Mr. Speaker, homeowners refinance their homes for many reasons, to invest in a small business, for a home renovation project, to get through an extended strike or lock-out, or even a divorce, but at the finance committee we learned that the Liberals have cancelled CMHC insurance for those who want to refinance their homes. These changes have resulted in Canadians paying higher interest rates when refinancing their mortgage. These changes were imposed with zero consultation.Why are the Liberals hurting struggling Canadian homeowners by hiking their interest rates?
Mr. Speaker, with regard to airports, our first priority is service to passengers, whether it is in terms of cost, options, competitiveness, wait times at security or customs, or passengers' rights. We are exploring different options and everyone can rest assured that our first priority is and will always be service to passengers.
Mr. Speaker, Only countries that respect human rights and offer a high degree of protection to asylum seekers may be designated as safe third countries. Twenty-two refugees risked life and limb crossing from the U.S. into Canada. No one risks their family's safety unless they have no choice. These refugees are blocked from the Canadian system while they are the U.S. because of the safe third country agreement.Does the minister still believe the U.S. is offering a high degree of protection to asylum seekers, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, as I stated to the member opposite during committee, we are committed to looking after our men and women, including their compensation. Our government had concerns regarding the current situation that was not fully fair and equitable. That is why I have asked the chief of the defence staff to work with the relevant agencies to review the compensation rules and propose changes, including finding ways to prevent the negative impacts on our deployed personnel.
Mr. Speaker, here is what we know about the effect of carbon taxes on the gap between rich and poor. One, we know that those with the least will suffer the most, because the poor spend a third more of family income on the items that get taxed. Two, prior experience shows that money generated from the tax always goes to those wealthy enough to lobby for it, like the super rich who will now get a taxpayer rebate to buy $150,000 Tesla cars. Three, we know the government is censoring a Finance Canada memo showing the impact of the carbon tax on the gap between rich and poor.Will the government release that memo today?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order arising out of question period. I have the O'Brien and Bosc citations, which I know you are familiar with and which I will not cite here today.In a previous incarnation, we saw the Minister of Democratic Institutions make disparaging remarks about the electoral reform committee, which she later, and later I believe the Prime Minister, apologized for.Today in question period, in response to a question I raised with respect to our motion today about the Liberal promise on electoral reform and the need to apologize, the minister, in response, made disparaging comments about my ability to perform my job as a member of Parliament and to listen to Canadians on the issue at hand.I do not think this does anything for decorum in this place, nor does it raise the level of debate with regard to our democracy and the ways we can collectively improve it. I would ask the minister now to respectfully withdraw those remarks.
Mr. Speaker, millennials experienced Liberals' backtracking on electoral reform, and our veterans are suffering after Liberals promised them everything to get elected. Today, we hear another story of a veteran losing their home because they did not receive benefits owed to them after being medically released from the Canadian Forces. The DND ombudsman offered a simple solution that the veterans affairs committee agreed to: make sure our soldiers have everything in place before they go home. Enough with the platitudes. Enough with the talking points. When will the minister stop paying lip service to our veterans and do his job?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie went on a second official visit to Haiti to view the impact of Hurricane Matthew and Canadian aid and to attend the inauguration of the 58th president of the Republic of Haiti, His Excellency Jovenel Moïse.Canadian aid is important to Haiti. Could the minister update us on the matter?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Bourassa for his question.I just got back from Haiti, where I attended the president's inauguration. I also toured two Canadian-sponsored projects, the hospital in Gonaïves and the national police academy. Yesterday, I announced an investment of $92.2 million over five years for five development projects focusing on the health of women and girls, child protection, and access to justice. Our government is committed to supporting the new Haitian government, and I had an opportunity to talk about this with the new president himself.
Mr. Speaker, helping Canadians achieve a safe and dignified retirement is key to our plan to help the middle class and those working hard to join it. Bill C-27 aims to broaden the scope of retirement saving opportunities available to Canadians. Under our legislation, individuals have a choice. Those who do not consent, they maintain their benefits. We are willing to take the necessary time to give all parties the opportunity to share suggestions within the process.
Mr. Speaker, as I said, this investment is going to help communities. It is going to help workers. There are 800 suppliers associated with Bombardier that will benefit from this investment, because they are part of the aerospace cluster. They are part of the ecosystem when it comes to that very important cluster and sector. That is what we are doing. We are investing not only in that large company, but we are investing in all of the supplier base from coast to coast to coast. This will help small businesses. More importantly, this will help Canadians and will strengthen the middle class by making sure that we focus on good-quality jobs.
Mr. Speaker, Fadwa Alaoui is a Muslim Canadian born in Morocco. She has a Canadian passport, but that was not enough.Border guards berated her about how often she attends her mosque, what her views are about President Trump, and if she knew anyone killed in the Quebec City mosque attack. She was humiliated and four hours later she drove home.This kind of treatment goes directly against what the government has promised. What is the Liberal government doing about this situation? Can it confirm that there are no other Canadians who have faced this type of situation?
Mr. Speaker, according to the C.D. Howe Institute's recent study, the federal government could pocket up to $16 billion if it decides to sell our airports to private investors. The Calgary, Ottawa, and Vancouver airports and Air Canada are condemning this privatization plan because passengers and workers would be the first to pay the price. Canadians have already paid for this infrastructure. Therefore, if the government really has their interests at heart, is it not time for it to reject this privatization plan rather than financing the government's friends?
Mr. Speaker, earlier this month I had the chance to announce the start of construction of a new inter-regional transit terminal in the city of Vaughan. The Minister of Infrastructure and Communities has been advocating strongly for infrastructure investments that will grow the middle class and make a real difference day to day for families. The families in my riding appreciate investments in public transit. Could the minister inform the House what he has been doing to ensure communities like VaughanWoodbridge benefit from much-needed investments in public transit?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Lac-Saint-Jean.What I can promise him today is that, while we are in office, we will work for Canadian families and the middle class. That is what we did in budget 2016 and in the fall economic update. He can rest assured of that.Every day, every step of the way, the members on this side of the House are working to improve the lives of Canadian workers.
Mr. Speaker, it was not until this story came out in the media yesterday that anyone heard about it. Since December, my colleague from SelkirkInterlakeEastman and I have been calling on the Minister of National Defence to address this. We have talked about it very discreetly. Nothing happened. Now that the media are talking about it, finally we see a response. People are calling for a response, but now is not the time.Can the minister resolve this case immediately, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, proper and appropriate treatment for all people from Canada seeking to enter the United States or any other country is a priority for this government.Canadian citizenship and travel documents need to be respected. In this particular case, the office of the member for BrossardSaint-Lambert has been touch with the Canadian citizen who made this complaint. When we get full details of the circumstances, I will both encourage her to apply for the redress process, but also
Mr. Speaker, only a Liberal would try to make people believe that a program that helps 90% of the population is better than the universal child care benefit, which helped 100% of the population.The Minister of Finance has lost control of government spending, and our children and grandchildren will have to pay the price.Can he promise today that he will not cut any other benefits for families who need them?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to combatting human trafficking and better protecting victims who are among society's most vulnerable. Bill C-38 would bring into force the former private member's bill, Bill C-452, and also make it in compliance with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The bill would give law enforcement and prosecutors additional tools in terms of investigations and prosecutions to assist in combatting this challenge.
Mr. Speaker, that is why the Minister of National Defence and I are working very hard on closing the seam to ensure we professionalize the release process and ensure that when our men and women in uniform are leaving the service they get the help they need where and when they need it. I can also say that we are working hard to deliver timely benefit decisions and it is an area where we can do better. In 2015-16, we did see a 19% increase in the number of disability claims. We are working through those, putting processes in place to speed up delivery of our services. We can and will do better on behalf of veterans.
Mr. Speaker, I think the Liberals have actually lost the ability to tell when they are breaking promises. It is worrisome.Today in the House of Commons we are debating an NDP motion to simply acknowledge what everybody already knows: that when it came to electoral reform, the Liberal promise to fix our outdated and unfair voting system was broken and that the Liberals should apologize. Some Liberals have actually already started apologizing to their constituents, so this should be easy, but during the debate today, a Liberal MP from Toronto said he was actually proud of the Liberals' decision to betray their promise to Canadians.I have a question for the minister. Yes or no, is the minister proud of her Prime Minister's decision to betray his promise to Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities likes to boast about his project spending, but on this side of the House we know the devil is in the details. The fact is that things are just not being built.According to the Government of Canada's own website, which is updated weekly, only one of 127 projects announced in Alberta by the Liberals has started construction. Nothing has started in Edmonton.Another Liberal promise made; another Liberal promise broken. Why have these projects not started?
Mr. Speaker, as the Liberals push to legalize marijuana by 2018, many Canadians are concerned about the consequences of people driving while high. There are screening devices that detect the presence of drugs in the body, but they are not authorized for use under the Criminal Code.Will the Liberals authorize the use of these devices before they introduce legislation, finally making the health and safety of Canadians a priority?
Mr. Speaker, the Translation Bureau does extremely valuable work to promote our two official languages, but over 400 positions have been eliminated over the past four years and there are plans to cut 140 more. Morale is at an all-time low, and bureau staff are under constant pressure.Today the Minister of Public Services and Procurement announced 19 new hires, but that is nowhere near what is needed. Will the minister commit to putting an end to the cuts and to replacing every staff member who leaves the Translation Bureau?
Mr. Speaker, the government is looking at options, so it has not ruled out privatization, which is rather shameful. Airports are not the only infrastructure that the government is looking at privatizing. The Liberals promised to invest in infrastructure. We have been talking a lot about promises lately. As it turns out, the parliamentary budget officer, not the opposition parties, found that most of the infrastructure funding is not actually flowing.Instead of keeping its promises, the government would rather set up an infrastructure privatization bank. Can the minister reassure Canadians and tell them that it is not planning to sell off our public infrastructure?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals ran on a promise to build consultation and social licence into their decision-making process when it had significant impact on local communities. However, it would appear that they are ignoring their own advice or promise in this regard in terms of drug injection sites. Just today in committee, the Liberal members voted down my amendment to Bill C-37, which asked the minister to give 45 days public notice before rendering a decision.Why are the Liberals afraid to give communities a voice in whether a drug injection site is in fact authorized for their community?
Mr. Speaker, that was not really what I asked, but whatever. We know that a Canadian family was stopped at the U.S. border. They are Canadian citizens who live in Brossard, and they happen to be Muslim.When the Prime Minister was asked about this, he replied that he is working with the Americans to figure out how to make things better for Canadians. That is not good enough under the circumstances. It is not good enough when that kind of thing happens.Can the minister tell us if this was an isolated incident or if other Canadian citizens have been turned away at the border?
Mr. Speaker, I think the microphone was cut off before the hon. member could hear the end of my previous answer. Number one, we encourage anyone facing this situation to appeal through the normal processes, but number two, draw the circumstances and the facts with complete details to my attention and I will take those cases up with the U.S. administration.
Mr. Speaker, the minister and others claim these taxes are revenue neutral. They claim that, for example, a single woman with an income of $45,000 will get back, in rebates and other tax relief, all of the taxes she pays on heat, gas, and groceries, but the only way to test that is to know what carbon tax amounts she will pay in the first place. Data contained in a blacked-out Finance Canada memo will tell us exactly that.If these new taxes are really revenue neutral for the poor, why will the government not prove it and release the data now?
Mr. Speaker, last weekend, 22 refugees crossed the border in the freezing cold to seek safety in Canada, but under the safe third country agreement, refugees who enter the United States cannot then come to Canada.Yesterday, the Prime Minister said that we will always be welcoming to vulnerable people. These refugees are vulnerable people. Will the government suspend the safe third country agreement so that it can welcome them?
Mr. Speaker, out of the $180 billion that we will invest over 12 years in infrastructure, only 8% will be delivered through the infrastructure bank. The rest of the money is available to municipalities, the provinces, and the territories through the traditional means of national programs as well as bilateral agreements that we will sign with each province and territory.I can assure the member that every community will be served in an equitable way to grow the economy and create jobs for the middle class and those who working so hard to be a part of it.
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. gentleman may know, over the course of the last several weeks, the RCMP and other police forces across the country, in co-operation with the Government of Canada, have been testing a number of scientific devices for roadside testing of drug-impaired driving to determine their efficacy under Canadian weather conditions, including in the middle of the winter. We will ensure that we have both the legal regime and the scientific regime to deal with drug-impaired driving.
Mr. Speaker, today we have learned that a veteran has been evicted from her home because of delays in receiving her pension. This is unconscionable. Compound that by the fact this veteran had six tours of duty, two bouts of cancer, and is a single mom. It should make the minister and the Prime Minister hang their heads in shame. Enough is enough. Will the minister take action today to ensure that veterans have their pensions in place the day that they are released from service?
Mr. Speaker, this week, a number of government ministers went to Washington. Next week, it will be the Prime Minister's turn to go.Canadians want tangible results, not just tweets, photos, and words. They want jobs.How does the Prime Minister plan to maintain trade ties with the Americans while protecting jobs here in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's words are in question these days because of his long list of broken promises. He just cannot be trusted. Therefore, we were skeptical when the Prime Minister said that he would not tax the health and dental benefits of Canadians, so we put the question to the House. We asked him to say no to this regressive tax. In true form, the Liberals were completely inconsistent, and Canadians are now worried that this tax is on the table. Why do the Liberals keep breaking their word? How can Canadians know that they will not have to pay more for health and dental benefits?
Mr. Speaker, contrary to my colleague's comments, we are following through on a promise we made during the election to stop installing community mailboxes
Mr. Speaker, we are continuing with the promise we made, and that was to stop the installation of roadside mailboxes and to consult with Canadians from coast to coast to coast to get their views on the type of Canada Post we need to have, one that is sustainable and delivers for Canadians. We are doing just that. We now have the two reports needed that we now
and I am looking forward to working on democratic institutions to strengthen, protect, and improve our system.
Mr. Speaker, would the government House leader tell us about the business of the House for the rest of this week and next week?
Mr. Speaker, when ageing sectors such as the auto and oil sectors need help, Ottawa has its chequebook at the ready, but when it is time to help the economic development of Quebec's cutting edge industries, Ottawa becomes a cheapskate. The government would rather see our plants suffer than to give us our fair share.How can the government justify offering Bombardier help that is 38 times less than what it offered the auto industry? Was the government afraid of how English Canada might react?
Mr. Speaker, reaction in Quebec to the so-called assistance the government is providing to Bombardier has been unanimous: cheap. Everyone agrees that it is too little, too late, and that it is disappointing.Apart from the government itself and the Conservative Party, no one in Quebec believes that 38 times less than what was given to the auto industry is sufficient to support the flagship of Quebec's aerospace industry.How can the Minister of Transport, a Quebec MP, justify waiting until Bombardier was gasping for its last breath before finally granting some support, which everyone in Quebec sees as vastly insufficient?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' Bill C-27 is an attack on stable, secure workplace pensions that would let employers back away from commitments to workers and pensioners. This week, workers came to Ottawa to raise their voices about this dangerous bill. Now, according to reports, the Liberal government has said it will put a hold on Bill C-27 because of widespread opposition. Will the government commit to withdraw this anti-worker bill and refrain from any further attempts to attack workers' pensions?
Mr. Speaker, today the Liberals introduced a bill that would give a break to human traffickers who committed multiple crimes. This is unbelievable. The bill says that people convicted of human trafficking would not have to serve consecutive sentences when they committed additional unspeakable crimes against victims.Why are the Liberals always so worried about giving a break to criminals? Why do they not start sticking up for victims for a change?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to veterans and their families, full stop. After the previous 10 years with the former government frankly ignoring veterans' concerns by the fact that it closed offices, that it reduced one-third of the front-line staff, it is shocking that we are actually getting this question. Our government is working hard to ensure that veterans receive the care, compassion, and respect they deserve. Budget 2016 saw us put $5.6 billion in more resources to veterans and their families. We are going to continue to deliver on their behalf.
Mr. Speaker, Dave Bona, a veteran, waited eight hours in the freezing cold for the Prime Minister's town hall in Saskatoon. Once inside, a student, recognizing that he was a veteran by his uniform, in respect offered him his seat, but Dave was approached by a Liberal organizer and told he couldn't take it, that he had to go to the back. Clearly visible to the Prime Minister, Dave stood at attention for 20 minutes waiting to ask a question, but was ignored. Why did the Prime Minister ignore Dave Bona?
Mr. Speaker, I am not sure we were at the same parliamentary committee because the experts told us during the last three consultations that this had absolutely no impact on Toronto and Vancouver, even though it ought to have affected them. However, it did have an adverse effect on first-time homebuyers from coast to coast.Yesterday, members of the Fédération des chambres immobilières du Québec were here and they told us that there were 6,000 fewer first-time homebuyers in Canada. We are talking about families, the middle class. That is $220 million less in the Canadian economy. Why does the government continue to attack families and the middle class in Quebec and across Canada with its bad real estate measures?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are cutting the monthly pay of soldiers deployed in Kuwait by more than $1,500. For the minister to cut their pay once they have been deployed is despicable. Our soldiers expect the minister to protect them, but that is obviously not happening.We brought this to the minister's attention in December, but nothing was done. Unfortunately, the minister ignored the issue. As a former unit commander, I am ashamed of my country and the way the Liberals are treating our soldiers.Will the Liberals stop pinching pennies at the soldiers' expense? Mr. Minister, will you fix this problem yourself?
Mr. Speaker, during the last election the Prime Minister promised only modest deficits, but, alas, that promise was broken. Since then, Liberal ministers have been looking for ways to raise taxes on hard-working Canadians to pay for the Prime Minister's billions of dollars in broken promises. We now learn that the President of the Treasury Board is planning to raise user fees, which is just a tax by another name. Will the President of the Treasury Board tell Canadians which fees are going up, by how much, and when?
Mr. Speaker, I am afraid my colleague has a short memory. The first thing that this government did was reduce taxes for nine million Canadians. It then came along with the Canada child benefit, which is helping nine out of 10 families, and then introduced an infrastructure program for $128 billion, something which is historic in this country. The sad thing that the people at home recognize is that the Conservatives voted against helping the middle class in this country every step of the way.
Mr. Speaker, in 2012, the previous government approved four projects for Alberta, two projects in 2013 for Alberta and five projects in 2014 for Alberta. Compare that to 127 projects approved by our government for Alberta.When it comes to building infrastructure, growing the economy, creating jobs for Albertans, we take no lessons from the old, tired Conservative Party.
Mr. Speaker, last week the parliamentary budget officer identified a shortfall of $9 billion for infrastructure. We know that 96% of the announced projects are not under construction. We know Alberta was promised $700 million in fast-track infrastructure funds over a year ago, and no surprise, Alberta is still waiting for over 90% of those funds.When will the Liberals start taking the job crisis in Alberta seriously and fast-track the promised infrastructure funds?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals can say what they want, but the record shows that on Tuesday they refused to vote against taxing the health and dental benefits of Canadians. That means that Canadians may be paying an extra $1,000 for their health and dental benefits.My question is this. The Liberals did not talk about this in their platform, and they voted against our motion on Tuesday. What other tax increases are they trying to keep secret, being wishy-washy about, and playing both sides of the ledger? Where else will they be taxing Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, as I explained to my hon. colleague during the debate this morning, we listened to Canadians, and listening means listening to all points of view. I know that is something the member has trouble understanding, but that is what we did
Mr. Speaker, the minister is not the only one who will apologize today. There has been a grievous procedural error, of which I am the author. The other day I raised a point of order in the House of Commons with respect to redacted documents, documents that would show the impact of an increased carbon tax on the most vulnerable people. I failed to table those redacted documents, and as a remedy, I ask for the unanimous consent of the House to table them now.
Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, the Liberals and the Prime Minister himself promised to restore home mail delivery for those who had lost it.The minister has had Canada Post's review report since December, but we still have not heard anything about his decision.Much like the promise for electoral reform, can we expect this report to be torn up as well? Is this just another broken promise?
Mr. Speaker, when I asked the defence minister in December to fix the inequity of awarding danger pay and benefits to some but not all of our troops fighting ISIS, the minister said he would. It never crossed my mind the Liberals would do that by taking away everyone's danger pay. Canadian troops stationed in Kuwait are now having their paycheques reduced by over $1,500 a month by the Liberals. Why is the Prime Minister betraying our brave men and women who are in the fight against ISIS?
Mr. Speaker, I understand the importance of collegiality and respect for all members of this House, and for that reason, I am happy to withdraw those comments.
Mr. Speaker, our government has been recognized as being a global leader in welcoming refugees and asylum seekers. We are proud of that tradition.The safe third country agreement between the United States and Canada provides an orderly system of managing asylum claims. The hon. member knows or should know that the U.S. executive order has no bearing on the U.S. safe third country agreement with Canada.We are proud of our tradition of offering protection. Every eligible asylum seeker has access to a fair hearing in front of the Immigration and Refugee Board. Each case is assessed based on its merits.
Mr. Speaker, the well-being of veterans and their families is at the heart of all we do at Veterans Affairs. Delivering timely benefits is an area where we can and must do better. In 2015-16, we saw a 19% increase in the number of disability benefit claims. This is a good thing. It means more people are coming forward to get the help they need when they need it. In order to address this, we are streamlining the disability benefits process, hiring more staff, and simplifying the decision-making process. We know we are doing better for veterans, and we will continue to work hard to provide them with the services they need.
Mr. Speaker, for many families, their homes are the most important investment that they will make in their lives. That is why we have taken action to contain risks in the housing market and support long-term affordability. For example, the government has implemented a mortgage rate stress test to ensure that Canadians are taking on mortgages that they can afford even if the rates go up. The government also announced income tax measures to improve the fairness and integrity of the tax system. We will continue to monitor the market to protect middle-class Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, for many families, their homes are the most important investment that they will make in their lives. That is why we have taken action to contain risks in the housing market and support long-term affordability. For example, the government has implemented a mortgage rate stress test to ensure that Canadians are taking on mortgages that they can afford even if the rates go up. The government also announced income tax measures to improve the fairness and integrity of the tax system.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be part of a strong team of about 40 MPs from across the province who are working hard for Quebec. This incredible team made sure that we put forward a proposition that will help Canadian families, that will create good-quality jobs, that will benefit our communities, and that will strengthen the aerospace sector. This investment is about the future economy of Canada. It is about growth and jobs. This will benefit Quebec. Two-thirds of the jobs will be in Quebec. This is exactly what we want to do. We want to create jobs, and we want to create growth.
Mr. Speaker, again, I find it a bit ironic that the member opposite was at the cabinet table when the Conservatives cut a cheque for $350 million for Bombardier in 2008, but let me talk about now and the commitment that we have made. We have made a commitment to the workers. We have made a commitment to their families. We are investing in the aerospace sector, because this is an important sector that generates 211,000 jobs, that contributes $28 billion to our economy. We are proud of our record. We are proud of the fact that we are making investments, growing the economy, and creating good-quality jobs for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, this morning, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police submitted a report that confirms how important and urgent it is for the government to give police forces the tools they need to deal with drug-impaired driving before it even begins to think about legalizing marijuana.For my part, I took action by introducing Senator Claude Carignan's bill, which would allow police officers to detect drug-impaired drivers and thus save many lives.Do the Liberals plan to make Canadians' safety a priority and support this bill before legalizing marijuana?
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister has completely lost control of the government's spending. The deficit will be two or three times more than was promised, and he will need to raise taxes in order to balance his budget. Will the finance minister confirm today that he will not attack Canadian seniors by removing pension income-splitting to balance his budget?
Mr. Speaker, that does not fix this current situation. The defence minister is a proud veteran, and he knows better than anyone how important danger pay is not just for our brave men and women in uniform but for their families back at home as well. We all knew the Liberals would cut defence spending, but we did not ever imagine they would literally do it on the backs of our soldiers and military families. Will the defence minister quit taking his marching orders from the Prime Minister, fight for our troops, and reinstate all of the danger pay and benefits for all of our troops who are in the fight against ISIS?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Rivière-des-Mille-Îles for her question.I was very proud to be in Mirabel this morning to see Bell Helicopter Textron's new assembly line. This is another example of our government working closely with provincial governments to create a positive business environment for companies in Canada. This co-operation with the Government of Quebec has helped keep 900 jobs and create over 100 new jobs in the province. Our government committed to growing our economy and the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, as I stated, we will always be looking after our troops. It was during my first visit into Kuwait when I was appointed defence minister where I realized some of these inequities. That is why I have asked the chief of the defence staff to look at these things. It is the interdepartmental team that does it. Some rules were actually put into place in 2014, so these things do take time, but we will be working through it and making sure we work with the relevant agencies and all the recommendations we made so that we can move forward on this.
Mr. Speaker, Bell Helicopter Textron is a major employer in my riding and the Lower Laurentians region. Many of my constituents work for that company or are associated with Bell Helicopter suppliers.I was especially happy to learn that last year Bell Helicopter renewed its commitment to remain in and continue contributing to Quebec and Canada.Can the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development provide the House with an update on this important subject?
Mr. Speaker, when the previous government helped out Bombardier in 2008, it was in the initial stages of the C Series development, when it was doing research and development. Since then, Bombardier has secured many large orders and its balance sheet is much, much stronger. There are many smaller businesses in the aerospace sector, companies that have truly innovative products that could really have used that money to help get those products to market. How is the government going to explain to them that one company, which said it does not even need the money, is more deserving than they are?
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to Bombardier, the Liberals need to understand that these are taxpayer dollars that they are spending, not their own. If they are going to give big handouts to one favoured company, they need to have a plan to get the money back. Can the Liberals explain what the repayment plan is for Bombardier, and how they are going to make sure that the hard-earned money of Canadian taxpayers will be returned?
Mr. Speaker, what we do know about carbon pricing is that it is the most efficient way to reduce emissions and to innovate and create good jobs. It always surprises me that the member opposite, who professes to believe in free market principles, just cannot understand why carbon pricing makes sense.I already talked about Patrick Brown, the leader of the Ontario Conservatives, but maybe I will talk about Preston Manning. Conservatives profess to believe in markets, so why do Conservatives not major on how to harness markets to the environmental conversation and make that their signature contribution?I encourage the member opposite to work with me to reduce emissions, focusing on the economy.
Mr. Speaker, the aerospace sector is one of the most innovative and export-driven sectors in Canada. It accounts for more than 211,000 high quality jobs in Canada. This announcement will ensure that 4,000 jobs are maintained and will create roughly 1,300 jobs. In Canada, Bombardier is the largest private-sector investor in research and development. Our government is committed to growing our economy and the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for allowing me to repeat this. The first thing we did, and the promise that we made, was to reduce taxes for Canadians. What Canadians across this nation remember is that the Conservatives voted against that. They have voted against helping middle-class families. They have voted against helping Canadian workers. However, we will continue to do just that, working for middle-class Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the health and safety of all Canadians. The evidence is absolutely clear. In communities where they are needed and appropriate, harm reduction is an important part of a comprehensive approach to drug control. We put harm reduction back in as a pillar of our drugs and substances strategy. This is why we are proposing to streamline the criteria and process for supporting community applications in Bill C-37.
Mr. Speaker, this year alone, we will welcome 40,000 refugees in Canada. That includes 25,000 resettled refugees, which is double the number that the previous government welcomed. It also includes 16,000 privately sponsored refugees, which is triple the number the previous government had.We will take no lessons from those parties on our record. We are proud of record, and we will continue to support Canadians in their extraordinary generosity to those who are seeking protection.
Mr. Speaker, businesses, consumers, all Canadians benefit from government services. We want to strengthen the transparency and oversight of user fees that pay for some of these services. Everyone, including big businesses, should pay their fair share so middle-class Canadians and those working hard to join the middle class do not get stuck with the bill.We are going to treat all Canadians fairly. That is what our government does.
Mr. Speaker, what was despicable was actually sending our troops in the first place without all these compensations. When I first visited our troops, I discovered this. I have had conversations with members opposite on this. It is the reason why it was brought to my attention. We have to work through a process to be able to resolve some of these issues. Many different departments are involved, and we are working through it, and we will get through this.
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to having a translation bureau that is productive and that produces quality. We are committed to making sure we have the employees we need to carry out the work expected of them. We are also committed as a party to official bilingualism. We are taking extraordinary measures to make sure that happens with this government, including putting in a different chief executive officer, a quality officer, and we are going to hire more employees. We are going to do what should have been done years ago. We are going to fix the wrongs of the past with respect to official bilingualism.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for VaughanWoodbridge for his hard work on behalf of his constituents.In December, we announced $46 million to support a new transit and carpool lot that would reduce congestion and get commuters home faster to spend time with their families. The York region will also receive additional funding under the long-term infrastructure plan, and the details will be announced very soon. Our government is proud to support investments in the York region and across the country.
Mr. Speaker, the government made it clear a number of months ago that we intended to have a new legal regime in place and that we would introduce legislation to that effect in the spring of this year. The work is proceeding along in that direction very well. We have the expert advice of the task force, headed by the Hon. Anne McLellan, and we will also weigh very carefully the good advice from the chiefs of police.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know who to trust when it comes to taxes, because the first thing we did was reduce taxes for middle-class Canadians, and Canadians know that across the nation.The Prime Minister was very clear in answering the question from the member, and she knows that well. What we are doing is reviewing all the tax measures in this country. This is the right thing to do. That is what the responsible government is doing.One thing Canadians will always remember is that the first thing this government did was to reduce taxes for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, the 127 projects I talked about leveraged $4.2 billion investment in partnership with the provinces and municipalities. As far as Edmonton is concerned, we approved 47 projects under the new plan introduced in budget 2016. Those projects are helping us build better transit systems, reducing commuter time for Edmontonians, as well as creating Canadian jobs in local communities.
Mr. Speaker, as I stated, we are working through the rules that were put in place by the previous government in 2014. I have asked the chief of the defence staff to work with the relevant agencies to look at the various processes they have to go through, making sure that we have equitable compensation for our troops.
Mr. Speaker, we will be continuing today to debate the NDP opposition day motion.Tomorrow we will call Bill C-31, the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement, for debate at third reading.Monday, we will resume third reading debate on Bill C-30, the CETA legislation.In the coming days we will give priority to Bill C-37 on safe injection sites. Next Thursday, February 16, shall be an allotted day.
Mr. Speaker, I thought I would also point out that there are other Conservatives across the country who believe in pricing pollution. Manitoba's Conservative government, in its speech from the throne, said that its climate action plan will include carbon pricing that fosters emission reductions, retains investment capital, and stimulates new innovation in clean energy businesses and jobs.Once again, I encourage members opposite to work with our government so that we can grow a clean economy and ensure a better future for our kids.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I think that our strategy is clear and effective.As my colleague mentioned, I was in Washington this week, along with the Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Finance. We explained how important Canada and our economy are to American workers. The Prime Minister will do likewise on Monday. That is our job and we do it with pride.
Mr. Speaker, homeowners refinance their homes for many reasons, to invest in a small business, for a home renovation project, to get through an extended strike or lock-out, or even a divorce, but at the finance committee we learned that the Liberals have cancelled CMHC insurance for those who want to refinance their homes. These changes have resulted in Canadians paying higher interest rates when refinancing their mortgage. These changes were imposed with zero consultation.Why are the Liberals hurting struggling Canadian homeowners by hiking their interest rates?
Mr. Speaker, with regard to airports, our first priority is service to passengers, whether it is in terms of cost, options, competitiveness, wait times at security or customs, or passengers' rights. We are exploring different options and everyone can rest assured that our first priority is and will always be service to passengers.
Mr. Speaker, Only countries that respect human rights and offer a high degree of protection to asylum seekers may be designated as safe third countries. Twenty-two refugees risked life and limb crossing from the U.S. into Canada. No one risks their family's safety unless they have no choice. These refugees are blocked from the Canadian system while they are the U.S. because of the safe third country agreement.Does the minister still believe the U.S. is offering a high degree of protection to asylum seekers, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, as I stated to the member opposite during committee, we are committed to looking after our men and women, including their compensation. Our government had concerns regarding the current situation that was not fully fair and equitable. That is why I have asked the chief of the defence staff to work with the relevant agencies to review the compensation rules and propose changes, including finding ways to prevent the negative impacts on our deployed personnel.
Mr. Speaker, here is what we know about the effect of carbon taxes on the gap between rich and poor. One, we know that those with the least will suffer the most, because the poor spend a third more of family income on the items that get taxed. Two, prior experience shows that money generated from the tax always goes to those wealthy enough to lobby for it, like the super rich who will now get a taxpayer rebate to buy $150,000 Tesla cars. Three, we know the government is censoring a Finance Canada memo showing the impact of the carbon tax on the gap between rich and poor.Will the government release that memo today?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order arising out of question period. I have the O'Brien and Bosc citations, which I know you are familiar with and which I will not cite here today.In a previous incarnation, we saw the Minister of Democratic Institutions make disparaging remarks about the electoral reform committee, which she later, and later I believe the Prime Minister, apologized for.Today in question period, in response to a question I raised with respect to our motion today about the Liberal promise on electoral reform and the need to apologize, the minister, in response, made disparaging comments about my ability to perform my job as a member of Parliament and to listen to Canadians on the issue at hand.I do not think this does anything for decorum in this place, nor does it raise the level of debate with regard to our democracy and the ways we can collectively improve it. I would ask the minister now to respectfully withdraw those remarks.
Mr. Speaker, millennials experienced Liberals' backtracking on electoral reform, and our veterans are suffering after Liberals promised them everything to get elected. Today, we hear another story of a veteran losing their home because they did not receive benefits owed to them after being medically released from the Canadian Forces. The DND ombudsman offered a simple solution that the veterans affairs committee agreed to: make sure our soldiers have everything in place before they go home. Enough with the platitudes. Enough with the talking points. When will the minister stop paying lip service to our veterans and do his job?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie went on a second official visit to Haiti to view the impact of Hurricane Matthew and Canadian aid and to attend the inauguration of the 58th president of the Republic of Haiti, His Excellency Jovenel Moïse.Canadian aid is important to Haiti. Could the minister update us on the matter?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Bourassa for his question.I just got back from Haiti, where I attended the president's inauguration. I also toured two Canadian-sponsored projects, the hospital in Gonaïves and the national police academy. Yesterday, I announced an investment of $92.2 million over five years for five development projects focusing on the health of women and girls, child protection, and access to justice. Our government is committed to supporting the new Haitian government, and I had an opportunity to talk about this with the new president himself.
Mr. Speaker, helping Canadians achieve a safe and dignified retirement is key to our plan to help the middle class and those working hard to join it. Bill C-27 aims to broaden the scope of retirement saving opportunities available to Canadians. Under our legislation, individuals have a choice. Those who do not consent, they maintain their benefits. We are willing to take the necessary time to give all parties the opportunity to share suggestions within the process.
Mr. Speaker, as I said, this investment is going to help communities. It is going to help workers. There are 800 suppliers associated with Bombardier that will benefit from this investment, because they are part of the aerospace cluster. They are part of the ecosystem when it comes to that very important cluster and sector. That is what we are doing. We are investing not only in that large company, but we are investing in all of the supplier base from coast to coast to coast. This will help small businesses. More importantly, this will help Canadians and will strengthen the middle class by making sure that we focus on good-quality jobs.
Mr. Speaker, Fadwa Alaoui is a Muslim Canadian born in Morocco. She has a Canadian passport, but that was not enough.Border guards berated her about how often she attends her mosque, what her views are about President Trump, and if she knew anyone killed in the Quebec City mosque attack. She was humiliated and four hours later she drove home.This kind of treatment goes directly against what the government has promised. What is the Liberal government doing about this situation? Can it confirm that there are no other Canadians who have faced this type of situation?
Mr. Speaker, according to the C.D. Howe Institute's recent study, the federal government could pocket up to $16 billion if it decides to sell our airports to private investors. The Calgary, Ottawa, and Vancouver airports and Air Canada are condemning this privatization plan because passengers and workers would be the first to pay the price. Canadians have already paid for this infrastructure. Therefore, if the government really has their interests at heart, is it not time for it to reject this privatization plan rather than financing the government's friends?
Mr. Speaker, earlier this month I had the chance to announce the start of construction of a new inter-regional transit terminal in the city of Vaughan. The Minister of Infrastructure and Communities has been advocating strongly for infrastructure investments that will grow the middle class and make a real difference day to day for families. The families in my riding appreciate investments in public transit. Could the minister inform the House what he has been doing to ensure communities like VaughanWoodbridge benefit from much-needed investments in public transit?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Lac-Saint-Jean.What I can promise him today is that, while we are in office, we will work for Canadian families and the middle class. That is what we did in budget 2016 and in the fall economic update. He can rest assured of that.Every day, every step of the way, the members on this side of the House are working to improve the lives of Canadian workers.
Mr. Speaker, it was not until this story came out in the media yesterday that anyone heard about it. Since December, my colleague from SelkirkInterlakeEastman and I have been calling on the Minister of National Defence to address this. We have talked about it very discreetly. Nothing happened. Now that the media are talking about it, finally we see a response. People are calling for a response, but now is not the time.Can the minister resolve this case immediately, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, proper and appropriate treatment for all people from Canada seeking to enter the United States or any other country is a priority for this government.Canadian citizenship and travel documents need to be respected. In this particular case, the office of the member for BrossardSaint-Lambert has been touch with the Canadian citizen who made this complaint. When we get full details of the circumstances, I will both encourage her to apply for the redress process, but also
Mr. Speaker, only a Liberal would try to make people believe that a program that helps 90% of the population is better than the universal child care benefit, which helped 100% of the population.The Minister of Finance has lost control of government spending, and our children and grandchildren will have to pay the price.Can he promise today that he will not cut any other benefits for families who need them?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to combatting human trafficking and better protecting victims who are among society's most vulnerable. Bill C-38 would bring into force the former private member's bill, Bill C-452, and also make it in compliance with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The bill would give law enforcement and prosecutors additional tools in terms of investigations and prosecutions to assist in combatting this challenge.
Mr. Speaker, that is why the Minister of National Defence and I are working very hard on closing the seam to ensure we professionalize the release process and ensure that when our men and women in uniform are leaving the service they get the help they need where and when they need it. I can also say that we are working hard to deliver timely benefit decisions and it is an area where we can do better. In 2015-16, we did see a 19% increase in the number of disability claims. We are working through those, putting processes in place to speed up delivery of our services. We can and will do better on behalf of veterans.
Mr. Speaker, I think the Liberals have actually lost the ability to tell when they are breaking promises. It is worrisome.Today in the House of Commons we are debating an NDP motion to simply acknowledge what everybody already knows: that when it came to electoral reform, the Liberal promise to fix our outdated and unfair voting system was broken and that the Liberals should apologize. Some Liberals have actually already started apologizing to their constituents, so this should be easy, but during the debate today, a Liberal MP from Toronto said he was actually proud of the Liberals' decision to betray their promise to Canadians.I have a question for the minister. Yes or no, is the minister proud of her Prime Minister's decision to betray his promise to Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities likes to boast about his project spending, but on this side of the House we know the devil is in the details. The fact is that things are just not being built.According to the Government of Canada's own website, which is updated weekly, only one of 127 projects announced in Alberta by the Liberals has started construction. Nothing has started in Edmonton.Another Liberal promise made; another Liberal promise broken. Why have these projects not started?
Mr. Speaker, as the Liberals push to legalize marijuana by 2018, many Canadians are concerned about the consequences of people driving while high. There are screening devices that detect the presence of drugs in the body, but they are not authorized for use under the Criminal Code.Will the Liberals authorize the use of these devices before they introduce legislation, finally making the health and safety of Canadians a priority?
Mr. Speaker, the Translation Bureau does extremely valuable work to promote our two official languages, but over 400 positions have been eliminated over the past four years and there are plans to cut 140 more. Morale is at an all-time low, and bureau staff are under constant pressure.Today the Minister of Public Services and Procurement announced 19 new hires, but that is nowhere near what is needed. Will the minister commit to putting an end to the cuts and to replacing every staff member who leaves the Translation Bureau?
Mr. Speaker, the government is looking at options, so it has not ruled out privatization, which is rather shameful. Airports are not the only infrastructure that the government is looking at privatizing. The Liberals promised to invest in infrastructure. We have been talking a lot about promises lately. As it turns out, the parliamentary budget officer, not the opposition parties, found that most of the infrastructure funding is not actually flowing.Instead of keeping its promises, the government would rather set up an infrastructure privatization bank. Can the minister reassure Canadians and tell them that it is not planning to sell off our public infrastructure?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals ran on a promise to build consultation and social licence into their decision-making process when it had significant impact on local communities. However, it would appear that they are ignoring their own advice or promise in this regard in terms of drug injection sites. Just today in committee, the Liberal members voted down my amendment to Bill C-37, which asked the minister to give 45 days public notice before rendering a decision.Why are the Liberals afraid to give communities a voice in whether a drug injection site is in fact authorized for their community?
Mr. Speaker, that was not really what I asked, but whatever. We know that a Canadian family was stopped at the U.S. border. They are Canadian citizens who live in Brossard, and they happen to be Muslim.When the Prime Minister was asked about this, he replied that he is working with the Americans to figure out how to make things better for Canadians. That is not good enough under the circumstances. It is not good enough when that kind of thing happens.Can the minister tell us if this was an isolated incident or if other Canadian citizens have been turned away at the border?
Mr. Speaker, I think the microphone was cut off before the hon. member could hear the end of my previous answer. Number one, we encourage anyone facing this situation to appeal through the normal processes, but number two, draw the circumstances and the facts with complete details to my attention and I will take those cases up with the U.S. administration.
Mr. Speaker, the minister and others claim these taxes are revenue neutral. They claim that, for example, a single woman with an income of $45,000 will get back, in rebates and other tax relief, all of the taxes she pays on heat, gas, and groceries, but the only way to test that is to know what carbon tax amounts she will pay in the first place. Data contained in a blacked-out Finance Canada memo will tell us exactly that.If these new taxes are really revenue neutral for the poor, why will the government not prove it and release the data now?
Mr. Speaker, last weekend, 22 refugees crossed the border in the freezing cold to seek safety in Canada, but under the safe third country agreement, refugees who enter the United States cannot then come to Canada.Yesterday, the Prime Minister said that we will always be welcoming to vulnerable people. These refugees are vulnerable people. Will the government suspend the safe third country agreement so that it can welcome them?
Mr. Speaker, out of the $180 billion that we will invest over 12 years in infrastructure, only 8% will be delivered through the infrastructure bank. The rest of the money is available to municipalities, the provinces, and the territories through the traditional means of national programs as well as bilateral agreements that we will sign with each province and territory.I can assure the member that every community will be served in an equitable way to grow the economy and create jobs for the middle class and those who working so hard to be a part of it.
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. gentleman may know, over the course of the last several weeks, the RCMP and other police forces across the country, in co-operation with the Government of Canada, have been testing a number of scientific devices for roadside testing of drug-impaired driving to determine their efficacy under Canadian weather conditions, including in the middle of the winter. We will ensure that we have both the legal regime and the scientific regime to deal with drug-impaired driving.
Mr. Speaker, today we have learned that a veteran has been evicted from her home because of delays in receiving her pension. This is unconscionable. Compound that by the fact this veteran had six tours of duty, two bouts of cancer, and is a single mom. It should make the minister and the Prime Minister hang their heads in shame. Enough is enough. Will the minister take action today to ensure that veterans have their pensions in place the day that they are released from service?
Mr. Speaker, this week, a number of government ministers went to Washington. Next week, it will be the Prime Minister's turn to go.Canadians want tangible results, not just tweets, photos, and words. They want jobs.How does the Prime Minister plan to maintain trade ties with the Americans while protecting jobs here in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's words are in question these days because of his long list of broken promises. He just cannot be trusted. Therefore, we were skeptical when the Prime Minister said that he would not tax the health and dental benefits of Canadians, so we put the question to the House. We asked him to say no to this regressive tax. In true form, the Liberals were completely inconsistent, and Canadians are now worried that this tax is on the table. Why do the Liberals keep breaking their word? How can Canadians know that they will not have to pay more for health and dental benefits?
Mr. Speaker, contrary to my colleague's comments, we are following through on a promise we made during the election to stop installing community mailboxes
Mr. Speaker, we are continuing with the promise we made, and that was to stop the installation of roadside mailboxes and to consult with Canadians from coast to coast to coast to get their views on the type of Canada Post we need to have, one that is sustainable and delivers for Canadians. We are doing just that. We now have the two reports needed that we now
and I am looking forward to working on democratic institutions to strengthen, protect, and improve our system.
Mr. Speaker, would the government House leader tell us about the business of the House for the rest of this week and next week?
Mr. Speaker, when ageing sectors such as the auto and oil sectors need help, Ottawa has its chequebook at the ready, but when it is time to help the economic development of Quebec's cutting edge industries, Ottawa becomes a cheapskate. The government would rather see our plants suffer than to give us our fair share.How can the government justify offering Bombardier help that is 38 times less than what it offered the auto industry? Was the government afraid of how English Canada might react?
Mr. Speaker, reaction in Quebec to the so-called assistance the government is providing to Bombardier has been unanimous: cheap. Everyone agrees that it is too little, too late, and that it is disappointing.Apart from the government itself and the Conservative Party, no one in Quebec believes that 38 times less than what was given to the auto industry is sufficient to support the flagship of Quebec's aerospace industry.How can the Minister of Transport, a Quebec MP, justify waiting until Bombardier was gasping for its last breath before finally granting some support, which everyone in Quebec sees as vastly insufficient?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' Bill C-27 is an attack on stable, secure workplace pensions that would let employers back away from commitments to workers and pensioners. This week, workers came to Ottawa to raise their voices about this dangerous bill. Now, according to reports, the Liberal government has said it will put a hold on Bill C-27 because of widespread opposition. Will the government commit to withdraw this anti-worker bill and refrain from any further attempts to attack workers' pensions?
Mr. Speaker, today the Liberals introduced a bill that would give a break to human traffickers who committed multiple crimes. This is unbelievable. The bill says that people convicted of human trafficking would not have to serve consecutive sentences when they committed additional unspeakable crimes against victims.Why are the Liberals always so worried about giving a break to criminals? Why do they not start sticking up for victims for a change?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to veterans and their families, full stop. After the previous 10 years with the former government frankly ignoring veterans' concerns by the fact that it closed offices, that it reduced one-third of the front-line staff, it is shocking that we are actually getting this question. Our government is working hard to ensure that veterans receive the care, compassion, and respect they deserve. Budget 2016 saw us put $5.6 billion in more resources to veterans and their families. We are going to continue to deliver on their behalf.
Mr. Speaker, Dave Bona, a veteran, waited eight hours in the freezing cold for the Prime Minister's town hall in Saskatoon. Once inside, a student, recognizing that he was a veteran by his uniform, in respect offered him his seat, but Dave was approached by a Liberal organizer and told he couldn't take it, that he had to go to the back. Clearly visible to the Prime Minister, Dave stood at attention for 20 minutes waiting to ask a question, but was ignored. Why did the Prime Minister ignore Dave Bona?
Mr. Speaker, I am not sure we were at the same parliamentary committee because the experts told us during the last three consultations that this had absolutely no impact on Toronto and Vancouver, even though it ought to have affected them. However, it did have an adverse effect on first-time homebuyers from coast to coast.Yesterday, members of the Fédération des chambres immobilières du Québec were here and they told us that there were 6,000 fewer first-time homebuyers in Canada. We are talking about families, the middle class. That is $220 million less in the Canadian economy. Why does the government continue to attack families and the middle class in Quebec and across Canada with its bad real estate measures?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are cutting the monthly pay of soldiers deployed in Kuwait by more than $1,500. For the minister to cut their pay once they have been deployed is despicable. Our soldiers expect the minister to protect them, but that is obviously not happening.We brought this to the minister's attention in December, but nothing was done. Unfortunately, the minister ignored the issue. As a former unit commander, I am ashamed of my country and the way the Liberals are treating our soldiers.Will the Liberals stop pinching pennies at the soldiers' expense? Mr. Minister, will you fix this problem yourself?
Mr. Speaker, during the last election the Prime Minister promised only modest deficits, but, alas, that promise was broken. Since then, Liberal ministers have been looking for ways to raise taxes on hard-working Canadians to pay for the Prime Minister's billions of dollars in broken promises. We now learn that the President of the Treasury Board is planning to raise user fees, which is just a tax by another name. Will the President of the Treasury Board tell Canadians which fees are going up, by how much, and when?
Mr. Speaker, I am afraid my colleague has a short memory. The first thing that this government did was reduce taxes for nine million Canadians. It then came along with the Canada child benefit, which is helping nine out of 10 families, and then introduced an infrastructure program for $128 billion, something which is historic in this country. The sad thing that the people at home recognize is that the Conservatives voted against helping the middle class in this country every step of the way.
Mr. Speaker, in 2012, the previous government approved four projects for Alberta, two projects in 2013 for Alberta and five projects in 2014 for Alberta. Compare that to 127 projects approved by our government for Alberta.When it comes to building infrastructure, growing the economy, creating jobs for Albertans, we take no lessons from the old, tired Conservative Party.
Mr. Speaker, last week the parliamentary budget officer identified a shortfall of $9 billion for infrastructure. We know that 96% of the announced projects are not under construction. We know Alberta was promised $700 million in fast-track infrastructure funds over a year ago, and no surprise, Alberta is still waiting for over 90% of those funds.When will the Liberals start taking the job crisis in Alberta seriously and fast-track the promised infrastructure funds?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals can say what they want, but the record shows that on Tuesday they refused to vote against taxing the health and dental benefits of Canadians. That means that Canadians may be paying an extra $1,000 for their health and dental benefits.My question is this. The Liberals did not talk about this in their platform, and they voted against our motion on Tuesday. What other tax increases are they trying to keep secret, being wishy-washy about, and playing both sides of the ledger? Where else will they be taxing Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, as I explained to my hon. colleague during the debate this morning, we listened to Canadians, and listening means listening to all points of view. I know that is something the member has trouble understanding, but that is what we did
Mr. Speaker, the minister is not the only one who will apologize today. There has been a grievous procedural error, of which I am the author. The other day I raised a point of order in the House of Commons with respect to redacted documents, documents that would show the impact of an increased carbon tax on the most vulnerable people. I failed to table those redacted documents, and as a remedy, I ask for the unanimous consent of the House to table them now.
Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, the Liberals and the Prime Minister himself promised to restore home mail delivery for those who had lost it.The minister has had Canada Post's review report since December, but we still have not heard anything about his decision.Much like the promise for electoral reform, can we expect this report to be torn up as well? Is this just another broken promise?