Most toxic speeches
Mr. Speaker, the reeve of Emerson, Manitoba, says another 29 asylum seekers illegally crossed into his community on Sunday night alone. We also know that refugees are illegally crossing into Quebec with American visas issued at the U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia. Canadians are tired of the Liberals' inaction and denial. Where is the plan? When will the Liberals finally take action and regain control of our borders?
Mr. Speaker, over the past year and a half, we raised taxes on the wealthiest 1% so we could lower them on the middle class. We delivered a Canada child benefit that gives more money to nine out of 10 Canadians by stopping the sending of child benefit cheques to millionaire families, which the previous government did.The fact is, on the tax cut for the middle class and more money through the CCB, that party voted against both initiatives. Shame on them.
Mr. Speaker, let us not forget that 65% of Canadians were not affected by these so-called tax breaks, and that those who benefited the most from these so-called tax breaks are people who earn between $140,000 and $200,000.If that is what this government calls the middle class, I can understand why it is incapable of managing the country's finances properly and balancing the budget, and above all, why it is constantly punishing the middle class.Will there be any good news for the middle class in tomorrow's budget?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals want to cancel Friday sittings, cut off debate in committees, eliminate debates on committee reports, and severely limit debates in this House. Now the Prime Minister only wants to show up for question period once a week. Maybe the Liberals can get one of those cardboard cutouts to fill in for him.The Liberals are diminishing Parliament and reducing accountability. They should not be changing the rules of the House to make this a safe space for the Prime Minister. When will the Prime Minister end his constant attack on the ability of MPs to hold the government accountable?
Mr. Speaker, lots of Canadian families travel by plane on a special getaway once a year. On these flights, one could buy a sandwich or maybe a diet Coke and a bag of chips for a snack. It is not great, but it is certainly reasonable. What is not reasonable is over $1,700 worth of food and drinks for a three-hour flight between Canada and the Bahamas, which is how much the taxpayer was billed by the Prime Minister getting to his private island vacation. My question is simple. Just what in the world was the Prime Minister eating on that plane ride?
Mr. Speaker, how disingenuous can the member be? As we speak, the Liberals are trying to ram this through and force these rules on all of us.We all saw the Prime Minister try to elbow his way in this House last year, trying to get his way. That was not a pretty sight. Now once again he does not want to be here answering questions, so the Liberals are trying to force these changes on this House.Does the House leader or the Prime Minister commit that no changes will be made unless all of us agree, or are we to see elbowgate, act two?
Mr. Speaker, the minister knows that is false. It has already been shown that the danger pay was brought in by us.We know that the Liberals are big spenders. Their generosity consists of cutting off funds to our soldiers sent to Iraq to fight ISIS. The Liberals cut off the $1,800 per month to military spouses, who have to get by until the end of the mission. It is shameful. However, there is a but: but the Liberals seem open to fixing their mistake. Will they support our motion, fix their mistake, and retroactively restore the danger pay to all soldiers sent to fight ISIS?
Mr. Speaker, at committee the Minister of Small Business said that the Liberals' promise to reduce taxes on small business was a great sound bite and a great headline, but at the end of the day, they were not really going to do it. My goodness, the old Liberal arrogance is alive and kicking. First they steal an NDP policy, then they abandon that promise in their very first budget, and now the minister is bragging about it.Will the Liberals do the right thing tomorrow and reinstate the tax break for small businesses, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, the NDP voted for increasing taxes on the wealthiest Canadians, but he is right, we did oppose a plan that did nothing to help the middle class. This morning, the government dropped gangsterism, trafficking, importation of narcotics, weapons possession, kidnapping and other charges against 36 individuals arrested during a major anti-mafia sweep. My question to the Prime Minister is as follows: why?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians were very hopeful that the inquiry into murdered and missing aboriginal women and girls would lead to a brighter future, but families are losing patience. It has now been eight months, and we now hear that the commissioners only have 90 names in their database, yet hundreds and hundreds of families are waiting to hear from them. The minister needs to take action. There are some very simple fixes to this issue. She needs to break down bureaucratic barriers and ensure that the inquiry gets the necessary information to do its job.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians get really tired of waiting for the Liberal government to do something about securing our borders. They are also really tired of seeing the Liberal government tax our troops who are in the fight against ISIS. This has to stop right now. These men and women in uniform were promised up to $1,800 per month in danger pay, yet halfway through their mission, the Liberals pulled away these benefits. Trying to pinch pennies on the backs of our troops and military families is wrong and it is immoral. Will the defence minister support our Conservative motion to give back the danger pay, and will he give these benefits to all our troops who are putting their lives on the line in the fight against ISIS now
Mr. Speaker, it was Stephen Harper who broke the record for shutting down debate in Parliament; yet in his darkest dreams, he never tried to stifle the voices of the opposition the way the Liberals are trying to do right now.It is the Liberal Prime Minister who wants to automatically limit debate on all government bills, and it is the Liberal Prime Minister who says he only has to show up one day a week to answer questions Canadians have for him.Newsflash: this House does not belong to the Liberal Party. It belongs to all Canadians, so will the Liberals step away from this disastrous and undemocratic plan, and work with us to make Parliament work again?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals want to change the rules of the House under the guise of making Parliament more efficient.That party, which obtained only 39% of the vote in 2015, now wants to change the rules unilaterally. To hell with sunny ways.As a show of good faith, why do the Liberals not drop their plan, like they did for Motion No. 6, and create a committee whose membership is representative of the popular vote to look into the matter?
Mr. Speaker, what Canadians want tomorrow is a break from the Prime Minister. In the last budget, he hiked taxes on small businesses, on families, and on students, and then we got the national carbon tax and a payroll tax hike, but that is not enough. Now the Prime Minister needs to cancel more tax credits. He wants to raise user fees. He is even considering putting GST on Netflix.Does the Prime Minister realize that Canadians are tired of being nickel-and-dimed to death?
Mr. Speaker, each and every person here was elected to represent the people in their riding, and together we represent the Canadian people.Far from a mere inconvenience, the Prime Minister appearing in the House every day to answer questions is a critical tool for him to provide accountability to each and every Canadian.How can the Prime Minister justify his willingness to show up in the House only once a week? Why is he attempting to shirk his responsibilities?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has announced that he wants to change the rules of Parliament to make his life easier, and no one's life will be easier than his. If he gets away with this, he will only have to show up to work once a week. He also wants to strip the opposition of its power to hold him accountable.We know that the Prime Minister says China is a dictatorship he admires, and he certainly had a bizarre infatuation with Fidel Castro. Can the Prime Minister at least agree that he, the Prime Minister of Canada, should be accountable to the House of Commons and to Canadians more than once a week?
Modern, Mr. Speaker? Efficient? Efficient like the Chinese dictatorship that he thinks is so efficient? We do not live in China. Those are the Prime Minister's words. We do not live in China or Cuba. We live in Canada, and we have a parliamentary democracy that is accountable to Canadians. We think the Prime Minister should show up every day. Here is a thought. We could have question period with the Prime Minister every day. He could answer all of our questions every day.
Mr. Speaker, as members of Parliament, we are just temporary occupants of these seats in the House of Commons. They do not belong to us. They belong to Canadians. They do not belong to political parties or the Prime Minister. The Liberals are proposing drastic changes to Parliament that will permanently damage the ability of MPs to hold the government to account. Why are the Liberals willing to cause collateral damage to the House of Commons in their attempt to damage the opposition, and when will backbench Liberal MPs stand up to the Prime Minister and defend the right of all members of Parliament to hold the government accountable?
Mr. Speaker, it is important that we ensure that our justice system works to keep Canadians and their communities safe. We are always working to improve our justice system so that criminals are prosecuted and face the consequences of their actions. There is still work to do to improve the system.
Mr. Speaker, I was in Washington last week on Great Lakes Day where I made it perfectly clear to Americans, to my counterpart, that we need continued American investment in the Great Lakes, that we need to be working together because 40 million people rely on the Great Lakes for clean drinking water. It is an engine of the economy. We cannot have things like Asian carp come and destroy our Great Lakes and we are going to continue pushing with the United States to work to clean up our Great Lakes.
Mr. Speaker, here is something that did appear in the Liberal campaign platform: set a cap on how much can be claimed through the stock option deduction. We know a little about that, because it was actually in our platform long before the Liberals discovered it. Tomorrow the Liberals have an opportunity to put the interests of every Canadian above those of wealthy insiders. Last week they actually voted for it and said they were going to do it.Will the Liberals keep their promise to close the stock option loophole, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, many veterans struggle in finding meaningful employment after leaving the service. On transitioning to civilian life, the Liberals promised to engage with stakeholders like Monster.ca to use military skills translators to help our vets find work, including jobs in the public service. The U.S. uses this same algorithm to help its soldiers find jobs, but we have heard nothing from the Liberals on this campaign promise.Could the minister explain, with a real answer for veterans, why the Liberals are dragging their feet on this campaign promise?
Mr. Speaker, we have put forward a discussion paper, that we have published and shared with all Canadians, to talk about how we can improve the functioning of this house of democracy, how we can make sure that Canadians are better heard, that the opposition has the opportunity to ask tough questions to hold the Prime Minister to account and to hold this government to account. That is why, among the many proposals we have made, we have talked about the model of the British prime minister's questions that devotes an entire question period to the prime minister answering questions. We are open to all sorts of discussions about how to improve the functioning of this Parliament, because we know Canadians expect a modern workplace out of this place so we can better serve them.
Mr. Speaker, more details have now emerged about the Prime Minister's New Year's vacation. Taxpayers now know they are on the hook for over $120,000, and that is not even counting whatever the numerous ethics investigations are going to cost. The Prime Minister made a conscious decision that it is the responsibility of the taxpayer to pay for his luxury travel. When did the Prime Minister forget that it is his job to serve Canadians and not the other way around?
Mr. Speaker, as the member just said, the government made promises, but it has broken many of them. This is just one of many.The government cobbled together a plan to sell our airports, which would put money in its pocket and make it look not quite so bad.What will be in tomorrow's budget for the forestry industry and softwood lumber? How will the budget secure the future of our regions? A lot of people are very worried. Tomorrow, who will have to pick up the tab for the Prime Minister's out-of-control spending?
Mr. Speaker, one could argue that the time for monitoring has passed and the time for action is now, because we know that illegal border crossings are increasing with no end in sight. What is of more concern right now is we are going to see this trend increase as warmer weather increases. Affected communities are very concerned. Families are concerned. Border enforcement issues are concerned. What is more concerning is that we are seeing and hearing concerns about international gangs and criminals taking advantage of the Liberals' inaction to begin organized shuttling of illegal migrants to the Canadian border. What is the minister doing to stop this particular issue?
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite wants to talk about facts. The fact is, the very first thing we did in government was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. Unfortunately, the fact also is that that party voted against raising taxes on the wealthiest and lowering them on the middle class. That, unfortunately, demonstrates that they still do not understand that Canadians need investments in the middle class and support for the middle class, not for the wealthiest, like they did for 10 years.
Mr. Speaker, many were shocked by the announced cuts to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, including severe cuts to bilateral commitments on the Great Lakes. Canadians will be further concerned to learn how the Liberal government also intends to make cuts to water protection. The minister likes to talk about her deep commitment to the Great Lakes, yet not only is her government continuing the substantial cuts put forward by the Harper regime but they are going even further. Will the Liberals restore funding to these vital initiatives or will they continue to be all talk and little action for our treasured waters?
Mr. Speaker, it is interesting how the member opposite talks about doing more for the middle class and less for the wealthiest, because he voted against lowering taxes on the middle class and raising them on the wealthiest 1%. If he were serious about helping the middle class, he would make sure that his party stood with us as we lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister really likes slogans and sound bites, such as the one about 2015 being the last election under the current system. I see this is still a sore point for the Prime Minister, but what happened to his promise to cut small business taxes? Well, in committee, his minister responsible for small business said that this promise was, and I quote, a sound bite to get elected.Why is the Prime Minister turning his back on his promise and at the same time going ahead with a privatization bank that he never mentioned during the campaign?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are appalled by the government's attitude towards human rights. This week, the Attorney General will argue that the Human Rights Tribunal does not have the power to enforce its own orders.Instead of questioning the authority of the tribunal, the government needs to say whether or not it intends to respect the human rights of first nations children in this country. That is the real question.When will the government respect the human rights of first nations children?
Mr. Speaker, speaking of news, Bloomberg news quoted the following: Feelings Are Worth Spending Forfinance minister on the eve of budget. The Prime Minister would agree. He was feeling pretty good when he spent $127,000 in tax dollars on his visit to billionaire island. That was a real middle-class adventure, by his definition. Do the Liberals know who is not feeling good, though? It is the tomato farmer in my riding, who had to pay $6,200 in one month for a carbon tax. When will the government realize that its feelings are not worth hammering taxpayers with more costs?
Mr. Speaker, we have met with people in forestry, and it is clear that the softwood lumber dispute will resume in a few weeks.The last time, the federal government was to blame for the loss of 15,000 jobs in Quebec in one year. That means a lot of people and families, and many villages and regions are emptying out.Among other things, our workers need loan guarantees to deal with the next dispute.Will Ottawa let our people down once again?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. During question period, I believe the Minister of National Defence misspoke, and I would like to give him an opportunity to correct the record, when he said that we sent troops to Iraq without any support. I can tell members there was danger pay. He has an Order Paper question that he has tabled in the House under his signature, and I would like to point out for him that if he would look at Question No.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the member that it was the Conservatives who did not sanction Mr. Yakunin in 2014 and 2015.Now, Mr. Yakunin is no longer in power, just like the Conservatives. This is an important reality. As for our position vis-à-vis Russia, I think all members in this House would agree with me when I say that our governments opposition, as well as my own as Minister of Foreign Affairs, remain very strong.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister conveniently forgot to mention that his platform promise does not look anything like the privatization bank he is now proposing. In fact, the word privatization does not ever appear in the Liberal campaign platform. Neither do user fees, tolls, or private profit on public property. Will the Prime Minister admit that he never campaigned on privatizing infrastructure?
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to every opportunity to stand up and talk about the great things this government is doing.Tomorrow we will be presenting a budget that will create growth for the middle class, opportunities for Canadians, investments in the future of this country that we know, after 10 years of slow growth under the Conservative government, will turn our growth path around. This is about giving opportunities to Canadians. I am always happy to talk about the important things the Canadian government is doing for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, this is a discussion paper. It is true this place does belong to the people of Canada. That is exactly why I shared the discussion paper with all members of Parliament, as well as the public.This is a conversation that we want Canadians to participate in. We want Canadians to be part of this place and to help us make the important decisions that we make.I encourage all members to be part of the conversation. I encourage all members not only to listen to their views but to listen to opposing views and differing views. That is why I am encouraging us to have this conversation.
Mr. Speaker, as I stated, the previous government was the one that actually sent our troops to Iraq without the tax-free benefit. In February 2016 we corrected this problem, but rules that were placed in 2015 by the previous government brought the benefits back down. Now they realize what those rules have replaced. We are looking at it, and the CDS will be making recommendations so that we can fix this problem once and for all.
Mr. Speaker, we know what our small businesses need: economic growth.Following 10 years of a government that failed in this area, we are working to put more money in the pockets of the middle class and create opportunities for our small businesses.By connecting our small businesses to global markets, especially through the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, which the previous government was unable to conclude but we managed to do so, we know that we are creating opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses every day. That is our governments focus.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister wants to limit his own speaking time. I would suggest he find something interesting to say, first.Let us remember that, just two years ago, the Prime Minister said that budgets balance themselves. In just a few hours, the government will table its second budget.After promising an initial deficit of $10 billion and ending up with a deficit of $30 billion and a return to a balanced budget in 2055, how will the Prime Minister go about ensuring that the budget will balance itself tomorrow?
Mr. Speaker, it was this Prime Minister and this government that took unprecedented levels of consultations with Canadians. We will continue to work hard for Canadians. We will continue to work hard for members of Parliament.I know it is very difficult for the member opposite to understand, but our objective has always been to ensure that Parliament is relevant to Canadians and that the House becomes accountable, predictable, efficient, and transparent. I know we can work better in this place.
Let us start with facts, Mr. Speaker. The fact is that the middle class grew by 30% over the last 10 years. Here is an interesting fact. The Prime Minister's Office has already spent more on polling than the previous Conservative government spent in eight years. Millions of tax dollars are being spent to track Canadians' views for the political benefit of the Prime Minister.I have a really simple question for the Prime Minister. Has the Prime Minister polled Canadians on whether or not he should keep his promise to balance the budget in 2019?
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada understands how important mining exploration companies are to supporting middle-class families and indigenous communities and to building a clean, green economy.Can the Minister of Natural Resources tell the House about what the federal government is doing to ensure that Canada remains a top destination for exploration and mining?
Mr. Speaker, Vladimir Yakunin, a member of Putins inner circle, is on the U.S. sanctions list, but is still not on Canadas list.When she was in opposition, the member for UniversityRosedale asked the Conservative government: When will the government match its actions to its rhetoric and sanction Sechin and Yakunin? Now that the member is the Minister of Foreign Affairs, my question for her is this: when will the government walk the talk and sanction Mr. Yakunin?
Mr. Speaker, budget 2017 will build on our commitment to support the middle class and foster economic prosperity.It was our government that introduced the Canada child benefit and finally lifted thousands of children out of poverty. It was also our government that increased the guaranteed income supplement by 10% to help low-income seniors. We have a good plan, and we will continue moving forward and supporting Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I can understand why someone would borrow to invest in an RRSP. However, when they borrow to buy groceries, there is a major problem. This is what the government is currently doing. The government promised to create thousands of jobs through various programs. However, it seems that these jobs have not been created. Today, people will have to pay to bring the deficit down as low as possible. Tomorrow we will find out which segment of the population will end up paying the price. Will income splitting for seniors be taken away to pay for the governments out-of-control spending?
Mr. Speaker, for far too long, middle-class Canadians have had a hard time getting ahead, with the decisions that were made by the previous government. We have a plan to grow the economy and strengthen the middle class. Our plan is working. If we look at the numbers that came out just two weeks ago, we see that we have created more than 220,000 full-time jobs and part-time jobs. We can also see that our unemployment rate has gone down from 7.1% to 6.6%. Our plan is working, and it is good news for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians elected our government on a plan to grow the economy and strengthen the middle class, and we are delivering on that commitment. Over the last six months, almost 220,000 jobs were created, the majority of which were full-time and the majority of which were created by small and medium-sized enterprises. This is the strongest six months of job growth in almost a decade. This is evidence that our plan is working. We will continue to make the necessary investments in budget 2017 to continue to strengthen the middle class and to grow the economy.
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite remembers well the campaign, because we committed to invest in infrastructure, while he committed to balancing the books, at all costs, on the backs of Canadians. Canadians made a different choice. Canadians knew that investing in our communities, investing in infrastructure, whether it is social housing, whether it is child care spaces, whether it is public transit, is necessary for the future of our economy, for the future of Canadians. That is what we are doing. We are looking to leverage as much public infrastructure as we possibly can for the benefit of Canadians, and that is what the infrastructure bank is going to help do.
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to taking action that will grow the middle class and create good jobs. Action on climate change is estimated to grow the world economy by $19 trillion through investments in renewable power and energy efficiency. We understand the need to trade good jobs to protect our environment, grow the middle class, and ensure a more sustainable future for our kids.
Mr. Speaker, on this ongoing national tragedy, we are confident that the commission has the tools, resources, and networks to provide the families with the support they need. I can confirm that government officials are scheduled to meet with the commission to discuss how best to utilize the information resources already provided. We remain steadfast to our commitment and will continue to work collaboratively with all parties to ensure the commission is ready to hear from families this spring.
Mr. Speaker, the Canada 150 vision is rooted in our communities and designed for families right across the country. We are proud to have invested more than $130 million in projects of national significance, which will have an opportunity to stop in a number of communities in all the regions. In addition, they will have a significant impact on every riding in the country.Of course our goal is to achieve equitable regional distribution; 2017 will be a big year. Of course we encourage all Canadians to celebrate regardless of their political stripes.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent for the following motion. That this House, while recognizing the importance of debating matters of public interest, voice genuine outrage over the disparaging prejudices and stereotypes used in a column in Maclean's magazine published on March 20 to cast aspersions on the Quebec nation and that it condemn the rise of Quebecophobia in Canada.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Remuneration amounts for payment are established in the Salaries Act for ministers with a portfolio, ministers of state who preside over a ministry of state, and the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons. This statute does not authorize remuneration for either ministers without a portfolio listed in the Salaries Act or ministers of state who do not preside over a ministry of state. Therefore, the vote lC wording contained in the supply bill for certain organizations provides the authority to make such payments.Using a supply bill to authorize such payments is a long-standing arrangement going back at least to 1995. At that time, the authority appeared only in the program expenditures vote on the Privy Council Office. Since 2007-08, the authority appears in the program or operating expenditure vote of each department that could potentially support a minister without a portfolio or a minister of state who does not preside over a ministry of state.With respect to Bill C-24, with the exception of the Minister of La Francophonie, the individuals appointed on November 4, 2015, to positions of Minister of Science, Minister of Small Business and Tourism, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, and Minister of Status of Women are remunerated under vote 1C.When Bill C-24 receives royal assent, it will authorize payment under the Salaries Act and vote 1C will no longer be used for this purpose in future estimates.The payment under vote 1C not only respects the supplementary estimates process, it is also fully within the legal mandate and authority of the government.
Mr. Speaker, it is great to see the passion from the member opposite. I just wish he had the same passion when he sent the troops to Iraq without the tax-free benefits. In February 2016, working with the finance minister, we put in the tax-free exemption. I ask for the members to take politics out of defence, but it would be great if the member opposite told me about the rules that they placed in 2014 that brought the benefits down. It is okay. I gave directions to the chief of the defence staff to take a look at this, and we will fix this problem.
Mr. Speaker, there is no tangible evidence of the issue that the hon. member has raised. However, this was a subject that was discussed between myself and the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. We are concerned about the pattern of people arriving at the border, particularly those who, in the last number of weeks and months, have actually risked their lives in very severe weather conditions in transportation. This is an issue that is under very close scrutiny by both our government and the Government of the United States.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, La Presse reported that, since 2010, the percentage of bilingual employees at security checkpoints in almost all major airports in the country has dropped dramatically.This information is consistent with a report submitted just today by the Commissioner of Official Languages that reveals the provision of bilingual services in our airports leaves much to be desired.What does the Minister of Canadian Heritage intend to do to promote bilingualism and to ensure that our official languages truly enjoy equal status in airports across the country?
Mr. Speaker, once again, I thank my colleague for his question.Budget 2017 will build on our commitment to support the middle class and grow our economy. Our government is the one that introduced measures to ensure the middle class gets some support. We are the ones who gave members of the middle class a tax cut. We created the Canada child benefit, which has lifted hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. We have also helped our seniors
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for St. John's East for his question, his hard work, and his leadership. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all 32 MPs from Atlantic Canada for their leadership and hard work, and for really driving the Atlantic growth strategy. As part of this strategy, we have expanded the accelerated growth strategy. This is a one-stop shop that will help small businesses grow and expand in that region. We have identified 28 companies as part of this pilot initiative. This is very important for Atlantic Canada. This is very important for growth and jobs.
Mr. Speaker, we recognize the importance of forestry in Canada. We have started a very good conversation with the provinces that may be affected by new measures. We will most assuredly take coordinated measures to protect jobs in this country. Canadians can count on us.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his question.I say again that it was our government that committed to investing in the middle class and growing our economy. It was our government that introduced a tax cut for the middle class, while raising taxes for the wealthy.It must also be said that the official opposition party voted against the motion.
Mr. Speaker, it was I who released the discussion paper. I shared it with all members in this place as well as the public.The member is correct that we are here to serve Canadians. Each of us is elected. The discussion paper provides many ideas, and it is a conversation, a discussion. We have asked the committee to do the important work that it does to modernize this place and to bring it into the 21st century. This government recognizes that members of Parliament do work in this place as well as in their ridings. As the member of Parliament for the riding of Waterloo, I am proud to have some of my constituents here. I will work for them in this place as well as in my riding as, I am sure, all members of Parliament do.
Mr. Speaker. with regard to the point of order raised earlier today, I listened with interest to the member's intervention and his allegation that the government was seeking to legislate Bill C-24 through the supply bill for the supplementary estimates (C). Nothing could be further from the truth. Let me explain.Remuneration amounts for a payment are established in the Salaries Act
Mr. Speaker, when I was elected in October 2015, my constituents expected that I would work very hard defending their priorities. Since then, I have worked countless hours to do a good job as an MP. How can a responsible government consider reducing the number of hours of work we do here in Ottawa? Why does the Prime Minister not want to answer members' questions? It seems to me that the Prime Minister is not taking his job seriously. Can the Prime Minister tell us the truth and explain the real reasons for this new reform?
Mr. Speaker, President Trump wants to axe spending on cleaning up the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes flow into the St. Lawrence, the source of drinking water for millions of Quebeckers.Mayors of communities around the Great Lakes and along the St. Lawrence and environmental groups have reminded us that protecting water should be considered an essential service, but time is running out. Will Ottawa turn its back on Quebec and sacrifice our water, or can the minister assure us that American cuts will not threaten the waters of the St. Lawrence?
Mr. Speaker, according to media reports, the majority of projects in Quebec funded through the Canada 150 fund, 87% to be exact, just happen to be in Liberal ridings despite the fact that only half of Quebec ridings are represented by a Liberal member.Can the Minister of Canadian Heritage confirm to the House that 87% of allocated funds have been earmarked for the ridings of her Liberal friends? If so, does she find that acceptable?
Mr. Speaker, bilingualism and the Official Languages Act are extremely important for our government.Federal services must then be provided in both official languages. We take that very seriously. We are of course responsible for safety in our airports, but we insist that it be done with respect and courtesy, and in accordance with the Official Languages Act.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman and Canadians can be absolutely assured that every Canadian law is being properly enforced and applied by both the RCMP and the CBSA. We are monitoring the situation very carefully. It is true that the numbers over the last number of weeks and months have risen compared to where they were before, but the RCMP and the CBSA have assured us that they have the resources at the present time to deal with the situation adequately and appropriately. If they require additional resources, they will certainly let the government know.
Mr. Speaker, it was truly an honour to lead the Canadian delegation of over 200 Canadians at this year's UN commission on the status of women. People like Linda and Jeanne are truly at the heart of the movement to advance women's and girls' rights domestically and around the world. Canada has made significant progress since I was last there in 2013, and we will remain at the forefront of global efforts to ensure that women and girls everywhere can reach their full potential.
Mr. Speaker, while in Washington last week, I met with representatives of both U.S. parties, mayors, and environmentalists. I made it very clear that Canada recognizes our obligation to protect the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence.That is what I told my American counterpart. I was very clear about how vital it is to work with the United States to ensure that the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence remain environmental priorities.
Mr. Speaker, how about a riddle? According to Finance Canada, the federal government had a balanced budget in 2015. Now, Finance Canada says we will have deficits until 2055. In just one Liberal budget, we added four decades of deficits. After a second Liberal budget, in approximately what century will we be projected to balance?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his commitment to veterans across Canada. We are committed to finding veterans more work in both the public sector as well as the private sector. Since the passing of the Veterans Hiring Act in 2014, we have brought on board a mandate, through me, to the rest of my cabinet colleagues, as well as the deputy ministers, to look at more ways to hire more veterans. We are also investigating opportunities with the private sector to build those bridges and get those opportunities for our veterans and their families to better their lives. We will continue to do that in our department.
Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, we promised to modernize Parliament and bring it into the 21st century.Our objective has always been to ensure that Parliament is relevant in the eyes of Canadians and that the House is accountable, predictable, efficient, and transparent.I know that we can work together. That is why it is a discussion. I encourage all hon. members to take part.
Mr. Speaker, we know that the previous government's approach was very different when it came to discussions and conversations.We believe that we can have discussions. We believe that these conversations are important conversations to have. I agree with the member that it is not about counting hours. Every single Canadian across this country, from coast to coast to coast, works very hard.We will continue to work hard for Canadians. We made a commitment to modernize this place and to bring it into the 21st century. That is what that discussion paper is about. I encourage the member not only to read the parts he chooses to, but to read the document in its entirety, because part of the suggestions I have offered are actually about looking at ways to improve this place.
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to completely overhauling child and family services for first nations. We believe that we are abiding by the tribunal's decision. We will now pursue our efforts with first nations and the provincial and territorial governments through the established tripartite process in order to work on real reform that focuses primarily on the well-being of children.
Mr. Speaker, the work that we do in this place and for Canadians we take very seriously. As I have mentioned, and as has been the case for previous prime ministers, for security reasons, RCMP officers have always accompanied prime ministers, whether on personal or business travel. One of the first things we did when we took office was to ask the Clerk of the Privy Council to develop guidelines surrounding the reimbursement of travel by sitting prime ministers, their families, and guests. Prior to our government taking office, no such guidelines existed.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.We are the party that committed to investing in the middle class and growing the economy. We are the party that committed to helping our seniors. We are the party that brought in a 10% increase to the guaranteed income supplement for low-income single seniors. Lastly, we are the party that lowered taxes for the middle class.We support our seniors and we are moving forward.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity to rise in this place and to remind all members, as well as Canadians, of the important work that members of Parliament do.Yes, there is a discussion paper. The discussion paper is available to all members as well as the public. The committee is doing the important work it does. The committee has the opportunity to look at ideas, bring in experts, and really consider a better way to do Parliament. We believe that all members on both sides of this place should have the opportunity to have meaningful discussion, and that is why I think it is an important conversation to have.
On the contrary, Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to be here today and as often as necessary to answer questions from members of the opposition.That said, I would like to point out that our government is different from the previous government. We have an amazing cabinet. Our ministers are very capable of directly answering questions regarding their own actions in their own portfolios. That is how a government by cabinet operates. That is how a government operates when it is accountable to its citizens.
Mr. Speaker, as has been the case for previous prime ministers, including the previous one, for security reasons RCMP officers always accompany prime ministers, whether for personal or business travel. One of the first things we did after taking office was to ask the clerk of the Privy Council Office to develop guidelines surrounding the reimbursement for travel by sitting prime ministers, their families, and guests. Prior to our government taking office, no such policy existed.
Mr. Speaker, the recent session at the UN commission on the status of women was attended by the Minister of Status of Women and several members of the standing committee. Two of my constituents from Truro, Linda MacDonald and Jeanne Sarson, made presentations there on the need for appropriate laws. These two women are tireless advocates for human rights and women's rights in particular. Could the Minister of Status of Women outline what progress was made at these UN meetings?
Mr. Speaker, high-growth companies and small to medium-sized enterprises are key drivers of Canada's economic growth. In January, our government launched accelerated growth services, a pilot program in Atlantic Canada to help coordinate access by high-growth companies to the innovation, trade, finance, and other support services that are available across various government departments.Can the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development please update this House on how accelerated growth services are already updating
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Nickel Belt for his excellent question.I recently announced that our government will extend the 15% mining exploration tax credit for an additional year. The credit helps exploration companies finance their projects and contributes to creating good jobs in remote and indigenous communities.
Mr. Speaker, the reeve of Emerson, Manitoba, says another 29 asylum seekers illegally crossed into his community on Sunday night alone. We also know that refugees are illegally crossing into Quebec with American visas issued at the U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia. Canadians are tired of the Liberals' inaction and denial. Where is the plan? When will the Liberals finally take action and regain control of our borders?
Mr. Speaker, over the past year and a half, we raised taxes on the wealthiest 1% so we could lower them on the middle class. We delivered a Canada child benefit that gives more money to nine out of 10 Canadians by stopping the sending of child benefit cheques to millionaire families, which the previous government did.The fact is, on the tax cut for the middle class and more money through the CCB, that party voted against both initiatives. Shame on them.
Mr. Speaker, let us not forget that 65% of Canadians were not affected by these so-called tax breaks, and that those who benefited the most from these so-called tax breaks are people who earn between $140,000 and $200,000.If that is what this government calls the middle class, I can understand why it is incapable of managing the country's finances properly and balancing the budget, and above all, why it is constantly punishing the middle class.Will there be any good news for the middle class in tomorrow's budget?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals want to cancel Friday sittings, cut off debate in committees, eliminate debates on committee reports, and severely limit debates in this House. Now the Prime Minister only wants to show up for question period once a week. Maybe the Liberals can get one of those cardboard cutouts to fill in for him.The Liberals are diminishing Parliament and reducing accountability. They should not be changing the rules of the House to make this a safe space for the Prime Minister. When will the Prime Minister end his constant attack on the ability of MPs to hold the government accountable?
Mr. Speaker, lots of Canadian families travel by plane on a special getaway once a year. On these flights, one could buy a sandwich or maybe a diet Coke and a bag of chips for a snack. It is not great, but it is certainly reasonable. What is not reasonable is over $1,700 worth of food and drinks for a three-hour flight between Canada and the Bahamas, which is how much the taxpayer was billed by the Prime Minister getting to his private island vacation. My question is simple. Just what in the world was the Prime Minister eating on that plane ride?
Mr. Speaker, how disingenuous can the member be? As we speak, the Liberals are trying to ram this through and force these rules on all of us.We all saw the Prime Minister try to elbow his way in this House last year, trying to get his way. That was not a pretty sight. Now once again he does not want to be here answering questions, so the Liberals are trying to force these changes on this House.Does the House leader or the Prime Minister commit that no changes will be made unless all of us agree, or are we to see elbowgate, act two?
Mr. Speaker, the minister knows that is false. It has already been shown that the danger pay was brought in by us.We know that the Liberals are big spenders. Their generosity consists of cutting off funds to our soldiers sent to Iraq to fight ISIS. The Liberals cut off the $1,800 per month to military spouses, who have to get by until the end of the mission. It is shameful. However, there is a but: but the Liberals seem open to fixing their mistake. Will they support our motion, fix their mistake, and retroactively restore the danger pay to all soldiers sent to fight ISIS?
Mr. Speaker, at committee the Minister of Small Business said that the Liberals' promise to reduce taxes on small business was a great sound bite and a great headline, but at the end of the day, they were not really going to do it. My goodness, the old Liberal arrogance is alive and kicking. First they steal an NDP policy, then they abandon that promise in their very first budget, and now the minister is bragging about it.Will the Liberals do the right thing tomorrow and reinstate the tax break for small businesses, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, the NDP voted for increasing taxes on the wealthiest Canadians, but he is right, we did oppose a plan that did nothing to help the middle class. This morning, the government dropped gangsterism, trafficking, importation of narcotics, weapons possession, kidnapping and other charges against 36 individuals arrested during a major anti-mafia sweep. My question to the Prime Minister is as follows: why?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians were very hopeful that the inquiry into murdered and missing aboriginal women and girls would lead to a brighter future, but families are losing patience. It has now been eight months, and we now hear that the commissioners only have 90 names in their database, yet hundreds and hundreds of families are waiting to hear from them. The minister needs to take action. There are some very simple fixes to this issue. She needs to break down bureaucratic barriers and ensure that the inquiry gets the necessary information to do its job.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians get really tired of waiting for the Liberal government to do something about securing our borders. They are also really tired of seeing the Liberal government tax our troops who are in the fight against ISIS. This has to stop right now. These men and women in uniform were promised up to $1,800 per month in danger pay, yet halfway through their mission, the Liberals pulled away these benefits. Trying to pinch pennies on the backs of our troops and military families is wrong and it is immoral. Will the defence minister support our Conservative motion to give back the danger pay, and will he give these benefits to all our troops who are putting their lives on the line in the fight against ISIS now
Mr. Speaker, it was Stephen Harper who broke the record for shutting down debate in Parliament; yet in his darkest dreams, he never tried to stifle the voices of the opposition the way the Liberals are trying to do right now.It is the Liberal Prime Minister who wants to automatically limit debate on all government bills, and it is the Liberal Prime Minister who says he only has to show up one day a week to answer questions Canadians have for him.Newsflash: this House does not belong to the Liberal Party. It belongs to all Canadians, so will the Liberals step away from this disastrous and undemocratic plan, and work with us to make Parliament work again?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals want to change the rules of the House under the guise of making Parliament more efficient.That party, which obtained only 39% of the vote in 2015, now wants to change the rules unilaterally. To hell with sunny ways.As a show of good faith, why do the Liberals not drop their plan, like they did for Motion No. 6, and create a committee whose membership is representative of the popular vote to look into the matter?
Mr. Speaker, what Canadians want tomorrow is a break from the Prime Minister. In the last budget, he hiked taxes on small businesses, on families, and on students, and then we got the national carbon tax and a payroll tax hike, but that is not enough. Now the Prime Minister needs to cancel more tax credits. He wants to raise user fees. He is even considering putting GST on Netflix.Does the Prime Minister realize that Canadians are tired of being nickel-and-dimed to death?
Mr. Speaker, each and every person here was elected to represent the people in their riding, and together we represent the Canadian people.Far from a mere inconvenience, the Prime Minister appearing in the House every day to answer questions is a critical tool for him to provide accountability to each and every Canadian.How can the Prime Minister justify his willingness to show up in the House only once a week? Why is he attempting to shirk his responsibilities?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has announced that he wants to change the rules of Parliament to make his life easier, and no one's life will be easier than his. If he gets away with this, he will only have to show up to work once a week. He also wants to strip the opposition of its power to hold him accountable.We know that the Prime Minister says China is a dictatorship he admires, and he certainly had a bizarre infatuation with Fidel Castro. Can the Prime Minister at least agree that he, the Prime Minister of Canada, should be accountable to the House of Commons and to Canadians more than once a week?
Modern, Mr. Speaker? Efficient? Efficient like the Chinese dictatorship that he thinks is so efficient? We do not live in China. Those are the Prime Minister's words. We do not live in China or Cuba. We live in Canada, and we have a parliamentary democracy that is accountable to Canadians. We think the Prime Minister should show up every day. Here is a thought. We could have question period with the Prime Minister every day. He could answer all of our questions every day.
Mr. Speaker, as members of Parliament, we are just temporary occupants of these seats in the House of Commons. They do not belong to us. They belong to Canadians. They do not belong to political parties or the Prime Minister. The Liberals are proposing drastic changes to Parliament that will permanently damage the ability of MPs to hold the government to account. Why are the Liberals willing to cause collateral damage to the House of Commons in their attempt to damage the opposition, and when will backbench Liberal MPs stand up to the Prime Minister and defend the right of all members of Parliament to hold the government accountable?
Mr. Speaker, it is important that we ensure that our justice system works to keep Canadians and their communities safe. We are always working to improve our justice system so that criminals are prosecuted and face the consequences of their actions. There is still work to do to improve the system.
Mr. Speaker, I was in Washington last week on Great Lakes Day where I made it perfectly clear to Americans, to my counterpart, that we need continued American investment in the Great Lakes, that we need to be working together because 40 million people rely on the Great Lakes for clean drinking water. It is an engine of the economy. We cannot have things like Asian carp come and destroy our Great Lakes and we are going to continue pushing with the United States to work to clean up our Great Lakes.
Mr. Speaker, here is something that did appear in the Liberal campaign platform: set a cap on how much can be claimed through the stock option deduction. We know a little about that, because it was actually in our platform long before the Liberals discovered it. Tomorrow the Liberals have an opportunity to put the interests of every Canadian above those of wealthy insiders. Last week they actually voted for it and said they were going to do it.Will the Liberals keep their promise to close the stock option loophole, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, many veterans struggle in finding meaningful employment after leaving the service. On transitioning to civilian life, the Liberals promised to engage with stakeholders like Monster.ca to use military skills translators to help our vets find work, including jobs in the public service. The U.S. uses this same algorithm to help its soldiers find jobs, but we have heard nothing from the Liberals on this campaign promise.Could the minister explain, with a real answer for veterans, why the Liberals are dragging their feet on this campaign promise?
Mr. Speaker, we have put forward a discussion paper, that we have published and shared with all Canadians, to talk about how we can improve the functioning of this house of democracy, how we can make sure that Canadians are better heard, that the opposition has the opportunity to ask tough questions to hold the Prime Minister to account and to hold this government to account. That is why, among the many proposals we have made, we have talked about the model of the British prime minister's questions that devotes an entire question period to the prime minister answering questions. We are open to all sorts of discussions about how to improve the functioning of this Parliament, because we know Canadians expect a modern workplace out of this place so we can better serve them.
Mr. Speaker, more details have now emerged about the Prime Minister's New Year's vacation. Taxpayers now know they are on the hook for over $120,000, and that is not even counting whatever the numerous ethics investigations are going to cost. The Prime Minister made a conscious decision that it is the responsibility of the taxpayer to pay for his luxury travel. When did the Prime Minister forget that it is his job to serve Canadians and not the other way around?
Mr. Speaker, as the member just said, the government made promises, but it has broken many of them. This is just one of many.The government cobbled together a plan to sell our airports, which would put money in its pocket and make it look not quite so bad.What will be in tomorrow's budget for the forestry industry and softwood lumber? How will the budget secure the future of our regions? A lot of people are very worried. Tomorrow, who will have to pick up the tab for the Prime Minister's out-of-control spending?
Mr. Speaker, one could argue that the time for monitoring has passed and the time for action is now, because we know that illegal border crossings are increasing with no end in sight. What is of more concern right now is we are going to see this trend increase as warmer weather increases. Affected communities are very concerned. Families are concerned. Border enforcement issues are concerned. What is more concerning is that we are seeing and hearing concerns about international gangs and criminals taking advantage of the Liberals' inaction to begin organized shuttling of illegal migrants to the Canadian border. What is the minister doing to stop this particular issue?
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite wants to talk about facts. The fact is, the very first thing we did in government was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. Unfortunately, the fact also is that that party voted against raising taxes on the wealthiest and lowering them on the middle class. That, unfortunately, demonstrates that they still do not understand that Canadians need investments in the middle class and support for the middle class, not for the wealthiest, like they did for 10 years.
Mr. Speaker, many were shocked by the announced cuts to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, including severe cuts to bilateral commitments on the Great Lakes. Canadians will be further concerned to learn how the Liberal government also intends to make cuts to water protection. The minister likes to talk about her deep commitment to the Great Lakes, yet not only is her government continuing the substantial cuts put forward by the Harper regime but they are going even further. Will the Liberals restore funding to these vital initiatives or will they continue to be all talk and little action for our treasured waters?
Mr. Speaker, it is interesting how the member opposite talks about doing more for the middle class and less for the wealthiest, because he voted against lowering taxes on the middle class and raising them on the wealthiest 1%. If he were serious about helping the middle class, he would make sure that his party stood with us as we lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister really likes slogans and sound bites, such as the one about 2015 being the last election under the current system. I see this is still a sore point for the Prime Minister, but what happened to his promise to cut small business taxes? Well, in committee, his minister responsible for small business said that this promise was, and I quote, a sound bite to get elected.Why is the Prime Minister turning his back on his promise and at the same time going ahead with a privatization bank that he never mentioned during the campaign?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are appalled by the government's attitude towards human rights. This week, the Attorney General will argue that the Human Rights Tribunal does not have the power to enforce its own orders.Instead of questioning the authority of the tribunal, the government needs to say whether or not it intends to respect the human rights of first nations children in this country. That is the real question.When will the government respect the human rights of first nations children?
Mr. Speaker, speaking of news, Bloomberg news quoted the following: Feelings Are Worth Spending Forfinance minister on the eve of budget. The Prime Minister would agree. He was feeling pretty good when he spent $127,000 in tax dollars on his visit to billionaire island. That was a real middle-class adventure, by his definition. Do the Liberals know who is not feeling good, though? It is the tomato farmer in my riding, who had to pay $6,200 in one month for a carbon tax. When will the government realize that its feelings are not worth hammering taxpayers with more costs?
Mr. Speaker, we have met with people in forestry, and it is clear that the softwood lumber dispute will resume in a few weeks.The last time, the federal government was to blame for the loss of 15,000 jobs in Quebec in one year. That means a lot of people and families, and many villages and regions are emptying out.Among other things, our workers need loan guarantees to deal with the next dispute.Will Ottawa let our people down once again?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. During question period, I believe the Minister of National Defence misspoke, and I would like to give him an opportunity to correct the record, when he said that we sent troops to Iraq without any support. I can tell members there was danger pay. He has an Order Paper question that he has tabled in the House under his signature, and I would like to point out for him that if he would look at Question No.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the member that it was the Conservatives who did not sanction Mr. Yakunin in 2014 and 2015.Now, Mr. Yakunin is no longer in power, just like the Conservatives. This is an important reality. As for our position vis-à-vis Russia, I think all members in this House would agree with me when I say that our governments opposition, as well as my own as Minister of Foreign Affairs, remain very strong.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister conveniently forgot to mention that his platform promise does not look anything like the privatization bank he is now proposing. In fact, the word privatization does not ever appear in the Liberal campaign platform. Neither do user fees, tolls, or private profit on public property. Will the Prime Minister admit that he never campaigned on privatizing infrastructure?
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to every opportunity to stand up and talk about the great things this government is doing.Tomorrow we will be presenting a budget that will create growth for the middle class, opportunities for Canadians, investments in the future of this country that we know, after 10 years of slow growth under the Conservative government, will turn our growth path around. This is about giving opportunities to Canadians. I am always happy to talk about the important things the Canadian government is doing for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, this is a discussion paper. It is true this place does belong to the people of Canada. That is exactly why I shared the discussion paper with all members of Parliament, as well as the public.This is a conversation that we want Canadians to participate in. We want Canadians to be part of this place and to help us make the important decisions that we make.I encourage all members to be part of the conversation. I encourage all members not only to listen to their views but to listen to opposing views and differing views. That is why I am encouraging us to have this conversation.
Mr. Speaker, as I stated, the previous government was the one that actually sent our troops to Iraq without the tax-free benefit. In February 2016 we corrected this problem, but rules that were placed in 2015 by the previous government brought the benefits back down. Now they realize what those rules have replaced. We are looking at it, and the CDS will be making recommendations so that we can fix this problem once and for all.
Mr. Speaker, we know what our small businesses need: economic growth.Following 10 years of a government that failed in this area, we are working to put more money in the pockets of the middle class and create opportunities for our small businesses.By connecting our small businesses to global markets, especially through the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, which the previous government was unable to conclude but we managed to do so, we know that we are creating opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses every day. That is our governments focus.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister wants to limit his own speaking time. I would suggest he find something interesting to say, first.Let us remember that, just two years ago, the Prime Minister said that budgets balance themselves. In just a few hours, the government will table its second budget.After promising an initial deficit of $10 billion and ending up with a deficit of $30 billion and a return to a balanced budget in 2055, how will the Prime Minister go about ensuring that the budget will balance itself tomorrow?
Mr. Speaker, it was this Prime Minister and this government that took unprecedented levels of consultations with Canadians. We will continue to work hard for Canadians. We will continue to work hard for members of Parliament.I know it is very difficult for the member opposite to understand, but our objective has always been to ensure that Parliament is relevant to Canadians and that the House becomes accountable, predictable, efficient, and transparent. I know we can work better in this place.
Let us start with facts, Mr. Speaker. The fact is that the middle class grew by 30% over the last 10 years. Here is an interesting fact. The Prime Minister's Office has already spent more on polling than the previous Conservative government spent in eight years. Millions of tax dollars are being spent to track Canadians' views for the political benefit of the Prime Minister.I have a really simple question for the Prime Minister. Has the Prime Minister polled Canadians on whether or not he should keep his promise to balance the budget in 2019?
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada understands how important mining exploration companies are to supporting middle-class families and indigenous communities and to building a clean, green economy.Can the Minister of Natural Resources tell the House about what the federal government is doing to ensure that Canada remains a top destination for exploration and mining?
Mr. Speaker, Vladimir Yakunin, a member of Putins inner circle, is on the U.S. sanctions list, but is still not on Canadas list.When she was in opposition, the member for UniversityRosedale asked the Conservative government: When will the government match its actions to its rhetoric and sanction Sechin and Yakunin? Now that the member is the Minister of Foreign Affairs, my question for her is this: when will the government walk the talk and sanction Mr. Yakunin?
Mr. Speaker, budget 2017 will build on our commitment to support the middle class and foster economic prosperity.It was our government that introduced the Canada child benefit and finally lifted thousands of children out of poverty. It was also our government that increased the guaranteed income supplement by 10% to help low-income seniors. We have a good plan, and we will continue moving forward and supporting Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I can understand why someone would borrow to invest in an RRSP. However, when they borrow to buy groceries, there is a major problem. This is what the government is currently doing. The government promised to create thousands of jobs through various programs. However, it seems that these jobs have not been created. Today, people will have to pay to bring the deficit down as low as possible. Tomorrow we will find out which segment of the population will end up paying the price. Will income splitting for seniors be taken away to pay for the governments out-of-control spending?
Mr. Speaker, for far too long, middle-class Canadians have had a hard time getting ahead, with the decisions that were made by the previous government. We have a plan to grow the economy and strengthen the middle class. Our plan is working. If we look at the numbers that came out just two weeks ago, we see that we have created more than 220,000 full-time jobs and part-time jobs. We can also see that our unemployment rate has gone down from 7.1% to 6.6%. Our plan is working, and it is good news for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians elected our government on a plan to grow the economy and strengthen the middle class, and we are delivering on that commitment. Over the last six months, almost 220,000 jobs were created, the majority of which were full-time and the majority of which were created by small and medium-sized enterprises. This is the strongest six months of job growth in almost a decade. This is evidence that our plan is working. We will continue to make the necessary investments in budget 2017 to continue to strengthen the middle class and to grow the economy.
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite remembers well the campaign, because we committed to invest in infrastructure, while he committed to balancing the books, at all costs, on the backs of Canadians. Canadians made a different choice. Canadians knew that investing in our communities, investing in infrastructure, whether it is social housing, whether it is child care spaces, whether it is public transit, is necessary for the future of our economy, for the future of Canadians. That is what we are doing. We are looking to leverage as much public infrastructure as we possibly can for the benefit of Canadians, and that is what the infrastructure bank is going to help do.
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to taking action that will grow the middle class and create good jobs. Action on climate change is estimated to grow the world economy by $19 trillion through investments in renewable power and energy efficiency. We understand the need to trade good jobs to protect our environment, grow the middle class, and ensure a more sustainable future for our kids.
Mr. Speaker, on this ongoing national tragedy, we are confident that the commission has the tools, resources, and networks to provide the families with the support they need. I can confirm that government officials are scheduled to meet with the commission to discuss how best to utilize the information resources already provided. We remain steadfast to our commitment and will continue to work collaboratively with all parties to ensure the commission is ready to hear from families this spring.
Mr. Speaker, the Canada 150 vision is rooted in our communities and designed for families right across the country. We are proud to have invested more than $130 million in projects of national significance, which will have an opportunity to stop in a number of communities in all the regions. In addition, they will have a significant impact on every riding in the country.Of course our goal is to achieve equitable regional distribution; 2017 will be a big year. Of course we encourage all Canadians to celebrate regardless of their political stripes.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent for the following motion. That this House, while recognizing the importance of debating matters of public interest, voice genuine outrage over the disparaging prejudices and stereotypes used in a column in Maclean's magazine published on March 20 to cast aspersions on the Quebec nation and that it condemn the rise of Quebecophobia in Canada.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Remuneration amounts for payment are established in the Salaries Act for ministers with a portfolio, ministers of state who preside over a ministry of state, and the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons. This statute does not authorize remuneration for either ministers without a portfolio listed in the Salaries Act or ministers of state who do not preside over a ministry of state. Therefore, the vote lC wording contained in the supply bill for certain organizations provides the authority to make such payments.Using a supply bill to authorize such payments is a long-standing arrangement going back at least to 1995. At that time, the authority appeared only in the program expenditures vote on the Privy Council Office. Since 2007-08, the authority appears in the program or operating expenditure vote of each department that could potentially support a minister without a portfolio or a minister of state who does not preside over a ministry of state.With respect to Bill C-24, with the exception of the Minister of La Francophonie, the individuals appointed on November 4, 2015, to positions of Minister of Science, Minister of Small Business and Tourism, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, and Minister of Status of Women are remunerated under vote 1C.When Bill C-24 receives royal assent, it will authorize payment under the Salaries Act and vote 1C will no longer be used for this purpose in future estimates.The payment under vote 1C not only respects the supplementary estimates process, it is also fully within the legal mandate and authority of the government.
Mr. Speaker, it is great to see the passion from the member opposite. I just wish he had the same passion when he sent the troops to Iraq without the tax-free benefits. In February 2016, working with the finance minister, we put in the tax-free exemption. I ask for the members to take politics out of defence, but it would be great if the member opposite told me about the rules that they placed in 2014 that brought the benefits down. It is okay. I gave directions to the chief of the defence staff to take a look at this, and we will fix this problem.
Mr. Speaker, there is no tangible evidence of the issue that the hon. member has raised. However, this was a subject that was discussed between myself and the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. We are concerned about the pattern of people arriving at the border, particularly those who, in the last number of weeks and months, have actually risked their lives in very severe weather conditions in transportation. This is an issue that is under very close scrutiny by both our government and the Government of the United States.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, La Presse reported that, since 2010, the percentage of bilingual employees at security checkpoints in almost all major airports in the country has dropped dramatically.This information is consistent with a report submitted just today by the Commissioner of Official Languages that reveals the provision of bilingual services in our airports leaves much to be desired.What does the Minister of Canadian Heritage intend to do to promote bilingualism and to ensure that our official languages truly enjoy equal status in airports across the country?
Mr. Speaker, once again, I thank my colleague for his question.Budget 2017 will build on our commitment to support the middle class and grow our economy. Our government is the one that introduced measures to ensure the middle class gets some support. We are the ones who gave members of the middle class a tax cut. We created the Canada child benefit, which has lifted hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. We have also helped our seniors
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for St. John's East for his question, his hard work, and his leadership. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all 32 MPs from Atlantic Canada for their leadership and hard work, and for really driving the Atlantic growth strategy. As part of this strategy, we have expanded the accelerated growth strategy. This is a one-stop shop that will help small businesses grow and expand in that region. We have identified 28 companies as part of this pilot initiative. This is very important for Atlantic Canada. This is very important for growth and jobs.
Mr. Speaker, we recognize the importance of forestry in Canada. We have started a very good conversation with the provinces that may be affected by new measures. We will most assuredly take coordinated measures to protect jobs in this country. Canadians can count on us.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his question.I say again that it was our government that committed to investing in the middle class and growing our economy. It was our government that introduced a tax cut for the middle class, while raising taxes for the wealthy.It must also be said that the official opposition party voted against the motion.
Mr. Speaker, it was I who released the discussion paper. I shared it with all members in this place as well as the public.The member is correct that we are here to serve Canadians. Each of us is elected. The discussion paper provides many ideas, and it is a conversation, a discussion. We have asked the committee to do the important work that it does to modernize this place and to bring it into the 21st century. This government recognizes that members of Parliament do work in this place as well as in their ridings. As the member of Parliament for the riding of Waterloo, I am proud to have some of my constituents here. I will work for them in this place as well as in my riding as, I am sure, all members of Parliament do.
Mr. Speaker. with regard to the point of order raised earlier today, I listened with interest to the member's intervention and his allegation that the government was seeking to legislate Bill C-24 through the supply bill for the supplementary estimates (C). Nothing could be further from the truth. Let me explain.Remuneration amounts for a payment are established in the Salaries Act
Mr. Speaker, when I was elected in October 2015, my constituents expected that I would work very hard defending their priorities. Since then, I have worked countless hours to do a good job as an MP. How can a responsible government consider reducing the number of hours of work we do here in Ottawa? Why does the Prime Minister not want to answer members' questions? It seems to me that the Prime Minister is not taking his job seriously. Can the Prime Minister tell us the truth and explain the real reasons for this new reform?
Mr. Speaker, President Trump wants to axe spending on cleaning up the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes flow into the St. Lawrence, the source of drinking water for millions of Quebeckers.Mayors of communities around the Great Lakes and along the St. Lawrence and environmental groups have reminded us that protecting water should be considered an essential service, but time is running out. Will Ottawa turn its back on Quebec and sacrifice our water, or can the minister assure us that American cuts will not threaten the waters of the St. Lawrence?
Mr. Speaker, according to media reports, the majority of projects in Quebec funded through the Canada 150 fund, 87% to be exact, just happen to be in Liberal ridings despite the fact that only half of Quebec ridings are represented by a Liberal member.Can the Minister of Canadian Heritage confirm to the House that 87% of allocated funds have been earmarked for the ridings of her Liberal friends? If so, does she find that acceptable?
Mr. Speaker, bilingualism and the Official Languages Act are extremely important for our government.Federal services must then be provided in both official languages. We take that very seriously. We are of course responsible for safety in our airports, but we insist that it be done with respect and courtesy, and in accordance with the Official Languages Act.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman and Canadians can be absolutely assured that every Canadian law is being properly enforced and applied by both the RCMP and the CBSA. We are monitoring the situation very carefully. It is true that the numbers over the last number of weeks and months have risen compared to where they were before, but the RCMP and the CBSA have assured us that they have the resources at the present time to deal with the situation adequately and appropriately. If they require additional resources, they will certainly let the government know.
Mr. Speaker, it was truly an honour to lead the Canadian delegation of over 200 Canadians at this year's UN commission on the status of women. People like Linda and Jeanne are truly at the heart of the movement to advance women's and girls' rights domestically and around the world. Canada has made significant progress since I was last there in 2013, and we will remain at the forefront of global efforts to ensure that women and girls everywhere can reach their full potential.
Mr. Speaker, while in Washington last week, I met with representatives of both U.S. parties, mayors, and environmentalists. I made it very clear that Canada recognizes our obligation to protect the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence.That is what I told my American counterpart. I was very clear about how vital it is to work with the United States to ensure that the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence remain environmental priorities.
Mr. Speaker, how about a riddle? According to Finance Canada, the federal government had a balanced budget in 2015. Now, Finance Canada says we will have deficits until 2055. In just one Liberal budget, we added four decades of deficits. After a second Liberal budget, in approximately what century will we be projected to balance?
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his commitment to veterans across Canada. We are committed to finding veterans more work in both the public sector as well as the private sector. Since the passing of the Veterans Hiring Act in 2014, we have brought on board a mandate, through me, to the rest of my cabinet colleagues, as well as the deputy ministers, to look at more ways to hire more veterans. We are also investigating opportunities with the private sector to build those bridges and get those opportunities for our veterans and their families to better their lives. We will continue to do that in our department.
Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, we promised to modernize Parliament and bring it into the 21st century.Our objective has always been to ensure that Parliament is relevant in the eyes of Canadians and that the House is accountable, predictable, efficient, and transparent.I know that we can work together. That is why it is a discussion. I encourage all hon. members to take part.
Mr. Speaker, we know that the previous government's approach was very different when it came to discussions and conversations.We believe that we can have discussions. We believe that these conversations are important conversations to have. I agree with the member that it is not about counting hours. Every single Canadian across this country, from coast to coast to coast, works very hard.We will continue to work hard for Canadians. We made a commitment to modernize this place and to bring it into the 21st century. That is what that discussion paper is about. I encourage the member not only to read the parts he chooses to, but to read the document in its entirety, because part of the suggestions I have offered are actually about looking at ways to improve this place.
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to completely overhauling child and family services for first nations. We believe that we are abiding by the tribunal's decision. We will now pursue our efforts with first nations and the provincial and territorial governments through the established tripartite process in order to work on real reform that focuses primarily on the well-being of children.
Mr. Speaker, the work that we do in this place and for Canadians we take very seriously. As I have mentioned, and as has been the case for previous prime ministers, for security reasons, RCMP officers have always accompanied prime ministers, whether on personal or business travel. One of the first things we did when we took office was to ask the Clerk of the Privy Council to develop guidelines surrounding the reimbursement of travel by sitting prime ministers, their families, and guests. Prior to our government taking office, no such guidelines existed.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.We are the party that committed to investing in the middle class and growing the economy. We are the party that committed to helping our seniors. We are the party that brought in a 10% increase to the guaranteed income supplement for low-income single seniors. Lastly, we are the party that lowered taxes for the middle class.We support our seniors and we are moving forward.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity to rise in this place and to remind all members, as well as Canadians, of the important work that members of Parliament do.Yes, there is a discussion paper. The discussion paper is available to all members as well as the public. The committee is doing the important work it does. The committee has the opportunity to look at ideas, bring in experts, and really consider a better way to do Parliament. We believe that all members on both sides of this place should have the opportunity to have meaningful discussion, and that is why I think it is an important conversation to have.
On the contrary, Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to be here today and as often as necessary to answer questions from members of the opposition.That said, I would like to point out that our government is different from the previous government. We have an amazing cabinet. Our ministers are very capable of directly answering questions regarding their own actions in their own portfolios. That is how a government by cabinet operates. That is how a government operates when it is accountable to its citizens.
Mr. Speaker, as has been the case for previous prime ministers, including the previous one, for security reasons RCMP officers always accompany prime ministers, whether for personal or business travel. One of the first things we did after taking office was to ask the clerk of the Privy Council Office to develop guidelines surrounding the reimbursement for travel by sitting prime ministers, their families, and guests. Prior to our government taking office, no such policy existed.
Mr. Speaker, the recent session at the UN commission on the status of women was attended by the Minister of Status of Women and several members of the standing committee. Two of my constituents from Truro, Linda MacDonald and Jeanne Sarson, made presentations there on the need for appropriate laws. These two women are tireless advocates for human rights and women's rights in particular. Could the Minister of Status of Women outline what progress was made at these UN meetings?
Mr. Speaker, high-growth companies and small to medium-sized enterprises are key drivers of Canada's economic growth. In January, our government launched accelerated growth services, a pilot program in Atlantic Canada to help coordinate access by high-growth companies to the innovation, trade, finance, and other support services that are available across various government departments.Can the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development please update this House on how accelerated growth services are already updating
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Nickel Belt for his excellent question.I recently announced that our government will extend the 15% mining exploration tax credit for an additional year. The credit helps exploration companies finance their projects and contributes to creating good jobs in remote and indigenous communities.
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Mr. Speaker, the minister knows that is false. It has already been shown that the danger pay was brought in by us.We know that the Liberals are big spenders. Their generosity consists of cutting off funds to our soldiers sent to Iraq to fight ISIS. The Liberals cut off the $1,800 per month to military spouses, who have to get by until the end of the mission. It is shameful. However, there is a but: but the Liberals seem open to fixing their mistake. Will they support our motion, fix their mistake, and retroactively restore the danger pay to all soldiers sent to fight ISIS?
Mr. Speaker, the reeve of Emerson, Manitoba, says another 29 asylum seekers illegally crossed into his community on Sunday night alone. We also know that refugees are illegally crossing into Quebec with American visas issued at the U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia. Canadians are tired of the Liberals' inaction and denial. Where is the plan? When will the Liberals finally take action and regain control of our borders?
Mr. Speaker, how about a riddle? According to Finance Canada, the federal government had a balanced budget in 2015. Now, Finance Canada says we will have deficits until 2055. In just one Liberal budget, we added four decades of deficits. After a second Liberal budget, in approximately what century will we be projected to balance?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians get really tired of waiting for the Liberal government to do something about securing our borders. They are also really tired of seeing the Liberal government tax our troops who are in the fight against ISIS. This has to stop right now. These men and women in uniform were promised up to $1,800 per month in danger pay, yet halfway through their mission, the Liberals pulled away these benefits. Trying to pinch pennies on the backs of our troops and military families is wrong and it is immoral. Will the defence minister support our Conservative motion to give back the danger pay, and will he give these benefits to all our troops who are putting their lives on the line in the fight against ISIS now
Mr. Speaker, each and every person here was elected to represent the people in their riding, and together we represent the Canadian people.Far from a mere inconvenience, the Prime Minister appearing in the House every day to answer questions is a critical tool for him to provide accountability to each and every Canadian.How can the Prime Minister justify his willingness to show up in the House only once a week? Why is he attempting to shirk his responsibilities?
Mr. Speaker, as I stated, the previous government was the one that actually sent our troops to Iraq without the tax-free benefit. In February 2016 we corrected this problem, but rules that were placed in 2015 by the previous government brought the benefits back down. Now they realize what those rules have replaced. We are looking at it, and the CDS will be making recommendations so that we can fix this problem once and for all.
Mr. Speaker, we know what our small businesses need: economic growth.Following 10 years of a government that failed in this area, we are working to put more money in the pockets of the middle class and create opportunities for our small businesses.By connecting our small businesses to global markets, especially through the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, which the previous government was unable to conclude but we managed to do so, we know that we are creating opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses every day. That is our governments focus.
Mr. Speaker, it was Stephen Harper who broke the record for shutting down debate in Parliament; yet in his darkest dreams, he never tried to stifle the voices of the opposition the way the Liberals are trying to do right now.It is the Liberal Prime Minister who wants to automatically limit debate on all government bills, and it is the Liberal Prime Minister who says he only has to show up one day a week to answer questions Canadians have for him.Newsflash: this House does not belong to the Liberal Party. It belongs to all Canadians, so will the Liberals step away from this disastrous and undemocratic plan, and work with us to make Parliament work again?
Mr. Speaker, how disingenuous can the member be? As we speak, the Liberals are trying to ram this through and force these rules on all of us.We all saw the Prime Minister try to elbow his way in this House last year, trying to get his way. That was not a pretty sight. Now once again he does not want to be here answering questions, so the Liberals are trying to force these changes on this House.Does the House leader or the Prime Minister commit that no changes will be made unless all of us agree, or are we to see elbowgate, act two?
Mr. Speaker, Vladimir Yakunin, a member of Putins inner circle, is on the U.S. sanctions list, but is still not on Canadas list.When she was in opposition, the member for UniversityRosedale asked the Conservative government: When will the government match its actions to its rhetoric and sanction Sechin and Yakunin? Now that the member is the Minister of Foreign Affairs, my question for her is this: when will the government walk the talk and sanction Mr. Yakunin?
Mr. Speaker, the work that we do in this place and for Canadians we take very seriously. As I have mentioned, and as has been the case for previous prime ministers, for security reasons, RCMP officers have always accompanied prime ministers, whether on personal or business travel. One of the first things we did when we took office was to ask the Clerk of the Privy Council to develop guidelines surrounding the reimbursement of travel by sitting prime ministers, their families, and guests. Prior to our government taking office, no such guidelines existed.
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite wants to talk about facts. The fact is, the very first thing we did in government was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. Unfortunately, the fact also is that that party voted against raising taxes on the wealthiest and lowering them on the middle class. That, unfortunately, demonstrates that they still do not understand that Canadians need investments in the middle class and support for the middle class, not for the wealthiest, like they did for 10 years.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians elected our government on a plan to grow the economy and strengthen the middle class, and we are delivering on that commitment. Over the last six months, almost 220,000 jobs were created, the majority of which were full-time and the majority of which were created by small and medium-sized enterprises. This is the strongest six months of job growth in almost a decade. This is evidence that our plan is working. We will continue to make the necessary investments in budget 2017 to continue to strengthen the middle class and to grow the economy.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.We are the party that committed to investing in the middle class and growing the economy. We are the party that committed to helping our seniors. We are the party that brought in a 10% increase to the guaranteed income supplement for low-income single seniors. Lastly, we are the party that lowered taxes for the middle class.We support our seniors and we are moving forward.
Mr. Speaker, I can understand why someone would borrow to invest in an RRSP. However, when they borrow to buy groceries, there is a major problem. This is what the government is currently doing. The government promised to create thousands of jobs through various programs. However, it seems that these jobs have not been created. Today, people will have to pay to bring the deficit down as low as possible. Tomorrow we will find out which segment of the population will end up paying the price. Will income splitting for seniors be taken away to pay for the governments out-of-control spending?
Mr. Speaker, as has been the case for previous prime ministers, including the previous one, for security reasons RCMP officers always accompany prime ministers, whether for personal or business travel. One of the first things we did after taking office was to ask the clerk of the Privy Council Office to develop guidelines surrounding the reimbursement for travel by sitting prime ministers, their families, and guests. Prior to our government taking office, no such policy existed.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Remuneration amounts for payment are established in the Salaries Act for ministers with a portfolio, ministers of state who preside over a ministry of state, and the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons. This statute does not authorize remuneration for either ministers without a portfolio listed in the Salaries Act or ministers of state who do not preside over a ministry of state. Therefore, the vote lC wording contained in the supply bill for certain organizations provides the authority to make such payments.Using a supply bill to authorize such payments is a long-standing arrangement going back at least to 1995. At that time, the authority appeared only in the program expenditures vote on the Privy Council Office. Since 2007-08, the authority appears in the program or operating expenditure vote of each department that could potentially support a minister without a portfolio or a minister of state who does not preside over a ministry of state.With respect to Bill C-24, with the exception of the Minister of La Francophonie, the individuals appointed on November 4, 2015, to positions of Minister of Science, Minister of Small Business and Tourism, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, and Minister of Status of Women are remunerated under vote 1C.When Bill C-24 receives royal assent, it will authorize payment under the Salaries Act and vote 1C will no longer be used for this purpose in future estimates.The payment under vote 1C not only respects the supplementary estimates process, it is also fully within the legal mandate and authority of the government.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians were very hopeful that the inquiry into murdered and missing aboriginal women and girls would lead to a brighter future, but families are losing patience. It has now been eight months, and we now hear that the commissioners only have 90 names in their database, yet hundreds and hundreds of families are waiting to hear from them. The minister needs to take action. There are some very simple fixes to this issue. She needs to break down bureaucratic barriers and ensure that the inquiry gets the necessary information to do its job.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister conveniently forgot to mention that his platform promise does not look anything like the privatization bank he is now proposing. In fact, the word privatization does not ever appear in the Liberal campaign platform. Neither do user fees, tolls, or private profit on public property. Will the Prime Minister admit that he never campaigned on privatizing infrastructure?
Mr. Speaker, once again, I thank my colleague for his question.Budget 2017 will build on our commitment to support the middle class and grow our economy. Our government is the one that introduced measures to ensure the middle class gets some support. We are the ones who gave members of the middle class a tax cut. We created the Canada child benefit, which has lifted hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. We have also helped our seniors
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his question.I say again that it was our government that committed to investing in the middle class and growing our economy. It was our government that introduced a tax cut for the middle class, while raising taxes for the wealthy.It must also be said that the official opposition party voted against the motion.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. During question period, I believe the Minister of National Defence misspoke, and I would like to give him an opportunity to correct the record, when he said that we sent troops to Iraq without any support. I can tell members there was danger pay. He has an Order Paper question that he has tabled in the House under his signature, and I would like to point out for him that if he would look at Question No.
Mr. Speaker. with regard to the point of order raised earlier today, I listened with interest to the member's intervention and his allegation that the government was seeking to legislate Bill C-24 through the supply bill for the supplementary estimates (C). Nothing could be further from the truth. Let me explain.Remuneration amounts for a payment are established in the Salaries Act
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite remembers well the campaign, because we committed to invest in infrastructure, while he committed to balancing the books, at all costs, on the backs of Canadians. Canadians made a different choice. Canadians knew that investing in our communities, investing in infrastructure, whether it is social housing, whether it is child care spaces, whether it is public transit, is necessary for the future of our economy, for the future of Canadians. That is what we are doing. We are looking to leverage as much public infrastructure as we possibly can for the benefit of Canadians, and that is what the infrastructure bank is going to help do.
Mr. Speaker, it was this Prime Minister and this government that took unprecedented levels of consultations with Canadians. We will continue to work hard for Canadians. We will continue to work hard for members of Parliament.I know it is very difficult for the member opposite to understand, but our objective has always been to ensure that Parliament is relevant to Canadians and that the House becomes accountable, predictable, efficient, and transparent. I know we can work better in this place.
Mr. Speaker, we know that the previous government's approach was very different when it came to discussions and conversations.We believe that we can have discussions. We believe that these conversations are important conversations to have. I agree with the member that it is not about counting hours. Every single Canadian across this country, from coast to coast to coast, works very hard.We will continue to work hard for Canadians. We made a commitment to modernize this place and to bring it into the 21st century. That is what that discussion paper is about. I encourage the member not only to read the parts he chooses to, but to read the document in its entirety, because part of the suggestions I have offered are actually about looking at ways to improve this place.
Mr. Speaker, what Canadians want tomorrow is a break from the Prime Minister. In the last budget, he hiked taxes on small businesses, on families, and on students, and then we got the national carbon tax and a payroll tax hike, but that is not enough. Now the Prime Minister needs to cancel more tax credits. He wants to raise user fees. He is even considering putting GST on Netflix.Does the Prime Minister realize that Canadians are tired of being nickel-and-dimed to death?
Mr. Speaker, we have met with people in forestry, and it is clear that the softwood lumber dispute will resume in a few weeks.The last time, the federal government was to blame for the loss of 15,000 jobs in Quebec in one year. That means a lot of people and families, and many villages and regions are emptying out.Among other things, our workers need loan guarantees to deal with the next dispute.Will Ottawa let our people down once again?
Mr. Speaker, according to media reports, the majority of projects in Quebec funded through the Canada 150 fund, 87% to be exact, just happen to be in Liberal ridings despite the fact that only half of Quebec ridings are represented by a Liberal member.Can the Minister of Canadian Heritage confirm to the House that 87% of allocated funds have been earmarked for the ridings of her Liberal friends? If so, does she find that acceptable?
Modern, Mr. Speaker? Efficient? Efficient like the Chinese dictatorship that he thinks is so efficient? We do not live in China. Those are the Prime Minister's words. We do not live in China or Cuba. We live in Canada, and we have a parliamentary democracy that is accountable to Canadians. We think the Prime Minister should show up every day. Here is a thought. We could have question period with the Prime Minister every day. He could answer all of our questions every day.
Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, we promised to modernize Parliament and bring it into the 21st century.Our objective has always been to ensure that Parliament is relevant in the eyes of Canadians and that the House is accountable, predictable, efficient, and transparent.I know that we can work together. That is why it is a discussion. I encourage all hon. members to take part.
Mr. Speaker, when I was elected in October 2015, my constituents expected that I would work very hard defending their priorities. Since then, I have worked countless hours to do a good job as an MP. How can a responsible government consider reducing the number of hours of work we do here in Ottawa? Why does the Prime Minister not want to answer members' questions? It seems to me that the Prime Minister is not taking his job seriously. Can the Prime Minister tell us the truth and explain the real reasons for this new reform?
Let us start with facts, Mr. Speaker. The fact is that the middle class grew by 30% over the last 10 years. Here is an interesting fact. The Prime Minister's Office has already spent more on polling than the previous Conservative government spent in eight years. Millions of tax dollars are being spent to track Canadians' views for the political benefit of the Prime Minister.I have a really simple question for the Prime Minister. Has the Prime Minister polled Canadians on whether or not he should keep his promise to balance the budget in 2019?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are appalled by the government's attitude towards human rights. This week, the Attorney General will argue that the Human Rights Tribunal does not have the power to enforce its own orders.Instead of questioning the authority of the tribunal, the government needs to say whether or not it intends to respect the human rights of first nations children in this country. That is the real question.When will the government respect the human rights of first nations children?
Mr. Speaker, bilingualism and the Official Languages Act are extremely important for our government.Federal services must then be provided in both official languages. We take that very seriously. We are of course responsible for safety in our airports, but we insist that it be done with respect and courtesy, and in accordance with the Official Languages Act.
Mr. Speaker, the NDP voted for increasing taxes on the wealthiest Canadians, but he is right, we did oppose a plan that did nothing to help the middle class. This morning, the government dropped gangsterism, trafficking, importation of narcotics, weapons possession, kidnapping and other charges against 36 individuals arrested during a major anti-mafia sweep. My question to the Prime Minister is as follows: why?
Mr. Speaker, here is something that did appear in the Liberal campaign platform: set a cap on how much can be claimed through the stock option deduction. We know a little about that, because it was actually in our platform long before the Liberals discovered it. Tomorrow the Liberals have an opportunity to put the interests of every Canadian above those of wealthy insiders. Last week they actually voted for it and said they were going to do it.Will the Liberals keep their promise to close the stock option loophole, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, over the past year and a half, we raised taxes on the wealthiest 1% so we could lower them on the middle class. We delivered a Canada child benefit that gives more money to nine out of 10 Canadians by stopping the sending of child benefit cheques to millionaire families, which the previous government did.The fact is, on the tax cut for the middle class and more money through the CCB, that party voted against both initiatives. Shame on them.
Mr. Speaker, high-growth companies and small to medium-sized enterprises are key drivers of Canada's economic growth. In January, our government launched accelerated growth services, a pilot program in Atlantic Canada to help coordinate access by high-growth companies to the innovation, trade, finance, and other support services that are available across various government departments.Can the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development please update this House on how accelerated growth services are already updating
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister really likes slogans and sound bites, such as the one about 2015 being the last election under the current system. I see this is still a sore point for the Prime Minister, but what happened to his promise to cut small business taxes? Well, in committee, his minister responsible for small business said that this promise was, and I quote, a sound bite to get elected.Why is the Prime Minister turning his back on his promise and at the same time going ahead with a privatization bank that he never mentioned during the campaign?
Mr. Speaker, there is no tangible evidence of the issue that the hon. member has raised. However, this was a subject that was discussed between myself and the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. We are concerned about the pattern of people arriving at the border, particularly those who, in the last number of weeks and months, have actually risked their lives in very severe weather conditions in transportation. This is an issue that is under very close scrutiny by both our government and the Government of the United States.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for St. John's East for his question, his hard work, and his leadership. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all 32 MPs from Atlantic Canada for their leadership and hard work, and for really driving the Atlantic growth strategy. As part of this strategy, we have expanded the accelerated growth strategy. This is a one-stop shop that will help small businesses grow and expand in that region. We have identified 28 companies as part of this pilot initiative. This is very important for Atlantic Canada. This is very important for growth and jobs.
Mr. Speaker, lots of Canadian families travel by plane on a special getaway once a year. On these flights, one could buy a sandwich or maybe a diet Coke and a bag of chips for a snack. It is not great, but it is certainly reasonable. What is not reasonable is over $1,700 worth of food and drinks for a three-hour flight between Canada and the Bahamas, which is how much the taxpayer was billed by the Prime Minister getting to his private island vacation. My question is simple. Just what in the world was the Prime Minister eating on that plane ride?
Mr. Speaker, for far too long, middle-class Canadians have had a hard time getting ahead, with the decisions that were made by the previous government. We have a plan to grow the economy and strengthen the middle class. Our plan is working. If we look at the numbers that came out just two weeks ago, we see that we have created more than 220,000 full-time jobs and part-time jobs. We can also see that our unemployment rate has gone down from 7.1% to 6.6%. Our plan is working, and it is good news for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, one could argue that the time for monitoring has passed and the time for action is now, because we know that illegal border crossings are increasing with no end in sight. What is of more concern right now is we are going to see this trend increase as warmer weather increases. Affected communities are very concerned. Families are concerned. Border enforcement issues are concerned. What is more concerning is that we are seeing and hearing concerns about international gangs and criminals taking advantage of the Liberals' inaction to begin organized shuttling of illegal migrants to the Canadian border. What is the minister doing to stop this particular issue?
Mr. Speaker, it is interesting how the member opposite talks about doing more for the middle class and less for the wealthiest, because he voted against lowering taxes on the middle class and raising them on the wealthiest 1%. If he were serious about helping the middle class, he would make sure that his party stood with us as we lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%.
Mr. Speaker, more details have now emerged about the Prime Minister's New Year's vacation. Taxpayers now know they are on the hook for over $120,000, and that is not even counting whatever the numerous ethics investigations are going to cost. The Prime Minister made a conscious decision that it is the responsibility of the taxpayer to pay for his luxury travel. When did the Prime Minister forget that it is his job to serve Canadians and not the other way around?
Mr. Speaker, many were shocked by the announced cuts to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, including severe cuts to bilateral commitments on the Great Lakes. Canadians will be further concerned to learn how the Liberal government also intends to make cuts to water protection. The minister likes to talk about her deep commitment to the Great Lakes, yet not only is her government continuing the substantial cuts put forward by the Harper regime but they are going even further. Will the Liberals restore funding to these vital initiatives or will they continue to be all talk and little action for our treasured waters?
Mr. Speaker, the recent session at the UN commission on the status of women was attended by the Minister of Status of Women and several members of the standing committee. Two of my constituents from Truro, Linda MacDonald and Jeanne Sarson, made presentations there on the need for appropriate laws. These two women are tireless advocates for human rights and women's rights in particular. Could the Minister of Status of Women outline what progress was made at these UN meetings?
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent for the following motion. That this House, while recognizing the importance of debating matters of public interest, voice genuine outrage over the disparaging prejudices and stereotypes used in a column in Maclean's magazine published on March 20 to cast aspersions on the Quebec nation and that it condemn the rise of Quebecophobia in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, as the member just said, the government made promises, but it has broken many of them. This is just one of many.The government cobbled together a plan to sell our airports, which would put money in its pocket and make it look not quite so bad.What will be in tomorrow's budget for the forestry industry and softwood lumber? How will the budget secure the future of our regions? A lot of people are very worried. Tomorrow, who will have to pick up the tab for the Prime Minister's out-of-control spending?
Mr. Speaker, it was truly an honour to lead the Canadian delegation of over 200 Canadians at this year's UN commission on the status of women. People like Linda and Jeanne are truly at the heart of the movement to advance women's and girls' rights domestically and around the world. Canada has made significant progress since I was last there in 2013, and we will remain at the forefront of global efforts to ensure that women and girls everywhere can reach their full potential.
Mr. Speaker, let us not forget that 65% of Canadians were not affected by these so-called tax breaks, and that those who benefited the most from these so-called tax breaks are people who earn between $140,000 and $200,000.If that is what this government calls the middle class, I can understand why it is incapable of managing the country's finances properly and balancing the budget, and above all, why it is constantly punishing the middle class.Will there be any good news for the middle class in tomorrow's budget?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has announced that he wants to change the rules of Parliament to make his life easier, and no one's life will be easier than his. If he gets away with this, he will only have to show up to work once a week. He also wants to strip the opposition of its power to hold him accountable.We know that the Prime Minister says China is a dictatorship he admires, and he certainly had a bizarre infatuation with Fidel Castro. Can the Prime Minister at least agree that he, the Prime Minister of Canada, should be accountable to the House of Commons and to Canadians more than once a week?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals want to cancel Friday sittings, cut off debate in committees, eliminate debates on committee reports, and severely limit debates in this House. Now the Prime Minister only wants to show up for question period once a week. Maybe the Liberals can get one of those cardboard cutouts to fill in for him.The Liberals are diminishing Parliament and reducing accountability. They should not be changing the rules of the House to make this a safe space for the Prime Minister. When will the Prime Minister end his constant attack on the ability of MPs to hold the government accountable?
Mr. Speaker, as members of Parliament, we are just temporary occupants of these seats in the House of Commons. They do not belong to us. They belong to Canadians. They do not belong to political parties or the Prime Minister. The Liberals are proposing drastic changes to Parliament that will permanently damage the ability of MPs to hold the government to account. Why are the Liberals willing to cause collateral damage to the House of Commons in their attempt to damage the opposition, and when will backbench Liberal MPs stand up to the Prime Minister and defend the right of all members of Parliament to hold the government accountable?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, La Presse reported that, since 2010, the percentage of bilingual employees at security checkpoints in almost all major airports in the country has dropped dramatically.This information is consistent with a report submitted just today by the Commissioner of Official Languages that reveals the provision of bilingual services in our airports leaves much to be desired.What does the Minister of Canadian Heritage intend to do to promote bilingualism and to ensure that our official languages truly enjoy equal status in airports across the country?
Mr. Speaker, many veterans struggle in finding meaningful employment after leaving the service. On transitioning to civilian life, the Liberals promised to engage with stakeholders like Monster.ca to use military skills translators to help our vets find work, including jobs in the public service. The U.S. uses this same algorithm to help its soldiers find jobs, but we have heard nothing from the Liberals on this campaign promise.Could the minister explain, with a real answer for veterans, why the Liberals are dragging their feet on this campaign promise?
Mr. Speaker, at committee the Minister of Small Business said that the Liberals' promise to reduce taxes on small business was a great sound bite and a great headline, but at the end of the day, they were not really going to do it. My goodness, the old Liberal arrogance is alive and kicking. First they steal an NDP policy, then they abandon that promise in their very first budget, and now the minister is bragging about it.Will the Liberals do the right thing tomorrow and reinstate the tax break for small businesses, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister wants to limit his own speaking time. I would suggest he find something interesting to say, first.Let us remember that, just two years ago, the Prime Minister said that budgets balance themselves. In just a few hours, the government will table its second budget.After promising an initial deficit of $10 billion and ending up with a deficit of $30 billion and a return to a balanced budget in 2055, how will the Prime Minister go about ensuring that the budget will balance itself tomorrow?
Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman and Canadians can be absolutely assured that every Canadian law is being properly enforced and applied by both the RCMP and the CBSA. We are monitoring the situation very carefully. It is true that the numbers over the last number of weeks and months have risen compared to where they were before, but the RCMP and the CBSA have assured us that they have the resources at the present time to deal with the situation adequately and appropriately. If they require additional resources, they will certainly let the government know.
Mr. Speaker, we have put forward a discussion paper, that we have published and shared with all Canadians, to talk about how we can improve the functioning of this house of democracy, how we can make sure that Canadians are better heard, that the opposition has the opportunity to ask tough questions to hold the Prime Minister to account and to hold this government to account. That is why, among the many proposals we have made, we have talked about the model of the British prime minister's questions that devotes an entire question period to the prime minister answering questions. We are open to all sorts of discussions about how to improve the functioning of this Parliament, because we know Canadians expect a modern workplace out of this place so we can better serve them.
Mr. Speaker, budget 2017 will build on our commitment to support the middle class and foster economic prosperity.It was our government that introduced the Canada child benefit and finally lifted thousands of children out of poverty. It was also our government that increased the guaranteed income supplement by 10% to help low-income seniors. We have a good plan, and we will continue moving forward and supporting Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada understands how important mining exploration companies are to supporting middle-class families and indigenous communities and to building a clean, green economy.Can the Minister of Natural Resources tell the House about what the federal government is doing to ensure that Canada remains a top destination for exploration and mining?
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to completely overhauling child and family services for first nations. We believe that we are abiding by the tribunal's decision. We will now pursue our efforts with first nations and the provincial and territorial governments through the established tripartite process in order to work on real reform that focuses primarily on the well-being of children.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to every opportunity to stand up and talk about the great things this government is doing.Tomorrow we will be presenting a budget that will create growth for the middle class, opportunities for Canadians, investments in the future of this country that we know, after 10 years of slow growth under the Conservative government, will turn our growth path around. This is about giving opportunities to Canadians. I am always happy to talk about the important things the Canadian government is doing for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals want to change the rules of the House under the guise of making Parliament more efficient.That party, which obtained only 39% of the vote in 2015, now wants to change the rules unilaterally. To hell with sunny ways.As a show of good faith, why do the Liberals not drop their plan, like they did for Motion No. 6, and create a committee whose membership is representative of the popular vote to look into the matter?
Mr. Speaker, this is a discussion paper. It is true this place does belong to the people of Canada. That is exactly why I shared the discussion paper with all members of Parliament, as well as the public.This is a conversation that we want Canadians to participate in. We want Canadians to be part of this place and to help us make the important decisions that we make.I encourage all members to be part of the conversation. I encourage all members not only to listen to their views but to listen to opposing views and differing views. That is why I am encouraging us to have this conversation.
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to taking action that will grow the middle class and create good jobs. Action on climate change is estimated to grow the world economy by $19 trillion through investments in renewable power and energy efficiency. We understand the need to trade good jobs to protect our environment, grow the middle class, and ensure a more sustainable future for our kids.
Mr. Speaker, speaking of news, Bloomberg news quoted the following: Feelings Are Worth Spending Forfinance minister on the eve of budget. The Prime Minister would agree. He was feeling pretty good when he spent $127,000 in tax dollars on his visit to billionaire island. That was a real middle-class adventure, by his definition. Do the Liberals know who is not feeling good, though? It is the tomato farmer in my riding, who had to pay $6,200 in one month for a carbon tax. When will the government realize that its feelings are not worth hammering taxpayers with more costs?
Mr. Speaker, it is great to see the passion from the member opposite. I just wish he had the same passion when he sent the troops to Iraq without the tax-free benefits. In February 2016, working with the finance minister, we put in the tax-free exemption. I ask for the members to take politics out of defence, but it would be great if the member opposite told me about the rules that they placed in 2014 that brought the benefits down. It is okay. I gave directions to the chief of the defence staff to take a look at this, and we will fix this problem.
Mr. Speaker, while in Washington last week, I met with representatives of both U.S. parties, mayors, and environmentalists. I made it very clear that Canada recognizes our obligation to protect the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence.That is what I told my American counterpart. I was very clear about how vital it is to work with the United States to ensure that the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence remain environmental priorities.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his commitment to veterans across Canada. We are committed to finding veterans more work in both the public sector as well as the private sector. Since the passing of the Veterans Hiring Act in 2014, we have brought on board a mandate, through me, to the rest of my cabinet colleagues, as well as the deputy ministers, to look at more ways to hire more veterans. We are also investigating opportunities with the private sector to build those bridges and get those opportunities for our veterans and their families to better their lives. We will continue to do that in our department.
On the contrary, Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to be here today and as often as necessary to answer questions from members of the opposition.That said, I would like to point out that our government is different from the previous government. We have an amazing cabinet. Our ministers are very capable of directly answering questions regarding their own actions in their own portfolios. That is how a government by cabinet operates. That is how a government operates when it is accountable to its citizens.
Mr. Speaker, the Canada 150 vision is rooted in our communities and designed for families right across the country. We are proud to have invested more than $130 million in projects of national significance, which will have an opportunity to stop in a number of communities in all the regions. In addition, they will have a significant impact on every riding in the country.Of course our goal is to achieve equitable regional distribution; 2017 will be a big year. Of course we encourage all Canadians to celebrate regardless of their political stripes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity to rise in this place and to remind all members, as well as Canadians, of the important work that members of Parliament do.Yes, there is a discussion paper. The discussion paper is available to all members as well as the public. The committee is doing the important work it does. The committee has the opportunity to look at ideas, bring in experts, and really consider a better way to do Parliament. We believe that all members on both sides of this place should have the opportunity to have meaningful discussion, and that is why I think it is an important conversation to have.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the member that it was the Conservatives who did not sanction Mr. Yakunin in 2014 and 2015.Now, Mr. Yakunin is no longer in power, just like the Conservatives. This is an important reality. As for our position vis-à-vis Russia, I think all members in this House would agree with me when I say that our governments opposition, as well as my own as Minister of Foreign Affairs, remain very strong.
Mr. Speaker, President Trump wants to axe spending on cleaning up the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes flow into the St. Lawrence, the source of drinking water for millions of Quebeckers.Mayors of communities around the Great Lakes and along the St. Lawrence and environmental groups have reminded us that protecting water should be considered an essential service, but time is running out. Will Ottawa turn its back on Quebec and sacrifice our water, or can the minister assure us that American cuts will not threaten the waters of the St. Lawrence?
Mr. Speaker, I was in Washington last week on Great Lakes Day where I made it perfectly clear to Americans, to my counterpart, that we need continued American investment in the Great Lakes, that we need to be working together because 40 million people rely on the Great Lakes for clean drinking water. It is an engine of the economy. We cannot have things like Asian carp come and destroy our Great Lakes and we are going to continue pushing with the United States to work to clean up our Great Lakes.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Nickel Belt for his excellent question.I recently announced that our government will extend the 15% mining exploration tax credit for an additional year. The credit helps exploration companies finance their projects and contributes to creating good jobs in remote and indigenous communities.
Mr. Speaker, it was I who released the discussion paper. I shared it with all members in this place as well as the public.The member is correct that we are here to serve Canadians. Each of us is elected. The discussion paper provides many ideas, and it is a conversation, a discussion. We have asked the committee to do the important work that it does to modernize this place and to bring it into the 21st century. This government recognizes that members of Parliament do work in this place as well as in their ridings. As the member of Parliament for the riding of Waterloo, I am proud to have some of my constituents here. I will work for them in this place as well as in my riding as, I am sure, all members of Parliament do.
Mr. Speaker, it is important that we ensure that our justice system works to keep Canadians and their communities safe. We are always working to improve our justice system so that criminals are prosecuted and face the consequences of their actions. There is still work to do to improve the system.
Mr. Speaker, we recognize the importance of forestry in Canada. We have started a very good conversation with the provinces that may be affected by new measures. We will most assuredly take coordinated measures to protect jobs in this country. Canadians can count on us.
Mr. Speaker, on this ongoing national tragedy, we are confident that the commission has the tools, resources, and networks to provide the families with the support they need. I can confirm that government officials are scheduled to meet with the commission to discuss how best to utilize the information resources already provided. We remain steadfast to our commitment and will continue to work collaboratively with all parties to ensure the commission is ready to hear from families this spring.
Mr. Speaker, the minister knows that is false. It has already been shown that the danger pay was brought in by us.We know that the Liberals are big spenders. Their generosity consists of cutting off funds to our soldiers sent to Iraq to fight ISIS. The Liberals cut off the $1,800 per month to military spouses, who have to get by until the end of the mission. It is shameful. However, there is a but: but the Liberals seem open to fixing their mistake. Will they support our motion, fix their mistake, and retroactively restore the danger pay to all soldiers sent to fight ISIS?
Mr. Speaker, the reeve of Emerson, Manitoba, says another 29 asylum seekers illegally crossed into his community on Sunday night alone. We also know that refugees are illegally crossing into Quebec with American visas issued at the U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia. Canadians are tired of the Liberals' inaction and denial. Where is the plan? When will the Liberals finally take action and regain control of our borders?
Mr. Speaker, how about a riddle? According to Finance Canada, the federal government had a balanced budget in 2015. Now, Finance Canada says we will have deficits until 2055. In just one Liberal budget, we added four decades of deficits. After a second Liberal budget, in approximately what century will we be projected to balance?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians get really tired of waiting for the Liberal government to do something about securing our borders. They are also really tired of seeing the Liberal government tax our troops who are in the fight against ISIS. This has to stop right now. These men and women in uniform were promised up to $1,800 per month in danger pay, yet halfway through their mission, the Liberals pulled away these benefits. Trying to pinch pennies on the backs of our troops and military families is wrong and it is immoral. Will the defence minister support our Conservative motion to give back the danger pay, and will he give these benefits to all our troops who are putting their lives on the line in the fight against ISIS now
Mr. Speaker, each and every person here was elected to represent the people in their riding, and together we represent the Canadian people.Far from a mere inconvenience, the Prime Minister appearing in the House every day to answer questions is a critical tool for him to provide accountability to each and every Canadian.How can the Prime Minister justify his willingness to show up in the House only once a week? Why is he attempting to shirk his responsibilities?
Mr. Speaker, as I stated, the previous government was the one that actually sent our troops to Iraq without the tax-free benefit. In February 2016 we corrected this problem, but rules that were placed in 2015 by the previous government brought the benefits back down. Now they realize what those rules have replaced. We are looking at it, and the CDS will be making recommendations so that we can fix this problem once and for all.
Mr. Speaker, we know what our small businesses need: economic growth.Following 10 years of a government that failed in this area, we are working to put more money in the pockets of the middle class and create opportunities for our small businesses.By connecting our small businesses to global markets, especially through the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, which the previous government was unable to conclude but we managed to do so, we know that we are creating opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses every day. That is our governments focus.
Mr. Speaker, it was Stephen Harper who broke the record for shutting down debate in Parliament; yet in his darkest dreams, he never tried to stifle the voices of the opposition the way the Liberals are trying to do right now.It is the Liberal Prime Minister who wants to automatically limit debate on all government bills, and it is the Liberal Prime Minister who says he only has to show up one day a week to answer questions Canadians have for him.Newsflash: this House does not belong to the Liberal Party. It belongs to all Canadians, so will the Liberals step away from this disastrous and undemocratic plan, and work with us to make Parliament work again?
Mr. Speaker, how disingenuous can the member be? As we speak, the Liberals are trying to ram this through and force these rules on all of us.We all saw the Prime Minister try to elbow his way in this House last year, trying to get his way. That was not a pretty sight. Now once again he does not want to be here answering questions, so the Liberals are trying to force these changes on this House.Does the House leader or the Prime Minister commit that no changes will be made unless all of us agree, or are we to see elbowgate, act two?
Mr. Speaker, Vladimir Yakunin, a member of Putins inner circle, is on the U.S. sanctions list, but is still not on Canadas list.When she was in opposition, the member for UniversityRosedale asked the Conservative government: When will the government match its actions to its rhetoric and sanction Sechin and Yakunin? Now that the member is the Minister of Foreign Affairs, my question for her is this: when will the government walk the talk and sanction Mr. Yakunin?
Mr. Speaker, the work that we do in this place and for Canadians we take very seriously. As I have mentioned, and as has been the case for previous prime ministers, for security reasons, RCMP officers have always accompanied prime ministers, whether on personal or business travel. One of the first things we did when we took office was to ask the Clerk of the Privy Council to develop guidelines surrounding the reimbursement of travel by sitting prime ministers, their families, and guests. Prior to our government taking office, no such guidelines existed.
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite wants to talk about facts. The fact is, the very first thing we did in government was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. Unfortunately, the fact also is that that party voted against raising taxes on the wealthiest and lowering them on the middle class. That, unfortunately, demonstrates that they still do not understand that Canadians need investments in the middle class and support for the middle class, not for the wealthiest, like they did for 10 years.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians elected our government on a plan to grow the economy and strengthen the middle class, and we are delivering on that commitment. Over the last six months, almost 220,000 jobs were created, the majority of which were full-time and the majority of which were created by small and medium-sized enterprises. This is the strongest six months of job growth in almost a decade. This is evidence that our plan is working. We will continue to make the necessary investments in budget 2017 to continue to strengthen the middle class and to grow the economy.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.We are the party that committed to investing in the middle class and growing the economy. We are the party that committed to helping our seniors. We are the party that brought in a 10% increase to the guaranteed income supplement for low-income single seniors. Lastly, we are the party that lowered taxes for the middle class.We support our seniors and we are moving forward.
Mr. Speaker, I can understand why someone would borrow to invest in an RRSP. However, when they borrow to buy groceries, there is a major problem. This is what the government is currently doing. The government promised to create thousands of jobs through various programs. However, it seems that these jobs have not been created. Today, people will have to pay to bring the deficit down as low as possible. Tomorrow we will find out which segment of the population will end up paying the price. Will income splitting for seniors be taken away to pay for the governments out-of-control spending?
Mr. Speaker, as has been the case for previous prime ministers, including the previous one, for security reasons RCMP officers always accompany prime ministers, whether for personal or business travel. One of the first things we did after taking office was to ask the clerk of the Privy Council Office to develop guidelines surrounding the reimbursement for travel by sitting prime ministers, their families, and guests. Prior to our government taking office, no such policy existed.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Remuneration amounts for payment are established in the Salaries Act for ministers with a portfolio, ministers of state who preside over a ministry of state, and the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons. This statute does not authorize remuneration for either ministers without a portfolio listed in the Salaries Act or ministers of state who do not preside over a ministry of state. Therefore, the vote lC wording contained in the supply bill for certain organizations provides the authority to make such payments.Using a supply bill to authorize such payments is a long-standing arrangement going back at least to 1995. At that time, the authority appeared only in the program expenditures vote on the Privy Council Office. Since 2007-08, the authority appears in the program or operating expenditure vote of each department that could potentially support a minister without a portfolio or a minister of state who does not preside over a ministry of state.With respect to Bill C-24, with the exception of the Minister of La Francophonie, the individuals appointed on November 4, 2015, to positions of Minister of Science, Minister of Small Business and Tourism, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, and Minister of Status of Women are remunerated under vote 1C.When Bill C-24 receives royal assent, it will authorize payment under the Salaries Act and vote 1C will no longer be used for this purpose in future estimates.The payment under vote 1C not only respects the supplementary estimates process, it is also fully within the legal mandate and authority of the government.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians were very hopeful that the inquiry into murdered and missing aboriginal women and girls would lead to a brighter future, but families are losing patience. It has now been eight months, and we now hear that the commissioners only have 90 names in their database, yet hundreds and hundreds of families are waiting to hear from them. The minister needs to take action. There are some very simple fixes to this issue. She needs to break down bureaucratic barriers and ensure that the inquiry gets the necessary information to do its job.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister conveniently forgot to mention that his platform promise does not look anything like the privatization bank he is now proposing. In fact, the word privatization does not ever appear in the Liberal campaign platform. Neither do user fees, tolls, or private profit on public property. Will the Prime Minister admit that he never campaigned on privatizing infrastructure?
Mr. Speaker, once again, I thank my colleague for his question.Budget 2017 will build on our commitment to support the middle class and grow our economy. Our government is the one that introduced measures to ensure the middle class gets some support. We are the ones who gave members of the middle class a tax cut. We created the Canada child benefit, which has lifted hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. We have also helped our seniors
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his question.I say again that it was our government that committed to investing in the middle class and growing our economy. It was our government that introduced a tax cut for the middle class, while raising taxes for the wealthy.It must also be said that the official opposition party voted against the motion.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. During question period, I believe the Minister of National Defence misspoke, and I would like to give him an opportunity to correct the record, when he said that we sent troops to Iraq without any support. I can tell members there was danger pay. He has an Order Paper question that he has tabled in the House under his signature, and I would like to point out for him that if he would look at Question No.
Mr. Speaker. with regard to the point of order raised earlier today, I listened with interest to the member's intervention and his allegation that the government was seeking to legislate Bill C-24 through the supply bill for the supplementary estimates (C). Nothing could be further from the truth. Let me explain.Remuneration amounts for a payment are established in the Salaries Act
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite remembers well the campaign, because we committed to invest in infrastructure, while he committed to balancing the books, at all costs, on the backs of Canadians. Canadians made a different choice. Canadians knew that investing in our communities, investing in infrastructure, whether it is social housing, whether it is child care spaces, whether it is public transit, is necessary for the future of our economy, for the future of Canadians. That is what we are doing. We are looking to leverage as much public infrastructure as we possibly can for the benefit of Canadians, and that is what the infrastructure bank is going to help do.
Mr. Speaker, it was this Prime Minister and this government that took unprecedented levels of consultations with Canadians. We will continue to work hard for Canadians. We will continue to work hard for members of Parliament.I know it is very difficult for the member opposite to understand, but our objective has always been to ensure that Parliament is relevant to Canadians and that the House becomes accountable, predictable, efficient, and transparent. I know we can work better in this place.
Mr. Speaker, we know that the previous government's approach was very different when it came to discussions and conversations.We believe that we can have discussions. We believe that these conversations are important conversations to have. I agree with the member that it is not about counting hours. Every single Canadian across this country, from coast to coast to coast, works very hard.We will continue to work hard for Canadians. We made a commitment to modernize this place and to bring it into the 21st century. That is what that discussion paper is about. I encourage the member not only to read the parts he chooses to, but to read the document in its entirety, because part of the suggestions I have offered are actually about looking at ways to improve this place.
Mr. Speaker, what Canadians want tomorrow is a break from the Prime Minister. In the last budget, he hiked taxes on small businesses, on families, and on students, and then we got the national carbon tax and a payroll tax hike, but that is not enough. Now the Prime Minister needs to cancel more tax credits. He wants to raise user fees. He is even considering putting GST on Netflix.Does the Prime Minister realize that Canadians are tired of being nickel-and-dimed to death?
Mr. Speaker, we have met with people in forestry, and it is clear that the softwood lumber dispute will resume in a few weeks.The last time, the federal government was to blame for the loss of 15,000 jobs in Quebec in one year. That means a lot of people and families, and many villages and regions are emptying out.Among other things, our workers need loan guarantees to deal with the next dispute.Will Ottawa let our people down once again?
Mr. Speaker, according to media reports, the majority of projects in Quebec funded through the Canada 150 fund, 87% to be exact, just happen to be in Liberal ridings despite the fact that only half of Quebec ridings are represented by a Liberal member.Can the Minister of Canadian Heritage confirm to the House that 87% of allocated funds have been earmarked for the ridings of her Liberal friends? If so, does she find that acceptable?
Modern, Mr. Speaker? Efficient? Efficient like the Chinese dictatorship that he thinks is so efficient? We do not live in China. Those are the Prime Minister's words. We do not live in China or Cuba. We live in Canada, and we have a parliamentary democracy that is accountable to Canadians. We think the Prime Minister should show up every day. Here is a thought. We could have question period with the Prime Minister every day. He could answer all of our questions every day.
Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, we promised to modernize Parliament and bring it into the 21st century.Our objective has always been to ensure that Parliament is relevant in the eyes of Canadians and that the House is accountable, predictable, efficient, and transparent.I know that we can work together. That is why it is a discussion. I encourage all hon. members to take part.
Mr. Speaker, when I was elected in October 2015, my constituents expected that I would work very hard defending their priorities. Since then, I have worked countless hours to do a good job as an MP. How can a responsible government consider reducing the number of hours of work we do here in Ottawa? Why does the Prime Minister not want to answer members' questions? It seems to me that the Prime Minister is not taking his job seriously. Can the Prime Minister tell us the truth and explain the real reasons for this new reform?
Let us start with facts, Mr. Speaker. The fact is that the middle class grew by 30% over the last 10 years. Here is an interesting fact. The Prime Minister's Office has already spent more on polling than the previous Conservative government spent in eight years. Millions of tax dollars are being spent to track Canadians' views for the political benefit of the Prime Minister.I have a really simple question for the Prime Minister. Has the Prime Minister polled Canadians on whether or not he should keep his promise to balance the budget in 2019?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are appalled by the government's attitude towards human rights. This week, the Attorney General will argue that the Human Rights Tribunal does not have the power to enforce its own orders.Instead of questioning the authority of the tribunal, the government needs to say whether or not it intends to respect the human rights of first nations children in this country. That is the real question.When will the government respect the human rights of first nations children?
Mr. Speaker, bilingualism and the Official Languages Act are extremely important for our government.Federal services must then be provided in both official languages. We take that very seriously. We are of course responsible for safety in our airports, but we insist that it be done with respect and courtesy, and in accordance with the Official Languages Act.
Mr. Speaker, the NDP voted for increasing taxes on the wealthiest Canadians, but he is right, we did oppose a plan that did nothing to help the middle class. This morning, the government dropped gangsterism, trafficking, importation of narcotics, weapons possession, kidnapping and other charges against 36 individuals arrested during a major anti-mafia sweep. My question to the Prime Minister is as follows: why?
Mr. Speaker, here is something that did appear in the Liberal campaign platform: set a cap on how much can be claimed through the stock option deduction. We know a little about that, because it was actually in our platform long before the Liberals discovered it. Tomorrow the Liberals have an opportunity to put the interests of every Canadian above those of wealthy insiders. Last week they actually voted for it and said they were going to do it.Will the Liberals keep their promise to close the stock option loophole, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, over the past year and a half, we raised taxes on the wealthiest 1% so we could lower them on the middle class. We delivered a Canada child benefit that gives more money to nine out of 10 Canadians by stopping the sending of child benefit cheques to millionaire families, which the previous government did.The fact is, on the tax cut for the middle class and more money through the CCB, that party voted against both initiatives. Shame on them.
Mr. Speaker, high-growth companies and small to medium-sized enterprises are key drivers of Canada's economic growth. In January, our government launched accelerated growth services, a pilot program in Atlantic Canada to help coordinate access by high-growth companies to the innovation, trade, finance, and other support services that are available across various government departments.Can the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development please update this House on how accelerated growth services are already updating
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister really likes slogans and sound bites, such as the one about 2015 being the last election under the current system. I see this is still a sore point for the Prime Minister, but what happened to his promise to cut small business taxes? Well, in committee, his minister responsible for small business said that this promise was, and I quote, a sound bite to get elected.Why is the Prime Minister turning his back on his promise and at the same time going ahead with a privatization bank that he never mentioned during the campaign?
Mr. Speaker, there is no tangible evidence of the issue that the hon. member has raised. However, this was a subject that was discussed between myself and the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. We are concerned about the pattern of people arriving at the border, particularly those who, in the last number of weeks and months, have actually risked their lives in very severe weather conditions in transportation. This is an issue that is under very close scrutiny by both our government and the Government of the United States.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for St. John's East for his question, his hard work, and his leadership. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all 32 MPs from Atlantic Canada for their leadership and hard work, and for really driving the Atlantic growth strategy. As part of this strategy, we have expanded the accelerated growth strategy. This is a one-stop shop that will help small businesses grow and expand in that region. We have identified 28 companies as part of this pilot initiative. This is very important for Atlantic Canada. This is very important for growth and jobs.
Mr. Speaker, lots of Canadian families travel by plane on a special getaway once a year. On these flights, one could buy a sandwich or maybe a diet Coke and a bag of chips for a snack. It is not great, but it is certainly reasonable. What is not reasonable is over $1,700 worth of food and drinks for a three-hour flight between Canada and the Bahamas, which is how much the taxpayer was billed by the Prime Minister getting to his private island vacation. My question is simple. Just what in the world was the Prime Minister eating on that plane ride?
Mr. Speaker, for far too long, middle-class Canadians have had a hard time getting ahead, with the decisions that were made by the previous government. We have a plan to grow the economy and strengthen the middle class. Our plan is working. If we look at the numbers that came out just two weeks ago, we see that we have created more than 220,000 full-time jobs and part-time jobs. We can also see that our unemployment rate has gone down from 7.1% to 6.6%. Our plan is working, and it is good news for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, one could argue that the time for monitoring has passed and the time for action is now, because we know that illegal border crossings are increasing with no end in sight. What is of more concern right now is we are going to see this trend increase as warmer weather increases. Affected communities are very concerned. Families are concerned. Border enforcement issues are concerned. What is more concerning is that we are seeing and hearing concerns about international gangs and criminals taking advantage of the Liberals' inaction to begin organized shuttling of illegal migrants to the Canadian border. What is the minister doing to stop this particular issue?
Mr. Speaker, it is interesting how the member opposite talks about doing more for the middle class and less for the wealthiest, because he voted against lowering taxes on the middle class and raising them on the wealthiest 1%. If he were serious about helping the middle class, he would make sure that his party stood with us as we lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%.
Mr. Speaker, more details have now emerged about the Prime Minister's New Year's vacation. Taxpayers now know they are on the hook for over $120,000, and that is not even counting whatever the numerous ethics investigations are going to cost. The Prime Minister made a conscious decision that it is the responsibility of the taxpayer to pay for his luxury travel. When did the Prime Minister forget that it is his job to serve Canadians and not the other way around?
Mr. Speaker, many were shocked by the announced cuts to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, including severe cuts to bilateral commitments on the Great Lakes. Canadians will be further concerned to learn how the Liberal government also intends to make cuts to water protection. The minister likes to talk about her deep commitment to the Great Lakes, yet not only is her government continuing the substantial cuts put forward by the Harper regime but they are going even further. Will the Liberals restore funding to these vital initiatives or will they continue to be all talk and little action for our treasured waters?
Mr. Speaker, the recent session at the UN commission on the status of women was attended by the Minister of Status of Women and several members of the standing committee. Two of my constituents from Truro, Linda MacDonald and Jeanne Sarson, made presentations there on the need for appropriate laws. These two women are tireless advocates for human rights and women's rights in particular. Could the Minister of Status of Women outline what progress was made at these UN meetings?
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent for the following motion. That this House, while recognizing the importance of debating matters of public interest, voice genuine outrage over the disparaging prejudices and stereotypes used in a column in Maclean's magazine published on March 20 to cast aspersions on the Quebec nation and that it condemn the rise of Quebecophobia in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, as the member just said, the government made promises, but it has broken many of them. This is just one of many.The government cobbled together a plan to sell our airports, which would put money in its pocket and make it look not quite so bad.What will be in tomorrow's budget for the forestry industry and softwood lumber? How will the budget secure the future of our regions? A lot of people are very worried. Tomorrow, who will have to pick up the tab for the Prime Minister's out-of-control spending?
Mr. Speaker, it was truly an honour to lead the Canadian delegation of over 200 Canadians at this year's UN commission on the status of women. People like Linda and Jeanne are truly at the heart of the movement to advance women's and girls' rights domestically and around the world. Canada has made significant progress since I was last there in 2013, and we will remain at the forefront of global efforts to ensure that women and girls everywhere can reach their full potential.
Mr. Speaker, let us not forget that 65% of Canadians were not affected by these so-called tax breaks, and that those who benefited the most from these so-called tax breaks are people who earn between $140,000 and $200,000.If that is what this government calls the middle class, I can understand why it is incapable of managing the country's finances properly and balancing the budget, and above all, why it is constantly punishing the middle class.Will there be any good news for the middle class in tomorrow's budget?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has announced that he wants to change the rules of Parliament to make his life easier, and no one's life will be easier than his. If he gets away with this, he will only have to show up to work once a week. He also wants to strip the opposition of its power to hold him accountable.We know that the Prime Minister says China is a dictatorship he admires, and he certainly had a bizarre infatuation with Fidel Castro. Can the Prime Minister at least agree that he, the Prime Minister of Canada, should be accountable to the House of Commons and to Canadians more than once a week?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals want to cancel Friday sittings, cut off debate in committees, eliminate debates on committee reports, and severely limit debates in this House. Now the Prime Minister only wants to show up for question period once a week. Maybe the Liberals can get one of those cardboard cutouts to fill in for him.The Liberals are diminishing Parliament and reducing accountability. They should not be changing the rules of the House to make this a safe space for the Prime Minister. When will the Prime Minister end his constant attack on the ability of MPs to hold the government accountable?
Mr. Speaker, as members of Parliament, we are just temporary occupants of these seats in the House of Commons. They do not belong to us. They belong to Canadians. They do not belong to political parties or the Prime Minister. The Liberals are proposing drastic changes to Parliament that will permanently damage the ability of MPs to hold the government to account. Why are the Liberals willing to cause collateral damage to the House of Commons in their attempt to damage the opposition, and when will backbench Liberal MPs stand up to the Prime Minister and defend the right of all members of Parliament to hold the government accountable?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, La Presse reported that, since 2010, the percentage of bilingual employees at security checkpoints in almost all major airports in the country has dropped dramatically.This information is consistent with a report submitted just today by the Commissioner of Official Languages that reveals the provision of bilingual services in our airports leaves much to be desired.What does the Minister of Canadian Heritage intend to do to promote bilingualism and to ensure that our official languages truly enjoy equal status in airports across the country?
Mr. Speaker, many veterans struggle in finding meaningful employment after leaving the service. On transitioning to civilian life, the Liberals promised to engage with stakeholders like Monster.ca to use military skills translators to help our vets find work, including jobs in the public service. The U.S. uses this same algorithm to help its soldiers find jobs, but we have heard nothing from the Liberals on this campaign promise.Could the minister explain, with a real answer for veterans, why the Liberals are dragging their feet on this campaign promise?
Mr. Speaker, at committee the Minister of Small Business said that the Liberals' promise to reduce taxes on small business was a great sound bite and a great headline, but at the end of the day, they were not really going to do it. My goodness, the old Liberal arrogance is alive and kicking. First they steal an NDP policy, then they abandon that promise in their very first budget, and now the minister is bragging about it.Will the Liberals do the right thing tomorrow and reinstate the tax break for small businesses, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister wants to limit his own speaking time. I would suggest he find something interesting to say, first.Let us remember that, just two years ago, the Prime Minister said that budgets balance themselves. In just a few hours, the government will table its second budget.After promising an initial deficit of $10 billion and ending up with a deficit of $30 billion and a return to a balanced budget in 2055, how will the Prime Minister go about ensuring that the budget will balance itself tomorrow?
Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman and Canadians can be absolutely assured that every Canadian law is being properly enforced and applied by both the RCMP and the CBSA. We are monitoring the situation very carefully. It is true that the numbers over the last number of weeks and months have risen compared to where they were before, but the RCMP and the CBSA have assured us that they have the resources at the present time to deal with the situation adequately and appropriately. If they require additional resources, they will certainly let the government know.
Mr. Speaker, we have put forward a discussion paper, that we have published and shared with all Canadians, to talk about how we can improve the functioning of this house of democracy, how we can make sure that Canadians are better heard, that the opposition has the opportunity to ask tough questions to hold the Prime Minister to account and to hold this government to account. That is why, among the many proposals we have made, we have talked about the model of the British prime minister's questions that devotes an entire question period to the prime minister answering questions. We are open to all sorts of discussions about how to improve the functioning of this Parliament, because we know Canadians expect a modern workplace out of this place so we can better serve them.
Mr. Speaker, budget 2017 will build on our commitment to support the middle class and foster economic prosperity.It was our government that introduced the Canada child benefit and finally lifted thousands of children out of poverty. It was also our government that increased the guaranteed income supplement by 10% to help low-income seniors. We have a good plan, and we will continue moving forward and supporting Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada understands how important mining exploration companies are to supporting middle-class families and indigenous communities and to building a clean, green economy.Can the Minister of Natural Resources tell the House about what the federal government is doing to ensure that Canada remains a top destination for exploration and mining?
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to completely overhauling child and family services for first nations. We believe that we are abiding by the tribunal's decision. We will now pursue our efforts with first nations and the provincial and territorial governments through the established tripartite process in order to work on real reform that focuses primarily on the well-being of children.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to every opportunity to stand up and talk about the great things this government is doing.Tomorrow we will be presenting a budget that will create growth for the middle class, opportunities for Canadians, investments in the future of this country that we know, after 10 years of slow growth under the Conservative government, will turn our growth path around. This is about giving opportunities to Canadians. I am always happy to talk about the important things the Canadian government is doing for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals want to change the rules of the House under the guise of making Parliament more efficient.That party, which obtained only 39% of the vote in 2015, now wants to change the rules unilaterally. To hell with sunny ways.As a show of good faith, why do the Liberals not drop their plan, like they did for Motion No. 6, and create a committee whose membership is representative of the popular vote to look into the matter?
Mr. Speaker, this is a discussion paper. It is true this place does belong to the people of Canada. That is exactly why I shared the discussion paper with all members of Parliament, as well as the public.This is a conversation that we want Canadians to participate in. We want Canadians to be part of this place and to help us make the important decisions that we make.I encourage all members to be part of the conversation. I encourage all members not only to listen to their views but to listen to opposing views and differing views. That is why I am encouraging us to have this conversation.
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to taking action that will grow the middle class and create good jobs. Action on climate change is estimated to grow the world economy by $19 trillion through investments in renewable power and energy efficiency. We understand the need to trade good jobs to protect our environment, grow the middle class, and ensure a more sustainable future for our kids.
Mr. Speaker, speaking of news, Bloomberg news quoted the following: Feelings Are Worth Spending Forfinance minister on the eve of budget. The Prime Minister would agree. He was feeling pretty good when he spent $127,000 in tax dollars on his visit to billionaire island. That was a real middle-class adventure, by his definition. Do the Liberals know who is not feeling good, though? It is the tomato farmer in my riding, who had to pay $6,200 in one month for a carbon tax. When will the government realize that its feelings are not worth hammering taxpayers with more costs?
Mr. Speaker, it is great to see the passion from the member opposite. I just wish he had the same passion when he sent the troops to Iraq without the tax-free benefits. In February 2016, working with the finance minister, we put in the tax-free exemption. I ask for the members to take politics out of defence, but it would be great if the member opposite told me about the rules that they placed in 2014 that brought the benefits down. It is okay. I gave directions to the chief of the defence staff to take a look at this, and we will fix this problem.
Mr. Speaker, while in Washington last week, I met with representatives of both U.S. parties, mayors, and environmentalists. I made it very clear that Canada recognizes our obligation to protect the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence.That is what I told my American counterpart. I was very clear about how vital it is to work with the United States to ensure that the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence remain environmental priorities.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his commitment to veterans across Canada. We are committed to finding veterans more work in both the public sector as well as the private sector. Since the passing of the Veterans Hiring Act in 2014, we have brought on board a mandate, through me, to the rest of my cabinet colleagues, as well as the deputy ministers, to look at more ways to hire more veterans. We are also investigating opportunities with the private sector to build those bridges and get those opportunities for our veterans and their families to better their lives. We will continue to do that in our department.
On the contrary, Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to be here today and as often as necessary to answer questions from members of the opposition.That said, I would like to point out that our government is different from the previous government. We have an amazing cabinet. Our ministers are very capable of directly answering questions regarding their own actions in their own portfolios. That is how a government by cabinet operates. That is how a government operates when it is accountable to its citizens.
Mr. Speaker, the Canada 150 vision is rooted in our communities and designed for families right across the country. We are proud to have invested more than $130 million in projects of national significance, which will have an opportunity to stop in a number of communities in all the regions. In addition, they will have a significant impact on every riding in the country.Of course our goal is to achieve equitable regional distribution; 2017 will be a big year. Of course we encourage all Canadians to celebrate regardless of their political stripes.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity to rise in this place and to remind all members, as well as Canadians, of the important work that members of Parliament do.Yes, there is a discussion paper. The discussion paper is available to all members as well as the public. The committee is doing the important work it does. The committee has the opportunity to look at ideas, bring in experts, and really consider a better way to do Parliament. We believe that all members on both sides of this place should have the opportunity to have meaningful discussion, and that is why I think it is an important conversation to have.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the member that it was the Conservatives who did not sanction Mr. Yakunin in 2014 and 2015.Now, Mr. Yakunin is no longer in power, just like the Conservatives. This is an important reality. As for our position vis-à-vis Russia, I think all members in this House would agree with me when I say that our governments opposition, as well as my own as Minister of Foreign Affairs, remain very strong.
Mr. Speaker, President Trump wants to axe spending on cleaning up the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes flow into the St. Lawrence, the source of drinking water for millions of Quebeckers.Mayors of communities around the Great Lakes and along the St. Lawrence and environmental groups have reminded us that protecting water should be considered an essential service, but time is running out. Will Ottawa turn its back on Quebec and sacrifice our water, or can the minister assure us that American cuts will not threaten the waters of the St. Lawrence?
Mr. Speaker, I was in Washington last week on Great Lakes Day where I made it perfectly clear to Americans, to my counterpart, that we need continued American investment in the Great Lakes, that we need to be working together because 40 million people rely on the Great Lakes for clean drinking water. It is an engine of the economy. We cannot have things like Asian carp come and destroy our Great Lakes and we are going to continue pushing with the United States to work to clean up our Great Lakes.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Nickel Belt for his excellent question.I recently announced that our government will extend the 15% mining exploration tax credit for an additional year. The credit helps exploration companies finance their projects and contributes to creating good jobs in remote and indigenous communities.
Mr. Speaker, it was I who released the discussion paper. I shared it with all members in this place as well as the public.The member is correct that we are here to serve Canadians. Each of us is elected. The discussion paper provides many ideas, and it is a conversation, a discussion. We have asked the committee to do the important work that it does to modernize this place and to bring it into the 21st century. This government recognizes that members of Parliament do work in this place as well as in their ridings. As the member of Parliament for the riding of Waterloo, I am proud to have some of my constituents here. I will work for them in this place as well as in my riding as, I am sure, all members of Parliament do.
Mr. Speaker, it is important that we ensure that our justice system works to keep Canadians and their communities safe. We are always working to improve our justice system so that criminals are prosecuted and face the consequences of their actions. There is still work to do to improve the system.
Mr. Speaker, we recognize the importance of forestry in Canada. We have started a very good conversation with the provinces that may be affected by new measures. We will most assuredly take coordinated measures to protect jobs in this country. Canadians can count on us.
Mr. Speaker, on this ongoing national tragedy, we are confident that the commission has the tools, resources, and networks to provide the families with the support they need. I can confirm that government officials are scheduled to meet with the commission to discuss how best to utilize the information resources already provided. We remain steadfast to our commitment and will continue to work collaboratively with all parties to ensure the commission is ready to hear from families this spring.
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Mr. Speaker, on this ongoing national tragedy, we are confident that the commission has the tools, resources, and networks to provide the families with the support they need. I can confirm that government officials are scheduled to meet with the commission to discuss how best to utilize the information resources already provided. We remain steadfast to our commitment and will continue to work collaboratively with all parties to ensure the commission is ready to hear from families this spring.
Mr. Speaker, we recognize the importance of forestry in Canada. We have started a very good conversation with the provinces that may be affected by new measures. We will most assuredly take coordinated measures to protect jobs in this country. Canadians can count on us.
Mr. Speaker, it is important that we ensure that our justice system works to keep Canadians and their communities safe. We are always working to improve our justice system so that criminals are prosecuted and face the consequences of their actions. There is still work to do to improve the system.
Mr. Speaker, it was I who released the discussion paper. I shared it with all members in this place as well as the public.The member is correct that we are here to serve Canadians. Each of us is elected. The discussion paper provides many ideas, and it is a conversation, a discussion. We have asked the committee to do the important work that it does to modernize this place and to bring it into the 21st century. This government recognizes that members of Parliament do work in this place as well as in their ridings. As the member of Parliament for the riding of Waterloo, I am proud to have some of my constituents here. I will work for them in this place as well as in my riding as, I am sure, all members of Parliament do.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Nickel Belt for his excellent question.I recently announced that our government will extend the 15% mining exploration tax credit for an additional year. The credit helps exploration companies finance their projects and contributes to creating good jobs in remote and indigenous communities.
Mr. Speaker, I was in Washington last week on Great Lakes Day where I made it perfectly clear to Americans, to my counterpart, that we need continued American investment in the Great Lakes, that we need to be working together because 40 million people rely on the Great Lakes for clean drinking water. It is an engine of the economy. We cannot have things like Asian carp come and destroy our Great Lakes and we are going to continue pushing with the United States to work to clean up our Great Lakes.
Mr. Speaker, President Trump wants to axe spending on cleaning up the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes flow into the St. Lawrence, the source of drinking water for millions of Quebeckers.Mayors of communities around the Great Lakes and along the St. Lawrence and environmental groups have reminded us that protecting water should be considered an essential service, but time is running out. Will Ottawa turn its back on Quebec and sacrifice our water, or can the minister assure us that American cuts will not threaten the waters of the St. Lawrence?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the member that it was the Conservatives who did not sanction Mr. Yakunin in 2014 and 2015.Now, Mr. Yakunin is no longer in power, just like the Conservatives. This is an important reality. As for our position vis-à-vis Russia, I think all members in this House would agree with me when I say that our governments opposition, as well as my own as Minister of Foreign Affairs, remain very strong.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity to rise in this place and to remind all members, as well as Canadians, of the important work that members of Parliament do.Yes, there is a discussion paper. The discussion paper is available to all members as well as the public. The committee is doing the important work it does. The committee has the opportunity to look at ideas, bring in experts, and really consider a better way to do Parliament. We believe that all members on both sides of this place should have the opportunity to have meaningful discussion, and that is why I think it is an important conversation to have.
Mr. Speaker, the Canada 150 vision is rooted in our communities and designed for families right across the country. We are proud to have invested more than $130 million in projects of national significance, which will have an opportunity to stop in a number of communities in all the regions. In addition, they will have a significant impact on every riding in the country.Of course our goal is to achieve equitable regional distribution; 2017 will be a big year. Of course we encourage all Canadians to celebrate regardless of their political stripes.
On the contrary, Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to be here today and as often as necessary to answer questions from members of the opposition.That said, I would like to point out that our government is different from the previous government. We have an amazing cabinet. Our ministers are very capable of directly answering questions regarding their own actions in their own portfolios. That is how a government by cabinet operates. That is how a government operates when it is accountable to its citizens.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his commitment to veterans across Canada. We are committed to finding veterans more work in both the public sector as well as the private sector. Since the passing of the Veterans Hiring Act in 2014, we have brought on board a mandate, through me, to the rest of my cabinet colleagues, as well as the deputy ministers, to look at more ways to hire more veterans. We are also investigating opportunities with the private sector to build those bridges and get those opportunities for our veterans and their families to better their lives. We will continue to do that in our department.
Mr. Speaker, while in Washington last week, I met with representatives of both U.S. parties, mayors, and environmentalists. I made it very clear that Canada recognizes our obligation to protect the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence.That is what I told my American counterpart. I was very clear about how vital it is to work with the United States to ensure that the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence remain environmental priorities.
Mr. Speaker, it is great to see the passion from the member opposite. I just wish he had the same passion when he sent the troops to Iraq without the tax-free benefits. In February 2016, working with the finance minister, we put in the tax-free exemption. I ask for the members to take politics out of defence, but it would be great if the member opposite told me about the rules that they placed in 2014 that brought the benefits down. It is okay. I gave directions to the chief of the defence staff to take a look at this, and we will fix this problem.
Mr. Speaker, speaking of news, Bloomberg news quoted the following: Feelings Are Worth Spending Forfinance minister on the eve of budget. The Prime Minister would agree. He was feeling pretty good when he spent $127,000 in tax dollars on his visit to billionaire island. That was a real middle-class adventure, by his definition. Do the Liberals know who is not feeling good, though? It is the tomato farmer in my riding, who had to pay $6,200 in one month for a carbon tax. When will the government realize that its feelings are not worth hammering taxpayers with more costs?
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to taking action that will grow the middle class and create good jobs. Action on climate change is estimated to grow the world economy by $19 trillion through investments in renewable power and energy efficiency. We understand the need to trade good jobs to protect our environment, grow the middle class, and ensure a more sustainable future for our kids.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals want to change the rules of the House under the guise of making Parliament more efficient.That party, which obtained only 39% of the vote in 2015, now wants to change the rules unilaterally. To hell with sunny ways.As a show of good faith, why do the Liberals not drop their plan, like they did for Motion No. 6, and create a committee whose membership is representative of the popular vote to look into the matter?
Mr. Speaker, this is a discussion paper. It is true this place does belong to the people of Canada. That is exactly why I shared the discussion paper with all members of Parliament, as well as the public.This is a conversation that we want Canadians to participate in. We want Canadians to be part of this place and to help us make the important decisions that we make.I encourage all members to be part of the conversation. I encourage all members not only to listen to their views but to listen to opposing views and differing views. That is why I am encouraging us to have this conversation.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to every opportunity to stand up and talk about the great things this government is doing.Tomorrow we will be presenting a budget that will create growth for the middle class, opportunities for Canadians, investments in the future of this country that we know, after 10 years of slow growth under the Conservative government, will turn our growth path around. This is about giving opportunities to Canadians. I am always happy to talk about the important things the Canadian government is doing for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to completely overhauling child and family services for first nations. We believe that we are abiding by the tribunal's decision. We will now pursue our efforts with first nations and the provincial and territorial governments through the established tripartite process in order to work on real reform that focuses primarily on the well-being of children.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada understands how important mining exploration companies are to supporting middle-class families and indigenous communities and to building a clean, green economy.Can the Minister of Natural Resources tell the House about what the federal government is doing to ensure that Canada remains a top destination for exploration and mining?
Mr. Speaker, budget 2017 will build on our commitment to support the middle class and foster economic prosperity.It was our government that introduced the Canada child benefit and finally lifted thousands of children out of poverty. It was also our government that increased the guaranteed income supplement by 10% to help low-income seniors. We have a good plan, and we will continue moving forward and supporting Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, we have put forward a discussion paper, that we have published and shared with all Canadians, to talk about how we can improve the functioning of this house of democracy, how we can make sure that Canadians are better heard, that the opposition has the opportunity to ask tough questions to hold the Prime Minister to account and to hold this government to account. That is why, among the many proposals we have made, we have talked about the model of the British prime minister's questions that devotes an entire question period to the prime minister answering questions. We are open to all sorts of discussions about how to improve the functioning of this Parliament, because we know Canadians expect a modern workplace out of this place so we can better serve them.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman and Canadians can be absolutely assured that every Canadian law is being properly enforced and applied by both the RCMP and the CBSA. We are monitoring the situation very carefully. It is true that the numbers over the last number of weeks and months have risen compared to where they were before, but the RCMP and the CBSA have assured us that they have the resources at the present time to deal with the situation adequately and appropriately. If they require additional resources, they will certainly let the government know.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister wants to limit his own speaking time. I would suggest he find something interesting to say, first.Let us remember that, just two years ago, the Prime Minister said that budgets balance themselves. In just a few hours, the government will table its second budget.After promising an initial deficit of $10 billion and ending up with a deficit of $30 billion and a return to a balanced budget in 2055, how will the Prime Minister go about ensuring that the budget will balance itself tomorrow?
Mr. Speaker, at committee the Minister of Small Business said that the Liberals' promise to reduce taxes on small business was a great sound bite and a great headline, but at the end of the day, they were not really going to do it. My goodness, the old Liberal arrogance is alive and kicking. First they steal an NDP policy, then they abandon that promise in their very first budget, and now the minister is bragging about it.Will the Liberals do the right thing tomorrow and reinstate the tax break for small businesses, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, many veterans struggle in finding meaningful employment after leaving the service. On transitioning to civilian life, the Liberals promised to engage with stakeholders like Monster.ca to use military skills translators to help our vets find work, including jobs in the public service. The U.S. uses this same algorithm to help its soldiers find jobs, but we have heard nothing from the Liberals on this campaign promise.Could the minister explain, with a real answer for veterans, why the Liberals are dragging their feet on this campaign promise?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, La Presse reported that, since 2010, the percentage of bilingual employees at security checkpoints in almost all major airports in the country has dropped dramatically.This information is consistent with a report submitted just today by the Commissioner of Official Languages that reveals the provision of bilingual services in our airports leaves much to be desired.What does the Minister of Canadian Heritage intend to do to promote bilingualism and to ensure that our official languages truly enjoy equal status in airports across the country?
Mr. Speaker, as members of Parliament, we are just temporary occupants of these seats in the House of Commons. They do not belong to us. They belong to Canadians. They do not belong to political parties or the Prime Minister. The Liberals are proposing drastic changes to Parliament that will permanently damage the ability of MPs to hold the government to account. Why are the Liberals willing to cause collateral damage to the House of Commons in their attempt to damage the opposition, and when will backbench Liberal MPs stand up to the Prime Minister and defend the right of all members of Parliament to hold the government accountable?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals want to cancel Friday sittings, cut off debate in committees, eliminate debates on committee reports, and severely limit debates in this House. Now the Prime Minister only wants to show up for question period once a week. Maybe the Liberals can get one of those cardboard cutouts to fill in for him.The Liberals are diminishing Parliament and reducing accountability. They should not be changing the rules of the House to make this a safe space for the Prime Minister. When will the Prime Minister end his constant attack on the ability of MPs to hold the government accountable?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has announced that he wants to change the rules of Parliament to make his life easier, and no one's life will be easier than his. If he gets away with this, he will only have to show up to work once a week. He also wants to strip the opposition of its power to hold him accountable.We know that the Prime Minister says China is a dictatorship he admires, and he certainly had a bizarre infatuation with Fidel Castro. Can the Prime Minister at least agree that he, the Prime Minister of Canada, should be accountable to the House of Commons and to Canadians more than once a week?
Mr. Speaker, let us not forget that 65% of Canadians were not affected by these so-called tax breaks, and that those who benefited the most from these so-called tax breaks are people who earn between $140,000 and $200,000.If that is what this government calls the middle class, I can understand why it is incapable of managing the country's finances properly and balancing the budget, and above all, why it is constantly punishing the middle class.Will there be any good news for the middle class in tomorrow's budget?
Mr. Speaker, it was truly an honour to lead the Canadian delegation of over 200 Canadians at this year's UN commission on the status of women. People like Linda and Jeanne are truly at the heart of the movement to advance women's and girls' rights domestically and around the world. Canada has made significant progress since I was last there in 2013, and we will remain at the forefront of global efforts to ensure that women and girls everywhere can reach their full potential.
Mr. Speaker, as the member just said, the government made promises, but it has broken many of them. This is just one of many.The government cobbled together a plan to sell our airports, which would put money in its pocket and make it look not quite so bad.What will be in tomorrow's budget for the forestry industry and softwood lumber? How will the budget secure the future of our regions? A lot of people are very worried. Tomorrow, who will have to pick up the tab for the Prime Minister's out-of-control spending?
Mr. Speaker, the recent session at the UN commission on the status of women was attended by the Minister of Status of Women and several members of the standing committee. Two of my constituents from Truro, Linda MacDonald and Jeanne Sarson, made presentations there on the need for appropriate laws. These two women are tireless advocates for human rights and women's rights in particular. Could the Minister of Status of Women outline what progress was made at these UN meetings?
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent for the following motion. That this House, while recognizing the importance of debating matters of public interest, voice genuine outrage over the disparaging prejudices and stereotypes used in a column in Maclean's magazine published on March 20 to cast aspersions on the Quebec nation and that it condemn the rise of Quebecophobia in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, many were shocked by the announced cuts to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, including severe cuts to bilateral commitments on the Great Lakes. Canadians will be further concerned to learn how the Liberal government also intends to make cuts to water protection. The minister likes to talk about her deep commitment to the Great Lakes, yet not only is her government continuing the substantial cuts put forward by the Harper regime but they are going even further. Will the Liberals restore funding to these vital initiatives or will they continue to be all talk and little action for our treasured waters?
Mr. Speaker, more details have now emerged about the Prime Minister's New Year's vacation. Taxpayers now know they are on the hook for over $120,000, and that is not even counting whatever the numerous ethics investigations are going to cost. The Prime Minister made a conscious decision that it is the responsibility of the taxpayer to pay for his luxury travel. When did the Prime Minister forget that it is his job to serve Canadians and not the other way around?
Mr. Speaker, it is interesting how the member opposite talks about doing more for the middle class and less for the wealthiest, because he voted against lowering taxes on the middle class and raising them on the wealthiest 1%. If he were serious about helping the middle class, he would make sure that his party stood with us as we lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%.
Mr. Speaker, one could argue that the time for monitoring has passed and the time for action is now, because we know that illegal border crossings are increasing with no end in sight. What is of more concern right now is we are going to see this trend increase as warmer weather increases. Affected communities are very concerned. Families are concerned. Border enforcement issues are concerned. What is more concerning is that we are seeing and hearing concerns about international gangs and criminals taking advantage of the Liberals' inaction to begin organized shuttling of illegal migrants to the Canadian border. What is the minister doing to stop this particular issue?
Mr. Speaker, for far too long, middle-class Canadians have had a hard time getting ahead, with the decisions that were made by the previous government. We have a plan to grow the economy and strengthen the middle class. Our plan is working. If we look at the numbers that came out just two weeks ago, we see that we have created more than 220,000 full-time jobs and part-time jobs. We can also see that our unemployment rate has gone down from 7.1% to 6.6%. Our plan is working, and it is good news for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, lots of Canadian families travel by plane on a special getaway once a year. On these flights, one could buy a sandwich or maybe a diet Coke and a bag of chips for a snack. It is not great, but it is certainly reasonable. What is not reasonable is over $1,700 worth of food and drinks for a three-hour flight between Canada and the Bahamas, which is how much the taxpayer was billed by the Prime Minister getting to his private island vacation. My question is simple. Just what in the world was the Prime Minister eating on that plane ride?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for St. John's East for his question, his hard work, and his leadership. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all 32 MPs from Atlantic Canada for their leadership and hard work, and for really driving the Atlantic growth strategy. As part of this strategy, we have expanded the accelerated growth strategy. This is a one-stop shop that will help small businesses grow and expand in that region. We have identified 28 companies as part of this pilot initiative. This is very important for Atlantic Canada. This is very important for growth and jobs.
Mr. Speaker, there is no tangible evidence of the issue that the hon. member has raised. However, this was a subject that was discussed between myself and the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. We are concerned about the pattern of people arriving at the border, particularly those who, in the last number of weeks and months, have actually risked their lives in very severe weather conditions in transportation. This is an issue that is under very close scrutiny by both our government and the Government of the United States.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister really likes slogans and sound bites, such as the one about 2015 being the last election under the current system. I see this is still a sore point for the Prime Minister, but what happened to his promise to cut small business taxes? Well, in committee, his minister responsible for small business said that this promise was, and I quote, a sound bite to get elected.Why is the Prime Minister turning his back on his promise and at the same time going ahead with a privatization bank that he never mentioned during the campaign?
Mr. Speaker, high-growth companies and small to medium-sized enterprises are key drivers of Canada's economic growth. In January, our government launched accelerated growth services, a pilot program in Atlantic Canada to help coordinate access by high-growth companies to the innovation, trade, finance, and other support services that are available across various government departments.Can the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development please update this House on how accelerated growth services are already updating
Mr. Speaker, over the past year and a half, we raised taxes on the wealthiest 1% so we could lower them on the middle class. We delivered a Canada child benefit that gives more money to nine out of 10 Canadians by stopping the sending of child benefit cheques to millionaire families, which the previous government did.The fact is, on the tax cut for the middle class and more money through the CCB, that party voted against both initiatives. Shame on them.
Mr. Speaker, here is something that did appear in the Liberal campaign platform: set a cap on how much can be claimed through the stock option deduction. We know a little about that, because it was actually in our platform long before the Liberals discovered it. Tomorrow the Liberals have an opportunity to put the interests of every Canadian above those of wealthy insiders. Last week they actually voted for it and said they were going to do it.Will the Liberals keep their promise to close the stock option loophole, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, the NDP voted for increasing taxes on the wealthiest Canadians, but he is right, we did oppose a plan that did nothing to help the middle class. This morning, the government dropped gangsterism, trafficking, importation of narcotics, weapons possession, kidnapping and other charges against 36 individuals arrested during a major anti-mafia sweep. My question to the Prime Minister is as follows: why?
Mr. Speaker, bilingualism and the Official Languages Act are extremely important for our government.Federal services must then be provided in both official languages. We take that very seriously. We are of course responsible for safety in our airports, but we insist that it be done with respect and courtesy, and in accordance with the Official Languages Act.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are appalled by the government's attitude towards human rights. This week, the Attorney General will argue that the Human Rights Tribunal does not have the power to enforce its own orders.Instead of questioning the authority of the tribunal, the government needs to say whether or not it intends to respect the human rights of first nations children in this country. That is the real question.When will the government respect the human rights of first nations children?
Let us start with facts, Mr. Speaker. The fact is that the middle class grew by 30% over the last 10 years. Here is an interesting fact. The Prime Minister's Office has already spent more on polling than the previous Conservative government spent in eight years. Millions of tax dollars are being spent to track Canadians' views for the political benefit of the Prime Minister.I have a really simple question for the Prime Minister. Has the Prime Minister polled Canadians on whether or not he should keep his promise to balance the budget in 2019?
Mr. Speaker, when I was elected in October 2015, my constituents expected that I would work very hard defending their priorities. Since then, I have worked countless hours to do a good job as an MP. How can a responsible government consider reducing the number of hours of work we do here in Ottawa? Why does the Prime Minister not want to answer members' questions? It seems to me that the Prime Minister is not taking his job seriously. Can the Prime Minister tell us the truth and explain the real reasons for this new reform?
Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, we promised to modernize Parliament and bring it into the 21st century.Our objective has always been to ensure that Parliament is relevant in the eyes of Canadians and that the House is accountable, predictable, efficient, and transparent.I know that we can work together. That is why it is a discussion. I encourage all hon. members to take part.
Modern, Mr. Speaker? Efficient? Efficient like the Chinese dictatorship that he thinks is so efficient? We do not live in China. Those are the Prime Minister's words. We do not live in China or Cuba. We live in Canada, and we have a parliamentary democracy that is accountable to Canadians. We think the Prime Minister should show up every day. Here is a thought. We could have question period with the Prime Minister every day. He could answer all of our questions every day.
Mr. Speaker, according to media reports, the majority of projects in Quebec funded through the Canada 150 fund, 87% to be exact, just happen to be in Liberal ridings despite the fact that only half of Quebec ridings are represented by a Liberal member.Can the Minister of Canadian Heritage confirm to the House that 87% of allocated funds have been earmarked for the ridings of her Liberal friends? If so, does she find that acceptable?
Mr. Speaker, we have met with people in forestry, and it is clear that the softwood lumber dispute will resume in a few weeks.The last time, the federal government was to blame for the loss of 15,000 jobs in Quebec in one year. That means a lot of people and families, and many villages and regions are emptying out.Among other things, our workers need loan guarantees to deal with the next dispute.Will Ottawa let our people down once again?
Mr. Speaker, what Canadians want tomorrow is a break from the Prime Minister. In the last budget, he hiked taxes on small businesses, on families, and on students, and then we got the national carbon tax and a payroll tax hike, but that is not enough. Now the Prime Minister needs to cancel more tax credits. He wants to raise user fees. He is even considering putting GST on Netflix.Does the Prime Minister realize that Canadians are tired of being nickel-and-dimed to death?
Mr. Speaker, we know that the previous government's approach was very different when it came to discussions and conversations.We believe that we can have discussions. We believe that these conversations are important conversations to have. I agree with the member that it is not about counting hours. Every single Canadian across this country, from coast to coast to coast, works very hard.We will continue to work hard for Canadians. We made a commitment to modernize this place and to bring it into the 21st century. That is what that discussion paper is about. I encourage the member not only to read the parts he chooses to, but to read the document in its entirety, because part of the suggestions I have offered are actually about looking at ways to improve this place.
Mr. Speaker, it was this Prime Minister and this government that took unprecedented levels of consultations with Canadians. We will continue to work hard for Canadians. We will continue to work hard for members of Parliament.I know it is very difficult for the member opposite to understand, but our objective has always been to ensure that Parliament is relevant to Canadians and that the House becomes accountable, predictable, efficient, and transparent. I know we can work better in this place.
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite remembers well the campaign, because we committed to invest in infrastructure, while he committed to balancing the books, at all costs, on the backs of Canadians. Canadians made a different choice. Canadians knew that investing in our communities, investing in infrastructure, whether it is social housing, whether it is child care spaces, whether it is public transit, is necessary for the future of our economy, for the future of Canadians. That is what we are doing. We are looking to leverage as much public infrastructure as we possibly can for the benefit of Canadians, and that is what the infrastructure bank is going to help do.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister conveniently forgot to mention that his platform promise does not look anything like the privatization bank he is now proposing. In fact, the word privatization does not ever appear in the Liberal campaign platform. Neither do user fees, tolls, or private profit on public property. Will the Prime Minister admit that he never campaigned on privatizing infrastructure?
Mr. Speaker, once again, I thank my colleague for his question.Budget 2017 will build on our commitment to support the middle class and grow our economy. Our government is the one that introduced measures to ensure the middle class gets some support. We are the ones who gave members of the middle class a tax cut. We created the Canada child benefit, which has lifted hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. We have also helped our seniors
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his question.I say again that it was our government that committed to investing in the middle class and growing our economy. It was our government that introduced a tax cut for the middle class, while raising taxes for the wealthy.It must also be said that the official opposition party voted against the motion.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. During question period, I believe the Minister of National Defence misspoke, and I would like to give him an opportunity to correct the record, when he said that we sent troops to Iraq without any support. I can tell members there was danger pay. He has an Order Paper question that he has tabled in the House under his signature, and I would like to point out for him that if he would look at Question No.
Mr. Speaker. with regard to the point of order raised earlier today, I listened with interest to the member's intervention and his allegation that the government was seeking to legislate Bill C-24 through the supply bill for the supplementary estimates (C). Nothing could be further from the truth. Let me explain.Remuneration amounts for a payment are established in the Salaries Act
Mr. Speaker, Canadians were very hopeful that the inquiry into murdered and missing aboriginal women and girls would lead to a brighter future, but families are losing patience. It has now been eight months, and we now hear that the commissioners only have 90 names in their database, yet hundreds and hundreds of families are waiting to hear from them. The minister needs to take action. There are some very simple fixes to this issue. She needs to break down bureaucratic barriers and ensure that the inquiry gets the necessary information to do its job.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Remuneration amounts for payment are established in the Salaries Act for ministers with a portfolio, ministers of state who preside over a ministry of state, and the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons. This statute does not authorize remuneration for either ministers without a portfolio listed in the Salaries Act or ministers of state who do not preside over a ministry of state. Therefore, the vote lC wording contained in the supply bill for certain organizations provides the authority to make such payments.Using a supply bill to authorize such payments is a long-standing arrangement going back at least to 1995. At that time, the authority appeared only in the program expenditures vote on the Privy Council Office. Since 2007-08, the authority appears in the program or operating expenditure vote of each department that could potentially support a minister without a portfolio or a minister of state who does not preside over a ministry of state.With respect to Bill C-24, with the exception of the Minister of La Francophonie, the individuals appointed on November 4, 2015, to positions of Minister of Science, Minister of Small Business and Tourism, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, and Minister of Status of Women are remunerated under vote 1C.When Bill C-24 receives royal assent, it will authorize payment under the Salaries Act and vote 1C will no longer be used for this purpose in future estimates.The payment under vote 1C not only respects the supplementary estimates process, it is also fully within the legal mandate and authority of the government.
Mr. Speaker, as has been the case for previous prime ministers, including the previous one, for security reasons RCMP officers always accompany prime ministers, whether for personal or business travel. One of the first things we did after taking office was to ask the clerk of the Privy Council Office to develop guidelines surrounding the reimbursement for travel by sitting prime ministers, their families, and guests. Prior to our government taking office, no such policy existed.
Mr. Speaker, I can understand why someone would borrow to invest in an RRSP. However, when they borrow to buy groceries, there is a major problem. This is what the government is currently doing. The government promised to create thousands of jobs through various programs. However, it seems that these jobs have not been created. Today, people will have to pay to bring the deficit down as low as possible. Tomorrow we will find out which segment of the population will end up paying the price. Will income splitting for seniors be taken away to pay for the governments out-of-control spending?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.We are the party that committed to investing in the middle class and growing the economy. We are the party that committed to helping our seniors. We are the party that brought in a 10% increase to the guaranteed income supplement for low-income single seniors. Lastly, we are the party that lowered taxes for the middle class.We support our seniors and we are moving forward.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians elected our government on a plan to grow the economy and strengthen the middle class, and we are delivering on that commitment. Over the last six months, almost 220,000 jobs were created, the majority of which were full-time and the majority of which were created by small and medium-sized enterprises. This is the strongest six months of job growth in almost a decade. This is evidence that our plan is working. We will continue to make the necessary investments in budget 2017 to continue to strengthen the middle class and to grow the economy.
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite wants to talk about facts. The fact is, the very first thing we did in government was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. Unfortunately, the fact also is that that party voted against raising taxes on the wealthiest and lowering them on the middle class. That, unfortunately, demonstrates that they still do not understand that Canadians need investments in the middle class and support for the middle class, not for the wealthiest, like they did for 10 years.
Mr. Speaker, the work that we do in this place and for Canadians we take very seriously. As I have mentioned, and as has been the case for previous prime ministers, for security reasons, RCMP officers have always accompanied prime ministers, whether on personal or business travel. One of the first things we did when we took office was to ask the Clerk of the Privy Council to develop guidelines surrounding the reimbursement of travel by sitting prime ministers, their families, and guests. Prior to our government taking office, no such guidelines existed.
Mr. Speaker, how disingenuous can the member be? As we speak, the Liberals are trying to ram this through and force these rules on all of us.We all saw the Prime Minister try to elbow his way in this House last year, trying to get his way. That was not a pretty sight. Now once again he does not want to be here answering questions, so the Liberals are trying to force these changes on this House.Does the House leader or the Prime Minister commit that no changes will be made unless all of us agree, or are we to see elbowgate, act two?
Mr. Speaker, Vladimir Yakunin, a member of Putins inner circle, is on the U.S. sanctions list, but is still not on Canadas list.When she was in opposition, the member for UniversityRosedale asked the Conservative government: When will the government match its actions to its rhetoric and sanction Sechin and Yakunin? Now that the member is the Minister of Foreign Affairs, my question for her is this: when will the government walk the talk and sanction Mr. Yakunin?
Mr. Speaker, it was Stephen Harper who broke the record for shutting down debate in Parliament; yet in his darkest dreams, he never tried to stifle the voices of the opposition the way the Liberals are trying to do right now.It is the Liberal Prime Minister who wants to automatically limit debate on all government bills, and it is the Liberal Prime Minister who says he only has to show up one day a week to answer questions Canadians have for him.Newsflash: this House does not belong to the Liberal Party. It belongs to all Canadians, so will the Liberals step away from this disastrous and undemocratic plan, and work with us to make Parliament work again?
Mr. Speaker, we know what our small businesses need: economic growth.Following 10 years of a government that failed in this area, we are working to put more money in the pockets of the middle class and create opportunities for our small businesses.By connecting our small businesses to global markets, especially through the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, which the previous government was unable to conclude but we managed to do so, we know that we are creating opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses every day. That is our governments focus.
Mr. Speaker, as I stated, the previous government was the one that actually sent our troops to Iraq without the tax-free benefit. In February 2016 we corrected this problem, but rules that were placed in 2015 by the previous government brought the benefits back down. Now they realize what those rules have replaced. We are looking at it, and the CDS will be making recommendations so that we can fix this problem once and for all.
Mr. Speaker, each and every person here was elected to represent the people in their riding, and together we represent the Canadian people.Far from a mere inconvenience, the Prime Minister appearing in the House every day to answer questions is a critical tool for him to provide accountability to each and every Canadian.How can the Prime Minister justify his willingness to show up in the House only once a week? Why is he attempting to shirk his responsibilities?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians get really tired of waiting for the Liberal government to do something about securing our borders. They are also really tired of seeing the Liberal government tax our troops who are in the fight against ISIS. This has to stop right now. These men and women in uniform were promised up to $1,800 per month in danger pay, yet halfway through their mission, the Liberals pulled away these benefits. Trying to pinch pennies on the backs of our troops and military families is wrong and it is immoral. Will the defence minister support our Conservative motion to give back the danger pay, and will he give these benefits to all our troops who are putting their lives on the line in the fight against ISIS now
Mr. Speaker, how about a riddle? According to Finance Canada, the federal government had a balanced budget in 2015. Now, Finance Canada says we will have deficits until 2055. In just one Liberal budget, we added four decades of deficits. After a second Liberal budget, in approximately what century will we be projected to balance?
Mr. Speaker, the reeve of Emerson, Manitoba, says another 29 asylum seekers illegally crossed into his community on Sunday night alone. We also know that refugees are illegally crossing into Quebec with American visas issued at the U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia. Canadians are tired of the Liberals' inaction and denial. Where is the plan? When will the Liberals finally take action and regain control of our borders?
Mr. Speaker, the minister knows that is false. It has already been shown that the danger pay was brought in by us.We know that the Liberals are big spenders. Their generosity consists of cutting off funds to our soldiers sent to Iraq to fight ISIS. The Liberals cut off the $1,800 per month to military spouses, who have to get by until the end of the mission. It is shameful. However, there is a but: but the Liberals seem open to fixing their mistake. Will they support our motion, fix their mistake, and retroactively restore the danger pay to all soldiers sent to fight ISIS?
Mr. Speaker, on this ongoing national tragedy, we are confident that the commission has the tools, resources, and networks to provide the families with the support they need. I can confirm that government officials are scheduled to meet with the commission to discuss how best to utilize the information resources already provided. We remain steadfast to our commitment and will continue to work collaboratively with all parties to ensure the commission is ready to hear from families this spring.
Mr. Speaker, we recognize the importance of forestry in Canada. We have started a very good conversation with the provinces that may be affected by new measures. We will most assuredly take coordinated measures to protect jobs in this country. Canadians can count on us.
Mr. Speaker, it is important that we ensure that our justice system works to keep Canadians and their communities safe. We are always working to improve our justice system so that criminals are prosecuted and face the consequences of their actions. There is still work to do to improve the system.
Mr. Speaker, it was I who released the discussion paper. I shared it with all members in this place as well as the public.The member is correct that we are here to serve Canadians. Each of us is elected. The discussion paper provides many ideas, and it is a conversation, a discussion. We have asked the committee to do the important work that it does to modernize this place and to bring it into the 21st century. This government recognizes that members of Parliament do work in this place as well as in their ridings. As the member of Parliament for the riding of Waterloo, I am proud to have some of my constituents here. I will work for them in this place as well as in my riding as, I am sure, all members of Parliament do.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Nickel Belt for his excellent question.I recently announced that our government will extend the 15% mining exploration tax credit for an additional year. The credit helps exploration companies finance their projects and contributes to creating good jobs in remote and indigenous communities.
Mr. Speaker, I was in Washington last week on Great Lakes Day where I made it perfectly clear to Americans, to my counterpart, that we need continued American investment in the Great Lakes, that we need to be working together because 40 million people rely on the Great Lakes for clean drinking water. It is an engine of the economy. We cannot have things like Asian carp come and destroy our Great Lakes and we are going to continue pushing with the United States to work to clean up our Great Lakes.
Mr. Speaker, President Trump wants to axe spending on cleaning up the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes flow into the St. Lawrence, the source of drinking water for millions of Quebeckers.Mayors of communities around the Great Lakes and along the St. Lawrence and environmental groups have reminded us that protecting water should be considered an essential service, but time is running out. Will Ottawa turn its back on Quebec and sacrifice our water, or can the minister assure us that American cuts will not threaten the waters of the St. Lawrence?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the member that it was the Conservatives who did not sanction Mr. Yakunin in 2014 and 2015.Now, Mr. Yakunin is no longer in power, just like the Conservatives. This is an important reality. As for our position vis-à-vis Russia, I think all members in this House would agree with me when I say that our governments opposition, as well as my own as Minister of Foreign Affairs, remain very strong.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity to rise in this place and to remind all members, as well as Canadians, of the important work that members of Parliament do.Yes, there is a discussion paper. The discussion paper is available to all members as well as the public. The committee is doing the important work it does. The committee has the opportunity to look at ideas, bring in experts, and really consider a better way to do Parliament. We believe that all members on both sides of this place should have the opportunity to have meaningful discussion, and that is why I think it is an important conversation to have.
Mr. Speaker, the Canada 150 vision is rooted in our communities and designed for families right across the country. We are proud to have invested more than $130 million in projects of national significance, which will have an opportunity to stop in a number of communities in all the regions. In addition, they will have a significant impact on every riding in the country.Of course our goal is to achieve equitable regional distribution; 2017 will be a big year. Of course we encourage all Canadians to celebrate regardless of their political stripes.
On the contrary, Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to be here today and as often as necessary to answer questions from members of the opposition.That said, I would like to point out that our government is different from the previous government. We have an amazing cabinet. Our ministers are very capable of directly answering questions regarding their own actions in their own portfolios. That is how a government by cabinet operates. That is how a government operates when it is accountable to its citizens.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his commitment to veterans across Canada. We are committed to finding veterans more work in both the public sector as well as the private sector. Since the passing of the Veterans Hiring Act in 2014, we have brought on board a mandate, through me, to the rest of my cabinet colleagues, as well as the deputy ministers, to look at more ways to hire more veterans. We are also investigating opportunities with the private sector to build those bridges and get those opportunities for our veterans and their families to better their lives. We will continue to do that in our department.
Mr. Speaker, while in Washington last week, I met with representatives of both U.S. parties, mayors, and environmentalists. I made it very clear that Canada recognizes our obligation to protect the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence.That is what I told my American counterpart. I was very clear about how vital it is to work with the United States to ensure that the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence remain environmental priorities.
Mr. Speaker, it is great to see the passion from the member opposite. I just wish he had the same passion when he sent the troops to Iraq without the tax-free benefits. In February 2016, working with the finance minister, we put in the tax-free exemption. I ask for the members to take politics out of defence, but it would be great if the member opposite told me about the rules that they placed in 2014 that brought the benefits down. It is okay. I gave directions to the chief of the defence staff to take a look at this, and we will fix this problem.
Mr. Speaker, speaking of news, Bloomberg news quoted the following: Feelings Are Worth Spending Forfinance minister on the eve of budget. The Prime Minister would agree. He was feeling pretty good when he spent $127,000 in tax dollars on his visit to billionaire island. That was a real middle-class adventure, by his definition. Do the Liberals know who is not feeling good, though? It is the tomato farmer in my riding, who had to pay $6,200 in one month for a carbon tax. When will the government realize that its feelings are not worth hammering taxpayers with more costs?
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to taking action that will grow the middle class and create good jobs. Action on climate change is estimated to grow the world economy by $19 trillion through investments in renewable power and energy efficiency. We understand the need to trade good jobs to protect our environment, grow the middle class, and ensure a more sustainable future for our kids.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals want to change the rules of the House under the guise of making Parliament more efficient.That party, which obtained only 39% of the vote in 2015, now wants to change the rules unilaterally. To hell with sunny ways.As a show of good faith, why do the Liberals not drop their plan, like they did for Motion No. 6, and create a committee whose membership is representative of the popular vote to look into the matter?
Mr. Speaker, this is a discussion paper. It is true this place does belong to the people of Canada. That is exactly why I shared the discussion paper with all members of Parliament, as well as the public.This is a conversation that we want Canadians to participate in. We want Canadians to be part of this place and to help us make the important decisions that we make.I encourage all members to be part of the conversation. I encourage all members not only to listen to their views but to listen to opposing views and differing views. That is why I am encouraging us to have this conversation.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to every opportunity to stand up and talk about the great things this government is doing.Tomorrow we will be presenting a budget that will create growth for the middle class, opportunities for Canadians, investments in the future of this country that we know, after 10 years of slow growth under the Conservative government, will turn our growth path around. This is about giving opportunities to Canadians. I am always happy to talk about the important things the Canadian government is doing for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to completely overhauling child and family services for first nations. We believe that we are abiding by the tribunal's decision. We will now pursue our efforts with first nations and the provincial and territorial governments through the established tripartite process in order to work on real reform that focuses primarily on the well-being of children.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada understands how important mining exploration companies are to supporting middle-class families and indigenous communities and to building a clean, green economy.Can the Minister of Natural Resources tell the House about what the federal government is doing to ensure that Canada remains a top destination for exploration and mining?
Mr. Speaker, budget 2017 will build on our commitment to support the middle class and foster economic prosperity.It was our government that introduced the Canada child benefit and finally lifted thousands of children out of poverty. It was also our government that increased the guaranteed income supplement by 10% to help low-income seniors. We have a good plan, and we will continue moving forward and supporting Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, we have put forward a discussion paper, that we have published and shared with all Canadians, to talk about how we can improve the functioning of this house of democracy, how we can make sure that Canadians are better heard, that the opposition has the opportunity to ask tough questions to hold the Prime Minister to account and to hold this government to account. That is why, among the many proposals we have made, we have talked about the model of the British prime minister's questions that devotes an entire question period to the prime minister answering questions. We are open to all sorts of discussions about how to improve the functioning of this Parliament, because we know Canadians expect a modern workplace out of this place so we can better serve them.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman and Canadians can be absolutely assured that every Canadian law is being properly enforced and applied by both the RCMP and the CBSA. We are monitoring the situation very carefully. It is true that the numbers over the last number of weeks and months have risen compared to where they were before, but the RCMP and the CBSA have assured us that they have the resources at the present time to deal with the situation adequately and appropriately. If they require additional resources, they will certainly let the government know.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister wants to limit his own speaking time. I would suggest he find something interesting to say, first.Let us remember that, just two years ago, the Prime Minister said that budgets balance themselves. In just a few hours, the government will table its second budget.After promising an initial deficit of $10 billion and ending up with a deficit of $30 billion and a return to a balanced budget in 2055, how will the Prime Minister go about ensuring that the budget will balance itself tomorrow?
Mr. Speaker, at committee the Minister of Small Business said that the Liberals' promise to reduce taxes on small business was a great sound bite and a great headline, but at the end of the day, they were not really going to do it. My goodness, the old Liberal arrogance is alive and kicking. First they steal an NDP policy, then they abandon that promise in their very first budget, and now the minister is bragging about it.Will the Liberals do the right thing tomorrow and reinstate the tax break for small businesses, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, many veterans struggle in finding meaningful employment after leaving the service. On transitioning to civilian life, the Liberals promised to engage with stakeholders like Monster.ca to use military skills translators to help our vets find work, including jobs in the public service. The U.S. uses this same algorithm to help its soldiers find jobs, but we have heard nothing from the Liberals on this campaign promise.Could the minister explain, with a real answer for veterans, why the Liberals are dragging their feet on this campaign promise?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, La Presse reported that, since 2010, the percentage of bilingual employees at security checkpoints in almost all major airports in the country has dropped dramatically.This information is consistent with a report submitted just today by the Commissioner of Official Languages that reveals the provision of bilingual services in our airports leaves much to be desired.What does the Minister of Canadian Heritage intend to do to promote bilingualism and to ensure that our official languages truly enjoy equal status in airports across the country?
Mr. Speaker, as members of Parliament, we are just temporary occupants of these seats in the House of Commons. They do not belong to us. They belong to Canadians. They do not belong to political parties or the Prime Minister. The Liberals are proposing drastic changes to Parliament that will permanently damage the ability of MPs to hold the government to account. Why are the Liberals willing to cause collateral damage to the House of Commons in their attempt to damage the opposition, and when will backbench Liberal MPs stand up to the Prime Minister and defend the right of all members of Parliament to hold the government accountable?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals want to cancel Friday sittings, cut off debate in committees, eliminate debates on committee reports, and severely limit debates in this House. Now the Prime Minister only wants to show up for question period once a week. Maybe the Liberals can get one of those cardboard cutouts to fill in for him.The Liberals are diminishing Parliament and reducing accountability. They should not be changing the rules of the House to make this a safe space for the Prime Minister. When will the Prime Minister end his constant attack on the ability of MPs to hold the government accountable?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has announced that he wants to change the rules of Parliament to make his life easier, and no one's life will be easier than his. If he gets away with this, he will only have to show up to work once a week. He also wants to strip the opposition of its power to hold him accountable.We know that the Prime Minister says China is a dictatorship he admires, and he certainly had a bizarre infatuation with Fidel Castro. Can the Prime Minister at least agree that he, the Prime Minister of Canada, should be accountable to the House of Commons and to Canadians more than once a week?
Mr. Speaker, let us not forget that 65% of Canadians were not affected by these so-called tax breaks, and that those who benefited the most from these so-called tax breaks are people who earn between $140,000 and $200,000.If that is what this government calls the middle class, I can understand why it is incapable of managing the country's finances properly and balancing the budget, and above all, why it is constantly punishing the middle class.Will there be any good news for the middle class in tomorrow's budget?
Mr. Speaker, it was truly an honour to lead the Canadian delegation of over 200 Canadians at this year's UN commission on the status of women. People like Linda and Jeanne are truly at the heart of the movement to advance women's and girls' rights domestically and around the world. Canada has made significant progress since I was last there in 2013, and we will remain at the forefront of global efforts to ensure that women and girls everywhere can reach their full potential.
Mr. Speaker, as the member just said, the government made promises, but it has broken many of them. This is just one of many.The government cobbled together a plan to sell our airports, which would put money in its pocket and make it look not quite so bad.What will be in tomorrow's budget for the forestry industry and softwood lumber? How will the budget secure the future of our regions? A lot of people are very worried. Tomorrow, who will have to pick up the tab for the Prime Minister's out-of-control spending?
Mr. Speaker, the recent session at the UN commission on the status of women was attended by the Minister of Status of Women and several members of the standing committee. Two of my constituents from Truro, Linda MacDonald and Jeanne Sarson, made presentations there on the need for appropriate laws. These two women are tireless advocates for human rights and women's rights in particular. Could the Minister of Status of Women outline what progress was made at these UN meetings?
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent for the following motion. That this House, while recognizing the importance of debating matters of public interest, voice genuine outrage over the disparaging prejudices and stereotypes used in a column in Maclean's magazine published on March 20 to cast aspersions on the Quebec nation and that it condemn the rise of Quebecophobia in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, many were shocked by the announced cuts to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, including severe cuts to bilateral commitments on the Great Lakes. Canadians will be further concerned to learn how the Liberal government also intends to make cuts to water protection. The minister likes to talk about her deep commitment to the Great Lakes, yet not only is her government continuing the substantial cuts put forward by the Harper regime but they are going even further. Will the Liberals restore funding to these vital initiatives or will they continue to be all talk and little action for our treasured waters?
Mr. Speaker, more details have now emerged about the Prime Minister's New Year's vacation. Taxpayers now know they are on the hook for over $120,000, and that is not even counting whatever the numerous ethics investigations are going to cost. The Prime Minister made a conscious decision that it is the responsibility of the taxpayer to pay for his luxury travel. When did the Prime Minister forget that it is his job to serve Canadians and not the other way around?
Mr. Speaker, it is interesting how the member opposite talks about doing more for the middle class and less for the wealthiest, because he voted against lowering taxes on the middle class and raising them on the wealthiest 1%. If he were serious about helping the middle class, he would make sure that his party stood with us as we lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%.
Mr. Speaker, one could argue that the time for monitoring has passed and the time for action is now, because we know that illegal border crossings are increasing with no end in sight. What is of more concern right now is we are going to see this trend increase as warmer weather increases. Affected communities are very concerned. Families are concerned. Border enforcement issues are concerned. What is more concerning is that we are seeing and hearing concerns about international gangs and criminals taking advantage of the Liberals' inaction to begin organized shuttling of illegal migrants to the Canadian border. What is the minister doing to stop this particular issue?
Mr. Speaker, for far too long, middle-class Canadians have had a hard time getting ahead, with the decisions that were made by the previous government. We have a plan to grow the economy and strengthen the middle class. Our plan is working. If we look at the numbers that came out just two weeks ago, we see that we have created more than 220,000 full-time jobs and part-time jobs. We can also see that our unemployment rate has gone down from 7.1% to 6.6%. Our plan is working, and it is good news for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, lots of Canadian families travel by plane on a special getaway once a year. On these flights, one could buy a sandwich or maybe a diet Coke and a bag of chips for a snack. It is not great, but it is certainly reasonable. What is not reasonable is over $1,700 worth of food and drinks for a three-hour flight between Canada and the Bahamas, which is how much the taxpayer was billed by the Prime Minister getting to his private island vacation. My question is simple. Just what in the world was the Prime Minister eating on that plane ride?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for St. John's East for his question, his hard work, and his leadership. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all 32 MPs from Atlantic Canada for their leadership and hard work, and for really driving the Atlantic growth strategy. As part of this strategy, we have expanded the accelerated growth strategy. This is a one-stop shop that will help small businesses grow and expand in that region. We have identified 28 companies as part of this pilot initiative. This is very important for Atlantic Canada. This is very important for growth and jobs.
Mr. Speaker, there is no tangible evidence of the issue that the hon. member has raised. However, this was a subject that was discussed between myself and the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. We are concerned about the pattern of people arriving at the border, particularly those who, in the last number of weeks and months, have actually risked their lives in very severe weather conditions in transportation. This is an issue that is under very close scrutiny by both our government and the Government of the United States.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister really likes slogans and sound bites, such as the one about 2015 being the last election under the current system. I see this is still a sore point for the Prime Minister, but what happened to his promise to cut small business taxes? Well, in committee, his minister responsible for small business said that this promise was, and I quote, a sound bite to get elected.Why is the Prime Minister turning his back on his promise and at the same time going ahead with a privatization bank that he never mentioned during the campaign?
Mr. Speaker, high-growth companies and small to medium-sized enterprises are key drivers of Canada's economic growth. In January, our government launched accelerated growth services, a pilot program in Atlantic Canada to help coordinate access by high-growth companies to the innovation, trade, finance, and other support services that are available across various government departments.Can the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development please update this House on how accelerated growth services are already updating
Mr. Speaker, over the past year and a half, we raised taxes on the wealthiest 1% so we could lower them on the middle class. We delivered a Canada child benefit that gives more money to nine out of 10 Canadians by stopping the sending of child benefit cheques to millionaire families, which the previous government did.The fact is, on the tax cut for the middle class and more money through the CCB, that party voted against both initiatives. Shame on them.
Mr. Speaker, here is something that did appear in the Liberal campaign platform: set a cap on how much can be claimed through the stock option deduction. We know a little about that, because it was actually in our platform long before the Liberals discovered it. Tomorrow the Liberals have an opportunity to put the interests of every Canadian above those of wealthy insiders. Last week they actually voted for it and said they were going to do it.Will the Liberals keep their promise to close the stock option loophole, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, the NDP voted for increasing taxes on the wealthiest Canadians, but he is right, we did oppose a plan that did nothing to help the middle class. This morning, the government dropped gangsterism, trafficking, importation of narcotics, weapons possession, kidnapping and other charges against 36 individuals arrested during a major anti-mafia sweep. My question to the Prime Minister is as follows: why?
Mr. Speaker, bilingualism and the Official Languages Act are extremely important for our government.Federal services must then be provided in both official languages. We take that very seriously. We are of course responsible for safety in our airports, but we insist that it be done with respect and courtesy, and in accordance with the Official Languages Act.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are appalled by the government's attitude towards human rights. This week, the Attorney General will argue that the Human Rights Tribunal does not have the power to enforce its own orders.Instead of questioning the authority of the tribunal, the government needs to say whether or not it intends to respect the human rights of first nations children in this country. That is the real question.When will the government respect the human rights of first nations children?
Let us start with facts, Mr. Speaker. The fact is that the middle class grew by 30% over the last 10 years. Here is an interesting fact. The Prime Minister's Office has already spent more on polling than the previous Conservative government spent in eight years. Millions of tax dollars are being spent to track Canadians' views for the political benefit of the Prime Minister.I have a really simple question for the Prime Minister. Has the Prime Minister polled Canadians on whether or not he should keep his promise to balance the budget in 2019?
Mr. Speaker, when I was elected in October 2015, my constituents expected that I would work very hard defending their priorities. Since then, I have worked countless hours to do a good job as an MP. How can a responsible government consider reducing the number of hours of work we do here in Ottawa? Why does the Prime Minister not want to answer members' questions? It seems to me that the Prime Minister is not taking his job seriously. Can the Prime Minister tell us the truth and explain the real reasons for this new reform?
Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, we promised to modernize Parliament and bring it into the 21st century.Our objective has always been to ensure that Parliament is relevant in the eyes of Canadians and that the House is accountable, predictable, efficient, and transparent.I know that we can work together. That is why it is a discussion. I encourage all hon. members to take part.
Modern, Mr. Speaker? Efficient? Efficient like the Chinese dictatorship that he thinks is so efficient? We do not live in China. Those are the Prime Minister's words. We do not live in China or Cuba. We live in Canada, and we have a parliamentary democracy that is accountable to Canadians. We think the Prime Minister should show up every day. Here is a thought. We could have question period with the Prime Minister every day. He could answer all of our questions every day.
Mr. Speaker, according to media reports, the majority of projects in Quebec funded through the Canada 150 fund, 87% to be exact, just happen to be in Liberal ridings despite the fact that only half of Quebec ridings are represented by a Liberal member.Can the Minister of Canadian Heritage confirm to the House that 87% of allocated funds have been earmarked for the ridings of her Liberal friends? If so, does she find that acceptable?
Mr. Speaker, we have met with people in forestry, and it is clear that the softwood lumber dispute will resume in a few weeks.The last time, the federal government was to blame for the loss of 15,000 jobs in Quebec in one year. That means a lot of people and families, and many villages and regions are emptying out.Among other things, our workers need loan guarantees to deal with the next dispute.Will Ottawa let our people down once again?
Mr. Speaker, what Canadians want tomorrow is a break from the Prime Minister. In the last budget, he hiked taxes on small businesses, on families, and on students, and then we got the national carbon tax and a payroll tax hike, but that is not enough. Now the Prime Minister needs to cancel more tax credits. He wants to raise user fees. He is even considering putting GST on Netflix.Does the Prime Minister realize that Canadians are tired of being nickel-and-dimed to death?
Mr. Speaker, we know that the previous government's approach was very different when it came to discussions and conversations.We believe that we can have discussions. We believe that these conversations are important conversations to have. I agree with the member that it is not about counting hours. Every single Canadian across this country, from coast to coast to coast, works very hard.We will continue to work hard for Canadians. We made a commitment to modernize this place and to bring it into the 21st century. That is what that discussion paper is about. I encourage the member not only to read the parts he chooses to, but to read the document in its entirety, because part of the suggestions I have offered are actually about looking at ways to improve this place.
Mr. Speaker, it was this Prime Minister and this government that took unprecedented levels of consultations with Canadians. We will continue to work hard for Canadians. We will continue to work hard for members of Parliament.I know it is very difficult for the member opposite to understand, but our objective has always been to ensure that Parliament is relevant to Canadians and that the House becomes accountable, predictable, efficient, and transparent. I know we can work better in this place.
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite remembers well the campaign, because we committed to invest in infrastructure, while he committed to balancing the books, at all costs, on the backs of Canadians. Canadians made a different choice. Canadians knew that investing in our communities, investing in infrastructure, whether it is social housing, whether it is child care spaces, whether it is public transit, is necessary for the future of our economy, for the future of Canadians. That is what we are doing. We are looking to leverage as much public infrastructure as we possibly can for the benefit of Canadians, and that is what the infrastructure bank is going to help do.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister conveniently forgot to mention that his platform promise does not look anything like the privatization bank he is now proposing. In fact, the word privatization does not ever appear in the Liberal campaign platform. Neither do user fees, tolls, or private profit on public property. Will the Prime Minister admit that he never campaigned on privatizing infrastructure?
Mr. Speaker, once again, I thank my colleague for his question.Budget 2017 will build on our commitment to support the middle class and grow our economy. Our government is the one that introduced measures to ensure the middle class gets some support. We are the ones who gave members of the middle class a tax cut. We created the Canada child benefit, which has lifted hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. We have also helped our seniors
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his question.I say again that it was our government that committed to investing in the middle class and growing our economy. It was our government that introduced a tax cut for the middle class, while raising taxes for the wealthy.It must also be said that the official opposition party voted against the motion.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. During question period, I believe the Minister of National Defence misspoke, and I would like to give him an opportunity to correct the record, when he said that we sent troops to Iraq without any support. I can tell members there was danger pay. He has an Order Paper question that he has tabled in the House under his signature, and I would like to point out for him that if he would look at Question No.
Mr. Speaker. with regard to the point of order raised earlier today, I listened with interest to the member's intervention and his allegation that the government was seeking to legislate Bill C-24 through the supply bill for the supplementary estimates (C). Nothing could be further from the truth. Let me explain.Remuneration amounts for a payment are established in the Salaries Act
Mr. Speaker, Canadians were very hopeful that the inquiry into murdered and missing aboriginal women and girls would lead to a brighter future, but families are losing patience. It has now been eight months, and we now hear that the commissioners only have 90 names in their database, yet hundreds and hundreds of families are waiting to hear from them. The minister needs to take action. There are some very simple fixes to this issue. She needs to break down bureaucratic barriers and ensure that the inquiry gets the necessary information to do its job.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Remuneration amounts for payment are established in the Salaries Act for ministers with a portfolio, ministers of state who preside over a ministry of state, and the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons. This statute does not authorize remuneration for either ministers without a portfolio listed in the Salaries Act or ministers of state who do not preside over a ministry of state. Therefore, the vote lC wording contained in the supply bill for certain organizations provides the authority to make such payments.Using a supply bill to authorize such payments is a long-standing arrangement going back at least to 1995. At that time, the authority appeared only in the program expenditures vote on the Privy Council Office. Since 2007-08, the authority appears in the program or operating expenditure vote of each department that could potentially support a minister without a portfolio or a minister of state who does not preside over a ministry of state.With respect to Bill C-24, with the exception of the Minister of La Francophonie, the individuals appointed on November 4, 2015, to positions of Minister of Science, Minister of Small Business and Tourism, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, and Minister of Status of Women are remunerated under vote 1C.When Bill C-24 receives royal assent, it will authorize payment under the Salaries Act and vote 1C will no longer be used for this purpose in future estimates.The payment under vote 1C not only respects the supplementary estimates process, it is also fully within the legal mandate and authority of the government.
Mr. Speaker, as has been the case for previous prime ministers, including the previous one, for security reasons RCMP officers always accompany prime ministers, whether for personal or business travel. One of the first things we did after taking office was to ask the clerk of the Privy Council Office to develop guidelines surrounding the reimbursement for travel by sitting prime ministers, their families, and guests. Prior to our government taking office, no such policy existed.
Mr. Speaker, I can understand why someone would borrow to invest in an RRSP. However, when they borrow to buy groceries, there is a major problem. This is what the government is currently doing. The government promised to create thousands of jobs through various programs. However, it seems that these jobs have not been created. Today, people will have to pay to bring the deficit down as low as possible. Tomorrow we will find out which segment of the population will end up paying the price. Will income splitting for seniors be taken away to pay for the governments out-of-control spending?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.We are the party that committed to investing in the middle class and growing the economy. We are the party that committed to helping our seniors. We are the party that brought in a 10% increase to the guaranteed income supplement for low-income single seniors. Lastly, we are the party that lowered taxes for the middle class.We support our seniors and we are moving forward.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians elected our government on a plan to grow the economy and strengthen the middle class, and we are delivering on that commitment. Over the last six months, almost 220,000 jobs were created, the majority of which were full-time and the majority of which were created by small and medium-sized enterprises. This is the strongest six months of job growth in almost a decade. This is evidence that our plan is working. We will continue to make the necessary investments in budget 2017 to continue to strengthen the middle class and to grow the economy.
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite wants to talk about facts. The fact is, the very first thing we did in government was lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. Unfortunately, the fact also is that that party voted against raising taxes on the wealthiest and lowering them on the middle class. That, unfortunately, demonstrates that they still do not understand that Canadians need investments in the middle class and support for the middle class, not for the wealthiest, like they did for 10 years.
Mr. Speaker, the work that we do in this place and for Canadians we take very seriously. As I have mentioned, and as has been the case for previous prime ministers, for security reasons, RCMP officers have always accompanied prime ministers, whether on personal or business travel. One of the first things we did when we took office was to ask the Clerk of the Privy Council to develop guidelines surrounding the reimbursement of travel by sitting prime ministers, their families, and guests. Prior to our government taking office, no such guidelines existed.
Mr. Speaker, how disingenuous can the member be? As we speak, the Liberals are trying to ram this through and force these rules on all of us.We all saw the Prime Minister try to elbow his way in this House last year, trying to get his way. That was not a pretty sight. Now once again he does not want to be here answering questions, so the Liberals are trying to force these changes on this House.Does the House leader or the Prime Minister commit that no changes will be made unless all of us agree, or are we to see elbowgate, act two?
Mr. Speaker, Vladimir Yakunin, a member of Putins inner circle, is on the U.S. sanctions list, but is still not on Canadas list.When she was in opposition, the member for UniversityRosedale asked the Conservative government: When will the government match its actions to its rhetoric and sanction Sechin and Yakunin? Now that the member is the Minister of Foreign Affairs, my question for her is this: when will the government walk the talk and sanction Mr. Yakunin?
Mr. Speaker, it was Stephen Harper who broke the record for shutting down debate in Parliament; yet in his darkest dreams, he never tried to stifle the voices of the opposition the way the Liberals are trying to do right now.It is the Liberal Prime Minister who wants to automatically limit debate on all government bills, and it is the Liberal Prime Minister who says he only has to show up one day a week to answer questions Canadians have for him.Newsflash: this House does not belong to the Liberal Party. It belongs to all Canadians, so will the Liberals step away from this disastrous and undemocratic plan, and work with us to make Parliament work again?
Mr. Speaker, we know what our small businesses need: economic growth.Following 10 years of a government that failed in this area, we are working to put more money in the pockets of the middle class and create opportunities for our small businesses.By connecting our small businesses to global markets, especially through the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, which the previous government was unable to conclude but we managed to do so, we know that we are creating opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses every day. That is our governments focus.
Mr. Speaker, as I stated, the previous government was the one that actually sent our troops to Iraq without the tax-free benefit. In February 2016 we corrected this problem, but rules that were placed in 2015 by the previous government brought the benefits back down. Now they realize what those rules have replaced. We are looking at it, and the CDS will be making recommendations so that we can fix this problem once and for all.
Mr. Speaker, each and every person here was elected to represent the people in their riding, and together we represent the Canadian people.Far from a mere inconvenience, the Prime Minister appearing in the House every day to answer questions is a critical tool for him to provide accountability to each and every Canadian.How can the Prime Minister justify his willingness to show up in the House only once a week? Why is he attempting to shirk his responsibilities?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians get really tired of waiting for the Liberal government to do something about securing our borders. They are also really tired of seeing the Liberal government tax our troops who are in the fight against ISIS. This has to stop right now. These men and women in uniform were promised up to $1,800 per month in danger pay, yet halfway through their mission, the Liberals pulled away these benefits. Trying to pinch pennies on the backs of our troops and military families is wrong and it is immoral. Will the defence minister support our Conservative motion to give back the danger pay, and will he give these benefits to all our troops who are putting their lives on the line in the fight against ISIS now
Mr. Speaker, how about a riddle? According to Finance Canada, the federal government had a balanced budget in 2015. Now, Finance Canada says we will have deficits until 2055. In just one Liberal budget, we added four decades of deficits. After a second Liberal budget, in approximately what century will we be projected to balance?
Mr. Speaker, the reeve of Emerson, Manitoba, says another 29 asylum seekers illegally crossed into his community on Sunday night alone. We also know that refugees are illegally crossing into Quebec with American visas issued at the U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia. Canadians are tired of the Liberals' inaction and denial. Where is the plan? When will the Liberals finally take action and regain control of our borders?
Mr. Speaker, the minister knows that is false. It has already been shown that the danger pay was brought in by us.We know that the Liberals are big spenders. Their generosity consists of cutting off funds to our soldiers sent to Iraq to fight ISIS. The Liberals cut off the $1,800 per month to military spouses, who have to get by until the end of the mission. It is shameful. However, there is a but: but the Liberals seem open to fixing their mistake. Will they support our motion, fix their mistake, and retroactively restore the danger pay to all soldiers sent to fight ISIS?