Most toxic speeches
Mr. Speaker, many people worked hard for years to establish the National Holocaust Monument, including the Hon. Tim Uppal. Last week, the Prime Minister inaugurated it with a plaque of his own. However, his plaque fails to mention anti-Semitism or the Jewish people by name.How could the Prime Minister permit such a glaring omission of reference to anti-Semitism and the fact that the millions of men, women, and children who were murdered were overwhelmingly Jewish? If we are going to stamp out hatred toward Jews, it is important to get history right.Will the Prime Minister commit to correcting this profoundly obvious omission?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals can hardly speak about reconciliation when they decide to exclude the indigenous women from our national conversation.Yesterday, the minister could not explain why government lawyers asked the court to award the compensation that residential school survivors were unjustly denied. I have a simple question for the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations.Now that she has all of the information, will she ask her Justice colleague to stop challenging survivors in court?Who told this government to withhold information about a child predator?
Mr. Speaker, the government admits that edible cannabis products are a large and growing sector of the market, and it is undeniable that many Canadians prefer edible products as a healthier alternative to smoking cannabis. However, for some reason, the Liberals have decided to keep edibles illegal. This will deny consumers a safe product and ensure that the black market retains control. In addition, the Liberals have no plan to pardon individuals who are burdened with criminal convictions for simple possession. Therefore, will the Liberals accept our reasonable amendments and fix this bill?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has called small business owners tax cheats. The Prime Minister implied that these hard-working Canadians are cheating on their taxes. The Liberals announced the most dramatic changes to the Income Tax Act in the dead of summer when farmers were busy with their crops and getting ready for harvest, and when parents were on vacation with their children and then getting them ready to go back to school. Now, the consultation has been bungled in every possible way. The minister has expressed zero regret. Will he do the right thing and extend the consultation, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, we will see how the Liberal MPs vote at the end of the day. We still have a chance.The Liberals proposed reform, which will increase the tax burden on our businesses, is a complete disgrace, and above all, hypocritical. On the one hand, entrepreneurs will pay dearly, while on the other, the businesses owned by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance will not be affected. The Liberal government's policy is do as I say, not as I do.My question to the Minister of Finance is simple. We know that these new measures are meant to take an extra $250 million from the pockets of entrepreneurs. Did the minister check, analyze, and study the real impact of these measures on
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals plan to legalize marijuana next summer, but they do not plan to pardon people convicted of simple possession in the past.That means that many Canadians will have serious problems finding work and crossing the border for the rest of their lives. What is more, the Liberals are retaining Stephen Harper's policies, which make criminal records difficult to erase.Why do the Liberals not have a plan regarding such pardons, and do they think it is fair for people to have to live with a criminal record for something that will soon be legal?
Mr. Speaker, the government is committed to building a more inclusive society, and the National Holocaust Monument commemorates the six million Jews, as well as the five million other victims, who were murdered during the Holocaust. It stands as a reminder of the dangers of hatred, racism, and intolerance, while affirming respect for human rights, dignity, and resilience. The plaque has been removed and will be replaced with language that reflects the horrors experienced by the Jewish people.
Mr. Speaker, it makes no sense at all for the minister to propose very powerful measures that will make life difficult for all business owners, when his department has yet to carry out a single impact study to determine the direct effects those measures will have on them. This is totally unacceptable. The minister may not be listening, or not listening well, but we Conservatives are. Last Friday, we five members from Quebec City listened to businesspeople like Gaétan Boudreau, a construction entrepreneur who told us that if these changes go forward, he will close up shop.Is the minister aware that his measures are going to kill Canadian businesses, this country's job creators, and cost Canadians their jobs?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals launched this consultation period of only 75 days over the summer, and they keep doubling down. They keep using inflammatory and insulting language. Local businesses create jobs, and when the Liberals hurt them, it will hurt the workers they employ. So many people are against these changes. So many people are asking for more time so they can share their stories with Liberal ministers, who continue to ignore them. Will the Prime Minister commit to allowing his Liberal MPs the freedom to listen to their constituents, stand up and represent them in the House, and vote in favour of our motion? Will it be a free vote?
Mr. Speaker, on the issue I actually asked about, let us talk about foreign oil imports. Last week, the UN Human Rights Council met to talk about the growing oppression of a dictator, who is brutally cracking down on public activism and starving his people. The commissioner even said that crimes against humanity may have been committed. Where is that? It is in Venezuela. However, the Liberals are prioritizing foreign oil from Venezuela, while stopping environmentally and socially responsible Canadian oil and gas. When will the minister stop putting foreign oil ahead of Canadian energy?
Mr. Speaker, this week my constituency office had to intervene to prevent a single mother and her three children from being evicted from their home. The cause was that the CRA stopped paying her the Canada child benefit following a routine assessment that ultimately resulted in no changes but delayed her payments for up to four months. This is becoming a common story. It is Phoenix all over again. The minister's restructuring of CRA has forgotten people who depend on receiving their legitimate payments on time every month. What will the minister do to fix these problems?
Mr. Speaker, many seasonal workers in SaguenayLac-Saint-Jean were counting on the Liberal government to solve the EI spring gap problem. They can see the Liberals breaking yet another promise. Discrimination against the regions must stop. As a result of the EI gap, these seasonal workers in SaguenayLac-Saint-Jean might end up without any income for several weeks. I do not understand why the Liberal government is turning its back on them. It makes no sense.When will the minister bridge the spring gap once and for all?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are done consulting people about their tax changes, but many questions remain unanswered. What is clear, though, is that companies such as Morneau Shepell will benefit from these changes and will not be paying more tax after the reforms come into effect. The minister is being hypocritical by making small businesses pay more while protecting his own personal fortune. When will the minister realize that he is in conflict of interest and should recuse himself from this discussion?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals just are not interested in talking to Canadians about their unfair tax plan. Mitchell writes: I wrote to the government first to [the Prime Minister] then they pass me off to [the finance minister]. Now I've responded to the email that they sent to [the minister] and I've got nothing back. Mitchell has built a company up from the ground that now employs 12 people, including new Canadians. The Liberals are proposing to take his hard-earned money to pay for their reckless spending.When entrepreneurs and job creators like Mitchell call and write, why are the Liberals so unwilling to listen?
Mr. Speaker, I am so proud of what our government has done. The former Conservative government did nothing. It had targets, but no plan. We have worked very hard with the provinces, territories, and indigenous peoples to come up with a real plan to reduce our emissions, eliminate carbon, and put a price on pollution for historic investments in public transit. Climate change is real, and we are taking it seriously. We are doing this for our children.
Mr. Speaker, we met with representatives from the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec this morning.The consultations now at an end, the federation is sounding the alarm. It is asking the Minister of Finance to extend the consultations in order to carefully assess the impact of the proposed measures and submit an economic impact study. The minister is unable to tell us how his reform will affect SMEs across the country.Is the minister going to wait until our SMEs pack up and leave the country or will he extend the consultation period?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, we learned that the Native Women's Association of Canada has yet again been shut out of the first ministers meeting by the government. They asked to be included, and shutting them out speaks volumes to the government's lack of respect for indigenous women's voices. The self-proclaimed feminist Prime Minister promised a nation-to-nation relationship with all indigenous people, so why has the Native Women's Association been barred from today's first ministers meeting? Have indigenous women's voices not been silenced for long enough?
Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to combatting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidanceIn our first two budgets, we invested over $1 billion, which has put us on the right track for recovering nearly $25 billion. Over the past two years, 727 cases have been transferred to criminal investigation, and there have been 268 warrants and 78 convictions.Let me be very clear. We will continue to work and bring tax cheats to justice.
Mr. Speaker, Canada is a world leader in responsible resource development. For instance, Alberta was the first jurisdiction in North America to regulate emissions, and has the strongest regulatory system in the world. Instead of celebrating Canadian energy, the Liberals keep adding roadblocks at the very worst time, all while importing oil from countries like Algeria and Venezuela. I asked the minister last week, and I will ask him again. Will the Liberals apply their upstream and downstream emissions tests as a condition to foreign oil imports?
Mr. Speaker, why not a gazillion dollars while they are at it?It is becoming clear that both the Liberals and Conservatives are not serious about tax fairness. Neither are willing to discuss tax avoidance carried out by big corporations, CEOs, and the use of tax havens. The Liberals' consultations on tax changes are too short and too narrow. Let us agree to do the right thing and extend and expand consultations to include big corporations, CEO tax loopholes, and tax havens.Why are Liberals still going after the small fish and letting the big fish off the hook?
Mr. Speaker, the Commissioner of Environment and Sustainable Development today reported that the Liberal government had abjectly failed to take the necessary action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or address the risks posed by climate change. She reported that Canada remained megatonnes away from meeting either the 2020 or 2030 targets. Stunningly, even Environment and Climate Change Canada is failing to deliver a climate risk and adaptation plan, or an action plan to measure, monitor, and publicly report on emissions. When will Canadians finally see action on climate change?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government launched consultations on its infamous tax reforms in the middle of summer vacation. What is it hiding?The Liberals want to stifle our entrepreneurs and squeeze more money out of them. That is unacceptable. These are hardworking entrepreneurs who take risks and create jobs for the middle class. This reform is counterproductive. During a consultation held in my region, one entrepreneur said that the Liberal government did not know the difference between equality and equity.I am calling on the Minister of Finance to back off, to respect and support these honest job creators, and to protect the jobs of the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, the minister has gone from doubling down to climbing down. He was caught with his plan that would raise taxes on everybody but him. Now, as a result of all the backlash from patriotic, hard-working, local farmers and businesses, the Liberals are being forced to back down. I know the government has closed its consultation period already, but as part of its climb down, will it accept one piece of advice? Why does the government not keep its promise and lower the small business tax rate down to 9%, just like the Liberals said they would during the last election?
Mr. Speaker, this week I held round tables to discuss the Liberals' proposed tax changes. Jennifer was brought to tears sharing her story. The family business that her parents started 37 years ago is now going to face a transfer tax that will destroy her dream of taking over that family business. The Liberals want to make Jennifer's parents pay a higher percentage in tax than the finance minister's own family business. Will the finance minister listen to Canadians like Jennifer and extend the consultation period?
Mr. Speaker, local businesses are the engine of economic growth in Canada. They create jobs, contribute to our communities, and create opportunities, but the Liberal tax hikes are going to hurt local businesses. We are talking about family businesses, farmers, local entrepreneurs, and the people they employ.Will the Prime Minister admit that these tax hikes are going to hurt the very people he claims he wants to help, and scrap the idea?
Mr. Speaker, he claims that he will listen to the concerns of Canadians, but what is really interesting is that just days after introducing this paper, he told on CBC's The House We're not going to change our mind.The Minister of Finance seems to be very concerned and consumed with protecting the interests of Morneau Shepell that every request to extend the consultation has fallen on deaf ears.The consultation is over. Tonight is the vote. Will the Liberal members on the other side agree and vote with their constituents, or are they going to vote with Morneau Shepell?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister just does not get it. Everyone is against his unfair tax increases. Entrepreneurs, business owners and, today, premiers, and even members of his own caucus are opposed to these changes, but the Liberals are not listening. The Prime Minister has not heard the people who are telling him how devastating this would be. He may be listening, but the Liberals are not hearing and they are certainly not changing their mind. Will the Prime Minister commit today to doing the right thing, vote in favour of our motion to extend the consultation period so they can finally listen to what Canadians are saying, and do something about it?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Canadian Heritage is patting herself on the back for signing a deal with Netflix. However, her proposals and commitments with regard to protecting the production of French-language content remain totally unclear.It is for that very reason that Ms. Prégent, the president of the Quebec artists' union, said the Liberal government is sending a mixed message: it sits down for a talk, but then it turns around and takes steps that were never discussed. The CEO of Simons echoed that sentiment, saying the agreement has no long-term vision.Has the minister forgotten her mandate letter? What firm commitments can she offer towards French-language cultural production?
Mr. Speaker, in its reform, the federal government is raising taxes on corporations' passive income, but not on the income of non-residents. This means that a foreign billionaire who invests in Canada would be taxed at 25%, but a Quebecker would pay the maximum, 50%. The foreign investor could even avoid paying taxes altogether if his investment earns interest income, zero.I would like the government to explain why it is penalizing our SMEs and giving foreign investors the advantage.
Mr. Speaker, last winter, because there were not enough icebreakers on the St. Lawrence River, a Rio Tinto ship became stuck in the ice.Winter is coming, and this must not happen again. An immediate solution is needed, and it turns out that Project Resolute at the Davie shipyard is ready. The Davie shipyard can bring home four icebreakers, refit them up to standard, and lease them to the government to ensure that Quebec businesses will not have to suffer financial losses and once again face any risks in terms of marine safety.Will the government finally wake up and say yes to the Davie shipyard?
Mr. Speaker, I am extraordinarily proud of our government's record on action and climate change. After a decade of inaction by the previous government, we not only have a target but a plan to make it. We are reducing emissions from coal-fired plants. We are putting a price on carbon pollution. We are making historic investments in public transit. For example, in Ottawa, the second phase of LRT will be the largest reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the city's history. We are taking serious action on climate change because climate change is real and we owe it to our kids.
Mr. Speaker, Bill C-49 is going to introduce important modernization to the Canada Transportation Act, including the air passenger's bill of rights, and new opportunities for shippers across Canada to gain access to competitive rail rates.The bill also provides for the introduction of video and voice recorders in locomotives. Labour groups are concerned this could be used by railways to violate workers' privacy and discipline them for non-safety related issues.Could the Minister of Transport reassure us that this will not be the case?
Mr. Speaker, the tax measures proposed by the Minister of Finance have sparked a lot of heated debate, and that is putting it mildly. They have also raised a lot of concerns.People are being bombarded with information from all sides, and it is often contradictory. The only thing we know for sure is that Netflix will not have to pay its fair share. I think it would be a good idea to take the time to talk about this and other very real problems, such as tax havens and tax loopholes for CEOs and multinationals.Why do the Liberals not agree?
Mr. Speaker, Saturday, I hosted a round table in the riding of MissionMatsquiFraser Canyon. Sadly, the MP was a no-show. His constituents were angry that the finance minister called them tax cheats and is taxing them at 73%. These people were furious that the minister and the Prime Minister had fixed it so that their own family fortunes would not be affected. When two rich guys try to fix it so they do not have to pay the same taxes as others, how is that fair?
Mr. Speaker, You have done it, Prince Harry said to the athletes. You are Invictus. The Latin word from which these games take their name means unconquered, and that unconquerable spirit was written on the face of every athlete we saw at these games. They flew our flag higher and they lit up the world. When they put their hand up, we will be there to help. There are 4,000 mental health professionals, a network of OSI clinics, and their brothers and sisters waiting to help them.
Mr. Speaker, during our consultations, we heard some very important things.We heard that it is crucial for SMEs to continue to have the lowest tax rate in the G7. We are going to make sure they keep it. We know it is vital to ensure that farmers, fishers, and women entrepreneurs are protected. That is very important to us.However, we can build a fairer system at the same time, which is a key goal of ours. We are going to move forward with our measures while taking into account what we heard in our consultations.
Mr. Speaker, Canada's aging population is going to bring about significant social and economic changes over the next few decades. It is important to ensure that our seniors can still contribute to our society, as they did in the past in building our country.Can the minister responsible for seniors tell us what the government is doing to take advantage of the experience, talent, and knowledge of the older generation of Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, in an act of great self-sacrifice, the millionaire Prime Minister and millionaire Finance Minister announced this summer higher taxes for the wealthy, which of course would mean more costs for the Prime Minister's personal trust fund. He might even have to give up his Laurentian countryside estate and his dad's old Mercedes. Even the Finance Minister will be paying more taxes on Morneau Shepell's profits: kidding. By wealthy people, they meant farmers, plumbers, and hard-working small business people. How do they manage to raise taxes on everyone except themselves?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians heard yesterday that the Liberals' anti-energy agenda was putting projects like energy east at risk. New rules, delays, and a lack of certainty are making energy workers nervous. Just last month, 350 families at General Electric in Peterborough, a factory operating since 1892, have lost their jobs as a result of new regulatory hurdles and mounting uncertainty, uncertainty the Liberals alone have caused.When will the Liberals realize their risky delays are affecting real Canadians with real jobs?
Mr. Speaker, in fact there have been extensive consultations under way over the last number of months with respect to reforming pardons. That work is well advanced. Very shortly, the results of those consultations will be published so that all Canadians can see what was said. Those consultations will inform legislation that we will put before the House to correct some of the egregious mistakes made by the previous government.
Mr. Speaker, protecting the health and safety of Canadians is a top priority for this government. Designing an appropriate regulatory system for cannabis edibles is a complex undertaking and there are unique potential risks and harms that need to be carefully understood before we undergo changes to the regulations. For this reason, our government will need to take an appropriate amount of time to develop and implement regulations that will result in a safe edible product on the market.
Mr. Speaker, we are dealing with a government that is extremely focused on managing its image, but here is something striking that needs managing: 219 megatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. Let us remember that number.The Liberal government, which adopted the previous government's weak greenhouse gas reduction targets, will fall 219 megatonnes short of its objective. The environment commissioner's report on this and other subjects is clear.Does the government intend to quickly put practical measures in place or will it be content to just focus on its image?
Mr. Speaker, we have been across the country listening to Canadians because we want to get this right. We have laid out some measures. We have talked about how we think these can improve our system. I have been across the country, in Nova Scotia, in New Brunswick, in Newfoundland, in Quebec, Ontario, and B.C. It is important for us to be across the country to hear Canadians. That is exactly what we have done.We are going to take into account what we have heard to make sure that we get this right, that people can invest in their businesses on an ongoing basis, and that the system will provide a foundation that ensures that we have a fair outcome for all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure Canadians that worker privacy is of paramount importance to this government. We are also responsible for improving railway safety, something that needs to be addressed constantly. The use of the recorders is intended solely for safety purposes. It is something the Transportation Safety Board has been asking us to do for many years. I want to reassure Canadians that we will never use these recorders for monitoring employee performance or for managing that performance.
Mr. Speaker, we made an important commitment to make sure that our tax system works for all Canadians. We made an important commitment to listen to Canadians as we put forward measures that we know will ensure a fairer system. Therefore, we have been listening. We are going to move forward taking into account the things that we have heard so that we get to a system that encourages investment, but is also fairer for all Canadians as we move forward so that all Canadians in this generation and the next generation can be sure that they have opportunities that our tax system should provide.
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to these unfair tax changes, small business owners and farmers in Atlantic Canada are frustrated. They are frustrated because they do not believe the Liberals are listening, and they are right. When asked by a chamber of commerce in Nova Scotia to attend a town hall meeting to explain these tax changes and to listen to the concerns of small business owners, the Liberal MPs from KingsHants and West Nova were no-shows. How can the Liberals profess to be listening to Canadians when they will not even listen to the members of their chamber of commerce? How can the finance minister possibly say he is listening to Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring justice for the victims of this dark chapter in our history. The independent assessment process under the settlement agreement was approved by the supervising courts. It contains all procedural protections necessary for the fair determination of claims. Canada seeks fairness for all claimants under the independent assessment process. We are not challenging individual claimants or their outcomes. Canada is seeking the court's guidance in order to ensure fairness for all claimants and parties to the settlement agreement.
Mr. Speaker, we have been thinking about how we can ensure our tax system works since our first day in office. We have been focused on how we can deal with tax evasion and tax avoidance, giving over a billion dollars to Canada Revenue Agency to make sure we are having Canadians pay their fair share.What we are doing in our consultation process is really the continuation of a discussion that has been going on since we have been in office. We want to make sure that our system does not encourage wealthy Canadians to incorporate to pay a lower rate of tax. At the same time, we want to encourage people to invest in their businesses. These two goals can be met simultaneously. They will help our economy and help Canadians to feel their system is fair.
Mr. Speaker, through the Invictus Games, we saw the power of adaptive sport on physical rehabilitation, but we all know that mental health and wellness go hand in hand. The perseverance of these brave men and women who took off their Armed Forces uniforms and found the strength and determination to put on a jersey and compete with representatives of 16 other countries impressed upon us all the importance of coming together to support our veterans and Canadian Armed Forces members. Can the Minister of Veterans Affairs tell us what the government is doing to address the invisible injuries of our men and women and their families?
Mr. Speaker, I think the finance minister has a different definition of listening compared to other Canadians. I do not know if it is just me, but I do not think listening means ignoring my constituents. Greg and Jocelyn own small businesses in KingsHants, Nova Scotia. When they requested a meeting with the Liberal member of Parliament to discuss their concerns about these tax changes, the message they got was that their MP was not having meetings on this issue. How can the Liberals profess to be listening if small business owners cannot even get in the front door? When it comes to these tax changes, why is the President of the Treasury Board refusing to meet with his constituents?
Mr. Speaker, on Friday, I met with Hatch Engineering, a great Canadian success story, with over 9,000 employees.On Thursday, the president attended the disastrous Oakville town hall where he was given 90 seconds, one second for every 100 employees, to talk about his concerns with the Liberal tax plan. Why did he go there? Because he was refused meetings by the members for Oakville, Oakville NorthBurlington, and Burlington. Even the Minister of Science refused his meeting.Will the Minister of Finance admit that his consultation has been wholly inadequate, and vote with us to extend the consultation?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for giving me the opportunity once again to emphasize the importance of the employment insurance system. First, it helps guarantee income security for families going through a tough time, and second, it helps in the transition to another job.Over the past few months, we have taken significant action to make the system far more flexible and more generous in its benefits and services, and we will continue to work very hard in that same vein.
Mr. Speaker, we want a tax system that is fair for all Canadians. That is very important.The goal of our measures is to create a fair system that does not encourage the wealthy to simply incorporate in order to pay less in taxes. We will continue to move forward with our measures, taking into account everything we heard during our consultations. At the same time, we will think about how our system can be better for all businesses in Canada for the future. That is also very important.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance did not answer my question. I will help him by quoting the commitment he made in writing: to abstain from any participation in any matters or decisions...other than those of general application, relating to Morneau Shepell.According to experts who appeared before the Standing Committee on Finance, a firm like Morneau Shepell will benefit from these changes, because it offers Canadians private pension plans.Once and for all, will the minister abstain from any participation in this discussion?
Mr. Speaker, our government is dedicated to making sure that the men and women of the Canadian Coast Guard have the tools they need to do their jobs, whether that be ice-breaking capacity in Quebec or towing capacity. The Coast Guard expertly maintains its fleet. Also, in the interim, we have opened up an RFI to see if there are other ways we can complement our force.Our government will always make sure that the tools are available, so the job gets done and it gets done right.
Mr. Speaker, the purpose of our consultations has been to listen to people like Jennifer, to make sure that we understand what the issues might be when moving forward with a tax system that will create a better incentive for people to invest in their active business at the same time as not encouraging wealthy Canadians to take advantage of things that may be there only for them and not for the middle class. That is what we are trying to achieve. I can assure members that we are going to listen to people like Jennifer so we get this right. We did not intend to change the ability of people to transfer businesses from one generation to the next. We intend to make sure that the tax system is fairer, and we are going to get it right.
Mr. Speaker, it is important to consider the facts here. We have said to Canadians that we will work toward tax fairness. We talked about that as far back as our election campaign. We put measures in our budget 2017, talking about how we think we can make the system more fair. We put out a consultation paper. Then we went around the country to listen to Canadians. We did it across the country. We have heard many things that are important for us to consider, including unintended consequences in some cases that we will need to fix, and other things to make sure that the system will actually work. We are going to make sure that we get this right. We are going to move forward in a way that will make the system fair for the long run.
Mr. Speaker, we know that all Canadians will benefit from a tax system that is fair. All businesses across the country want a system that works well and encourages investment in their business. That is very important. We are going to move forward with our measures with the knowledge we have gained through our consultations. That is how we will make important changes for our country.
Mr. Speaker, we had a period of consultation so we could get from Canadians their advice on how we could move forward on measures that would make a real difference. We will take no advice from the opposite side of the House. The members from the opposite side of the House have continued to vote against measures that are helping middle-class Canadians. They continue to vote against things that we know will help our economy. What we have done is listened to Canadians. We are going to make sure that we get at the things we need to get at, such as the encouragement for wealthy Canadians to incorporate, while at the same time making sure we do not have unintended consequences around farms, small businesses, or women entrepreneurs. That is important.
Mr. Speaker, all families should receive the benefits to which they are entitled. In my mandate letter, I committed to facilitating access to services for the neediest and most vulnerable, seniors, and single-parent families.We will work hard to resolve the problem.
Mr. Speaker, this morning, the Minister of Canadian Heritage met with the cultural community to peddle her business model and her much-touted deal with Netflix. The 50 or so organizations that make up the coalition for culture and media were disappointed with the government's inconsistent vision and shocked by its agreement with Netflix. They all want this secret agreement to be made public so that taxpayers can read it and judge for themselves.Quebeckers feel that the minister is more anxious to sell Netflix than to defend Canadian culture. However, the mission of the heritage minister is to defend our culture, not the interests of multinational corporations. The cultural community and the Quebec government want to know the answer to this simple question.When will this agreement be made public?
Mr. Speaker, it is a little ironic to see my Conservative colleague rise in defence of culture when the Conservatives were the ones who cut millions of dollars from culture funding over the past 10 years.That being said, I am happy to see that we have an ally here in the House who will help us make sure that every player benefiting from the system is able to contribute financially to our culture. I look forward to working with him to revamp our system in order to support our artists.
Mr. Speaker, we prioritize. We are prioritizing the creation of good jobs for Canadians, particularly in western Canada. We are prioritizing environmental stewardship. We are prioritizing important engagement with indigenous peoples. Those are the three pillars of responsible development in Canada: job creation, environmental stewardship, and meaningful consultation with indigenous peoples.If the Harper government would have been loyal to those principles, more pipelines would have been built.
Mr. Speaker, it is important for us to be very clear to all the people who are paying attention to this debate. We know the system, which has been around for a long time, is one that people have used legitimately. We also know that we need to make sure the system is fair going forward, so we have looked at the measures we can put in place to ensure that that will actually be the case. We've listened to Canadians about how we can get it right as we move forward.What people have done in the past will of course be protected. We are coming up with new rules in the future that will not have unintended consequences but will ensure that people can invest in their business with a tax system that is fair.
Mr. Speaker, the consultations were very important for us. We had the opportunity to understand what the issues were with the measures we were putting forward.We know it is important to get to a tax system that works for all Canadians. We know that as we do that, it is important to listen. We did listen. We heard from people, like the gentleman who was mentioned by the member opposite, to hear their concerns. I heard from many other Canadians.Knowing that, it allows us to make sure that we move forward with a system that encourages businesses to invest. The low tax rate protects farms and women entrepreneurs in their ability to continue to invest in their businesses, while
Mr. Speaker, we believe it is important that we move forward with measures that are going to make sure our system is fair for the long term. We also know that doing it means we need to get it right.Listening to Canadians has given us insights. We have heard things that are important to consider so we move forward in a way that actually gets at the challenge that wealthy Canadians have advantages not available to other Canadians, but we do that in a way that does not have unintended consequences. That is our commitment. We will follow through.
Mr. Speaker, we held consultations on our tax measures. It is very important to listen. We listened and we garnered a number of important insights from Canadians. We will now consider what we heard to make sure that we can continue to invest while creating a tax system that is fair.
Mr. Speaker, we know that our current tax system is not really fair. The wealthiest Canadians are encouraged to incorporate to access a lower tax rate. That is not a good system. We want a system that is fair and also encourages investment in active business. Our measures and everything we heard during our consultations will help us achieve that goal. It is important to listen to what people have to say. We have listened, and now we are going to consider what we have heard.
Mr. Speaker, these are important things to do. We have listened. We are going to get it right.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.During question period, the member for Milton made a statement. For the record, I spoke directly with the CEO of Hatch several weeks ago, and I have a meeting already set up with a second group of Hatch employees to hear their concerns directly--
Mr. Speaker, we are going to continue to introduce measures to improve our tax system so that we have a system that works well. At the same time, we know that it is very important to do things to help our economy.On that note, I would like to point out that, over the past year, we have had the highest level of growth in the past decade and that nearly 400,000 jobs have been created. It is important to have an economy that works and that is growing while having a fair tax system for the long term. Those are our two objectives.
Second, Mr. Speaker, we are going to make sure that farmers can continue to pass their farms on to the next generation. We are going to make sure that women can continue to save in their businesses as professionals so they can be in a positive situation. We are going to keep the tax rates low on small businesses. We are going to work to make sure it is administratively efficient.
Mr. Speaker, we know that a fair tax system has a major impact on the confidence of Canadians across the country. At the same time, it is very important to encourage small business owners to invest in their businesses. Those two things are very important.Over the past 75 days, we have listened and we have heard many things. We will consider the opinions and points of view we heard and use them to build a fairer system for the future.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide clarity for the record. We have always said that the system that we have today is legitimate. It has been a system that has been around for a long time. However, it is creating incentives for wealthy Canadians to incorporate to get advantages that are not available to middle-class Canadians. That is a system that is not right for the long term. Finding a way to make that right while continuing to encourage people to invest in their businesses, to create growth and jobs, that is the balance we are seeking to achieve. We believe we can achieve it. Listening to Canadians is an important part of that enabling us to get it right, enabling us to have a strong economy with a fairer
Mr. Speaker, the member says that we do not care about energy workers in Alberta. How about 3,000 jobs for the NOVA Gas pipeline? How about 7,000 jobs for the Line 3 replacement project? How about the15,440 jobs for the Trans Mountain expansion pipeline? We support Keystone XL, another 6,400 jobs. That is more jobs created by this government in the energy sector in less than two years than 10 years by the Harper administration.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to say that when people like Mitchell write and people phone in, we are listening. We have been taking the time to listen to make sure that we get their perspectives. We know that having a system that works, that is fair for all Canadians, is important. We know that the tax system is complex and that we need to consider the perspectives of Mitchell and others across the country. We will do that as we move forward with a system that encourages investment and make sure that it is fair. That is our commitment to Canadians and we are looking forward to telling them more in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, we have gone through a consultation period that was important . We have listened to Canadians. We have heard five things that are very important. It is important to continue to allow people to invest in small businesses and communities; we are going to take that as an important issue. We have heard that it is important to make sure that family farms continue and are successful; we are going to make sure that is done. We have heard that women entrepreneurs and professionals need to be protected if they want to take time off; we are going to make sure that is possible. We need to keep tax rates low and we need to have a system that is administratively efficient. All those things will be taken into consideration as we move forward with these reforms.
Mr. Speaker, our government believes that meaningful engagement is key to advancing reconciliation and to renewing our relationship with indigenous people in Canada. Today's meeting included the representatives of the rights holders in this country. The Prime Minister has agreed to meet with the Native Women's Association at least annually and they will be included in the meeting of the indigenous ministers later this year in November.
Mr. Speaker, in January of 2016, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change set out interim principles that would guide those projects under review. The same principles that were established then still are in effect today, as energy east goes through the National Energy Board process. Then, as now, the rules are the same.
Mr. Speaker, we know that it is very important to stay on track with our approach to a fairer tax system. We have heard many things, and with our knowledge, information, and perspectives, we can continue to have a system that encourages investment in business across the country and that is also fair. Those are our two goals, and we can achieve both of them.
Mr. Speaker, this morning I had a very productive meeting with various stakeholders in Quebec's cultural industry. Our conversations were very fruitful. I understand their concerns and their anxiety. We agreed to work together on a game plan for protecting our culture online.We are therefore going to collaborate on a plan to reform our laws and policies to ensure that we protect our culture together.
Mr. Speaker, moving forward with tax changes, it is important to make sure we get it right. We have had a period of consultation, which is important. We have come up with five principles from which we should move forward.First, we are going to make sure that small businesses can continue to invest in their businesses in their communities.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank and congratulate my colleague from LavalLes Îles for his remarkable work in helping his constituents and for everything he does for our seniors.Our government is committed to supporting our seniors and ensuring that they have a dignified and secure retirement. I met with my territorial and provincial colleagues a few weeks ago in St. John's, Newfoundland. We agreed to work very hard in the short and long terms to put in place public and development policies that promote greater social and economic inclusion of our seniors today and in the future.
No you're not.
No you're not.
Mr. Speaker, many people worked hard for years to establish the National Holocaust Monument, including the Hon. Tim Uppal. Last week, the Prime Minister inaugurated it with a plaque of his own. However, his plaque fails to mention anti-Semitism or the Jewish people by name.How could the Prime Minister permit such a glaring omission of reference to anti-Semitism and the fact that the millions of men, women, and children who were murdered were overwhelmingly Jewish? If we are going to stamp out hatred toward Jews, it is important to get history right.Will the Prime Minister commit to correcting this profoundly obvious omission?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals can hardly speak about reconciliation when they decide to exclude the indigenous women from our national conversation.Yesterday, the minister could not explain why government lawyers asked the court to award the compensation that residential school survivors were unjustly denied. I have a simple question for the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations.Now that she has all of the information, will she ask her Justice colleague to stop challenging survivors in court?Who told this government to withhold information about a child predator?
Mr. Speaker, the government admits that edible cannabis products are a large and growing sector of the market, and it is undeniable that many Canadians prefer edible products as a healthier alternative to smoking cannabis. However, for some reason, the Liberals have decided to keep edibles illegal. This will deny consumers a safe product and ensure that the black market retains control. In addition, the Liberals have no plan to pardon individuals who are burdened with criminal convictions for simple possession. Therefore, will the Liberals accept our reasonable amendments and fix this bill?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has called small business owners tax cheats. The Prime Minister implied that these hard-working Canadians are cheating on their taxes. The Liberals announced the most dramatic changes to the Income Tax Act in the dead of summer when farmers were busy with their crops and getting ready for harvest, and when parents were on vacation with their children and then getting them ready to go back to school. Now, the consultation has been bungled in every possible way. The minister has expressed zero regret. Will he do the right thing and extend the consultation, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, we will see how the Liberal MPs vote at the end of the day. We still have a chance.The Liberals proposed reform, which will increase the tax burden on our businesses, is a complete disgrace, and above all, hypocritical. On the one hand, entrepreneurs will pay dearly, while on the other, the businesses owned by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance will not be affected. The Liberal government's policy is do as I say, not as I do.My question to the Minister of Finance is simple. We know that these new measures are meant to take an extra $250 million from the pockets of entrepreneurs. Did the minister check, analyze, and study the real impact of these measures on
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals plan to legalize marijuana next summer, but they do not plan to pardon people convicted of simple possession in the past.That means that many Canadians will have serious problems finding work and crossing the border for the rest of their lives. What is more, the Liberals are retaining Stephen Harper's policies, which make criminal records difficult to erase.Why do the Liberals not have a plan regarding such pardons, and do they think it is fair for people to have to live with a criminal record for something that will soon be legal?
Mr. Speaker, the government is committed to building a more inclusive society, and the National Holocaust Monument commemorates the six million Jews, as well as the five million other victims, who were murdered during the Holocaust. It stands as a reminder of the dangers of hatred, racism, and intolerance, while affirming respect for human rights, dignity, and resilience. The plaque has been removed and will be replaced with language that reflects the horrors experienced by the Jewish people.
Mr. Speaker, it makes no sense at all for the minister to propose very powerful measures that will make life difficult for all business owners, when his department has yet to carry out a single impact study to determine the direct effects those measures will have on them. This is totally unacceptable. The minister may not be listening, or not listening well, but we Conservatives are. Last Friday, we five members from Quebec City listened to businesspeople like Gaétan Boudreau, a construction entrepreneur who told us that if these changes go forward, he will close up shop.Is the minister aware that his measures are going to kill Canadian businesses, this country's job creators, and cost Canadians their jobs?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals launched this consultation period of only 75 days over the summer, and they keep doubling down. They keep using inflammatory and insulting language. Local businesses create jobs, and when the Liberals hurt them, it will hurt the workers they employ. So many people are against these changes. So many people are asking for more time so they can share their stories with Liberal ministers, who continue to ignore them. Will the Prime Minister commit to allowing his Liberal MPs the freedom to listen to their constituents, stand up and represent them in the House, and vote in favour of our motion? Will it be a free vote?
Mr. Speaker, on the issue I actually asked about, let us talk about foreign oil imports. Last week, the UN Human Rights Council met to talk about the growing oppression of a dictator, who is brutally cracking down on public activism and starving his people. The commissioner even said that crimes against humanity may have been committed. Where is that? It is in Venezuela. However, the Liberals are prioritizing foreign oil from Venezuela, while stopping environmentally and socially responsible Canadian oil and gas. When will the minister stop putting foreign oil ahead of Canadian energy?
Mr. Speaker, this week my constituency office had to intervene to prevent a single mother and her three children from being evicted from their home. The cause was that the CRA stopped paying her the Canada child benefit following a routine assessment that ultimately resulted in no changes but delayed her payments for up to four months. This is becoming a common story. It is Phoenix all over again. The minister's restructuring of CRA has forgotten people who depend on receiving their legitimate payments on time every month. What will the minister do to fix these problems?
Mr. Speaker, many seasonal workers in SaguenayLac-Saint-Jean were counting on the Liberal government to solve the EI spring gap problem. They can see the Liberals breaking yet another promise. Discrimination against the regions must stop. As a result of the EI gap, these seasonal workers in SaguenayLac-Saint-Jean might end up without any income for several weeks. I do not understand why the Liberal government is turning its back on them. It makes no sense.When will the minister bridge the spring gap once and for all?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are done consulting people about their tax changes, but many questions remain unanswered. What is clear, though, is that companies such as Morneau Shepell will benefit from these changes and will not be paying more tax after the reforms come into effect. The minister is being hypocritical by making small businesses pay more while protecting his own personal fortune. When will the minister realize that he is in conflict of interest and should recuse himself from this discussion?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals just are not interested in talking to Canadians about their unfair tax plan. Mitchell writes: I wrote to the government first to [the Prime Minister] then they pass me off to [the finance minister]. Now I've responded to the email that they sent to [the minister] and I've got nothing back. Mitchell has built a company up from the ground that now employs 12 people, including new Canadians. The Liberals are proposing to take his hard-earned money to pay for their reckless spending.When entrepreneurs and job creators like Mitchell call and write, why are the Liberals so unwilling to listen?
Mr. Speaker, I am so proud of what our government has done. The former Conservative government did nothing. It had targets, but no plan. We have worked very hard with the provinces, territories, and indigenous peoples to come up with a real plan to reduce our emissions, eliminate carbon, and put a price on pollution for historic investments in public transit. Climate change is real, and we are taking it seriously. We are doing this for our children.
Mr. Speaker, we met with representatives from the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec this morning.The consultations now at an end, the federation is sounding the alarm. It is asking the Minister of Finance to extend the consultations in order to carefully assess the impact of the proposed measures and submit an economic impact study. The minister is unable to tell us how his reform will affect SMEs across the country.Is the minister going to wait until our SMEs pack up and leave the country or will he extend the consultation period?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, we learned that the Native Women's Association of Canada has yet again been shut out of the first ministers meeting by the government. They asked to be included, and shutting them out speaks volumes to the government's lack of respect for indigenous women's voices. The self-proclaimed feminist Prime Minister promised a nation-to-nation relationship with all indigenous people, so why has the Native Women's Association been barred from today's first ministers meeting? Have indigenous women's voices not been silenced for long enough?
Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to combatting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidanceIn our first two budgets, we invested over $1 billion, which has put us on the right track for recovering nearly $25 billion. Over the past two years, 727 cases have been transferred to criminal investigation, and there have been 268 warrants and 78 convictions.Let me be very clear. We will continue to work and bring tax cheats to justice.
Mr. Speaker, Canada is a world leader in responsible resource development. For instance, Alberta was the first jurisdiction in North America to regulate emissions, and has the strongest regulatory system in the world. Instead of celebrating Canadian energy, the Liberals keep adding roadblocks at the very worst time, all while importing oil from countries like Algeria and Venezuela. I asked the minister last week, and I will ask him again. Will the Liberals apply their upstream and downstream emissions tests as a condition to foreign oil imports?
Mr. Speaker, why not a gazillion dollars while they are at it?It is becoming clear that both the Liberals and Conservatives are not serious about tax fairness. Neither are willing to discuss tax avoidance carried out by big corporations, CEOs, and the use of tax havens. The Liberals' consultations on tax changes are too short and too narrow. Let us agree to do the right thing and extend and expand consultations to include big corporations, CEO tax loopholes, and tax havens.Why are Liberals still going after the small fish and letting the big fish off the hook?
Mr. Speaker, the Commissioner of Environment and Sustainable Development today reported that the Liberal government had abjectly failed to take the necessary action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or address the risks posed by climate change. She reported that Canada remained megatonnes away from meeting either the 2020 or 2030 targets. Stunningly, even Environment and Climate Change Canada is failing to deliver a climate risk and adaptation plan, or an action plan to measure, monitor, and publicly report on emissions. When will Canadians finally see action on climate change?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government launched consultations on its infamous tax reforms in the middle of summer vacation. What is it hiding?The Liberals want to stifle our entrepreneurs and squeeze more money out of them. That is unacceptable. These are hardworking entrepreneurs who take risks and create jobs for the middle class. This reform is counterproductive. During a consultation held in my region, one entrepreneur said that the Liberal government did not know the difference between equality and equity.I am calling on the Minister of Finance to back off, to respect and support these honest job creators, and to protect the jobs of the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, the minister has gone from doubling down to climbing down. He was caught with his plan that would raise taxes on everybody but him. Now, as a result of all the backlash from patriotic, hard-working, local farmers and businesses, the Liberals are being forced to back down. I know the government has closed its consultation period already, but as part of its climb down, will it accept one piece of advice? Why does the government not keep its promise and lower the small business tax rate down to 9%, just like the Liberals said they would during the last election?
Mr. Speaker, this week I held round tables to discuss the Liberals' proposed tax changes. Jennifer was brought to tears sharing her story. The family business that her parents started 37 years ago is now going to face a transfer tax that will destroy her dream of taking over that family business. The Liberals want to make Jennifer's parents pay a higher percentage in tax than the finance minister's own family business. Will the finance minister listen to Canadians like Jennifer and extend the consultation period?
Mr. Speaker, local businesses are the engine of economic growth in Canada. They create jobs, contribute to our communities, and create opportunities, but the Liberal tax hikes are going to hurt local businesses. We are talking about family businesses, farmers, local entrepreneurs, and the people they employ.Will the Prime Minister admit that these tax hikes are going to hurt the very people he claims he wants to help, and scrap the idea?
Mr. Speaker, he claims that he will listen to the concerns of Canadians, but what is really interesting is that just days after introducing this paper, he told on CBC's The House We're not going to change our mind.The Minister of Finance seems to be very concerned and consumed with protecting the interests of Morneau Shepell that every request to extend the consultation has fallen on deaf ears.The consultation is over. Tonight is the vote. Will the Liberal members on the other side agree and vote with their constituents, or are they going to vote with Morneau Shepell?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister just does not get it. Everyone is against his unfair tax increases. Entrepreneurs, business owners and, today, premiers, and even members of his own caucus are opposed to these changes, but the Liberals are not listening. The Prime Minister has not heard the people who are telling him how devastating this would be. He may be listening, but the Liberals are not hearing and they are certainly not changing their mind. Will the Prime Minister commit today to doing the right thing, vote in favour of our motion to extend the consultation period so they can finally listen to what Canadians are saying, and do something about it?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Canadian Heritage is patting herself on the back for signing a deal with Netflix. However, her proposals and commitments with regard to protecting the production of French-language content remain totally unclear.It is for that very reason that Ms. Prégent, the president of the Quebec artists' union, said the Liberal government is sending a mixed message: it sits down for a talk, but then it turns around and takes steps that were never discussed. The CEO of Simons echoed that sentiment, saying the agreement has no long-term vision.Has the minister forgotten her mandate letter? What firm commitments can she offer towards French-language cultural production?
Mr. Speaker, in its reform, the federal government is raising taxes on corporations' passive income, but not on the income of non-residents. This means that a foreign billionaire who invests in Canada would be taxed at 25%, but a Quebecker would pay the maximum, 50%. The foreign investor could even avoid paying taxes altogether if his investment earns interest income, zero.I would like the government to explain why it is penalizing our SMEs and giving foreign investors the advantage.
Mr. Speaker, last winter, because there were not enough icebreakers on the St. Lawrence River, a Rio Tinto ship became stuck in the ice.Winter is coming, and this must not happen again. An immediate solution is needed, and it turns out that Project Resolute at the Davie shipyard is ready. The Davie shipyard can bring home four icebreakers, refit them up to standard, and lease them to the government to ensure that Quebec businesses will not have to suffer financial losses and once again face any risks in terms of marine safety.Will the government finally wake up and say yes to the Davie shipyard?
Mr. Speaker, I am extraordinarily proud of our government's record on action and climate change. After a decade of inaction by the previous government, we not only have a target but a plan to make it. We are reducing emissions from coal-fired plants. We are putting a price on carbon pollution. We are making historic investments in public transit. For example, in Ottawa, the second phase of LRT will be the largest reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the city's history. We are taking serious action on climate change because climate change is real and we owe it to our kids.
Mr. Speaker, Bill C-49 is going to introduce important modernization to the Canada Transportation Act, including the air passenger's bill of rights, and new opportunities for shippers across Canada to gain access to competitive rail rates.The bill also provides for the introduction of video and voice recorders in locomotives. Labour groups are concerned this could be used by railways to violate workers' privacy and discipline them for non-safety related issues.Could the Minister of Transport reassure us that this will not be the case?
Mr. Speaker, the tax measures proposed by the Minister of Finance have sparked a lot of heated debate, and that is putting it mildly. They have also raised a lot of concerns.People are being bombarded with information from all sides, and it is often contradictory. The only thing we know for sure is that Netflix will not have to pay its fair share. I think it would be a good idea to take the time to talk about this and other very real problems, such as tax havens and tax loopholes for CEOs and multinationals.Why do the Liberals not agree?
Mr. Speaker, Saturday, I hosted a round table in the riding of MissionMatsquiFraser Canyon. Sadly, the MP was a no-show. His constituents were angry that the finance minister called them tax cheats and is taxing them at 73%. These people were furious that the minister and the Prime Minister had fixed it so that their own family fortunes would not be affected. When two rich guys try to fix it so they do not have to pay the same taxes as others, how is that fair?
Mr. Speaker, You have done it, Prince Harry said to the athletes. You are Invictus. The Latin word from which these games take their name means unconquered, and that unconquerable spirit was written on the face of every athlete we saw at these games. They flew our flag higher and they lit up the world. When they put their hand up, we will be there to help. There are 4,000 mental health professionals, a network of OSI clinics, and their brothers and sisters waiting to help them.
Mr. Speaker, during our consultations, we heard some very important things.We heard that it is crucial for SMEs to continue to have the lowest tax rate in the G7. We are going to make sure they keep it. We know it is vital to ensure that farmers, fishers, and women entrepreneurs are protected. That is very important to us.However, we can build a fairer system at the same time, which is a key goal of ours. We are going to move forward with our measures while taking into account what we heard in our consultations.
Mr. Speaker, Canada's aging population is going to bring about significant social and economic changes over the next few decades. It is important to ensure that our seniors can still contribute to our society, as they did in the past in building our country.Can the minister responsible for seniors tell us what the government is doing to take advantage of the experience, talent, and knowledge of the older generation of Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, in an act of great self-sacrifice, the millionaire Prime Minister and millionaire Finance Minister announced this summer higher taxes for the wealthy, which of course would mean more costs for the Prime Minister's personal trust fund. He might even have to give up his Laurentian countryside estate and his dad's old Mercedes. Even the Finance Minister will be paying more taxes on Morneau Shepell's profits: kidding. By wealthy people, they meant farmers, plumbers, and hard-working small business people. How do they manage to raise taxes on everyone except themselves?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians heard yesterday that the Liberals' anti-energy agenda was putting projects like energy east at risk. New rules, delays, and a lack of certainty are making energy workers nervous. Just last month, 350 families at General Electric in Peterborough, a factory operating since 1892, have lost their jobs as a result of new regulatory hurdles and mounting uncertainty, uncertainty the Liberals alone have caused.When will the Liberals realize their risky delays are affecting real Canadians with real jobs?
Mr. Speaker, in fact there have been extensive consultations under way over the last number of months with respect to reforming pardons. That work is well advanced. Very shortly, the results of those consultations will be published so that all Canadians can see what was said. Those consultations will inform legislation that we will put before the House to correct some of the egregious mistakes made by the previous government.
Mr. Speaker, protecting the health and safety of Canadians is a top priority for this government. Designing an appropriate regulatory system for cannabis edibles is a complex undertaking and there are unique potential risks and harms that need to be carefully understood before we undergo changes to the regulations. For this reason, our government will need to take an appropriate amount of time to develop and implement regulations that will result in a safe edible product on the market.
Mr. Speaker, we are dealing with a government that is extremely focused on managing its image, but here is something striking that needs managing: 219 megatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. Let us remember that number.The Liberal government, which adopted the previous government's weak greenhouse gas reduction targets, will fall 219 megatonnes short of its objective. The environment commissioner's report on this and other subjects is clear.Does the government intend to quickly put practical measures in place or will it be content to just focus on its image?
Mr. Speaker, we have been across the country listening to Canadians because we want to get this right. We have laid out some measures. We have talked about how we think these can improve our system. I have been across the country, in Nova Scotia, in New Brunswick, in Newfoundland, in Quebec, Ontario, and B.C. It is important for us to be across the country to hear Canadians. That is exactly what we have done.We are going to take into account what we have heard to make sure that we get this right, that people can invest in their businesses on an ongoing basis, and that the system will provide a foundation that ensures that we have a fair outcome for all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure Canadians that worker privacy is of paramount importance to this government. We are also responsible for improving railway safety, something that needs to be addressed constantly. The use of the recorders is intended solely for safety purposes. It is something the Transportation Safety Board has been asking us to do for many years. I want to reassure Canadians that we will never use these recorders for monitoring employee performance or for managing that performance.
Mr. Speaker, we made an important commitment to make sure that our tax system works for all Canadians. We made an important commitment to listen to Canadians as we put forward measures that we know will ensure a fairer system. Therefore, we have been listening. We are going to move forward taking into account the things that we have heard so that we get to a system that encourages investment, but is also fairer for all Canadians as we move forward so that all Canadians in this generation and the next generation can be sure that they have opportunities that our tax system should provide.
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to these unfair tax changes, small business owners and farmers in Atlantic Canada are frustrated. They are frustrated because they do not believe the Liberals are listening, and they are right. When asked by a chamber of commerce in Nova Scotia to attend a town hall meeting to explain these tax changes and to listen to the concerns of small business owners, the Liberal MPs from KingsHants and West Nova were no-shows. How can the Liberals profess to be listening to Canadians when they will not even listen to the members of their chamber of commerce? How can the finance minister possibly say he is listening to Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring justice for the victims of this dark chapter in our history. The independent assessment process under the settlement agreement was approved by the supervising courts. It contains all procedural protections necessary for the fair determination of claims. Canada seeks fairness for all claimants under the independent assessment process. We are not challenging individual claimants or their outcomes. Canada is seeking the court's guidance in order to ensure fairness for all claimants and parties to the settlement agreement.
Mr. Speaker, we have been thinking about how we can ensure our tax system works since our first day in office. We have been focused on how we can deal with tax evasion and tax avoidance, giving over a billion dollars to Canada Revenue Agency to make sure we are having Canadians pay their fair share.What we are doing in our consultation process is really the continuation of a discussion that has been going on since we have been in office. We want to make sure that our system does not encourage wealthy Canadians to incorporate to pay a lower rate of tax. At the same time, we want to encourage people to invest in their businesses. These two goals can be met simultaneously. They will help our economy and help Canadians to feel their system is fair.
Mr. Speaker, through the Invictus Games, we saw the power of adaptive sport on physical rehabilitation, but we all know that mental health and wellness go hand in hand. The perseverance of these brave men and women who took off their Armed Forces uniforms and found the strength and determination to put on a jersey and compete with representatives of 16 other countries impressed upon us all the importance of coming together to support our veterans and Canadian Armed Forces members. Can the Minister of Veterans Affairs tell us what the government is doing to address the invisible injuries of our men and women and their families?
Mr. Speaker, I think the finance minister has a different definition of listening compared to other Canadians. I do not know if it is just me, but I do not think listening means ignoring my constituents. Greg and Jocelyn own small businesses in KingsHants, Nova Scotia. When they requested a meeting with the Liberal member of Parliament to discuss their concerns about these tax changes, the message they got was that their MP was not having meetings on this issue. How can the Liberals profess to be listening if small business owners cannot even get in the front door? When it comes to these tax changes, why is the President of the Treasury Board refusing to meet with his constituents?
Mr. Speaker, on Friday, I met with Hatch Engineering, a great Canadian success story, with over 9,000 employees.On Thursday, the president attended the disastrous Oakville town hall where he was given 90 seconds, one second for every 100 employees, to talk about his concerns with the Liberal tax plan. Why did he go there? Because he was refused meetings by the members for Oakville, Oakville NorthBurlington, and Burlington. Even the Minister of Science refused his meeting.Will the Minister of Finance admit that his consultation has been wholly inadequate, and vote with us to extend the consultation?
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for giving me the opportunity once again to emphasize the importance of the employment insurance system. First, it helps guarantee income security for families going through a tough time, and second, it helps in the transition to another job.Over the past few months, we have taken significant action to make the system far more flexible and more generous in its benefits and services, and we will continue to work very hard in that same vein.
Mr. Speaker, we want a tax system that is fair for all Canadians. That is very important.The goal of our measures is to create a fair system that does not encourage the wealthy to simply incorporate in order to pay less in taxes. We will continue to move forward with our measures, taking into account everything we heard during our consultations. At the same time, we will think about how our system can be better for all businesses in Canada for the future. That is also very important.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance did not answer my question. I will help him by quoting the commitment he made in writing: to abstain from any participation in any matters or decisions...other than those of general application, relating to Morneau Shepell.According to experts who appeared before the Standing Committee on Finance, a firm like Morneau Shepell will benefit from these changes, because it offers Canadians private pension plans.Once and for all, will the minister abstain from any participation in this discussion?
Mr. Speaker, our government is dedicated to making sure that the men and women of the Canadian Coast Guard have the tools they need to do their jobs, whether that be ice-breaking capacity in Quebec or towing capacity. The Coast Guard expertly maintains its fleet. Also, in the interim, we have opened up an RFI to see if there are other ways we can complement our force.Our government will always make sure that the tools are available, so the job gets done and it gets done right.
Mr. Speaker, the purpose of our consultations has been to listen to people like Jennifer, to make sure that we understand what the issues might be when moving forward with a tax system that will create a better incentive for people to invest in their active business at the same time as not encouraging wealthy Canadians to take advantage of things that may be there only for them and not for the middle class. That is what we are trying to achieve. I can assure members that we are going to listen to people like Jennifer so we get this right. We did not intend to change the ability of people to transfer businesses from one generation to the next. We intend to make sure that the tax system is fairer, and we are going to get it right.
Mr. Speaker, it is important to consider the facts here. We have said to Canadians that we will work toward tax fairness. We talked about that as far back as our election campaign. We put measures in our budget 2017, talking about how we think we can make the system more fair. We put out a consultation paper. Then we went around the country to listen to Canadians. We did it across the country. We have heard many things that are important for us to consider, including unintended consequences in some cases that we will need to fix, and other things to make sure that the system will actually work. We are going to make sure that we get this right. We are going to move forward in a way that will make the system fair for the long run.
Mr. Speaker, we know that all Canadians will benefit from a tax system that is fair. All businesses across the country want a system that works well and encourages investment in their business. That is very important. We are going to move forward with our measures with the knowledge we have gained through our consultations. That is how we will make important changes for our country.
Mr. Speaker, we had a period of consultation so we could get from Canadians their advice on how we could move forward on measures that would make a real difference. We will take no advice from the opposite side of the House. The members from the opposite side of the House have continued to vote against measures that are helping middle-class Canadians. They continue to vote against things that we know will help our economy. What we have done is listened to Canadians. We are going to make sure that we get at the things we need to get at, such as the encouragement for wealthy Canadians to incorporate, while at the same time making sure we do not have unintended consequences around farms, small businesses, or women entrepreneurs. That is important.
Mr. Speaker, all families should receive the benefits to which they are entitled. In my mandate letter, I committed to facilitating access to services for the neediest and most vulnerable, seniors, and single-parent families.We will work hard to resolve the problem.
Mr. Speaker, this morning, the Minister of Canadian Heritage met with the cultural community to peddle her business model and her much-touted deal with Netflix. The 50 or so organizations that make up the coalition for culture and media were disappointed with the government's inconsistent vision and shocked by its agreement with Netflix. They all want this secret agreement to be made public so that taxpayers can read it and judge for themselves.Quebeckers feel that the minister is more anxious to sell Netflix than to defend Canadian culture. However, the mission of the heritage minister is to defend our culture, not the interests of multinational corporations. The cultural community and the Quebec government want to know the answer to this simple question.When will this agreement be made public?
Mr. Speaker, it is a little ironic to see my Conservative colleague rise in defence of culture when the Conservatives were the ones who cut millions of dollars from culture funding over the past 10 years.That being said, I am happy to see that we have an ally here in the House who will help us make sure that every player benefiting from the system is able to contribute financially to our culture. I look forward to working with him to revamp our system in order to support our artists.
Mr. Speaker, we prioritize. We are prioritizing the creation of good jobs for Canadians, particularly in western Canada. We are prioritizing environmental stewardship. We are prioritizing important engagement with indigenous peoples. Those are the three pillars of responsible development in Canada: job creation, environmental stewardship, and meaningful consultation with indigenous peoples.If the Harper government would have been loyal to those principles, more pipelines would have been built.
Mr. Speaker, it is important for us to be very clear to all the people who are paying attention to this debate. We know the system, which has been around for a long time, is one that people have used legitimately. We also know that we need to make sure the system is fair going forward, so we have looked at the measures we can put in place to ensure that that will actually be the case. We've listened to Canadians about how we can get it right as we move forward.What people have done in the past will of course be protected. We are coming up with new rules in the future that will not have unintended consequences but will ensure that people can invest in their business with a tax system that is fair.
Mr. Speaker, the consultations were very important for us. We had the opportunity to understand what the issues were with the measures we were putting forward.We know it is important to get to a tax system that works for all Canadians. We know that as we do that, it is important to listen. We did listen. We heard from people, like the gentleman who was mentioned by the member opposite, to hear their concerns. I heard from many other Canadians.Knowing that, it allows us to make sure that we move forward with a system that encourages businesses to invest. The low tax rate protects farms and women entrepreneurs in their ability to continue to invest in their businesses, while
Mr. Speaker, we believe it is important that we move forward with measures that are going to make sure our system is fair for the long term. We also know that doing it means we need to get it right.Listening to Canadians has given us insights. We have heard things that are important to consider so we move forward in a way that actually gets at the challenge that wealthy Canadians have advantages not available to other Canadians, but we do that in a way that does not have unintended consequences. That is our commitment. We will follow through.
Mr. Speaker, we held consultations on our tax measures. It is very important to listen. We listened and we garnered a number of important insights from Canadians. We will now consider what we heard to make sure that we can continue to invest while creating a tax system that is fair.
Mr. Speaker, we know that our current tax system is not really fair. The wealthiest Canadians are encouraged to incorporate to access a lower tax rate. That is not a good system. We want a system that is fair and also encourages investment in active business. Our measures and everything we heard during our consultations will help us achieve that goal. It is important to listen to what people have to say. We have listened, and now we are going to consider what we have heard.
Mr. Speaker, these are important things to do. We have listened. We are going to get it right.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.During question period, the member for Milton made a statement. For the record, I spoke directly with the CEO of Hatch several weeks ago, and I have a meeting already set up with a second group of Hatch employees to hear their concerns directly--
Mr. Speaker, we are going to continue to introduce measures to improve our tax system so that we have a system that works well. At the same time, we know that it is very important to do things to help our economy.On that note, I would like to point out that, over the past year, we have had the highest level of growth in the past decade and that nearly 400,000 jobs have been created. It is important to have an economy that works and that is growing while having a fair tax system for the long term. Those are our two objectives.
Second, Mr. Speaker, we are going to make sure that farmers can continue to pass their farms on to the next generation. We are going to make sure that women can continue to save in their businesses as professionals so they can be in a positive situation. We are going to keep the tax rates low on small businesses. We are going to work to make sure it is administratively efficient.
Mr. Speaker, we know that a fair tax system has a major impact on the confidence of Canadians across the country. At the same time, it is very important to encourage small business owners to invest in their businesses. Those two things are very important.Over the past 75 days, we have listened and we have heard many things. We will consider the opinions and points of view we heard and use them to build a fairer system for the future.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide clarity for the record. We have always said that the system that we have today is legitimate. It has been a system that has been around for a long time. However, it is creating incentives for wealthy Canadians to incorporate to get advantages that are not available to middle-class Canadians. That is a system that is not right for the long term. Finding a way to make that right while continuing to encourage people to invest in their businesses, to create growth and jobs, that is the balance we are seeking to achieve. We believe we can achieve it. Listening to Canadians is an important part of that enabling us to get it right, enabling us to have a strong economy with a fairer
Mr. Speaker, the member says that we do not care about energy workers in Alberta. How about 3,000 jobs for the NOVA Gas pipeline? How about 7,000 jobs for the Line 3 replacement project? How about the15,440 jobs for the Trans Mountain expansion pipeline? We support Keystone XL, another 6,400 jobs. That is more jobs created by this government in the energy sector in less than two years than 10 years by the Harper administration.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to say that when people like Mitchell write and people phone in, we are listening. We have been taking the time to listen to make sure that we get their perspectives. We know that having a system that works, that is fair for all Canadians, is important. We know that the tax system is complex and that we need to consider the perspectives of Mitchell and others across the country. We will do that as we move forward with a system that encourages investment and make sure that it is fair. That is our commitment to Canadians and we are looking forward to telling them more in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, we have gone through a consultation period that was important . We have listened to Canadians. We have heard five things that are very important. It is important to continue to allow people to invest in small businesses and communities; we are going to take that as an important issue. We have heard that it is important to make sure that family farms continue and are successful; we are going to make sure that is done. We have heard that women entrepreneurs and professionals need to be protected if they want to take time off; we are going to make sure that is possible. We need to keep tax rates low and we need to have a system that is administratively efficient. All those things will be taken into consideration as we move forward with these reforms.
Mr. Speaker, our government believes that meaningful engagement is key to advancing reconciliation and to renewing our relationship with indigenous people in Canada. Today's meeting included the representatives of the rights holders in this country. The Prime Minister has agreed to meet with the Native Women's Association at least annually and they will be included in the meeting of the indigenous ministers later this year in November.
Mr. Speaker, in January of 2016, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change set out interim principles that would guide those projects under review. The same principles that were established then still are in effect today, as energy east goes through the National Energy Board process. Then, as now, the rules are the same.
Mr. Speaker, we know that it is very important to stay on track with our approach to a fairer tax system. We have heard many things, and with our knowledge, information, and perspectives, we can continue to have a system that encourages investment in business across the country and that is also fair. Those are our two goals, and we can achieve both of them.
Mr. Speaker, this morning I had a very productive meeting with various stakeholders in Quebec's cultural industry. Our conversations were very fruitful. I understand their concerns and their anxiety. We agreed to work together on a game plan for protecting our culture online.We are therefore going to collaborate on a plan to reform our laws and policies to ensure that we protect our culture together.
Mr. Speaker, moving forward with tax changes, it is important to make sure we get it right. We have had a period of consultation, which is important. We have come up with five principles from which we should move forward.First, we are going to make sure that small businesses can continue to invest in their businesses in their communities.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank and congratulate my colleague from LavalLes Îles for his remarkable work in helping his constituents and for everything he does for our seniors.Our government is committed to supporting our seniors and ensuring that they have a dignified and secure retirement. I met with my territorial and provincial colleagues a few weeks ago in St. John's, Newfoundland. We agreed to work very hard in the short and long terms to put in place public and development policies that promote greater social and economic inclusion of our seniors today and in the future.
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Most negative speeches
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to these unfair tax changes, small business owners and farmers in Atlantic Canada are frustrated. They are frustrated because they do not believe the Liberals are listening, and they are right. When asked by a chamber of commerce in Nova Scotia to attend a town hall meeting to explain these tax changes and to listen to the concerns of small business owners, the Liberal MPs from KingsHants and West Nova were no-shows. How can the Liberals profess to be listening to Canadians when they will not even listen to the members of their chamber of commerce? How can the finance minister possibly say he is listening to Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, this morning, the Minister of Canadian Heritage met with the cultural community to peddle her business model and her much-touted deal with Netflix. The 50 or so organizations that make up the coalition for culture and media were disappointed with the government's inconsistent vision and shocked by its agreement with Netflix. They all want this secret agreement to be made public so that taxpayers can read it and judge for themselves.Quebeckers feel that the minister is more anxious to sell Netflix than to defend Canadian culture. However, the mission of the heritage minister is to defend our culture, not the interests of multinational corporations. The cultural community and the Quebec government want to know the answer to this simple question.When will this agreement be made public?
Mr. Speaker, Canada is a world leader in responsible resource development. For instance, Alberta was the first jurisdiction in North America to regulate emissions, and has the strongest regulatory system in the world. Instead of celebrating Canadian energy, the Liberals keep adding roadblocks at the very worst time, all while importing oil from countries like Algeria and Venezuela. I asked the minister last week, and I will ask him again. Will the Liberals apply their upstream and downstream emissions tests as a condition to foreign oil imports?
Mr. Speaker, we met with representatives from the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec this morning.The consultations now at an end, the federation is sounding the alarm. It is asking the Minister of Finance to extend the consultations in order to carefully assess the impact of the proposed measures and submit an economic impact study. The minister is unable to tell us how his reform will affect SMEs across the country.Is the minister going to wait until our SMEs pack up and leave the country or will he extend the consultation period?
Mr. Speaker, the minister has gone from doubling down to climbing down. He was caught with his plan that would raise taxes on everybody but him. Now, as a result of all the backlash from patriotic, hard-working, local farmers and businesses, the Liberals are being forced to back down. I know the government has closed its consultation period already, but as part of its climb down, will it accept one piece of advice? Why does the government not keep its promise and lower the small business tax rate down to 9%, just like the Liberals said they would during the last election?
Mr. Speaker, in its reform, the federal government is raising taxes on corporations' passive income, but not on the income of non-residents. This means that a foreign billionaire who invests in Canada would be taxed at 25%, but a Quebecker would pay the maximum, 50%. The foreign investor could even avoid paying taxes altogether if his investment earns interest income, zero.I would like the government to explain why it is penalizing our SMEs and giving foreign investors the advantage.
Mr. Speaker, on the issue I actually asked about, let us talk about foreign oil imports. Last week, the UN Human Rights Council met to talk about the growing oppression of a dictator, who is brutally cracking down on public activism and starving his people. The commissioner even said that crimes against humanity may have been committed. Where is that? It is in Venezuela. However, the Liberals are prioritizing foreign oil from Venezuela, while stopping environmentally and socially responsible Canadian oil and gas. When will the minister stop putting foreign oil ahead of Canadian energy?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister just does not get it. Everyone is against his unfair tax increases. Entrepreneurs, business owners and, today, premiers, and even members of his own caucus are opposed to these changes, but the Liberals are not listening. The Prime Minister has not heard the people who are telling him how devastating this would be. He may be listening, but the Liberals are not hearing and they are certainly not changing their mind. Will the Prime Minister commit today to doing the right thing, vote in favour of our motion to extend the consultation period so they can finally listen to what Canadians are saying, and do something about it?
Mr. Speaker, all families should receive the benefits to which they are entitled. In my mandate letter, I committed to facilitating access to services for the neediest and most vulnerable, seniors, and single-parent families.We will work hard to resolve the problem.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals just are not interested in talking to Canadians about their unfair tax plan. Mitchell writes: I wrote to the government first to [the Prime Minister] then they pass me off to [the finance minister]. Now I've responded to the email that they sent to [the minister] and I've got nothing back. Mitchell has built a company up from the ground that now employs 12 people, including new Canadians. The Liberals are proposing to take his hard-earned money to pay for their reckless spending.When entrepreneurs and job creators like Mitchell call and write, why are the Liberals so unwilling to listen?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance did not answer my question. I will help him by quoting the commitment he made in writing: to abstain from any participation in any matters or decisions...other than those of general application, relating to Morneau Shepell.According to experts who appeared before the Standing Committee on Finance, a firm like Morneau Shepell will benefit from these changes, because it offers Canadians private pension plans.Once and for all, will the minister abstain from any participation in this discussion?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Canadian Heritage is patting herself on the back for signing a deal with Netflix. However, her proposals and commitments with regard to protecting the production of French-language content remain totally unclear.It is for that very reason that Ms. Prégent, the president of the Quebec artists' union, said the Liberal government is sending a mixed message: it sits down for a talk, but then it turns around and takes steps that were never discussed. The CEO of Simons echoed that sentiment, saying the agreement has no long-term vision.Has the minister forgotten her mandate letter? What firm commitments can she offer towards French-language cultural production?
Mr. Speaker, I think the finance minister has a different definition of listening compared to other Canadians. I do not know if it is just me, but I do not think listening means ignoring my constituents. Greg and Jocelyn own small businesses in KingsHants, Nova Scotia. When they requested a meeting with the Liberal member of Parliament to discuss their concerns about these tax changes, the message they got was that their MP was not having meetings on this issue. How can the Liberals profess to be listening if small business owners cannot even get in the front door? When it comes to these tax changes, why is the President of the Treasury Board refusing to meet with his constituents?
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Mr. Speaker, in January of 2016, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change set out interim principles that would guide those projects under review. The same principles that were established then still are in effect today, as energy east goes through the National Energy Board process. Then, as now, the rules are the same.
Mr. Speaker, we are dealing with a government that is extremely focused on managing its image, but here is something striking that needs managing: 219 megatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. Let us remember that number.The Liberal government, which adopted the previous government's weak greenhouse gas reduction targets, will fall 219 megatonnes short of its objective. The environment commissioner's report on this and other subjects is clear.Does the government intend to quickly put practical measures in place or will it be content to just focus on its image?
Mr. Speaker, this week my constituency office had to intervene to prevent a single mother and her three children from being evicted from their home. The cause was that the CRA stopped paying her the Canada child benefit following a routine assessment that ultimately resulted in no changes but delayed her payments for up to four months. This is becoming a common story. It is Phoenix all over again. The minister's restructuring of CRA has forgotten people who depend on receiving their legitimate payments on time every month. What will the minister do to fix these problems?
Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to combatting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidanceIn our first two budgets, we invested over $1 billion, which has put us on the right track for recovering nearly $25 billion. Over the past two years, 727 cases have been transferred to criminal investigation, and there have been 268 warrants and 78 convictions.Let me be very clear. We will continue to work and bring tax cheats to justice.
Mr. Speaker, this morning I had a very productive meeting with various stakeholders in Quebec's cultural industry. Our conversations were very fruitful. I understand their concerns and their anxiety. We agreed to work together on a game plan for protecting our culture online.We are therefore going to collaborate on a plan to reform our laws and policies to ensure that we protect our culture together.
Mr. Speaker, it makes no sense at all for the minister to propose very powerful measures that will make life difficult for all business owners, when his department has yet to carry out a single impact study to determine the direct effects those measures will have on them. This is totally unacceptable. The minister may not be listening, or not listening well, but we Conservatives are. Last Friday, we five members from Quebec City listened to businesspeople like Gaétan Boudreau, a construction entrepreneur who told us that if these changes go forward, he will close up shop.Is the minister aware that his measures are going to kill Canadian businesses, this country's job creators, and cost Canadians their jobs?
Mr. Speaker, last winter, because there were not enough icebreakers on the St. Lawrence River, a Rio Tinto ship became stuck in the ice.Winter is coming, and this must not happen again. An immediate solution is needed, and it turns out that Project Resolute at the Davie shipyard is ready. The Davie shipyard can bring home four icebreakers, refit them up to standard, and lease them to the government to ensure that Quebec businesses will not have to suffer financial losses and once again face any risks in terms of marine safety.Will the government finally wake up and say yes to the Davie shipyard?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals plan to legalize marijuana next summer, but they do not plan to pardon people convicted of simple possession in the past.That means that many Canadians will have serious problems finding work and crossing the border for the rest of their lives. What is more, the Liberals are retaining Stephen Harper's policies, which make criminal records difficult to erase.Why do the Liberals not have a plan regarding such pardons, and do they think it is fair for people to have to live with a criminal record for something that will soon be legal?
Mr. Speaker, the Commissioner of Environment and Sustainable Development today reported that the Liberal government had abjectly failed to take the necessary action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or address the risks posed by climate change. She reported that Canada remained megatonnes away from meeting either the 2020 or 2030 targets. Stunningly, even Environment and Climate Change Canada is failing to deliver a climate risk and adaptation plan, or an action plan to measure, monitor, and publicly report on emissions. When will Canadians finally see action on climate change?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has called small business owners tax cheats. The Prime Minister implied that these hard-working Canadians are cheating on their taxes. The Liberals announced the most dramatic changes to the Income Tax Act in the dead of summer when farmers were busy with their crops and getting ready for harvest, and when parents were on vacation with their children and then getting them ready to go back to school. Now, the consultation has been bungled in every possible way. The minister has expressed zero regret. Will he do the right thing and extend the consultation, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring justice for the victims of this dark chapter in our history. The independent assessment process under the settlement agreement was approved by the supervising courts. It contains all procedural protections necessary for the fair determination of claims. Canada seeks fairness for all claimants under the independent assessment process. We are not challenging individual claimants or their outcomes. Canada is seeking the court's guidance in order to ensure fairness for all claimants and parties to the settlement agreement.
Mr. Speaker, the government admits that edible cannabis products are a large and growing sector of the market, and it is undeniable that many Canadians prefer edible products as a healthier alternative to smoking cannabis. However, for some reason, the Liberals have decided to keep edibles illegal. This will deny consumers a safe product and ensure that the black market retains control. In addition, the Liberals have no plan to pardon individuals who are burdened with criminal convictions for simple possession. Therefore, will the Liberals accept our reasonable amendments and fix this bill?
Mr. Speaker, we know that our current tax system is not really fair. The wealthiest Canadians are encouraged to incorporate to access a lower tax rate. That is not a good system. We want a system that is fair and also encourages investment in active business. Our measures and everything we heard during our consultations will help us achieve that goal. It is important to listen to what people have to say. We have listened, and now we are going to consider what we have heard.
Mr. Speaker, we will see how the Liberal MPs vote at the end of the day. We still have a chance.The Liberals proposed reform, which will increase the tax burden on our businesses, is a complete disgrace, and above all, hypocritical. On the one hand, entrepreneurs will pay dearly, while on the other, the businesses owned by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance will not be affected. The Liberal government's policy is do as I say, not as I do.My question to the Minister of Finance is simple. We know that these new measures are meant to take an extra $250 million from the pockets of entrepreneurs. Did the minister check, analyze, and study the real impact of these measures on
Mr. Speaker, in fact there have been extensive consultations under way over the last number of months with respect to reforming pardons. That work is well advanced. Very shortly, the results of those consultations will be published so that all Canadians can see what was said. Those consultations will inform legislation that we will put before the House to correct some of the egregious mistakes made by the previous government.
Mr. Speaker, our government believes that meaningful engagement is key to advancing reconciliation and to renewing our relationship with indigenous people in Canada. Today's meeting included the representatives of the rights holders in this country. The Prime Minister has agreed to meet with the Native Women's Association at least annually and they will be included in the meeting of the indigenous ministers later this year in November.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.During question period, the member for Milton made a statement. For the record, I spoke directly with the CEO of Hatch several weeks ago, and I have a meeting already set up with a second group of Hatch employees to hear their concerns directly--
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for giving me the opportunity once again to emphasize the importance of the employment insurance system. First, it helps guarantee income security for families going through a tough time, and second, it helps in the transition to another job.Over the past few months, we have taken significant action to make the system far more flexible and more generous in its benefits and services, and we will continue to work very hard in that same vein.
Mr. Speaker, I am so proud of what our government has done. The former Conservative government did nothing. It had targets, but no plan. We have worked very hard with the provinces, territories, and indigenous peoples to come up with a real plan to reduce our emissions, eliminate carbon, and put a price on pollution for historic investments in public transit. Climate change is real, and we are taking it seriously. We are doing this for our children.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals can hardly speak about reconciliation when they decide to exclude the indigenous women from our national conversation.Yesterday, the minister could not explain why government lawyers asked the court to award the compensation that residential school survivors were unjustly denied. I have a simple question for the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations.Now that she has all of the information, will she ask her Justice colleague to stop challenging survivors in court?Who told this government to withhold information about a child predator?
Mr. Speaker, I am extraordinarily proud of our government's record on action and climate change. After a decade of inaction by the previous government, we not only have a target but a plan to make it. We are reducing emissions from coal-fired plants. We are putting a price on carbon pollution. We are making historic investments in public transit. For example, in Ottawa, the second phase of LRT will be the largest reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the city's history. We are taking serious action on climate change because climate change is real and we owe it to our kids.
Mr. Speaker, many people worked hard for years to establish the National Holocaust Monument, including the Hon. Tim Uppal. Last week, the Prime Minister inaugurated it with a plaque of his own. However, his plaque fails to mention anti-Semitism or the Jewish people by name.How could the Prime Minister permit such a glaring omission of reference to anti-Semitism and the fact that the millions of men, women, and children who were murdered were overwhelmingly Jewish? If we are going to stamp out hatred toward Jews, it is important to get history right.Will the Prime Minister commit to correcting this profoundly obvious omission?
Mr. Speaker, Saturday, I hosted a round table in the riding of MissionMatsquiFraser Canyon. Sadly, the MP was a no-show. His constituents were angry that the finance minister called them tax cheats and is taxing them at 73%. These people were furious that the minister and the Prime Minister had fixed it so that their own family fortunes would not be affected. When two rich guys try to fix it so they do not have to pay the same taxes as others, how is that fair?
Mr. Speaker, why not a gazillion dollars while they are at it?It is becoming clear that both the Liberals and Conservatives are not serious about tax fairness. Neither are willing to discuss tax avoidance carried out by big corporations, CEOs, and the use of tax havens. The Liberals' consultations on tax changes are too short and too narrow. Let us agree to do the right thing and extend and expand consultations to include big corporations, CEO tax loopholes, and tax havens.Why are Liberals still going after the small fish and letting the big fish off the hook?
Mr. Speaker, You have done it, Prince Harry said to the athletes. You are Invictus. The Latin word from which these games take their name means unconquered, and that unconquerable spirit was written on the face of every athlete we saw at these games. They flew our flag higher and they lit up the world. When they put their hand up, we will be there to help. There are 4,000 mental health professionals, a network of OSI clinics, and their brothers and sisters waiting to help them.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government launched consultations on its infamous tax reforms in the middle of summer vacation. What is it hiding?The Liberals want to stifle our entrepreneurs and squeeze more money out of them. That is unacceptable. These are hardworking entrepreneurs who take risks and create jobs for the middle class. This reform is counterproductive. During a consultation held in my region, one entrepreneur said that the Liberal government did not know the difference between equality and equity.I am calling on the Minister of Finance to back off, to respect and support these honest job creators, and to protect the jobs of the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals launched this consultation period of only 75 days over the summer, and they keep doubling down. They keep using inflammatory and insulting language. Local businesses create jobs, and when the Liberals hurt them, it will hurt the workers they employ. So many people are against these changes. So many people are asking for more time so they can share their stories with Liberal ministers, who continue to ignore them. Will the Prime Minister commit to allowing his Liberal MPs the freedom to listen to their constituents, stand up and represent them in the House, and vote in favour of our motion? Will it be a free vote?
Mr. Speaker, local businesses are the engine of economic growth in Canada. They create jobs, contribute to our communities, and create opportunities, but the Liberal tax hikes are going to hurt local businesses. We are talking about family businesses, farmers, local entrepreneurs, and the people they employ.Will the Prime Minister admit that these tax hikes are going to hurt the very people he claims he wants to help, and scrap the idea?
Mr. Speaker, on Friday, I met with Hatch Engineering, a great Canadian success story, with over 9,000 employees.On Thursday, the president attended the disastrous Oakville town hall where he was given 90 seconds, one second for every 100 employees, to talk about his concerns with the Liberal tax plan. Why did he go there? Because he was refused meetings by the members for Oakville, Oakville NorthBurlington, and Burlington. Even the Minister of Science refused his meeting.Will the Minister of Finance admit that his consultation has been wholly inadequate, and vote with us to extend the consultation?
Mr. Speaker, Canada's aging population is going to bring about significant social and economic changes over the next few decades. It is important to ensure that our seniors can still contribute to our society, as they did in the past in building our country.Can the minister responsible for seniors tell us what the government is doing to take advantage of the experience, talent, and knowledge of the older generation of Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, this week I held round tables to discuss the Liberals' proposed tax changes. Jennifer was brought to tears sharing her story. The family business that her parents started 37 years ago is now going to face a transfer tax that will destroy her dream of taking over that family business. The Liberals want to make Jennifer's parents pay a higher percentage in tax than the finance minister's own family business. Will the finance minister listen to Canadians like Jennifer and extend the consultation period?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, we learned that the Native Women's Association of Canada has yet again been shut out of the first ministers meeting by the government. They asked to be included, and shutting them out speaks volumes to the government's lack of respect for indigenous women's voices. The self-proclaimed feminist Prime Minister promised a nation-to-nation relationship with all indigenous people, so why has the Native Women's Association been barred from today's first ministers meeting? Have indigenous women's voices not been silenced for long enough?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians heard yesterday that the Liberals' anti-energy agenda was putting projects like energy east at risk. New rules, delays, and a lack of certainty are making energy workers nervous. Just last month, 350 families at General Electric in Peterborough, a factory operating since 1892, have lost their jobs as a result of new regulatory hurdles and mounting uncertainty, uncertainty the Liberals alone have caused.When will the Liberals realize their risky delays are affecting real Canadians with real jobs?
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank and congratulate my colleague from LavalLes Îles for his remarkable work in helping his constituents and for everything he does for our seniors.Our government is committed to supporting our seniors and ensuring that they have a dignified and secure retirement. I met with my territorial and provincial colleagues a few weeks ago in St. John's, Newfoundland. We agreed to work very hard in the short and long terms to put in place public and development policies that promote greater social and economic inclusion of our seniors today and in the future.
Mr. Speaker, we are going to continue to introduce measures to improve our tax system so that we have a system that works well. At the same time, we know that it is very important to do things to help our economy.On that note, I would like to point out that, over the past year, we have had the highest level of growth in the past decade and that nearly 400,000 jobs have been created. It is important to have an economy that works and that is growing while having a fair tax system for the long term. Those are our two objectives.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide clarity for the record. We have always said that the system that we have today is legitimate. It has been a system that has been around for a long time. However, it is creating incentives for wealthy Canadians to incorporate to get advantages that are not available to middle-class Canadians. That is a system that is not right for the long term. Finding a way to make that right while continuing to encourage people to invest in their businesses, to create growth and jobs, that is the balance we are seeking to achieve. We believe we can achieve it. Listening to Canadians is an important part of that enabling us to get it right, enabling us to have a strong economy with a fairer
Mr. Speaker, we know that a fair tax system has a major impact on the confidence of Canadians across the country. At the same time, it is very important to encourage small business owners to invest in their businesses. Those two things are very important.Over the past 75 days, we have listened and we have heard many things. We will consider the opinions and points of view we heard and use them to build a fairer system for the future.
Mr. Speaker, many seasonal workers in SaguenayLac-Saint-Jean were counting on the Liberal government to solve the EI spring gap problem. They can see the Liberals breaking yet another promise. Discrimination against the regions must stop. As a result of the EI gap, these seasonal workers in SaguenayLac-Saint-Jean might end up without any income for several weeks. I do not understand why the Liberal government is turning its back on them. It makes no sense.When will the minister bridge the spring gap once and for all?
Mr. Speaker, the member says that we do not care about energy workers in Alberta. How about 3,000 jobs for the NOVA Gas pipeline? How about 7,000 jobs for the Line 3 replacement project? How about the15,440 jobs for the Trans Mountain expansion pipeline? We support Keystone XL, another 6,400 jobs. That is more jobs created by this government in the energy sector in less than two years than 10 years by the Harper administration.
Mr. Speaker, Bill C-49 is going to introduce important modernization to the Canada Transportation Act, including the air passenger's bill of rights, and new opportunities for shippers across Canada to gain access to competitive rail rates.The bill also provides for the introduction of video and voice recorders in locomotives. Labour groups are concerned this could be used by railways to violate workers' privacy and discipline them for non-safety related issues.Could the Minister of Transport reassure us that this will not be the case?
Second, Mr. Speaker, we are going to make sure that farmers can continue to pass their farms on to the next generation. We are going to make sure that women can continue to save in their businesses as professionals so they can be in a positive situation. We are going to keep the tax rates low on small businesses. We are going to work to make sure it is administratively efficient.
Mr. Speaker, we had a period of consultation so we could get from Canadians their advice on how we could move forward on measures that would make a real difference. We will take no advice from the opposite side of the House. The members from the opposite side of the House have continued to vote against measures that are helping middle-class Canadians. They continue to vote against things that we know will help our economy. What we have done is listened to Canadians. We are going to make sure that we get at the things we need to get at, such as the encouragement for wealthy Canadians to incorporate, while at the same time making sure we do not have unintended consequences around farms, small businesses, or women entrepreneurs. That is important.
Mr. Speaker, he claims that he will listen to the concerns of Canadians, but what is really interesting is that just days after introducing this paper, he told on CBC's The House We're not going to change our mind.The Minister of Finance seems to be very concerned and consumed with protecting the interests of Morneau Shepell that every request to extend the consultation has fallen on deaf ears.The consultation is over. Tonight is the vote. Will the Liberal members on the other side agree and vote with their constituents, or are they going to vote with Morneau Shepell?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are done consulting people about their tax changes, but many questions remain unanswered. What is clear, though, is that companies such as Morneau Shepell will benefit from these changes and will not be paying more tax after the reforms come into effect. The minister is being hypocritical by making small businesses pay more while protecting his own personal fortune. When will the minister realize that he is in conflict of interest and should recuse himself from this discussion?
Mr. Speaker, the purpose of our consultations has been to listen to people like Jennifer, to make sure that we understand what the issues might be when moving forward with a tax system that will create a better incentive for people to invest in their active business at the same time as not encouraging wealthy Canadians to take advantage of things that may be there only for them and not for the middle class. That is what we are trying to achieve. I can assure members that we are going to listen to people like Jennifer so we get this right. We did not intend to change the ability of people to transfer businesses from one generation to the next. We intend to make sure that the tax system is fairer, and we are going to get it right.
Mr. Speaker, it is a little ironic to see my Conservative colleague rise in defence of culture when the Conservatives were the ones who cut millions of dollars from culture funding over the past 10 years.That being said, I am happy to see that we have an ally here in the House who will help us make sure that every player benefiting from the system is able to contribute financially to our culture. I look forward to working with him to revamp our system in order to support our artists.
Mr. Speaker, it is important for us to be very clear to all the people who are paying attention to this debate. We know the system, which has been around for a long time, is one that people have used legitimately. We also know that we need to make sure the system is fair going forward, so we have looked at the measures we can put in place to ensure that that will actually be the case. We've listened to Canadians about how we can get it right as we move forward.What people have done in the past will of course be protected. We are coming up with new rules in the future that will not have unintended consequences but will ensure that people can invest in their business with a tax system that is fair.
Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure Canadians that worker privacy is of paramount importance to this government. We are also responsible for improving railway safety, something that needs to be addressed constantly. The use of the recorders is intended solely for safety purposes. It is something the Transportation Safety Board has been asking us to do for many years. I want to reassure Canadians that we will never use these recorders for monitoring employee performance or for managing that performance.
Mr. Speaker, during our consultations, we heard some very important things.We heard that it is crucial for SMEs to continue to have the lowest tax rate in the G7. We are going to make sure they keep it. We know it is vital to ensure that farmers, fishers, and women entrepreneurs are protected. That is very important to us.However, we can build a fairer system at the same time, which is a key goal of ours. We are going to move forward with our measures while taking into account what we heard in our consultations.
Mr. Speaker, the government is committed to building a more inclusive society, and the National Holocaust Monument commemorates the six million Jews, as well as the five million other victims, who were murdered during the Holocaust. It stands as a reminder of the dangers of hatred, racism, and intolerance, while affirming respect for human rights, dignity, and resilience. The plaque has been removed and will be replaced with language that reflects the horrors experienced by the Jewish people.
Mr. Speaker, we believe it is important that we move forward with measures that are going to make sure our system is fair for the long term. We also know that doing it means we need to get it right.Listening to Canadians has given us insights. We have heard things that are important to consider so we move forward in a way that actually gets at the challenge that wealthy Canadians have advantages not available to other Canadians, but we do that in a way that does not have unintended consequences. That is our commitment. We will follow through.
Mr. Speaker, protecting the health and safety of Canadians is a top priority for this government. Designing an appropriate regulatory system for cannabis edibles is a complex undertaking and there are unique potential risks and harms that need to be carefully understood before we undergo changes to the regulations. For this reason, our government will need to take an appropriate amount of time to develop and implement regulations that will result in a safe edible product on the market.
Mr. Speaker, in an act of great self-sacrifice, the millionaire Prime Minister and millionaire Finance Minister announced this summer higher taxes for the wealthy, which of course would mean more costs for the Prime Minister's personal trust fund. He might even have to give up his Laurentian countryside estate and his dad's old Mercedes. Even the Finance Minister will be paying more taxes on Morneau Shepell's profits: kidding. By wealthy people, they meant farmers, plumbers, and hard-working small business people. How do they manage to raise taxes on everyone except themselves?
Mr. Speaker, the consultations were very important for us. We had the opportunity to understand what the issues were with the measures we were putting forward.We know it is important to get to a tax system that works for all Canadians. We know that as we do that, it is important to listen. We did listen. We heard from people, like the gentleman who was mentioned by the member opposite, to hear their concerns. I heard from many other Canadians.Knowing that, it allows us to make sure that we move forward with a system that encourages businesses to invest. The low tax rate protects farms and women entrepreneurs in their ability to continue to invest in their businesses, while
Mr. Speaker, we want a tax system that is fair for all Canadians. That is very important.The goal of our measures is to create a fair system that does not encourage the wealthy to simply incorporate in order to pay less in taxes. We will continue to move forward with our measures, taking into account everything we heard during our consultations. At the same time, we will think about how our system can be better for all businesses in Canada for the future. That is also very important.
Mr. Speaker, the tax measures proposed by the Minister of Finance have sparked a lot of heated debate, and that is putting it mildly. They have also raised a lot of concerns.People are being bombarded with information from all sides, and it is often contradictory. The only thing we know for sure is that Netflix will not have to pay its fair share. I think it would be a good idea to take the time to talk about this and other very real problems, such as tax havens and tax loopholes for CEOs and multinationals.Why do the Liberals not agree?
Mr. Speaker, moving forward with tax changes, it is important to make sure we get it right. We have had a period of consultation, which is important. We have come up with five principles from which we should move forward.First, we are going to make sure that small businesses can continue to invest in their businesses in their communities.
Mr. Speaker, our government is dedicated to making sure that the men and women of the Canadian Coast Guard have the tools they need to do their jobs, whether that be ice-breaking capacity in Quebec or towing capacity. The Coast Guard expertly maintains its fleet. Also, in the interim, we have opened up an RFI to see if there are other ways we can complement our force.Our government will always make sure that the tools are available, so the job gets done and it gets done right.
Mr. Speaker, through the Invictus Games, we saw the power of adaptive sport on physical rehabilitation, but we all know that mental health and wellness go hand in hand. The perseverance of these brave men and women who took off their Armed Forces uniforms and found the strength and determination to put on a jersey and compete with representatives of 16 other countries impressed upon us all the importance of coming together to support our veterans and Canadian Armed Forces members. Can the Minister of Veterans Affairs tell us what the government is doing to address the invisible injuries of our men and women and their families?
Mr. Speaker, it is important to consider the facts here. We have said to Canadians that we will work toward tax fairness. We talked about that as far back as our election campaign. We put measures in our budget 2017, talking about how we think we can make the system more fair. We put out a consultation paper. Then we went around the country to listen to Canadians. We did it across the country. We have heard many things that are important for us to consider, including unintended consequences in some cases that we will need to fix, and other things to make sure that the system will actually work. We are going to make sure that we get this right. We are going to move forward in a way that will make the system fair for the long run.
Mr. Speaker, these are important things to do. We have listened. We are going to get it right.
Mr. Speaker, we have gone through a consultation period that was important . We have listened to Canadians. We have heard five things that are very important. It is important to continue to allow people to invest in small businesses and communities; we are going to take that as an important issue. We have heard that it is important to make sure that family farms continue and are successful; we are going to make sure that is done. We have heard that women entrepreneurs and professionals need to be protected if they want to take time off; we are going to make sure that is possible. We need to keep tax rates low and we need to have a system that is administratively efficient. All those things will be taken into consideration as we move forward with these reforms.
Mr. Speaker, we made an important commitment to make sure that our tax system works for all Canadians. We made an important commitment to listen to Canadians as we put forward measures that we know will ensure a fairer system. Therefore, we have been listening. We are going to move forward taking into account the things that we have heard so that we get to a system that encourages investment, but is also fairer for all Canadians as we move forward so that all Canadians in this generation and the next generation can be sure that they have opportunities that our tax system should provide.
Mr. Speaker, we have been across the country listening to Canadians because we want to get this right. We have laid out some measures. We have talked about how we think these can improve our system. I have been across the country, in Nova Scotia, in New Brunswick, in Newfoundland, in Quebec, Ontario, and B.C. It is important for us to be across the country to hear Canadians. That is exactly what we have done.We are going to take into account what we have heard to make sure that we get this right, that people can invest in their businesses on an ongoing basis, and that the system will provide a foundation that ensures that we have a fair outcome for all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, we prioritize. We are prioritizing the creation of good jobs for Canadians, particularly in western Canada. We are prioritizing environmental stewardship. We are prioritizing important engagement with indigenous peoples. Those are the three pillars of responsible development in Canada: job creation, environmental stewardship, and meaningful consultation with indigenous peoples.If the Harper government would have been loyal to those principles, more pipelines would have been built.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to say that when people like Mitchell write and people phone in, we are listening. We have been taking the time to listen to make sure that we get their perspectives. We know that having a system that works, that is fair for all Canadians, is important. We know that the tax system is complex and that we need to consider the perspectives of Mitchell and others across the country. We will do that as we move forward with a system that encourages investment and make sure that it is fair. That is our commitment to Canadians and we are looking forward to telling them more in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, we have been thinking about how we can ensure our tax system works since our first day in office. We have been focused on how we can deal with tax evasion and tax avoidance, giving over a billion dollars to Canada Revenue Agency to make sure we are having Canadians pay their fair share.What we are doing in our consultation process is really the continuation of a discussion that has been going on since we have been in office. We want to make sure that our system does not encourage wealthy Canadians to incorporate to pay a lower rate of tax. At the same time, we want to encourage people to invest in their businesses. These two goals can be met simultaneously. They will help our economy and help Canadians to feel their system is fair.
Mr. Speaker, we held consultations on our tax measures. It is very important to listen. We listened and we garnered a number of important insights from Canadians. We will now consider what we heard to make sure that we can continue to invest while creating a tax system that is fair.
Mr. Speaker, we know that all Canadians will benefit from a tax system that is fair. All businesses across the country want a system that works well and encourages investment in their business. That is very important. We are going to move forward with our measures with the knowledge we have gained through our consultations. That is how we will make important changes for our country.
Mr. Speaker, we know that it is very important to stay on track with our approach to a fairer tax system. We have heard many things, and with our knowledge, information, and perspectives, we can continue to have a system that encourages investment in business across the country and that is also fair. Those are our two goals, and we can achieve both of them.
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to these unfair tax changes, small business owners and farmers in Atlantic Canada are frustrated. They are frustrated because they do not believe the Liberals are listening, and they are right. When asked by a chamber of commerce in Nova Scotia to attend a town hall meeting to explain these tax changes and to listen to the concerns of small business owners, the Liberal MPs from KingsHants and West Nova were no-shows. How can the Liberals profess to be listening to Canadians when they will not even listen to the members of their chamber of commerce? How can the finance minister possibly say he is listening to Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, this morning, the Minister of Canadian Heritage met with the cultural community to peddle her business model and her much-touted deal with Netflix. The 50 or so organizations that make up the coalition for culture and media were disappointed with the government's inconsistent vision and shocked by its agreement with Netflix. They all want this secret agreement to be made public so that taxpayers can read it and judge for themselves.Quebeckers feel that the minister is more anxious to sell Netflix than to defend Canadian culture. However, the mission of the heritage minister is to defend our culture, not the interests of multinational corporations. The cultural community and the Quebec government want to know the answer to this simple question.When will this agreement be made public?
Mr. Speaker, Canada is a world leader in responsible resource development. For instance, Alberta was the first jurisdiction in North America to regulate emissions, and has the strongest regulatory system in the world. Instead of celebrating Canadian energy, the Liberals keep adding roadblocks at the very worst time, all while importing oil from countries like Algeria and Venezuela. I asked the minister last week, and I will ask him again. Will the Liberals apply their upstream and downstream emissions tests as a condition to foreign oil imports?
Mr. Speaker, we met with representatives from the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec this morning.The consultations now at an end, the federation is sounding the alarm. It is asking the Minister of Finance to extend the consultations in order to carefully assess the impact of the proposed measures and submit an economic impact study. The minister is unable to tell us how his reform will affect SMEs across the country.Is the minister going to wait until our SMEs pack up and leave the country or will he extend the consultation period?
Mr. Speaker, the minister has gone from doubling down to climbing down. He was caught with his plan that would raise taxes on everybody but him. Now, as a result of all the backlash from patriotic, hard-working, local farmers and businesses, the Liberals are being forced to back down. I know the government has closed its consultation period already, but as part of its climb down, will it accept one piece of advice? Why does the government not keep its promise and lower the small business tax rate down to 9%, just like the Liberals said they would during the last election?
Mr. Speaker, in its reform, the federal government is raising taxes on corporations' passive income, but not on the income of non-residents. This means that a foreign billionaire who invests in Canada would be taxed at 25%, but a Quebecker would pay the maximum, 50%. The foreign investor could even avoid paying taxes altogether if his investment earns interest income, zero.I would like the government to explain why it is penalizing our SMEs and giving foreign investors the advantage.
Mr. Speaker, on the issue I actually asked about, let us talk about foreign oil imports. Last week, the UN Human Rights Council met to talk about the growing oppression of a dictator, who is brutally cracking down on public activism and starving his people. The commissioner even said that crimes against humanity may have been committed. Where is that? It is in Venezuela. However, the Liberals are prioritizing foreign oil from Venezuela, while stopping environmentally and socially responsible Canadian oil and gas. When will the minister stop putting foreign oil ahead of Canadian energy?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister just does not get it. Everyone is against his unfair tax increases. Entrepreneurs, business owners and, today, premiers, and even members of his own caucus are opposed to these changes, but the Liberals are not listening. The Prime Minister has not heard the people who are telling him how devastating this would be. He may be listening, but the Liberals are not hearing and they are certainly not changing their mind. Will the Prime Minister commit today to doing the right thing, vote in favour of our motion to extend the consultation period so they can finally listen to what Canadians are saying, and do something about it?
Mr. Speaker, all families should receive the benefits to which they are entitled. In my mandate letter, I committed to facilitating access to services for the neediest and most vulnerable, seniors, and single-parent families.We will work hard to resolve the problem.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals just are not interested in talking to Canadians about their unfair tax plan. Mitchell writes: I wrote to the government first to [the Prime Minister] then they pass me off to [the finance minister]. Now I've responded to the email that they sent to [the minister] and I've got nothing back. Mitchell has built a company up from the ground that now employs 12 people, including new Canadians. The Liberals are proposing to take his hard-earned money to pay for their reckless spending.When entrepreneurs and job creators like Mitchell call and write, why are the Liberals so unwilling to listen?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance did not answer my question. I will help him by quoting the commitment he made in writing: to abstain from any participation in any matters or decisions...other than those of general application, relating to Morneau Shepell.According to experts who appeared before the Standing Committee on Finance, a firm like Morneau Shepell will benefit from these changes, because it offers Canadians private pension plans.Once and for all, will the minister abstain from any participation in this discussion?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Canadian Heritage is patting herself on the back for signing a deal with Netflix. However, her proposals and commitments with regard to protecting the production of French-language content remain totally unclear.It is for that very reason that Ms. Prégent, the president of the Quebec artists' union, said the Liberal government is sending a mixed message: it sits down for a talk, but then it turns around and takes steps that were never discussed. The CEO of Simons echoed that sentiment, saying the agreement has no long-term vision.Has the minister forgotten her mandate letter? What firm commitments can she offer towards French-language cultural production?
Mr. Speaker, I think the finance minister has a different definition of listening compared to other Canadians. I do not know if it is just me, but I do not think listening means ignoring my constituents. Greg and Jocelyn own small businesses in KingsHants, Nova Scotia. When they requested a meeting with the Liberal member of Parliament to discuss their concerns about these tax changes, the message they got was that their MP was not having meetings on this issue. How can the Liberals profess to be listening if small business owners cannot even get in the front door? When it comes to these tax changes, why is the President of the Treasury Board refusing to meet with his constituents?
No you're not.
No you're not.
Mr. Speaker, in January of 2016, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change set out interim principles that would guide those projects under review. The same principles that were established then still are in effect today, as energy east goes through the National Energy Board process. Then, as now, the rules are the same.
Mr. Speaker, we are dealing with a government that is extremely focused on managing its image, but here is something striking that needs managing: 219 megatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. Let us remember that number.The Liberal government, which adopted the previous government's weak greenhouse gas reduction targets, will fall 219 megatonnes short of its objective. The environment commissioner's report on this and other subjects is clear.Does the government intend to quickly put practical measures in place or will it be content to just focus on its image?
Mr. Speaker, this week my constituency office had to intervene to prevent a single mother and her three children from being evicted from their home. The cause was that the CRA stopped paying her the Canada child benefit following a routine assessment that ultimately resulted in no changes but delayed her payments for up to four months. This is becoming a common story. It is Phoenix all over again. The minister's restructuring of CRA has forgotten people who depend on receiving their legitimate payments on time every month. What will the minister do to fix these problems?
Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to combatting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidanceIn our first two budgets, we invested over $1 billion, which has put us on the right track for recovering nearly $25 billion. Over the past two years, 727 cases have been transferred to criminal investigation, and there have been 268 warrants and 78 convictions.Let me be very clear. We will continue to work and bring tax cheats to justice.
Mr. Speaker, this morning I had a very productive meeting with various stakeholders in Quebec's cultural industry. Our conversations were very fruitful. I understand their concerns and their anxiety. We agreed to work together on a game plan for protecting our culture online.We are therefore going to collaborate on a plan to reform our laws and policies to ensure that we protect our culture together.
Mr. Speaker, it makes no sense at all for the minister to propose very powerful measures that will make life difficult for all business owners, when his department has yet to carry out a single impact study to determine the direct effects those measures will have on them. This is totally unacceptable. The minister may not be listening, or not listening well, but we Conservatives are. Last Friday, we five members from Quebec City listened to businesspeople like Gaétan Boudreau, a construction entrepreneur who told us that if these changes go forward, he will close up shop.Is the minister aware that his measures are going to kill Canadian businesses, this country's job creators, and cost Canadians their jobs?
Mr. Speaker, last winter, because there were not enough icebreakers on the St. Lawrence River, a Rio Tinto ship became stuck in the ice.Winter is coming, and this must not happen again. An immediate solution is needed, and it turns out that Project Resolute at the Davie shipyard is ready. The Davie shipyard can bring home four icebreakers, refit them up to standard, and lease them to the government to ensure that Quebec businesses will not have to suffer financial losses and once again face any risks in terms of marine safety.Will the government finally wake up and say yes to the Davie shipyard?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals plan to legalize marijuana next summer, but they do not plan to pardon people convicted of simple possession in the past.That means that many Canadians will have serious problems finding work and crossing the border for the rest of their lives. What is more, the Liberals are retaining Stephen Harper's policies, which make criminal records difficult to erase.Why do the Liberals not have a plan regarding such pardons, and do they think it is fair for people to have to live with a criminal record for something that will soon be legal?
Mr. Speaker, the Commissioner of Environment and Sustainable Development today reported that the Liberal government had abjectly failed to take the necessary action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or address the risks posed by climate change. She reported that Canada remained megatonnes away from meeting either the 2020 or 2030 targets. Stunningly, even Environment and Climate Change Canada is failing to deliver a climate risk and adaptation plan, or an action plan to measure, monitor, and publicly report on emissions. When will Canadians finally see action on climate change?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has called small business owners tax cheats. The Prime Minister implied that these hard-working Canadians are cheating on their taxes. The Liberals announced the most dramatic changes to the Income Tax Act in the dead of summer when farmers were busy with their crops and getting ready for harvest, and when parents were on vacation with their children and then getting them ready to go back to school. Now, the consultation has been bungled in every possible way. The minister has expressed zero regret. Will he do the right thing and extend the consultation, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring justice for the victims of this dark chapter in our history. The independent assessment process under the settlement agreement was approved by the supervising courts. It contains all procedural protections necessary for the fair determination of claims. Canada seeks fairness for all claimants under the independent assessment process. We are not challenging individual claimants or their outcomes. Canada is seeking the court's guidance in order to ensure fairness for all claimants and parties to the settlement agreement.
Mr. Speaker, the government admits that edible cannabis products are a large and growing sector of the market, and it is undeniable that many Canadians prefer edible products as a healthier alternative to smoking cannabis. However, for some reason, the Liberals have decided to keep edibles illegal. This will deny consumers a safe product and ensure that the black market retains control. In addition, the Liberals have no plan to pardon individuals who are burdened with criminal convictions for simple possession. Therefore, will the Liberals accept our reasonable amendments and fix this bill?
Mr. Speaker, we know that our current tax system is not really fair. The wealthiest Canadians are encouraged to incorporate to access a lower tax rate. That is not a good system. We want a system that is fair and also encourages investment in active business. Our measures and everything we heard during our consultations will help us achieve that goal. It is important to listen to what people have to say. We have listened, and now we are going to consider what we have heard.
Mr. Speaker, we will see how the Liberal MPs vote at the end of the day. We still have a chance.The Liberals proposed reform, which will increase the tax burden on our businesses, is a complete disgrace, and above all, hypocritical. On the one hand, entrepreneurs will pay dearly, while on the other, the businesses owned by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance will not be affected. The Liberal government's policy is do as I say, not as I do.My question to the Minister of Finance is simple. We know that these new measures are meant to take an extra $250 million from the pockets of entrepreneurs. Did the minister check, analyze, and study the real impact of these measures on
Mr. Speaker, in fact there have been extensive consultations under way over the last number of months with respect to reforming pardons. That work is well advanced. Very shortly, the results of those consultations will be published so that all Canadians can see what was said. Those consultations will inform legislation that we will put before the House to correct some of the egregious mistakes made by the previous government.
Mr. Speaker, our government believes that meaningful engagement is key to advancing reconciliation and to renewing our relationship with indigenous people in Canada. Today's meeting included the representatives of the rights holders in this country. The Prime Minister has agreed to meet with the Native Women's Association at least annually and they will be included in the meeting of the indigenous ministers later this year in November.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.During question period, the member for Milton made a statement. For the record, I spoke directly with the CEO of Hatch several weeks ago, and I have a meeting already set up with a second group of Hatch employees to hear their concerns directly--
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for giving me the opportunity once again to emphasize the importance of the employment insurance system. First, it helps guarantee income security for families going through a tough time, and second, it helps in the transition to another job.Over the past few months, we have taken significant action to make the system far more flexible and more generous in its benefits and services, and we will continue to work very hard in that same vein.
Mr. Speaker, I am so proud of what our government has done. The former Conservative government did nothing. It had targets, but no plan. We have worked very hard with the provinces, territories, and indigenous peoples to come up with a real plan to reduce our emissions, eliminate carbon, and put a price on pollution for historic investments in public transit. Climate change is real, and we are taking it seriously. We are doing this for our children.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals can hardly speak about reconciliation when they decide to exclude the indigenous women from our national conversation.Yesterday, the minister could not explain why government lawyers asked the court to award the compensation that residential school survivors were unjustly denied. I have a simple question for the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations.Now that she has all of the information, will she ask her Justice colleague to stop challenging survivors in court?Who told this government to withhold information about a child predator?
Mr. Speaker, I am extraordinarily proud of our government's record on action and climate change. After a decade of inaction by the previous government, we not only have a target but a plan to make it. We are reducing emissions from coal-fired plants. We are putting a price on carbon pollution. We are making historic investments in public transit. For example, in Ottawa, the second phase of LRT will be the largest reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the city's history. We are taking serious action on climate change because climate change is real and we owe it to our kids.
Mr. Speaker, many people worked hard for years to establish the National Holocaust Monument, including the Hon. Tim Uppal. Last week, the Prime Minister inaugurated it with a plaque of his own. However, his plaque fails to mention anti-Semitism or the Jewish people by name.How could the Prime Minister permit such a glaring omission of reference to anti-Semitism and the fact that the millions of men, women, and children who were murdered were overwhelmingly Jewish? If we are going to stamp out hatred toward Jews, it is important to get history right.Will the Prime Minister commit to correcting this profoundly obvious omission?
Mr. Speaker, Saturday, I hosted a round table in the riding of MissionMatsquiFraser Canyon. Sadly, the MP was a no-show. His constituents were angry that the finance minister called them tax cheats and is taxing them at 73%. These people were furious that the minister and the Prime Minister had fixed it so that their own family fortunes would not be affected. When two rich guys try to fix it so they do not have to pay the same taxes as others, how is that fair?
Mr. Speaker, why not a gazillion dollars while they are at it?It is becoming clear that both the Liberals and Conservatives are not serious about tax fairness. Neither are willing to discuss tax avoidance carried out by big corporations, CEOs, and the use of tax havens. The Liberals' consultations on tax changes are too short and too narrow. Let us agree to do the right thing and extend and expand consultations to include big corporations, CEO tax loopholes, and tax havens.Why are Liberals still going after the small fish and letting the big fish off the hook?
Mr. Speaker, You have done it, Prince Harry said to the athletes. You are Invictus. The Latin word from which these games take their name means unconquered, and that unconquerable spirit was written on the face of every athlete we saw at these games. They flew our flag higher and they lit up the world. When they put their hand up, we will be there to help. There are 4,000 mental health professionals, a network of OSI clinics, and their brothers and sisters waiting to help them.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government launched consultations on its infamous tax reforms in the middle of summer vacation. What is it hiding?The Liberals want to stifle our entrepreneurs and squeeze more money out of them. That is unacceptable. These are hardworking entrepreneurs who take risks and create jobs for the middle class. This reform is counterproductive. During a consultation held in my region, one entrepreneur said that the Liberal government did not know the difference between equality and equity.I am calling on the Minister of Finance to back off, to respect and support these honest job creators, and to protect the jobs of the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals launched this consultation period of only 75 days over the summer, and they keep doubling down. They keep using inflammatory and insulting language. Local businesses create jobs, and when the Liberals hurt them, it will hurt the workers they employ. So many people are against these changes. So many people are asking for more time so they can share their stories with Liberal ministers, who continue to ignore them. Will the Prime Minister commit to allowing his Liberal MPs the freedom to listen to their constituents, stand up and represent them in the House, and vote in favour of our motion? Will it be a free vote?
Mr. Speaker, local businesses are the engine of economic growth in Canada. They create jobs, contribute to our communities, and create opportunities, but the Liberal tax hikes are going to hurt local businesses. We are talking about family businesses, farmers, local entrepreneurs, and the people they employ.Will the Prime Minister admit that these tax hikes are going to hurt the very people he claims he wants to help, and scrap the idea?
Mr. Speaker, on Friday, I met with Hatch Engineering, a great Canadian success story, with over 9,000 employees.On Thursday, the president attended the disastrous Oakville town hall where he was given 90 seconds, one second for every 100 employees, to talk about his concerns with the Liberal tax plan. Why did he go there? Because he was refused meetings by the members for Oakville, Oakville NorthBurlington, and Burlington. Even the Minister of Science refused his meeting.Will the Minister of Finance admit that his consultation has been wholly inadequate, and vote with us to extend the consultation?
Mr. Speaker, Canada's aging population is going to bring about significant social and economic changes over the next few decades. It is important to ensure that our seniors can still contribute to our society, as they did in the past in building our country.Can the minister responsible for seniors tell us what the government is doing to take advantage of the experience, talent, and knowledge of the older generation of Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, this week I held round tables to discuss the Liberals' proposed tax changes. Jennifer was brought to tears sharing her story. The family business that her parents started 37 years ago is now going to face a transfer tax that will destroy her dream of taking over that family business. The Liberals want to make Jennifer's parents pay a higher percentage in tax than the finance minister's own family business. Will the finance minister listen to Canadians like Jennifer and extend the consultation period?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, we learned that the Native Women's Association of Canada has yet again been shut out of the first ministers meeting by the government. They asked to be included, and shutting them out speaks volumes to the government's lack of respect for indigenous women's voices. The self-proclaimed feminist Prime Minister promised a nation-to-nation relationship with all indigenous people, so why has the Native Women's Association been barred from today's first ministers meeting? Have indigenous women's voices not been silenced for long enough?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians heard yesterday that the Liberals' anti-energy agenda was putting projects like energy east at risk. New rules, delays, and a lack of certainty are making energy workers nervous. Just last month, 350 families at General Electric in Peterborough, a factory operating since 1892, have lost their jobs as a result of new regulatory hurdles and mounting uncertainty, uncertainty the Liberals alone have caused.When will the Liberals realize their risky delays are affecting real Canadians with real jobs?
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank and congratulate my colleague from LavalLes Îles for his remarkable work in helping his constituents and for everything he does for our seniors.Our government is committed to supporting our seniors and ensuring that they have a dignified and secure retirement. I met with my territorial and provincial colleagues a few weeks ago in St. John's, Newfoundland. We agreed to work very hard in the short and long terms to put in place public and development policies that promote greater social and economic inclusion of our seniors today and in the future.
Mr. Speaker, we are going to continue to introduce measures to improve our tax system so that we have a system that works well. At the same time, we know that it is very important to do things to help our economy.On that note, I would like to point out that, over the past year, we have had the highest level of growth in the past decade and that nearly 400,000 jobs have been created. It is important to have an economy that works and that is growing while having a fair tax system for the long term. Those are our two objectives.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide clarity for the record. We have always said that the system that we have today is legitimate. It has been a system that has been around for a long time. However, it is creating incentives for wealthy Canadians to incorporate to get advantages that are not available to middle-class Canadians. That is a system that is not right for the long term. Finding a way to make that right while continuing to encourage people to invest in their businesses, to create growth and jobs, that is the balance we are seeking to achieve. We believe we can achieve it. Listening to Canadians is an important part of that enabling us to get it right, enabling us to have a strong economy with a fairer
Mr. Speaker, we know that a fair tax system has a major impact on the confidence of Canadians across the country. At the same time, it is very important to encourage small business owners to invest in their businesses. Those two things are very important.Over the past 75 days, we have listened and we have heard many things. We will consider the opinions and points of view we heard and use them to build a fairer system for the future.
Mr. Speaker, many seasonal workers in SaguenayLac-Saint-Jean were counting on the Liberal government to solve the EI spring gap problem. They can see the Liberals breaking yet another promise. Discrimination against the regions must stop. As a result of the EI gap, these seasonal workers in SaguenayLac-Saint-Jean might end up without any income for several weeks. I do not understand why the Liberal government is turning its back on them. It makes no sense.When will the minister bridge the spring gap once and for all?
Mr. Speaker, the member says that we do not care about energy workers in Alberta. How about 3,000 jobs for the NOVA Gas pipeline? How about 7,000 jobs for the Line 3 replacement project? How about the15,440 jobs for the Trans Mountain expansion pipeline? We support Keystone XL, another 6,400 jobs. That is more jobs created by this government in the energy sector in less than two years than 10 years by the Harper administration.
Mr. Speaker, Bill C-49 is going to introduce important modernization to the Canada Transportation Act, including the air passenger's bill of rights, and new opportunities for shippers across Canada to gain access to competitive rail rates.The bill also provides for the introduction of video and voice recorders in locomotives. Labour groups are concerned this could be used by railways to violate workers' privacy and discipline them for non-safety related issues.Could the Minister of Transport reassure us that this will not be the case?
Second, Mr. Speaker, we are going to make sure that farmers can continue to pass their farms on to the next generation. We are going to make sure that women can continue to save in their businesses as professionals so they can be in a positive situation. We are going to keep the tax rates low on small businesses. We are going to work to make sure it is administratively efficient.
Mr. Speaker, we had a period of consultation so we could get from Canadians their advice on how we could move forward on measures that would make a real difference. We will take no advice from the opposite side of the House. The members from the opposite side of the House have continued to vote against measures that are helping middle-class Canadians. They continue to vote against things that we know will help our economy. What we have done is listened to Canadians. We are going to make sure that we get at the things we need to get at, such as the encouragement for wealthy Canadians to incorporate, while at the same time making sure we do not have unintended consequences around farms, small businesses, or women entrepreneurs. That is important.
Mr. Speaker, he claims that he will listen to the concerns of Canadians, but what is really interesting is that just days after introducing this paper, he told on CBC's The House We're not going to change our mind.The Minister of Finance seems to be very concerned and consumed with protecting the interests of Morneau Shepell that every request to extend the consultation has fallen on deaf ears.The consultation is over. Tonight is the vote. Will the Liberal members on the other side agree and vote with their constituents, or are they going to vote with Morneau Shepell?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are done consulting people about their tax changes, but many questions remain unanswered. What is clear, though, is that companies such as Morneau Shepell will benefit from these changes and will not be paying more tax after the reforms come into effect. The minister is being hypocritical by making small businesses pay more while protecting his own personal fortune. When will the minister realize that he is in conflict of interest and should recuse himself from this discussion?
Mr. Speaker, the purpose of our consultations has been to listen to people like Jennifer, to make sure that we understand what the issues might be when moving forward with a tax system that will create a better incentive for people to invest in their active business at the same time as not encouraging wealthy Canadians to take advantage of things that may be there only for them and not for the middle class. That is what we are trying to achieve. I can assure members that we are going to listen to people like Jennifer so we get this right. We did not intend to change the ability of people to transfer businesses from one generation to the next. We intend to make sure that the tax system is fairer, and we are going to get it right.
Mr. Speaker, it is a little ironic to see my Conservative colleague rise in defence of culture when the Conservatives were the ones who cut millions of dollars from culture funding over the past 10 years.That being said, I am happy to see that we have an ally here in the House who will help us make sure that every player benefiting from the system is able to contribute financially to our culture. I look forward to working with him to revamp our system in order to support our artists.
Mr. Speaker, it is important for us to be very clear to all the people who are paying attention to this debate. We know the system, which has been around for a long time, is one that people have used legitimately. We also know that we need to make sure the system is fair going forward, so we have looked at the measures we can put in place to ensure that that will actually be the case. We've listened to Canadians about how we can get it right as we move forward.What people have done in the past will of course be protected. We are coming up with new rules in the future that will not have unintended consequences but will ensure that people can invest in their business with a tax system that is fair.
Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure Canadians that worker privacy is of paramount importance to this government. We are also responsible for improving railway safety, something that needs to be addressed constantly. The use of the recorders is intended solely for safety purposes. It is something the Transportation Safety Board has been asking us to do for many years. I want to reassure Canadians that we will never use these recorders for monitoring employee performance or for managing that performance.
Mr. Speaker, during our consultations, we heard some very important things.We heard that it is crucial for SMEs to continue to have the lowest tax rate in the G7. We are going to make sure they keep it. We know it is vital to ensure that farmers, fishers, and women entrepreneurs are protected. That is very important to us.However, we can build a fairer system at the same time, which is a key goal of ours. We are going to move forward with our measures while taking into account what we heard in our consultations.
Mr. Speaker, the government is committed to building a more inclusive society, and the National Holocaust Monument commemorates the six million Jews, as well as the five million other victims, who were murdered during the Holocaust. It stands as a reminder of the dangers of hatred, racism, and intolerance, while affirming respect for human rights, dignity, and resilience. The plaque has been removed and will be replaced with language that reflects the horrors experienced by the Jewish people.
Mr. Speaker, we believe it is important that we move forward with measures that are going to make sure our system is fair for the long term. We also know that doing it means we need to get it right.Listening to Canadians has given us insights. We have heard things that are important to consider so we move forward in a way that actually gets at the challenge that wealthy Canadians have advantages not available to other Canadians, but we do that in a way that does not have unintended consequences. That is our commitment. We will follow through.
Mr. Speaker, protecting the health and safety of Canadians is a top priority for this government. Designing an appropriate regulatory system for cannabis edibles is a complex undertaking and there are unique potential risks and harms that need to be carefully understood before we undergo changes to the regulations. For this reason, our government will need to take an appropriate amount of time to develop and implement regulations that will result in a safe edible product on the market.
Mr. Speaker, in an act of great self-sacrifice, the millionaire Prime Minister and millionaire Finance Minister announced this summer higher taxes for the wealthy, which of course would mean more costs for the Prime Minister's personal trust fund. He might even have to give up his Laurentian countryside estate and his dad's old Mercedes. Even the Finance Minister will be paying more taxes on Morneau Shepell's profits: kidding. By wealthy people, they meant farmers, plumbers, and hard-working small business people. How do they manage to raise taxes on everyone except themselves?
Mr. Speaker, the consultations were very important for us. We had the opportunity to understand what the issues were with the measures we were putting forward.We know it is important to get to a tax system that works for all Canadians. We know that as we do that, it is important to listen. We did listen. We heard from people, like the gentleman who was mentioned by the member opposite, to hear their concerns. I heard from many other Canadians.Knowing that, it allows us to make sure that we move forward with a system that encourages businesses to invest. The low tax rate protects farms and women entrepreneurs in their ability to continue to invest in their businesses, while
Mr. Speaker, we want a tax system that is fair for all Canadians. That is very important.The goal of our measures is to create a fair system that does not encourage the wealthy to simply incorporate in order to pay less in taxes. We will continue to move forward with our measures, taking into account everything we heard during our consultations. At the same time, we will think about how our system can be better for all businesses in Canada for the future. That is also very important.
Mr. Speaker, the tax measures proposed by the Minister of Finance have sparked a lot of heated debate, and that is putting it mildly. They have also raised a lot of concerns.People are being bombarded with information from all sides, and it is often contradictory. The only thing we know for sure is that Netflix will not have to pay its fair share. I think it would be a good idea to take the time to talk about this and other very real problems, such as tax havens and tax loopholes for CEOs and multinationals.Why do the Liberals not agree?
Mr. Speaker, moving forward with tax changes, it is important to make sure we get it right. We have had a period of consultation, which is important. We have come up with five principles from which we should move forward.First, we are going to make sure that small businesses can continue to invest in their businesses in their communities.
Mr. Speaker, our government is dedicated to making sure that the men and women of the Canadian Coast Guard have the tools they need to do their jobs, whether that be ice-breaking capacity in Quebec or towing capacity. The Coast Guard expertly maintains its fleet. Also, in the interim, we have opened up an RFI to see if there are other ways we can complement our force.Our government will always make sure that the tools are available, so the job gets done and it gets done right.
Mr. Speaker, through the Invictus Games, we saw the power of adaptive sport on physical rehabilitation, but we all know that mental health and wellness go hand in hand. The perseverance of these brave men and women who took off their Armed Forces uniforms and found the strength and determination to put on a jersey and compete with representatives of 16 other countries impressed upon us all the importance of coming together to support our veterans and Canadian Armed Forces members. Can the Minister of Veterans Affairs tell us what the government is doing to address the invisible injuries of our men and women and their families?
Mr. Speaker, it is important to consider the facts here. We have said to Canadians that we will work toward tax fairness. We talked about that as far back as our election campaign. We put measures in our budget 2017, talking about how we think we can make the system more fair. We put out a consultation paper. Then we went around the country to listen to Canadians. We did it across the country. We have heard many things that are important for us to consider, including unintended consequences in some cases that we will need to fix, and other things to make sure that the system will actually work. We are going to make sure that we get this right. We are going to move forward in a way that will make the system fair for the long run.
Mr. Speaker, these are important things to do. We have listened. We are going to get it right.
Mr. Speaker, we have gone through a consultation period that was important . We have listened to Canadians. We have heard five things that are very important. It is important to continue to allow people to invest in small businesses and communities; we are going to take that as an important issue. We have heard that it is important to make sure that family farms continue and are successful; we are going to make sure that is done. We have heard that women entrepreneurs and professionals need to be protected if they want to take time off; we are going to make sure that is possible. We need to keep tax rates low and we need to have a system that is administratively efficient. All those things will be taken into consideration as we move forward with these reforms.
Mr. Speaker, we made an important commitment to make sure that our tax system works for all Canadians. We made an important commitment to listen to Canadians as we put forward measures that we know will ensure a fairer system. Therefore, we have been listening. We are going to move forward taking into account the things that we have heard so that we get to a system that encourages investment, but is also fairer for all Canadians as we move forward so that all Canadians in this generation and the next generation can be sure that they have opportunities that our tax system should provide.
Mr. Speaker, we have been across the country listening to Canadians because we want to get this right. We have laid out some measures. We have talked about how we think these can improve our system. I have been across the country, in Nova Scotia, in New Brunswick, in Newfoundland, in Quebec, Ontario, and B.C. It is important for us to be across the country to hear Canadians. That is exactly what we have done.We are going to take into account what we have heard to make sure that we get this right, that people can invest in their businesses on an ongoing basis, and that the system will provide a foundation that ensures that we have a fair outcome for all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, we prioritize. We are prioritizing the creation of good jobs for Canadians, particularly in western Canada. We are prioritizing environmental stewardship. We are prioritizing important engagement with indigenous peoples. Those are the three pillars of responsible development in Canada: job creation, environmental stewardship, and meaningful consultation with indigenous peoples.If the Harper government would have been loyal to those principles, more pipelines would have been built.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to say that when people like Mitchell write and people phone in, we are listening. We have been taking the time to listen to make sure that we get their perspectives. We know that having a system that works, that is fair for all Canadians, is important. We know that the tax system is complex and that we need to consider the perspectives of Mitchell and others across the country. We will do that as we move forward with a system that encourages investment and make sure that it is fair. That is our commitment to Canadians and we are looking forward to telling them more in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, we have been thinking about how we can ensure our tax system works since our first day in office. We have been focused on how we can deal with tax evasion and tax avoidance, giving over a billion dollars to Canada Revenue Agency to make sure we are having Canadians pay their fair share.What we are doing in our consultation process is really the continuation of a discussion that has been going on since we have been in office. We want to make sure that our system does not encourage wealthy Canadians to incorporate to pay a lower rate of tax. At the same time, we want to encourage people to invest in their businesses. These two goals can be met simultaneously. They will help our economy and help Canadians to feel their system is fair.
Mr. Speaker, we held consultations on our tax measures. It is very important to listen. We listened and we garnered a number of important insights from Canadians. We will now consider what we heard to make sure that we can continue to invest while creating a tax system that is fair.
Mr. Speaker, we know that all Canadians will benefit from a tax system that is fair. All businesses across the country want a system that works well and encourages investment in their business. That is very important. We are going to move forward with our measures with the knowledge we have gained through our consultations. That is how we will make important changes for our country.
Mr. Speaker, we know that it is very important to stay on track with our approach to a fairer tax system. We have heard many things, and with our knowledge, information, and perspectives, we can continue to have a system that encourages investment in business across the country and that is also fair. Those are our two goals, and we can achieve both of them.
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Mr. Speaker, we know that it is very important to stay on track with our approach to a fairer tax system. We have heard many things, and with our knowledge, information, and perspectives, we can continue to have a system that encourages investment in business across the country and that is also fair. Those are our two goals, and we can achieve both of them.
Mr. Speaker, we know that all Canadians will benefit from a tax system that is fair. All businesses across the country want a system that works well and encourages investment in their business. That is very important. We are going to move forward with our measures with the knowledge we have gained through our consultations. That is how we will make important changes for our country.
Mr. Speaker, we held consultations on our tax measures. It is very important to listen. We listened and we garnered a number of important insights from Canadians. We will now consider what we heard to make sure that we can continue to invest while creating a tax system that is fair.
Mr. Speaker, we have been thinking about how we can ensure our tax system works since our first day in office. We have been focused on how we can deal with tax evasion and tax avoidance, giving over a billion dollars to Canada Revenue Agency to make sure we are having Canadians pay their fair share.What we are doing in our consultation process is really the continuation of a discussion that has been going on since we have been in office. We want to make sure that our system does not encourage wealthy Canadians to incorporate to pay a lower rate of tax. At the same time, we want to encourage people to invest in their businesses. These two goals can be met simultaneously. They will help our economy and help Canadians to feel their system is fair.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to say that when people like Mitchell write and people phone in, we are listening. We have been taking the time to listen to make sure that we get their perspectives. We know that having a system that works, that is fair for all Canadians, is important. We know that the tax system is complex and that we need to consider the perspectives of Mitchell and others across the country. We will do that as we move forward with a system that encourages investment and make sure that it is fair. That is our commitment to Canadians and we are looking forward to telling them more in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, we prioritize. We are prioritizing the creation of good jobs for Canadians, particularly in western Canada. We are prioritizing environmental stewardship. We are prioritizing important engagement with indigenous peoples. Those are the three pillars of responsible development in Canada: job creation, environmental stewardship, and meaningful consultation with indigenous peoples.If the Harper government would have been loyal to those principles, more pipelines would have been built.
Mr. Speaker, we have been across the country listening to Canadians because we want to get this right. We have laid out some measures. We have talked about how we think these can improve our system. I have been across the country, in Nova Scotia, in New Brunswick, in Newfoundland, in Quebec, Ontario, and B.C. It is important for us to be across the country to hear Canadians. That is exactly what we have done.We are going to take into account what we have heard to make sure that we get this right, that people can invest in their businesses on an ongoing basis, and that the system will provide a foundation that ensures that we have a fair outcome for all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, we made an important commitment to make sure that our tax system works for all Canadians. We made an important commitment to listen to Canadians as we put forward measures that we know will ensure a fairer system. Therefore, we have been listening. We are going to move forward taking into account the things that we have heard so that we get to a system that encourages investment, but is also fairer for all Canadians as we move forward so that all Canadians in this generation and the next generation can be sure that they have opportunities that our tax system should provide.
Mr. Speaker, we have gone through a consultation period that was important . We have listened to Canadians. We have heard five things that are very important. It is important to continue to allow people to invest in small businesses and communities; we are going to take that as an important issue. We have heard that it is important to make sure that family farms continue and are successful; we are going to make sure that is done. We have heard that women entrepreneurs and professionals need to be protected if they want to take time off; we are going to make sure that is possible. We need to keep tax rates low and we need to have a system that is administratively efficient. All those things will be taken into consideration as we move forward with these reforms.
Mr. Speaker, these are important things to do. We have listened. We are going to get it right.
Mr. Speaker, it is important to consider the facts here. We have said to Canadians that we will work toward tax fairness. We talked about that as far back as our election campaign. We put measures in our budget 2017, talking about how we think we can make the system more fair. We put out a consultation paper. Then we went around the country to listen to Canadians. We did it across the country. We have heard many things that are important for us to consider, including unintended consequences in some cases that we will need to fix, and other things to make sure that the system will actually work. We are going to make sure that we get this right. We are going to move forward in a way that will make the system fair for the long run.
Mr. Speaker, through the Invictus Games, we saw the power of adaptive sport on physical rehabilitation, but we all know that mental health and wellness go hand in hand. The perseverance of these brave men and women who took off their Armed Forces uniforms and found the strength and determination to put on a jersey and compete with representatives of 16 other countries impressed upon us all the importance of coming together to support our veterans and Canadian Armed Forces members. Can the Minister of Veterans Affairs tell us what the government is doing to address the invisible injuries of our men and women and their families?
Mr. Speaker, our government is dedicated to making sure that the men and women of the Canadian Coast Guard have the tools they need to do their jobs, whether that be ice-breaking capacity in Quebec or towing capacity. The Coast Guard expertly maintains its fleet. Also, in the interim, we have opened up an RFI to see if there are other ways we can complement our force.Our government will always make sure that the tools are available, so the job gets done and it gets done right.
Mr. Speaker, moving forward with tax changes, it is important to make sure we get it right. We have had a period of consultation, which is important. We have come up with five principles from which we should move forward.First, we are going to make sure that small businesses can continue to invest in their businesses in their communities.
Mr. Speaker, the tax measures proposed by the Minister of Finance have sparked a lot of heated debate, and that is putting it mildly. They have also raised a lot of concerns.People are being bombarded with information from all sides, and it is often contradictory. The only thing we know for sure is that Netflix will not have to pay its fair share. I think it would be a good idea to take the time to talk about this and other very real problems, such as tax havens and tax loopholes for CEOs and multinationals.Why do the Liberals not agree?
Mr. Speaker, we want a tax system that is fair for all Canadians. That is very important.The goal of our measures is to create a fair system that does not encourage the wealthy to simply incorporate in order to pay less in taxes. We will continue to move forward with our measures, taking into account everything we heard during our consultations. At the same time, we will think about how our system can be better for all businesses in Canada for the future. That is also very important.
Mr. Speaker, the consultations were very important for us. We had the opportunity to understand what the issues were with the measures we were putting forward.We know it is important to get to a tax system that works for all Canadians. We know that as we do that, it is important to listen. We did listen. We heard from people, like the gentleman who was mentioned by the member opposite, to hear their concerns. I heard from many other Canadians.Knowing that, it allows us to make sure that we move forward with a system that encourages businesses to invest. The low tax rate protects farms and women entrepreneurs in their ability to continue to invest in their businesses, while
Mr. Speaker, in an act of great self-sacrifice, the millionaire Prime Minister and millionaire Finance Minister announced this summer higher taxes for the wealthy, which of course would mean more costs for the Prime Minister's personal trust fund. He might even have to give up his Laurentian countryside estate and his dad's old Mercedes. Even the Finance Minister will be paying more taxes on Morneau Shepell's profits: kidding. By wealthy people, they meant farmers, plumbers, and hard-working small business people. How do they manage to raise taxes on everyone except themselves?
Mr. Speaker, protecting the health and safety of Canadians is a top priority for this government. Designing an appropriate regulatory system for cannabis edibles is a complex undertaking and there are unique potential risks and harms that need to be carefully understood before we undergo changes to the regulations. For this reason, our government will need to take an appropriate amount of time to develop and implement regulations that will result in a safe edible product on the market.
Mr. Speaker, we believe it is important that we move forward with measures that are going to make sure our system is fair for the long term. We also know that doing it means we need to get it right.Listening to Canadians has given us insights. We have heard things that are important to consider so we move forward in a way that actually gets at the challenge that wealthy Canadians have advantages not available to other Canadians, but we do that in a way that does not have unintended consequences. That is our commitment. We will follow through.
Mr. Speaker, the government is committed to building a more inclusive society, and the National Holocaust Monument commemorates the six million Jews, as well as the five million other victims, who were murdered during the Holocaust. It stands as a reminder of the dangers of hatred, racism, and intolerance, while affirming respect for human rights, dignity, and resilience. The plaque has been removed and will be replaced with language that reflects the horrors experienced by the Jewish people.
Mr. Speaker, during our consultations, we heard some very important things.We heard that it is crucial for SMEs to continue to have the lowest tax rate in the G7. We are going to make sure they keep it. We know it is vital to ensure that farmers, fishers, and women entrepreneurs are protected. That is very important to us.However, we can build a fairer system at the same time, which is a key goal of ours. We are going to move forward with our measures while taking into account what we heard in our consultations.
Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure Canadians that worker privacy is of paramount importance to this government. We are also responsible for improving railway safety, something that needs to be addressed constantly. The use of the recorders is intended solely for safety purposes. It is something the Transportation Safety Board has been asking us to do for many years. I want to reassure Canadians that we will never use these recorders for monitoring employee performance or for managing that performance.
Mr. Speaker, it is important for us to be very clear to all the people who are paying attention to this debate. We know the system, which has been around for a long time, is one that people have used legitimately. We also know that we need to make sure the system is fair going forward, so we have looked at the measures we can put in place to ensure that that will actually be the case. We've listened to Canadians about how we can get it right as we move forward.What people have done in the past will of course be protected. We are coming up with new rules in the future that will not have unintended consequences but will ensure that people can invest in their business with a tax system that is fair.
Mr. Speaker, it is a little ironic to see my Conservative colleague rise in defence of culture when the Conservatives were the ones who cut millions of dollars from culture funding over the past 10 years.That being said, I am happy to see that we have an ally here in the House who will help us make sure that every player benefiting from the system is able to contribute financially to our culture. I look forward to working with him to revamp our system in order to support our artists.
Mr. Speaker, the purpose of our consultations has been to listen to people like Jennifer, to make sure that we understand what the issues might be when moving forward with a tax system that will create a better incentive for people to invest in their active business at the same time as not encouraging wealthy Canadians to take advantage of things that may be there only for them and not for the middle class. That is what we are trying to achieve. I can assure members that we are going to listen to people like Jennifer so we get this right. We did not intend to change the ability of people to transfer businesses from one generation to the next. We intend to make sure that the tax system is fairer, and we are going to get it right.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are done consulting people about their tax changes, but many questions remain unanswered. What is clear, though, is that companies such as Morneau Shepell will benefit from these changes and will not be paying more tax after the reforms come into effect. The minister is being hypocritical by making small businesses pay more while protecting his own personal fortune. When will the minister realize that he is in conflict of interest and should recuse himself from this discussion?
Mr. Speaker, he claims that he will listen to the concerns of Canadians, but what is really interesting is that just days after introducing this paper, he told on CBC's The House We're not going to change our mind.The Minister of Finance seems to be very concerned and consumed with protecting the interests of Morneau Shepell that every request to extend the consultation has fallen on deaf ears.The consultation is over. Tonight is the vote. Will the Liberal members on the other side agree and vote with their constituents, or are they going to vote with Morneau Shepell?
Mr. Speaker, we had a period of consultation so we could get from Canadians their advice on how we could move forward on measures that would make a real difference. We will take no advice from the opposite side of the House. The members from the opposite side of the House have continued to vote against measures that are helping middle-class Canadians. They continue to vote against things that we know will help our economy. What we have done is listened to Canadians. We are going to make sure that we get at the things we need to get at, such as the encouragement for wealthy Canadians to incorporate, while at the same time making sure we do not have unintended consequences around farms, small businesses, or women entrepreneurs. That is important.
Second, Mr. Speaker, we are going to make sure that farmers can continue to pass their farms on to the next generation. We are going to make sure that women can continue to save in their businesses as professionals so they can be in a positive situation. We are going to keep the tax rates low on small businesses. We are going to work to make sure it is administratively efficient.
Mr. Speaker, Bill C-49 is going to introduce important modernization to the Canada Transportation Act, including the air passenger's bill of rights, and new opportunities for shippers across Canada to gain access to competitive rail rates.The bill also provides for the introduction of video and voice recorders in locomotives. Labour groups are concerned this could be used by railways to violate workers' privacy and discipline them for non-safety related issues.Could the Minister of Transport reassure us that this will not be the case?
Mr. Speaker, many seasonal workers in SaguenayLac-Saint-Jean were counting on the Liberal government to solve the EI spring gap problem. They can see the Liberals breaking yet another promise. Discrimination against the regions must stop. As a result of the EI gap, these seasonal workers in SaguenayLac-Saint-Jean might end up without any income for several weeks. I do not understand why the Liberal government is turning its back on them. It makes no sense.When will the minister bridge the spring gap once and for all?
Mr. Speaker, the member says that we do not care about energy workers in Alberta. How about 3,000 jobs for the NOVA Gas pipeline? How about 7,000 jobs for the Line 3 replacement project? How about the15,440 jobs for the Trans Mountain expansion pipeline? We support Keystone XL, another 6,400 jobs. That is more jobs created by this government in the energy sector in less than two years than 10 years by the Harper administration.
Mr. Speaker, we know that a fair tax system has a major impact on the confidence of Canadians across the country. At the same time, it is very important to encourage small business owners to invest in their businesses. Those two things are very important.Over the past 75 days, we have listened and we have heard many things. We will consider the opinions and points of view we heard and use them to build a fairer system for the future.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide clarity for the record. We have always said that the system that we have today is legitimate. It has been a system that has been around for a long time. However, it is creating incentives for wealthy Canadians to incorporate to get advantages that are not available to middle-class Canadians. That is a system that is not right for the long term. Finding a way to make that right while continuing to encourage people to invest in their businesses, to create growth and jobs, that is the balance we are seeking to achieve. We believe we can achieve it. Listening to Canadians is an important part of that enabling us to get it right, enabling us to have a strong economy with a fairer
Mr. Speaker, we are going to continue to introduce measures to improve our tax system so that we have a system that works well. At the same time, we know that it is very important to do things to help our economy.On that note, I would like to point out that, over the past year, we have had the highest level of growth in the past decade and that nearly 400,000 jobs have been created. It is important to have an economy that works and that is growing while having a fair tax system for the long term. Those are our two objectives.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank and congratulate my colleague from LavalLes Îles for his remarkable work in helping his constituents and for everything he does for our seniors.Our government is committed to supporting our seniors and ensuring that they have a dignified and secure retirement. I met with my territorial and provincial colleagues a few weeks ago in St. John's, Newfoundland. We agreed to work very hard in the short and long terms to put in place public and development policies that promote greater social and economic inclusion of our seniors today and in the future.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians heard yesterday that the Liberals' anti-energy agenda was putting projects like energy east at risk. New rules, delays, and a lack of certainty are making energy workers nervous. Just last month, 350 families at General Electric in Peterborough, a factory operating since 1892, have lost their jobs as a result of new regulatory hurdles and mounting uncertainty, uncertainty the Liberals alone have caused.When will the Liberals realize their risky delays are affecting real Canadians with real jobs?
Mr. Speaker, this week I held round tables to discuss the Liberals' proposed tax changes. Jennifer was brought to tears sharing her story. The family business that her parents started 37 years ago is now going to face a transfer tax that will destroy her dream of taking over that family business. The Liberals want to make Jennifer's parents pay a higher percentage in tax than the finance minister's own family business. Will the finance minister listen to Canadians like Jennifer and extend the consultation period?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, we learned that the Native Women's Association of Canada has yet again been shut out of the first ministers meeting by the government. They asked to be included, and shutting them out speaks volumes to the government's lack of respect for indigenous women's voices. The self-proclaimed feminist Prime Minister promised a nation-to-nation relationship with all indigenous people, so why has the Native Women's Association been barred from today's first ministers meeting? Have indigenous women's voices not been silenced for long enough?
Mr. Speaker, Canada's aging population is going to bring about significant social and economic changes over the next few decades. It is important to ensure that our seniors can still contribute to our society, as they did in the past in building our country.Can the minister responsible for seniors tell us what the government is doing to take advantage of the experience, talent, and knowledge of the older generation of Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, local businesses are the engine of economic growth in Canada. They create jobs, contribute to our communities, and create opportunities, but the Liberal tax hikes are going to hurt local businesses. We are talking about family businesses, farmers, local entrepreneurs, and the people they employ.Will the Prime Minister admit that these tax hikes are going to hurt the very people he claims he wants to help, and scrap the idea?
Mr. Speaker, on Friday, I met with Hatch Engineering, a great Canadian success story, with over 9,000 employees.On Thursday, the president attended the disastrous Oakville town hall where he was given 90 seconds, one second for every 100 employees, to talk about his concerns with the Liberal tax plan. Why did he go there? Because he was refused meetings by the members for Oakville, Oakville NorthBurlington, and Burlington. Even the Minister of Science refused his meeting.Will the Minister of Finance admit that his consultation has been wholly inadequate, and vote with us to extend the consultation?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals launched this consultation period of only 75 days over the summer, and they keep doubling down. They keep using inflammatory and insulting language. Local businesses create jobs, and when the Liberals hurt them, it will hurt the workers they employ. So many people are against these changes. So many people are asking for more time so they can share their stories with Liberal ministers, who continue to ignore them. Will the Prime Minister commit to allowing his Liberal MPs the freedom to listen to their constituents, stand up and represent them in the House, and vote in favour of our motion? Will it be a free vote?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government launched consultations on its infamous tax reforms in the middle of summer vacation. What is it hiding?The Liberals want to stifle our entrepreneurs and squeeze more money out of them. That is unacceptable. These are hardworking entrepreneurs who take risks and create jobs for the middle class. This reform is counterproductive. During a consultation held in my region, one entrepreneur said that the Liberal government did not know the difference between equality and equity.I am calling on the Minister of Finance to back off, to respect and support these honest job creators, and to protect the jobs of the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, You have done it, Prince Harry said to the athletes. You are Invictus. The Latin word from which these games take their name means unconquered, and that unconquerable spirit was written on the face of every athlete we saw at these games. They flew our flag higher and they lit up the world. When they put their hand up, we will be there to help. There are 4,000 mental health professionals, a network of OSI clinics, and their brothers and sisters waiting to help them.
Mr. Speaker, why not a gazillion dollars while they are at it?It is becoming clear that both the Liberals and Conservatives are not serious about tax fairness. Neither are willing to discuss tax avoidance carried out by big corporations, CEOs, and the use of tax havens. The Liberals' consultations on tax changes are too short and too narrow. Let us agree to do the right thing and extend and expand consultations to include big corporations, CEO tax loopholes, and tax havens.Why are Liberals still going after the small fish and letting the big fish off the hook?
Mr. Speaker, Saturday, I hosted a round table in the riding of MissionMatsquiFraser Canyon. Sadly, the MP was a no-show. His constituents were angry that the finance minister called them tax cheats and is taxing them at 73%. These people were furious that the minister and the Prime Minister had fixed it so that their own family fortunes would not be affected. When two rich guys try to fix it so they do not have to pay the same taxes as others, how is that fair?
Mr. Speaker, many people worked hard for years to establish the National Holocaust Monument, including the Hon. Tim Uppal. Last week, the Prime Minister inaugurated it with a plaque of his own. However, his plaque fails to mention anti-Semitism or the Jewish people by name.How could the Prime Minister permit such a glaring omission of reference to anti-Semitism and the fact that the millions of men, women, and children who were murdered were overwhelmingly Jewish? If we are going to stamp out hatred toward Jews, it is important to get history right.Will the Prime Minister commit to correcting this profoundly obvious omission?
Mr. Speaker, I am extraordinarily proud of our government's record on action and climate change. After a decade of inaction by the previous government, we not only have a target but a plan to make it. We are reducing emissions from coal-fired plants. We are putting a price on carbon pollution. We are making historic investments in public transit. For example, in Ottawa, the second phase of LRT will be the largest reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the city's history. We are taking serious action on climate change because climate change is real and we owe it to our kids.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals can hardly speak about reconciliation when they decide to exclude the indigenous women from our national conversation.Yesterday, the minister could not explain why government lawyers asked the court to award the compensation that residential school survivors were unjustly denied. I have a simple question for the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations.Now that she has all of the information, will she ask her Justice colleague to stop challenging survivors in court?Who told this government to withhold information about a child predator?
Mr. Speaker, I am so proud of what our government has done. The former Conservative government did nothing. It had targets, but no plan. We have worked very hard with the provinces, territories, and indigenous peoples to come up with a real plan to reduce our emissions, eliminate carbon, and put a price on pollution for historic investments in public transit. Climate change is real, and we are taking it seriously. We are doing this for our children.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for giving me the opportunity once again to emphasize the importance of the employment insurance system. First, it helps guarantee income security for families going through a tough time, and second, it helps in the transition to another job.Over the past few months, we have taken significant action to make the system far more flexible and more generous in its benefits and services, and we will continue to work very hard in that same vein.
Mr. Speaker, our government believes that meaningful engagement is key to advancing reconciliation and to renewing our relationship with indigenous people in Canada. Today's meeting included the representatives of the rights holders in this country. The Prime Minister has agreed to meet with the Native Women's Association at least annually and they will be included in the meeting of the indigenous ministers later this year in November.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.During question period, the member for Milton made a statement. For the record, I spoke directly with the CEO of Hatch several weeks ago, and I have a meeting already set up with a second group of Hatch employees to hear their concerns directly--
Mr. Speaker, in fact there have been extensive consultations under way over the last number of months with respect to reforming pardons. That work is well advanced. Very shortly, the results of those consultations will be published so that all Canadians can see what was said. Those consultations will inform legislation that we will put before the House to correct some of the egregious mistakes made by the previous government.
Mr. Speaker, we will see how the Liberal MPs vote at the end of the day. We still have a chance.The Liberals proposed reform, which will increase the tax burden on our businesses, is a complete disgrace, and above all, hypocritical. On the one hand, entrepreneurs will pay dearly, while on the other, the businesses owned by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance will not be affected. The Liberal government's policy is do as I say, not as I do.My question to the Minister of Finance is simple. We know that these new measures are meant to take an extra $250 million from the pockets of entrepreneurs. Did the minister check, analyze, and study the real impact of these measures on
Mr. Speaker, we know that our current tax system is not really fair. The wealthiest Canadians are encouraged to incorporate to access a lower tax rate. That is not a good system. We want a system that is fair and also encourages investment in active business. Our measures and everything we heard during our consultations will help us achieve that goal. It is important to listen to what people have to say. We have listened, and now we are going to consider what we have heard.
Mr. Speaker, the government admits that edible cannabis products are a large and growing sector of the market, and it is undeniable that many Canadians prefer edible products as a healthier alternative to smoking cannabis. However, for some reason, the Liberals have decided to keep edibles illegal. This will deny consumers a safe product and ensure that the black market retains control. In addition, the Liberals have no plan to pardon individuals who are burdened with criminal convictions for simple possession. Therefore, will the Liberals accept our reasonable amendments and fix this bill?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring justice for the victims of this dark chapter in our history. The independent assessment process under the settlement agreement was approved by the supervising courts. It contains all procedural protections necessary for the fair determination of claims. Canada seeks fairness for all claimants under the independent assessment process. We are not challenging individual claimants or their outcomes. Canada is seeking the court's guidance in order to ensure fairness for all claimants and parties to the settlement agreement.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has called small business owners tax cheats. The Prime Minister implied that these hard-working Canadians are cheating on their taxes. The Liberals announced the most dramatic changes to the Income Tax Act in the dead of summer when farmers were busy with their crops and getting ready for harvest, and when parents were on vacation with their children and then getting them ready to go back to school. Now, the consultation has been bungled in every possible way. The minister has expressed zero regret. Will he do the right thing and extend the consultation, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, the Commissioner of Environment and Sustainable Development today reported that the Liberal government had abjectly failed to take the necessary action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or address the risks posed by climate change. She reported that Canada remained megatonnes away from meeting either the 2020 or 2030 targets. Stunningly, even Environment and Climate Change Canada is failing to deliver a climate risk and adaptation plan, or an action plan to measure, monitor, and publicly report on emissions. When will Canadians finally see action on climate change?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals plan to legalize marijuana next summer, but they do not plan to pardon people convicted of simple possession in the past.That means that many Canadians will have serious problems finding work and crossing the border for the rest of their lives. What is more, the Liberals are retaining Stephen Harper's policies, which make criminal records difficult to erase.Why do the Liberals not have a plan regarding such pardons, and do they think it is fair for people to have to live with a criminal record for something that will soon be legal?
Mr. Speaker, last winter, because there were not enough icebreakers on the St. Lawrence River, a Rio Tinto ship became stuck in the ice.Winter is coming, and this must not happen again. An immediate solution is needed, and it turns out that Project Resolute at the Davie shipyard is ready. The Davie shipyard can bring home four icebreakers, refit them up to standard, and lease them to the government to ensure that Quebec businesses will not have to suffer financial losses and once again face any risks in terms of marine safety.Will the government finally wake up and say yes to the Davie shipyard?
Mr. Speaker, it makes no sense at all for the minister to propose very powerful measures that will make life difficult for all business owners, when his department has yet to carry out a single impact study to determine the direct effects those measures will have on them. This is totally unacceptable. The minister may not be listening, or not listening well, but we Conservatives are. Last Friday, we five members from Quebec City listened to businesspeople like Gaétan Boudreau, a construction entrepreneur who told us that if these changes go forward, he will close up shop.Is the minister aware that his measures are going to kill Canadian businesses, this country's job creators, and cost Canadians their jobs?
Mr. Speaker, this morning I had a very productive meeting with various stakeholders in Quebec's cultural industry. Our conversations were very fruitful. I understand their concerns and their anxiety. We agreed to work together on a game plan for protecting our culture online.We are therefore going to collaborate on a plan to reform our laws and policies to ensure that we protect our culture together.
Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to combatting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidanceIn our first two budgets, we invested over $1 billion, which has put us on the right track for recovering nearly $25 billion. Over the past two years, 727 cases have been transferred to criminal investigation, and there have been 268 warrants and 78 convictions.Let me be very clear. We will continue to work and bring tax cheats to justice.
Mr. Speaker, this week my constituency office had to intervene to prevent a single mother and her three children from being evicted from their home. The cause was that the CRA stopped paying her the Canada child benefit following a routine assessment that ultimately resulted in no changes but delayed her payments for up to four months. This is becoming a common story. It is Phoenix all over again. The minister's restructuring of CRA has forgotten people who depend on receiving their legitimate payments on time every month. What will the minister do to fix these problems?
Mr. Speaker, we are dealing with a government that is extremely focused on managing its image, but here is something striking that needs managing: 219 megatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. Let us remember that number.The Liberal government, which adopted the previous government's weak greenhouse gas reduction targets, will fall 219 megatonnes short of its objective. The environment commissioner's report on this and other subjects is clear.Does the government intend to quickly put practical measures in place or will it be content to just focus on its image?
No you're not.
No you're not.
Mr. Speaker, in January of 2016, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change set out interim principles that would guide those projects under review. The same principles that were established then still are in effect today, as energy east goes through the National Energy Board process. Then, as now, the rules are the same.
Mr. Speaker, I think the finance minister has a different definition of listening compared to other Canadians. I do not know if it is just me, but I do not think listening means ignoring my constituents. Greg and Jocelyn own small businesses in KingsHants, Nova Scotia. When they requested a meeting with the Liberal member of Parliament to discuss their concerns about these tax changes, the message they got was that their MP was not having meetings on this issue. How can the Liberals profess to be listening if small business owners cannot even get in the front door? When it comes to these tax changes, why is the President of the Treasury Board refusing to meet with his constituents?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Canadian Heritage is patting herself on the back for signing a deal with Netflix. However, her proposals and commitments with regard to protecting the production of French-language content remain totally unclear.It is for that very reason that Ms. Prégent, the president of the Quebec artists' union, said the Liberal government is sending a mixed message: it sits down for a talk, but then it turns around and takes steps that were never discussed. The CEO of Simons echoed that sentiment, saying the agreement has no long-term vision.Has the minister forgotten her mandate letter? What firm commitments can she offer towards French-language cultural production?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance did not answer my question. I will help him by quoting the commitment he made in writing: to abstain from any participation in any matters or decisions...other than those of general application, relating to Morneau Shepell.According to experts who appeared before the Standing Committee on Finance, a firm like Morneau Shepell will benefit from these changes, because it offers Canadians private pension plans.Once and for all, will the minister abstain from any participation in this discussion?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals just are not interested in talking to Canadians about their unfair tax plan. Mitchell writes: I wrote to the government first to [the Prime Minister] then they pass me off to [the finance minister]. Now I've responded to the email that they sent to [the minister] and I've got nothing back. Mitchell has built a company up from the ground that now employs 12 people, including new Canadians. The Liberals are proposing to take his hard-earned money to pay for their reckless spending.When entrepreneurs and job creators like Mitchell call and write, why are the Liberals so unwilling to listen?
Mr. Speaker, all families should receive the benefits to which they are entitled. In my mandate letter, I committed to facilitating access to services for the neediest and most vulnerable, seniors, and single-parent families.We will work hard to resolve the problem.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister just does not get it. Everyone is against his unfair tax increases. Entrepreneurs, business owners and, today, premiers, and even members of his own caucus are opposed to these changes, but the Liberals are not listening. The Prime Minister has not heard the people who are telling him how devastating this would be. He may be listening, but the Liberals are not hearing and they are certainly not changing their mind. Will the Prime Minister commit today to doing the right thing, vote in favour of our motion to extend the consultation period so they can finally listen to what Canadians are saying, and do something about it?
Mr. Speaker, on the issue I actually asked about, let us talk about foreign oil imports. Last week, the UN Human Rights Council met to talk about the growing oppression of a dictator, who is brutally cracking down on public activism and starving his people. The commissioner even said that crimes against humanity may have been committed. Where is that? It is in Venezuela. However, the Liberals are prioritizing foreign oil from Venezuela, while stopping environmentally and socially responsible Canadian oil and gas. When will the minister stop putting foreign oil ahead of Canadian energy?
Mr. Speaker, in its reform, the federal government is raising taxes on corporations' passive income, but not on the income of non-residents. This means that a foreign billionaire who invests in Canada would be taxed at 25%, but a Quebecker would pay the maximum, 50%. The foreign investor could even avoid paying taxes altogether if his investment earns interest income, zero.I would like the government to explain why it is penalizing our SMEs and giving foreign investors the advantage.
Mr. Speaker, the minister has gone from doubling down to climbing down. He was caught with his plan that would raise taxes on everybody but him. Now, as a result of all the backlash from patriotic, hard-working, local farmers and businesses, the Liberals are being forced to back down. I know the government has closed its consultation period already, but as part of its climb down, will it accept one piece of advice? Why does the government not keep its promise and lower the small business tax rate down to 9%, just like the Liberals said they would during the last election?
Mr. Speaker, we met with representatives from the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec this morning.The consultations now at an end, the federation is sounding the alarm. It is asking the Minister of Finance to extend the consultations in order to carefully assess the impact of the proposed measures and submit an economic impact study. The minister is unable to tell us how his reform will affect SMEs across the country.Is the minister going to wait until our SMEs pack up and leave the country or will he extend the consultation period?
Mr. Speaker, Canada is a world leader in responsible resource development. For instance, Alberta was the first jurisdiction in North America to regulate emissions, and has the strongest regulatory system in the world. Instead of celebrating Canadian energy, the Liberals keep adding roadblocks at the very worst time, all while importing oil from countries like Algeria and Venezuela. I asked the minister last week, and I will ask him again. Will the Liberals apply their upstream and downstream emissions tests as a condition to foreign oil imports?
Mr. Speaker, this morning, the Minister of Canadian Heritage met with the cultural community to peddle her business model and her much-touted deal with Netflix. The 50 or so organizations that make up the coalition for culture and media were disappointed with the government's inconsistent vision and shocked by its agreement with Netflix. They all want this secret agreement to be made public so that taxpayers can read it and judge for themselves.Quebeckers feel that the minister is more anxious to sell Netflix than to defend Canadian culture. However, the mission of the heritage minister is to defend our culture, not the interests of multinational corporations. The cultural community and the Quebec government want to know the answer to this simple question.When will this agreement be made public?
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to these unfair tax changes, small business owners and farmers in Atlantic Canada are frustrated. They are frustrated because they do not believe the Liberals are listening, and they are right. When asked by a chamber of commerce in Nova Scotia to attend a town hall meeting to explain these tax changes and to listen to the concerns of small business owners, the Liberal MPs from KingsHants and West Nova were no-shows. How can the Liberals profess to be listening to Canadians when they will not even listen to the members of their chamber of commerce? How can the finance minister possibly say he is listening to Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, we know that it is very important to stay on track with our approach to a fairer tax system. We have heard many things, and with our knowledge, information, and perspectives, we can continue to have a system that encourages investment in business across the country and that is also fair. Those are our two goals, and we can achieve both of them.
Mr. Speaker, we know that all Canadians will benefit from a tax system that is fair. All businesses across the country want a system that works well and encourages investment in their business. That is very important. We are going to move forward with our measures with the knowledge we have gained through our consultations. That is how we will make important changes for our country.
Mr. Speaker, we held consultations on our tax measures. It is very important to listen. We listened and we garnered a number of important insights from Canadians. We will now consider what we heard to make sure that we can continue to invest while creating a tax system that is fair.
Mr. Speaker, we have been thinking about how we can ensure our tax system works since our first day in office. We have been focused on how we can deal with tax evasion and tax avoidance, giving over a billion dollars to Canada Revenue Agency to make sure we are having Canadians pay their fair share.What we are doing in our consultation process is really the continuation of a discussion that has been going on since we have been in office. We want to make sure that our system does not encourage wealthy Canadians to incorporate to pay a lower rate of tax. At the same time, we want to encourage people to invest in their businesses. These two goals can be met simultaneously. They will help our economy and help Canadians to feel their system is fair.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to say that when people like Mitchell write and people phone in, we are listening. We have been taking the time to listen to make sure that we get their perspectives. We know that having a system that works, that is fair for all Canadians, is important. We know that the tax system is complex and that we need to consider the perspectives of Mitchell and others across the country. We will do that as we move forward with a system that encourages investment and make sure that it is fair. That is our commitment to Canadians and we are looking forward to telling them more in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, we prioritize. We are prioritizing the creation of good jobs for Canadians, particularly in western Canada. We are prioritizing environmental stewardship. We are prioritizing important engagement with indigenous peoples. Those are the three pillars of responsible development in Canada: job creation, environmental stewardship, and meaningful consultation with indigenous peoples.If the Harper government would have been loyal to those principles, more pipelines would have been built.
Mr. Speaker, we have been across the country listening to Canadians because we want to get this right. We have laid out some measures. We have talked about how we think these can improve our system. I have been across the country, in Nova Scotia, in New Brunswick, in Newfoundland, in Quebec, Ontario, and B.C. It is important for us to be across the country to hear Canadians. That is exactly what we have done.We are going to take into account what we have heard to make sure that we get this right, that people can invest in their businesses on an ongoing basis, and that the system will provide a foundation that ensures that we have a fair outcome for all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, we made an important commitment to make sure that our tax system works for all Canadians. We made an important commitment to listen to Canadians as we put forward measures that we know will ensure a fairer system. Therefore, we have been listening. We are going to move forward taking into account the things that we have heard so that we get to a system that encourages investment, but is also fairer for all Canadians as we move forward so that all Canadians in this generation and the next generation can be sure that they have opportunities that our tax system should provide.
Mr. Speaker, we have gone through a consultation period that was important . We have listened to Canadians. We have heard five things that are very important. It is important to continue to allow people to invest in small businesses and communities; we are going to take that as an important issue. We have heard that it is important to make sure that family farms continue and are successful; we are going to make sure that is done. We have heard that women entrepreneurs and professionals need to be protected if they want to take time off; we are going to make sure that is possible. We need to keep tax rates low and we need to have a system that is administratively efficient. All those things will be taken into consideration as we move forward with these reforms.
Mr. Speaker, these are important things to do. We have listened. We are going to get it right.
Mr. Speaker, it is important to consider the facts here. We have said to Canadians that we will work toward tax fairness. We talked about that as far back as our election campaign. We put measures in our budget 2017, talking about how we think we can make the system more fair. We put out a consultation paper. Then we went around the country to listen to Canadians. We did it across the country. We have heard many things that are important for us to consider, including unintended consequences in some cases that we will need to fix, and other things to make sure that the system will actually work. We are going to make sure that we get this right. We are going to move forward in a way that will make the system fair for the long run.
Mr. Speaker, through the Invictus Games, we saw the power of adaptive sport on physical rehabilitation, but we all know that mental health and wellness go hand in hand. The perseverance of these brave men and women who took off their Armed Forces uniforms and found the strength and determination to put on a jersey and compete with representatives of 16 other countries impressed upon us all the importance of coming together to support our veterans and Canadian Armed Forces members. Can the Minister of Veterans Affairs tell us what the government is doing to address the invisible injuries of our men and women and their families?
Mr. Speaker, our government is dedicated to making sure that the men and women of the Canadian Coast Guard have the tools they need to do their jobs, whether that be ice-breaking capacity in Quebec or towing capacity. The Coast Guard expertly maintains its fleet. Also, in the interim, we have opened up an RFI to see if there are other ways we can complement our force.Our government will always make sure that the tools are available, so the job gets done and it gets done right.
Mr. Speaker, moving forward with tax changes, it is important to make sure we get it right. We have had a period of consultation, which is important. We have come up with five principles from which we should move forward.First, we are going to make sure that small businesses can continue to invest in their businesses in their communities.
Mr. Speaker, the tax measures proposed by the Minister of Finance have sparked a lot of heated debate, and that is putting it mildly. They have also raised a lot of concerns.People are being bombarded with information from all sides, and it is often contradictory. The only thing we know for sure is that Netflix will not have to pay its fair share. I think it would be a good idea to take the time to talk about this and other very real problems, such as tax havens and tax loopholes for CEOs and multinationals.Why do the Liberals not agree?
Mr. Speaker, we want a tax system that is fair for all Canadians. That is very important.The goal of our measures is to create a fair system that does not encourage the wealthy to simply incorporate in order to pay less in taxes. We will continue to move forward with our measures, taking into account everything we heard during our consultations. At the same time, we will think about how our system can be better for all businesses in Canada for the future. That is also very important.
Mr. Speaker, the consultations were very important for us. We had the opportunity to understand what the issues were with the measures we were putting forward.We know it is important to get to a tax system that works for all Canadians. We know that as we do that, it is important to listen. We did listen. We heard from people, like the gentleman who was mentioned by the member opposite, to hear their concerns. I heard from many other Canadians.Knowing that, it allows us to make sure that we move forward with a system that encourages businesses to invest. The low tax rate protects farms and women entrepreneurs in their ability to continue to invest in their businesses, while
Mr. Speaker, in an act of great self-sacrifice, the millionaire Prime Minister and millionaire Finance Minister announced this summer higher taxes for the wealthy, which of course would mean more costs for the Prime Minister's personal trust fund. He might even have to give up his Laurentian countryside estate and his dad's old Mercedes. Even the Finance Minister will be paying more taxes on Morneau Shepell's profits: kidding. By wealthy people, they meant farmers, plumbers, and hard-working small business people. How do they manage to raise taxes on everyone except themselves?
Mr. Speaker, protecting the health and safety of Canadians is a top priority for this government. Designing an appropriate regulatory system for cannabis edibles is a complex undertaking and there are unique potential risks and harms that need to be carefully understood before we undergo changes to the regulations. For this reason, our government will need to take an appropriate amount of time to develop and implement regulations that will result in a safe edible product on the market.
Mr. Speaker, we believe it is important that we move forward with measures that are going to make sure our system is fair for the long term. We also know that doing it means we need to get it right.Listening to Canadians has given us insights. We have heard things that are important to consider so we move forward in a way that actually gets at the challenge that wealthy Canadians have advantages not available to other Canadians, but we do that in a way that does not have unintended consequences. That is our commitment. We will follow through.
Mr. Speaker, the government is committed to building a more inclusive society, and the National Holocaust Monument commemorates the six million Jews, as well as the five million other victims, who were murdered during the Holocaust. It stands as a reminder of the dangers of hatred, racism, and intolerance, while affirming respect for human rights, dignity, and resilience. The plaque has been removed and will be replaced with language that reflects the horrors experienced by the Jewish people.
Mr. Speaker, during our consultations, we heard some very important things.We heard that it is crucial for SMEs to continue to have the lowest tax rate in the G7. We are going to make sure they keep it. We know it is vital to ensure that farmers, fishers, and women entrepreneurs are protected. That is very important to us.However, we can build a fairer system at the same time, which is a key goal of ours. We are going to move forward with our measures while taking into account what we heard in our consultations.
Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure Canadians that worker privacy is of paramount importance to this government. We are also responsible for improving railway safety, something that needs to be addressed constantly. The use of the recorders is intended solely for safety purposes. It is something the Transportation Safety Board has been asking us to do for many years. I want to reassure Canadians that we will never use these recorders for monitoring employee performance or for managing that performance.
Mr. Speaker, it is important for us to be very clear to all the people who are paying attention to this debate. We know the system, which has been around for a long time, is one that people have used legitimately. We also know that we need to make sure the system is fair going forward, so we have looked at the measures we can put in place to ensure that that will actually be the case. We've listened to Canadians about how we can get it right as we move forward.What people have done in the past will of course be protected. We are coming up with new rules in the future that will not have unintended consequences but will ensure that people can invest in their business with a tax system that is fair.
Mr. Speaker, it is a little ironic to see my Conservative colleague rise in defence of culture when the Conservatives were the ones who cut millions of dollars from culture funding over the past 10 years.That being said, I am happy to see that we have an ally here in the House who will help us make sure that every player benefiting from the system is able to contribute financially to our culture. I look forward to working with him to revamp our system in order to support our artists.
Mr. Speaker, the purpose of our consultations has been to listen to people like Jennifer, to make sure that we understand what the issues might be when moving forward with a tax system that will create a better incentive for people to invest in their active business at the same time as not encouraging wealthy Canadians to take advantage of things that may be there only for them and not for the middle class. That is what we are trying to achieve. I can assure members that we are going to listen to people like Jennifer so we get this right. We did not intend to change the ability of people to transfer businesses from one generation to the next. We intend to make sure that the tax system is fairer, and we are going to get it right.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are done consulting people about their tax changes, but many questions remain unanswered. What is clear, though, is that companies such as Morneau Shepell will benefit from these changes and will not be paying more tax after the reforms come into effect. The minister is being hypocritical by making small businesses pay more while protecting his own personal fortune. When will the minister realize that he is in conflict of interest and should recuse himself from this discussion?
Mr. Speaker, he claims that he will listen to the concerns of Canadians, but what is really interesting is that just days after introducing this paper, he told on CBC's The House We're not going to change our mind.The Minister of Finance seems to be very concerned and consumed with protecting the interests of Morneau Shepell that every request to extend the consultation has fallen on deaf ears.The consultation is over. Tonight is the vote. Will the Liberal members on the other side agree and vote with their constituents, or are they going to vote with Morneau Shepell?
Mr. Speaker, we had a period of consultation so we could get from Canadians their advice on how we could move forward on measures that would make a real difference. We will take no advice from the opposite side of the House. The members from the opposite side of the House have continued to vote against measures that are helping middle-class Canadians. They continue to vote against things that we know will help our economy. What we have done is listened to Canadians. We are going to make sure that we get at the things we need to get at, such as the encouragement for wealthy Canadians to incorporate, while at the same time making sure we do not have unintended consequences around farms, small businesses, or women entrepreneurs. That is important.
Second, Mr. Speaker, we are going to make sure that farmers can continue to pass their farms on to the next generation. We are going to make sure that women can continue to save in their businesses as professionals so they can be in a positive situation. We are going to keep the tax rates low on small businesses. We are going to work to make sure it is administratively efficient.
Mr. Speaker, Bill C-49 is going to introduce important modernization to the Canada Transportation Act, including the air passenger's bill of rights, and new opportunities for shippers across Canada to gain access to competitive rail rates.The bill also provides for the introduction of video and voice recorders in locomotives. Labour groups are concerned this could be used by railways to violate workers' privacy and discipline them for non-safety related issues.Could the Minister of Transport reassure us that this will not be the case?
Mr. Speaker, many seasonal workers in SaguenayLac-Saint-Jean were counting on the Liberal government to solve the EI spring gap problem. They can see the Liberals breaking yet another promise. Discrimination against the regions must stop. As a result of the EI gap, these seasonal workers in SaguenayLac-Saint-Jean might end up without any income for several weeks. I do not understand why the Liberal government is turning its back on them. It makes no sense.When will the minister bridge the spring gap once and for all?
Mr. Speaker, the member says that we do not care about energy workers in Alberta. How about 3,000 jobs for the NOVA Gas pipeline? How about 7,000 jobs for the Line 3 replacement project? How about the15,440 jobs for the Trans Mountain expansion pipeline? We support Keystone XL, another 6,400 jobs. That is more jobs created by this government in the energy sector in less than two years than 10 years by the Harper administration.
Mr. Speaker, we know that a fair tax system has a major impact on the confidence of Canadians across the country. At the same time, it is very important to encourage small business owners to invest in their businesses. Those two things are very important.Over the past 75 days, we have listened and we have heard many things. We will consider the opinions and points of view we heard and use them to build a fairer system for the future.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide clarity for the record. We have always said that the system that we have today is legitimate. It has been a system that has been around for a long time. However, it is creating incentives for wealthy Canadians to incorporate to get advantages that are not available to middle-class Canadians. That is a system that is not right for the long term. Finding a way to make that right while continuing to encourage people to invest in their businesses, to create growth and jobs, that is the balance we are seeking to achieve. We believe we can achieve it. Listening to Canadians is an important part of that enabling us to get it right, enabling us to have a strong economy with a fairer
Mr. Speaker, we are going to continue to introduce measures to improve our tax system so that we have a system that works well. At the same time, we know that it is very important to do things to help our economy.On that note, I would like to point out that, over the past year, we have had the highest level of growth in the past decade and that nearly 400,000 jobs have been created. It is important to have an economy that works and that is growing while having a fair tax system for the long term. Those are our two objectives.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank and congratulate my colleague from LavalLes Îles for his remarkable work in helping his constituents and for everything he does for our seniors.Our government is committed to supporting our seniors and ensuring that they have a dignified and secure retirement. I met with my territorial and provincial colleagues a few weeks ago in St. John's, Newfoundland. We agreed to work very hard in the short and long terms to put in place public and development policies that promote greater social and economic inclusion of our seniors today and in the future.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians heard yesterday that the Liberals' anti-energy agenda was putting projects like energy east at risk. New rules, delays, and a lack of certainty are making energy workers nervous. Just last month, 350 families at General Electric in Peterborough, a factory operating since 1892, have lost their jobs as a result of new regulatory hurdles and mounting uncertainty, uncertainty the Liberals alone have caused.When will the Liberals realize their risky delays are affecting real Canadians with real jobs?
Mr. Speaker, this week I held round tables to discuss the Liberals' proposed tax changes. Jennifer was brought to tears sharing her story. The family business that her parents started 37 years ago is now going to face a transfer tax that will destroy her dream of taking over that family business. The Liberals want to make Jennifer's parents pay a higher percentage in tax than the finance minister's own family business. Will the finance minister listen to Canadians like Jennifer and extend the consultation period?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, we learned that the Native Women's Association of Canada has yet again been shut out of the first ministers meeting by the government. They asked to be included, and shutting them out speaks volumes to the government's lack of respect for indigenous women's voices. The self-proclaimed feminist Prime Minister promised a nation-to-nation relationship with all indigenous people, so why has the Native Women's Association been barred from today's first ministers meeting? Have indigenous women's voices not been silenced for long enough?
Mr. Speaker, Canada's aging population is going to bring about significant social and economic changes over the next few decades. It is important to ensure that our seniors can still contribute to our society, as they did in the past in building our country.Can the minister responsible for seniors tell us what the government is doing to take advantage of the experience, talent, and knowledge of the older generation of Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, local businesses are the engine of economic growth in Canada. They create jobs, contribute to our communities, and create opportunities, but the Liberal tax hikes are going to hurt local businesses. We are talking about family businesses, farmers, local entrepreneurs, and the people they employ.Will the Prime Minister admit that these tax hikes are going to hurt the very people he claims he wants to help, and scrap the idea?
Mr. Speaker, on Friday, I met with Hatch Engineering, a great Canadian success story, with over 9,000 employees.On Thursday, the president attended the disastrous Oakville town hall where he was given 90 seconds, one second for every 100 employees, to talk about his concerns with the Liberal tax plan. Why did he go there? Because he was refused meetings by the members for Oakville, Oakville NorthBurlington, and Burlington. Even the Minister of Science refused his meeting.Will the Minister of Finance admit that his consultation has been wholly inadequate, and vote with us to extend the consultation?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals launched this consultation period of only 75 days over the summer, and they keep doubling down. They keep using inflammatory and insulting language. Local businesses create jobs, and when the Liberals hurt them, it will hurt the workers they employ. So many people are against these changes. So many people are asking for more time so they can share their stories with Liberal ministers, who continue to ignore them. Will the Prime Minister commit to allowing his Liberal MPs the freedom to listen to their constituents, stand up and represent them in the House, and vote in favour of our motion? Will it be a free vote?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government launched consultations on its infamous tax reforms in the middle of summer vacation. What is it hiding?The Liberals want to stifle our entrepreneurs and squeeze more money out of them. That is unacceptable. These are hardworking entrepreneurs who take risks and create jobs for the middle class. This reform is counterproductive. During a consultation held in my region, one entrepreneur said that the Liberal government did not know the difference between equality and equity.I am calling on the Minister of Finance to back off, to respect and support these honest job creators, and to protect the jobs of the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, You have done it, Prince Harry said to the athletes. You are Invictus. The Latin word from which these games take their name means unconquered, and that unconquerable spirit was written on the face of every athlete we saw at these games. They flew our flag higher and they lit up the world. When they put their hand up, we will be there to help. There are 4,000 mental health professionals, a network of OSI clinics, and their brothers and sisters waiting to help them.
Mr. Speaker, why not a gazillion dollars while they are at it?It is becoming clear that both the Liberals and Conservatives are not serious about tax fairness. Neither are willing to discuss tax avoidance carried out by big corporations, CEOs, and the use of tax havens. The Liberals' consultations on tax changes are too short and too narrow. Let us agree to do the right thing and extend and expand consultations to include big corporations, CEO tax loopholes, and tax havens.Why are Liberals still going after the small fish and letting the big fish off the hook?
Mr. Speaker, Saturday, I hosted a round table in the riding of MissionMatsquiFraser Canyon. Sadly, the MP was a no-show. His constituents were angry that the finance minister called them tax cheats and is taxing them at 73%. These people were furious that the minister and the Prime Minister had fixed it so that their own family fortunes would not be affected. When two rich guys try to fix it so they do not have to pay the same taxes as others, how is that fair?
Mr. Speaker, many people worked hard for years to establish the National Holocaust Monument, including the Hon. Tim Uppal. Last week, the Prime Minister inaugurated it with a plaque of his own. However, his plaque fails to mention anti-Semitism or the Jewish people by name.How could the Prime Minister permit such a glaring omission of reference to anti-Semitism and the fact that the millions of men, women, and children who were murdered were overwhelmingly Jewish? If we are going to stamp out hatred toward Jews, it is important to get history right.Will the Prime Minister commit to correcting this profoundly obvious omission?
Mr. Speaker, I am extraordinarily proud of our government's record on action and climate change. After a decade of inaction by the previous government, we not only have a target but a plan to make it. We are reducing emissions from coal-fired plants. We are putting a price on carbon pollution. We are making historic investments in public transit. For example, in Ottawa, the second phase of LRT will be the largest reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the city's history. We are taking serious action on climate change because climate change is real and we owe it to our kids.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals can hardly speak about reconciliation when they decide to exclude the indigenous women from our national conversation.Yesterday, the minister could not explain why government lawyers asked the court to award the compensation that residential school survivors were unjustly denied. I have a simple question for the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations.Now that she has all of the information, will she ask her Justice colleague to stop challenging survivors in court?Who told this government to withhold information about a child predator?
Mr. Speaker, I am so proud of what our government has done. The former Conservative government did nothing. It had targets, but no plan. We have worked very hard with the provinces, territories, and indigenous peoples to come up with a real plan to reduce our emissions, eliminate carbon, and put a price on pollution for historic investments in public transit. Climate change is real, and we are taking it seriously. We are doing this for our children.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for giving me the opportunity once again to emphasize the importance of the employment insurance system. First, it helps guarantee income security for families going through a tough time, and second, it helps in the transition to another job.Over the past few months, we have taken significant action to make the system far more flexible and more generous in its benefits and services, and we will continue to work very hard in that same vein.
Mr. Speaker, our government believes that meaningful engagement is key to advancing reconciliation and to renewing our relationship with indigenous people in Canada. Today's meeting included the representatives of the rights holders in this country. The Prime Minister has agreed to meet with the Native Women's Association at least annually and they will be included in the meeting of the indigenous ministers later this year in November.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.During question period, the member for Milton made a statement. For the record, I spoke directly with the CEO of Hatch several weeks ago, and I have a meeting already set up with a second group of Hatch employees to hear their concerns directly--
Mr. Speaker, in fact there have been extensive consultations under way over the last number of months with respect to reforming pardons. That work is well advanced. Very shortly, the results of those consultations will be published so that all Canadians can see what was said. Those consultations will inform legislation that we will put before the House to correct some of the egregious mistakes made by the previous government.
Mr. Speaker, we will see how the Liberal MPs vote at the end of the day. We still have a chance.The Liberals proposed reform, which will increase the tax burden on our businesses, is a complete disgrace, and above all, hypocritical. On the one hand, entrepreneurs will pay dearly, while on the other, the businesses owned by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance will not be affected. The Liberal government's policy is do as I say, not as I do.My question to the Minister of Finance is simple. We know that these new measures are meant to take an extra $250 million from the pockets of entrepreneurs. Did the minister check, analyze, and study the real impact of these measures on
Mr. Speaker, we know that our current tax system is not really fair. The wealthiest Canadians are encouraged to incorporate to access a lower tax rate. That is not a good system. We want a system that is fair and also encourages investment in active business. Our measures and everything we heard during our consultations will help us achieve that goal. It is important to listen to what people have to say. We have listened, and now we are going to consider what we have heard.
Mr. Speaker, the government admits that edible cannabis products are a large and growing sector of the market, and it is undeniable that many Canadians prefer edible products as a healthier alternative to smoking cannabis. However, for some reason, the Liberals have decided to keep edibles illegal. This will deny consumers a safe product and ensure that the black market retains control. In addition, the Liberals have no plan to pardon individuals who are burdened with criminal convictions for simple possession. Therefore, will the Liberals accept our reasonable amendments and fix this bill?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring justice for the victims of this dark chapter in our history. The independent assessment process under the settlement agreement was approved by the supervising courts. It contains all procedural protections necessary for the fair determination of claims. Canada seeks fairness for all claimants under the independent assessment process. We are not challenging individual claimants or their outcomes. Canada is seeking the court's guidance in order to ensure fairness for all claimants and parties to the settlement agreement.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has called small business owners tax cheats. The Prime Minister implied that these hard-working Canadians are cheating on their taxes. The Liberals announced the most dramatic changes to the Income Tax Act in the dead of summer when farmers were busy with their crops and getting ready for harvest, and when parents were on vacation with their children and then getting them ready to go back to school. Now, the consultation has been bungled in every possible way. The minister has expressed zero regret. Will he do the right thing and extend the consultation, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, the Commissioner of Environment and Sustainable Development today reported that the Liberal government had abjectly failed to take the necessary action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or address the risks posed by climate change. She reported that Canada remained megatonnes away from meeting either the 2020 or 2030 targets. Stunningly, even Environment and Climate Change Canada is failing to deliver a climate risk and adaptation plan, or an action plan to measure, monitor, and publicly report on emissions. When will Canadians finally see action on climate change?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals plan to legalize marijuana next summer, but they do not plan to pardon people convicted of simple possession in the past.That means that many Canadians will have serious problems finding work and crossing the border for the rest of their lives. What is more, the Liberals are retaining Stephen Harper's policies, which make criminal records difficult to erase.Why do the Liberals not have a plan regarding such pardons, and do they think it is fair for people to have to live with a criminal record for something that will soon be legal?
Mr. Speaker, last winter, because there were not enough icebreakers on the St. Lawrence River, a Rio Tinto ship became stuck in the ice.Winter is coming, and this must not happen again. An immediate solution is needed, and it turns out that Project Resolute at the Davie shipyard is ready. The Davie shipyard can bring home four icebreakers, refit them up to standard, and lease them to the government to ensure that Quebec businesses will not have to suffer financial losses and once again face any risks in terms of marine safety.Will the government finally wake up and say yes to the Davie shipyard?
Mr. Speaker, it makes no sense at all for the minister to propose very powerful measures that will make life difficult for all business owners, when his department has yet to carry out a single impact study to determine the direct effects those measures will have on them. This is totally unacceptable. The minister may not be listening, or not listening well, but we Conservatives are. Last Friday, we five members from Quebec City listened to businesspeople like Gaétan Boudreau, a construction entrepreneur who told us that if these changes go forward, he will close up shop.Is the minister aware that his measures are going to kill Canadian businesses, this country's job creators, and cost Canadians their jobs?
Mr. Speaker, this morning I had a very productive meeting with various stakeholders in Quebec's cultural industry. Our conversations were very fruitful. I understand their concerns and their anxiety. We agreed to work together on a game plan for protecting our culture online.We are therefore going to collaborate on a plan to reform our laws and policies to ensure that we protect our culture together.
Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to combatting tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidanceIn our first two budgets, we invested over $1 billion, which has put us on the right track for recovering nearly $25 billion. Over the past two years, 727 cases have been transferred to criminal investigation, and there have been 268 warrants and 78 convictions.Let me be very clear. We will continue to work and bring tax cheats to justice.
Mr. Speaker, this week my constituency office had to intervene to prevent a single mother and her three children from being evicted from their home. The cause was that the CRA stopped paying her the Canada child benefit following a routine assessment that ultimately resulted in no changes but delayed her payments for up to four months. This is becoming a common story. It is Phoenix all over again. The minister's restructuring of CRA has forgotten people who depend on receiving their legitimate payments on time every month. What will the minister do to fix these problems?
Mr. Speaker, we are dealing with a government that is extremely focused on managing its image, but here is something striking that needs managing: 219 megatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. Let us remember that number.The Liberal government, which adopted the previous government's weak greenhouse gas reduction targets, will fall 219 megatonnes short of its objective. The environment commissioner's report on this and other subjects is clear.Does the government intend to quickly put practical measures in place or will it be content to just focus on its image?
No you're not.
No you're not.
Mr. Speaker, in January of 2016, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change set out interim principles that would guide those projects under review. The same principles that were established then still are in effect today, as energy east goes through the National Energy Board process. Then, as now, the rules are the same.
Mr. Speaker, I think the finance minister has a different definition of listening compared to other Canadians. I do not know if it is just me, but I do not think listening means ignoring my constituents. Greg and Jocelyn own small businesses in KingsHants, Nova Scotia. When they requested a meeting with the Liberal member of Parliament to discuss their concerns about these tax changes, the message they got was that their MP was not having meetings on this issue. How can the Liberals profess to be listening if small business owners cannot even get in the front door? When it comes to these tax changes, why is the President of the Treasury Board refusing to meet with his constituents?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Canadian Heritage is patting herself on the back for signing a deal with Netflix. However, her proposals and commitments with regard to protecting the production of French-language content remain totally unclear.It is for that very reason that Ms. Prégent, the president of the Quebec artists' union, said the Liberal government is sending a mixed message: it sits down for a talk, but then it turns around and takes steps that were never discussed. The CEO of Simons echoed that sentiment, saying the agreement has no long-term vision.Has the minister forgotten her mandate letter? What firm commitments can she offer towards French-language cultural production?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance did not answer my question. I will help him by quoting the commitment he made in writing: to abstain from any participation in any matters or decisions...other than those of general application, relating to Morneau Shepell.According to experts who appeared before the Standing Committee on Finance, a firm like Morneau Shepell will benefit from these changes, because it offers Canadians private pension plans.Once and for all, will the minister abstain from any participation in this discussion?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals just are not interested in talking to Canadians about their unfair tax plan. Mitchell writes: I wrote to the government first to [the Prime Minister] then they pass me off to [the finance minister]. Now I've responded to the email that they sent to [the minister] and I've got nothing back. Mitchell has built a company up from the ground that now employs 12 people, including new Canadians. The Liberals are proposing to take his hard-earned money to pay for their reckless spending.When entrepreneurs and job creators like Mitchell call and write, why are the Liberals so unwilling to listen?
Mr. Speaker, all families should receive the benefits to which they are entitled. In my mandate letter, I committed to facilitating access to services for the neediest and most vulnerable, seniors, and single-parent families.We will work hard to resolve the problem.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister just does not get it. Everyone is against his unfair tax increases. Entrepreneurs, business owners and, today, premiers, and even members of his own caucus are opposed to these changes, but the Liberals are not listening. The Prime Minister has not heard the people who are telling him how devastating this would be. He may be listening, but the Liberals are not hearing and they are certainly not changing their mind. Will the Prime Minister commit today to doing the right thing, vote in favour of our motion to extend the consultation period so they can finally listen to what Canadians are saying, and do something about it?
Mr. Speaker, on the issue I actually asked about, let us talk about foreign oil imports. Last week, the UN Human Rights Council met to talk about the growing oppression of a dictator, who is brutally cracking down on public activism and starving his people. The commissioner even said that crimes against humanity may have been committed. Where is that? It is in Venezuela. However, the Liberals are prioritizing foreign oil from Venezuela, while stopping environmentally and socially responsible Canadian oil and gas. When will the minister stop putting foreign oil ahead of Canadian energy?
Mr. Speaker, in its reform, the federal government is raising taxes on corporations' passive income, but not on the income of non-residents. This means that a foreign billionaire who invests in Canada would be taxed at 25%, but a Quebecker would pay the maximum, 50%. The foreign investor could even avoid paying taxes altogether if his investment earns interest income, zero.I would like the government to explain why it is penalizing our SMEs and giving foreign investors the advantage.
Mr. Speaker, the minister has gone from doubling down to climbing down. He was caught with his plan that would raise taxes on everybody but him. Now, as a result of all the backlash from patriotic, hard-working, local farmers and businesses, the Liberals are being forced to back down. I know the government has closed its consultation period already, but as part of its climb down, will it accept one piece of advice? Why does the government not keep its promise and lower the small business tax rate down to 9%, just like the Liberals said they would during the last election?
Mr. Speaker, we met with representatives from the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec this morning.The consultations now at an end, the federation is sounding the alarm. It is asking the Minister of Finance to extend the consultations in order to carefully assess the impact of the proposed measures and submit an economic impact study. The minister is unable to tell us how his reform will affect SMEs across the country.Is the minister going to wait until our SMEs pack up and leave the country or will he extend the consultation period?
Mr. Speaker, Canada is a world leader in responsible resource development. For instance, Alberta was the first jurisdiction in North America to regulate emissions, and has the strongest regulatory system in the world. Instead of celebrating Canadian energy, the Liberals keep adding roadblocks at the very worst time, all while importing oil from countries like Algeria and Venezuela. I asked the minister last week, and I will ask him again. Will the Liberals apply their upstream and downstream emissions tests as a condition to foreign oil imports?
Mr. Speaker, this morning, the Minister of Canadian Heritage met with the cultural community to peddle her business model and her much-touted deal with Netflix. The 50 or so organizations that make up the coalition for culture and media were disappointed with the government's inconsistent vision and shocked by its agreement with Netflix. They all want this secret agreement to be made public so that taxpayers can read it and judge for themselves.Quebeckers feel that the minister is more anxious to sell Netflix than to defend Canadian culture. However, the mission of the heritage minister is to defend our culture, not the interests of multinational corporations. The cultural community and the Quebec government want to know the answer to this simple question.When will this agreement be made public?
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to these unfair tax changes, small business owners and farmers in Atlantic Canada are frustrated. They are frustrated because they do not believe the Liberals are listening, and they are right. When asked by a chamber of commerce in Nova Scotia to attend a town hall meeting to explain these tax changes and to listen to the concerns of small business owners, the Liberal MPs from KingsHants and West Nova were no-shows. How can the Liberals profess to be listening to Canadians when they will not even listen to the members of their chamber of commerce? How can the finance minister possibly say he is listening to Canadians?