Most toxic speeches
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government has taken Canada out of the fight against ISIS. It has eliminated the office of religious freedom. Now we learn that Canada's peacekeeping efforts are at an all-time low. We know that in Iraq today, Christians are still being killed simply for their belief.When will the Liberal government wake up to the plight of Christians in the Middle East and take concrete action towards stopping this genocide?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has always lived in a world where money can fix everything. He thought he could buy some peace and quiet by writing one big fat cheque and one small cheque.While the big fat cheque is impressive, it is the small cheque that says it all. It confirms that the Minister of Finance was caught red-handed.Knowing that, does the Minister of Finance understand that paying $5 million and $200 does not excuse what he did? Canadians deserve more transparency from their finance minister.When will he tell Canadians what he is hiding in his numbered companies?
Mr. Speaker, it is one distraction after another. The Prime Minister, his cabinet, the parliamentary secretaries, and the Liberal caucus are the only ones who refuse to acknowledge the obvious fact that the Minister of Finance was indeed in a conflict of interest. He paid a fine for hiding his villa in France, and now he is casting doubt on the Ethics Commissioner's word. Instead of being complicit in this sad affair where the rich can cut a fat cheque to get themselves off the hook, will someone in the government stand up and ask the finance minister to tell us what he is hiding in his numbered companies?
Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House once again to ask the Minister of Natural Resources about his plans to stop the pine beetle from attacking our forests. Last year alone, the beetle increased tenfold. Even though science and research has been done, the beetle has moved from Jasper Park into central Alberta and is heading east. All of Canada's pine forests are at risk. We need financial assistance to cull the trees. What is the Liberal government doing to stop this infestation?
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister has always been transparent and forthcoming with the Ethics Commissioner. He has always followed the rules and followed the recommendations, and he has announced he will go even above and beyond.I understand why the Conservatives do not want to talk about the economy and prefer to talk about the finance minister. If we remember, and I will give the number, 1.6% was the real annual GDP growth for a decade. That was the worst since Mackenzie King, the worst in 69 years. Let us compare that to today, when Canada is growing its economy at the fastest pace in the G7, and it is 3.7% over the last year. That is what we are doing.That is, again, Conservatives playing politics, and Liberals working for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I am also shocked by another revelation. We have a Liberal government that wants to legalize marijuana, and yesterday we learned that the Liberals may be planning to decriminalize all drugs. In my clinic, kids are asking, Is it okay to do drugs now? Young Canadians know drugs are bad for them. The Liberal drug policy is damaging to Canadians, especially to Canadian kids. Could the minister confirm if decriminalizing hard drugs is Liberal policy, and what dangerous drugs are on that list?
Mr. Speaker, first of all, the Liberals raised taxes on 87% of middle-class Canadians. Second, their child poverty claims were declared, even by The Canadian Press, to be a lot of baloney. Third, while the Liberals raised taxes on everybody else, the finance minister was very meticulous in ensuring that none of the tax increases applied to him or Morneau Shepell.Once again, will he finally reveal what he is hiding in this vast network of numbered companies and trust funds, so Canadians can be assured that their finance minister is acting in the public interest, not for his private profit?
Mr. Speaker, imagine senior citizens who have worked hard their whole life and are ready to start the next chapter in retirement. Their kids have moved out, they are empty nesters, and they want to sell their houses and downsize. Now the Liberals want to make people pay more for that too. New building code requirements will require them to complete costly mandatory renovations when they sell their houses. Why do the Liberals want to ruin the retirement plans of middle-class Canadian seniors?
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister misled Canadians by hiding his assets from the Ethics Commissioner. He made millions off the company he regulates. He broke the law. Now he is hiding from Canadians his assets in multiple numbered companies.What does this minister have to hide? Why will he not disclose his assets?
Mr. Speaker, we strongly condemn any and all actions that violate international human rights. We have raised concerns directly with the Government of Iraq, both in Baghdad and here in Ottawa. As Canada continues to re-engage on the international scene after 10 dark years, we will make sure that the protection of human rights and international law is a priority in all of our engagements.
Mr. Speaker, it is true that the Liberals have invested enormous sums in Phoenix, and this week was the one-year anniversary of the government's self-imposed deadline to fix it. However, more than half of public servants are still having pay problems. In fact, 265,000 pay transactions are past due. That is unacceptable. Also, because of the Phoenix delays, the Liberals will not meet deadlines to negotiate new collective agreements with our public servants.When will the Liberals stop finding excuses and find a solution to the Phoenix boondoggle?
Mr. Speaker, this week the Privacy Commissioner highlighted that the lack of heavy fines and legal penalties for privacy breaches means companies holding personal information on Canadians are unlikely to do everything they can to make sure that the data stays safe. The NDP has long advocated for stiffer penalties and to give the Privacy Commissioner actual teeth. As more and more information is in the cloud, we need to put proper legal protections in place. Will this government commit to imposing severe fines on companies that fail to protect consumers' private information?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance was so nice to the Ethics Commissioner that he was found guilty and made to pay a $200 fine.Two years ago, the Minister of Finance said that he would put his shares in a blind trust, but he never did. He also said that he did not have a controlling interest in Morneau Shepell, but that he had a controlling interest in a company that controlled the former. He was playing semantics. He forgot to mention that he had a villa in Provence, until the CBC brought it to light.This minister takes action only after he is caught red-handed. In fact, he was again caught red-handed with his numbered companies.When will the Minister of Finance finally tell Canadians the truth?
Mr. Speaker, hundreds of soldiers at CFB Valcartier back home are currently on standby waiting to find out if they will be deployed to Africa or elsewhere.This week we learned that six helicopters would be sent to Mali. It was the media that informed us. The minister has said nothing about it. The minister went on three reconnaissance missions in Africa. Officers at headquarters in Ottawa lost two years making plans. We are still being kept in the dark.Are we sending troops to Mali or not?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised to invest in Canadian infrastructure. However, the parliamentary budget officer said that the Liberals were not even close to getting the money out the door. Now we learn that Canadians and Canadian taxpayers will be sending a half a billion dollars to China for infrastructure projects everywhere else in the world except Canada.Why are the Liberals borrowing more money to send to China instead of building roads and bridges in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, the government's program to modernize the dairy industry is moving at two speeds: quickly when it comes to denying applications, and slowly when it comes to handing out money.Last summer, surprisingly, the program shut down after seven days, but four months later, for the lucky few who were eligible, the money has yet to be paid out. The minister cannot blame Phoenix this time. Does the minister's minion realize that the cost of materials has skyrocketed in four months and that his tardiness poses a real threat to projects?
Mr. Speaker, this week we learned that the backlog caused by the Phoenix pay system is getting worse.The Liberal government announced that, because of this fiasco, it will not be able to honour the new collective agreement implementation dates for over 100,000 public servants. Many of them have already been affected by Phoenix, and now their new collective agreement will be delayed. That is unacceptable. Will the government at least promise to pay these employees damages and interest retroactively?
Mr. Speaker, the former Conservative government implemented a policy called conditional permanent residency. This policy required sponsored partners to live with their sponsors for at least two years in order to maintain their status in Canada, forcing those who were experiencing domestic violence or sexual abuse to stay silent or risk losing their status. This put vulnerable spouses, especially women, at risk of additional abuse and violence.Could the minister update the House on what our government is doing to support newcomer women who are being trapped by this Conservative policy?
Mr. Speaker, we will be talking about access again. After trying to pull a fast one on small businesses with their tax reform, the Liberals are trying to save themselves a few bucks at the expense of families of people with autism and people with type 1 diabetes. If they really want to find more cash, they should just go look in the Minister of Finance's pockets. Why did the Minister of National Revenue say that she knew nothing and that nothing had happened? Funnily enough, a letter that she signed shows that she has been ignoring doctors' advice since May.When will the minister get control of her department, and when will she restore the tax credit for courageous Canadians with incurable diseases?
Mr. Speaker, this government stands for human rights around the world, and we stand for calling out human rights abuses. Our government takes allegations of all violations of international human rights and international humanitarian law seriously. We strongly condemn any and all action
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are doing everything they can to keep their secrets under wraps. The finance minister hid details of his offshore companies and assets from the Ethics Commissioner while making decisions about companies he owns and regulates. He got caught and she fined him. He is in multiple conflicts, including with legislation, a government loan, and at least one tax treaty. It seems that other ministers are in the same mess.When will the Liberals come clean with Canadians? What else are they trying to hide?
Mr. Speaker, at yesterday's meeting of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, the minister sought to defend Netflix by trotting out the same old empty phrases, bogus arguments, and tired lines.Instead of standing up for Quebec creators, the minister chose to go after any parliamentarian who had the gall to disagree with her. I have some news for the Minister of Canadian Heritage: contrary to what she seems to think, singling out Netflix for a tax break its rivals do not get is a tax policy.Why the preferential treatment?
Mr. Speaker, regulatory power and good intentions are all well and good, but if we really want companies to be more vigilant in protecting the private lives of Canadians, the reality is that the government has to go after what is most important to them: their wallets. That is exactly what the Privacy Commissioner is asking when he talks about fining businesses, like Equifax, who compromise the privacy of Canadians.Will the minister follow up on the Privacy Commissioner's recommendation and take the necessary steps to actually begin fining large corporations who compromise the privacy of Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, I mentioned Mali three or four times in my earlier question, but what was absent from that answer was Mali.The past platitudes of the government never match their present performance. We remember that Canada is back rhetoric. Well, Canada is back at the bottom of UN peacekeepers right now around the world. We are back to cutting the military back to the decade of darkness under the Chrétien government.When will the member stand in the House and let us know where we are sending our troops?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I asked the Minister of Canadian Heritage why she did not respond to the letter sent to her by the Quebec ministry of culture on September 3, which asked for more information about the agreement with Netflix and the lack of francophone content. That letter was sent exactly one month ago, and Quebec has still not received any answers.I have not received any answers either. The minister's press secretary was embarrassed to have to tell journalists later that she would get back to them soon. Come on. Let us be clear. Our cultural industries are in crisis and the government needs to wake up. It is dragging its feet on critical issues, especially where Quebec is concerned.Is that how the government treats the Quebec ministry of culture?Is it so hard to answer an email?Does the government not know how to answer or does it just not care?
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister got fined exactly because he did not follow the rules. The Information Commissioner said that it is harder to get information out of the current government than any other before.The reality is that the finance minister used his power to enrich himself and his family's company. He is still hiding other assets within different holding companies, and there are other ministers in the same conflict, but the Liberals will not say who or how many, and the Prime Minister says there is nothing wrong.The Liberals talk a lot about sunshine, but why are they still keeping Canadians in the dark?
Mr. Speaker, once again, I want to assure all Canadians that our government is absolutely committed to ensuring that all Canadians receive the credits and benefits they are entitled to. Let me be clear that the eligibility criteria for the DTC for people with diabetes have not changed. It is also important to recognize that far too many Canadians are struggling and need help. That is why we are allowing low-income workers to keep more of their hard-earned money from every paycheque by further enhancing the working income tax benefit by an additional $500 million per year, starting in 2019. Helping the most vulnerable in our country is our top priority, and we will continue to deliver for them.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on the same point of order. I listened with great interest to the hon. member from Carleton.The NDP is also concerned about the abusive use of omnibus bills that we have been seeing from this government over the past two years, despite the promises that it made. As a result, we have an interest in speaking to this point of order. I simply want to tell you that we will do so as soon as possible.
Mr. Speaker, our previous Conservative government created the recreational fisheries conservation partnership program, which improved the habitat of millions of fish. However, the Liberals are not accepting a single new application for this program and are thereby ignoring many worthwhile conservation efforts. This includes projects such as installing an aerator to improve the water quality in Killarney Lake located in my constituency. Will the Liberals commit today to support Canada's recreational fishers and start accepting proposals for this very worthwhile program?
Mr. Speaker, we thank the committee, including the member for Drummond, for the report. We will give it careful consideration.Our two official languages are at the heart of Canada's history and identity. Air Canada must respect both the letter and the spirit of the Official Languages Act. The application of the Official Languages Act is a priority for our government. We are working with the Minister of Transport to ensure that Air Canada is meeting its obligations under the Official Languages Act. We take this whole issue very seriously.
Mr. Speaker, under the government's watch, the dream of home ownership has been slipping away from thousands of Canadians. High prices, new mortgage rules, and new regulations all make home ownership less affordable. Now media reports say that the Liberal government is planning a new national building code that will impose higher costs on new homebuyers and existing homeowners as well. When will the government realize that every time it adds a new regulation, it increases costs and reduces choices? When is the government going to stop punishing homebuyers?
Mr. Speaker, of course we take these problems very seriously. We have invested and taken a vast number of measures to resolve the problems associated with the Phoenix pay system. Because I know the hon. member shares my belief that we must fix these problems, I am sure he will join me in asking one of these Harper cabinet ministers how they could have left us with such a fiasco. Maybe he will ask the leader of the opposition why these Harper senators now want to slink away from the problem they helped cause.
Mr. Speaker, our government is taking action to protect the privacy of Canadians. As mentioned by the member opposite, Equifax recently confirmed a cyber-attack that resulted in a data security breach. We are obviously working very closely with the Privacy Commissioner. As I mentioned, the Privacy Commissioner understands the steps our government has taken to strengthen the provisions for consumers. That is why we recently published draft regulations and amendments under PIPEDA. We will continue to take steps to make sure that consumers and small businesses have their privacy protected, because it important for our government and important as we move forward in this new digital economy.
Mr. Speaker, it is important for Canadians to know, even if the opposition does not want to hear it, that this government believes firmly in the role that Canada will play in peacekeeping operations. That is why we committed a half a billion dollars and 600 troops to re-engage in peacekeeping operations. Our women, peace, and security agenda is an important part of that commitment. We will make sure that women in Canada and around the world play a role in military and civilian peacekeeping operations.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have had two years to fix it and have done nothing. Let me read part of a letter that the Minister of Revenue sent to someone with type 1 diabetes who was refused the disability tax credit. The minister wrote: The CRA...made a change to the questionnaire it sends to medical practitioners. The questionnaire now sets out more clearly the information the CRA needs to determine if an individual meets the DTC criteria. When I asked about the 80% who were previously approved and are now being rejected, the minister told the House that no change had been made, but in her letter she says a change was made. Which is it?
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister, just like any other minister or parliamentarian, met with the Ethics Commissioner at the very beginning of his mandate to make sure that he would follow all of the rules and all of her recommendations. He has announced that he will go even above and beyond those.What I see the Conservatives doing is everything they can not to talk about the economy. If we look back at the decade when they were in power, they had 1% growth in employment, the worst since the Second World War. If we look at the job numbers today, we have added 35,000 jobs in October. That puts us at half a million jobs created since we took office, most of them full time. I get that they do not want to talk about it, but that does not mean we should not talk about it.
Mr. Speaker, every parliamentarian is expected to work with the Ethics Commissioner, who is responsible for preserving the integrity of Parliament.That is what the Minister of Finance has always done, and that is what he continues to do. He met with the Ethics Commissioner recently and announced that he will go the extra mile.If my colleague wants numbers, I can give him some. Real GDP growth was 1.6% during the past decade when he was on this side of the House. That is the worst record in 69 years, since the time of Mackenzie King. Since we took office, real GDP growth has been 3.7%. It was dropping in 2015 and people were wondering whether we were in a recession.Now, no one is asking that question. Canada has the highest growth in the G7, and half a million jobs have been created. That is the finance minister's record.
Mr. Speaker, this government firmly believes in the important role that Canada can play in peacekeeping operations. This week, our government was proud to launch a new and ambitious national action plan for women, peace, and security. Canada's feminist foreign policy will enable women and men around the world to play an equal role, have an equal voice, and have equal rights when it comes to opportunities for safety and security. We have committed to making the involvement of women a priority in all of Canada's activities and fragile states. The action plan will ensure that gender equality will never be an afterthought.Women's rights are human rights, and we stand by that.
Mr. Speaker, quite frankly, those members are making this up. We are in a national public health crisis. Unlike the members opposite, we are bringing forward solutions to deal with this crisis and responding in a way that is comprehensive, compassionate, and evidence based.While we have made it very clear that we plan to legalize, strictly regulate, and restrict access to cannabis in a careful way to keep it out of the hands of children and youth and to stop criminals from profiting, we have been equally clear that we are not considering legalizing any other substances.We will continue to work with our partners to bring forward innovative solutions to battle the opioid crisis and to save lives.
Mr. Speaker, we could all have a little more confidence in the truth of that statement if the finance minister would just come clean about the holdings he is sheltering in his vast network of numbered companies and trust funds.It took investigative journalists to find out that he was hiding $20 million of holdings in Morneau Shepell, a financial company that he regulates, and a financial company on which he very carefully avoided imposing any new taxes.Will the finance minister tell Canadians what holdings he is hiding in his numbered companies and trust funds, so they can know that he is acting in their interest and not his own?
Mr. Speaker, with respect to insulin therapy, the CRA has confirmed that a new direction was given at the beginning of May. This unannounced change has resulted in hundreds of type 1 diabetics receiving less money, amounting to hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of dollars. As a doctor who has treated patients with diabetes, I am confident in saying that my physician colleagues are better qualified to decide who should be receiving these benefits than CRA bureaucrats. People are suffering and the minister has the power to make it stop. My simple question is: Will the minister immediately issue a directive to her department to revert back to the April 30 policy?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to stand in the House and share with members what we are doing for recreational fishers from coast to coast to coast. In fact, I met with recreational fishers just this week, and I was able to share with them the fact that we are investing in coastal restoration. We are putting money into implementing the wild salmon policy. We are making sure that the Cohen commission recommendations are done, 32 last year, and up to 64 out of the 75 now.For far too long, Canadians were tired of a government that took our oceans and waterways for granted. That is why this government is making sure that we protect the resource for the benefit of future generations.
Mr. Speaker, despite the Liberals' promises to be more open and transparent, what we have is an Information Commissioner who is getting a growing number of complaints for requests for information that are being denied before Bill C-58 is even passed by the House. It is completely unacceptable. The bill has not even become law yet. However, the commissioner is proposing amendments to improve the bill.Will the Liberals keep their promises and work with us, the NDP, and with the Information Commissioner to truly improve access to information?
Mr. Speaker, of course we have always worked closely with our federal public service union partners. We respect our federal employees, and we are working to resolve the problems with the Phoenix pay system. We have invested huge sums of money and human resources, we have created satellite pay centres, and we have done much more to solve this problem. We will solve this problem.
Mr. Speaker, the minister keeps repeating that his government is the first in 30 years to make improvements to access to information. However, the Information Commissioner was very clear when she said the Liberals' Bill C-58 is regressive and that the status quo would be better than what the Liberals are proposing, meaning that Stephen Harper's government was more open and accountable than the current government. Canadians were promised more accountability and transparency. Will the government work with us and help themselves by actually keeping an election promise?
Mr. Speaker, acting in the interests of Canadians was lowering taxes for nine million Canadians, lowering taxes for small businesses from 10.5% to 9%, helping 300,000 kids be lifted out of poverty with the Canada child benefit, and growing this economy at the fastest pace in the G7, something the Conservatives were never able to achieve. That is working in the interests of Canadians. That is Conservatives playing politics. That is Liberals working for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, well, the PBO says that growth will drop to 1.6% next year, which is not exactly fulfilling Liberal promises. During the last election, the Liberal Party released a great literary work of fiction called Real Change. Perhaps a better title would have been Surreal Change. On page 3 of that great masterpiece, the Prime Minister asserted that transparent government is good government. Transparent government means a government open to public scrutiny.When will his finance minister finally walk the walk and live up to every single election promise and reveal all of his personal holdings in every single one of his numbered companies?
Mr. Speaker, the member is still missing the point, but this is nothing new. When we talk about ethics and integrity, the Prime Minister tells us that his ministers are following the rules. The $200 fine paid by his Minister of Finance proves otherwise. The Prime Minister's trip to the Aga Khan also proves otherwise. One of the problems is the legal framework around the rules. This limits the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner's scope of action. Instead of finding ways to get around the rules, why does the Prime Minister not agree to strengthen the legislation?
Mr. Speaker, in the wake of the Chalk River nuclear disaster, 300 brave volunteers committed themselves to cleaning up radioactive material in their community. After several days of tireless effort and maximum exposure to radiation, the military showed up to help finish the job. Those military heroes have since received compensation for radiation exposure, yet nothing has been done for those local heroes who stepped up when their community needed them. Will the government compensate the volunteers who went above and beyond to help after the Chalk River disaster?
Mr. Speaker, four temporary foreign workers have won the right to a class action suit against Mac's and the immigration consultant companies owned by Kuldeep Bansal. The migrant workers paid as much as $8,500 to Bansal to obtain jobs with Mac's, only to arrive in Canada and find that those jobs did not exist. An FOI revealed that LMIAs were issued for 486 positions for Mac's. The CBSA has investigated this case for five years and recommends that charges be laid. Why has the government not acted on the recommendations of the CBSA?
Mr. Speaker, the law is the law, but the finance minister's motto seems to be, do as I say, not as I do. The purpose of the Conflict of Interest Act is to prevent any abuse by people who may have something to hide in numbered companies, for example. In this case, the Minister of Finance really seems to believe that he is above the law, as though the law does not apply to people like him and the Prime Minister.How many other numbered companies does the Minister of Finance own, and what is he hiding in them?
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, privacy is very important to this government, particularly with respect to the digital economy and the fact that we have more data available. We want to make sure that data is managed in a way that respects the concerns that consumers may have. That is why we recently published draft regulations for amendments made to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, or PIPEDA. We believe that this will empower consumers and encourage businesses to have better security practices.These are the steps we are taking to protect consumers.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Don Valley North for his incredible advocacy for young people in his riding and all across Canada.As a former nuclear chemist, he knows that Canada's prosperity depends on young Canadians getting the skills and experience they need to prepare for the jobs of today and tomorrow.We have listened to students and to post-secondary institutions, and that is why we are creating up to 60,000 new paid student work placements over the next five years. That is 60,000 more work experiences that will put our young people on the path to success.
Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadian men and women have an important role to play on the international stage. When it comes to peacekeeping operations, Canadians will play a leadership role in building a more peaceful world.
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure my hon. colleague that the Minister of Finance has always done what all MPs do, by working with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner to make sure he is always fully transparent with her and follows the rules.The Minister of Finance has always followed the Ethics Commissioner's recommendations, and he announced that he would go even further to make sure he can continue the important work he does for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, we understand the critical importance of forestry to the economies of eastern and western Canada as a source of jobs, prosperity, and opportunity.We are acutely aware of the threat that forest pests, like the mountain pine beetle, emerald ash borer, and spruce budworm, pose to Canada's forests. In budget 2016, we invested $87 million to support scientific research and infrastructure, including funding to combat destructive forest pests such as spruce bud worm and mountain pine beetle.We are working closely with our partners, provinces, universities, and industry, all with a common goal of finding a solution to this problem.
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the House that our government is absolutely committed to ensuring that all Canadians receive the credits and benefits they are entitled to. We are moving forward with a national disability act that would remove barriers and improve access for all Canadians who live with diabetes. We have made the disability tax credit more accessible than ever before. We have simplified the forms required to apply for the credit. We have added nurse practitioners to complete the applications for their patients. We have just started, and we will continue to focus on supporting the most vulnerable in our country.
Mr. Speaker, when the Minister of Finance announced his tax increases on small businesses and family farmers over the summer, he was meticulous in sheltering his assets from any higher taxes. If we only knew what holdings he had, we would know what taxes he will not raise. However, we do not know what holdings he has because he is hiding them in a myriad of numbered companies.Will the finance minister tell us what holdings he is hiding in these numbered companies, so Canadians can surmise the small list of taxes that he will not raise?
Mr. Speaker, these past few months, I have had the great opportunity to visit with many students and employers in my riding of Don Valley North through the Canada summer jobs program. Even though summer has come to an end and students are back in the classroom, young Canadians across the country are continuing to look for ways to put their skills to use, and learn new ones in the workplace.Could the minister update the House on other ways that we are supporting students gaining skills and work experience throughout the school year?
Mr. Speaker, I believe the hon. member obviously is interested in Bill C-58, our government's landmark legislation to modernize Canada's Access to Information Act. This is really important, because for 30 years governments have talked about modernizing access to information but have not done it. The Conservatives promised it in 2006. They did not do anything. In fact, they were the only government in the history of the British Commonwealth to be found in contempt of Parliament for not providing information. Our government is raising the bar after 10 years of darkness under the Conservatives.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has nothing to hide. He has always worked with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner with the greatest transparency to make sure he is in full compliance with the rules that guide us in the House, and that govern us as ministers, as parliamentary secretaries and as members. He will continue to do so, and that is why he has decided to go further by divesting himself of his shares in Morneau Shepell, placing all of his assets in a blind trust, and donating the difference in value of his assets from the day he was elected to today. This Minister of Finance has been brilliantly serving Canadians for two years and has managed to accomplish more in those two years than the Conservatives ever did in 10.
Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on Official Languages tabled a report yesterday that calls on the government to give the Commissioner of Official Languages greater powers to enforce the law.That was suggested by our former commissioner, Graham Fraser. It is clear to him and to the committee that we cannot simply rely on the willingness of institutions and Air Canada. The commissioner's current powers are definitely inadequate.Will the government act on the committee's recommendations for once and strengthen the commissioner's powers?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from AuroraOak RidgesRichmond Hill for her question.Our government is deeply committed to gender equality and combatting gender-based violence. The former Conservative government ignored women's rights groups, it ignored experts, and it ignored immigrant women's groups, which denounced the conditional permanent residency as a wrongheaded policy that trapped vulnerable women in abusive relationships. No survivor should ever feel afraid to come forward. That is why I am proud that on this side of the House we have fully eliminated conditional permanent residency.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has always worked with the Ethics Commissioner and will continue to do so with full transparency to make sure he is following the rules. He has announced that he will go even further by divesting himself of his shares in Morneau Shepell and placing all of his assets in a blind trust so he can continue the important work he does for Canadians. He has been doing this work very successfully for the past two years, which has led to the strongest growth in 10 yearsmuch stronger than anything the Conservatives achieved for Canadians during their 10 years in office.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians across the country remember the contribution of Lester B. Pearson toward peacekeeping. We are proud of our history and the role we played in peacekeeping operations. We know that Canada
Mr. Speaker, the institution responsible for preserving the integrity of Parliament, an institution that we have the utmost faith in and the greatest respect for, is the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.The Minister of Finance has always worked with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner and he continues to work with her to ensure that he continues to act on her recommendations and go even further to have the full confidence of Canadians and continue the important work he does for all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, we hear the concerns of stakeholders in the francophone cultural industry. We want to reassure them and remind them of the historic investments we have made to support our francophone culture.That is why we invested heavily in arts and culture. We invested over $2.2 billion in the Canada Media Fund to support French-language television, and we invested $675 million in Radio-Canada. These investments are having a real impact on the lives of our artists.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today pursuant to Standing Order 69.1 in regard to omnibus bills. The Standing Order reads: In the case where a government bill seeks to repeal, amend or enact more than one act, and where there is not a common element connecting the various provisions or where unrelated matters are linked, the Speaker shall have the power to divide the questions, for the purposes of voting, on the motion for second reading and reference to a committee and the motion for third reading and passage of the bill. The Speaker shall have the power to combine clauses of the bill thematically and to put the aforementioned questions on each of these groups of clauses separately, provided that there will be a single debate at each stage. I point your attention now to a recently introduced omnibus budget implementation act. The proposal was tabled in the House of Commons on October 27, 2017. That act combines a number of unrelated provisions that were not included in the original budget presentation. The long title is the first clue: A second Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 22, 2017 and other measures. The summary notes indicate that the bill also implements a GST/HST measure announced on September 8, 2017. Other items include the income tax amendments, part 1, related to farmers and fishers selling to cooperatives; part 3's amendments to the Excise Act related to beer made from concentrate; division 5 of part 5, which amends the Bank of Canada Act concerning loans and advances made to members of the Canadian Payments Association; division 11 of part 5, which makes a series of amendments to the Judges Act; and division 13 of part 5, which amends the Financial Administration Act in respect of payments to discharge a debt.Returning to the original Standing Order I cited at the outset, you, as Speaker, have the ability to break this bill into separate bills if its various provisions concern unrelated matters and if they are then linked in the same bill. Clearly, the matters I have just mentioned, their merits or demerits notwithstanding, are not directly related to each another. For example, the Judges Act is not related to the Financial Administration Act, the Judges Act is not related to the Excise Act, and the Bank of Canada Act is not related directly to the Income Tax Act. Therefore, the bill combines a number of different acts in one single bill, which gives you, Mr. Speaker, the power to separate the various component parts of the act.In fairness to the government, there is an exception to that role. Under 69.1 of the Standing Orders, budget implementation roles can be excluded from the Speaker's power to divide a bill that contains numerous unrelated parts. Standing Order 69.1(2) reads: The present Standing Order shall not apply if the bill has as its main purpose the implementation of a budget and contains only provisions that were announced in the budget presentation or in the documents tabled during the budget presentation. I have just finished listing at least five provisions that were included in the omnibus budget implementation act but were not included in the original budget presentation. Therefore, this BIA and its component parts are not exempt from the Speaker's authority to divide into separate bills matters that are unrelated to one other but, nevertheless, were introduced as one piece of legislation.There is another matter that was included in the budget implementation bill that was not fully included in the original budget presentation. I refer now to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. As I said at the outset, the Standing Order calls for bills to be separated into their component parts if a provision in a budget implementation bill had not been fully present in the original budget presentation. Now, the budget presentation did provide for funding for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. However, it did not provide for the same amount of money that was later included in the budget implementation bill. Let me quote directly from the presentation the minister made on March 22, 2017: Budget 2017 proposes to invest $256 million over five years for Canada to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). It was $256 million. That was the provision the government made for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in the budget presentation of last March. However, the legislation introduced just last week has a different and much larger provision. It provides for an amount of not more than $375 million U.S., which equals $480 million Canadian.The word provision comes from the root word provide. The original budget presentation would provide $256 million. This omnibus budget bill provides $480 million. In other words, there is roughly $230 million provided in the budget implementation bill that was not provided in the original budget presentation. In other words, the BIA, the omnibus budget bill, attempts to provide something that was not provided for at the outset. Therefore, it is not exempt from your powers, Mr. Speaker, to divide the bill up in separate component parts so that the measures can be debated on their separate merits.The government has introduced a very complex web of legislative amendments to the statutes of Canada that are unrelated and disconnected, all in one single bill, after having promised to end omnibus bills forever. The government also gave you, Mr. Speaker, the power to end those omnibus bills for them. I described how you can use that power and why it would be appropriate to do so in this particular case.Let me say, on behalf of the official opposition, that while we are concerned that the government has broken its promise to end all omnibus bills, we are not particularly troubled by the fact that some of these measures are being voted on together.It is your power to divide them up, but it is not necessarily of substantive importance to us that all of them be divided up, if the Speaker were to find that it would be in the interest of efficiency for them to be voted on and debated together. Some of these measures would not be troublesome to marry into one such vote and one such debate, except one. That one is the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. It is particularly important, and its quiet and surreptitious inclusion in this bill is particularly concerning for multiple reasons.First, in less than half a year, the amount the government wants to spend on this initiative has gone up by almost 100%. Originally it was $250 million; now it is almost half a billion dollars. That is an eye-popping increase in an expense for a new initiative on which no Canadian government has ever spent money in the past. Less than a year ago, the Government of Canada was committed to spending zero on this initiative. Then it was $250 million, and now, quietly, that amount has been raised to half a billion dollars.The second reason why this is particularly objectionable to the official opposition is this. The government is behind on all of its commitments to build infrastructure in Canada. Now it is proposing to spend Canadian tax dollars to build infrastructure in another continent. In fact, the legislation that the government proposes is explicit, that the purpose is to build infrastructure in a different continent than our own.Let me read directly from the bill that the government tabled. It states: The purpose of the Bank shall be to: (i) foster sustainable economic development, create wealth and improve infrastructure connectivity in Asia by investing in infrastructure and other productive sectors; It then defines Asia not to include Canada, it goes without saying, which means that this half billion dollars will be paid by Canadians but will not be spent to their benefit. This very unusual use of infrastructure money is worthy of some debate on the floor of this House of Commons, particularly given the fact that, prior to even implementing the initiative, it is almost 100% over budget.Therefore, we call upon you to exercise the legitimate authorities vested in you by the Standing Orders, in particular Standing Orders 69.1(1) and 69.1(2), to divide the Asian infrastructure bank from the rest of the budget implementation act, so that Canadians can witness a debate in this chamber on the merits of sending a half a billion dollars to build infrastructure in Asia, and on the merits of giving loans and loan guarantees to extremely wealthy titans of finance on the world stage, all at the expense of Canadian taxpayers.So far, the House has had no stand-alone debate on this massive new and unprecedented expenditure. The government seems to want to keep it that way by burying this measure at the back of a very large omnibus bill, making no mention of it either in the minister's original speech in the House of Commons or in subsequent ministerial declarations that we have been able to find in the Hansard record. It is clear that the government did not want this measure to even be noticed. That is why it was buried, almost like a secret, at the back of the bill. You now have the authority to remedy that problem, to separate out this section, and allow Canadians to debate this half-billion dollar expenditure on the floor of the House of Commons and at committee, and then to exercise the will of all of our constituents by voting on it here in this chamber and then later in the other place. Therefore, we call upon you, Speaker, to exercise the powers vested in you in the Standing Orders to uphold the principle of no taxation without representation. That is, Canadians must have the ability to rely on Parliament to approve every expenditure that the government taxes fund, independently and separately from other matters, and to instill a sense of integrity in the budget process so that all Canadians can have confidence in how their money is spent.
Mr. Speaker, as I said a moment ago, energy efficiency offers a significant opportunity to help realize Canada's obligations to address climate change while supporting economic growth and the health of Canadians. We are working with our provincial and territorial partners to modernize existing building codes by 2022. Investments like our $2 billion low-carbon economy fund will help support provincial and territorial energy efficiency projects that will generate clean growth and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We are working to build a clean energy future by investing in innovation and delivering economic growth and clean jobs while protecting the environment.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance worked with the Ethics Commissioner to ensure that he is following her recommendations and the rules of the House. He will continue to do so and has announced that he would do even more.What the Minister of Finance did was something that the Conservatives and Prime Minister Stephen Harper, whom my colleague from Louis-Saint-Laurent admires so, never managed to do. The Minister of Finance has managed to to grow our economy and create more than half a million jobs.According to the latest figures, 18,000 new jobs were added in Quebec in October. We are proud of this record, and that is not a claim they can make. I understand that they do not want to talk about the economy, but that does not mean that we should not.
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, we are the government that has been working extremely hard for the last two years to ensure that the DTC is accessible to Canadians who are entitled to it. We have done so by simplifying the disability tax credit forms, by allowing nurse practitioners to certify the DTC forms, by working with medical practitioners to ensure they have all the resources to assist their patients with the DTC, and by rehiring nurses at the front lines of the review process. We have just started, and let me assure Canadians that we will continue to work hard for the most vulnerable in our country.
Mr. Speaker, we are the first government in 34 years to act to modernize access to information. In fact, we are the first government to provide the Information Commissioner with real order-making power. We are applying the act, through proactive disclosure, to ministers' offices and the Prime Minister's office. We are applying the act to 240 federal entities, from the courts to the ports. This is a significant advancement. We are raising the bar on the transparency and openness of government, and we will continue to do so.
Mr. Speaker, the government promised a 600-member peacekeeping mission for the United Nations. It has had three trips to Mali for reconnaissance. It has spent thousands of hours planning for a mission to Mali. It has consulted both France and the U.S. on this mission. However, this week we heard we were only sending some helicopters to Mali.Will the minister confirm to the House today that Mali has been ruled out for Canada's UN peacekeeping mission?
We have to go that far back?
Mr. Speaker, the former Atomic Energy Canada Limited employees who assisted with the cleanup of the NRU reactor in the 1950s played a critical and important role, and we do thank them very much for their service. We understand that those employees and their families are working to have their contributions recognized. We are aware of the Senate motion brought forward last year. At this time, while there is no program similar to the atomic veterans recognition program, our department is continuing to consider the motion and is looking at how we can move forward to recognize the contributions of these individuals.
Mr. Speaker, energy efficiency offers a significant opportunity to help realize Canada's obligations to address climate change while supporting economic growth and the health of Canadians. We are working with our provincial and territorial partners to develop a model code for existing buildings by 2022. This code, which provinces and territories can adopt, would help guide energy efficiency improvements. Investments like our $2 billion low-carbon economy fund will help support provincial and territorial energy efficiency projects that will generate clean growth and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We are working to build a clean energy future.
Mr. Speaker, we have taken concrete to steps to correct the temporary foreign workers program. Part of that is strengthening the LMIAs, the labour market impact assessments, that ensure employers are doing a thorough job of hiring Canadians first and then proving the need for temporary foreign workers. We have also implemented new on-site inspections. We are working on a regime to ensure that all temporary foreign workers have their human dignity and their rights respected.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. It is the practice of this House that when members inadvertently misspeak they have an opportunity to correct the record. On October 31, the Minister of National Revenue stated there was no change with respect to the disability tax credit. Therefore, I would like to seek unanimous consent to table this letter where she clearly states there was a change.
Mr. Speaker, this week we were proud to announce an ambitious action plan for gender equality in the peace and security sector. Our feminist foreign policy will allow women and men the world over to speak with equal voices, have equal rights, and live in security
Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times before, the Minister of Finance has the utmost respect for the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. He has always worked with her with the greatest transparency since he took office. He has followed her recommendations to ensure full compliance with the rules that govern us.Last week, he announced that he would go further by divesting himself of his shares in Morneau Shepell and by placing all his shares in a blind trust so that he could continue serving Canadians as he has been so successfully doing for two years, with strong economic growth. Also, today, he announced the creation of 35,000 new jobs in Canada, including an additional 18,000 for Quebec in October.
Mr. Speaker, we are the first government in more than 30 years to modernize the Access to Information Act. As I said in my first speech on Bill C-58, our intention is to raise the bar for openness and transparency. We are open to amendments for improving the bill and we look forward to working will all hon. members to improve this bill. We will continue to raise the bar
Mr. Speaker, we understand the concerns of the francophone cultural sector.We want to reassure and remind the cultural community of the historic investments we have made to support francophone culture. We have made massive investments in arts and culture, over $2.2 billion to be precise. We have reinvested in the Canada media fund to support French-language television and committed $675 million to CBC/Radio-Canada. These investments have a tangible impact on our artists' lives.
Mr. Speaker, the recognition of rights, and in particular the inherent right to self-government and the right to self-determination, is fundamental to advancing reconciliation in Canada.Could the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs update the House on the concrete measures Canada is taking with its indigenous partners to promote self-determination and facilitate self-government?
Mr. Speaker, we are proud to have approved more than 4,000 projects since taking office, with a combined investment of more than $35 billion. Federal investments are enabling these projects to move forward. As the hon. member would know, the federal contribution is not paid until the expense claims are submitted by our partners.We will continue to work with our partners to move their priorities forward and provide the flexibility necessary to meet these requirements.
Mr. Speaker, we know that good governance and self-determination are the most important factors in a community's economic and social health.This past summer, we signed the Agreement on the Cree Nation Governance, a nation-to-nation agreement based on our partnership and respect for the traditional Cree way of life. The agreement is an important step in expanding the governance system from the earlier agreement.
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister has always been transparent and forthcoming with the Ethics Commissioner. From the very beginning, he has followed all of the rules and all of her recommendations, just like any other minister or parliamentarian is expected to do. On this side of the House, we respect the work of the Ethics Commissioner, we respect her recommendations, and we will always work with the Ethic Commissioner to make sure that we live up to the highest standards.
Mr. Speaker, our government is a strong proponent of supply management and supports producers and their families. We are pleased to have invested $350 million in the industry in order to modernize and innovate producers' and processors' facilities. Our government will continue to defend our supply management system.
Mr. Speaker, during question period, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance often talks about the Conservative government's record. In order to set the record straight for Canadians, I seek the consent of the House to table the following document from the Bank of Canada. It is a speech given by the Governor of the Bank of Canada, which reads: ...the countrys economic prospects have improved since the crisis....In fact, coming out of the recession, Canada is a leader among the G-7 countries.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government has taken Canada out of the fight against ISIS. It has eliminated the office of religious freedom. Now we learn that Canada's peacekeeping efforts are at an all-time low. We know that in Iraq today, Christians are still being killed simply for their belief.When will the Liberal government wake up to the plight of Christians in the Middle East and take concrete action towards stopping this genocide?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has always lived in a world where money can fix everything. He thought he could buy some peace and quiet by writing one big fat cheque and one small cheque.While the big fat cheque is impressive, it is the small cheque that says it all. It confirms that the Minister of Finance was caught red-handed.Knowing that, does the Minister of Finance understand that paying $5 million and $200 does not excuse what he did? Canadians deserve more transparency from their finance minister.When will he tell Canadians what he is hiding in his numbered companies?
Mr. Speaker, it is one distraction after another. The Prime Minister, his cabinet, the parliamentary secretaries, and the Liberal caucus are the only ones who refuse to acknowledge the obvious fact that the Minister of Finance was indeed in a conflict of interest. He paid a fine for hiding his villa in France, and now he is casting doubt on the Ethics Commissioner's word. Instead of being complicit in this sad affair where the rich can cut a fat cheque to get themselves off the hook, will someone in the government stand up and ask the finance minister to tell us what he is hiding in his numbered companies?
Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House once again to ask the Minister of Natural Resources about his plans to stop the pine beetle from attacking our forests. Last year alone, the beetle increased tenfold. Even though science and research has been done, the beetle has moved from Jasper Park into central Alberta and is heading east. All of Canada's pine forests are at risk. We need financial assistance to cull the trees. What is the Liberal government doing to stop this infestation?
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister has always been transparent and forthcoming with the Ethics Commissioner. He has always followed the rules and followed the recommendations, and he has announced he will go even above and beyond.I understand why the Conservatives do not want to talk about the economy and prefer to talk about the finance minister. If we remember, and I will give the number, 1.6% was the real annual GDP growth for a decade. That was the worst since Mackenzie King, the worst in 69 years. Let us compare that to today, when Canada is growing its economy at the fastest pace in the G7, and it is 3.7% over the last year. That is what we are doing.That is, again, Conservatives playing politics, and Liberals working for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I am also shocked by another revelation. We have a Liberal government that wants to legalize marijuana, and yesterday we learned that the Liberals may be planning to decriminalize all drugs. In my clinic, kids are asking, Is it okay to do drugs now? Young Canadians know drugs are bad for them. The Liberal drug policy is damaging to Canadians, especially to Canadian kids. Could the minister confirm if decriminalizing hard drugs is Liberal policy, and what dangerous drugs are on that list?
Mr. Speaker, first of all, the Liberals raised taxes on 87% of middle-class Canadians. Second, their child poverty claims were declared, even by The Canadian Press, to be a lot of baloney. Third, while the Liberals raised taxes on everybody else, the finance minister was very meticulous in ensuring that none of the tax increases applied to him or Morneau Shepell.Once again, will he finally reveal what he is hiding in this vast network of numbered companies and trust funds, so Canadians can be assured that their finance minister is acting in the public interest, not for his private profit?
Mr. Speaker, imagine senior citizens who have worked hard their whole life and are ready to start the next chapter in retirement. Their kids have moved out, they are empty nesters, and they want to sell their houses and downsize. Now the Liberals want to make people pay more for that too. New building code requirements will require them to complete costly mandatory renovations when they sell their houses. Why do the Liberals want to ruin the retirement plans of middle-class Canadian seniors?
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister misled Canadians by hiding his assets from the Ethics Commissioner. He made millions off the company he regulates. He broke the law. Now he is hiding from Canadians his assets in multiple numbered companies.What does this minister have to hide? Why will he not disclose his assets?
Mr. Speaker, we strongly condemn any and all actions that violate international human rights. We have raised concerns directly with the Government of Iraq, both in Baghdad and here in Ottawa. As Canada continues to re-engage on the international scene after 10 dark years, we will make sure that the protection of human rights and international law is a priority in all of our engagements.
Mr. Speaker, it is true that the Liberals have invested enormous sums in Phoenix, and this week was the one-year anniversary of the government's self-imposed deadline to fix it. However, more than half of public servants are still having pay problems. In fact, 265,000 pay transactions are past due. That is unacceptable. Also, because of the Phoenix delays, the Liberals will not meet deadlines to negotiate new collective agreements with our public servants.When will the Liberals stop finding excuses and find a solution to the Phoenix boondoggle?
Mr. Speaker, this week the Privacy Commissioner highlighted that the lack of heavy fines and legal penalties for privacy breaches means companies holding personal information on Canadians are unlikely to do everything they can to make sure that the data stays safe. The NDP has long advocated for stiffer penalties and to give the Privacy Commissioner actual teeth. As more and more information is in the cloud, we need to put proper legal protections in place. Will this government commit to imposing severe fines on companies that fail to protect consumers' private information?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance was so nice to the Ethics Commissioner that he was found guilty and made to pay a $200 fine.Two years ago, the Minister of Finance said that he would put his shares in a blind trust, but he never did. He also said that he did not have a controlling interest in Morneau Shepell, but that he had a controlling interest in a company that controlled the former. He was playing semantics. He forgot to mention that he had a villa in Provence, until the CBC brought it to light.This minister takes action only after he is caught red-handed. In fact, he was again caught red-handed with his numbered companies.When will the Minister of Finance finally tell Canadians the truth?
Mr. Speaker, hundreds of soldiers at CFB Valcartier back home are currently on standby waiting to find out if they will be deployed to Africa or elsewhere.This week we learned that six helicopters would be sent to Mali. It was the media that informed us. The minister has said nothing about it. The minister went on three reconnaissance missions in Africa. Officers at headquarters in Ottawa lost two years making plans. We are still being kept in the dark.Are we sending troops to Mali or not?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised to invest in Canadian infrastructure. However, the parliamentary budget officer said that the Liberals were not even close to getting the money out the door. Now we learn that Canadians and Canadian taxpayers will be sending a half a billion dollars to China for infrastructure projects everywhere else in the world except Canada.Why are the Liberals borrowing more money to send to China instead of building roads and bridges in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, the government's program to modernize the dairy industry is moving at two speeds: quickly when it comes to denying applications, and slowly when it comes to handing out money.Last summer, surprisingly, the program shut down after seven days, but four months later, for the lucky few who were eligible, the money has yet to be paid out. The minister cannot blame Phoenix this time. Does the minister's minion realize that the cost of materials has skyrocketed in four months and that his tardiness poses a real threat to projects?
Mr. Speaker, this week we learned that the backlog caused by the Phoenix pay system is getting worse.The Liberal government announced that, because of this fiasco, it will not be able to honour the new collective agreement implementation dates for over 100,000 public servants. Many of them have already been affected by Phoenix, and now their new collective agreement will be delayed. That is unacceptable. Will the government at least promise to pay these employees damages and interest retroactively?
Mr. Speaker, the former Conservative government implemented a policy called conditional permanent residency. This policy required sponsored partners to live with their sponsors for at least two years in order to maintain their status in Canada, forcing those who were experiencing domestic violence or sexual abuse to stay silent or risk losing their status. This put vulnerable spouses, especially women, at risk of additional abuse and violence.Could the minister update the House on what our government is doing to support newcomer women who are being trapped by this Conservative policy?
Mr. Speaker, we will be talking about access again. After trying to pull a fast one on small businesses with their tax reform, the Liberals are trying to save themselves a few bucks at the expense of families of people with autism and people with type 1 diabetes. If they really want to find more cash, they should just go look in the Minister of Finance's pockets. Why did the Minister of National Revenue say that she knew nothing and that nothing had happened? Funnily enough, a letter that she signed shows that she has been ignoring doctors' advice since May.When will the minister get control of her department, and when will she restore the tax credit for courageous Canadians with incurable diseases?
Mr. Speaker, this government stands for human rights around the world, and we stand for calling out human rights abuses. Our government takes allegations of all violations of international human rights and international humanitarian law seriously. We strongly condemn any and all action
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are doing everything they can to keep their secrets under wraps. The finance minister hid details of his offshore companies and assets from the Ethics Commissioner while making decisions about companies he owns and regulates. He got caught and she fined him. He is in multiple conflicts, including with legislation, a government loan, and at least one tax treaty. It seems that other ministers are in the same mess.When will the Liberals come clean with Canadians? What else are they trying to hide?
Mr. Speaker, at yesterday's meeting of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, the minister sought to defend Netflix by trotting out the same old empty phrases, bogus arguments, and tired lines.Instead of standing up for Quebec creators, the minister chose to go after any parliamentarian who had the gall to disagree with her. I have some news for the Minister of Canadian Heritage: contrary to what she seems to think, singling out Netflix for a tax break its rivals do not get is a tax policy.Why the preferential treatment?
Mr. Speaker, regulatory power and good intentions are all well and good, but if we really want companies to be more vigilant in protecting the private lives of Canadians, the reality is that the government has to go after what is most important to them: their wallets. That is exactly what the Privacy Commissioner is asking when he talks about fining businesses, like Equifax, who compromise the privacy of Canadians.Will the minister follow up on the Privacy Commissioner's recommendation and take the necessary steps to actually begin fining large corporations who compromise the privacy of Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, I mentioned Mali three or four times in my earlier question, but what was absent from that answer was Mali.The past platitudes of the government never match their present performance. We remember that Canada is back rhetoric. Well, Canada is back at the bottom of UN peacekeepers right now around the world. We are back to cutting the military back to the decade of darkness under the Chrétien government.When will the member stand in the House and let us know where we are sending our troops?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I asked the Minister of Canadian Heritage why she did not respond to the letter sent to her by the Quebec ministry of culture on September 3, which asked for more information about the agreement with Netflix and the lack of francophone content. That letter was sent exactly one month ago, and Quebec has still not received any answers.I have not received any answers either. The minister's press secretary was embarrassed to have to tell journalists later that she would get back to them soon. Come on. Let us be clear. Our cultural industries are in crisis and the government needs to wake up. It is dragging its feet on critical issues, especially where Quebec is concerned.Is that how the government treats the Quebec ministry of culture?Is it so hard to answer an email?Does the government not know how to answer or does it just not care?
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister got fined exactly because he did not follow the rules. The Information Commissioner said that it is harder to get information out of the current government than any other before.The reality is that the finance minister used his power to enrich himself and his family's company. He is still hiding other assets within different holding companies, and there are other ministers in the same conflict, but the Liberals will not say who or how many, and the Prime Minister says there is nothing wrong.The Liberals talk a lot about sunshine, but why are they still keeping Canadians in the dark?
Mr. Speaker, once again, I want to assure all Canadians that our government is absolutely committed to ensuring that all Canadians receive the credits and benefits they are entitled to. Let me be clear that the eligibility criteria for the DTC for people with diabetes have not changed. It is also important to recognize that far too many Canadians are struggling and need help. That is why we are allowing low-income workers to keep more of their hard-earned money from every paycheque by further enhancing the working income tax benefit by an additional $500 million per year, starting in 2019. Helping the most vulnerable in our country is our top priority, and we will continue to deliver for them.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on the same point of order. I listened with great interest to the hon. member from Carleton.The NDP is also concerned about the abusive use of omnibus bills that we have been seeing from this government over the past two years, despite the promises that it made. As a result, we have an interest in speaking to this point of order. I simply want to tell you that we will do so as soon as possible.
Mr. Speaker, our previous Conservative government created the recreational fisheries conservation partnership program, which improved the habitat of millions of fish. However, the Liberals are not accepting a single new application for this program and are thereby ignoring many worthwhile conservation efforts. This includes projects such as installing an aerator to improve the water quality in Killarney Lake located in my constituency. Will the Liberals commit today to support Canada's recreational fishers and start accepting proposals for this very worthwhile program?
Mr. Speaker, we thank the committee, including the member for Drummond, for the report. We will give it careful consideration.Our two official languages are at the heart of Canada's history and identity. Air Canada must respect both the letter and the spirit of the Official Languages Act. The application of the Official Languages Act is a priority for our government. We are working with the Minister of Transport to ensure that Air Canada is meeting its obligations under the Official Languages Act. We take this whole issue very seriously.
Mr. Speaker, under the government's watch, the dream of home ownership has been slipping away from thousands of Canadians. High prices, new mortgage rules, and new regulations all make home ownership less affordable. Now media reports say that the Liberal government is planning a new national building code that will impose higher costs on new homebuyers and existing homeowners as well. When will the government realize that every time it adds a new regulation, it increases costs and reduces choices? When is the government going to stop punishing homebuyers?
Mr. Speaker, of course we take these problems very seriously. We have invested and taken a vast number of measures to resolve the problems associated with the Phoenix pay system. Because I know the hon. member shares my belief that we must fix these problems, I am sure he will join me in asking one of these Harper cabinet ministers how they could have left us with such a fiasco. Maybe he will ask the leader of the opposition why these Harper senators now want to slink away from the problem they helped cause.
Mr. Speaker, our government is taking action to protect the privacy of Canadians. As mentioned by the member opposite, Equifax recently confirmed a cyber-attack that resulted in a data security breach. We are obviously working very closely with the Privacy Commissioner. As I mentioned, the Privacy Commissioner understands the steps our government has taken to strengthen the provisions for consumers. That is why we recently published draft regulations and amendments under PIPEDA. We will continue to take steps to make sure that consumers and small businesses have their privacy protected, because it important for our government and important as we move forward in this new digital economy.
Mr. Speaker, it is important for Canadians to know, even if the opposition does not want to hear it, that this government believes firmly in the role that Canada will play in peacekeeping operations. That is why we committed a half a billion dollars and 600 troops to re-engage in peacekeeping operations. Our women, peace, and security agenda is an important part of that commitment. We will make sure that women in Canada and around the world play a role in military and civilian peacekeeping operations.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have had two years to fix it and have done nothing. Let me read part of a letter that the Minister of Revenue sent to someone with type 1 diabetes who was refused the disability tax credit. The minister wrote: The CRA...made a change to the questionnaire it sends to medical practitioners. The questionnaire now sets out more clearly the information the CRA needs to determine if an individual meets the DTC criteria. When I asked about the 80% who were previously approved and are now being rejected, the minister told the House that no change had been made, but in her letter she says a change was made. Which is it?
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister, just like any other minister or parliamentarian, met with the Ethics Commissioner at the very beginning of his mandate to make sure that he would follow all of the rules and all of her recommendations. He has announced that he will go even above and beyond those.What I see the Conservatives doing is everything they can not to talk about the economy. If we look back at the decade when they were in power, they had 1% growth in employment, the worst since the Second World War. If we look at the job numbers today, we have added 35,000 jobs in October. That puts us at half a million jobs created since we took office, most of them full time. I get that they do not want to talk about it, but that does not mean we should not talk about it.
Mr. Speaker, every parliamentarian is expected to work with the Ethics Commissioner, who is responsible for preserving the integrity of Parliament.That is what the Minister of Finance has always done, and that is what he continues to do. He met with the Ethics Commissioner recently and announced that he will go the extra mile.If my colleague wants numbers, I can give him some. Real GDP growth was 1.6% during the past decade when he was on this side of the House. That is the worst record in 69 years, since the time of Mackenzie King. Since we took office, real GDP growth has been 3.7%. It was dropping in 2015 and people were wondering whether we were in a recession.Now, no one is asking that question. Canada has the highest growth in the G7, and half a million jobs have been created. That is the finance minister's record.
Mr. Speaker, this government firmly believes in the important role that Canada can play in peacekeeping operations. This week, our government was proud to launch a new and ambitious national action plan for women, peace, and security. Canada's feminist foreign policy will enable women and men around the world to play an equal role, have an equal voice, and have equal rights when it comes to opportunities for safety and security. We have committed to making the involvement of women a priority in all of Canada's activities and fragile states. The action plan will ensure that gender equality will never be an afterthought.Women's rights are human rights, and we stand by that.
Mr. Speaker, quite frankly, those members are making this up. We are in a national public health crisis. Unlike the members opposite, we are bringing forward solutions to deal with this crisis and responding in a way that is comprehensive, compassionate, and evidence based.While we have made it very clear that we plan to legalize, strictly regulate, and restrict access to cannabis in a careful way to keep it out of the hands of children and youth and to stop criminals from profiting, we have been equally clear that we are not considering legalizing any other substances.We will continue to work with our partners to bring forward innovative solutions to battle the opioid crisis and to save lives.
Mr. Speaker, we could all have a little more confidence in the truth of that statement if the finance minister would just come clean about the holdings he is sheltering in his vast network of numbered companies and trust funds.It took investigative journalists to find out that he was hiding $20 million of holdings in Morneau Shepell, a financial company that he regulates, and a financial company on which he very carefully avoided imposing any new taxes.Will the finance minister tell Canadians what holdings he is hiding in his numbered companies and trust funds, so they can know that he is acting in their interest and not his own?
Mr. Speaker, with respect to insulin therapy, the CRA has confirmed that a new direction was given at the beginning of May. This unannounced change has resulted in hundreds of type 1 diabetics receiving less money, amounting to hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of dollars. As a doctor who has treated patients with diabetes, I am confident in saying that my physician colleagues are better qualified to decide who should be receiving these benefits than CRA bureaucrats. People are suffering and the minister has the power to make it stop. My simple question is: Will the minister immediately issue a directive to her department to revert back to the April 30 policy?
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to stand in the House and share with members what we are doing for recreational fishers from coast to coast to coast. In fact, I met with recreational fishers just this week, and I was able to share with them the fact that we are investing in coastal restoration. We are putting money into implementing the wild salmon policy. We are making sure that the Cohen commission recommendations are done, 32 last year, and up to 64 out of the 75 now.For far too long, Canadians were tired of a government that took our oceans and waterways for granted. That is why this government is making sure that we protect the resource for the benefit of future generations.
Mr. Speaker, despite the Liberals' promises to be more open and transparent, what we have is an Information Commissioner who is getting a growing number of complaints for requests for information that are being denied before Bill C-58 is even passed by the House. It is completely unacceptable. The bill has not even become law yet. However, the commissioner is proposing amendments to improve the bill.Will the Liberals keep their promises and work with us, the NDP, and with the Information Commissioner to truly improve access to information?
Mr. Speaker, of course we have always worked closely with our federal public service union partners. We respect our federal employees, and we are working to resolve the problems with the Phoenix pay system. We have invested huge sums of money and human resources, we have created satellite pay centres, and we have done much more to solve this problem. We will solve this problem.
Mr. Speaker, the minister keeps repeating that his government is the first in 30 years to make improvements to access to information. However, the Information Commissioner was very clear when she said the Liberals' Bill C-58 is regressive and that the status quo would be better than what the Liberals are proposing, meaning that Stephen Harper's government was more open and accountable than the current government. Canadians were promised more accountability and transparency. Will the government work with us and help themselves by actually keeping an election promise?
Mr. Speaker, acting in the interests of Canadians was lowering taxes for nine million Canadians, lowering taxes for small businesses from 10.5% to 9%, helping 300,000 kids be lifted out of poverty with the Canada child benefit, and growing this economy at the fastest pace in the G7, something the Conservatives were never able to achieve. That is working in the interests of Canadians. That is Conservatives playing politics. That is Liberals working for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, well, the PBO says that growth will drop to 1.6% next year, which is not exactly fulfilling Liberal promises. During the last election, the Liberal Party released a great literary work of fiction called Real Change. Perhaps a better title would have been Surreal Change. On page 3 of that great masterpiece, the Prime Minister asserted that transparent government is good government. Transparent government means a government open to public scrutiny.When will his finance minister finally walk the walk and live up to every single election promise and reveal all of his personal holdings in every single one of his numbered companies?
Mr. Speaker, the member is still missing the point, but this is nothing new. When we talk about ethics and integrity, the Prime Minister tells us that his ministers are following the rules. The $200 fine paid by his Minister of Finance proves otherwise. The Prime Minister's trip to the Aga Khan also proves otherwise. One of the problems is the legal framework around the rules. This limits the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner's scope of action. Instead of finding ways to get around the rules, why does the Prime Minister not agree to strengthen the legislation?
Mr. Speaker, in the wake of the Chalk River nuclear disaster, 300 brave volunteers committed themselves to cleaning up radioactive material in their community. After several days of tireless effort and maximum exposure to radiation, the military showed up to help finish the job. Those military heroes have since received compensation for radiation exposure, yet nothing has been done for those local heroes who stepped up when their community needed them. Will the government compensate the volunteers who went above and beyond to help after the Chalk River disaster?
Mr. Speaker, four temporary foreign workers have won the right to a class action suit against Mac's and the immigration consultant companies owned by Kuldeep Bansal. The migrant workers paid as much as $8,500 to Bansal to obtain jobs with Mac's, only to arrive in Canada and find that those jobs did not exist. An FOI revealed that LMIAs were issued for 486 positions for Mac's. The CBSA has investigated this case for five years and recommends that charges be laid. Why has the government not acted on the recommendations of the CBSA?
Mr. Speaker, the law is the law, but the finance minister's motto seems to be, do as I say, not as I do. The purpose of the Conflict of Interest Act is to prevent any abuse by people who may have something to hide in numbered companies, for example. In this case, the Minister of Finance really seems to believe that he is above the law, as though the law does not apply to people like him and the Prime Minister.How many other numbered companies does the Minister of Finance own, and what is he hiding in them?
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, privacy is very important to this government, particularly with respect to the digital economy and the fact that we have more data available. We want to make sure that data is managed in a way that respects the concerns that consumers may have. That is why we recently published draft regulations for amendments made to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, or PIPEDA. We believe that this will empower consumers and encourage businesses to have better security practices.These are the steps we are taking to protect consumers.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Don Valley North for his incredible advocacy for young people in his riding and all across Canada.As a former nuclear chemist, he knows that Canada's prosperity depends on young Canadians getting the skills and experience they need to prepare for the jobs of today and tomorrow.We have listened to students and to post-secondary institutions, and that is why we are creating up to 60,000 new paid student work placements over the next five years. That is 60,000 more work experiences that will put our young people on the path to success.
Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadian men and women have an important role to play on the international stage. When it comes to peacekeeping operations, Canadians will play a leadership role in building a more peaceful world.
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure my hon. colleague that the Minister of Finance has always done what all MPs do, by working with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner to make sure he is always fully transparent with her and follows the rules.The Minister of Finance has always followed the Ethics Commissioner's recommendations, and he announced that he would go even further to make sure he can continue the important work he does for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, we understand the critical importance of forestry to the economies of eastern and western Canada as a source of jobs, prosperity, and opportunity.We are acutely aware of the threat that forest pests, like the mountain pine beetle, emerald ash borer, and spruce budworm, pose to Canada's forests. In budget 2016, we invested $87 million to support scientific research and infrastructure, including funding to combat destructive forest pests such as spruce bud worm and mountain pine beetle.We are working closely with our partners, provinces, universities, and industry, all with a common goal of finding a solution to this problem.
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the House that our government is absolutely committed to ensuring that all Canadians receive the credits and benefits they are entitled to. We are moving forward with a national disability act that would remove barriers and improve access for all Canadians who live with diabetes. We have made the disability tax credit more accessible than ever before. We have simplified the forms required to apply for the credit. We have added nurse practitioners to complete the applications for their patients. We have just started, and we will continue to focus on supporting the most vulnerable in our country.
Mr. Speaker, when the Minister of Finance announced his tax increases on small businesses and family farmers over the summer, he was meticulous in sheltering his assets from any higher taxes. If we only knew what holdings he had, we would know what taxes he will not raise. However, we do not know what holdings he has because he is hiding them in a myriad of numbered companies.Will the finance minister tell us what holdings he is hiding in these numbered companies, so Canadians can surmise the small list of taxes that he will not raise?
Mr. Speaker, these past few months, I have had the great opportunity to visit with many students and employers in my riding of Don Valley North through the Canada summer jobs program. Even though summer has come to an end and students are back in the classroom, young Canadians across the country are continuing to look for ways to put their skills to use, and learn new ones in the workplace.Could the minister update the House on other ways that we are supporting students gaining skills and work experience throughout the school year?
Mr. Speaker, I believe the hon. member obviously is interested in Bill C-58, our government's landmark legislation to modernize Canada's Access to Information Act. This is really important, because for 30 years governments have talked about modernizing access to information but have not done it. The Conservatives promised it in 2006. They did not do anything. In fact, they were the only government in the history of the British Commonwealth to be found in contempt of Parliament for not providing information. Our government is raising the bar after 10 years of darkness under the Conservatives.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has nothing to hide. He has always worked with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner with the greatest transparency to make sure he is in full compliance with the rules that guide us in the House, and that govern us as ministers, as parliamentary secretaries and as members. He will continue to do so, and that is why he has decided to go further by divesting himself of his shares in Morneau Shepell, placing all of his assets in a blind trust, and donating the difference in value of his assets from the day he was elected to today. This Minister of Finance has been brilliantly serving Canadians for two years and has managed to accomplish more in those two years than the Conservatives ever did in 10.
Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on Official Languages tabled a report yesterday that calls on the government to give the Commissioner of Official Languages greater powers to enforce the law.That was suggested by our former commissioner, Graham Fraser. It is clear to him and to the committee that we cannot simply rely on the willingness of institutions and Air Canada. The commissioner's current powers are definitely inadequate.Will the government act on the committee's recommendations for once and strengthen the commissioner's powers?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from AuroraOak RidgesRichmond Hill for her question.Our government is deeply committed to gender equality and combatting gender-based violence. The former Conservative government ignored women's rights groups, it ignored experts, and it ignored immigrant women's groups, which denounced the conditional permanent residency as a wrongheaded policy that trapped vulnerable women in abusive relationships. No survivor should ever feel afraid to come forward. That is why I am proud that on this side of the House we have fully eliminated conditional permanent residency.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has always worked with the Ethics Commissioner and will continue to do so with full transparency to make sure he is following the rules. He has announced that he will go even further by divesting himself of his shares in Morneau Shepell and placing all of his assets in a blind trust so he can continue the important work he does for Canadians. He has been doing this work very successfully for the past two years, which has led to the strongest growth in 10 yearsmuch stronger than anything the Conservatives achieved for Canadians during their 10 years in office.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians across the country remember the contribution of Lester B. Pearson toward peacekeeping. We are proud of our history and the role we played in peacekeeping operations. We know that Canada
Mr. Speaker, the institution responsible for preserving the integrity of Parliament, an institution that we have the utmost faith in and the greatest respect for, is the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.The Minister of Finance has always worked with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner and he continues to work with her to ensure that he continues to act on her recommendations and go even further to have the full confidence of Canadians and continue the important work he does for all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, we hear the concerns of stakeholders in the francophone cultural industry. We want to reassure them and remind them of the historic investments we have made to support our francophone culture.That is why we invested heavily in arts and culture. We invested over $2.2 billion in the Canada Media Fund to support French-language television, and we invested $675 million in Radio-Canada. These investments are having a real impact on the lives of our artists.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today pursuant to Standing Order 69.1 in regard to omnibus bills. The Standing Order reads: In the case where a government bill seeks to repeal, amend or enact more than one act, and where there is not a common element connecting the various provisions or where unrelated matters are linked, the Speaker shall have the power to divide the questions, for the purposes of voting, on the motion for second reading and reference to a committee and the motion for third reading and passage of the bill. The Speaker shall have the power to combine clauses of the bill thematically and to put the aforementioned questions on each of these groups of clauses separately, provided that there will be a single debate at each stage. I point your attention now to a recently introduced omnibus budget implementation act. The proposal was tabled in the House of Commons on October 27, 2017. That act combines a number of unrelated provisions that were not included in the original budget presentation. The long title is the first clue: A second Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 22, 2017 and other measures. The summary notes indicate that the bill also implements a GST/HST measure announced on September 8, 2017. Other items include the income tax amendments, part 1, related to farmers and fishers selling to cooperatives; part 3's amendments to the Excise Act related to beer made from concentrate; division 5 of part 5, which amends the Bank of Canada Act concerning loans and advances made to members of the Canadian Payments Association; division 11 of part 5, which makes a series of amendments to the Judges Act; and division 13 of part 5, which amends the Financial Administration Act in respect of payments to discharge a debt.Returning to the original Standing Order I cited at the outset, you, as Speaker, have the ability to break this bill into separate bills if its various provisions concern unrelated matters and if they are then linked in the same bill. Clearly, the matters I have just mentioned, their merits or demerits notwithstanding, are not directly related to each another. For example, the Judges Act is not related to the Financial Administration Act, the Judges Act is not related to the Excise Act, and the Bank of Canada Act is not related directly to the Income Tax Act. Therefore, the bill combines a number of different acts in one single bill, which gives you, Mr. Speaker, the power to separate the various component parts of the act.In fairness to the government, there is an exception to that role. Under 69.1 of the Standing Orders, budget implementation roles can be excluded from the Speaker's power to divide a bill that contains numerous unrelated parts. Standing Order 69.1(2) reads: The present Standing Order shall not apply if the bill has as its main purpose the implementation of a budget and contains only provisions that were announced in the budget presentation or in the documents tabled during the budget presentation. I have just finished listing at least five provisions that were included in the omnibus budget implementation act but were not included in the original budget presentation. Therefore, this BIA and its component parts are not exempt from the Speaker's authority to divide into separate bills matters that are unrelated to one other but, nevertheless, were introduced as one piece of legislation.There is another matter that was included in the budget implementation bill that was not fully included in the original budget presentation. I refer now to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. As I said at the outset, the Standing Order calls for bills to be separated into their component parts if a provision in a budget implementation bill had not been fully present in the original budget presentation. Now, the budget presentation did provide for funding for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. However, it did not provide for the same amount of money that was later included in the budget implementation bill. Let me quote directly from the presentation the minister made on March 22, 2017: Budget 2017 proposes to invest $256 million over five years for Canada to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). It was $256 million. That was the provision the government made for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in the budget presentation of last March. However, the legislation introduced just last week has a different and much larger provision. It provides for an amount of not more than $375 million U.S., which equals $480 million Canadian.The word provision comes from the root word provide. The original budget presentation would provide $256 million. This omnibus budget bill provides $480 million. In other words, there is roughly $230 million provided in the budget implementation bill that was not provided in the original budget presentation. In other words, the BIA, the omnibus budget bill, attempts to provide something that was not provided for at the outset. Therefore, it is not exempt from your powers, Mr. Speaker, to divide the bill up in separate component parts so that the measures can be debated on their separate merits.The government has introduced a very complex web of legislative amendments to the statutes of Canada that are unrelated and disconnected, all in one single bill, after having promised to end omnibus bills forever. The government also gave you, Mr. Speaker, the power to end those omnibus bills for them. I described how you can use that power and why it would be appropriate to do so in this particular case.Let me say, on behalf of the official opposition, that while we are concerned that the government has broken its promise to end all omnibus bills, we are not particularly troubled by the fact that some of these measures are being voted on together.It is your power to divide them up, but it is not necessarily of substantive importance to us that all of them be divided up, if the Speaker were to find that it would be in the interest of efficiency for them to be voted on and debated together. Some of these measures would not be troublesome to marry into one such vote and one such debate, except one. That one is the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. It is particularly important, and its quiet and surreptitious inclusion in this bill is particularly concerning for multiple reasons.First, in less than half a year, the amount the government wants to spend on this initiative has gone up by almost 100%. Originally it was $250 million; now it is almost half a billion dollars. That is an eye-popping increase in an expense for a new initiative on which no Canadian government has ever spent money in the past. Less than a year ago, the Government of Canada was committed to spending zero on this initiative. Then it was $250 million, and now, quietly, that amount has been raised to half a billion dollars.The second reason why this is particularly objectionable to the official opposition is this. The government is behind on all of its commitments to build infrastructure in Canada. Now it is proposing to spend Canadian tax dollars to build infrastructure in another continent. In fact, the legislation that the government proposes is explicit, that the purpose is to build infrastructure in a different continent than our own.Let me read directly from the bill that the government tabled. It states: The purpose of the Bank shall be to: (i) foster sustainable economic development, create wealth and improve infrastructure connectivity in Asia by investing in infrastructure and other productive sectors; It then defines Asia not to include Canada, it goes without saying, which means that this half billion dollars will be paid by Canadians but will not be spent to their benefit. This very unusual use of infrastructure money is worthy of some debate on the floor of this House of Commons, particularly given the fact that, prior to even implementing the initiative, it is almost 100% over budget.Therefore, we call upon you to exercise the legitimate authorities vested in you by the Standing Orders, in particular Standing Orders 69.1(1) and 69.1(2), to divide the Asian infrastructure bank from the rest of the budget implementation act, so that Canadians can witness a debate in this chamber on the merits of sending a half a billion dollars to build infrastructure in Asia, and on the merits of giving loans and loan guarantees to extremely wealthy titans of finance on the world stage, all at the expense of Canadian taxpayers.So far, the House has had no stand-alone debate on this massive new and unprecedented expenditure. The government seems to want to keep it that way by burying this measure at the back of a very large omnibus bill, making no mention of it either in the minister's original speech in the House of Commons or in subsequent ministerial declarations that we have been able to find in the Hansard record. It is clear that the government did not want this measure to even be noticed. That is why it was buried, almost like a secret, at the back of the bill. You now have the authority to remedy that problem, to separate out this section, and allow Canadians to debate this half-billion dollar expenditure on the floor of the House of Commons and at committee, and then to exercise the will of all of our constituents by voting on it here in this chamber and then later in the other place. Therefore, we call upon you, Speaker, to exercise the powers vested in you in the Standing Orders to uphold the principle of no taxation without representation. That is, Canadians must have the ability to rely on Parliament to approve every expenditure that the government taxes fund, independently and separately from other matters, and to instill a sense of integrity in the budget process so that all Canadians can have confidence in how their money is spent.
Mr. Speaker, as I said a moment ago, energy efficiency offers a significant opportunity to help realize Canada's obligations to address climate change while supporting economic growth and the health of Canadians. We are working with our provincial and territorial partners to modernize existing building codes by 2022. Investments like our $2 billion low-carbon economy fund will help support provincial and territorial energy efficiency projects that will generate clean growth and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We are working to build a clean energy future by investing in innovation and delivering economic growth and clean jobs while protecting the environment.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance worked with the Ethics Commissioner to ensure that he is following her recommendations and the rules of the House. He will continue to do so and has announced that he would do even more.What the Minister of Finance did was something that the Conservatives and Prime Minister Stephen Harper, whom my colleague from Louis-Saint-Laurent admires so, never managed to do. The Minister of Finance has managed to to grow our economy and create more than half a million jobs.According to the latest figures, 18,000 new jobs were added in Quebec in October. We are proud of this record, and that is not a claim they can make. I understand that they do not want to talk about the economy, but that does not mean that we should not.
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, we are the government that has been working extremely hard for the last two years to ensure that the DTC is accessible to Canadians who are entitled to it. We have done so by simplifying the disability tax credit forms, by allowing nurse practitioners to certify the DTC forms, by working with medical practitioners to ensure they have all the resources to assist their patients with the DTC, and by rehiring nurses at the front lines of the review process. We have just started, and let me assure Canadians that we will continue to work hard for the most vulnerable in our country.
Mr. Speaker, we are the first government in 34 years to act to modernize access to information. In fact, we are the first government to provide the Information Commissioner with real order-making power. We are applying the act, through proactive disclosure, to ministers' offices and the Prime Minister's office. We are applying the act to 240 federal entities, from the courts to the ports. This is a significant advancement. We are raising the bar on the transparency and openness of government, and we will continue to do so.
Mr. Speaker, the government promised a 600-member peacekeeping mission for the United Nations. It has had three trips to Mali for reconnaissance. It has spent thousands of hours planning for a mission to Mali. It has consulted both France and the U.S. on this mission. However, this week we heard we were only sending some helicopters to Mali.Will the minister confirm to the House today that Mali has been ruled out for Canada's UN peacekeeping mission?
We have to go that far back?
Mr. Speaker, the former Atomic Energy Canada Limited employees who assisted with the cleanup of the NRU reactor in the 1950s played a critical and important role, and we do thank them very much for their service. We understand that those employees and their families are working to have their contributions recognized. We are aware of the Senate motion brought forward last year. At this time, while there is no program similar to the atomic veterans recognition program, our department is continuing to consider the motion and is looking at how we can move forward to recognize the contributions of these individuals.
Mr. Speaker, energy efficiency offers a significant opportunity to help realize Canada's obligations to address climate change while supporting economic growth and the health of Canadians. We are working with our provincial and territorial partners to develop a model code for existing buildings by 2022. This code, which provinces and territories can adopt, would help guide energy efficiency improvements. Investments like our $2 billion low-carbon economy fund will help support provincial and territorial energy efficiency projects that will generate clean growth and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We are working to build a clean energy future.
Mr. Speaker, we have taken concrete to steps to correct the temporary foreign workers program. Part of that is strengthening the LMIAs, the labour market impact assessments, that ensure employers are doing a thorough job of hiring Canadians first and then proving the need for temporary foreign workers. We have also implemented new on-site inspections. We are working on a regime to ensure that all temporary foreign workers have their human dignity and their rights respected.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. It is the practice of this House that when members inadvertently misspeak they have an opportunity to correct the record. On October 31, the Minister of National Revenue stated there was no change with respect to the disability tax credit. Therefore, I would like to seek unanimous consent to table this letter where she clearly states there was a change.
Mr. Speaker, this week we were proud to announce an ambitious action plan for gender equality in the peace and security sector. Our feminist foreign policy will allow women and men the world over to speak with equal voices, have equal rights, and live in security
Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times before, the Minister of Finance has the utmost respect for the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. He has always worked with her with the greatest transparency since he took office. He has followed her recommendations to ensure full compliance with the rules that govern us.Last week, he announced that he would go further by divesting himself of his shares in Morneau Shepell and by placing all his shares in a blind trust so that he could continue serving Canadians as he has been so successfully doing for two years, with strong economic growth. Also, today, he announced the creation of 35,000 new jobs in Canada, including an additional 18,000 for Quebec in October.
Mr. Speaker, we are the first government in more than 30 years to modernize the Access to Information Act. As I said in my first speech on Bill C-58, our intention is to raise the bar for openness and transparency. We are open to amendments for improving the bill and we look forward to working will all hon. members to improve this bill. We will continue to raise the bar
Mr. Speaker, we understand the concerns of the francophone cultural sector.We want to reassure and remind the cultural community of the historic investments we have made to support francophone culture. We have made massive investments in arts and culture, over $2.2 billion to be precise. We have reinvested in the Canada media fund to support French-language television and committed $675 million to CBC/Radio-Canada. These investments have a tangible impact on our artists' lives.
Mr. Speaker, the recognition of rights, and in particular the inherent right to self-government and the right to self-determination, is fundamental to advancing reconciliation in Canada.Could the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs update the House on the concrete measures Canada is taking with its indigenous partners to promote self-determination and facilitate self-government?
Mr. Speaker, we are proud to have approved more than 4,000 projects since taking office, with a combined investment of more than $35 billion. Federal investments are enabling these projects to move forward. As the hon. member would know, the federal contribution is not paid until the expense claims are submitted by our partners.We will continue to work with our partners to move their priorities forward and provide the flexibility necessary to meet these requirements.
Mr. Speaker, we know that good governance and self-determination are the most important factors in a community's economic and social health.This past summer, we signed the Agreement on the Cree Nation Governance, a nation-to-nation agreement based on our partnership and respect for the traditional Cree way of life. The agreement is an important step in expanding the governance system from the earlier agreement.
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister has always been transparent and forthcoming with the Ethics Commissioner. From the very beginning, he has followed all of the rules and all of her recommendations, just like any other minister or parliamentarian is expected to do. On this side of the House, we respect the work of the Ethics Commissioner, we respect her recommendations, and we will always work with the Ethic Commissioner to make sure that we live up to the highest standards.
Mr. Speaker, our government is a strong proponent of supply management and supports producers and their families. We are pleased to have invested $350 million in the industry in order to modernize and innovate producers' and processors' facilities. Our government will continue to defend our supply management system.
Mr. Speaker, during question period, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance often talks about the Conservative government's record. In order to set the record straight for Canadians, I seek the consent of the House to table the following document from the Bank of Canada. It is a speech given by the Governor of the Bank of Canada, which reads: ...the countrys economic prospects have improved since the crisis....In fact, coming out of the recession, Canada is a leader among the G-7 countries.
Most negative speeches
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister has always been transparent and forthcoming with the Ethics Commissioner. He has always followed the rules and followed the recommendations, and he has announced he will go even above and beyond.I understand why the Conservatives do not want to talk about the economy and prefer to talk about the finance minister. If we remember, and I will give the number, 1.6% was the real annual GDP growth for a decade. That was the worst since Mackenzie King, the worst in 69 years. Let us compare that to today, when Canada is growing its economy at the fastest pace in the G7, and it is 3.7% over the last year. That is what we are doing.That is, again, Conservatives playing politics, and Liberals working for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I am also shocked by another revelation. We have a Liberal government that wants to legalize marijuana, and yesterday we learned that the Liberals may be planning to decriminalize all drugs. In my clinic, kids are asking, Is it okay to do drugs now? Young Canadians know drugs are bad for them. The Liberal drug policy is damaging to Canadians, especially to Canadian kids. Could the minister confirm if decriminalizing hard drugs is Liberal policy, and what dangerous drugs are on that list?
Mr. Speaker, acting in the interests of Canadians was lowering taxes for nine million Canadians, lowering taxes for small businesses from 10.5% to 9%, helping 300,000 kids be lifted out of poverty with the Canada child benefit, and growing this economy at the fastest pace in the G7, something the Conservatives were never able to achieve. That is working in the interests of Canadians. That is Conservatives playing politics. That is Liberals working for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, we thank the committee, including the member for Drummond, for the report. We will give it careful consideration.Our two official languages are at the heart of Canada's history and identity. Air Canada must respect both the letter and the spirit of the Official Languages Act. The application of the Official Languages Act is a priority for our government. We are working with the Minister of Transport to ensure that Air Canada is meeting its obligations under the Official Languages Act. We take this whole issue very seriously.
Mr. Speaker, we understand the critical importance of forestry to the economies of eastern and western Canada as a source of jobs, prosperity, and opportunity.We are acutely aware of the threat that forest pests, like the mountain pine beetle, emerald ash borer, and spruce budworm, pose to Canada's forests. In budget 2016, we invested $87 million to support scientific research and infrastructure, including funding to combat destructive forest pests such as spruce bud worm and mountain pine beetle.We are working closely with our partners, provinces, universities, and industry, all with a common goal of finding a solution to this problem.
Mr. Speaker, at yesterday's meeting of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, the minister sought to defend Netflix by trotting out the same old empty phrases, bogus arguments, and tired lines.Instead of standing up for Quebec creators, the minister chose to go after any parliamentarian who had the gall to disagree with her. I have some news for the Minister of Canadian Heritage: contrary to what she seems to think, singling out Netflix for a tax break its rivals do not get is a tax policy.Why the preferential treatment?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from AuroraOak RidgesRichmond Hill for her question.Our government is deeply committed to gender equality and combatting gender-based violence. The former Conservative government ignored women's rights groups, it ignored experts, and it ignored immigrant women's groups, which denounced the conditional permanent residency as a wrongheaded policy that trapped vulnerable women in abusive relationships. No survivor should ever feel afraid to come forward. That is why I am proud that on this side of the House we have fully eliminated conditional permanent residency.
Mr. Speaker, I mentioned Mali three or four times in my earlier question, but what was absent from that answer was Mali.The past platitudes of the government never match their present performance. We remember that Canada is back rhetoric. Well, Canada is back at the bottom of UN peacekeepers right now around the world. We are back to cutting the military back to the decade of darkness under the Chrétien government.When will the member stand in the House and let us know where we are sending our troops?
Mr. Speaker, every parliamentarian is expected to work with the Ethics Commissioner, who is responsible for preserving the integrity of Parliament.That is what the Minister of Finance has always done, and that is what he continues to do. He met with the Ethics Commissioner recently and announced that he will go the extra mile.If my colleague wants numbers, I can give him some. Real GDP growth was 1.6% during the past decade when he was on this side of the House. That is the worst record in 69 years, since the time of Mackenzie King. Since we took office, real GDP growth has been 3.7%. It was dropping in 2015 and people were wondering whether we were in a recession.Now, no one is asking that question. Canada has the highest growth in the G7, and half a million jobs have been created. That is the finance minister's record.
Mr. Speaker, when the Minister of Finance announced his tax increases on small businesses and family farmers over the summer, he was meticulous in sheltering his assets from any higher taxes. If we only knew what holdings he had, we would know what taxes he will not raise. However, we do not know what holdings he has because he is hiding them in a myriad of numbered companies.Will the finance minister tell us what holdings he is hiding in these numbered companies, so Canadians can surmise the small list of taxes that he will not raise?
Mr. Speaker, the government promised a 600-member peacekeeping mission for the United Nations. It has had three trips to Mali for reconnaissance. It has spent thousands of hours planning for a mission to Mali. It has consulted both France and the U.S. on this mission. However, this week we heard we were only sending some helicopters to Mali.Will the minister confirm to the House today that Mali has been ruled out for Canada's UN peacekeeping mission?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance was so nice to the Ethics Commissioner that he was found guilty and made to pay a $200 fine.Two years ago, the Minister of Finance said that he would put his shares in a blind trust, but he never did. He also said that he did not have a controlling interest in Morneau Shepell, but that he had a controlling interest in a company that controlled the former. He was playing semantics. He forgot to mention that he had a villa in Provence, until the CBC brought it to light.This minister takes action only after he is caught red-handed. In fact, he was again caught red-handed with his numbered companies.When will the Minister of Finance finally tell Canadians the truth?
Mr. Speaker, the former Conservative government implemented a policy called conditional permanent residency. This policy required sponsored partners to live with their sponsors for at least two years in order to maintain their status in Canada, forcing those who were experiencing domestic violence or sexual abuse to stay silent or risk losing their status. This put vulnerable spouses, especially women, at risk of additional abuse and violence.Could the minister update the House on what our government is doing to support newcomer women who are being trapped by this Conservative policy?
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, we are the government that has been working extremely hard for the last two years to ensure that the DTC is accessible to Canadians who are entitled to it. We have done so by simplifying the disability tax credit forms, by allowing nurse practitioners to certify the DTC forms, by working with medical practitioners to ensure they have all the resources to assist their patients with the DTC, and by rehiring nurses at the front lines of the review process. We have just started, and let me assure Canadians that we will continue to work hard for the most vulnerable in our country.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are doing everything they can to keep their secrets under wraps. The finance minister hid details of his offshore companies and assets from the Ethics Commissioner while making decisions about companies he owns and regulates. He got caught and she fined him. He is in multiple conflicts, including with legislation, a government loan, and at least one tax treaty. It seems that other ministers are in the same mess.When will the Liberals come clean with Canadians? What else are they trying to hide?
Mr. Speaker, we will be talking about access again. After trying to pull a fast one on small businesses with their tax reform, the Liberals are trying to save themselves a few bucks at the expense of families of people with autism and people with type 1 diabetes. If they really want to find more cash, they should just go look in the Minister of Finance's pockets. Why did the Minister of National Revenue say that she knew nothing and that nothing had happened? Funnily enough, a letter that she signed shows that she has been ignoring doctors' advice since May.When will the minister get control of her department, and when will she restore the tax credit for courageous Canadians with incurable diseases?
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister misled Canadians by hiding his assets from the Ethics Commissioner. He made millions off the company he regulates. He broke the law. Now he is hiding from Canadians his assets in multiple numbered companies.What does this minister have to hide? Why will he not disclose his assets?
Mr. Speaker, hundreds of soldiers at CFB Valcartier back home are currently on standby waiting to find out if they will be deployed to Africa or elsewhere.This week we learned that six helicopters would be sent to Mali. It was the media that informed us. The minister has said nothing about it. The minister went on three reconnaissance missions in Africa. Officers at headquarters in Ottawa lost two years making plans. We are still being kept in the dark.Are we sending troops to Mali or not?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government has taken Canada out of the fight against ISIS. It has eliminated the office of religious freedom. Now we learn that Canada's peacekeeping efforts are at an all-time low. We know that in Iraq today, Christians are still being killed simply for their belief.When will the Liberal government wake up to the plight of Christians in the Middle East and take concrete action towards stopping this genocide?
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister got fined exactly because he did not follow the rules. The Information Commissioner said that it is harder to get information out of the current government than any other before.The reality is that the finance minister used his power to enrich himself and his family's company. He is still hiding other assets within different holding companies, and there are other ministers in the same conflict, but the Liberals will not say who or how many, and the Prime Minister says there is nothing wrong.The Liberals talk a lot about sunshine, but why are they still keeping Canadians in the dark?
Mr. Speaker, of course we take these problems very seriously. We have invested and taken a vast number of measures to resolve the problems associated with the Phoenix pay system. Because I know the hon. member shares my belief that we must fix these problems, I am sure he will join me in asking one of these Harper cabinet ministers how they could have left us with such a fiasco. Maybe he will ask the leader of the opposition why these Harper senators now want to slink away from the problem they helped cause.
Mr. Speaker, we have taken concrete to steps to correct the temporary foreign workers program. Part of that is strengthening the LMIAs, the labour market impact assessments, that ensure employers are doing a thorough job of hiring Canadians first and then proving the need for temporary foreign workers. We have also implemented new on-site inspections. We are working on a regime to ensure that all temporary foreign workers have their human dignity and their rights respected.
Mr. Speaker, we hear the concerns of stakeholders in the francophone cultural industry. We want to reassure them and remind them of the historic investments we have made to support our francophone culture.That is why we invested heavily in arts and culture. We invested over $2.2 billion in the Canada Media Fund to support French-language television, and we invested $675 million in Radio-Canada. These investments are having a real impact on the lives of our artists.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House once again to ask the Minister of Natural Resources about his plans to stop the pine beetle from attacking our forests. Last year alone, the beetle increased tenfold. Even though science and research has been done, the beetle has moved from Jasper Park into central Alberta and is heading east. All of Canada's pine forests are at risk. We need financial assistance to cull the trees. What is the Liberal government doing to stop this infestation?
Mr. Speaker, I rise today pursuant to Standing Order 69.1 in regard to omnibus bills. The Standing Order reads: In the case where a government bill seeks to repeal, amend or enact more than one act, and where there is not a common element connecting the various provisions or where unrelated matters are linked, the Speaker shall have the power to divide the questions, for the purposes of voting, on the motion for second reading and reference to a committee and the motion for third reading and passage of the bill. The Speaker shall have the power to combine clauses of the bill thematically and to put the aforementioned questions on each of these groups of clauses separately, provided that there will be a single debate at each stage. I point your attention now to a recently introduced omnibus budget implementation act. The proposal was tabled in the House of Commons on October 27, 2017. That act combines a number of unrelated provisions that were not included in the original budget presentation. The long title is the first clue: A second Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 22, 2017 and other measures. The summary notes indicate that the bill also implements a GST/HST measure announced on September 8, 2017. Other items include the income tax amendments, part 1, related to farmers and fishers selling to cooperatives; part 3's amendments to the Excise Act related to beer made from concentrate; division 5 of part 5, which amends the Bank of Canada Act concerning loans and advances made to members of the Canadian Payments Association; division 11 of part 5, which makes a series of amendments to the Judges Act; and division 13 of part 5, which amends the Financial Administration Act in respect of payments to discharge a debt.Returning to the original Standing Order I cited at the outset, you, as Speaker, have the ability to break this bill into separate bills if its various provisions concern unrelated matters and if they are then linked in the same bill. Clearly, the matters I have just mentioned, their merits or demerits notwithstanding, are not directly related to each another. For example, the Judges Act is not related to the Financial Administration Act, the Judges Act is not related to the Excise Act, and the Bank of Canada Act is not related directly to the Income Tax Act. Therefore, the bill combines a number of different acts in one single bill, which gives you, Mr. Speaker, the power to separate the various component parts of the act.In fairness to the government, there is an exception to that role. Under 69.1 of the Standing Orders, budget implementation roles can be excluded from the Speaker's power to divide a bill that contains numerous unrelated parts. Standing Order 69.1(2) reads: The present Standing Order shall not apply if the bill has as its main purpose the implementation of a budget and contains only provisions that were announced in the budget presentation or in the documents tabled during the budget presentation. I have just finished listing at least five provisions that were included in the omnibus budget implementation act but were not included in the original budget presentation. Therefore, this BIA and its component parts are not exempt from the Speaker's authority to divide into separate bills matters that are unrelated to one other but, nevertheless, were introduced as one piece of legislation.There is another matter that was included in the budget implementation bill that was not fully included in the original budget presentation. I refer now to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. As I said at the outset, the Standing Order calls for bills to be separated into their component parts if a provision in a budget implementation bill had not been fully present in the original budget presentation. Now, the budget presentation did provide for funding for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. However, it did not provide for the same amount of money that was later included in the budget implementation bill. Let me quote directly from the presentation the minister made on March 22, 2017: Budget 2017 proposes to invest $256 million over five years for Canada to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). It was $256 million. That was the provision the government made for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in the budget presentation of last March. However, the legislation introduced just last week has a different and much larger provision. It provides for an amount of not more than $375 million U.S., which equals $480 million Canadian.The word provision comes from the root word provide. The original budget presentation would provide $256 million. This omnibus budget bill provides $480 million. In other words, there is roughly $230 million provided in the budget implementation bill that was not provided in the original budget presentation. In other words, the BIA, the omnibus budget bill, attempts to provide something that was not provided for at the outset. Therefore, it is not exempt from your powers, Mr. Speaker, to divide the bill up in separate component parts so that the measures can be debated on their separate merits.The government has introduced a very complex web of legislative amendments to the statutes of Canada that are unrelated and disconnected, all in one single bill, after having promised to end omnibus bills forever. The government also gave you, Mr. Speaker, the power to end those omnibus bills for them. I described how you can use that power and why it would be appropriate to do so in this particular case.Let me say, on behalf of the official opposition, that while we are concerned that the government has broken its promise to end all omnibus bills, we are not particularly troubled by the fact that some of these measures are being voted on together.It is your power to divide them up, but it is not necessarily of substantive importance to us that all of them be divided up, if the Speaker were to find that it would be in the interest of efficiency for them to be voted on and debated together. Some of these measures would not be troublesome to marry into one such vote and one such debate, except one. That one is the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. It is particularly important, and its quiet and surreptitious inclusion in this bill is particularly concerning for multiple reasons.First, in less than half a year, the amount the government wants to spend on this initiative has gone up by almost 100%. Originally it was $250 million; now it is almost half a billion dollars. That is an eye-popping increase in an expense for a new initiative on which no Canadian government has ever spent money in the past. Less than a year ago, the Government of Canada was committed to spending zero on this initiative. Then it was $250 million, and now, quietly, that amount has been raised to half a billion dollars.The second reason why this is particularly objectionable to the official opposition is this. The government is behind on all of its commitments to build infrastructure in Canada. Now it is proposing to spend Canadian tax dollars to build infrastructure in another continent. In fact, the legislation that the government proposes is explicit, that the purpose is to build infrastructure in a different continent than our own.Let me read directly from the bill that the government tabled. It states: The purpose of the Bank shall be to: (i) foster sustainable economic development, create wealth and improve infrastructure connectivity in Asia by investing in infrastructure and other productive sectors; It then defines Asia not to include Canada, it goes without saying, which means that this half billion dollars will be paid by Canadians but will not be spent to their benefit. This very unusual use of infrastructure money is worthy of some debate on the floor of this House of Commons, particularly given the fact that, prior to even implementing the initiative, it is almost 100% over budget.Therefore, we call upon you to exercise the legitimate authorities vested in you by the Standing Orders, in particular Standing Orders 69.1(1) and 69.1(2), to divide the Asian infrastructure bank from the rest of the budget implementation act, so that Canadians can witness a debate in this chamber on the merits of sending a half a billion dollars to build infrastructure in Asia, and on the merits of giving loans and loan guarantees to extremely wealthy titans of finance on the world stage, all at the expense of Canadian taxpayers.So far, the House has had no stand-alone debate on this massive new and unprecedented expenditure. The government seems to want to keep it that way by burying this measure at the back of a very large omnibus bill, making no mention of it either in the minister's original speech in the House of Commons or in subsequent ministerial declarations that we have been able to find in the Hansard record. It is clear that the government did not want this measure to even be noticed. That is why it was buried, almost like a secret, at the back of the bill. You now have the authority to remedy that problem, to separate out this section, and allow Canadians to debate this half-billion dollar expenditure on the floor of the House of Commons and at committee, and then to exercise the will of all of our constituents by voting on it here in this chamber and then later in the other place. Therefore, we call upon you, Speaker, to exercise the powers vested in you in the Standing Orders to uphold the principle of no taxation without representation. That is, Canadians must have the ability to rely on Parliament to approve every expenditure that the government taxes fund, independently and separately from other matters, and to instill a sense of integrity in the budget process so that all Canadians can have confidence in how their money is spent.
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister, just like any other minister or parliamentarian, met with the Ethics Commissioner at the very beginning of his mandate to make sure that he would follow all of the rules and all of her recommendations. He has announced that he will go even above and beyond those.What I see the Conservatives doing is everything they can not to talk about the economy. If we look back at the decade when they were in power, they had 1% growth in employment, the worst since the Second World War. If we look at the job numbers today, we have added 35,000 jobs in October. That puts us at half a million jobs created since we took office, most of them full time. I get that they do not want to talk about it, but that does not mean we should not talk about it.
Mr. Speaker, it is true that the Liberals have invested enormous sums in Phoenix, and this week was the one-year anniversary of the government's self-imposed deadline to fix it. However, more than half of public servants are still having pay problems. In fact, 265,000 pay transactions are past due. That is unacceptable. Also, because of the Phoenix delays, the Liberals will not meet deadlines to negotiate new collective agreements with our public servants.When will the Liberals stop finding excuses and find a solution to the Phoenix boondoggle?
Mr. Speaker, first of all, the Liberals raised taxes on 87% of middle-class Canadians. Second, their child poverty claims were declared, even by The Canadian Press, to be a lot of baloney. Third, while the Liberals raised taxes on everybody else, the finance minister was very meticulous in ensuring that none of the tax increases applied to him or Morneau Shepell.Once again, will he finally reveal what he is hiding in this vast network of numbered companies and trust funds, so Canadians can be assured that their finance minister is acting in the public interest, not for his private profit?
We have to go that far back?
Mr. Speaker, it is one distraction after another. The Prime Minister, his cabinet, the parliamentary secretaries, and the Liberal caucus are the only ones who refuse to acknowledge the obvious fact that the Minister of Finance was indeed in a conflict of interest. He paid a fine for hiding his villa in France, and now he is casting doubt on the Ethics Commissioner's word. Instead of being complicit in this sad affair where the rich can cut a fat cheque to get themselves off the hook, will someone in the government stand up and ask the finance minister to tell us what he is hiding in his numbered companies?
Mr. Speaker, quite frankly, those members are making this up. We are in a national public health crisis. Unlike the members opposite, we are bringing forward solutions to deal with this crisis and responding in a way that is comprehensive, compassionate, and evidence based.While we have made it very clear that we plan to legalize, strictly regulate, and restrict access to cannabis in a careful way to keep it out of the hands of children and youth and to stop criminals from profiting, we have been equally clear that we are not considering legalizing any other substances.We will continue to work with our partners to bring forward innovative solutions to battle the opioid crisis and to save lives.
Mr. Speaker, this government stands for human rights around the world, and we stand for calling out human rights abuses. Our government takes allegations of all violations of international human rights and international humanitarian law seriously. We strongly condemn any and all action
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I asked the Minister of Canadian Heritage why she did not respond to the letter sent to her by the Quebec ministry of culture on September 3, which asked for more information about the agreement with Netflix and the lack of francophone content. That letter was sent exactly one month ago, and Quebec has still not received any answers.I have not received any answers either. The minister's press secretary was embarrassed to have to tell journalists later that she would get back to them soon. Come on. Let us be clear. Our cultural industries are in crisis and the government needs to wake up. It is dragging its feet on critical issues, especially where Quebec is concerned.Is that how the government treats the Quebec ministry of culture?Is it so hard to answer an email?Does the government not know how to answer or does it just not care?
Mr. Speaker, this week the Privacy Commissioner highlighted that the lack of heavy fines and legal penalties for privacy breaches means companies holding personal information on Canadians are unlikely to do everything they can to make sure that the data stays safe. The NDP has long advocated for stiffer penalties and to give the Privacy Commissioner actual teeth. As more and more information is in the cloud, we need to put proper legal protections in place. Will this government commit to imposing severe fines on companies that fail to protect consumers' private information?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have had two years to fix it and have done nothing. Let me read part of a letter that the Minister of Revenue sent to someone with type 1 diabetes who was refused the disability tax credit. The minister wrote: The CRA...made a change to the questionnaire it sends to medical practitioners. The questionnaire now sets out more clearly the information the CRA needs to determine if an individual meets the DTC criteria. When I asked about the 80% who were previously approved and are now being rejected, the minister told the House that no change had been made, but in her letter she says a change was made. Which is it?
Mr. Speaker, under the government's watch, the dream of home ownership has been slipping away from thousands of Canadians. High prices, new mortgage rules, and new regulations all make home ownership less affordable. Now media reports say that the Liberal government is planning a new national building code that will impose higher costs on new homebuyers and existing homeowners as well. When will the government realize that every time it adds a new regulation, it increases costs and reduces choices? When is the government going to stop punishing homebuyers?
Mr. Speaker, four temporary foreign workers have won the right to a class action suit against Mac's and the immigration consultant companies owned by Kuldeep Bansal. The migrant workers paid as much as $8,500 to Bansal to obtain jobs with Mac's, only to arrive in Canada and find that those jobs did not exist. An FOI revealed that LMIAs were issued for 486 positions for Mac's. The CBSA has investigated this case for five years and recommends that charges be laid. Why has the government not acted on the recommendations of the CBSA?
Mr. Speaker, imagine senior citizens who have worked hard their whole life and are ready to start the next chapter in retirement. Their kids have moved out, they are empty nesters, and they want to sell their houses and downsize. Now the Liberals want to make people pay more for that too. New building code requirements will require them to complete costly mandatory renovations when they sell their houses. Why do the Liberals want to ruin the retirement plans of middle-class Canadian seniors?
Mr. Speaker, we strongly condemn any and all actions that violate international human rights. We have raised concerns directly with the Government of Iraq, both in Baghdad and here in Ottawa. As Canada continues to re-engage on the international scene after 10 dark years, we will make sure that the protection of human rights and international law is a priority in all of our engagements.
Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on Official Languages tabled a report yesterday that calls on the government to give the Commissioner of Official Languages greater powers to enforce the law.That was suggested by our former commissioner, Graham Fraser. It is clear to him and to the committee that we cannot simply rely on the willingness of institutions and Air Canada. The commissioner's current powers are definitely inadequate.Will the government act on the committee's recommendations for once and strengthen the commissioner's powers?
Mr. Speaker, in the wake of the Chalk River nuclear disaster, 300 brave volunteers committed themselves to cleaning up radioactive material in their community. After several days of tireless effort and maximum exposure to radiation, the military showed up to help finish the job. Those military heroes have since received compensation for radiation exposure, yet nothing has been done for those local heroes who stepped up when their community needed them. Will the government compensate the volunteers who went above and beyond to help after the Chalk River disaster?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. It is the practice of this House that when members inadvertently misspeak they have an opportunity to correct the record. On October 31, the Minister of National Revenue stated there was no change with respect to the disability tax credit. Therefore, I would like to seek unanimous consent to table this letter where she clearly states there was a change.
Mr. Speaker, the former Atomic Energy Canada Limited employees who assisted with the cleanup of the NRU reactor in the 1950s played a critical and important role, and we do thank them very much for their service. We understand that those employees and their families are working to have their contributions recognized. We are aware of the Senate motion brought forward last year. At this time, while there is no program similar to the atomic veterans recognition program, our department is continuing to consider the motion and is looking at how we can move forward to recognize the contributions of these individuals.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on the same point of order. I listened with great interest to the hon. member from Carleton.The NDP is also concerned about the abusive use of omnibus bills that we have been seeing from this government over the past two years, despite the promises that it made. As a result, we have an interest in speaking to this point of order. I simply want to tell you that we will do so as soon as possible.
Mr. Speaker, this government firmly believes in the important role that Canada can play in peacekeeping operations. This week, our government was proud to launch a new and ambitious national action plan for women, peace, and security. Canada's feminist foreign policy will enable women and men around the world to play an equal role, have an equal voice, and have equal rights when it comes to opportunities for safety and security. We have committed to making the involvement of women a priority in all of Canada's activities and fragile states. The action plan will ensure that gender equality will never be an afterthought.Women's rights are human rights, and we stand by that.
Mr. Speaker, the government's program to modernize the dairy industry is moving at two speeds: quickly when it comes to denying applications, and slowly when it comes to handing out money.Last summer, surprisingly, the program shut down after seven days, but four months later, for the lucky few who were eligible, the money has yet to be paid out. The minister cannot blame Phoenix this time. Does the minister's minion realize that the cost of materials has skyrocketed in four months and that his tardiness poses a real threat to projects?
Mr. Speaker, we understand the concerns of the francophone cultural sector.We want to reassure and remind the cultural community of the historic investments we have made to support francophone culture. We have made massive investments in arts and culture, over $2.2 billion to be precise. We have reinvested in the Canada media fund to support French-language television and committed $675 million to CBC/Radio-Canada. These investments have a tangible impact on our artists' lives.
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister has always been transparent and forthcoming with the Ethics Commissioner. From the very beginning, he has followed all of the rules and all of her recommendations, just like any other minister or parliamentarian is expected to do. On this side of the House, we respect the work of the Ethics Commissioner, we respect her recommendations, and we will always work with the Ethic Commissioner to make sure that we live up to the highest standards.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has always lived in a world where money can fix everything. He thought he could buy some peace and quiet by writing one big fat cheque and one small cheque.While the big fat cheque is impressive, it is the small cheque that says it all. It confirms that the Minister of Finance was caught red-handed.Knowing that, does the Minister of Finance understand that paying $5 million and $200 does not excuse what he did? Canadians deserve more transparency from their finance minister.When will he tell Canadians what he is hiding in his numbered companies?
Mr. Speaker, we could all have a little more confidence in the truth of that statement if the finance minister would just come clean about the holdings he is sheltering in his vast network of numbered companies and trust funds.It took investigative journalists to find out that he was hiding $20 million of holdings in Morneau Shepell, a financial company that he regulates, and a financial company on which he very carefully avoided imposing any new taxes.Will the finance minister tell Canadians what holdings he is hiding in his numbered companies and trust funds, so they can know that he is acting in their interest and not his own?
Mr. Speaker, during question period, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance often talks about the Conservative government's record. In order to set the record straight for Canadians, I seek the consent of the House to table the following document from the Bank of Canada. It is a speech given by the Governor of the Bank of Canada, which reads: ...the countrys economic prospects have improved since the crisis....In fact, coming out of the recession, Canada is a leader among the G-7 countries.
Mr. Speaker, these past few months, I have had the great opportunity to visit with many students and employers in my riding of Don Valley North through the Canada summer jobs program. Even though summer has come to an end and students are back in the classroom, young Canadians across the country are continuing to look for ways to put their skills to use, and learn new ones in the workplace.Could the minister update the House on other ways that we are supporting students gaining skills and work experience throughout the school year?
Mr. Speaker, it is important for Canadians to know, even if the opposition does not want to hear it, that this government believes firmly in the role that Canada will play in peacekeeping operations. That is why we committed a half a billion dollars and 600 troops to re-engage in peacekeeping operations. Our women, peace, and security agenda is an important part of that commitment. We will make sure that women in Canada and around the world play a role in military and civilian peacekeeping operations.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to stand in the House and share with members what we are doing for recreational fishers from coast to coast to coast. In fact, I met with recreational fishers just this week, and I was able to share with them the fact that we are investing in coastal restoration. We are putting money into implementing the wild salmon policy. We are making sure that the Cohen commission recommendations are done, 32 last year, and up to 64 out of the 75 now.For far too long, Canadians were tired of a government that took our oceans and waterways for granted. That is why this government is making sure that we protect the resource for the benefit of future generations.
Mr. Speaker, the member is still missing the point, but this is nothing new. When we talk about ethics and integrity, the Prime Minister tells us that his ministers are following the rules. The $200 fine paid by his Minister of Finance proves otherwise. The Prime Minister's trip to the Aga Khan also proves otherwise. One of the problems is the legal framework around the rules. This limits the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner's scope of action. Instead of finding ways to get around the rules, why does the Prime Minister not agree to strengthen the legislation?
Mr. Speaker, our government is taking action to protect the privacy of Canadians. As mentioned by the member opposite, Equifax recently confirmed a cyber-attack that resulted in a data security breach. We are obviously working very closely with the Privacy Commissioner. As I mentioned, the Privacy Commissioner understands the steps our government has taken to strengthen the provisions for consumers. That is why we recently published draft regulations and amendments under PIPEDA. We will continue to take steps to make sure that consumers and small businesses have their privacy protected, because it important for our government and important as we move forward in this new digital economy.
Mr. Speaker, this week we learned that the backlog caused by the Phoenix pay system is getting worse.The Liberal government announced that, because of this fiasco, it will not be able to honour the new collective agreement implementation dates for over 100,000 public servants. Many of them have already been affected by Phoenix, and now their new collective agreement will be delayed. That is unacceptable. Will the government at least promise to pay these employees damages and interest retroactively?
Mr. Speaker, I believe the hon. member obviously is interested in Bill C-58, our government's landmark legislation to modernize Canada's Access to Information Act. This is really important, because for 30 years governments have talked about modernizing access to information but have not done it. The Conservatives promised it in 2006. They did not do anything. In fact, they were the only government in the history of the British Commonwealth to be found in contempt of Parliament for not providing information. Our government is raising the bar after 10 years of darkness under the Conservatives.
Mr. Speaker, this week we were proud to announce an ambitious action plan for gender equality in the peace and security sector. Our feminist foreign policy will allow women and men the world over to speak with equal voices, have equal rights, and live in security
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised to invest in Canadian infrastructure. However, the parliamentary budget officer said that the Liberals were not even close to getting the money out the door. Now we learn that Canadians and Canadian taxpayers will be sending a half a billion dollars to China for infrastructure projects everywhere else in the world except Canada.Why are the Liberals borrowing more money to send to China instead of building roads and bridges in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has always worked with the Ethics Commissioner and will continue to do so with full transparency to make sure he is following the rules. He has announced that he will go even further by divesting himself of his shares in Morneau Shepell and placing all of his assets in a blind trust so he can continue the important work he does for Canadians. He has been doing this work very successfully for the past two years, which has led to the strongest growth in 10 yearsmuch stronger than anything the Conservatives achieved for Canadians during their 10 years in office.
Mr. Speaker, well, the PBO says that growth will drop to 1.6% next year, which is not exactly fulfilling Liberal promises. During the last election, the Liberal Party released a great literary work of fiction called Real Change. Perhaps a better title would have been Surreal Change. On page 3 of that great masterpiece, the Prime Minister asserted that transparent government is good government. Transparent government means a government open to public scrutiny.When will his finance minister finally walk the walk and live up to every single election promise and reveal all of his personal holdings in every single one of his numbered companies?
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the House that our government is absolutely committed to ensuring that all Canadians receive the credits and benefits they are entitled to. We are moving forward with a national disability act that would remove barriers and improve access for all Canadians who live with diabetes. We have made the disability tax credit more accessible than ever before. We have simplified the forms required to apply for the credit. We have added nurse practitioners to complete the applications for their patients. We have just started, and we will continue to focus on supporting the most vulnerable in our country.
Mr. Speaker, with respect to insulin therapy, the CRA has confirmed that a new direction was given at the beginning of May. This unannounced change has resulted in hundreds of type 1 diabetics receiving less money, amounting to hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of dollars. As a doctor who has treated patients with diabetes, I am confident in saying that my physician colleagues are better qualified to decide who should be receiving these benefits than CRA bureaucrats. People are suffering and the minister has the power to make it stop. My simple question is: Will the minister immediately issue a directive to her department to revert back to the April 30 policy?
Mr. Speaker, despite the Liberals' promises to be more open and transparent, what we have is an Information Commissioner who is getting a growing number of complaints for requests for information that are being denied before Bill C-58 is even passed by the House. It is completely unacceptable. The bill has not even become law yet. However, the commissioner is proposing amendments to improve the bill.Will the Liberals keep their promises and work with us, the NDP, and with the Information Commissioner to truly improve access to information?
Mr. Speaker, once again, I want to assure all Canadians that our government is absolutely committed to ensuring that all Canadians receive the credits and benefits they are entitled to. Let me be clear that the eligibility criteria for the DTC for people with diabetes have not changed. It is also important to recognize that far too many Canadians are struggling and need help. That is why we are allowing low-income workers to keep more of their hard-earned money from every paycheque by further enhancing the working income tax benefit by an additional $500 million per year, starting in 2019. Helping the most vulnerable in our country is our top priority, and we will continue to deliver for them.
Mr. Speaker, we know that good governance and self-determination are the most important factors in a community's economic and social health.This past summer, we signed the Agreement on the Cree Nation Governance, a nation-to-nation agreement based on our partnership and respect for the traditional Cree way of life. The agreement is an important step in expanding the governance system from the earlier agreement.
Mr. Speaker, our previous Conservative government created the recreational fisheries conservation partnership program, which improved the habitat of millions of fish. However, the Liberals are not accepting a single new application for this program and are thereby ignoring many worthwhile conservation efforts. This includes projects such as installing an aerator to improve the water quality in Killarney Lake located in my constituency. Will the Liberals commit today to support Canada's recreational fishers and start accepting proposals for this very worthwhile program?
Mr. Speaker, the recognition of rights, and in particular the inherent right to self-government and the right to self-determination, is fundamental to advancing reconciliation in Canada.Could the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs update the House on the concrete measures Canada is taking with its indigenous partners to promote self-determination and facilitate self-government?
Mr. Speaker, of course we have always worked closely with our federal public service union partners. We respect our federal employees, and we are working to resolve the problems with the Phoenix pay system. We have invested huge sums of money and human resources, we have created satellite pay centres, and we have done much more to solve this problem. We will solve this problem.
Mr. Speaker, the minister keeps repeating that his government is the first in 30 years to make improvements to access to information. However, the Information Commissioner was very clear when she said the Liberals' Bill C-58 is regressive and that the status quo would be better than what the Liberals are proposing, meaning that Stephen Harper's government was more open and accountable than the current government. Canadians were promised more accountability and transparency. Will the government work with us and help themselves by actually keeping an election promise?
Mr. Speaker, the law is the law, but the finance minister's motto seems to be, do as I say, not as I do. The purpose of the Conflict of Interest Act is to prevent any abuse by people who may have something to hide in numbered companies, for example. In this case, the Minister of Finance really seems to believe that he is above the law, as though the law does not apply to people like him and the Prime Minister.How many other numbered companies does the Minister of Finance own, and what is he hiding in them?
Mr. Speaker, energy efficiency offers a significant opportunity to help realize Canada's obligations to address climate change while supporting economic growth and the health of Canadians. We are working with our provincial and territorial partners to develop a model code for existing buildings by 2022. This code, which provinces and territories can adopt, would help guide energy efficiency improvements. Investments like our $2 billion low-carbon economy fund will help support provincial and territorial energy efficiency projects that will generate clean growth and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We are working to build a clean energy future.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Don Valley North for his incredible advocacy for young people in his riding and all across Canada.As a former nuclear chemist, he knows that Canada's prosperity depends on young Canadians getting the skills and experience they need to prepare for the jobs of today and tomorrow.We have listened to students and to post-secondary institutions, and that is why we are creating up to 60,000 new paid student work placements over the next five years. That is 60,000 more work experiences that will put our young people on the path to success.
Mr. Speaker, as I said a moment ago, energy efficiency offers a significant opportunity to help realize Canada's obligations to address climate change while supporting economic growth and the health of Canadians. We are working with our provincial and territorial partners to modernize existing building codes by 2022. Investments like our $2 billion low-carbon economy fund will help support provincial and territorial energy efficiency projects that will generate clean growth and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We are working to build a clean energy future by investing in innovation and delivering economic growth and clean jobs while protecting the environment.
Mr. Speaker, we are the first government in more than 30 years to modernize the Access to Information Act. As I said in my first speech on Bill C-58, our intention is to raise the bar for openness and transparency. We are open to amendments for improving the bill and we look forward to working will all hon. members to improve this bill. We will continue to raise the bar
Mr. Speaker, we are the first government in 34 years to act to modernize access to information. In fact, we are the first government to provide the Information Commissioner with real order-making power. We are applying the act, through proactive disclosure, to ministers' offices and the Prime Minister's office. We are applying the act to 240 federal entities, from the courts to the ports. This is a significant advancement. We are raising the bar on the transparency and openness of government, and we will continue to do so.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance worked with the Ethics Commissioner to ensure that he is following her recommendations and the rules of the House. He will continue to do so and has announced that he would do even more.What the Minister of Finance did was something that the Conservatives and Prime Minister Stephen Harper, whom my colleague from Louis-Saint-Laurent admires so, never managed to do. The Minister of Finance has managed to to grow our economy and create more than half a million jobs.According to the latest figures, 18,000 new jobs were added in Quebec in October. We are proud of this record, and that is not a claim they can make. I understand that they do not want to talk about the economy, but that does not mean that we should not.
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, privacy is very important to this government, particularly with respect to the digital economy and the fact that we have more data available. We want to make sure that data is managed in a way that respects the concerns that consumers may have. That is why we recently published draft regulations for amendments made to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, or PIPEDA. We believe that this will empower consumers and encourage businesses to have better security practices.These are the steps we are taking to protect consumers.
Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadian men and women have an important role to play on the international stage. When it comes to peacekeeping operations, Canadians will play a leadership role in building a more peaceful world.
Mr. Speaker, regulatory power and good intentions are all well and good, but if we really want companies to be more vigilant in protecting the private lives of Canadians, the reality is that the government has to go after what is most important to them: their wallets. That is exactly what the Privacy Commissioner is asking when he talks about fining businesses, like Equifax, who compromise the privacy of Canadians.Will the minister follow up on the Privacy Commissioner's recommendation and take the necessary steps to actually begin fining large corporations who compromise the privacy of Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times before, the Minister of Finance has the utmost respect for the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. He has always worked with her with the greatest transparency since he took office. He has followed her recommendations to ensure full compliance with the rules that govern us.Last week, he announced that he would go further by divesting himself of his shares in Morneau Shepell and by placing all his shares in a blind trust so that he could continue serving Canadians as he has been so successfully doing for two years, with strong economic growth. Also, today, he announced the creation of 35,000 new jobs in Canada, including an additional 18,000 for Quebec in October.
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure my hon. colleague that the Minister of Finance has always done what all MPs do, by working with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner to make sure he is always fully transparent with her and follows the rules.The Minister of Finance has always followed the Ethics Commissioner's recommendations, and he announced that he would go even further to make sure he can continue the important work he does for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the institution responsible for preserving the integrity of Parliament, an institution that we have the utmost faith in and the greatest respect for, is the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.The Minister of Finance has always worked with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner and he continues to work with her to ensure that he continues to act on her recommendations and go even further to have the full confidence of Canadians and continue the important work he does for all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has nothing to hide. He has always worked with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner with the greatest transparency to make sure he is in full compliance with the rules that guide us in the House, and that govern us as ministers, as parliamentary secretaries and as members. He will continue to do so, and that is why he has decided to go further by divesting himself of his shares in Morneau Shepell, placing all of his assets in a blind trust, and donating the difference in value of his assets from the day he was elected to today. This Minister of Finance has been brilliantly serving Canadians for two years and has managed to accomplish more in those two years than the Conservatives ever did in 10.
Mr. Speaker, we are proud to have approved more than 4,000 projects since taking office, with a combined investment of more than $35 billion. Federal investments are enabling these projects to move forward. As the hon. member would know, the federal contribution is not paid until the expense claims are submitted by our partners.We will continue to work with our partners to move their priorities forward and provide the flexibility necessary to meet these requirements.
Mr. Speaker, our government is a strong proponent of supply management and supports producers and their families. We are pleased to have invested $350 million in the industry in order to modernize and innovate producers' and processors' facilities. Our government will continue to defend our supply management system.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians across the country remember the contribution of Lester B. Pearson toward peacekeeping. We are proud of our history and the role we played in peacekeeping operations. We know that Canada
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister has always been transparent and forthcoming with the Ethics Commissioner. He has always followed the rules and followed the recommendations, and he has announced he will go even above and beyond.I understand why the Conservatives do not want to talk about the economy and prefer to talk about the finance minister. If we remember, and I will give the number, 1.6% was the real annual GDP growth for a decade. That was the worst since Mackenzie King, the worst in 69 years. Let us compare that to today, when Canada is growing its economy at the fastest pace in the G7, and it is 3.7% over the last year. That is what we are doing.That is, again, Conservatives playing politics, and Liberals working for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I am also shocked by another revelation. We have a Liberal government that wants to legalize marijuana, and yesterday we learned that the Liberals may be planning to decriminalize all drugs. In my clinic, kids are asking, Is it okay to do drugs now? Young Canadians know drugs are bad for them. The Liberal drug policy is damaging to Canadians, especially to Canadian kids. Could the minister confirm if decriminalizing hard drugs is Liberal policy, and what dangerous drugs are on that list?
Mr. Speaker, acting in the interests of Canadians was lowering taxes for nine million Canadians, lowering taxes for small businesses from 10.5% to 9%, helping 300,000 kids be lifted out of poverty with the Canada child benefit, and growing this economy at the fastest pace in the G7, something the Conservatives were never able to achieve. That is working in the interests of Canadians. That is Conservatives playing politics. That is Liberals working for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, we thank the committee, including the member for Drummond, for the report. We will give it careful consideration.Our two official languages are at the heart of Canada's history and identity. Air Canada must respect both the letter and the spirit of the Official Languages Act. The application of the Official Languages Act is a priority for our government. We are working with the Minister of Transport to ensure that Air Canada is meeting its obligations under the Official Languages Act. We take this whole issue very seriously.
Mr. Speaker, we understand the critical importance of forestry to the economies of eastern and western Canada as a source of jobs, prosperity, and opportunity.We are acutely aware of the threat that forest pests, like the mountain pine beetle, emerald ash borer, and spruce budworm, pose to Canada's forests. In budget 2016, we invested $87 million to support scientific research and infrastructure, including funding to combat destructive forest pests such as spruce bud worm and mountain pine beetle.We are working closely with our partners, provinces, universities, and industry, all with a common goal of finding a solution to this problem.
Mr. Speaker, at yesterday's meeting of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, the minister sought to defend Netflix by trotting out the same old empty phrases, bogus arguments, and tired lines.Instead of standing up for Quebec creators, the minister chose to go after any parliamentarian who had the gall to disagree with her. I have some news for the Minister of Canadian Heritage: contrary to what she seems to think, singling out Netflix for a tax break its rivals do not get is a tax policy.Why the preferential treatment?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from AuroraOak RidgesRichmond Hill for her question.Our government is deeply committed to gender equality and combatting gender-based violence. The former Conservative government ignored women's rights groups, it ignored experts, and it ignored immigrant women's groups, which denounced the conditional permanent residency as a wrongheaded policy that trapped vulnerable women in abusive relationships. No survivor should ever feel afraid to come forward. That is why I am proud that on this side of the House we have fully eliminated conditional permanent residency.
Mr. Speaker, I mentioned Mali three or four times in my earlier question, but what was absent from that answer was Mali.The past platitudes of the government never match their present performance. We remember that Canada is back rhetoric. Well, Canada is back at the bottom of UN peacekeepers right now around the world. We are back to cutting the military back to the decade of darkness under the Chrétien government.When will the member stand in the House and let us know where we are sending our troops?
Mr. Speaker, every parliamentarian is expected to work with the Ethics Commissioner, who is responsible for preserving the integrity of Parliament.That is what the Minister of Finance has always done, and that is what he continues to do. He met with the Ethics Commissioner recently and announced that he will go the extra mile.If my colleague wants numbers, I can give him some. Real GDP growth was 1.6% during the past decade when he was on this side of the House. That is the worst record in 69 years, since the time of Mackenzie King. Since we took office, real GDP growth has been 3.7%. It was dropping in 2015 and people were wondering whether we were in a recession.Now, no one is asking that question. Canada has the highest growth in the G7, and half a million jobs have been created. That is the finance minister's record.
Mr. Speaker, when the Minister of Finance announced his tax increases on small businesses and family farmers over the summer, he was meticulous in sheltering his assets from any higher taxes. If we only knew what holdings he had, we would know what taxes he will not raise. However, we do not know what holdings he has because he is hiding them in a myriad of numbered companies.Will the finance minister tell us what holdings he is hiding in these numbered companies, so Canadians can surmise the small list of taxes that he will not raise?
Mr. Speaker, the government promised a 600-member peacekeeping mission for the United Nations. It has had three trips to Mali for reconnaissance. It has spent thousands of hours planning for a mission to Mali. It has consulted both France and the U.S. on this mission. However, this week we heard we were only sending some helicopters to Mali.Will the minister confirm to the House today that Mali has been ruled out for Canada's UN peacekeeping mission?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance was so nice to the Ethics Commissioner that he was found guilty and made to pay a $200 fine.Two years ago, the Minister of Finance said that he would put his shares in a blind trust, but he never did. He also said that he did not have a controlling interest in Morneau Shepell, but that he had a controlling interest in a company that controlled the former. He was playing semantics. He forgot to mention that he had a villa in Provence, until the CBC brought it to light.This minister takes action only after he is caught red-handed. In fact, he was again caught red-handed with his numbered companies.When will the Minister of Finance finally tell Canadians the truth?
Mr. Speaker, the former Conservative government implemented a policy called conditional permanent residency. This policy required sponsored partners to live with their sponsors for at least two years in order to maintain their status in Canada, forcing those who were experiencing domestic violence or sexual abuse to stay silent or risk losing their status. This put vulnerable spouses, especially women, at risk of additional abuse and violence.Could the minister update the House on what our government is doing to support newcomer women who are being trapped by this Conservative policy?
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, we are the government that has been working extremely hard for the last two years to ensure that the DTC is accessible to Canadians who are entitled to it. We have done so by simplifying the disability tax credit forms, by allowing nurse practitioners to certify the DTC forms, by working with medical practitioners to ensure they have all the resources to assist their patients with the DTC, and by rehiring nurses at the front lines of the review process. We have just started, and let me assure Canadians that we will continue to work hard for the most vulnerable in our country.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are doing everything they can to keep their secrets under wraps. The finance minister hid details of his offshore companies and assets from the Ethics Commissioner while making decisions about companies he owns and regulates. He got caught and she fined him. He is in multiple conflicts, including with legislation, a government loan, and at least one tax treaty. It seems that other ministers are in the same mess.When will the Liberals come clean with Canadians? What else are they trying to hide?
Mr. Speaker, we will be talking about access again. After trying to pull a fast one on small businesses with their tax reform, the Liberals are trying to save themselves a few bucks at the expense of families of people with autism and people with type 1 diabetes. If they really want to find more cash, they should just go look in the Minister of Finance's pockets. Why did the Minister of National Revenue say that she knew nothing and that nothing had happened? Funnily enough, a letter that she signed shows that she has been ignoring doctors' advice since May.When will the minister get control of her department, and when will she restore the tax credit for courageous Canadians with incurable diseases?
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister misled Canadians by hiding his assets from the Ethics Commissioner. He made millions off the company he regulates. He broke the law. Now he is hiding from Canadians his assets in multiple numbered companies.What does this minister have to hide? Why will he not disclose his assets?
Mr. Speaker, hundreds of soldiers at CFB Valcartier back home are currently on standby waiting to find out if they will be deployed to Africa or elsewhere.This week we learned that six helicopters would be sent to Mali. It was the media that informed us. The minister has said nothing about it. The minister went on three reconnaissance missions in Africa. Officers at headquarters in Ottawa lost two years making plans. We are still being kept in the dark.Are we sending troops to Mali or not?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government has taken Canada out of the fight against ISIS. It has eliminated the office of religious freedom. Now we learn that Canada's peacekeeping efforts are at an all-time low. We know that in Iraq today, Christians are still being killed simply for their belief.When will the Liberal government wake up to the plight of Christians in the Middle East and take concrete action towards stopping this genocide?
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister got fined exactly because he did not follow the rules. The Information Commissioner said that it is harder to get information out of the current government than any other before.The reality is that the finance minister used his power to enrich himself and his family's company. He is still hiding other assets within different holding companies, and there are other ministers in the same conflict, but the Liberals will not say who or how many, and the Prime Minister says there is nothing wrong.The Liberals talk a lot about sunshine, but why are they still keeping Canadians in the dark?
Mr. Speaker, of course we take these problems very seriously. We have invested and taken a vast number of measures to resolve the problems associated with the Phoenix pay system. Because I know the hon. member shares my belief that we must fix these problems, I am sure he will join me in asking one of these Harper cabinet ministers how they could have left us with such a fiasco. Maybe he will ask the leader of the opposition why these Harper senators now want to slink away from the problem they helped cause.
Mr. Speaker, we have taken concrete to steps to correct the temporary foreign workers program. Part of that is strengthening the LMIAs, the labour market impact assessments, that ensure employers are doing a thorough job of hiring Canadians first and then proving the need for temporary foreign workers. We have also implemented new on-site inspections. We are working on a regime to ensure that all temporary foreign workers have their human dignity and their rights respected.
Mr. Speaker, we hear the concerns of stakeholders in the francophone cultural industry. We want to reassure them and remind them of the historic investments we have made to support our francophone culture.That is why we invested heavily in arts and culture. We invested over $2.2 billion in the Canada Media Fund to support French-language television, and we invested $675 million in Radio-Canada. These investments are having a real impact on the lives of our artists.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House once again to ask the Minister of Natural Resources about his plans to stop the pine beetle from attacking our forests. Last year alone, the beetle increased tenfold. Even though science and research has been done, the beetle has moved from Jasper Park into central Alberta and is heading east. All of Canada's pine forests are at risk. We need financial assistance to cull the trees. What is the Liberal government doing to stop this infestation?
Mr. Speaker, I rise today pursuant to Standing Order 69.1 in regard to omnibus bills. The Standing Order reads: In the case where a government bill seeks to repeal, amend or enact more than one act, and where there is not a common element connecting the various provisions or where unrelated matters are linked, the Speaker shall have the power to divide the questions, for the purposes of voting, on the motion for second reading and reference to a committee and the motion for third reading and passage of the bill. The Speaker shall have the power to combine clauses of the bill thematically and to put the aforementioned questions on each of these groups of clauses separately, provided that there will be a single debate at each stage. I point your attention now to a recently introduced omnibus budget implementation act. The proposal was tabled in the House of Commons on October 27, 2017. That act combines a number of unrelated provisions that were not included in the original budget presentation. The long title is the first clue: A second Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 22, 2017 and other measures. The summary notes indicate that the bill also implements a GST/HST measure announced on September 8, 2017. Other items include the income tax amendments, part 1, related to farmers and fishers selling to cooperatives; part 3's amendments to the Excise Act related to beer made from concentrate; division 5 of part 5, which amends the Bank of Canada Act concerning loans and advances made to members of the Canadian Payments Association; division 11 of part 5, which makes a series of amendments to the Judges Act; and division 13 of part 5, which amends the Financial Administration Act in respect of payments to discharge a debt.Returning to the original Standing Order I cited at the outset, you, as Speaker, have the ability to break this bill into separate bills if its various provisions concern unrelated matters and if they are then linked in the same bill. Clearly, the matters I have just mentioned, their merits or demerits notwithstanding, are not directly related to each another. For example, the Judges Act is not related to the Financial Administration Act, the Judges Act is not related to the Excise Act, and the Bank of Canada Act is not related directly to the Income Tax Act. Therefore, the bill combines a number of different acts in one single bill, which gives you, Mr. Speaker, the power to separate the various component parts of the act.In fairness to the government, there is an exception to that role. Under 69.1 of the Standing Orders, budget implementation roles can be excluded from the Speaker's power to divide a bill that contains numerous unrelated parts. Standing Order 69.1(2) reads: The present Standing Order shall not apply if the bill has as its main purpose the implementation of a budget and contains only provisions that were announced in the budget presentation or in the documents tabled during the budget presentation. I have just finished listing at least five provisions that were included in the omnibus budget implementation act but were not included in the original budget presentation. Therefore, this BIA and its component parts are not exempt from the Speaker's authority to divide into separate bills matters that are unrelated to one other but, nevertheless, were introduced as one piece of legislation.There is another matter that was included in the budget implementation bill that was not fully included in the original budget presentation. I refer now to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. As I said at the outset, the Standing Order calls for bills to be separated into their component parts if a provision in a budget implementation bill had not been fully present in the original budget presentation. Now, the budget presentation did provide for funding for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. However, it did not provide for the same amount of money that was later included in the budget implementation bill. Let me quote directly from the presentation the minister made on March 22, 2017: Budget 2017 proposes to invest $256 million over five years for Canada to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). It was $256 million. That was the provision the government made for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in the budget presentation of last March. However, the legislation introduced just last week has a different and much larger provision. It provides for an amount of not more than $375 million U.S., which equals $480 million Canadian.The word provision comes from the root word provide. The original budget presentation would provide $256 million. This omnibus budget bill provides $480 million. In other words, there is roughly $230 million provided in the budget implementation bill that was not provided in the original budget presentation. In other words, the BIA, the omnibus budget bill, attempts to provide something that was not provided for at the outset. Therefore, it is not exempt from your powers, Mr. Speaker, to divide the bill up in separate component parts so that the measures can be debated on their separate merits.The government has introduced a very complex web of legislative amendments to the statutes of Canada that are unrelated and disconnected, all in one single bill, after having promised to end omnibus bills forever. The government also gave you, Mr. Speaker, the power to end those omnibus bills for them. I described how you can use that power and why it would be appropriate to do so in this particular case.Let me say, on behalf of the official opposition, that while we are concerned that the government has broken its promise to end all omnibus bills, we are not particularly troubled by the fact that some of these measures are being voted on together.It is your power to divide them up, but it is not necessarily of substantive importance to us that all of them be divided up, if the Speaker were to find that it would be in the interest of efficiency for them to be voted on and debated together. Some of these measures would not be troublesome to marry into one such vote and one such debate, except one. That one is the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. It is particularly important, and its quiet and surreptitious inclusion in this bill is particularly concerning for multiple reasons.First, in less than half a year, the amount the government wants to spend on this initiative has gone up by almost 100%. Originally it was $250 million; now it is almost half a billion dollars. That is an eye-popping increase in an expense for a new initiative on which no Canadian government has ever spent money in the past. Less than a year ago, the Government of Canada was committed to spending zero on this initiative. Then it was $250 million, and now, quietly, that amount has been raised to half a billion dollars.The second reason why this is particularly objectionable to the official opposition is this. The government is behind on all of its commitments to build infrastructure in Canada. Now it is proposing to spend Canadian tax dollars to build infrastructure in another continent. In fact, the legislation that the government proposes is explicit, that the purpose is to build infrastructure in a different continent than our own.Let me read directly from the bill that the government tabled. It states: The purpose of the Bank shall be to: (i) foster sustainable economic development, create wealth and improve infrastructure connectivity in Asia by investing in infrastructure and other productive sectors; It then defines Asia not to include Canada, it goes without saying, which means that this half billion dollars will be paid by Canadians but will not be spent to their benefit. This very unusual use of infrastructure money is worthy of some debate on the floor of this House of Commons, particularly given the fact that, prior to even implementing the initiative, it is almost 100% over budget.Therefore, we call upon you to exercise the legitimate authorities vested in you by the Standing Orders, in particular Standing Orders 69.1(1) and 69.1(2), to divide the Asian infrastructure bank from the rest of the budget implementation act, so that Canadians can witness a debate in this chamber on the merits of sending a half a billion dollars to build infrastructure in Asia, and on the merits of giving loans and loan guarantees to extremely wealthy titans of finance on the world stage, all at the expense of Canadian taxpayers.So far, the House has had no stand-alone debate on this massive new and unprecedented expenditure. The government seems to want to keep it that way by burying this measure at the back of a very large omnibus bill, making no mention of it either in the minister's original speech in the House of Commons or in subsequent ministerial declarations that we have been able to find in the Hansard record. It is clear that the government did not want this measure to even be noticed. That is why it was buried, almost like a secret, at the back of the bill. You now have the authority to remedy that problem, to separate out this section, and allow Canadians to debate this half-billion dollar expenditure on the floor of the House of Commons and at committee, and then to exercise the will of all of our constituents by voting on it here in this chamber and then later in the other place. Therefore, we call upon you, Speaker, to exercise the powers vested in you in the Standing Orders to uphold the principle of no taxation without representation. That is, Canadians must have the ability to rely on Parliament to approve every expenditure that the government taxes fund, independently and separately from other matters, and to instill a sense of integrity in the budget process so that all Canadians can have confidence in how their money is spent.
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister, just like any other minister or parliamentarian, met with the Ethics Commissioner at the very beginning of his mandate to make sure that he would follow all of the rules and all of her recommendations. He has announced that he will go even above and beyond those.What I see the Conservatives doing is everything they can not to talk about the economy. If we look back at the decade when they were in power, they had 1% growth in employment, the worst since the Second World War. If we look at the job numbers today, we have added 35,000 jobs in October. That puts us at half a million jobs created since we took office, most of them full time. I get that they do not want to talk about it, but that does not mean we should not talk about it.
Mr. Speaker, it is true that the Liberals have invested enormous sums in Phoenix, and this week was the one-year anniversary of the government's self-imposed deadline to fix it. However, more than half of public servants are still having pay problems. In fact, 265,000 pay transactions are past due. That is unacceptable. Also, because of the Phoenix delays, the Liberals will not meet deadlines to negotiate new collective agreements with our public servants.When will the Liberals stop finding excuses and find a solution to the Phoenix boondoggle?
Mr. Speaker, first of all, the Liberals raised taxes on 87% of middle-class Canadians. Second, their child poverty claims were declared, even by The Canadian Press, to be a lot of baloney. Third, while the Liberals raised taxes on everybody else, the finance minister was very meticulous in ensuring that none of the tax increases applied to him or Morneau Shepell.Once again, will he finally reveal what he is hiding in this vast network of numbered companies and trust funds, so Canadians can be assured that their finance minister is acting in the public interest, not for his private profit?
We have to go that far back?
Mr. Speaker, it is one distraction after another. The Prime Minister, his cabinet, the parliamentary secretaries, and the Liberal caucus are the only ones who refuse to acknowledge the obvious fact that the Minister of Finance was indeed in a conflict of interest. He paid a fine for hiding his villa in France, and now he is casting doubt on the Ethics Commissioner's word. Instead of being complicit in this sad affair where the rich can cut a fat cheque to get themselves off the hook, will someone in the government stand up and ask the finance minister to tell us what he is hiding in his numbered companies?
Mr. Speaker, quite frankly, those members are making this up. We are in a national public health crisis. Unlike the members opposite, we are bringing forward solutions to deal with this crisis and responding in a way that is comprehensive, compassionate, and evidence based.While we have made it very clear that we plan to legalize, strictly regulate, and restrict access to cannabis in a careful way to keep it out of the hands of children and youth and to stop criminals from profiting, we have been equally clear that we are not considering legalizing any other substances.We will continue to work with our partners to bring forward innovative solutions to battle the opioid crisis and to save lives.
Mr. Speaker, this government stands for human rights around the world, and we stand for calling out human rights abuses. Our government takes allegations of all violations of international human rights and international humanitarian law seriously. We strongly condemn any and all action
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I asked the Minister of Canadian Heritage why she did not respond to the letter sent to her by the Quebec ministry of culture on September 3, which asked for more information about the agreement with Netflix and the lack of francophone content. That letter was sent exactly one month ago, and Quebec has still not received any answers.I have not received any answers either. The minister's press secretary was embarrassed to have to tell journalists later that she would get back to them soon. Come on. Let us be clear. Our cultural industries are in crisis and the government needs to wake up. It is dragging its feet on critical issues, especially where Quebec is concerned.Is that how the government treats the Quebec ministry of culture?Is it so hard to answer an email?Does the government not know how to answer or does it just not care?
Mr. Speaker, this week the Privacy Commissioner highlighted that the lack of heavy fines and legal penalties for privacy breaches means companies holding personal information on Canadians are unlikely to do everything they can to make sure that the data stays safe. The NDP has long advocated for stiffer penalties and to give the Privacy Commissioner actual teeth. As more and more information is in the cloud, we need to put proper legal protections in place. Will this government commit to imposing severe fines on companies that fail to protect consumers' private information?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have had two years to fix it and have done nothing. Let me read part of a letter that the Minister of Revenue sent to someone with type 1 diabetes who was refused the disability tax credit. The minister wrote: The CRA...made a change to the questionnaire it sends to medical practitioners. The questionnaire now sets out more clearly the information the CRA needs to determine if an individual meets the DTC criteria. When I asked about the 80% who were previously approved and are now being rejected, the minister told the House that no change had been made, but in her letter she says a change was made. Which is it?
Mr. Speaker, under the government's watch, the dream of home ownership has been slipping away from thousands of Canadians. High prices, new mortgage rules, and new regulations all make home ownership less affordable. Now media reports say that the Liberal government is planning a new national building code that will impose higher costs on new homebuyers and existing homeowners as well. When will the government realize that every time it adds a new regulation, it increases costs and reduces choices? When is the government going to stop punishing homebuyers?
Mr. Speaker, four temporary foreign workers have won the right to a class action suit against Mac's and the immigration consultant companies owned by Kuldeep Bansal. The migrant workers paid as much as $8,500 to Bansal to obtain jobs with Mac's, only to arrive in Canada and find that those jobs did not exist. An FOI revealed that LMIAs were issued for 486 positions for Mac's. The CBSA has investigated this case for five years and recommends that charges be laid. Why has the government not acted on the recommendations of the CBSA?
Mr. Speaker, imagine senior citizens who have worked hard their whole life and are ready to start the next chapter in retirement. Their kids have moved out, they are empty nesters, and they want to sell their houses and downsize. Now the Liberals want to make people pay more for that too. New building code requirements will require them to complete costly mandatory renovations when they sell their houses. Why do the Liberals want to ruin the retirement plans of middle-class Canadian seniors?
Mr. Speaker, we strongly condemn any and all actions that violate international human rights. We have raised concerns directly with the Government of Iraq, both in Baghdad and here in Ottawa. As Canada continues to re-engage on the international scene after 10 dark years, we will make sure that the protection of human rights and international law is a priority in all of our engagements.
Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on Official Languages tabled a report yesterday that calls on the government to give the Commissioner of Official Languages greater powers to enforce the law.That was suggested by our former commissioner, Graham Fraser. It is clear to him and to the committee that we cannot simply rely on the willingness of institutions and Air Canada. The commissioner's current powers are definitely inadequate.Will the government act on the committee's recommendations for once and strengthen the commissioner's powers?
Mr. Speaker, in the wake of the Chalk River nuclear disaster, 300 brave volunteers committed themselves to cleaning up radioactive material in their community. After several days of tireless effort and maximum exposure to radiation, the military showed up to help finish the job. Those military heroes have since received compensation for radiation exposure, yet nothing has been done for those local heroes who stepped up when their community needed them. Will the government compensate the volunteers who went above and beyond to help after the Chalk River disaster?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. It is the practice of this House that when members inadvertently misspeak they have an opportunity to correct the record. On October 31, the Minister of National Revenue stated there was no change with respect to the disability tax credit. Therefore, I would like to seek unanimous consent to table this letter where she clearly states there was a change.
Mr. Speaker, the former Atomic Energy Canada Limited employees who assisted with the cleanup of the NRU reactor in the 1950s played a critical and important role, and we do thank them very much for their service. We understand that those employees and their families are working to have their contributions recognized. We are aware of the Senate motion brought forward last year. At this time, while there is no program similar to the atomic veterans recognition program, our department is continuing to consider the motion and is looking at how we can move forward to recognize the contributions of these individuals.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on the same point of order. I listened with great interest to the hon. member from Carleton.The NDP is also concerned about the abusive use of omnibus bills that we have been seeing from this government over the past two years, despite the promises that it made. As a result, we have an interest in speaking to this point of order. I simply want to tell you that we will do so as soon as possible.
Mr. Speaker, this government firmly believes in the important role that Canada can play in peacekeeping operations. This week, our government was proud to launch a new and ambitious national action plan for women, peace, and security. Canada's feminist foreign policy will enable women and men around the world to play an equal role, have an equal voice, and have equal rights when it comes to opportunities for safety and security. We have committed to making the involvement of women a priority in all of Canada's activities and fragile states. The action plan will ensure that gender equality will never be an afterthought.Women's rights are human rights, and we stand by that.
Mr. Speaker, the government's program to modernize the dairy industry is moving at two speeds: quickly when it comes to denying applications, and slowly when it comes to handing out money.Last summer, surprisingly, the program shut down after seven days, but four months later, for the lucky few who were eligible, the money has yet to be paid out. The minister cannot blame Phoenix this time. Does the minister's minion realize that the cost of materials has skyrocketed in four months and that his tardiness poses a real threat to projects?
Mr. Speaker, we understand the concerns of the francophone cultural sector.We want to reassure and remind the cultural community of the historic investments we have made to support francophone culture. We have made massive investments in arts and culture, over $2.2 billion to be precise. We have reinvested in the Canada media fund to support French-language television and committed $675 million to CBC/Radio-Canada. These investments have a tangible impact on our artists' lives.
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister has always been transparent and forthcoming with the Ethics Commissioner. From the very beginning, he has followed all of the rules and all of her recommendations, just like any other minister or parliamentarian is expected to do. On this side of the House, we respect the work of the Ethics Commissioner, we respect her recommendations, and we will always work with the Ethic Commissioner to make sure that we live up to the highest standards.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has always lived in a world where money can fix everything. He thought he could buy some peace and quiet by writing one big fat cheque and one small cheque.While the big fat cheque is impressive, it is the small cheque that says it all. It confirms that the Minister of Finance was caught red-handed.Knowing that, does the Minister of Finance understand that paying $5 million and $200 does not excuse what he did? Canadians deserve more transparency from their finance minister.When will he tell Canadians what he is hiding in his numbered companies?
Mr. Speaker, we could all have a little more confidence in the truth of that statement if the finance minister would just come clean about the holdings he is sheltering in his vast network of numbered companies and trust funds.It took investigative journalists to find out that he was hiding $20 million of holdings in Morneau Shepell, a financial company that he regulates, and a financial company on which he very carefully avoided imposing any new taxes.Will the finance minister tell Canadians what holdings he is hiding in his numbered companies and trust funds, so they can know that he is acting in their interest and not his own?
Mr. Speaker, during question period, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance often talks about the Conservative government's record. In order to set the record straight for Canadians, I seek the consent of the House to table the following document from the Bank of Canada. It is a speech given by the Governor of the Bank of Canada, which reads: ...the countrys economic prospects have improved since the crisis....In fact, coming out of the recession, Canada is a leader among the G-7 countries.
Mr. Speaker, these past few months, I have had the great opportunity to visit with many students and employers in my riding of Don Valley North through the Canada summer jobs program. Even though summer has come to an end and students are back in the classroom, young Canadians across the country are continuing to look for ways to put their skills to use, and learn new ones in the workplace.Could the minister update the House on other ways that we are supporting students gaining skills and work experience throughout the school year?
Mr. Speaker, it is important for Canadians to know, even if the opposition does not want to hear it, that this government believes firmly in the role that Canada will play in peacekeeping operations. That is why we committed a half a billion dollars and 600 troops to re-engage in peacekeeping operations. Our women, peace, and security agenda is an important part of that commitment. We will make sure that women in Canada and around the world play a role in military and civilian peacekeeping operations.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to stand in the House and share with members what we are doing for recreational fishers from coast to coast to coast. In fact, I met with recreational fishers just this week, and I was able to share with them the fact that we are investing in coastal restoration. We are putting money into implementing the wild salmon policy. We are making sure that the Cohen commission recommendations are done, 32 last year, and up to 64 out of the 75 now.For far too long, Canadians were tired of a government that took our oceans and waterways for granted. That is why this government is making sure that we protect the resource for the benefit of future generations.
Mr. Speaker, the member is still missing the point, but this is nothing new. When we talk about ethics and integrity, the Prime Minister tells us that his ministers are following the rules. The $200 fine paid by his Minister of Finance proves otherwise. The Prime Minister's trip to the Aga Khan also proves otherwise. One of the problems is the legal framework around the rules. This limits the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner's scope of action. Instead of finding ways to get around the rules, why does the Prime Minister not agree to strengthen the legislation?
Mr. Speaker, our government is taking action to protect the privacy of Canadians. As mentioned by the member opposite, Equifax recently confirmed a cyber-attack that resulted in a data security breach. We are obviously working very closely with the Privacy Commissioner. As I mentioned, the Privacy Commissioner understands the steps our government has taken to strengthen the provisions for consumers. That is why we recently published draft regulations and amendments under PIPEDA. We will continue to take steps to make sure that consumers and small businesses have their privacy protected, because it important for our government and important as we move forward in this new digital economy.
Mr. Speaker, this week we learned that the backlog caused by the Phoenix pay system is getting worse.The Liberal government announced that, because of this fiasco, it will not be able to honour the new collective agreement implementation dates for over 100,000 public servants. Many of them have already been affected by Phoenix, and now their new collective agreement will be delayed. That is unacceptable. Will the government at least promise to pay these employees damages and interest retroactively?
Mr. Speaker, I believe the hon. member obviously is interested in Bill C-58, our government's landmark legislation to modernize Canada's Access to Information Act. This is really important, because for 30 years governments have talked about modernizing access to information but have not done it. The Conservatives promised it in 2006. They did not do anything. In fact, they were the only government in the history of the British Commonwealth to be found in contempt of Parliament for not providing information. Our government is raising the bar after 10 years of darkness under the Conservatives.
Mr. Speaker, this week we were proud to announce an ambitious action plan for gender equality in the peace and security sector. Our feminist foreign policy will allow women and men the world over to speak with equal voices, have equal rights, and live in security
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised to invest in Canadian infrastructure. However, the parliamentary budget officer said that the Liberals were not even close to getting the money out the door. Now we learn that Canadians and Canadian taxpayers will be sending a half a billion dollars to China for infrastructure projects everywhere else in the world except Canada.Why are the Liberals borrowing more money to send to China instead of building roads and bridges in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has always worked with the Ethics Commissioner and will continue to do so with full transparency to make sure he is following the rules. He has announced that he will go even further by divesting himself of his shares in Morneau Shepell and placing all of his assets in a blind trust so he can continue the important work he does for Canadians. He has been doing this work very successfully for the past two years, which has led to the strongest growth in 10 yearsmuch stronger than anything the Conservatives achieved for Canadians during their 10 years in office.
Mr. Speaker, well, the PBO says that growth will drop to 1.6% next year, which is not exactly fulfilling Liberal promises. During the last election, the Liberal Party released a great literary work of fiction called Real Change. Perhaps a better title would have been Surreal Change. On page 3 of that great masterpiece, the Prime Minister asserted that transparent government is good government. Transparent government means a government open to public scrutiny.When will his finance minister finally walk the walk and live up to every single election promise and reveal all of his personal holdings in every single one of his numbered companies?
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the House that our government is absolutely committed to ensuring that all Canadians receive the credits and benefits they are entitled to. We are moving forward with a national disability act that would remove barriers and improve access for all Canadians who live with diabetes. We have made the disability tax credit more accessible than ever before. We have simplified the forms required to apply for the credit. We have added nurse practitioners to complete the applications for their patients. We have just started, and we will continue to focus on supporting the most vulnerable in our country.
Mr. Speaker, with respect to insulin therapy, the CRA has confirmed that a new direction was given at the beginning of May. This unannounced change has resulted in hundreds of type 1 diabetics receiving less money, amounting to hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of dollars. As a doctor who has treated patients with diabetes, I am confident in saying that my physician colleagues are better qualified to decide who should be receiving these benefits than CRA bureaucrats. People are suffering and the minister has the power to make it stop. My simple question is: Will the minister immediately issue a directive to her department to revert back to the April 30 policy?
Mr. Speaker, despite the Liberals' promises to be more open and transparent, what we have is an Information Commissioner who is getting a growing number of complaints for requests for information that are being denied before Bill C-58 is even passed by the House. It is completely unacceptable. The bill has not even become law yet. However, the commissioner is proposing amendments to improve the bill.Will the Liberals keep their promises and work with us, the NDP, and with the Information Commissioner to truly improve access to information?
Mr. Speaker, once again, I want to assure all Canadians that our government is absolutely committed to ensuring that all Canadians receive the credits and benefits they are entitled to. Let me be clear that the eligibility criteria for the DTC for people with diabetes have not changed. It is also important to recognize that far too many Canadians are struggling and need help. That is why we are allowing low-income workers to keep more of their hard-earned money from every paycheque by further enhancing the working income tax benefit by an additional $500 million per year, starting in 2019. Helping the most vulnerable in our country is our top priority, and we will continue to deliver for them.
Mr. Speaker, we know that good governance and self-determination are the most important factors in a community's economic and social health.This past summer, we signed the Agreement on the Cree Nation Governance, a nation-to-nation agreement based on our partnership and respect for the traditional Cree way of life. The agreement is an important step in expanding the governance system from the earlier agreement.
Mr. Speaker, our previous Conservative government created the recreational fisheries conservation partnership program, which improved the habitat of millions of fish. However, the Liberals are not accepting a single new application for this program and are thereby ignoring many worthwhile conservation efforts. This includes projects such as installing an aerator to improve the water quality in Killarney Lake located in my constituency. Will the Liberals commit today to support Canada's recreational fishers and start accepting proposals for this very worthwhile program?
Mr. Speaker, the recognition of rights, and in particular the inherent right to self-government and the right to self-determination, is fundamental to advancing reconciliation in Canada.Could the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs update the House on the concrete measures Canada is taking with its indigenous partners to promote self-determination and facilitate self-government?
Mr. Speaker, of course we have always worked closely with our federal public service union partners. We respect our federal employees, and we are working to resolve the problems with the Phoenix pay system. We have invested huge sums of money and human resources, we have created satellite pay centres, and we have done much more to solve this problem. We will solve this problem.
Mr. Speaker, the minister keeps repeating that his government is the first in 30 years to make improvements to access to information. However, the Information Commissioner was very clear when she said the Liberals' Bill C-58 is regressive and that the status quo would be better than what the Liberals are proposing, meaning that Stephen Harper's government was more open and accountable than the current government. Canadians were promised more accountability and transparency. Will the government work with us and help themselves by actually keeping an election promise?
Mr. Speaker, the law is the law, but the finance minister's motto seems to be, do as I say, not as I do. The purpose of the Conflict of Interest Act is to prevent any abuse by people who may have something to hide in numbered companies, for example. In this case, the Minister of Finance really seems to believe that he is above the law, as though the law does not apply to people like him and the Prime Minister.How many other numbered companies does the Minister of Finance own, and what is he hiding in them?
Mr. Speaker, energy efficiency offers a significant opportunity to help realize Canada's obligations to address climate change while supporting economic growth and the health of Canadians. We are working with our provincial and territorial partners to develop a model code for existing buildings by 2022. This code, which provinces and territories can adopt, would help guide energy efficiency improvements. Investments like our $2 billion low-carbon economy fund will help support provincial and territorial energy efficiency projects that will generate clean growth and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We are working to build a clean energy future.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Don Valley North for his incredible advocacy for young people in his riding and all across Canada.As a former nuclear chemist, he knows that Canada's prosperity depends on young Canadians getting the skills and experience they need to prepare for the jobs of today and tomorrow.We have listened to students and to post-secondary institutions, and that is why we are creating up to 60,000 new paid student work placements over the next five years. That is 60,000 more work experiences that will put our young people on the path to success.
Mr. Speaker, as I said a moment ago, energy efficiency offers a significant opportunity to help realize Canada's obligations to address climate change while supporting economic growth and the health of Canadians. We are working with our provincial and territorial partners to modernize existing building codes by 2022. Investments like our $2 billion low-carbon economy fund will help support provincial and territorial energy efficiency projects that will generate clean growth and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We are working to build a clean energy future by investing in innovation and delivering economic growth and clean jobs while protecting the environment.
Mr. Speaker, we are the first government in more than 30 years to modernize the Access to Information Act. As I said in my first speech on Bill C-58, our intention is to raise the bar for openness and transparency. We are open to amendments for improving the bill and we look forward to working will all hon. members to improve this bill. We will continue to raise the bar
Mr. Speaker, we are the first government in 34 years to act to modernize access to information. In fact, we are the first government to provide the Information Commissioner with real order-making power. We are applying the act, through proactive disclosure, to ministers' offices and the Prime Minister's office. We are applying the act to 240 federal entities, from the courts to the ports. This is a significant advancement. We are raising the bar on the transparency and openness of government, and we will continue to do so.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance worked with the Ethics Commissioner to ensure that he is following her recommendations and the rules of the House. He will continue to do so and has announced that he would do even more.What the Minister of Finance did was something that the Conservatives and Prime Minister Stephen Harper, whom my colleague from Louis-Saint-Laurent admires so, never managed to do. The Minister of Finance has managed to to grow our economy and create more than half a million jobs.According to the latest figures, 18,000 new jobs were added in Quebec in October. We are proud of this record, and that is not a claim they can make. I understand that they do not want to talk about the economy, but that does not mean that we should not.
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, privacy is very important to this government, particularly with respect to the digital economy and the fact that we have more data available. We want to make sure that data is managed in a way that respects the concerns that consumers may have. That is why we recently published draft regulations for amendments made to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, or PIPEDA. We believe that this will empower consumers and encourage businesses to have better security practices.These are the steps we are taking to protect consumers.
Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadian men and women have an important role to play on the international stage. When it comes to peacekeeping operations, Canadians will play a leadership role in building a more peaceful world.
Mr. Speaker, regulatory power and good intentions are all well and good, but if we really want companies to be more vigilant in protecting the private lives of Canadians, the reality is that the government has to go after what is most important to them: their wallets. That is exactly what the Privacy Commissioner is asking when he talks about fining businesses, like Equifax, who compromise the privacy of Canadians.Will the minister follow up on the Privacy Commissioner's recommendation and take the necessary steps to actually begin fining large corporations who compromise the privacy of Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times before, the Minister of Finance has the utmost respect for the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. He has always worked with her with the greatest transparency since he took office. He has followed her recommendations to ensure full compliance with the rules that govern us.Last week, he announced that he would go further by divesting himself of his shares in Morneau Shepell and by placing all his shares in a blind trust so that he could continue serving Canadians as he has been so successfully doing for two years, with strong economic growth. Also, today, he announced the creation of 35,000 new jobs in Canada, including an additional 18,000 for Quebec in October.
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure my hon. colleague that the Minister of Finance has always done what all MPs do, by working with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner to make sure he is always fully transparent with her and follows the rules.The Minister of Finance has always followed the Ethics Commissioner's recommendations, and he announced that he would go even further to make sure he can continue the important work he does for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the institution responsible for preserving the integrity of Parliament, an institution that we have the utmost faith in and the greatest respect for, is the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.The Minister of Finance has always worked with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner and he continues to work with her to ensure that he continues to act on her recommendations and go even further to have the full confidence of Canadians and continue the important work he does for all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has nothing to hide. He has always worked with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner with the greatest transparency to make sure he is in full compliance with the rules that guide us in the House, and that govern us as ministers, as parliamentary secretaries and as members. He will continue to do so, and that is why he has decided to go further by divesting himself of his shares in Morneau Shepell, placing all of his assets in a blind trust, and donating the difference in value of his assets from the day he was elected to today. This Minister of Finance has been brilliantly serving Canadians for two years and has managed to accomplish more in those two years than the Conservatives ever did in 10.
Mr. Speaker, we are proud to have approved more than 4,000 projects since taking office, with a combined investment of more than $35 billion. Federal investments are enabling these projects to move forward. As the hon. member would know, the federal contribution is not paid until the expense claims are submitted by our partners.We will continue to work with our partners to move their priorities forward and provide the flexibility necessary to meet these requirements.
Mr. Speaker, our government is a strong proponent of supply management and supports producers and their families. We are pleased to have invested $350 million in the industry in order to modernize and innovate producers' and processors' facilities. Our government will continue to defend our supply management system.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians across the country remember the contribution of Lester B. Pearson toward peacekeeping. We are proud of our history and the role we played in peacekeeping operations. We know that Canada
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians across the country remember the contribution of Lester B. Pearson toward peacekeeping. We are proud of our history and the role we played in peacekeeping operations. We know that Canada
Mr. Speaker, our government is a strong proponent of supply management and supports producers and their families. We are pleased to have invested $350 million in the industry in order to modernize and innovate producers' and processors' facilities. Our government will continue to defend our supply management system.
Mr. Speaker, we are proud to have approved more than 4,000 projects since taking office, with a combined investment of more than $35 billion. Federal investments are enabling these projects to move forward. As the hon. member would know, the federal contribution is not paid until the expense claims are submitted by our partners.We will continue to work with our partners to move their priorities forward and provide the flexibility necessary to meet these requirements.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has nothing to hide. He has always worked with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner with the greatest transparency to make sure he is in full compliance with the rules that guide us in the House, and that govern us as ministers, as parliamentary secretaries and as members. He will continue to do so, and that is why he has decided to go further by divesting himself of his shares in Morneau Shepell, placing all of his assets in a blind trust, and donating the difference in value of his assets from the day he was elected to today. This Minister of Finance has been brilliantly serving Canadians for two years and has managed to accomplish more in those two years than the Conservatives ever did in 10.
Mr. Speaker, the institution responsible for preserving the integrity of Parliament, an institution that we have the utmost faith in and the greatest respect for, is the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.The Minister of Finance has always worked with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner and he continues to work with her to ensure that he continues to act on her recommendations and go even further to have the full confidence of Canadians and continue the important work he does for all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure my hon. colleague that the Minister of Finance has always done what all MPs do, by working with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner to make sure he is always fully transparent with her and follows the rules.The Minister of Finance has always followed the Ethics Commissioner's recommendations, and he announced that he would go even further to make sure he can continue the important work he does for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times before, the Minister of Finance has the utmost respect for the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. He has always worked with her with the greatest transparency since he took office. He has followed her recommendations to ensure full compliance with the rules that govern us.Last week, he announced that he would go further by divesting himself of his shares in Morneau Shepell and by placing all his shares in a blind trust so that he could continue serving Canadians as he has been so successfully doing for two years, with strong economic growth. Also, today, he announced the creation of 35,000 new jobs in Canada, including an additional 18,000 for Quebec in October.
Mr. Speaker, regulatory power and good intentions are all well and good, but if we really want companies to be more vigilant in protecting the private lives of Canadians, the reality is that the government has to go after what is most important to them: their wallets. That is exactly what the Privacy Commissioner is asking when he talks about fining businesses, like Equifax, who compromise the privacy of Canadians.Will the minister follow up on the Privacy Commissioner's recommendation and take the necessary steps to actually begin fining large corporations who compromise the privacy of Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadian men and women have an important role to play on the international stage. When it comes to peacekeeping operations, Canadians will play a leadership role in building a more peaceful world.
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, privacy is very important to this government, particularly with respect to the digital economy and the fact that we have more data available. We want to make sure that data is managed in a way that respects the concerns that consumers may have. That is why we recently published draft regulations for amendments made to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, or PIPEDA. We believe that this will empower consumers and encourage businesses to have better security practices.These are the steps we are taking to protect consumers.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance worked with the Ethics Commissioner to ensure that he is following her recommendations and the rules of the House. He will continue to do so and has announced that he would do even more.What the Minister of Finance did was something that the Conservatives and Prime Minister Stephen Harper, whom my colleague from Louis-Saint-Laurent admires so, never managed to do. The Minister of Finance has managed to to grow our economy and create more than half a million jobs.According to the latest figures, 18,000 new jobs were added in Quebec in October. We are proud of this record, and that is not a claim they can make. I understand that they do not want to talk about the economy, but that does not mean that we should not.
Mr. Speaker, we are the first government in 34 years to act to modernize access to information. In fact, we are the first government to provide the Information Commissioner with real order-making power. We are applying the act, through proactive disclosure, to ministers' offices and the Prime Minister's office. We are applying the act to 240 federal entities, from the courts to the ports. This is a significant advancement. We are raising the bar on the transparency and openness of government, and we will continue to do so.
Mr. Speaker, we are the first government in more than 30 years to modernize the Access to Information Act. As I said in my first speech on Bill C-58, our intention is to raise the bar for openness and transparency. We are open to amendments for improving the bill and we look forward to working will all hon. members to improve this bill. We will continue to raise the bar
Mr. Speaker, as I said a moment ago, energy efficiency offers a significant opportunity to help realize Canada's obligations to address climate change while supporting economic growth and the health of Canadians. We are working with our provincial and territorial partners to modernize existing building codes by 2022. Investments like our $2 billion low-carbon economy fund will help support provincial and territorial energy efficiency projects that will generate clean growth and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We are working to build a clean energy future by investing in innovation and delivering economic growth and clean jobs while protecting the environment.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Don Valley North for his incredible advocacy for young people in his riding and all across Canada.As a former nuclear chemist, he knows that Canada's prosperity depends on young Canadians getting the skills and experience they need to prepare for the jobs of today and tomorrow.We have listened to students and to post-secondary institutions, and that is why we are creating up to 60,000 new paid student work placements over the next five years. That is 60,000 more work experiences that will put our young people on the path to success.
Mr. Speaker, energy efficiency offers a significant opportunity to help realize Canada's obligations to address climate change while supporting economic growth and the health of Canadians. We are working with our provincial and territorial partners to develop a model code for existing buildings by 2022. This code, which provinces and territories can adopt, would help guide energy efficiency improvements. Investments like our $2 billion low-carbon economy fund will help support provincial and territorial energy efficiency projects that will generate clean growth and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We are working to build a clean energy future.
Mr. Speaker, the minister keeps repeating that his government is the first in 30 years to make improvements to access to information. However, the Information Commissioner was very clear when she said the Liberals' Bill C-58 is regressive and that the status quo would be better than what the Liberals are proposing, meaning that Stephen Harper's government was more open and accountable than the current government. Canadians were promised more accountability and transparency. Will the government work with us and help themselves by actually keeping an election promise?
Mr. Speaker, the law is the law, but the finance minister's motto seems to be, do as I say, not as I do. The purpose of the Conflict of Interest Act is to prevent any abuse by people who may have something to hide in numbered companies, for example. In this case, the Minister of Finance really seems to believe that he is above the law, as though the law does not apply to people like him and the Prime Minister.How many other numbered companies does the Minister of Finance own, and what is he hiding in them?
Mr. Speaker, of course we have always worked closely with our federal public service union partners. We respect our federal employees, and we are working to resolve the problems with the Phoenix pay system. We have invested huge sums of money and human resources, we have created satellite pay centres, and we have done much more to solve this problem. We will solve this problem.
Mr. Speaker, the recognition of rights, and in particular the inherent right to self-government and the right to self-determination, is fundamental to advancing reconciliation in Canada.Could the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs update the House on the concrete measures Canada is taking with its indigenous partners to promote self-determination and facilitate self-government?
Mr. Speaker, our previous Conservative government created the recreational fisheries conservation partnership program, which improved the habitat of millions of fish. However, the Liberals are not accepting a single new application for this program and are thereby ignoring many worthwhile conservation efforts. This includes projects such as installing an aerator to improve the water quality in Killarney Lake located in my constituency. Will the Liberals commit today to support Canada's recreational fishers and start accepting proposals for this very worthwhile program?
Mr. Speaker, we know that good governance and self-determination are the most important factors in a community's economic and social health.This past summer, we signed the Agreement on the Cree Nation Governance, a nation-to-nation agreement based on our partnership and respect for the traditional Cree way of life. The agreement is an important step in expanding the governance system from the earlier agreement.
Mr. Speaker, once again, I want to assure all Canadians that our government is absolutely committed to ensuring that all Canadians receive the credits and benefits they are entitled to. Let me be clear that the eligibility criteria for the DTC for people with diabetes have not changed. It is also important to recognize that far too many Canadians are struggling and need help. That is why we are allowing low-income workers to keep more of their hard-earned money from every paycheque by further enhancing the working income tax benefit by an additional $500 million per year, starting in 2019. Helping the most vulnerable in our country is our top priority, and we will continue to deliver for them.
Mr. Speaker, despite the Liberals' promises to be more open and transparent, what we have is an Information Commissioner who is getting a growing number of complaints for requests for information that are being denied before Bill C-58 is even passed by the House. It is completely unacceptable. The bill has not even become law yet. However, the commissioner is proposing amendments to improve the bill.Will the Liberals keep their promises and work with us, the NDP, and with the Information Commissioner to truly improve access to information?
Mr. Speaker, with respect to insulin therapy, the CRA has confirmed that a new direction was given at the beginning of May. This unannounced change has resulted in hundreds of type 1 diabetics receiving less money, amounting to hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of dollars. As a doctor who has treated patients with diabetes, I am confident in saying that my physician colleagues are better qualified to decide who should be receiving these benefits than CRA bureaucrats. People are suffering and the minister has the power to make it stop. My simple question is: Will the minister immediately issue a directive to her department to revert back to the April 30 policy?
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the House that our government is absolutely committed to ensuring that all Canadians receive the credits and benefits they are entitled to. We are moving forward with a national disability act that would remove barriers and improve access for all Canadians who live with diabetes. We have made the disability tax credit more accessible than ever before. We have simplified the forms required to apply for the credit. We have added nurse practitioners to complete the applications for their patients. We have just started, and we will continue to focus on supporting the most vulnerable in our country.
Mr. Speaker, well, the PBO says that growth will drop to 1.6% next year, which is not exactly fulfilling Liberal promises. During the last election, the Liberal Party released a great literary work of fiction called Real Change. Perhaps a better title would have been Surreal Change. On page 3 of that great masterpiece, the Prime Minister asserted that transparent government is good government. Transparent government means a government open to public scrutiny.When will his finance minister finally walk the walk and live up to every single election promise and reveal all of his personal holdings in every single one of his numbered companies?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has always worked with the Ethics Commissioner and will continue to do so with full transparency to make sure he is following the rules. He has announced that he will go even further by divesting himself of his shares in Morneau Shepell and placing all of his assets in a blind trust so he can continue the important work he does for Canadians. He has been doing this work very successfully for the past two years, which has led to the strongest growth in 10 yearsmuch stronger than anything the Conservatives achieved for Canadians during their 10 years in office.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised to invest in Canadian infrastructure. However, the parliamentary budget officer said that the Liberals were not even close to getting the money out the door. Now we learn that Canadians and Canadian taxpayers will be sending a half a billion dollars to China for infrastructure projects everywhere else in the world except Canada.Why are the Liberals borrowing more money to send to China instead of building roads and bridges in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, this week we were proud to announce an ambitious action plan for gender equality in the peace and security sector. Our feminist foreign policy will allow women and men the world over to speak with equal voices, have equal rights, and live in security
Mr. Speaker, I believe the hon. member obviously is interested in Bill C-58, our government's landmark legislation to modernize Canada's Access to Information Act. This is really important, because for 30 years governments have talked about modernizing access to information but have not done it. The Conservatives promised it in 2006. They did not do anything. In fact, they were the only government in the history of the British Commonwealth to be found in contempt of Parliament for not providing information. Our government is raising the bar after 10 years of darkness under the Conservatives.
Mr. Speaker, this week we learned that the backlog caused by the Phoenix pay system is getting worse.The Liberal government announced that, because of this fiasco, it will not be able to honour the new collective agreement implementation dates for over 100,000 public servants. Many of them have already been affected by Phoenix, and now their new collective agreement will be delayed. That is unacceptable. Will the government at least promise to pay these employees damages and interest retroactively?
Mr. Speaker, our government is taking action to protect the privacy of Canadians. As mentioned by the member opposite, Equifax recently confirmed a cyber-attack that resulted in a data security breach. We are obviously working very closely with the Privacy Commissioner. As I mentioned, the Privacy Commissioner understands the steps our government has taken to strengthen the provisions for consumers. That is why we recently published draft regulations and amendments under PIPEDA. We will continue to take steps to make sure that consumers and small businesses have their privacy protected, because it important for our government and important as we move forward in this new digital economy.
Mr. Speaker, the member is still missing the point, but this is nothing new. When we talk about ethics and integrity, the Prime Minister tells us that his ministers are following the rules. The $200 fine paid by his Minister of Finance proves otherwise. The Prime Minister's trip to the Aga Khan also proves otherwise. One of the problems is the legal framework around the rules. This limits the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner's scope of action. Instead of finding ways to get around the rules, why does the Prime Minister not agree to strengthen the legislation?
Mr. Speaker, it is important for Canadians to know, even if the opposition does not want to hear it, that this government believes firmly in the role that Canada will play in peacekeeping operations. That is why we committed a half a billion dollars and 600 troops to re-engage in peacekeeping operations. Our women, peace, and security agenda is an important part of that commitment. We will make sure that women in Canada and around the world play a role in military and civilian peacekeeping operations.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to stand in the House and share with members what we are doing for recreational fishers from coast to coast to coast. In fact, I met with recreational fishers just this week, and I was able to share with them the fact that we are investing in coastal restoration. We are putting money into implementing the wild salmon policy. We are making sure that the Cohen commission recommendations are done, 32 last year, and up to 64 out of the 75 now.For far too long, Canadians were tired of a government that took our oceans and waterways for granted. That is why this government is making sure that we protect the resource for the benefit of future generations.
Mr. Speaker, these past few months, I have had the great opportunity to visit with many students and employers in my riding of Don Valley North through the Canada summer jobs program. Even though summer has come to an end and students are back in the classroom, young Canadians across the country are continuing to look for ways to put their skills to use, and learn new ones in the workplace.Could the minister update the House on other ways that we are supporting students gaining skills and work experience throughout the school year?
Mr. Speaker, during question period, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance often talks about the Conservative government's record. In order to set the record straight for Canadians, I seek the consent of the House to table the following document from the Bank of Canada. It is a speech given by the Governor of the Bank of Canada, which reads: ...the countrys economic prospects have improved since the crisis....In fact, coming out of the recession, Canada is a leader among the G-7 countries.
Mr. Speaker, we could all have a little more confidence in the truth of that statement if the finance minister would just come clean about the holdings he is sheltering in his vast network of numbered companies and trust funds.It took investigative journalists to find out that he was hiding $20 million of holdings in Morneau Shepell, a financial company that he regulates, and a financial company on which he very carefully avoided imposing any new taxes.Will the finance minister tell Canadians what holdings he is hiding in his numbered companies and trust funds, so they can know that he is acting in their interest and not his own?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has always lived in a world where money can fix everything. He thought he could buy some peace and quiet by writing one big fat cheque and one small cheque.While the big fat cheque is impressive, it is the small cheque that says it all. It confirms that the Minister of Finance was caught red-handed.Knowing that, does the Minister of Finance understand that paying $5 million and $200 does not excuse what he did? Canadians deserve more transparency from their finance minister.When will he tell Canadians what he is hiding in his numbered companies?
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister has always been transparent and forthcoming with the Ethics Commissioner. From the very beginning, he has followed all of the rules and all of her recommendations, just like any other minister or parliamentarian is expected to do. On this side of the House, we respect the work of the Ethics Commissioner, we respect her recommendations, and we will always work with the Ethic Commissioner to make sure that we live up to the highest standards.
Mr. Speaker, we understand the concerns of the francophone cultural sector.We want to reassure and remind the cultural community of the historic investments we have made to support francophone culture. We have made massive investments in arts and culture, over $2.2 billion to be precise. We have reinvested in the Canada media fund to support French-language television and committed $675 million to CBC/Radio-Canada. These investments have a tangible impact on our artists' lives.
Mr. Speaker, the government's program to modernize the dairy industry is moving at two speeds: quickly when it comes to denying applications, and slowly when it comes to handing out money.Last summer, surprisingly, the program shut down after seven days, but four months later, for the lucky few who were eligible, the money has yet to be paid out. The minister cannot blame Phoenix this time. Does the minister's minion realize that the cost of materials has skyrocketed in four months and that his tardiness poses a real threat to projects?
Mr. Speaker, this government firmly believes in the important role that Canada can play in peacekeeping operations. This week, our government was proud to launch a new and ambitious national action plan for women, peace, and security. Canada's feminist foreign policy will enable women and men around the world to play an equal role, have an equal voice, and have equal rights when it comes to opportunities for safety and security. We have committed to making the involvement of women a priority in all of Canada's activities and fragile states. The action plan will ensure that gender equality will never be an afterthought.Women's rights are human rights, and we stand by that.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on the same point of order. I listened with great interest to the hon. member from Carleton.The NDP is also concerned about the abusive use of omnibus bills that we have been seeing from this government over the past two years, despite the promises that it made. As a result, we have an interest in speaking to this point of order. I simply want to tell you that we will do so as soon as possible.
Mr. Speaker, the former Atomic Energy Canada Limited employees who assisted with the cleanup of the NRU reactor in the 1950s played a critical and important role, and we do thank them very much for their service. We understand that those employees and their families are working to have their contributions recognized. We are aware of the Senate motion brought forward last year. At this time, while there is no program similar to the atomic veterans recognition program, our department is continuing to consider the motion and is looking at how we can move forward to recognize the contributions of these individuals.
Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on Official Languages tabled a report yesterday that calls on the government to give the Commissioner of Official Languages greater powers to enforce the law.That was suggested by our former commissioner, Graham Fraser. It is clear to him and to the committee that we cannot simply rely on the willingness of institutions and Air Canada. The commissioner's current powers are definitely inadequate.Will the government act on the committee's recommendations for once and strengthen the commissioner's powers?
Mr. Speaker, in the wake of the Chalk River nuclear disaster, 300 brave volunteers committed themselves to cleaning up radioactive material in their community. After several days of tireless effort and maximum exposure to radiation, the military showed up to help finish the job. Those military heroes have since received compensation for radiation exposure, yet nothing has been done for those local heroes who stepped up when their community needed them. Will the government compensate the volunteers who went above and beyond to help after the Chalk River disaster?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. It is the practice of this House that when members inadvertently misspeak they have an opportunity to correct the record. On October 31, the Minister of National Revenue stated there was no change with respect to the disability tax credit. Therefore, I would like to seek unanimous consent to table this letter where she clearly states there was a change.
Mr. Speaker, we strongly condemn any and all actions that violate international human rights. We have raised concerns directly with the Government of Iraq, both in Baghdad and here in Ottawa. As Canada continues to re-engage on the international scene after 10 dark years, we will make sure that the protection of human rights and international law is a priority in all of our engagements.
Mr. Speaker, imagine senior citizens who have worked hard their whole life and are ready to start the next chapter in retirement. Their kids have moved out, they are empty nesters, and they want to sell their houses and downsize. Now the Liberals want to make people pay more for that too. New building code requirements will require them to complete costly mandatory renovations when they sell their houses. Why do the Liberals want to ruin the retirement plans of middle-class Canadian seniors?
Mr. Speaker, four temporary foreign workers have won the right to a class action suit against Mac's and the immigration consultant companies owned by Kuldeep Bansal. The migrant workers paid as much as $8,500 to Bansal to obtain jobs with Mac's, only to arrive in Canada and find that those jobs did not exist. An FOI revealed that LMIAs were issued for 486 positions for Mac's. The CBSA has investigated this case for five years and recommends that charges be laid. Why has the government not acted on the recommendations of the CBSA?
Mr. Speaker, under the government's watch, the dream of home ownership has been slipping away from thousands of Canadians. High prices, new mortgage rules, and new regulations all make home ownership less affordable. Now media reports say that the Liberal government is planning a new national building code that will impose higher costs on new homebuyers and existing homeowners as well. When will the government realize that every time it adds a new regulation, it increases costs and reduces choices? When is the government going to stop punishing homebuyers?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have had two years to fix it and have done nothing. Let me read part of a letter that the Minister of Revenue sent to someone with type 1 diabetes who was refused the disability tax credit. The minister wrote: The CRA...made a change to the questionnaire it sends to medical practitioners. The questionnaire now sets out more clearly the information the CRA needs to determine if an individual meets the DTC criteria. When I asked about the 80% who were previously approved and are now being rejected, the minister told the House that no change had been made, but in her letter she says a change was made. Which is it?
Mr. Speaker, this week the Privacy Commissioner highlighted that the lack of heavy fines and legal penalties for privacy breaches means companies holding personal information on Canadians are unlikely to do everything they can to make sure that the data stays safe. The NDP has long advocated for stiffer penalties and to give the Privacy Commissioner actual teeth. As more and more information is in the cloud, we need to put proper legal protections in place. Will this government commit to imposing severe fines on companies that fail to protect consumers' private information?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I asked the Minister of Canadian Heritage why she did not respond to the letter sent to her by the Quebec ministry of culture on September 3, which asked for more information about the agreement with Netflix and the lack of francophone content. That letter was sent exactly one month ago, and Quebec has still not received any answers.I have not received any answers either. The minister's press secretary was embarrassed to have to tell journalists later that she would get back to them soon. Come on. Let us be clear. Our cultural industries are in crisis and the government needs to wake up. It is dragging its feet on critical issues, especially where Quebec is concerned.Is that how the government treats the Quebec ministry of culture?Is it so hard to answer an email?Does the government not know how to answer or does it just not care?
Mr. Speaker, this government stands for human rights around the world, and we stand for calling out human rights abuses. Our government takes allegations of all violations of international human rights and international humanitarian law seriously. We strongly condemn any and all action
Mr. Speaker, quite frankly, those members are making this up. We are in a national public health crisis. Unlike the members opposite, we are bringing forward solutions to deal with this crisis and responding in a way that is comprehensive, compassionate, and evidence based.While we have made it very clear that we plan to legalize, strictly regulate, and restrict access to cannabis in a careful way to keep it out of the hands of children and youth and to stop criminals from profiting, we have been equally clear that we are not considering legalizing any other substances.We will continue to work with our partners to bring forward innovative solutions to battle the opioid crisis and to save lives.
Mr. Speaker, it is one distraction after another. The Prime Minister, his cabinet, the parliamentary secretaries, and the Liberal caucus are the only ones who refuse to acknowledge the obvious fact that the Minister of Finance was indeed in a conflict of interest. He paid a fine for hiding his villa in France, and now he is casting doubt on the Ethics Commissioner's word. Instead of being complicit in this sad affair where the rich can cut a fat cheque to get themselves off the hook, will someone in the government stand up and ask the finance minister to tell us what he is hiding in his numbered companies?
Mr. Speaker, first of all, the Liberals raised taxes on 87% of middle-class Canadians. Second, their child poverty claims were declared, even by The Canadian Press, to be a lot of baloney. Third, while the Liberals raised taxes on everybody else, the finance minister was very meticulous in ensuring that none of the tax increases applied to him or Morneau Shepell.Once again, will he finally reveal what he is hiding in this vast network of numbered companies and trust funds, so Canadians can be assured that their finance minister is acting in the public interest, not for his private profit?
We have to go that far back?
Mr. Speaker, it is true that the Liberals have invested enormous sums in Phoenix, and this week was the one-year anniversary of the government's self-imposed deadline to fix it. However, more than half of public servants are still having pay problems. In fact, 265,000 pay transactions are past due. That is unacceptable. Also, because of the Phoenix delays, the Liberals will not meet deadlines to negotiate new collective agreements with our public servants.When will the Liberals stop finding excuses and find a solution to the Phoenix boondoggle?
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister, just like any other minister or parliamentarian, met with the Ethics Commissioner at the very beginning of his mandate to make sure that he would follow all of the rules and all of her recommendations. He has announced that he will go even above and beyond those.What I see the Conservatives doing is everything they can not to talk about the economy. If we look back at the decade when they were in power, they had 1% growth in employment, the worst since the Second World War. If we look at the job numbers today, we have added 35,000 jobs in October. That puts us at half a million jobs created since we took office, most of them full time. I get that they do not want to talk about it, but that does not mean we should not talk about it.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today pursuant to Standing Order 69.1 in regard to omnibus bills. The Standing Order reads: In the case where a government bill seeks to repeal, amend or enact more than one act, and where there is not a common element connecting the various provisions or where unrelated matters are linked, the Speaker shall have the power to divide the questions, for the purposes of voting, on the motion for second reading and reference to a committee and the motion for third reading and passage of the bill. The Speaker shall have the power to combine clauses of the bill thematically and to put the aforementioned questions on each of these groups of clauses separately, provided that there will be a single debate at each stage. I point your attention now to a recently introduced omnibus budget implementation act. The proposal was tabled in the House of Commons on October 27, 2017. That act combines a number of unrelated provisions that were not included in the original budget presentation. The long title is the first clue: A second Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 22, 2017 and other measures. The summary notes indicate that the bill also implements a GST/HST measure announced on September 8, 2017. Other items include the income tax amendments, part 1, related to farmers and fishers selling to cooperatives; part 3's amendments to the Excise Act related to beer made from concentrate; division 5 of part 5, which amends the Bank of Canada Act concerning loans and advances made to members of the Canadian Payments Association; division 11 of part 5, which makes a series of amendments to the Judges Act; and division 13 of part 5, which amends the Financial Administration Act in respect of payments to discharge a debt.Returning to the original Standing Order I cited at the outset, you, as Speaker, have the ability to break this bill into separate bills if its various provisions concern unrelated matters and if they are then linked in the same bill. Clearly, the matters I have just mentioned, their merits or demerits notwithstanding, are not directly related to each another. For example, the Judges Act is not related to the Financial Administration Act, the Judges Act is not related to the Excise Act, and the Bank of Canada Act is not related directly to the Income Tax Act. Therefore, the bill combines a number of different acts in one single bill, which gives you, Mr. Speaker, the power to separate the various component parts of the act.In fairness to the government, there is an exception to that role. Under 69.1 of the Standing Orders, budget implementation roles can be excluded from the Speaker's power to divide a bill that contains numerous unrelated parts. Standing Order 69.1(2) reads: The present Standing Order shall not apply if the bill has as its main purpose the implementation of a budget and contains only provisions that were announced in the budget presentation or in the documents tabled during the budget presentation. I have just finished listing at least five provisions that were included in the omnibus budget implementation act but were not included in the original budget presentation. Therefore, this BIA and its component parts are not exempt from the Speaker's authority to divide into separate bills matters that are unrelated to one other but, nevertheless, were introduced as one piece of legislation.There is another matter that was included in the budget implementation bill that was not fully included in the original budget presentation. I refer now to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. As I said at the outset, the Standing Order calls for bills to be separated into their component parts if a provision in a budget implementation bill had not been fully present in the original budget presentation. Now, the budget presentation did provide for funding for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. However, it did not provide for the same amount of money that was later included in the budget implementation bill. Let me quote directly from the presentation the minister made on March 22, 2017: Budget 2017 proposes to invest $256 million over five years for Canada to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). It was $256 million. That was the provision the government made for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in the budget presentation of last March. However, the legislation introduced just last week has a different and much larger provision. It provides for an amount of not more than $375 million U.S., which equals $480 million Canadian.The word provision comes from the root word provide. The original budget presentation would provide $256 million. This omnibus budget bill provides $480 million. In other words, there is roughly $230 million provided in the budget implementation bill that was not provided in the original budget presentation. In other words, the BIA, the omnibus budget bill, attempts to provide something that was not provided for at the outset. Therefore, it is not exempt from your powers, Mr. Speaker, to divide the bill up in separate component parts so that the measures can be debated on their separate merits.The government has introduced a very complex web of legislative amendments to the statutes of Canada that are unrelated and disconnected, all in one single bill, after having promised to end omnibus bills forever. The government also gave you, Mr. Speaker, the power to end those omnibus bills for them. I described how you can use that power and why it would be appropriate to do so in this particular case.Let me say, on behalf of the official opposition, that while we are concerned that the government has broken its promise to end all omnibus bills, we are not particularly troubled by the fact that some of these measures are being voted on together.It is your power to divide them up, but it is not necessarily of substantive importance to us that all of them be divided up, if the Speaker were to find that it would be in the interest of efficiency for them to be voted on and debated together. Some of these measures would not be troublesome to marry into one such vote and one such debate, except one. That one is the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. It is particularly important, and its quiet and surreptitious inclusion in this bill is particularly concerning for multiple reasons.First, in less than half a year, the amount the government wants to spend on this initiative has gone up by almost 100%. Originally it was $250 million; now it is almost half a billion dollars. That is an eye-popping increase in an expense for a new initiative on which no Canadian government has ever spent money in the past. Less than a year ago, the Government of Canada was committed to spending zero on this initiative. Then it was $250 million, and now, quietly, that amount has been raised to half a billion dollars.The second reason why this is particularly objectionable to the official opposition is this. The government is behind on all of its commitments to build infrastructure in Canada. Now it is proposing to spend Canadian tax dollars to build infrastructure in another continent. In fact, the legislation that the government proposes is explicit, that the purpose is to build infrastructure in a different continent than our own.Let me read directly from the bill that the government tabled. It states: The purpose of the Bank shall be to: (i) foster sustainable economic development, create wealth and improve infrastructure connectivity in Asia by investing in infrastructure and other productive sectors; It then defines Asia not to include Canada, it goes without saying, which means that this half billion dollars will be paid by Canadians but will not be spent to their benefit. This very unusual use of infrastructure money is worthy of some debate on the floor of this House of Commons, particularly given the fact that, prior to even implementing the initiative, it is almost 100% over budget.Therefore, we call upon you to exercise the legitimate authorities vested in you by the Standing Orders, in particular Standing Orders 69.1(1) and 69.1(2), to divide the Asian infrastructure bank from the rest of the budget implementation act, so that Canadians can witness a debate in this chamber on the merits of sending a half a billion dollars to build infrastructure in Asia, and on the merits of giving loans and loan guarantees to extremely wealthy titans of finance on the world stage, all at the expense of Canadian taxpayers.So far, the House has had no stand-alone debate on this massive new and unprecedented expenditure. The government seems to want to keep it that way by burying this measure at the back of a very large omnibus bill, making no mention of it either in the minister's original speech in the House of Commons or in subsequent ministerial declarations that we have been able to find in the Hansard record. It is clear that the government did not want this measure to even be noticed. That is why it was buried, almost like a secret, at the back of the bill. You now have the authority to remedy that problem, to separate out this section, and allow Canadians to debate this half-billion dollar expenditure on the floor of the House of Commons and at committee, and then to exercise the will of all of our constituents by voting on it here in this chamber and then later in the other place. Therefore, we call upon you, Speaker, to exercise the powers vested in you in the Standing Orders to uphold the principle of no taxation without representation. That is, Canadians must have the ability to rely on Parliament to approve every expenditure that the government taxes fund, independently and separately from other matters, and to instill a sense of integrity in the budget process so that all Canadians can have confidence in how their money is spent.
Mr. Speaker, we hear the concerns of stakeholders in the francophone cultural industry. We want to reassure them and remind them of the historic investments we have made to support our francophone culture.That is why we invested heavily in arts and culture. We invested over $2.2 billion in the Canada Media Fund to support French-language television, and we invested $675 million in Radio-Canada. These investments are having a real impact on the lives of our artists.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House once again to ask the Minister of Natural Resources about his plans to stop the pine beetle from attacking our forests. Last year alone, the beetle increased tenfold. Even though science and research has been done, the beetle has moved from Jasper Park into central Alberta and is heading east. All of Canada's pine forests are at risk. We need financial assistance to cull the trees. What is the Liberal government doing to stop this infestation?
Mr. Speaker, we have taken concrete to steps to correct the temporary foreign workers program. Part of that is strengthening the LMIAs, the labour market impact assessments, that ensure employers are doing a thorough job of hiring Canadians first and then proving the need for temporary foreign workers. We have also implemented new on-site inspections. We are working on a regime to ensure that all temporary foreign workers have their human dignity and their rights respected.
Mr. Speaker, of course we take these problems very seriously. We have invested and taken a vast number of measures to resolve the problems associated with the Phoenix pay system. Because I know the hon. member shares my belief that we must fix these problems, I am sure he will join me in asking one of these Harper cabinet ministers how they could have left us with such a fiasco. Maybe he will ask the leader of the opposition why these Harper senators now want to slink away from the problem they helped cause.
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister got fined exactly because he did not follow the rules. The Information Commissioner said that it is harder to get information out of the current government than any other before.The reality is that the finance minister used his power to enrich himself and his family's company. He is still hiding other assets within different holding companies, and there are other ministers in the same conflict, but the Liberals will not say who or how many, and the Prime Minister says there is nothing wrong.The Liberals talk a lot about sunshine, but why are they still keeping Canadians in the dark?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government has taken Canada out of the fight against ISIS. It has eliminated the office of religious freedom. Now we learn that Canada's peacekeeping efforts are at an all-time low. We know that in Iraq today, Christians are still being killed simply for their belief.When will the Liberal government wake up to the plight of Christians in the Middle East and take concrete action towards stopping this genocide?
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister misled Canadians by hiding his assets from the Ethics Commissioner. He made millions off the company he regulates. He broke the law. Now he is hiding from Canadians his assets in multiple numbered companies.What does this minister have to hide? Why will he not disclose his assets?
Mr. Speaker, hundreds of soldiers at CFB Valcartier back home are currently on standby waiting to find out if they will be deployed to Africa or elsewhere.This week we learned that six helicopters would be sent to Mali. It was the media that informed us. The minister has said nothing about it. The minister went on three reconnaissance missions in Africa. Officers at headquarters in Ottawa lost two years making plans. We are still being kept in the dark.Are we sending troops to Mali or not?
Mr. Speaker, we will be talking about access again. After trying to pull a fast one on small businesses with their tax reform, the Liberals are trying to save themselves a few bucks at the expense of families of people with autism and people with type 1 diabetes. If they really want to find more cash, they should just go look in the Minister of Finance's pockets. Why did the Minister of National Revenue say that she knew nothing and that nothing had happened? Funnily enough, a letter that she signed shows that she has been ignoring doctors' advice since May.When will the minister get control of her department, and when will she restore the tax credit for courageous Canadians with incurable diseases?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are doing everything they can to keep their secrets under wraps. The finance minister hid details of his offshore companies and assets from the Ethics Commissioner while making decisions about companies he owns and regulates. He got caught and she fined him. He is in multiple conflicts, including with legislation, a government loan, and at least one tax treaty. It seems that other ministers are in the same mess.When will the Liberals come clean with Canadians? What else are they trying to hide?
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, we are the government that has been working extremely hard for the last two years to ensure that the DTC is accessible to Canadians who are entitled to it. We have done so by simplifying the disability tax credit forms, by allowing nurse practitioners to certify the DTC forms, by working with medical practitioners to ensure they have all the resources to assist their patients with the DTC, and by rehiring nurses at the front lines of the review process. We have just started, and let me assure Canadians that we will continue to work hard for the most vulnerable in our country.
Mr. Speaker, the former Conservative government implemented a policy called conditional permanent residency. This policy required sponsored partners to live with their sponsors for at least two years in order to maintain their status in Canada, forcing those who were experiencing domestic violence or sexual abuse to stay silent or risk losing their status. This put vulnerable spouses, especially women, at risk of additional abuse and violence.Could the minister update the House on what our government is doing to support newcomer women who are being trapped by this Conservative policy?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance was so nice to the Ethics Commissioner that he was found guilty and made to pay a $200 fine.Two years ago, the Minister of Finance said that he would put his shares in a blind trust, but he never did. He also said that he did not have a controlling interest in Morneau Shepell, but that he had a controlling interest in a company that controlled the former. He was playing semantics. He forgot to mention that he had a villa in Provence, until the CBC brought it to light.This minister takes action only after he is caught red-handed. In fact, he was again caught red-handed with his numbered companies.When will the Minister of Finance finally tell Canadians the truth?
Mr. Speaker, the government promised a 600-member peacekeeping mission for the United Nations. It has had three trips to Mali for reconnaissance. It has spent thousands of hours planning for a mission to Mali. It has consulted both France and the U.S. on this mission. However, this week we heard we were only sending some helicopters to Mali.Will the minister confirm to the House today that Mali has been ruled out for Canada's UN peacekeeping mission?
Mr. Speaker, when the Minister of Finance announced his tax increases on small businesses and family farmers over the summer, he was meticulous in sheltering his assets from any higher taxes. If we only knew what holdings he had, we would know what taxes he will not raise. However, we do not know what holdings he has because he is hiding them in a myriad of numbered companies.Will the finance minister tell us what holdings he is hiding in these numbered companies, so Canadians can surmise the small list of taxes that he will not raise?
Mr. Speaker, every parliamentarian is expected to work with the Ethics Commissioner, who is responsible for preserving the integrity of Parliament.That is what the Minister of Finance has always done, and that is what he continues to do. He met with the Ethics Commissioner recently and announced that he will go the extra mile.If my colleague wants numbers, I can give him some. Real GDP growth was 1.6% during the past decade when he was on this side of the House. That is the worst record in 69 years, since the time of Mackenzie King. Since we took office, real GDP growth has been 3.7%. It was dropping in 2015 and people were wondering whether we were in a recession.Now, no one is asking that question. Canada has the highest growth in the G7, and half a million jobs have been created. That is the finance minister's record.
Mr. Speaker, I mentioned Mali three or four times in my earlier question, but what was absent from that answer was Mali.The past platitudes of the government never match their present performance. We remember that Canada is back rhetoric. Well, Canada is back at the bottom of UN peacekeepers right now around the world. We are back to cutting the military back to the decade of darkness under the Chrétien government.When will the member stand in the House and let us know where we are sending our troops?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from AuroraOak RidgesRichmond Hill for her question.Our government is deeply committed to gender equality and combatting gender-based violence. The former Conservative government ignored women's rights groups, it ignored experts, and it ignored immigrant women's groups, which denounced the conditional permanent residency as a wrongheaded policy that trapped vulnerable women in abusive relationships. No survivor should ever feel afraid to come forward. That is why I am proud that on this side of the House we have fully eliminated conditional permanent residency.
Mr. Speaker, at yesterday's meeting of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, the minister sought to defend Netflix by trotting out the same old empty phrases, bogus arguments, and tired lines.Instead of standing up for Quebec creators, the minister chose to go after any parliamentarian who had the gall to disagree with her. I have some news for the Minister of Canadian Heritage: contrary to what she seems to think, singling out Netflix for a tax break its rivals do not get is a tax policy.Why the preferential treatment?
Mr. Speaker, we understand the critical importance of forestry to the economies of eastern and western Canada as a source of jobs, prosperity, and opportunity.We are acutely aware of the threat that forest pests, like the mountain pine beetle, emerald ash borer, and spruce budworm, pose to Canada's forests. In budget 2016, we invested $87 million to support scientific research and infrastructure, including funding to combat destructive forest pests such as spruce bud worm and mountain pine beetle.We are working closely with our partners, provinces, universities, and industry, all with a common goal of finding a solution to this problem.
Mr. Speaker, we thank the committee, including the member for Drummond, for the report. We will give it careful consideration.Our two official languages are at the heart of Canada's history and identity. Air Canada must respect both the letter and the spirit of the Official Languages Act. The application of the Official Languages Act is a priority for our government. We are working with the Minister of Transport to ensure that Air Canada is meeting its obligations under the Official Languages Act. We take this whole issue very seriously.
Mr. Speaker, acting in the interests of Canadians was lowering taxes for nine million Canadians, lowering taxes for small businesses from 10.5% to 9%, helping 300,000 kids be lifted out of poverty with the Canada child benefit, and growing this economy at the fastest pace in the G7, something the Conservatives were never able to achieve. That is working in the interests of Canadians. That is Conservatives playing politics. That is Liberals working for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I am also shocked by another revelation. We have a Liberal government that wants to legalize marijuana, and yesterday we learned that the Liberals may be planning to decriminalize all drugs. In my clinic, kids are asking, Is it okay to do drugs now? Young Canadians know drugs are bad for them. The Liberal drug policy is damaging to Canadians, especially to Canadian kids. Could the minister confirm if decriminalizing hard drugs is Liberal policy, and what dangerous drugs are on that list?
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister has always been transparent and forthcoming with the Ethics Commissioner. He has always followed the rules and followed the recommendations, and he has announced he will go even above and beyond.I understand why the Conservatives do not want to talk about the economy and prefer to talk about the finance minister. If we remember, and I will give the number, 1.6% was the real annual GDP growth for a decade. That was the worst since Mackenzie King, the worst in 69 years. Let us compare that to today, when Canada is growing its economy at the fastest pace in the G7, and it is 3.7% over the last year. That is what we are doing.That is, again, Conservatives playing politics, and Liberals working for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians across the country remember the contribution of Lester B. Pearson toward peacekeeping. We are proud of our history and the role we played in peacekeeping operations. We know that Canada
Mr. Speaker, our government is a strong proponent of supply management and supports producers and their families. We are pleased to have invested $350 million in the industry in order to modernize and innovate producers' and processors' facilities. Our government will continue to defend our supply management system.
Mr. Speaker, we are proud to have approved more than 4,000 projects since taking office, with a combined investment of more than $35 billion. Federal investments are enabling these projects to move forward. As the hon. member would know, the federal contribution is not paid until the expense claims are submitted by our partners.We will continue to work with our partners to move their priorities forward and provide the flexibility necessary to meet these requirements.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has nothing to hide. He has always worked with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner with the greatest transparency to make sure he is in full compliance with the rules that guide us in the House, and that govern us as ministers, as parliamentary secretaries and as members. He will continue to do so, and that is why he has decided to go further by divesting himself of his shares in Morneau Shepell, placing all of his assets in a blind trust, and donating the difference in value of his assets from the day he was elected to today. This Minister of Finance has been brilliantly serving Canadians for two years and has managed to accomplish more in those two years than the Conservatives ever did in 10.
Mr. Speaker, the institution responsible for preserving the integrity of Parliament, an institution that we have the utmost faith in and the greatest respect for, is the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.The Minister of Finance has always worked with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner and he continues to work with her to ensure that he continues to act on her recommendations and go even further to have the full confidence of Canadians and continue the important work he does for all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure my hon. colleague that the Minister of Finance has always done what all MPs do, by working with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner to make sure he is always fully transparent with her and follows the rules.The Minister of Finance has always followed the Ethics Commissioner's recommendations, and he announced that he would go even further to make sure he can continue the important work he does for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times before, the Minister of Finance has the utmost respect for the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. He has always worked with her with the greatest transparency since he took office. He has followed her recommendations to ensure full compliance with the rules that govern us.Last week, he announced that he would go further by divesting himself of his shares in Morneau Shepell and by placing all his shares in a blind trust so that he could continue serving Canadians as he has been so successfully doing for two years, with strong economic growth. Also, today, he announced the creation of 35,000 new jobs in Canada, including an additional 18,000 for Quebec in October.
Mr. Speaker, regulatory power and good intentions are all well and good, but if we really want companies to be more vigilant in protecting the private lives of Canadians, the reality is that the government has to go after what is most important to them: their wallets. That is exactly what the Privacy Commissioner is asking when he talks about fining businesses, like Equifax, who compromise the privacy of Canadians.Will the minister follow up on the Privacy Commissioner's recommendation and take the necessary steps to actually begin fining large corporations who compromise the privacy of Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadian men and women have an important role to play on the international stage. When it comes to peacekeeping operations, Canadians will play a leadership role in building a more peaceful world.
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, privacy is very important to this government, particularly with respect to the digital economy and the fact that we have more data available. We want to make sure that data is managed in a way that respects the concerns that consumers may have. That is why we recently published draft regulations for amendments made to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, or PIPEDA. We believe that this will empower consumers and encourage businesses to have better security practices.These are the steps we are taking to protect consumers.
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance worked with the Ethics Commissioner to ensure that he is following her recommendations and the rules of the House. He will continue to do so and has announced that he would do even more.What the Minister of Finance did was something that the Conservatives and Prime Minister Stephen Harper, whom my colleague from Louis-Saint-Laurent admires so, never managed to do. The Minister of Finance has managed to to grow our economy and create more than half a million jobs.According to the latest figures, 18,000 new jobs were added in Quebec in October. We are proud of this record, and that is not a claim they can make. I understand that they do not want to talk about the economy, but that does not mean that we should not.
Mr. Speaker, we are the first government in 34 years to act to modernize access to information. In fact, we are the first government to provide the Information Commissioner with real order-making power. We are applying the act, through proactive disclosure, to ministers' offices and the Prime Minister's office. We are applying the act to 240 federal entities, from the courts to the ports. This is a significant advancement. We are raising the bar on the transparency and openness of government, and we will continue to do so.
Mr. Speaker, we are the first government in more than 30 years to modernize the Access to Information Act. As I said in my first speech on Bill C-58, our intention is to raise the bar for openness and transparency. We are open to amendments for improving the bill and we look forward to working will all hon. members to improve this bill. We will continue to raise the bar
Mr. Speaker, as I said a moment ago, energy efficiency offers a significant opportunity to help realize Canada's obligations to address climate change while supporting economic growth and the health of Canadians. We are working with our provincial and territorial partners to modernize existing building codes by 2022. Investments like our $2 billion low-carbon economy fund will help support provincial and territorial energy efficiency projects that will generate clean growth and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We are working to build a clean energy future by investing in innovation and delivering economic growth and clean jobs while protecting the environment.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Don Valley North for his incredible advocacy for young people in his riding and all across Canada.As a former nuclear chemist, he knows that Canada's prosperity depends on young Canadians getting the skills and experience they need to prepare for the jobs of today and tomorrow.We have listened to students and to post-secondary institutions, and that is why we are creating up to 60,000 new paid student work placements over the next five years. That is 60,000 more work experiences that will put our young people on the path to success.
Mr. Speaker, energy efficiency offers a significant opportunity to help realize Canada's obligations to address climate change while supporting economic growth and the health of Canadians. We are working with our provincial and territorial partners to develop a model code for existing buildings by 2022. This code, which provinces and territories can adopt, would help guide energy efficiency improvements. Investments like our $2 billion low-carbon economy fund will help support provincial and territorial energy efficiency projects that will generate clean growth and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We are working to build a clean energy future.
Mr. Speaker, the minister keeps repeating that his government is the first in 30 years to make improvements to access to information. However, the Information Commissioner was very clear when she said the Liberals' Bill C-58 is regressive and that the status quo would be better than what the Liberals are proposing, meaning that Stephen Harper's government was more open and accountable than the current government. Canadians were promised more accountability and transparency. Will the government work with us and help themselves by actually keeping an election promise?
Mr. Speaker, the law is the law, but the finance minister's motto seems to be, do as I say, not as I do. The purpose of the Conflict of Interest Act is to prevent any abuse by people who may have something to hide in numbered companies, for example. In this case, the Minister of Finance really seems to believe that he is above the law, as though the law does not apply to people like him and the Prime Minister.How many other numbered companies does the Minister of Finance own, and what is he hiding in them?
Mr. Speaker, of course we have always worked closely with our federal public service union partners. We respect our federal employees, and we are working to resolve the problems with the Phoenix pay system. We have invested huge sums of money and human resources, we have created satellite pay centres, and we have done much more to solve this problem. We will solve this problem.
Mr. Speaker, the recognition of rights, and in particular the inherent right to self-government and the right to self-determination, is fundamental to advancing reconciliation in Canada.Could the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs update the House on the concrete measures Canada is taking with its indigenous partners to promote self-determination and facilitate self-government?
Mr. Speaker, our previous Conservative government created the recreational fisheries conservation partnership program, which improved the habitat of millions of fish. However, the Liberals are not accepting a single new application for this program and are thereby ignoring many worthwhile conservation efforts. This includes projects such as installing an aerator to improve the water quality in Killarney Lake located in my constituency. Will the Liberals commit today to support Canada's recreational fishers and start accepting proposals for this very worthwhile program?
Mr. Speaker, we know that good governance and self-determination are the most important factors in a community's economic and social health.This past summer, we signed the Agreement on the Cree Nation Governance, a nation-to-nation agreement based on our partnership and respect for the traditional Cree way of life. The agreement is an important step in expanding the governance system from the earlier agreement.
Mr. Speaker, once again, I want to assure all Canadians that our government is absolutely committed to ensuring that all Canadians receive the credits and benefits they are entitled to. Let me be clear that the eligibility criteria for the DTC for people with diabetes have not changed. It is also important to recognize that far too many Canadians are struggling and need help. That is why we are allowing low-income workers to keep more of their hard-earned money from every paycheque by further enhancing the working income tax benefit by an additional $500 million per year, starting in 2019. Helping the most vulnerable in our country is our top priority, and we will continue to deliver for them.
Mr. Speaker, despite the Liberals' promises to be more open and transparent, what we have is an Information Commissioner who is getting a growing number of complaints for requests for information that are being denied before Bill C-58 is even passed by the House. It is completely unacceptable. The bill has not even become law yet. However, the commissioner is proposing amendments to improve the bill.Will the Liberals keep their promises and work with us, the NDP, and with the Information Commissioner to truly improve access to information?
Mr. Speaker, with respect to insulin therapy, the CRA has confirmed that a new direction was given at the beginning of May. This unannounced change has resulted in hundreds of type 1 diabetics receiving less money, amounting to hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of dollars. As a doctor who has treated patients with diabetes, I am confident in saying that my physician colleagues are better qualified to decide who should be receiving these benefits than CRA bureaucrats. People are suffering and the minister has the power to make it stop. My simple question is: Will the minister immediately issue a directive to her department to revert back to the April 30 policy?
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the House that our government is absolutely committed to ensuring that all Canadians receive the credits and benefits they are entitled to. We are moving forward with a national disability act that would remove barriers and improve access for all Canadians who live with diabetes. We have made the disability tax credit more accessible than ever before. We have simplified the forms required to apply for the credit. We have added nurse practitioners to complete the applications for their patients. We have just started, and we will continue to focus on supporting the most vulnerable in our country.
Mr. Speaker, well, the PBO says that growth will drop to 1.6% next year, which is not exactly fulfilling Liberal promises. During the last election, the Liberal Party released a great literary work of fiction called Real Change. Perhaps a better title would have been Surreal Change. On page 3 of that great masterpiece, the Prime Minister asserted that transparent government is good government. Transparent government means a government open to public scrutiny.When will his finance minister finally walk the walk and live up to every single election promise and reveal all of his personal holdings in every single one of his numbered companies?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has always worked with the Ethics Commissioner and will continue to do so with full transparency to make sure he is following the rules. He has announced that he will go even further by divesting himself of his shares in Morneau Shepell and placing all of his assets in a blind trust so he can continue the important work he does for Canadians. He has been doing this work very successfully for the past two years, which has led to the strongest growth in 10 yearsmuch stronger than anything the Conservatives achieved for Canadians during their 10 years in office.
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised to invest in Canadian infrastructure. However, the parliamentary budget officer said that the Liberals were not even close to getting the money out the door. Now we learn that Canadians and Canadian taxpayers will be sending a half a billion dollars to China for infrastructure projects everywhere else in the world except Canada.Why are the Liberals borrowing more money to send to China instead of building roads and bridges in Canada?
Mr. Speaker, this week we were proud to announce an ambitious action plan for gender equality in the peace and security sector. Our feminist foreign policy will allow women and men the world over to speak with equal voices, have equal rights, and live in security
Mr. Speaker, I believe the hon. member obviously is interested in Bill C-58, our government's landmark legislation to modernize Canada's Access to Information Act. This is really important, because for 30 years governments have talked about modernizing access to information but have not done it. The Conservatives promised it in 2006. They did not do anything. In fact, they were the only government in the history of the British Commonwealth to be found in contempt of Parliament for not providing information. Our government is raising the bar after 10 years of darkness under the Conservatives.
Mr. Speaker, this week we learned that the backlog caused by the Phoenix pay system is getting worse.The Liberal government announced that, because of this fiasco, it will not be able to honour the new collective agreement implementation dates for over 100,000 public servants. Many of them have already been affected by Phoenix, and now their new collective agreement will be delayed. That is unacceptable. Will the government at least promise to pay these employees damages and interest retroactively?
Mr. Speaker, our government is taking action to protect the privacy of Canadians. As mentioned by the member opposite, Equifax recently confirmed a cyber-attack that resulted in a data security breach. We are obviously working very closely with the Privacy Commissioner. As I mentioned, the Privacy Commissioner understands the steps our government has taken to strengthen the provisions for consumers. That is why we recently published draft regulations and amendments under PIPEDA. We will continue to take steps to make sure that consumers and small businesses have their privacy protected, because it important for our government and important as we move forward in this new digital economy.
Mr. Speaker, the member is still missing the point, but this is nothing new. When we talk about ethics and integrity, the Prime Minister tells us that his ministers are following the rules. The $200 fine paid by his Minister of Finance proves otherwise. The Prime Minister's trip to the Aga Khan also proves otherwise. One of the problems is the legal framework around the rules. This limits the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner's scope of action. Instead of finding ways to get around the rules, why does the Prime Minister not agree to strengthen the legislation?
Mr. Speaker, it is important for Canadians to know, even if the opposition does not want to hear it, that this government believes firmly in the role that Canada will play in peacekeeping operations. That is why we committed a half a billion dollars and 600 troops to re-engage in peacekeeping operations. Our women, peace, and security agenda is an important part of that commitment. We will make sure that women in Canada and around the world play a role in military and civilian peacekeeping operations.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to stand in the House and share with members what we are doing for recreational fishers from coast to coast to coast. In fact, I met with recreational fishers just this week, and I was able to share with them the fact that we are investing in coastal restoration. We are putting money into implementing the wild salmon policy. We are making sure that the Cohen commission recommendations are done, 32 last year, and up to 64 out of the 75 now.For far too long, Canadians were tired of a government that took our oceans and waterways for granted. That is why this government is making sure that we protect the resource for the benefit of future generations.
Mr. Speaker, these past few months, I have had the great opportunity to visit with many students and employers in my riding of Don Valley North through the Canada summer jobs program. Even though summer has come to an end and students are back in the classroom, young Canadians across the country are continuing to look for ways to put their skills to use, and learn new ones in the workplace.Could the minister update the House on other ways that we are supporting students gaining skills and work experience throughout the school year?
Mr. Speaker, during question period, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance often talks about the Conservative government's record. In order to set the record straight for Canadians, I seek the consent of the House to table the following document from the Bank of Canada. It is a speech given by the Governor of the Bank of Canada, which reads: ...the countrys economic prospects have improved since the crisis....In fact, coming out of the recession, Canada is a leader among the G-7 countries.
Mr. Speaker, we could all have a little more confidence in the truth of that statement if the finance minister would just come clean about the holdings he is sheltering in his vast network of numbered companies and trust funds.It took investigative journalists to find out that he was hiding $20 million of holdings in Morneau Shepell, a financial company that he regulates, and a financial company on which he very carefully avoided imposing any new taxes.Will the finance minister tell Canadians what holdings he is hiding in his numbered companies and trust funds, so they can know that he is acting in their interest and not his own?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has always lived in a world where money can fix everything. He thought he could buy some peace and quiet by writing one big fat cheque and one small cheque.While the big fat cheque is impressive, it is the small cheque that says it all. It confirms that the Minister of Finance was caught red-handed.Knowing that, does the Minister of Finance understand that paying $5 million and $200 does not excuse what he did? Canadians deserve more transparency from their finance minister.When will he tell Canadians what he is hiding in his numbered companies?
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister has always been transparent and forthcoming with the Ethics Commissioner. From the very beginning, he has followed all of the rules and all of her recommendations, just like any other minister or parliamentarian is expected to do. On this side of the House, we respect the work of the Ethics Commissioner, we respect her recommendations, and we will always work with the Ethic Commissioner to make sure that we live up to the highest standards.
Mr. Speaker, we understand the concerns of the francophone cultural sector.We want to reassure and remind the cultural community of the historic investments we have made to support francophone culture. We have made massive investments in arts and culture, over $2.2 billion to be precise. We have reinvested in the Canada media fund to support French-language television and committed $675 million to CBC/Radio-Canada. These investments have a tangible impact on our artists' lives.
Mr. Speaker, the government's program to modernize the dairy industry is moving at two speeds: quickly when it comes to denying applications, and slowly when it comes to handing out money.Last summer, surprisingly, the program shut down after seven days, but four months later, for the lucky few who were eligible, the money has yet to be paid out. The minister cannot blame Phoenix this time. Does the minister's minion realize that the cost of materials has skyrocketed in four months and that his tardiness poses a real threat to projects?
Mr. Speaker, this government firmly believes in the important role that Canada can play in peacekeeping operations. This week, our government was proud to launch a new and ambitious national action plan for women, peace, and security. Canada's feminist foreign policy will enable women and men around the world to play an equal role, have an equal voice, and have equal rights when it comes to opportunities for safety and security. We have committed to making the involvement of women a priority in all of Canada's activities and fragile states. The action plan will ensure that gender equality will never be an afterthought.Women's rights are human rights, and we stand by that.
Mr. Speaker, I rise on the same point of order. I listened with great interest to the hon. member from Carleton.The NDP is also concerned about the abusive use of omnibus bills that we have been seeing from this government over the past two years, despite the promises that it made. As a result, we have an interest in speaking to this point of order. I simply want to tell you that we will do so as soon as possible.
Mr. Speaker, the former Atomic Energy Canada Limited employees who assisted with the cleanup of the NRU reactor in the 1950s played a critical and important role, and we do thank them very much for their service. We understand that those employees and their families are working to have their contributions recognized. We are aware of the Senate motion brought forward last year. At this time, while there is no program similar to the atomic veterans recognition program, our department is continuing to consider the motion and is looking at how we can move forward to recognize the contributions of these individuals.
Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on Official Languages tabled a report yesterday that calls on the government to give the Commissioner of Official Languages greater powers to enforce the law.That was suggested by our former commissioner, Graham Fraser. It is clear to him and to the committee that we cannot simply rely on the willingness of institutions and Air Canada. The commissioner's current powers are definitely inadequate.Will the government act on the committee's recommendations for once and strengthen the commissioner's powers?
Mr. Speaker, in the wake of the Chalk River nuclear disaster, 300 brave volunteers committed themselves to cleaning up radioactive material in their community. After several days of tireless effort and maximum exposure to radiation, the military showed up to help finish the job. Those military heroes have since received compensation for radiation exposure, yet nothing has been done for those local heroes who stepped up when their community needed them. Will the government compensate the volunteers who went above and beyond to help after the Chalk River disaster?
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. It is the practice of this House that when members inadvertently misspeak they have an opportunity to correct the record. On October 31, the Minister of National Revenue stated there was no change with respect to the disability tax credit. Therefore, I would like to seek unanimous consent to table this letter where she clearly states there was a change.
Mr. Speaker, we strongly condemn any and all actions that violate international human rights. We have raised concerns directly with the Government of Iraq, both in Baghdad and here in Ottawa. As Canada continues to re-engage on the international scene after 10 dark years, we will make sure that the protection of human rights and international law is a priority in all of our engagements.
Mr. Speaker, imagine senior citizens who have worked hard their whole life and are ready to start the next chapter in retirement. Their kids have moved out, they are empty nesters, and they want to sell their houses and downsize. Now the Liberals want to make people pay more for that too. New building code requirements will require them to complete costly mandatory renovations when they sell their houses. Why do the Liberals want to ruin the retirement plans of middle-class Canadian seniors?
Mr. Speaker, four temporary foreign workers have won the right to a class action suit against Mac's and the immigration consultant companies owned by Kuldeep Bansal. The migrant workers paid as much as $8,500 to Bansal to obtain jobs with Mac's, only to arrive in Canada and find that those jobs did not exist. An FOI revealed that LMIAs were issued for 486 positions for Mac's. The CBSA has investigated this case for five years and recommends that charges be laid. Why has the government not acted on the recommendations of the CBSA?
Mr. Speaker, under the government's watch, the dream of home ownership has been slipping away from thousands of Canadians. High prices, new mortgage rules, and new regulations all make home ownership less affordable. Now media reports say that the Liberal government is planning a new national building code that will impose higher costs on new homebuyers and existing homeowners as well. When will the government realize that every time it adds a new regulation, it increases costs and reduces choices? When is the government going to stop punishing homebuyers?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have had two years to fix it and have done nothing. Let me read part of a letter that the Minister of Revenue sent to someone with type 1 diabetes who was refused the disability tax credit. The minister wrote: The CRA...made a change to the questionnaire it sends to medical practitioners. The questionnaire now sets out more clearly the information the CRA needs to determine if an individual meets the DTC criteria. When I asked about the 80% who were previously approved and are now being rejected, the minister told the House that no change had been made, but in her letter she says a change was made. Which is it?
Mr. Speaker, this week the Privacy Commissioner highlighted that the lack of heavy fines and legal penalties for privacy breaches means companies holding personal information on Canadians are unlikely to do everything they can to make sure that the data stays safe. The NDP has long advocated for stiffer penalties and to give the Privacy Commissioner actual teeth. As more and more information is in the cloud, we need to put proper legal protections in place. Will this government commit to imposing severe fines on companies that fail to protect consumers' private information?
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I asked the Minister of Canadian Heritage why she did not respond to the letter sent to her by the Quebec ministry of culture on September 3, which asked for more information about the agreement with Netflix and the lack of francophone content. That letter was sent exactly one month ago, and Quebec has still not received any answers.I have not received any answers either. The minister's press secretary was embarrassed to have to tell journalists later that she would get back to them soon. Come on. Let us be clear. Our cultural industries are in crisis and the government needs to wake up. It is dragging its feet on critical issues, especially where Quebec is concerned.Is that how the government treats the Quebec ministry of culture?Is it so hard to answer an email?Does the government not know how to answer or does it just not care?
Mr. Speaker, this government stands for human rights around the world, and we stand for calling out human rights abuses. Our government takes allegations of all violations of international human rights and international humanitarian law seriously. We strongly condemn any and all action
Mr. Speaker, quite frankly, those members are making this up. We are in a national public health crisis. Unlike the members opposite, we are bringing forward solutions to deal with this crisis and responding in a way that is comprehensive, compassionate, and evidence based.While we have made it very clear that we plan to legalize, strictly regulate, and restrict access to cannabis in a careful way to keep it out of the hands of children and youth and to stop criminals from profiting, we have been equally clear that we are not considering legalizing any other substances.We will continue to work with our partners to bring forward innovative solutions to battle the opioid crisis and to save lives.
Mr. Speaker, it is one distraction after another. The Prime Minister, his cabinet, the parliamentary secretaries, and the Liberal caucus are the only ones who refuse to acknowledge the obvious fact that the Minister of Finance was indeed in a conflict of interest. He paid a fine for hiding his villa in France, and now he is casting doubt on the Ethics Commissioner's word. Instead of being complicit in this sad affair where the rich can cut a fat cheque to get themselves off the hook, will someone in the government stand up and ask the finance minister to tell us what he is hiding in his numbered companies?
Mr. Speaker, first of all, the Liberals raised taxes on 87% of middle-class Canadians. Second, their child poverty claims were declared, even by The Canadian Press, to be a lot of baloney. Third, while the Liberals raised taxes on everybody else, the finance minister was very meticulous in ensuring that none of the tax increases applied to him or Morneau Shepell.Once again, will he finally reveal what he is hiding in this vast network of numbered companies and trust funds, so Canadians can be assured that their finance minister is acting in the public interest, not for his private profit?
We have to go that far back?
Mr. Speaker, it is true that the Liberals have invested enormous sums in Phoenix, and this week was the one-year anniversary of the government's self-imposed deadline to fix it. However, more than half of public servants are still having pay problems. In fact, 265,000 pay transactions are past due. That is unacceptable. Also, because of the Phoenix delays, the Liberals will not meet deadlines to negotiate new collective agreements with our public servants.When will the Liberals stop finding excuses and find a solution to the Phoenix boondoggle?
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister, just like any other minister or parliamentarian, met with the Ethics Commissioner at the very beginning of his mandate to make sure that he would follow all of the rules and all of her recommendations. He has announced that he will go even above and beyond those.What I see the Conservatives doing is everything they can not to talk about the economy. If we look back at the decade when they were in power, they had 1% growth in employment, the worst since the Second World War. If we look at the job numbers today, we have added 35,000 jobs in October. That puts us at half a million jobs created since we took office, most of them full time. I get that they do not want to talk about it, but that does not mean we should not talk about it.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today pursuant to Standing Order 69.1 in regard to omnibus bills. The Standing Order reads: In the case where a government bill seeks to repeal, amend or enact more than one act, and where there is not a common element connecting the various provisions or where unrelated matters are linked, the Speaker shall have the power to divide the questions, for the purposes of voting, on the motion for second reading and reference to a committee and the motion for third reading and passage of the bill. The Speaker shall have the power to combine clauses of the bill thematically and to put the aforementioned questions on each of these groups of clauses separately, provided that there will be a single debate at each stage. I point your attention now to a recently introduced omnibus budget implementation act. The proposal was tabled in the House of Commons on October 27, 2017. That act combines a number of unrelated provisions that were not included in the original budget presentation. The long title is the first clue: A second Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 22, 2017 and other measures. The summary notes indicate that the bill also implements a GST/HST measure announced on September 8, 2017. Other items include the income tax amendments, part 1, related to farmers and fishers selling to cooperatives; part 3's amendments to the Excise Act related to beer made from concentrate; division 5 of part 5, which amends the Bank of Canada Act concerning loans and advances made to members of the Canadian Payments Association; division 11 of part 5, which makes a series of amendments to the Judges Act; and division 13 of part 5, which amends the Financial Administration Act in respect of payments to discharge a debt.Returning to the original Standing Order I cited at the outset, you, as Speaker, have the ability to break this bill into separate bills if its various provisions concern unrelated matters and if they are then linked in the same bill. Clearly, the matters I have just mentioned, their merits or demerits notwithstanding, are not directly related to each another. For example, the Judges Act is not related to the Financial Administration Act, the Judges Act is not related to the Excise Act, and the Bank of Canada Act is not related directly to the Income Tax Act. Therefore, the bill combines a number of different acts in one single bill, which gives you, Mr. Speaker, the power to separate the various component parts of the act.In fairness to the government, there is an exception to that role. Under 69.1 of the Standing Orders, budget implementation roles can be excluded from the Speaker's power to divide a bill that contains numerous unrelated parts. Standing Order 69.1(2) reads: The present Standing Order shall not apply if the bill has as its main purpose the implementation of a budget and contains only provisions that were announced in the budget presentation or in the documents tabled during the budget presentation. I have just finished listing at least five provisions that were included in the omnibus budget implementation act but were not included in the original budget presentation. Therefore, this BIA and its component parts are not exempt from the Speaker's authority to divide into separate bills matters that are unrelated to one other but, nevertheless, were introduced as one piece of legislation.There is another matter that was included in the budget implementation bill that was not fully included in the original budget presentation. I refer now to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. As I said at the outset, the Standing Order calls for bills to be separated into their component parts if a provision in a budget implementation bill had not been fully present in the original budget presentation. Now, the budget presentation did provide for funding for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. However, it did not provide for the same amount of money that was later included in the budget implementation bill. Let me quote directly from the presentation the minister made on March 22, 2017: Budget 2017 proposes to invest $256 million over five years for Canada to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). It was $256 million. That was the provision the government made for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in the budget presentation of last March. However, the legislation introduced just last week has a different and much larger provision. It provides for an amount of not more than $375 million U.S., which equals $480 million Canadian.The word provision comes from the root word provide. The original budget presentation would provide $256 million. This omnibus budget bill provides $480 million. In other words, there is roughly $230 million provided in the budget implementation bill that was not provided in the original budget presentation. In other words, the BIA, the omnibus budget bill, attempts to provide something that was not provided for at the outset. Therefore, it is not exempt from your powers, Mr. Speaker, to divide the bill up in separate component parts so that the measures can be debated on their separate merits.The government has introduced a very complex web of legislative amendments to the statutes of Canada that are unrelated and disconnected, all in one single bill, after having promised to end omnibus bills forever. The government also gave you, Mr. Speaker, the power to end those omnibus bills for them. I described how you can use that power and why it would be appropriate to do so in this particular case.Let me say, on behalf of the official opposition, that while we are concerned that the government has broken its promise to end all omnibus bills, we are not particularly troubled by the fact that some of these measures are being voted on together.It is your power to divide them up, but it is not necessarily of substantive importance to us that all of them be divided up, if the Speaker were to find that it would be in the interest of efficiency for them to be voted on and debated together. Some of these measures would not be troublesome to marry into one such vote and one such debate, except one. That one is the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. It is particularly important, and its quiet and surreptitious inclusion in this bill is particularly concerning for multiple reasons.First, in less than half a year, the amount the government wants to spend on this initiative has gone up by almost 100%. Originally it was $250 million; now it is almost half a billion dollars. That is an eye-popping increase in an expense for a new initiative on which no Canadian government has ever spent money in the past. Less than a year ago, the Government of Canada was committed to spending zero on this initiative. Then it was $250 million, and now, quietly, that amount has been raised to half a billion dollars.The second reason why this is particularly objectionable to the official opposition is this. The government is behind on all of its commitments to build infrastructure in Canada. Now it is proposing to spend Canadian tax dollars to build infrastructure in another continent. In fact, the legislation that the government proposes is explicit, that the purpose is to build infrastructure in a different continent than our own.Let me read directly from the bill that the government tabled. It states: The purpose of the Bank shall be to: (i) foster sustainable economic development, create wealth and improve infrastructure connectivity in Asia by investing in infrastructure and other productive sectors; It then defines Asia not to include Canada, it goes without saying, which means that this half billion dollars will be paid by Canadians but will not be spent to their benefit. This very unusual use of infrastructure money is worthy of some debate on the floor of this House of Commons, particularly given the fact that, prior to even implementing the initiative, it is almost 100% over budget.Therefore, we call upon you to exercise the legitimate authorities vested in you by the Standing Orders, in particular Standing Orders 69.1(1) and 69.1(2), to divide the Asian infrastructure bank from the rest of the budget implementation act, so that Canadians can witness a debate in this chamber on the merits of sending a half a billion dollars to build infrastructure in Asia, and on the merits of giving loans and loan guarantees to extremely wealthy titans of finance on the world stage, all at the expense of Canadian taxpayers.So far, the House has had no stand-alone debate on this massive new and unprecedented expenditure. The government seems to want to keep it that way by burying this measure at the back of a very large omnibus bill, making no mention of it either in the minister's original speech in the House of Commons or in subsequent ministerial declarations that we have been able to find in the Hansard record. It is clear that the government did not want this measure to even be noticed. That is why it was buried, almost like a secret, at the back of the bill. You now have the authority to remedy that problem, to separate out this section, and allow Canadians to debate this half-billion dollar expenditure on the floor of the House of Commons and at committee, and then to exercise the will of all of our constituents by voting on it here in this chamber and then later in the other place. Therefore, we call upon you, Speaker, to exercise the powers vested in you in the Standing Orders to uphold the principle of no taxation without representation. That is, Canadians must have the ability to rely on Parliament to approve every expenditure that the government taxes fund, independently and separately from other matters, and to instill a sense of integrity in the budget process so that all Canadians can have confidence in how their money is spent.
Mr. Speaker, we hear the concerns of stakeholders in the francophone cultural industry. We want to reassure them and remind them of the historic investments we have made to support our francophone culture.That is why we invested heavily in arts and culture. We invested over $2.2 billion in the Canada Media Fund to support French-language television, and we invested $675 million in Radio-Canada. These investments are having a real impact on the lives of our artists.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House once again to ask the Minister of Natural Resources about his plans to stop the pine beetle from attacking our forests. Last year alone, the beetle increased tenfold. Even though science and research has been done, the beetle has moved from Jasper Park into central Alberta and is heading east. All of Canada's pine forests are at risk. We need financial assistance to cull the trees. What is the Liberal government doing to stop this infestation?
Mr. Speaker, we have taken concrete to steps to correct the temporary foreign workers program. Part of that is strengthening the LMIAs, the labour market impact assessments, that ensure employers are doing a thorough job of hiring Canadians first and then proving the need for temporary foreign workers. We have also implemented new on-site inspections. We are working on a regime to ensure that all temporary foreign workers have their human dignity and their rights respected.
Mr. Speaker, of course we take these problems very seriously. We have invested and taken a vast number of measures to resolve the problems associated with the Phoenix pay system. Because I know the hon. member shares my belief that we must fix these problems, I am sure he will join me in asking one of these Harper cabinet ministers how they could have left us with such a fiasco. Maybe he will ask the leader of the opposition why these Harper senators now want to slink away from the problem they helped cause.
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister got fined exactly because he did not follow the rules. The Information Commissioner said that it is harder to get information out of the current government than any other before.The reality is that the finance minister used his power to enrich himself and his family's company. He is still hiding other assets within different holding companies, and there are other ministers in the same conflict, but the Liberals will not say who or how many, and the Prime Minister says there is nothing wrong.The Liberals talk a lot about sunshine, but why are they still keeping Canadians in the dark?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government has taken Canada out of the fight against ISIS. It has eliminated the office of religious freedom. Now we learn that Canada's peacekeeping efforts are at an all-time low. We know that in Iraq today, Christians are still being killed simply for their belief.When will the Liberal government wake up to the plight of Christians in the Middle East and take concrete action towards stopping this genocide?
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister misled Canadians by hiding his assets from the Ethics Commissioner. He made millions off the company he regulates. He broke the law. Now he is hiding from Canadians his assets in multiple numbered companies.What does this minister have to hide? Why will he not disclose his assets?
Mr. Speaker, hundreds of soldiers at CFB Valcartier back home are currently on standby waiting to find out if they will be deployed to Africa or elsewhere.This week we learned that six helicopters would be sent to Mali. It was the media that informed us. The minister has said nothing about it. The minister went on three reconnaissance missions in Africa. Officers at headquarters in Ottawa lost two years making plans. We are still being kept in the dark.Are we sending troops to Mali or not?
Mr. Speaker, we will be talking about access again. After trying to pull a fast one on small businesses with their tax reform, the Liberals are trying to save themselves a few bucks at the expense of families of people with autism and people with type 1 diabetes. If they really want to find more cash, they should just go look in the Minister of Finance's pockets. Why did the Minister of National Revenue say that she knew nothing and that nothing had happened? Funnily enough, a letter that she signed shows that she has been ignoring doctors' advice since May.When will the minister get control of her department, and when will she restore the tax credit for courageous Canadians with incurable diseases?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are doing everything they can to keep their secrets under wraps. The finance minister hid details of his offshore companies and assets from the Ethics Commissioner while making decisions about companies he owns and regulates. He got caught and she fined him. He is in multiple conflicts, including with legislation, a government loan, and at least one tax treaty. It seems that other ministers are in the same mess.When will the Liberals come clean with Canadians? What else are they trying to hide?
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, we are the government that has been working extremely hard for the last two years to ensure that the DTC is accessible to Canadians who are entitled to it. We have done so by simplifying the disability tax credit forms, by allowing nurse practitioners to certify the DTC forms, by working with medical practitioners to ensure they have all the resources to assist their patients with the DTC, and by rehiring nurses at the front lines of the review process. We have just started, and let me assure Canadians that we will continue to work hard for the most vulnerable in our country.
Mr. Speaker, the former Conservative government implemented a policy called conditional permanent residency. This policy required sponsored partners to live with their sponsors for at least two years in order to maintain their status in Canada, forcing those who were experiencing domestic violence or sexual abuse to stay silent or risk losing their status. This put vulnerable spouses, especially women, at risk of additional abuse and violence.Could the minister update the House on what our government is doing to support newcomer women who are being trapped by this Conservative policy?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance was so nice to the Ethics Commissioner that he was found guilty and made to pay a $200 fine.Two years ago, the Minister of Finance said that he would put his shares in a blind trust, but he never did. He also said that he did not have a controlling interest in Morneau Shepell, but that he had a controlling interest in a company that controlled the former. He was playing semantics. He forgot to mention that he had a villa in Provence, until the CBC brought it to light.This minister takes action only after he is caught red-handed. In fact, he was again caught red-handed with his numbered companies.When will the Minister of Finance finally tell Canadians the truth?
Mr. Speaker, the government promised a 600-member peacekeeping mission for the United Nations. It has had three trips to Mali for reconnaissance. It has spent thousands of hours planning for a mission to Mali. It has consulted both France and the U.S. on this mission. However, this week we heard we were only sending some helicopters to Mali.Will the minister confirm to the House today that Mali has been ruled out for Canada's UN peacekeeping mission?
Mr. Speaker, when the Minister of Finance announced his tax increases on small businesses and family farmers over the summer, he was meticulous in sheltering his assets from any higher taxes. If we only knew what holdings he had, we would know what taxes he will not raise. However, we do not know what holdings he has because he is hiding them in a myriad of numbered companies.Will the finance minister tell us what holdings he is hiding in these numbered companies, so Canadians can surmise the small list of taxes that he will not raise?
Mr. Speaker, every parliamentarian is expected to work with the Ethics Commissioner, who is responsible for preserving the integrity of Parliament.That is what the Minister of Finance has always done, and that is what he continues to do. He met with the Ethics Commissioner recently and announced that he will go the extra mile.If my colleague wants numbers, I can give him some. Real GDP growth was 1.6% during the past decade when he was on this side of the House. That is the worst record in 69 years, since the time of Mackenzie King. Since we took office, real GDP growth has been 3.7%. It was dropping in 2015 and people were wondering whether we were in a recession.Now, no one is asking that question. Canada has the highest growth in the G7, and half a million jobs have been created. That is the finance minister's record.
Mr. Speaker, I mentioned Mali three or four times in my earlier question, but what was absent from that answer was Mali.The past platitudes of the government never match their present performance. We remember that Canada is back rhetoric. Well, Canada is back at the bottom of UN peacekeepers right now around the world. We are back to cutting the military back to the decade of darkness under the Chrétien government.When will the member stand in the House and let us know where we are sending our troops?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from AuroraOak RidgesRichmond Hill for her question.Our government is deeply committed to gender equality and combatting gender-based violence. The former Conservative government ignored women's rights groups, it ignored experts, and it ignored immigrant women's groups, which denounced the conditional permanent residency as a wrongheaded policy that trapped vulnerable women in abusive relationships. No survivor should ever feel afraid to come forward. That is why I am proud that on this side of the House we have fully eliminated conditional permanent residency.
Mr. Speaker, at yesterday's meeting of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, the minister sought to defend Netflix by trotting out the same old empty phrases, bogus arguments, and tired lines.Instead of standing up for Quebec creators, the minister chose to go after any parliamentarian who had the gall to disagree with her. I have some news for the Minister of Canadian Heritage: contrary to what she seems to think, singling out Netflix for a tax break its rivals do not get is a tax policy.Why the preferential treatment?
Mr. Speaker, we understand the critical importance of forestry to the economies of eastern and western Canada as a source of jobs, prosperity, and opportunity.We are acutely aware of the threat that forest pests, like the mountain pine beetle, emerald ash borer, and spruce budworm, pose to Canada's forests. In budget 2016, we invested $87 million to support scientific research and infrastructure, including funding to combat destructive forest pests such as spruce bud worm and mountain pine beetle.We are working closely with our partners, provinces, universities, and industry, all with a common goal of finding a solution to this problem.
Mr. Speaker, we thank the committee, including the member for Drummond, for the report. We will give it careful consideration.Our two official languages are at the heart of Canada's history and identity. Air Canada must respect both the letter and the spirit of the Official Languages Act. The application of the Official Languages Act is a priority for our government. We are working with the Minister of Transport to ensure that Air Canada is meeting its obligations under the Official Languages Act. We take this whole issue very seriously.
Mr. Speaker, acting in the interests of Canadians was lowering taxes for nine million Canadians, lowering taxes for small businesses from 10.5% to 9%, helping 300,000 kids be lifted out of poverty with the Canada child benefit, and growing this economy at the fastest pace in the G7, something the Conservatives were never able to achieve. That is working in the interests of Canadians. That is Conservatives playing politics. That is Liberals working for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I am also shocked by another revelation. We have a Liberal government that wants to legalize marijuana, and yesterday we learned that the Liberals may be planning to decriminalize all drugs. In my clinic, kids are asking, Is it okay to do drugs now? Young Canadians know drugs are bad for them. The Liberal drug policy is damaging to Canadians, especially to Canadian kids. Could the minister confirm if decriminalizing hard drugs is Liberal policy, and what dangerous drugs are on that list?
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister has always been transparent and forthcoming with the Ethics Commissioner. He has always followed the rules and followed the recommendations, and he has announced he will go even above and beyond.I understand why the Conservatives do not want to talk about the economy and prefer to talk about the finance minister. If we remember, and I will give the number, 1.6% was the real annual GDP growth for a decade. That was the worst since Mackenzie King, the worst in 69 years. Let us compare that to today, when Canada is growing its economy at the fastest pace in the G7, and it is 3.7% over the last year. That is what we are doing.That is, again, Conservatives playing politics, and Liberals working for Canadians.