Most toxic speeches
Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General's report is damning for the current Minister of National Revenue, not the minister who was in office two years ago. This report once again proves that the Minister of National Revenue is incapable of managing the important issues that fall under her agency's responsibility.Her mandate letter states that she must make the CRA a client-focused agency, but she is far from achieving that goal. On the new government propaganda website, the minister has put that objective under ongoing commitments. What does that mean? Does it mean the government does not care about this objective? The minister should have created a new category entitled we have given up on this commitment because we failed miserably.After two years, how would the minister grade herself on fulfilling her mandate? Would she give herself an E or an F?
Mr. Speaker, the government promised strict measures, like the ones Australia has taken, to stop jihadists from returning to Canada. The safety and security of Canadians is the top priority for us.Yesterday, the minister refused to give us information on these traitors because he said that he did not want to give away operational details. Does anyone really believe that a basic question can compromise operations?Here is a simple question. Are these murderers under 24-hour surveillance, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member opposite for raising this very grave issue. This absolutely is ethnic cleansing, and the responsibility falls squarely on Myanmar's military leadership and civilian government. These are crimes against humanity.In Da Nang, the Prime Minister and I raised the treatment of the Rohingya directly with Aung San Suu Kyi. Our special envoy has visited Myanmar and Bangladesh to see first-hand what is happening. This is an urgent issue and Canada is absolutely seized of it.
Mr. Speaker, radicalized ISIS terrorists are returning to Canada right now under the Liberal government, and it has admitted that it does not have any capacity to monitor or assess the risks to our national security or public safety. Many Canadians are asking why the Liberal government is not following the lead of our allies and refusing entry, or more. Instead, it is throwing out the welcome mat. Canada cannot and must not become a safe haven for terrorists.To the minister, how many terrorists who have already returned to Canada under their watch are under 24-hour surveillance?
Mr. Speaker, for months we have pushed the government to take leadership on the Rohingya issue, the greatest humanitarian crisis facing the world today. There are 600,000 Rohingya who have been forced out of Myanmar.The United Nations has determined that it is ethnic cleansing. Today, the U.S. government declared the Myanmar military operation to be ethnic cleansing. Our foreign affairs minister has said that this looks...like ethnic cleansing.With this kind of international consensus, when is the government going to do something substantive to hold the Myanmar regime responsible for these horrendous atrocities?
Mr. Speaker, seven years ago, Lyle and Marie McCann were brutally murdered. Their family was never able to give them a proper funeral, because the murderer refused to reveal the location of their remains. Convicted murderers who re-victimize families by withholding the whereabouts of their victims' remains should not be eligible for parole. Will the Minister of Justice do the right thing and pass legislation that will fix our broken parole system to ensure closure for families like the McCanns?
Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman can be absolutely assured that our forces are doing exactly the job they need to do. Approximately 60 terror travellers returned to Canada under the previous Conservative government. Not a single one of them was charged by the previous Conservative government. In fact, the previous Conservative government cut $1 billion from the security services of Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, of course the public safety minister has taken away the powers from all those police agencies. Two Canadians travel to Iraq. One goes to fight ISIS with the Canadian Armed Forces, the other decides to join the death cult as a terrorist. Both come back to Canada. The Canadian soldier is injured while serving our country, and the Liberals cut his pay. The ISIS terrorist, on the other hand, also comes back to Canada, but is offered taxpayer-funded reintegration training by the Liberals. Why is the Prime Minister cutting the pay for our injured troops while funding support services for ISIS terrorists?
Mr. Speaker, that is right. The Liberals are going to continue signing agreements with tax havens, as they did last year with the Cook Islands.Interestingly, when the Liberals wants something to happen, there is no stopping them. An infrastructure privatization bank? Done. Legalization of cannabis? Full steam ahead.However, families who need help paying the rent will have to wait until after the next election. The Liberals are incapable of paying public service employees. That is too complicated. They cannot even answer the telephone. People just have to wait on hold.I would like to make a direct appeal to the Minister of Finance. When will he come down from his ivory tower and start working for ordinary Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, as leaders in this country we all are called to a higher standard, and that includes being held accountable for our actions. That is not anybody picking on us or anybody picking on the Minister of Finance. It is him being accountable for his actions, and it is shameful to see him refusing to do that.The Prime Minister talks about sunny ways. He talks about sunshine being the best disinfectant. Let us give the finance minister a chance to be accountable, and instead of keeping Canadians in the dark. Let him reveal to Canadians what assets he has held, be accountable for his actions, own up, stand up, and take some leadership.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to hear the minister mention the CSIS report, because I have a report here that states, in the last paragraph, that these people return to countries like Canada and that they wait for orders to carry out a terrorist attack.Now, the government is taking care of these people, as though they were small children who need to be coddled. We want to know whether these people are under 24-hour surveillance before something happens and it is too late.
Mr. Speaker, the innuendo and insinuation in the hon. member's question is simply completely false. In this country we have the RCMP, CSIS, CBSA, and other security services that do a superlative job, and anyone who needs to be under surveillance is indeed under surveillance.
Mr. Speaker, the clock is ticking for the 600 workers at the Davie shipyard who will be out of a job within days because of the federal government. Winter is here. We urgently need icebreakers on the St. Lawrence, and the navy desperately needs two more supply ships, including the future ship Obelix, to achieve its mission. The members on the other side need to open their eyes. Ottawa is asleep at the wheel, and our operational capability is under threat as a result. Why is the Liberal government boycotting the best shipyard in North America? Why is it determined to put the Davie shipyard's top skilled workers out of a job?
Mr. Speaker, my issue with the minister's responses is that every time he hears the fact that he broke the compliance standards, he assumes it is a personal attack, and it is not. We are just asking him to be accountable for his actions. The mandate tracker says: you must uphold the highest standards of honesty and impartiality, and both the performance of your official duties and the arrangement of your private affairs should bear the closest public scrutiny. Is anyone able to trust the minister when we know that in his personal affairs, he has broken it?
Mr. Speaker, I am accountable, and I will continue to be accountable to Canadians. While the opposition focuses on fabrications, I will focus on being accountable to results for Canadians. We are focused on making sure the economy grows. We are focused on making sure that it helps Canadian families. Those two things are demonstrably having an impact. We have seen the highest level of growth in years, significantly higher than we saw in the previous government, and importantly, a lower level of employment than we have seen in a decade. Those are important goals, and we are accountable for that.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to seek consent for the following motion: That this House call on the Department of Transport to prohibit the carrying of a knife with a blade measuring less than six centimetres on board aircraft.
Mr. Speaker, the question was about Phoenix. Governing is about making choices. Let us take a closer look at the Liberals' choices.A couple with no children gets nothing. A person who earns less than $45,000 gets nothing. Someone who takes the bus no longer gets a tax credit. On the other hand, someone who sends their money to the Cayman Islands does not have any problems. Someone who introduces a bill that will make him richer will write a cheque. Someone who wants to see the Prime Minister will pay $1,500. Netflix does not pay any tax. KPMG clients will get a deal.When will the Liberals stop working for their Bay Street millionaire friends?
Mr. Speaker, there is more bad news on the inquiry into murdered and missing indigenous women. Following its interim report, which blamed Liberal interference for slow progress of the inquiry, there have been eight resignations and firings. The Prime Minister said he would review the report and pay attention to its recommendations, but nothing has changed. The Liberals have broken their promise to families to do everything in their power to help this vital inquiry succeed.When will the Liberals finally put words into action and bring this national tragedy to an end?
Mr. Speaker, I am a bit confused because while Liberals help Stephen Bronfman and other friends who use tax havens to avoid paying taxes, Canadians cannot speak to anyone when they call the CRA to get help with paying taxes. While the finance minister gets a free pass from the Prime Minister, despite the fact he has interests in a company he is in charge of regulating, hundreds of thousands of public servants are paying the price for the Liberal government's incompetence in the Phoenix fiasco.Liberals have usually waited at least one full term before demonstrating a sense of entitlement. Why are they in such a rush now?
Mr. Speaker, at least on this side of the House we can remember the homes that we own. For two years, the finance minister profited from his ownership in a company that made millions after he introduced legislation that benefited that same company. There was no blind trust. There was no sign-off from the Ethics Commissioner, and we only knew about his continued ownership with Morneau Shepell because he got caught. Now he is under investigation yet again.Canadians want to know what other skeletons the minister is hiding in his closet. When will he finally come clean, and reveal what else he is hiding, so Canadians can see his other conflicts of interest?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have a nasty habit of imposing their vision on the provinces and municipalities. We saw this with the legalization of cannabis and the health accords. We have every reason to believe that they will do the same thing with the housing strategy. Some 1.7 million Canadian families are having a hard time finding places to live.Will the government create a true partnership with the provinces and municipalities in order to tailor the strategy to local realities?
Mr. Speaker, for two years the Minister of Finance hid his Morneau Shepell shares in a numbered company, and we only found out about that because he was caught. He said he was working with the Ethics Commissioner from the beginning, but we know that is not true. He has been caught again. He is under investigation yet again, and Canadians do not know what else he is hiding. The Prime Minister has said that sunshine is the best disinfectant. Will the finance minister let the sunshine in, face it with a grin, open up his books, and let Canadians in on what else he is hiding?
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat that I agree with all of the Auditor General's recommendations. The former Conservative government decided to cut services, cut staff, and to cut the evaluation of the quality of services. That happened under former national revenue minister, Ms. Findlay.Instead of making cuts, we have chosen to reinvest $50 million over the next four years. We are taking real action to ensure that Canadians have the services they are entitled to expect.
Mr. Speaker, we keep getting told in this chamber that nothing has changed, and people are still eligible for their disability tax credit.However, we receive calls every day at our constituency offices about new rules that are rendering people living with type 1 diabetes, autism, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and developmental disorders ineligible for the disability tax credit, despite having receiving it for years.Families are desperate for help. When will the government stop making excuses and fix this problem?
Mr. Speaker, during question period, the Minister of National Revenue accused me of spreading disinformation. That is not very nice. I am therefore requesting the unanimous consent of the House to table the Auditor General's report on the Canada Revenue Agency, because I get the sense she did not read it.
Mr. Speaker, to repeat, 100% of my assets have been disclosed from day one to the Ethics Commissioner.The opposition is focusing on personal attacks and does not want to focus on the last decade in which it did nothing in housing. We are talking today about how we are going to make a huge difference in housing. The $11.2 billion we set in budget 2017 is going to make a significant long-term difference for Canadians, with 500,000 people with a key to their own home, or money to actually pay for their lodging. This is huge. We are going to reduce homelessness in this country by 50%. We are on the job for Canadians, and we will not be distracted.
Mr. Speaker, the revenue minister's list of greatest misses is truly impressive. First, she wanted to tax employee discounts, then she started rejecting Canadians who had been granted a disability tax credit. Now we learn from the Auditor General that her department does not just reject half the calls it receives but of those that actually make it through, 30% of Canadians get the wrong information. If the minister wants to win back just a little bit of credibility, will she make this promise today that no Canadian will face a fine or penalty if they followed the bad advice of her agency?
Mr. Speaker, while the opposition wants to focus on me, we want to focus on Canadians. That is the work we are doing today, by talking about the historic change of the federal government taking a role that has not been taken for 50 years in housing, distributing a huge amount of help to 500,000 families, allowing them to have more money in their pocket for housing, and a key to a house. This is the sort of work that we are setting out to do on behalf of Canadians, and we will keep doing it while the opposition members keep focusing on personal attacks.
Mr. Speaker, I can assure you that we will not start singing How old are you now? on your birthday, but maybe as a birthday present, the minister could give you the gift of an answer to one of our questions.It is not only the Canada Revenue Agency that taxpayers cannot get an answer from. A letter, representing thousands of small businesses across the country, has been sent to the Prime Minister asking for clarification about his unfair tax changes. The Prime Minister has created so much uncertainty and confusion. When will the Prime Minister finally end all of this confusion and just stop attacking local businesses?
Mr. Speaker, first of all, I welcome the hon. gentleman to the House and congratulate him upon his recent election.Second, all members of the House share the angst and concern the member has expressed with respect to this particular situation. I would look forward to an opportunity to discuss with him and with the Minister of Justice any constructive ideas he might wish to offer about how we can improve our criminal justice system.
Mr. Speaker, I understand why the members opposite want to focus on me. They do not want to focus on what is going on for Canadians. They do not want to consider how well our economy is doing, because, of course, it paints a very different portrait than what happened over the last decade. We are seeing that the work we are doing, investing in Canadians, is paying off. Canadians are doing better. Families are doing better. We are seeing a huge benefit to Canadian families. More money in their pockets means our economy is doing better. We will continue to focus on improving the lives of Canadians, because we know that focusing on Canadians works.
Mr. Speaker, we know the finance minister has already been found guilty of breaking the Conflict of Interest Act. That is clear. What is not clear, maybe as clear as mud, is how many other conflicts of interest he is in. Therefore, the finance minister has a choice to make. He can continue to keep Canadians in the dark, or he can reveal what assets he has owned in numbered companies over the last two years, or what exactly the finance minister is trying to hide. Yes, we are focused on the finance minister.
Mr. Speaker, I am very glad to have the hon. member's opinion, but I am even more glad to have the RCMP, CSIS, and CBSA among the best security intelligence and law enforcement expertise in the world. Their work is highly respected and highly sought after, including in the international coalition against Daesh in Syria and Iraq. They are charged with identifying and stopping all terror threats of all kinds against Canada and Canadians, and they do that job as well as or better than anyone else in the world.
Mr. Speaker, of course we are going to talk about the Minister of Finance.It was this minister who said that he would put his assets in a trust, but did not do so until he was caught red-handed. It was this minister who introduced a bill that put him in a direct conflict of interest because of his family business and who consulted the Ethics Commissioner after the fact. The Minister of Finance still has private numbered companies.Why is the minister not answering Canadians' questions and why has he not disclosed all his assets so that Canadians can finally properly judge him?
Mr. Speaker, this is indeed historic. Never in the history of Canada have the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister been under investigation by the Ethics Commissioner at the same time. That is the Liberals' idea of making history.The problem with the Minister of Finance is that he is hiding things from Canadians. He introduced Bill C-27, which benefited his family's company tremendously, but said he worked with the Ethics Commissioner. I believe him because that is precisely what he did after introducing the bill. That is unacceptable.Why is the Minister of Finance not being straight with Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, I sense a pattern. When the Conservatives are in government, they blame everything on the Liberals. When the Liberals are in government, they blame everything on the Conservatives.What the Liberals need to understand is that their own Minister of Finance is currently under investigation for introducing a bill that could have helped him and several of his colleagues make millions of dollars.Bonus: he does not think there is anything wrong with this. Double bonus: he does not think there is anything wrong with holding assets in a company he is in charge of regulating. The Liberals promised higher ethical standards. Why can they not even enforce the bare minimum?
Mr. Speaker, will the Prime Minister join me in condemning the egregious crackdown on free speech at Wilfrid Laurier University?
Mr. Speaker, again, the opposition in this case is likely focusing on personal attacks because the members do not want us to focus on what they did not do in housing for the last decade. What we are going to announce today is how we are going to help 500,000 Canadians have more money in their pocket for housing, or a key to a house. We are going to talk about how we are going to reduce homelessness by 50%. We are taking a historic role that has not been taken for 50 years in housing, making a huge difference for Canadian families. Important work and an important job are getting done today.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to creating open spaces for Canadians to debate and express their views. In a free society, we may disagree with someone's views, but we must defend their right to hold them, unless those views promote hate. Intolerance and hate have no place in Canadian society or in our post-secondary institutions. We will continue to fight to ensure that the charter rights of Canadians are upheld and that every Canadian can feel safe and secure in their community.
Mr. Speaker, two years ago, the government promised us an anti-poverty strategy. The parliamentary budget officer's report shows that the government has failed on that count. Not only has it not yet carried out an analysis of existing measures to see whether and how they are working, but also many of its measures are poorly designed. If fighting poverty is so important to the government, when will it launch a comprehensive anti-poverty strategy?
Mr. Speaker, I do not know why the Prime Minister cannot just simply denounce what happened at the university.The Prime Minister defends and protects hidden companies in France, shares that go up in accordance with the Liberals' decisions, and a bill that could result in personal gains. The Minister of Finance still controls many numbered companies we know nothing about.When will the Prime Minister order the Minister of Finance to disclose all the shares he bought, sold, or held in all of these private companies or trust funds since he was elected?
Mr. Speaker, a leaked Parks Canada memo alerted British Columbians that thousands of plastic feed bags escaped from an aquaculture farm and washed ashore in the Broken Group Islands, yet for some reason the Tseshaht First Nation and other local groups were never notified. We only know about the spill due to the memo, riddled with talking points and concerns about negative press but containing no plan. Clearly, the government cares a thousand times more about its image than protecting the environment. Will the Liberals apologize to Vancouver Islanders and finally act to create a permanent, dedicated, and annual fund to help with marine debris cleanups?
Mr. Speaker, let me assure the member opposite and all Canadians that at the NAFTA negotiating table we are fighting very hard, and in a very smart, fact-based way, for the Canadian national interest. We made good progress on some of the technical chapters in the Mexico round. However, I must tell members that significant differences remain on some of the key issues, such as rules of origin and chapter 19. I want to say to Canadians that we will always stand for the national interest.
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister keeps repeating that he disclosed all of his assets since day one. We are not fabricating the fact he hid his offshore corporation for two years. The Prime Minister says the minister has always worked since day one with the Ethics Commissioner to ensure his personal finances were in line with the expectations of Canadians. We are not fabricating the fact he never received the commissioner's permission to introduce Bill C-27, a bill from which he and his family would profit.The minister still has mystery assets. Why will he not tell Canadians what is inside all of his other companies?
Mr. Speaker, getting through to a real person at the CRA is notoriously difficult, unless of course someone is a personal friend and fundraiser for the Prime Minister. In that case, he just picks up the phone for them.The Auditor General reports that 64% of calls were blocked, given the busy signal, or told to call back and disconnected. The government is raising taxes on diabetics, small businesses, and middle-class families, and it will not even pick up the phone to answer questions.Why does the government only answer questions for wealthy Liberal insiders and hang up on everyone else?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance is unfairly adding to Canadian entrepreneurs' tax burden.The Minister of Finance is telling our disappointed entrepreneurs to call him, but the Auditor General indicated that more than 29 million Canadian entrepreneurs did not have their calls returned. That represents almost half of the people who called the minister.I want to ask the Minister of Finance a simple question: when will he pick up the phone and answer the calls of concerned entrepreneurs?
Mr. Speaker, I know why the opposition members want to talk about me. They do not want to talk about our economy and our Canadian housing strategy.Today is a very important day. We are going to explain to Canadians how we can improve this country's housing situation. This is very important. We are announcing major changes this afternoon.
Mr. Speaker, the only cutting of the Canadian Armed Forces that was done was by the previous government of billions of dollars.Under our new defence policy, we are investing in our people. In chapter 1, we are looking after people, increasing their pay, increasing their benefits, and, more importantly, for any deployed personnel on an international named operation, it will be tax-free. We are going to be making sure that we look after our forces. We are making sure that we are going to be looking after Canadian Armed Forces members.
Mr. Speaker, we already have an action plan to improve the quality of services the CRA provides to Canadians. As of 2018-19, we will have a new telephone platform that will allow us to answer more calls, give an estimate of the wait times, and make sure that Canadians are not getting a busy signal.As part of this plan, we also intend to provide better training for call centre agents by creating a national quality control team. What is more, the CRA will be updating its service standards to better meet its clients' expectations. All of these practical measures will improve the services offered to Canadians and respond to the concerns raised by the Auditor General.
Mr. Speaker, what I can promise is that we have been working hard on this for the past two years. I agree with all of the Auditor General's recommendations. The former Conservative government chose to cut services for Canadians by decreasing funding for call centres. That was done under the former minister of national revenue, Ms. Findlay. The Conservatives cut the number of agents in the call centres, reduced business hours, and even lowered service standards.
Mr. Speaker, the reason the hon. opposition member is focusing on me is because he does not want to focus on Canadians. We will continue to improve the lives of Canadians. Today we announced our housing strategy. It is very important for Canadians. We will help 500,000 Canadians have access to housing. It is very important. We are going to help people who have nowhere to live. This is a very important day for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, our government has made tax evasion and avoidance one of its top priorities. We have invested almost $1 billion to fight tax evasion. We continue to work for Canadians. It is a top priority and we will continue to do so. We will not mislead Canadians, as opposed to my colleague across the way.
What is not a fabrication, Mr. Speaker, is the erosion of trust that Canadians are having in the finance minister. It is not just about what is hiding behind door number two, door number three, or door number four. What about Morneau Shepell stock held by family members? How much has he and his family profited from decisions made by the finance minister? Since the minister was sworn in, shares in Morneau Shepell have skyrocketed by 38%. Do Canadians have the right to know if the minister's financial interests and that of his family conflict with his public duties, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, as I reported to the House, I have no interest nor does my family in Morneau Shepell.We on this side of the House work here to improve the situation of Canadians. It is going well. Canadians are doing well. The economy has improved. There is more work to do. We are talking today about the work we are going to do in housing to help 500,000 Canadians to have the key to their house, or more money in their pockets to ensure they have housing. We are going to make sure we have 50% fewer people who actually do not have a place to live. This is the sort of work we are going to continue to do on behalf of Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I will continue to do important work on behalf of Canadians while the opposition focuses on me. It is very important to continue strengthening our economy. We are in a very good position. Our economic growth is much better than it was two years ago. That is very important. We have 500,000 new jobs and the lowest unemployment rate in a decade. The economy is growing and we will continue with our work.
Mr. Speaker, as often as the opposition focuses on personal attacks, we are going to focus on what we are doing for Canadians. That, we know is important. Today, as we have said, is a particularly important day. We are talking about budget 2017's $11.2 billion invested in housing, and how that is going to make a difference for Canadians. The Prime Minister is going to be talking today about how 500,000 people are going to have access to housing. That is critically important. We are going to reduce homelessness by 50% in this country. These are important goals which we know Canadians are waiting to hear. We are looking forward to telling them more this afternoon.
Mr. Speaker, as I said, we agree with all of the Auditor General's recommendations. I would like to point out to the members opposite that the previous Conservative government decided to reduce services to Canadians by cutting funding for call centres. Under former minister Findlay, they reduced the number of agents in call centres, the business hours, and the number of services. Rather than cutting services, we decided to reinvest. I am working to ensure that the Canada Revenue Agency treats Canadians not just as taxpayers, but as important clients
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that 81% of Canadian families are paying more taxes under this government. My question is simple and perfectly valid, especially considering that we know this minister has been in a direct conflict of interest for the past two years. If he has nothing to hide, will the Minister of Finance be honest and disclose, once and for all, his assets, companies, shares, and everything he is hiding from Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, that is a fabrication of an issue. That is all I can say. Being clear on my assets was important from day one. That is what allows me to continue
Mr. Speaker, in July, our American friends released detailed documents on their NAFTA priorities, including considerable detail on rules of origin for autos and other goods. They updated this document a few days ago. In August, Canada did not really release a detailed plan, but the minister gave a speech with considerable detail on the War of 1812. Today, Scotiabank is predicting the failure of NAFTA. When will the minister step away from the dinner parties and her progressive talking points and start fighting for the two million jobs that rely on NAFTA?
Mr. Speaker, we have an action plan for improving the quality of services the agency provides to Canadians. We have no lessons to learn from the Conservatives, who chose to make cuts to the call centres year after year.While the number of calls were increasing, they reduced the number of agents at the centres, the opening hours, and the standards of service. Instead of making cuts, we have chosen to make investments. We will continue to take tangible measures to provide Canadians with the best service.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Yukon for his boundless optimism and his dedication to advancing sustainable development in our northern communities. Canada's clean growth economy starts with a sustainable and competitive resources sector. That is why this week we launched our new $155-million clean growth program to fund clean technology projects in the forestry, mining, and energy sectors, helping to reduce emissions and improve environmental outcomes. Our smart investments make our country a global leader in the transition to a low-carbon economy and a cleaner future.
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to talk about what we are trying to do on behalf of all Canadians. We know that having a tax system that is fair matters to Canadians. We have put forward some measures that are going to ensure that it is just that. What we have then done to make sure it is fair for all Canadians is to look at how we can best help Canadians to be successful. By taking the money from the changes in taxes and putting it into force through indexing the Canada child benefit and increasing the working income tax benefit, we are going to show benefits for Canadians across this country while having a tax system that is fairer.
Mr. Speaker, the interesting part about making promises like the minister is just making is that he has to be trusted to deliver on them, and that is what we are talking about today. The Prime Minister set out his new mandate tracker last week and actually reiterated directives. The quote regarding the finance minister is that As Minister, you must ensure that you are aware of and fully compliant with the Conflict of Interest Act.The Minister of Finance has already been fined for not being in compliance with the ethics act. Given that the minister was found not to be in compliance with it, what is the Prime Minister going to do to ensure that his directive is enforced?
Mr. Speaker, that is a very good question. Our first step was to introduce a strategy to reduce poverty in our country. Thanks to the guaranteed income supplement, we have helped seniors by giving them more money. We also introduced the Canada child benefit, thanks to which, again this year, 300,000 children will no longer have to live in poverty. Today, with our housing strategy, we are going to help a lot of people find a place to live. This is very important, and it is all part of our strategy to make things better.
Mr. Speaker, today is a very important day with regard to improving housing outcomes in our country. We will continue to work with the provinces and municipalities, but today we are announcing how we can improve the situation now.With the $11.2 billion allocated in budget 2017, we will explain how we can help 500,000 Canadians get access to housing. This is very important. We will explain how we are going to reduce homelessness by 50%. This is an important strategy. Today is an important day.
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member opposite that we care greatly about the environment, that we are concerned about this incident, that Parks Canada is involved with the cleanup, and that we will continue to work very hard to ensure that we protect our oceans. As members know, we have our oceans protection plan. We are absolutely committed to protecting our oceans and protecting the environment.
Mr. Speaker, as I have continued to say, I have followed all the rules. What I want to do is make sure that Canadians know that while the opposition is focusing
As I said, Mr. Speaker, by being free of conflicts from day one, we have been focused on things we are working for on behalf of Canadians, and that is having a real impact. The kind of impact Canadian families can see. They can see it with more money in their pockets, because of the Canada child benefit. They can see it if they are a senior with the improvement in the guaranteed income supplement. We can see that all those actions are leading to a much better economy, an economy that is helping all of our constituents and all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ending this ongoing national tragedy, and to ensuring that the commission has all the support it needs to succeed.We have heard, and take very seriously, the concerns raised about how existing government policy and processes were impeding the work. A working group has been created to provide effective back-office support to the commission to ensure it is able to do its work effectively.Our government remains fully committed to ensuring that families get the answers they have been waiting for.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to repeat what I have said to this House previously. I worked with the Ethics Commissioner from day one, disclosed all of my assets to the Ethics Commissioner, and I have actually decided to go further than she recommended by selling all of the shares in the company I built with my family and, in fact, make a significant donation to charity.I will continue to work on behalf of all Canadians, doing the work that we were elected to do to make our economy better, to help middle-class Canadians, and to ensure that the future is brighter than the present.
Mr. Speaker, no changes have been made to the eligibility criteria for the disability tax credit or the tax credit for people with diabetes.For 10 years, the previous Conservative government made cuts to scientific research. Last year, our government invested $41 million in research into diabetes and $5 billion into mental health services for more than 500,000 young Canadians under 25.We are making this credit more accessible. We have simplified the forms and are allowing specialized nurse practitioners to fill out the forms if the applicants do not have a doctor.
Mr. Speaker, we are seeing both parties in the opposition continuing to focus on me, and we understand why. What is hard to understand about the opposition member who just spoke is why he is not interested in talking about housing on a day when we are talking about historic changes in housing. We talked in budget 2017 about $11.2 billion to be spent on a national housing strategy. Today, we are unveiling how we will make a huge difference for families across this country. It is an important day for Canadian families. It is an important day for housing.
Mr. Speaker, subsequent to the point of order my colleague from Joliette raised on November 8, I would like to share some additional observations that I hope will inform your consideration of the matter. I also believe that the vote was marred by irregularities and should be retaken.As my colleague from Joliette said, the code of conduct for members of Parliament, which is part of our Standing Orders, clearly prohibits an elected member from furthering his or her private interests. In addition to taking part in the vote on Motion No. 42, a motion that will have an impact on his private interests, the Minister of Finance influenced the debate through his then-parliamentary secretary, the member for Saint-MauriceChamplain.As stated in the Guide for Parliamentary Secretaries, issued by the Prime Minister on January 16, 2016, a parliamentary secretary speaks on behalf of the minister. In other words, when a parliamentary secretary takes the floor in the House, it is the minister's words that we hear, as we can see on pages 1 and 2 of the guide. On page 1, under Your Role and Responsibilities, it says: Section 47 of the Parliament of Canada Act sets out the following succinct job description: The Parliamentary Secretary or Secretaries to a minister shall assist the minister in such manner as the minister directs. In this context, the responsibilities of parliamentary secretaries generally fall into two broad categories: (1) House business and (2) department-related duties. On page 2, under House Business, it says: In this context, the role of parliamentary secretaries in supporting ministers House duties includes: --attending Question Period; --piloting the ministers legislation through the legislative process on the floor of the House, in parliamentary committees...and with caucus and opposition MPs; --supporting the ministers position on Private Members Business; Later on, the guide specifically talks about the role of parliamentary secretaries with respect to private members' business. On page 4, under Private Members' Business, the guide states: Given that ministers do not generally participate directly in debates on Private Members Business, this is an opportunity for parliamentary secretaries to bring their parliamentary skills to bear. This is particularly so since all Private Members Business comes to a vote. Parliamentary secretaries play a key role in the Government's handling of Private Members Business, in that they: --may be called upon to speak for the minister during Private Members Hour; --work with the Government House Leaders office to organize and deliver the ministers response to Private Members Bills and motions; As members can see, Minister of Finance, by way of his his parliamentary secretary, reassured members of the House about the government's actions on this matter. He also urged them to vote against Motion No. 42. I remind members that if this motion had passed, it would have affected the minister's personal interests. I want to be clear. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance should have recused himself from the debates on Motion No. 42, since he speaks on behalf of his minister. I repeat, this minister's interests are directly affected by Motion No. 42. As my colleague from Joliette pointed out, we are talking about the results of a vote and about the integrity of the House of Commons as an institution, which you oversee, Mr. Speaker. We are here, at the heart of representative democracy, and at the heart of the trust that the public must have in its representatives. This vote should be taken again, since it was tainted.
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that nine out of 10 families are better off since we introduced the Canada child benefit. Thanks to this very important benefit, families are now receiving an average of $2,300 more to help improve their situation. That is a significant and very positive change for Canadian families. We are going to continue to work for them.
Mr. Speaker, every week brings new revelations about the Minister of Finance's conflicts of interest.First, there were his undeclared shares, then his villa in France, and now, we have the bill he created, Bill C-27, from which his own family and his company, Morneau Shepell, directly benefit.Will the Prime Minister step up and order his Minister of Finance to show some transparency and disclose all of his assets?
Mr. Speaker, with the opening of the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk road, and the commemoration of the Alaska Highway, growth and the potential of the north has never been higher. Infrastructure investments mean growth of industry at a time when our communities are expanding and diversifying. Fuelling this growth are clean technology projects in energy, mining, and forestry sectors. By helping reduce greenhouse gases and improving environmental outcomes, we have committed to smart, sustainable management of our natural resources. Could the minister update the House on the importance of the clean growth program and promoting clean technologies?
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Coast Guard's icebreaking services are essential for keeping our waters safe, protecting our shoreline economy, and strengthening our economy. We are working hard to ensure the continuity of these services, and the interim icebreaking services will supplement the program.
Mr. Speaker, many Quebeckers are concerned about rail safety. However, we are heartened by the tireless work of the Minister of Transport, who is clearly making rail safety his number one priority.Could the minister tell us about some of the measures he has taken to improve rail safety in Quebec?
Mr. Speaker, I have read the Auditor General's report and agree with all of his recommendations. Moreover, serving Canadians is a key component of my mandate letter. Our very first budget reinvested $50 million in the Canada Revenue Agency's call centres. We have already started hiring agents to handle more calls from Canadians. We have an action plan for modernizing the telephony platform, improving training, and updating our service standards. Our investments are always made to improve the quality of the services Canadians have a right to expect.
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of everyone in this House, I would like to start by wishing you a happy birthday.[Members sang Happy Birthday]
Mr. Speaker, our government is making unprecedented investments in infrastructure of $186 billion over 12 years. We know that these investments are essential. We also know that we have to be innovative. I would like to ask the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities to update this House on the progress of the Canada infrastructure bank and its leadership team.
Mr. Speaker, our government is focused on investing in public infrastructure to create long-term economic growth and build strong, sustainable, and inclusive communities. We have appointed 10 outstanding Canadians to the board of the infrastructure bank. These appointments will help us mobilize pension funds and institutional investors to build more public infrastructure that Canadian communities need, and create jobs for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from AlfredPellan for his excellent question and for the work he does on the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.Rail safety is indeed my number one priority. To give a few examples, we have added safety barriers on Saint-Ambroise Street in Montreal, on Saint-Georges Street in the Saint-Hyacinthe subdivision, and on Pont-Mitchell Street in the Drummondville subdivision. These are great examples of how we have improved rail safety. Rail safety is my priority.
Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General's report is damning for the current Minister of National Revenue, not the minister who was in office two years ago. This report once again proves that the Minister of National Revenue is incapable of managing the important issues that fall under her agency's responsibility.Her mandate letter states that she must make the CRA a client-focused agency, but she is far from achieving that goal. On the new government propaganda website, the minister has put that objective under ongoing commitments. What does that mean? Does it mean the government does not care about this objective? The minister should have created a new category entitled we have given up on this commitment because we failed miserably.After two years, how would the minister grade herself on fulfilling her mandate? Would she give herself an E or an F?
Mr. Speaker, the government promised strict measures, like the ones Australia has taken, to stop jihadists from returning to Canada. The safety and security of Canadians is the top priority for us.Yesterday, the minister refused to give us information on these traitors because he said that he did not want to give away operational details. Does anyone really believe that a basic question can compromise operations?Here is a simple question. Are these murderers under 24-hour surveillance, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member opposite for raising this very grave issue. This absolutely is ethnic cleansing, and the responsibility falls squarely on Myanmar's military leadership and civilian government. These are crimes against humanity.In Da Nang, the Prime Minister and I raised the treatment of the Rohingya directly with Aung San Suu Kyi. Our special envoy has visited Myanmar and Bangladesh to see first-hand what is happening. This is an urgent issue and Canada is absolutely seized of it.
Mr. Speaker, radicalized ISIS terrorists are returning to Canada right now under the Liberal government, and it has admitted that it does not have any capacity to monitor or assess the risks to our national security or public safety. Many Canadians are asking why the Liberal government is not following the lead of our allies and refusing entry, or more. Instead, it is throwing out the welcome mat. Canada cannot and must not become a safe haven for terrorists.To the minister, how many terrorists who have already returned to Canada under their watch are under 24-hour surveillance?
Mr. Speaker, for months we have pushed the government to take leadership on the Rohingya issue, the greatest humanitarian crisis facing the world today. There are 600,000 Rohingya who have been forced out of Myanmar.The United Nations has determined that it is ethnic cleansing. Today, the U.S. government declared the Myanmar military operation to be ethnic cleansing. Our foreign affairs minister has said that this looks...like ethnic cleansing.With this kind of international consensus, when is the government going to do something substantive to hold the Myanmar regime responsible for these horrendous atrocities?
Mr. Speaker, seven years ago, Lyle and Marie McCann were brutally murdered. Their family was never able to give them a proper funeral, because the murderer refused to reveal the location of their remains. Convicted murderers who re-victimize families by withholding the whereabouts of their victims' remains should not be eligible for parole. Will the Minister of Justice do the right thing and pass legislation that will fix our broken parole system to ensure closure for families like the McCanns?
Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman can be absolutely assured that our forces are doing exactly the job they need to do. Approximately 60 terror travellers returned to Canada under the previous Conservative government. Not a single one of them was charged by the previous Conservative government. In fact, the previous Conservative government cut $1 billion from the security services of Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, of course the public safety minister has taken away the powers from all those police agencies. Two Canadians travel to Iraq. One goes to fight ISIS with the Canadian Armed Forces, the other decides to join the death cult as a terrorist. Both come back to Canada. The Canadian soldier is injured while serving our country, and the Liberals cut his pay. The ISIS terrorist, on the other hand, also comes back to Canada, but is offered taxpayer-funded reintegration training by the Liberals. Why is the Prime Minister cutting the pay for our injured troops while funding support services for ISIS terrorists?
Mr. Speaker, that is right. The Liberals are going to continue signing agreements with tax havens, as they did last year with the Cook Islands.Interestingly, when the Liberals wants something to happen, there is no stopping them. An infrastructure privatization bank? Done. Legalization of cannabis? Full steam ahead.However, families who need help paying the rent will have to wait until after the next election. The Liberals are incapable of paying public service employees. That is too complicated. They cannot even answer the telephone. People just have to wait on hold.I would like to make a direct appeal to the Minister of Finance. When will he come down from his ivory tower and start working for ordinary Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, as leaders in this country we all are called to a higher standard, and that includes being held accountable for our actions. That is not anybody picking on us or anybody picking on the Minister of Finance. It is him being accountable for his actions, and it is shameful to see him refusing to do that.The Prime Minister talks about sunny ways. He talks about sunshine being the best disinfectant. Let us give the finance minister a chance to be accountable, and instead of keeping Canadians in the dark. Let him reveal to Canadians what assets he has held, be accountable for his actions, own up, stand up, and take some leadership.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to hear the minister mention the CSIS report, because I have a report here that states, in the last paragraph, that these people return to countries like Canada and that they wait for orders to carry out a terrorist attack.Now, the government is taking care of these people, as though they were small children who need to be coddled. We want to know whether these people are under 24-hour surveillance before something happens and it is too late.
Mr. Speaker, the innuendo and insinuation in the hon. member's question is simply completely false. In this country we have the RCMP, CSIS, CBSA, and other security services that do a superlative job, and anyone who needs to be under surveillance is indeed under surveillance.
Mr. Speaker, the clock is ticking for the 600 workers at the Davie shipyard who will be out of a job within days because of the federal government. Winter is here. We urgently need icebreakers on the St. Lawrence, and the navy desperately needs two more supply ships, including the future ship Obelix, to achieve its mission. The members on the other side need to open their eyes. Ottawa is asleep at the wheel, and our operational capability is under threat as a result. Why is the Liberal government boycotting the best shipyard in North America? Why is it determined to put the Davie shipyard's top skilled workers out of a job?
Mr. Speaker, my issue with the minister's responses is that every time he hears the fact that he broke the compliance standards, he assumes it is a personal attack, and it is not. We are just asking him to be accountable for his actions. The mandate tracker says: you must uphold the highest standards of honesty and impartiality, and both the performance of your official duties and the arrangement of your private affairs should bear the closest public scrutiny. Is anyone able to trust the minister when we know that in his personal affairs, he has broken it?
Mr. Speaker, I am accountable, and I will continue to be accountable to Canadians. While the opposition focuses on fabrications, I will focus on being accountable to results for Canadians. We are focused on making sure the economy grows. We are focused on making sure that it helps Canadian families. Those two things are demonstrably having an impact. We have seen the highest level of growth in years, significantly higher than we saw in the previous government, and importantly, a lower level of employment than we have seen in a decade. Those are important goals, and we are accountable for that.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to seek consent for the following motion: That this House call on the Department of Transport to prohibit the carrying of a knife with a blade measuring less than six centimetres on board aircraft.
Mr. Speaker, the question was about Phoenix. Governing is about making choices. Let us take a closer look at the Liberals' choices.A couple with no children gets nothing. A person who earns less than $45,000 gets nothing. Someone who takes the bus no longer gets a tax credit. On the other hand, someone who sends their money to the Cayman Islands does not have any problems. Someone who introduces a bill that will make him richer will write a cheque. Someone who wants to see the Prime Minister will pay $1,500. Netflix does not pay any tax. KPMG clients will get a deal.When will the Liberals stop working for their Bay Street millionaire friends?
Mr. Speaker, there is more bad news on the inquiry into murdered and missing indigenous women. Following its interim report, which blamed Liberal interference for slow progress of the inquiry, there have been eight resignations and firings. The Prime Minister said he would review the report and pay attention to its recommendations, but nothing has changed. The Liberals have broken their promise to families to do everything in their power to help this vital inquiry succeed.When will the Liberals finally put words into action and bring this national tragedy to an end?
Mr. Speaker, I am a bit confused because while Liberals help Stephen Bronfman and other friends who use tax havens to avoid paying taxes, Canadians cannot speak to anyone when they call the CRA to get help with paying taxes. While the finance minister gets a free pass from the Prime Minister, despite the fact he has interests in a company he is in charge of regulating, hundreds of thousands of public servants are paying the price for the Liberal government's incompetence in the Phoenix fiasco.Liberals have usually waited at least one full term before demonstrating a sense of entitlement. Why are they in such a rush now?
Mr. Speaker, at least on this side of the House we can remember the homes that we own. For two years, the finance minister profited from his ownership in a company that made millions after he introduced legislation that benefited that same company. There was no blind trust. There was no sign-off from the Ethics Commissioner, and we only knew about his continued ownership with Morneau Shepell because he got caught. Now he is under investigation yet again.Canadians want to know what other skeletons the minister is hiding in his closet. When will he finally come clean, and reveal what else he is hiding, so Canadians can see his other conflicts of interest?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have a nasty habit of imposing their vision on the provinces and municipalities. We saw this with the legalization of cannabis and the health accords. We have every reason to believe that they will do the same thing with the housing strategy. Some 1.7 million Canadian families are having a hard time finding places to live.Will the government create a true partnership with the provinces and municipalities in order to tailor the strategy to local realities?
Mr. Speaker, for two years the Minister of Finance hid his Morneau Shepell shares in a numbered company, and we only found out about that because he was caught. He said he was working with the Ethics Commissioner from the beginning, but we know that is not true. He has been caught again. He is under investigation yet again, and Canadians do not know what else he is hiding. The Prime Minister has said that sunshine is the best disinfectant. Will the finance minister let the sunshine in, face it with a grin, open up his books, and let Canadians in on what else he is hiding?
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat that I agree with all of the Auditor General's recommendations. The former Conservative government decided to cut services, cut staff, and to cut the evaluation of the quality of services. That happened under former national revenue minister, Ms. Findlay.Instead of making cuts, we have chosen to reinvest $50 million over the next four years. We are taking real action to ensure that Canadians have the services they are entitled to expect.
Mr. Speaker, we keep getting told in this chamber that nothing has changed, and people are still eligible for their disability tax credit.However, we receive calls every day at our constituency offices about new rules that are rendering people living with type 1 diabetes, autism, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and developmental disorders ineligible for the disability tax credit, despite having receiving it for years.Families are desperate for help. When will the government stop making excuses and fix this problem?
Mr. Speaker, during question period, the Minister of National Revenue accused me of spreading disinformation. That is not very nice. I am therefore requesting the unanimous consent of the House to table the Auditor General's report on the Canada Revenue Agency, because I get the sense she did not read it.
Mr. Speaker, to repeat, 100% of my assets have been disclosed from day one to the Ethics Commissioner.The opposition is focusing on personal attacks and does not want to focus on the last decade in which it did nothing in housing. We are talking today about how we are going to make a huge difference in housing. The $11.2 billion we set in budget 2017 is going to make a significant long-term difference for Canadians, with 500,000 people with a key to their own home, or money to actually pay for their lodging. This is huge. We are going to reduce homelessness in this country by 50%. We are on the job for Canadians, and we will not be distracted.
Mr. Speaker, the revenue minister's list of greatest misses is truly impressive. First, she wanted to tax employee discounts, then she started rejecting Canadians who had been granted a disability tax credit. Now we learn from the Auditor General that her department does not just reject half the calls it receives but of those that actually make it through, 30% of Canadians get the wrong information. If the minister wants to win back just a little bit of credibility, will she make this promise today that no Canadian will face a fine or penalty if they followed the bad advice of her agency?
Mr. Speaker, while the opposition wants to focus on me, we want to focus on Canadians. That is the work we are doing today, by talking about the historic change of the federal government taking a role that has not been taken for 50 years in housing, distributing a huge amount of help to 500,000 families, allowing them to have more money in their pocket for housing, and a key to a house. This is the sort of work that we are setting out to do on behalf of Canadians, and we will keep doing it while the opposition members keep focusing on personal attacks.
Mr. Speaker, I can assure you that we will not start singing How old are you now? on your birthday, but maybe as a birthday present, the minister could give you the gift of an answer to one of our questions.It is not only the Canada Revenue Agency that taxpayers cannot get an answer from. A letter, representing thousands of small businesses across the country, has been sent to the Prime Minister asking for clarification about his unfair tax changes. The Prime Minister has created so much uncertainty and confusion. When will the Prime Minister finally end all of this confusion and just stop attacking local businesses?
Mr. Speaker, first of all, I welcome the hon. gentleman to the House and congratulate him upon his recent election.Second, all members of the House share the angst and concern the member has expressed with respect to this particular situation. I would look forward to an opportunity to discuss with him and with the Minister of Justice any constructive ideas he might wish to offer about how we can improve our criminal justice system.
Mr. Speaker, I understand why the members opposite want to focus on me. They do not want to focus on what is going on for Canadians. They do not want to consider how well our economy is doing, because, of course, it paints a very different portrait than what happened over the last decade. We are seeing that the work we are doing, investing in Canadians, is paying off. Canadians are doing better. Families are doing better. We are seeing a huge benefit to Canadian families. More money in their pockets means our economy is doing better. We will continue to focus on improving the lives of Canadians, because we know that focusing on Canadians works.
Mr. Speaker, we know the finance minister has already been found guilty of breaking the Conflict of Interest Act. That is clear. What is not clear, maybe as clear as mud, is how many other conflicts of interest he is in. Therefore, the finance minister has a choice to make. He can continue to keep Canadians in the dark, or he can reveal what assets he has owned in numbered companies over the last two years, or what exactly the finance minister is trying to hide. Yes, we are focused on the finance minister.
Mr. Speaker, I am very glad to have the hon. member's opinion, but I am even more glad to have the RCMP, CSIS, and CBSA among the best security intelligence and law enforcement expertise in the world. Their work is highly respected and highly sought after, including in the international coalition against Daesh in Syria and Iraq. They are charged with identifying and stopping all terror threats of all kinds against Canada and Canadians, and they do that job as well as or better than anyone else in the world.
Mr. Speaker, of course we are going to talk about the Minister of Finance.It was this minister who said that he would put his assets in a trust, but did not do so until he was caught red-handed. It was this minister who introduced a bill that put him in a direct conflict of interest because of his family business and who consulted the Ethics Commissioner after the fact. The Minister of Finance still has private numbered companies.Why is the minister not answering Canadians' questions and why has he not disclosed all his assets so that Canadians can finally properly judge him?
Mr. Speaker, this is indeed historic. Never in the history of Canada have the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister been under investigation by the Ethics Commissioner at the same time. That is the Liberals' idea of making history.The problem with the Minister of Finance is that he is hiding things from Canadians. He introduced Bill C-27, which benefited his family's company tremendously, but said he worked with the Ethics Commissioner. I believe him because that is precisely what he did after introducing the bill. That is unacceptable.Why is the Minister of Finance not being straight with Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, I sense a pattern. When the Conservatives are in government, they blame everything on the Liberals. When the Liberals are in government, they blame everything on the Conservatives.What the Liberals need to understand is that their own Minister of Finance is currently under investigation for introducing a bill that could have helped him and several of his colleagues make millions of dollars.Bonus: he does not think there is anything wrong with this. Double bonus: he does not think there is anything wrong with holding assets in a company he is in charge of regulating. The Liberals promised higher ethical standards. Why can they not even enforce the bare minimum?
Mr. Speaker, will the Prime Minister join me in condemning the egregious crackdown on free speech at Wilfrid Laurier University?
Mr. Speaker, again, the opposition in this case is likely focusing on personal attacks because the members do not want us to focus on what they did not do in housing for the last decade. What we are going to announce today is how we are going to help 500,000 Canadians have more money in their pocket for housing, or a key to a house. We are going to talk about how we are going to reduce homelessness by 50%. We are taking a historic role that has not been taken for 50 years in housing, making a huge difference for Canadian families. Important work and an important job are getting done today.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to creating open spaces for Canadians to debate and express their views. In a free society, we may disagree with someone's views, but we must defend their right to hold them, unless those views promote hate. Intolerance and hate have no place in Canadian society or in our post-secondary institutions. We will continue to fight to ensure that the charter rights of Canadians are upheld and that every Canadian can feel safe and secure in their community.
Mr. Speaker, two years ago, the government promised us an anti-poverty strategy. The parliamentary budget officer's report shows that the government has failed on that count. Not only has it not yet carried out an analysis of existing measures to see whether and how they are working, but also many of its measures are poorly designed. If fighting poverty is so important to the government, when will it launch a comprehensive anti-poverty strategy?
Mr. Speaker, I do not know why the Prime Minister cannot just simply denounce what happened at the university.The Prime Minister defends and protects hidden companies in France, shares that go up in accordance with the Liberals' decisions, and a bill that could result in personal gains. The Minister of Finance still controls many numbered companies we know nothing about.When will the Prime Minister order the Minister of Finance to disclose all the shares he bought, sold, or held in all of these private companies or trust funds since he was elected?
Mr. Speaker, a leaked Parks Canada memo alerted British Columbians that thousands of plastic feed bags escaped from an aquaculture farm and washed ashore in the Broken Group Islands, yet for some reason the Tseshaht First Nation and other local groups were never notified. We only know about the spill due to the memo, riddled with talking points and concerns about negative press but containing no plan. Clearly, the government cares a thousand times more about its image than protecting the environment. Will the Liberals apologize to Vancouver Islanders and finally act to create a permanent, dedicated, and annual fund to help with marine debris cleanups?
Mr. Speaker, let me assure the member opposite and all Canadians that at the NAFTA negotiating table we are fighting very hard, and in a very smart, fact-based way, for the Canadian national interest. We made good progress on some of the technical chapters in the Mexico round. However, I must tell members that significant differences remain on some of the key issues, such as rules of origin and chapter 19. I want to say to Canadians that we will always stand for the national interest.
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister keeps repeating that he disclosed all of his assets since day one. We are not fabricating the fact he hid his offshore corporation for two years. The Prime Minister says the minister has always worked since day one with the Ethics Commissioner to ensure his personal finances were in line with the expectations of Canadians. We are not fabricating the fact he never received the commissioner's permission to introduce Bill C-27, a bill from which he and his family would profit.The minister still has mystery assets. Why will he not tell Canadians what is inside all of his other companies?
Mr. Speaker, getting through to a real person at the CRA is notoriously difficult, unless of course someone is a personal friend and fundraiser for the Prime Minister. In that case, he just picks up the phone for them.The Auditor General reports that 64% of calls were blocked, given the busy signal, or told to call back and disconnected. The government is raising taxes on diabetics, small businesses, and middle-class families, and it will not even pick up the phone to answer questions.Why does the government only answer questions for wealthy Liberal insiders and hang up on everyone else?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance is unfairly adding to Canadian entrepreneurs' tax burden.The Minister of Finance is telling our disappointed entrepreneurs to call him, but the Auditor General indicated that more than 29 million Canadian entrepreneurs did not have their calls returned. That represents almost half of the people who called the minister.I want to ask the Minister of Finance a simple question: when will he pick up the phone and answer the calls of concerned entrepreneurs?
Mr. Speaker, I know why the opposition members want to talk about me. They do not want to talk about our economy and our Canadian housing strategy.Today is a very important day. We are going to explain to Canadians how we can improve this country's housing situation. This is very important. We are announcing major changes this afternoon.
Mr. Speaker, the only cutting of the Canadian Armed Forces that was done was by the previous government of billions of dollars.Under our new defence policy, we are investing in our people. In chapter 1, we are looking after people, increasing their pay, increasing their benefits, and, more importantly, for any deployed personnel on an international named operation, it will be tax-free. We are going to be making sure that we look after our forces. We are making sure that we are going to be looking after Canadian Armed Forces members.
Mr. Speaker, we already have an action plan to improve the quality of services the CRA provides to Canadians. As of 2018-19, we will have a new telephone platform that will allow us to answer more calls, give an estimate of the wait times, and make sure that Canadians are not getting a busy signal.As part of this plan, we also intend to provide better training for call centre agents by creating a national quality control team. What is more, the CRA will be updating its service standards to better meet its clients' expectations. All of these practical measures will improve the services offered to Canadians and respond to the concerns raised by the Auditor General.
Mr. Speaker, what I can promise is that we have been working hard on this for the past two years. I agree with all of the Auditor General's recommendations. The former Conservative government chose to cut services for Canadians by decreasing funding for call centres. That was done under the former minister of national revenue, Ms. Findlay. The Conservatives cut the number of agents in the call centres, reduced business hours, and even lowered service standards.
Mr. Speaker, the reason the hon. opposition member is focusing on me is because he does not want to focus on Canadians. We will continue to improve the lives of Canadians. Today we announced our housing strategy. It is very important for Canadians. We will help 500,000 Canadians have access to housing. It is very important. We are going to help people who have nowhere to live. This is a very important day for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, our government has made tax evasion and avoidance one of its top priorities. We have invested almost $1 billion to fight tax evasion. We continue to work for Canadians. It is a top priority and we will continue to do so. We will not mislead Canadians, as opposed to my colleague across the way.
What is not a fabrication, Mr. Speaker, is the erosion of trust that Canadians are having in the finance minister. It is not just about what is hiding behind door number two, door number three, or door number four. What about Morneau Shepell stock held by family members? How much has he and his family profited from decisions made by the finance minister? Since the minister was sworn in, shares in Morneau Shepell have skyrocketed by 38%. Do Canadians have the right to know if the minister's financial interests and that of his family conflict with his public duties, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, as I reported to the House, I have no interest nor does my family in Morneau Shepell.We on this side of the House work here to improve the situation of Canadians. It is going well. Canadians are doing well. The economy has improved. There is more work to do. We are talking today about the work we are going to do in housing to help 500,000 Canadians to have the key to their house, or more money in their pockets to ensure they have housing. We are going to make sure we have 50% fewer people who actually do not have a place to live. This is the sort of work we are going to continue to do on behalf of Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I will continue to do important work on behalf of Canadians while the opposition focuses on me. It is very important to continue strengthening our economy. We are in a very good position. Our economic growth is much better than it was two years ago. That is very important. We have 500,000 new jobs and the lowest unemployment rate in a decade. The economy is growing and we will continue with our work.
Mr. Speaker, as often as the opposition focuses on personal attacks, we are going to focus on what we are doing for Canadians. That, we know is important. Today, as we have said, is a particularly important day. We are talking about budget 2017's $11.2 billion invested in housing, and how that is going to make a difference for Canadians. The Prime Minister is going to be talking today about how 500,000 people are going to have access to housing. That is critically important. We are going to reduce homelessness by 50% in this country. These are important goals which we know Canadians are waiting to hear. We are looking forward to telling them more this afternoon.
Mr. Speaker, as I said, we agree with all of the Auditor General's recommendations. I would like to point out to the members opposite that the previous Conservative government decided to reduce services to Canadians by cutting funding for call centres. Under former minister Findlay, they reduced the number of agents in call centres, the business hours, and the number of services. Rather than cutting services, we decided to reinvest. I am working to ensure that the Canada Revenue Agency treats Canadians not just as taxpayers, but as important clients
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that 81% of Canadian families are paying more taxes under this government. My question is simple and perfectly valid, especially considering that we know this minister has been in a direct conflict of interest for the past two years. If he has nothing to hide, will the Minister of Finance be honest and disclose, once and for all, his assets, companies, shares, and everything he is hiding from Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, that is a fabrication of an issue. That is all I can say. Being clear on my assets was important from day one. That is what allows me to continue
Mr. Speaker, in July, our American friends released detailed documents on their NAFTA priorities, including considerable detail on rules of origin for autos and other goods. They updated this document a few days ago. In August, Canada did not really release a detailed plan, but the minister gave a speech with considerable detail on the War of 1812. Today, Scotiabank is predicting the failure of NAFTA. When will the minister step away from the dinner parties and her progressive talking points and start fighting for the two million jobs that rely on NAFTA?
Mr. Speaker, we have an action plan for improving the quality of services the agency provides to Canadians. We have no lessons to learn from the Conservatives, who chose to make cuts to the call centres year after year.While the number of calls were increasing, they reduced the number of agents at the centres, the opening hours, and the standards of service. Instead of making cuts, we have chosen to make investments. We will continue to take tangible measures to provide Canadians with the best service.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Yukon for his boundless optimism and his dedication to advancing sustainable development in our northern communities. Canada's clean growth economy starts with a sustainable and competitive resources sector. That is why this week we launched our new $155-million clean growth program to fund clean technology projects in the forestry, mining, and energy sectors, helping to reduce emissions and improve environmental outcomes. Our smart investments make our country a global leader in the transition to a low-carbon economy and a cleaner future.
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to talk about what we are trying to do on behalf of all Canadians. We know that having a tax system that is fair matters to Canadians. We have put forward some measures that are going to ensure that it is just that. What we have then done to make sure it is fair for all Canadians is to look at how we can best help Canadians to be successful. By taking the money from the changes in taxes and putting it into force through indexing the Canada child benefit and increasing the working income tax benefit, we are going to show benefits for Canadians across this country while having a tax system that is fairer.
Mr. Speaker, the interesting part about making promises like the minister is just making is that he has to be trusted to deliver on them, and that is what we are talking about today. The Prime Minister set out his new mandate tracker last week and actually reiterated directives. The quote regarding the finance minister is that As Minister, you must ensure that you are aware of and fully compliant with the Conflict of Interest Act.The Minister of Finance has already been fined for not being in compliance with the ethics act. Given that the minister was found not to be in compliance with it, what is the Prime Minister going to do to ensure that his directive is enforced?
Mr. Speaker, that is a very good question. Our first step was to introduce a strategy to reduce poverty in our country. Thanks to the guaranteed income supplement, we have helped seniors by giving them more money. We also introduced the Canada child benefit, thanks to which, again this year, 300,000 children will no longer have to live in poverty. Today, with our housing strategy, we are going to help a lot of people find a place to live. This is very important, and it is all part of our strategy to make things better.
Mr. Speaker, today is a very important day with regard to improving housing outcomes in our country. We will continue to work with the provinces and municipalities, but today we are announcing how we can improve the situation now.With the $11.2 billion allocated in budget 2017, we will explain how we can help 500,000 Canadians get access to housing. This is very important. We will explain how we are going to reduce homelessness by 50%. This is an important strategy. Today is an important day.
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member opposite that we care greatly about the environment, that we are concerned about this incident, that Parks Canada is involved with the cleanup, and that we will continue to work very hard to ensure that we protect our oceans. As members know, we have our oceans protection plan. We are absolutely committed to protecting our oceans and protecting the environment.
Mr. Speaker, as I have continued to say, I have followed all the rules. What I want to do is make sure that Canadians know that while the opposition is focusing
As I said, Mr. Speaker, by being free of conflicts from day one, we have been focused on things we are working for on behalf of Canadians, and that is having a real impact. The kind of impact Canadian families can see. They can see it with more money in their pockets, because of the Canada child benefit. They can see it if they are a senior with the improvement in the guaranteed income supplement. We can see that all those actions are leading to a much better economy, an economy that is helping all of our constituents and all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ending this ongoing national tragedy, and to ensuring that the commission has all the support it needs to succeed.We have heard, and take very seriously, the concerns raised about how existing government policy and processes were impeding the work. A working group has been created to provide effective back-office support to the commission to ensure it is able to do its work effectively.Our government remains fully committed to ensuring that families get the answers they have been waiting for.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to repeat what I have said to this House previously. I worked with the Ethics Commissioner from day one, disclosed all of my assets to the Ethics Commissioner, and I have actually decided to go further than she recommended by selling all of the shares in the company I built with my family and, in fact, make a significant donation to charity.I will continue to work on behalf of all Canadians, doing the work that we were elected to do to make our economy better, to help middle-class Canadians, and to ensure that the future is brighter than the present.
Mr. Speaker, no changes have been made to the eligibility criteria for the disability tax credit or the tax credit for people with diabetes.For 10 years, the previous Conservative government made cuts to scientific research. Last year, our government invested $41 million in research into diabetes and $5 billion into mental health services for more than 500,000 young Canadians under 25.We are making this credit more accessible. We have simplified the forms and are allowing specialized nurse practitioners to fill out the forms if the applicants do not have a doctor.
Mr. Speaker, we are seeing both parties in the opposition continuing to focus on me, and we understand why. What is hard to understand about the opposition member who just spoke is why he is not interested in talking about housing on a day when we are talking about historic changes in housing. We talked in budget 2017 about $11.2 billion to be spent on a national housing strategy. Today, we are unveiling how we will make a huge difference for families across this country. It is an important day for Canadian families. It is an important day for housing.
Mr. Speaker, subsequent to the point of order my colleague from Joliette raised on November 8, I would like to share some additional observations that I hope will inform your consideration of the matter. I also believe that the vote was marred by irregularities and should be retaken.As my colleague from Joliette said, the code of conduct for members of Parliament, which is part of our Standing Orders, clearly prohibits an elected member from furthering his or her private interests. In addition to taking part in the vote on Motion No. 42, a motion that will have an impact on his private interests, the Minister of Finance influenced the debate through his then-parliamentary secretary, the member for Saint-MauriceChamplain.As stated in the Guide for Parliamentary Secretaries, issued by the Prime Minister on January 16, 2016, a parliamentary secretary speaks on behalf of the minister. In other words, when a parliamentary secretary takes the floor in the House, it is the minister's words that we hear, as we can see on pages 1 and 2 of the guide. On page 1, under Your Role and Responsibilities, it says: Section 47 of the Parliament of Canada Act sets out the following succinct job description: The Parliamentary Secretary or Secretaries to a minister shall assist the minister in such manner as the minister directs. In this context, the responsibilities of parliamentary secretaries generally fall into two broad categories: (1) House business and (2) department-related duties. On page 2, under House Business, it says: In this context, the role of parliamentary secretaries in supporting ministers House duties includes: --attending Question Period; --piloting the ministers legislation through the legislative process on the floor of the House, in parliamentary committees...and with caucus and opposition MPs; --supporting the ministers position on Private Members Business; Later on, the guide specifically talks about the role of parliamentary secretaries with respect to private members' business. On page 4, under Private Members' Business, the guide states: Given that ministers do not generally participate directly in debates on Private Members Business, this is an opportunity for parliamentary secretaries to bring their parliamentary skills to bear. This is particularly so since all Private Members Business comes to a vote. Parliamentary secretaries play a key role in the Government's handling of Private Members Business, in that they: --may be called upon to speak for the minister during Private Members Hour; --work with the Government House Leaders office to organize and deliver the ministers response to Private Members Bills and motions; As members can see, Minister of Finance, by way of his his parliamentary secretary, reassured members of the House about the government's actions on this matter. He also urged them to vote against Motion No. 42. I remind members that if this motion had passed, it would have affected the minister's personal interests. I want to be clear. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance should have recused himself from the debates on Motion No. 42, since he speaks on behalf of his minister. I repeat, this minister's interests are directly affected by Motion No. 42. As my colleague from Joliette pointed out, we are talking about the results of a vote and about the integrity of the House of Commons as an institution, which you oversee, Mr. Speaker. We are here, at the heart of representative democracy, and at the heart of the trust that the public must have in its representatives. This vote should be taken again, since it was tainted.
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that nine out of 10 families are better off since we introduced the Canada child benefit. Thanks to this very important benefit, families are now receiving an average of $2,300 more to help improve their situation. That is a significant and very positive change for Canadian families. We are going to continue to work for them.
Mr. Speaker, every week brings new revelations about the Minister of Finance's conflicts of interest.First, there were his undeclared shares, then his villa in France, and now, we have the bill he created, Bill C-27, from which his own family and his company, Morneau Shepell, directly benefit.Will the Prime Minister step up and order his Minister of Finance to show some transparency and disclose all of his assets?
Mr. Speaker, with the opening of the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk road, and the commemoration of the Alaska Highway, growth and the potential of the north has never been higher. Infrastructure investments mean growth of industry at a time when our communities are expanding and diversifying. Fuelling this growth are clean technology projects in energy, mining, and forestry sectors. By helping reduce greenhouse gases and improving environmental outcomes, we have committed to smart, sustainable management of our natural resources. Could the minister update the House on the importance of the clean growth program and promoting clean technologies?
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Coast Guard's icebreaking services are essential for keeping our waters safe, protecting our shoreline economy, and strengthening our economy. We are working hard to ensure the continuity of these services, and the interim icebreaking services will supplement the program.
Mr. Speaker, many Quebeckers are concerned about rail safety. However, we are heartened by the tireless work of the Minister of Transport, who is clearly making rail safety his number one priority.Could the minister tell us about some of the measures he has taken to improve rail safety in Quebec?
Mr. Speaker, I have read the Auditor General's report and agree with all of his recommendations. Moreover, serving Canadians is a key component of my mandate letter. Our very first budget reinvested $50 million in the Canada Revenue Agency's call centres. We have already started hiring agents to handle more calls from Canadians. We have an action plan for modernizing the telephony platform, improving training, and updating our service standards. Our investments are always made to improve the quality of the services Canadians have a right to expect.
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of everyone in this House, I would like to start by wishing you a happy birthday.[Members sang Happy Birthday]
Mr. Speaker, our government is making unprecedented investments in infrastructure of $186 billion over 12 years. We know that these investments are essential. We also know that we have to be innovative. I would like to ask the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities to update this House on the progress of the Canada infrastructure bank and its leadership team.
Mr. Speaker, our government is focused on investing in public infrastructure to create long-term economic growth and build strong, sustainable, and inclusive communities. We have appointed 10 outstanding Canadians to the board of the infrastructure bank. These appointments will help us mobilize pension funds and institutional investors to build more public infrastructure that Canadian communities need, and create jobs for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from AlfredPellan for his excellent question and for the work he does on the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.Rail safety is indeed my number one priority. To give a few examples, we have added safety barriers on Saint-Ambroise Street in Montreal, on Saint-Georges Street in the Saint-Hyacinthe subdivision, and on Pont-Mitchell Street in the Drummondville subdivision. These are great examples of how we have improved rail safety. Rail safety is my priority.
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Mr. Speaker, the innuendo and insinuation in the hon. member's question is simply completely false. In this country we have the RCMP, CSIS, CBSA, and other security services that do a superlative job, and anyone who needs to be under surveillance is indeed under surveillance.
Mr. Speaker, seven years ago, Lyle and Marie McCann were brutally murdered. Their family was never able to give them a proper funeral, because the murderer refused to reveal the location of their remains. Convicted murderers who re-victimize families by withholding the whereabouts of their victims' remains should not be eligible for parole. Will the Minister of Justice do the right thing and pass legislation that will fix our broken parole system to ensure closure for families like the McCanns?
Mr. Speaker, we keep getting told in this chamber that nothing has changed, and people are still eligible for their disability tax credit.However, we receive calls every day at our constituency offices about new rules that are rendering people living with type 1 diabetes, autism, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and developmental disorders ineligible for the disability tax credit, despite having receiving it for years.Families are desperate for help. When will the government stop making excuses and fix this problem?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have a nasty habit of imposing their vision on the provinces and municipalities. We saw this with the legalization of cannabis and the health accords. We have every reason to believe that they will do the same thing with the housing strategy. Some 1.7 million Canadian families are having a hard time finding places to live.Will the government create a true partnership with the provinces and municipalities in order to tailor the strategy to local realities?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance is unfairly adding to Canadian entrepreneurs' tax burden.The Minister of Finance is telling our disappointed entrepreneurs to call him, but the Auditor General indicated that more than 29 million Canadian entrepreneurs did not have their calls returned. That represents almost half of the people who called the minister.I want to ask the Minister of Finance a simple question: when will he pick up the phone and answer the calls of concerned entrepreneurs?
Mr. Speaker, of course the public safety minister has taken away the powers from all those police agencies. Two Canadians travel to Iraq. One goes to fight ISIS with the Canadian Armed Forces, the other decides to join the death cult as a terrorist. Both come back to Canada. The Canadian soldier is injured while serving our country, and the Liberals cut his pay. The ISIS terrorist, on the other hand, also comes back to Canada, but is offered taxpayer-funded reintegration training by the Liberals. Why is the Prime Minister cutting the pay for our injured troops while funding support services for ISIS terrorists?
Mr. Speaker, as I said, we agree with all of the Auditor General's recommendations. I would like to point out to the members opposite that the previous Conservative government decided to reduce services to Canadians by cutting funding for call centres. Under former minister Findlay, they reduced the number of agents in call centres, the business hours, and the number of services. Rather than cutting services, we decided to reinvest. I am working to ensure that the Canada Revenue Agency treats Canadians not just as taxpayers, but as important clients
Mr. Speaker, there is more bad news on the inquiry into murdered and missing indigenous women. Following its interim report, which blamed Liberal interference for slow progress of the inquiry, there have been eight resignations and firings. The Prime Minister said he would review the report and pay attention to its recommendations, but nothing has changed. The Liberals have broken their promise to families to do everything in their power to help this vital inquiry succeed.When will the Liberals finally put words into action and bring this national tragedy to an end?
Mr. Speaker, what I can promise is that we have been working hard on this for the past two years. I agree with all of the Auditor General's recommendations. The former Conservative government chose to cut services for Canadians by decreasing funding for call centres. That was done under the former minister of national revenue, Ms. Findlay. The Conservatives cut the number of agents in the call centres, reduced business hours, and even lowered service standards.
Mr. Speaker, during question period, the Minister of National Revenue accused me of spreading disinformation. That is not very nice. I am therefore requesting the unanimous consent of the House to table the Auditor General's report on the Canada Revenue Agency, because I get the sense she did not read it.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to seek consent for the following motion: That this House call on the Department of Transport to prohibit the carrying of a knife with a blade measuring less than six centimetres on board aircraft.
Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General's report is damning for the current Minister of National Revenue, not the minister who was in office two years ago. This report once again proves that the Minister of National Revenue is incapable of managing the important issues that fall under her agency's responsibility.Her mandate letter states that she must make the CRA a client-focused agency, but she is far from achieving that goal. On the new government propaganda website, the minister has put that objective under ongoing commitments. What does that mean? Does it mean the government does not care about this objective? The minister should have created a new category entitled we have given up on this commitment because we failed miserably.After two years, how would the minister grade herself on fulfilling her mandate? Would she give herself an E or an F?
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister keeps repeating that he disclosed all of his assets since day one. We are not fabricating the fact he hid his offshore corporation for two years. The Prime Minister says the minister has always worked since day one with the Ethics Commissioner to ensure his personal finances were in line with the expectations of Canadians. We are not fabricating the fact he never received the commissioner's permission to introduce Bill C-27, a bill from which he and his family would profit.The minister still has mystery assets. Why will he not tell Canadians what is inside all of his other companies?
Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman can be absolutely assured that our forces are doing exactly the job they need to do. Approximately 60 terror travellers returned to Canada under the previous Conservative government. Not a single one of them was charged by the previous Conservative government. In fact, the previous Conservative government cut $1 billion from the security services of Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I can assure you that we will not start singing How old are you now? on your birthday, but maybe as a birthday present, the minister could give you the gift of an answer to one of our questions.It is not only the Canada Revenue Agency that taxpayers cannot get an answer from. A letter, representing thousands of small businesses across the country, has been sent to the Prime Minister asking for clarification about his unfair tax changes. The Prime Minister has created so much uncertainty and confusion. When will the Prime Minister finally end all of this confusion and just stop attacking local businesses?
Mr. Speaker, I am a bit confused because while Liberals help Stephen Bronfman and other friends who use tax havens to avoid paying taxes, Canadians cannot speak to anyone when they call the CRA to get help with paying taxes. While the finance minister gets a free pass from the Prime Minister, despite the fact he has interests in a company he is in charge of regulating, hundreds of thousands of public servants are paying the price for the Liberal government's incompetence in the Phoenix fiasco.Liberals have usually waited at least one full term before demonstrating a sense of entitlement. Why are they in such a rush now?
Mr. Speaker, the question was about Phoenix. Governing is about making choices. Let us take a closer look at the Liberals' choices.A couple with no children gets nothing. A person who earns less than $45,000 gets nothing. Someone who takes the bus no longer gets a tax credit. On the other hand, someone who sends their money to the Cayman Islands does not have any problems. Someone who introduces a bill that will make him richer will write a cheque. Someone who wants to see the Prime Minister will pay $1,500. Netflix does not pay any tax. KPMG clients will get a deal.When will the Liberals stop working for their Bay Street millionaire friends?
Mr. Speaker, a leaked Parks Canada memo alerted British Columbians that thousands of plastic feed bags escaped from an aquaculture farm and washed ashore in the Broken Group Islands, yet for some reason the Tseshaht First Nation and other local groups were never notified. We only know about the spill due to the memo, riddled with talking points and concerns about negative press but containing no plan. Clearly, the government cares a thousand times more about its image than protecting the environment. Will the Liberals apologize to Vancouver Islanders and finally act to create a permanent, dedicated, and annual fund to help with marine debris cleanups?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to creating open spaces for Canadians to debate and express their views. In a free society, we may disagree with someone's views, but we must defend their right to hold them, unless those views promote hate. Intolerance and hate have no place in Canadian society or in our post-secondary institutions. We will continue to fight to ensure that the charter rights of Canadians are upheld and that every Canadian can feel safe and secure in their community.
Mr. Speaker, two years ago, the government promised us an anti-poverty strategy. The parliamentary budget officer's report shows that the government has failed on that count. Not only has it not yet carried out an analysis of existing measures to see whether and how they are working, but also many of its measures are poorly designed. If fighting poverty is so important to the government, when will it launch a comprehensive anti-poverty strategy?
Mr. Speaker, that is right. The Liberals are going to continue signing agreements with tax havens, as they did last year with the Cook Islands.Interestingly, when the Liberals wants something to happen, there is no stopping them. An infrastructure privatization bank? Done. Legalization of cannabis? Full steam ahead.However, families who need help paying the rent will have to wait until after the next election. The Liberals are incapable of paying public service employees. That is too complicated. They cannot even answer the telephone. People just have to wait on hold.I would like to make a direct appeal to the Minister of Finance. When will he come down from his ivory tower and start working for ordinary Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, subsequent to the point of order my colleague from Joliette raised on November 8, I would like to share some additional observations that I hope will inform your consideration of the matter. I also believe that the vote was marred by irregularities and should be retaken.As my colleague from Joliette said, the code of conduct for members of Parliament, which is part of our Standing Orders, clearly prohibits an elected member from furthering his or her private interests. In addition to taking part in the vote on Motion No. 42, a motion that will have an impact on his private interests, the Minister of Finance influenced the debate through his then-parliamentary secretary, the member for Saint-MauriceChamplain.As stated in the Guide for Parliamentary Secretaries, issued by the Prime Minister on January 16, 2016, a parliamentary secretary speaks on behalf of the minister. In other words, when a parliamentary secretary takes the floor in the House, it is the minister's words that we hear, as we can see on pages 1 and 2 of the guide. On page 1, under Your Role and Responsibilities, it says: Section 47 of the Parliament of Canada Act sets out the following succinct job description: The Parliamentary Secretary or Secretaries to a minister shall assist the minister in such manner as the minister directs. In this context, the responsibilities of parliamentary secretaries generally fall into two broad categories: (1) House business and (2) department-related duties. On page 2, under House Business, it says: In this context, the role of parliamentary secretaries in supporting ministers House duties includes: --attending Question Period; --piloting the ministers legislation through the legislative process on the floor of the House, in parliamentary committees...and with caucus and opposition MPs; --supporting the ministers position on Private Members Business; Later on, the guide specifically talks about the role of parliamentary secretaries with respect to private members' business. On page 4, under Private Members' Business, the guide states: Given that ministers do not generally participate directly in debates on Private Members Business, this is an opportunity for parliamentary secretaries to bring their parliamentary skills to bear. This is particularly so since all Private Members Business comes to a vote. Parliamentary secretaries play a key role in the Government's handling of Private Members Business, in that they: --may be called upon to speak for the minister during Private Members Hour; --work with the Government House Leaders office to organize and deliver the ministers response to Private Members Bills and motions; As members can see, Minister of Finance, by way of his his parliamentary secretary, reassured members of the House about the government's actions on this matter. He also urged them to vote against Motion No. 42. I remind members that if this motion had passed, it would have affected the minister's personal interests. I want to be clear. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance should have recused himself from the debates on Motion No. 42, since he speaks on behalf of his minister. I repeat, this minister's interests are directly affected by Motion No. 42. As my colleague from Joliette pointed out, we are talking about the results of a vote and about the integrity of the House of Commons as an institution, which you oversee, Mr. Speaker. We are here, at the heart of representative democracy, and at the heart of the trust that the public must have in its representatives. This vote should be taken again, since it was tainted.
Mr. Speaker, I sense a pattern. When the Conservatives are in government, they blame everything on the Liberals. When the Liberals are in government, they blame everything on the Conservatives.What the Liberals need to understand is that their own Minister of Finance is currently under investigation for introducing a bill that could have helped him and several of his colleagues make millions of dollars.Bonus: he does not think there is anything wrong with this. Double bonus: he does not think there is anything wrong with holding assets in a company he is in charge of regulating. The Liberals promised higher ethical standards. Why can they not even enforce the bare minimum?
Mr. Speaker, getting through to a real person at the CRA is notoriously difficult, unless of course someone is a personal friend and fundraiser for the Prime Minister. In that case, he just picks up the phone for them.The Auditor General reports that 64% of calls were blocked, given the busy signal, or told to call back and disconnected. The government is raising taxes on diabetics, small businesses, and middle-class families, and it will not even pick up the phone to answer questions.Why does the government only answer questions for wealthy Liberal insiders and hang up on everyone else?
Mr. Speaker, we know the finance minister has already been found guilty of breaking the Conflict of Interest Act. That is clear. What is not clear, maybe as clear as mud, is how many other conflicts of interest he is in. Therefore, the finance minister has a choice to make. He can continue to keep Canadians in the dark, or he can reveal what assets he has owned in numbered companies over the last two years, or what exactly the finance minister is trying to hide. Yes, we are focused on the finance minister.
Mr. Speaker, my issue with the minister's responses is that every time he hears the fact that he broke the compliance standards, he assumes it is a personal attack, and it is not. We are just asking him to be accountable for his actions. The mandate tracker says: you must uphold the highest standards of honesty and impartiality, and both the performance of your official duties and the arrangement of your private affairs should bear the closest public scrutiny. Is anyone able to trust the minister when we know that in his personal affairs, he has broken it?
What is not a fabrication, Mr. Speaker, is the erosion of trust that Canadians are having in the finance minister. It is not just about what is hiding behind door number two, door number three, or door number four. What about Morneau Shepell stock held by family members? How much has he and his family profited from decisions made by the finance minister? Since the minister was sworn in, shares in Morneau Shepell have skyrocketed by 38%. Do Canadians have the right to know if the minister's financial interests and that of his family conflict with his public duties, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, in July, our American friends released detailed documents on their NAFTA priorities, including considerable detail on rules of origin for autos and other goods. They updated this document a few days ago. In August, Canada did not really release a detailed plan, but the minister gave a speech with considerable detail on the War of 1812. Today, Scotiabank is predicting the failure of NAFTA. When will the minister step away from the dinner parties and her progressive talking points and start fighting for the two million jobs that rely on NAFTA?
Mr. Speaker, of course we are going to talk about the Minister of Finance.It was this minister who said that he would put his assets in a trust, but did not do so until he was caught red-handed. It was this minister who introduced a bill that put him in a direct conflict of interest because of his family business and who consulted the Ethics Commissioner after the fact. The Minister of Finance still has private numbered companies.Why is the minister not answering Canadians' questions and why has he not disclosed all his assets so that Canadians can finally properly judge him?
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat that I agree with all of the Auditor General's recommendations. The former Conservative government decided to cut services, cut staff, and to cut the evaluation of the quality of services. That happened under former national revenue minister, Ms. Findlay.Instead of making cuts, we have chosen to reinvest $50 million over the next four years. We are taking real action to ensure that Canadians have the services they are entitled to expect.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to hear the minister mention the CSIS report, because I have a report here that states, in the last paragraph, that these people return to countries like Canada and that they wait for orders to carry out a terrorist attack.Now, the government is taking care of these people, as though they were small children who need to be coddled. We want to know whether these people are under 24-hour surveillance before something happens and it is too late.
Mr. Speaker, I do not know why the Prime Minister cannot just simply denounce what happened at the university.The Prime Minister defends and protects hidden companies in France, shares that go up in accordance with the Liberals' decisions, and a bill that could result in personal gains. The Minister of Finance still controls many numbered companies we know nothing about.When will the Prime Minister order the Minister of Finance to disclose all the shares he bought, sold, or held in all of these private companies or trust funds since he was elected?
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Coast Guard's icebreaking services are essential for keeping our waters safe, protecting our shoreline economy, and strengthening our economy. We are working hard to ensure the continuity of these services, and the interim icebreaking services will supplement the program.
Mr. Speaker, at least on this side of the House we can remember the homes that we own. For two years, the finance minister profited from his ownership in a company that made millions after he introduced legislation that benefited that same company. There was no blind trust. There was no sign-off from the Ethics Commissioner, and we only knew about his continued ownership with Morneau Shepell because he got caught. Now he is under investigation yet again.Canadians want to know what other skeletons the minister is hiding in his closet. When will he finally come clean, and reveal what else he is hiding, so Canadians can see his other conflicts of interest?
Mr. Speaker, let me assure the member opposite and all Canadians that at the NAFTA negotiating table we are fighting very hard, and in a very smart, fact-based way, for the Canadian national interest. We made good progress on some of the technical chapters in the Mexico round. However, I must tell members that significant differences remain on some of the key issues, such as rules of origin and chapter 19. I want to say to Canadians that we will always stand for the national interest.
Mr. Speaker, we are seeing both parties in the opposition continuing to focus on me, and we understand why. What is hard to understand about the opposition member who just spoke is why he is not interested in talking about housing on a day when we are talking about historic changes in housing. We talked in budget 2017 about $11.2 billion to be spent on a national housing strategy. Today, we are unveiling how we will make a huge difference for families across this country. It is an important day for Canadian families. It is an important day for housing.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to repeat what I have said to this House previously. I worked with the Ethics Commissioner from day one, disclosed all of my assets to the Ethics Commissioner, and I have actually decided to go further than she recommended by selling all of the shares in the company I built with my family and, in fact, make a significant donation to charity.I will continue to work on behalf of all Canadians, doing the work that we were elected to do to make our economy better, to help middle-class Canadians, and to ensure that the future is brighter than the present.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member opposite for raising this very grave issue. This absolutely is ethnic cleansing, and the responsibility falls squarely on Myanmar's military leadership and civilian government. These are crimes against humanity.In Da Nang, the Prime Minister and I raised the treatment of the Rohingya directly with Aung San Suu Kyi. Our special envoy has visited Myanmar and Bangladesh to see first-hand what is happening. This is an urgent issue and Canada is absolutely seized of it.
Mr. Speaker, the only cutting of the Canadian Armed Forces that was done was by the previous government of billions of dollars.Under our new defence policy, we are investing in our people. In chapter 1, we are looking after people, increasing their pay, increasing their benefits, and, more importantly, for any deployed personnel on an international named operation, it will be tax-free. We are going to be making sure that we look after our forces. We are making sure that we are going to be looking after Canadian Armed Forces members.
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member opposite that we care greatly about the environment, that we are concerned about this incident, that Parks Canada is involved with the cleanup, and that we will continue to work very hard to ensure that we protect our oceans. As members know, we have our oceans protection plan. We are absolutely committed to protecting our oceans and protecting the environment.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Yukon for his boundless optimism and his dedication to advancing sustainable development in our northern communities. Canada's clean growth economy starts with a sustainable and competitive resources sector. That is why this week we launched our new $155-million clean growth program to fund clean technology projects in the forestry, mining, and energy sectors, helping to reduce emissions and improve environmental outcomes. Our smart investments make our country a global leader in the transition to a low-carbon economy and a cleaner future.
Mr. Speaker, first of all, I welcome the hon. gentleman to the House and congratulate him upon his recent election.Second, all members of the House share the angst and concern the member has expressed with respect to this particular situation. I would look forward to an opportunity to discuss with him and with the Minister of Justice any constructive ideas he might wish to offer about how we can improve our criminal justice system.
Mr. Speaker, the revenue minister's list of greatest misses is truly impressive. First, she wanted to tax employee discounts, then she started rejecting Canadians who had been granted a disability tax credit. Now we learn from the Auditor General that her department does not just reject half the calls it receives but of those that actually make it through, 30% of Canadians get the wrong information. If the minister wants to win back just a little bit of credibility, will she make this promise today that no Canadian will face a fine or penalty if they followed the bad advice of her agency?
Mr. Speaker, with the opening of the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk road, and the commemoration of the Alaska Highway, growth and the potential of the north has never been higher. Infrastructure investments mean growth of industry at a time when our communities are expanding and diversifying. Fuelling this growth are clean technology projects in energy, mining, and forestry sectors. By helping reduce greenhouse gases and improving environmental outcomes, we have committed to smart, sustainable management of our natural resources. Could the minister update the House on the importance of the clean growth program and promoting clean technologies?
Mr. Speaker, no changes have been made to the eligibility criteria for the disability tax credit or the tax credit for people with diabetes.For 10 years, the previous Conservative government made cuts to scientific research. Last year, our government invested $41 million in research into diabetes and $5 billion into mental health services for more than 500,000 young Canadians under 25.We are making this credit more accessible. We have simplified the forms and are allowing specialized nurse practitioners to fill out the forms if the applicants do not have a doctor.
Mr. Speaker, the government promised strict measures, like the ones Australia has taken, to stop jihadists from returning to Canada. The safety and security of Canadians is the top priority for us.Yesterday, the minister refused to give us information on these traitors because he said that he did not want to give away operational details. Does anyone really believe that a basic question can compromise operations?Here is a simple question. Are these murderers under 24-hour surveillance, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, the interesting part about making promises like the minister is just making is that he has to be trusted to deliver on them, and that is what we are talking about today. The Prime Minister set out his new mandate tracker last week and actually reiterated directives. The quote regarding the finance minister is that As Minister, you must ensure that you are aware of and fully compliant with the Conflict of Interest Act.The Minister of Finance has already been fined for not being in compliance with the ethics act. Given that the minister was found not to be in compliance with it, what is the Prime Minister going to do to ensure that his directive is enforced?
Mr. Speaker, for months we have pushed the government to take leadership on the Rohingya issue, the greatest humanitarian crisis facing the world today. There are 600,000 Rohingya who have been forced out of Myanmar.The United Nations has determined that it is ethnic cleansing. Today, the U.S. government declared the Myanmar military operation to be ethnic cleansing. Our foreign affairs minister has said that this looks...like ethnic cleansing.With this kind of international consensus, when is the government going to do something substantive to hold the Myanmar regime responsible for these horrendous atrocities?
Mr. Speaker, while the opposition wants to focus on me, we want to focus on Canadians. That is the work we are doing today, by talking about the historic change of the federal government taking a role that has not been taken for 50 years in housing, distributing a huge amount of help to 500,000 families, allowing them to have more money in their pocket for housing, and a key to a house. This is the sort of work that we are setting out to do on behalf of Canadians, and we will keep doing it while the opposition members keep focusing on personal attacks.
Mr. Speaker, this is indeed historic. Never in the history of Canada have the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister been under investigation by the Ethics Commissioner at the same time. That is the Liberals' idea of making history.The problem with the Minister of Finance is that he is hiding things from Canadians. He introduced Bill C-27, which benefited his family's company tremendously, but said he worked with the Ethics Commissioner. I believe him because that is precisely what he did after introducing the bill. That is unacceptable.Why is the Minister of Finance not being straight with Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, again, the opposition in this case is likely focusing on personal attacks because the members do not want us to focus on what they did not do in housing for the last decade. What we are going to announce today is how we are going to help 500,000 Canadians have more money in their pocket for housing, or a key to a house. We are going to talk about how we are going to reduce homelessness by 50%. We are taking a historic role that has not been taken for 50 years in housing, making a huge difference for Canadian families. Important work and an important job are getting done today.
Mr. Speaker, for two years the Minister of Finance hid his Morneau Shepell shares in a numbered company, and we only found out about that because he was caught. He said he was working with the Ethics Commissioner from the beginning, but we know that is not true. He has been caught again. He is under investigation yet again, and Canadians do not know what else he is hiding. The Prime Minister has said that sunshine is the best disinfectant. Will the finance minister let the sunshine in, face it with a grin, open up his books, and let Canadians in on what else he is hiding?
Mr. Speaker, I have read the Auditor General's report and agree with all of his recommendations. Moreover, serving Canadians is a key component of my mandate letter. Our very first budget reinvested $50 million in the Canada Revenue Agency's call centres. We have already started hiring agents to handle more calls from Canadians. We have an action plan for modernizing the telephony platform, improving training, and updating our service standards. Our investments are always made to improve the quality of the services Canadians have a right to expect.
Mr. Speaker, to repeat, 100% of my assets have been disclosed from day one to the Ethics Commissioner.The opposition is focusing on personal attacks and does not want to focus on the last decade in which it did nothing in housing. We are talking today about how we are going to make a huge difference in housing. The $11.2 billion we set in budget 2017 is going to make a significant long-term difference for Canadians, with 500,000 people with a key to their own home, or money to actually pay for their lodging. This is huge. We are going to reduce homelessness in this country by 50%. We are on the job for Canadians, and we will not be distracted.
Mr. Speaker, the clock is ticking for the 600 workers at the Davie shipyard who will be out of a job within days because of the federal government. Winter is here. We urgently need icebreakers on the St. Lawrence, and the navy desperately needs two more supply ships, including the future ship Obelix, to achieve its mission. The members on the other side need to open their eyes. Ottawa is asleep at the wheel, and our operational capability is under threat as a result. Why is the Liberal government boycotting the best shipyard in North America? Why is it determined to put the Davie shipyard's top skilled workers out of a job?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ending this ongoing national tragedy, and to ensuring that the commission has all the support it needs to succeed.We have heard, and take very seriously, the concerns raised about how existing government policy and processes were impeding the work. A working group has been created to provide effective back-office support to the commission to ensure it is able to do its work effectively.Our government remains fully committed to ensuring that families get the answers they have been waiting for.
Mr. Speaker, our government is focused on investing in public infrastructure to create long-term economic growth and build strong, sustainable, and inclusive communities. We have appointed 10 outstanding Canadians to the board of the infrastructure bank. These appointments will help us mobilize pension funds and institutional investors to build more public infrastructure that Canadian communities need, and create jobs for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, that is a fabrication of an issue. That is all I can say. Being clear on my assets was important from day one. That is what allows me to continue
Mr. Speaker, as I reported to the House, I have no interest nor does my family in Morneau Shepell.We on this side of the House work here to improve the situation of Canadians. It is going well. Canadians are doing well. The economy has improved. There is more work to do. We are talking today about the work we are going to do in housing to help 500,000 Canadians to have the key to their house, or more money in their pockets to ensure they have housing. We are going to make sure we have 50% fewer people who actually do not have a place to live. This is the sort of work we are going to continue to do on behalf of Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that 81% of Canadian families are paying more taxes under this government. My question is simple and perfectly valid, especially considering that we know this minister has been in a direct conflict of interest for the past two years. If he has nothing to hide, will the Minister of Finance be honest and disclose, once and for all, his assets, companies, shares, and everything he is hiding from Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, every week brings new revelations about the Minister of Finance's conflicts of interest.First, there were his undeclared shares, then his villa in France, and now, we have the bill he created, Bill C-27, from which his own family and his company, Morneau Shepell, directly benefit.Will the Prime Minister step up and order his Minister of Finance to show some transparency and disclose all of his assets?
Mr. Speaker, I understand why the members opposite want to focus on me. They do not want to focus on what is going on for Canadians. They do not want to consider how well our economy is doing, because, of course, it paints a very different portrait than what happened over the last decade. We are seeing that the work we are doing, investing in Canadians, is paying off. Canadians are doing better. Families are doing better. We are seeing a huge benefit to Canadian families. More money in their pockets means our economy is doing better. We will continue to focus on improving the lives of Canadians, because we know that focusing on Canadians works.
Mr. Speaker, many Quebeckers are concerned about rail safety. However, we are heartened by the tireless work of the Minister of Transport, who is clearly making rail safety his number one priority.Could the minister tell us about some of the measures he has taken to improve rail safety in Quebec?
Mr. Speaker, I am accountable, and I will continue to be accountable to Canadians. While the opposition focuses on fabrications, I will focus on being accountable to results for Canadians. We are focused on making sure the economy grows. We are focused on making sure that it helps Canadian families. Those two things are demonstrably having an impact. We have seen the highest level of growth in years, significantly higher than we saw in the previous government, and importantly, a lower level of employment than we have seen in a decade. Those are important goals, and we are accountable for that.
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that nine out of 10 families are better off since we introduced the Canada child benefit. Thanks to this very important benefit, families are now receiving an average of $2,300 more to help improve their situation. That is a significant and very positive change for Canadian families. We are going to continue to work for them.
Mr. Speaker, we already have an action plan to improve the quality of services the CRA provides to Canadians. As of 2018-19, we will have a new telephone platform that will allow us to answer more calls, give an estimate of the wait times, and make sure that Canadians are not getting a busy signal.As part of this plan, we also intend to provide better training for call centre agents by creating a national quality control team. What is more, the CRA will be updating its service standards to better meet its clients' expectations. All of these practical measures will improve the services offered to Canadians and respond to the concerns raised by the Auditor General.
Mr. Speaker, as leaders in this country we all are called to a higher standard, and that includes being held accountable for our actions. That is not anybody picking on us or anybody picking on the Minister of Finance. It is him being accountable for his actions, and it is shameful to see him refusing to do that.The Prime Minister talks about sunny ways. He talks about sunshine being the best disinfectant. Let us give the finance minister a chance to be accountable, and instead of keeping Canadians in the dark. Let him reveal to Canadians what assets he has held, be accountable for his actions, own up, stand up, and take some leadership.
Mr. Speaker, as often as the opposition focuses on personal attacks, we are going to focus on what we are doing for Canadians. That, we know is important. Today, as we have said, is a particularly important day. We are talking about budget 2017's $11.2 billion invested in housing, and how that is going to make a difference for Canadians. The Prime Minister is going to be talking today about how 500,000 people are going to have access to housing. That is critically important. We are going to reduce homelessness by 50% in this country. These are important goals which we know Canadians are waiting to hear. We are looking forward to telling them more this afternoon.
Mr. Speaker, our government is making unprecedented investments in infrastructure of $186 billion over 12 years. We know that these investments are essential. We also know that we have to be innovative. I would like to ask the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities to update this House on the progress of the Canada infrastructure bank and its leadership team.
Mr. Speaker, I know why the opposition members want to talk about me. They do not want to talk about our economy and our Canadian housing strategy.Today is a very important day. We are going to explain to Canadians how we can improve this country's housing situation. This is very important. We are announcing major changes this afternoon.
Mr. Speaker, that is a very good question. Our first step was to introduce a strategy to reduce poverty in our country. Thanks to the guaranteed income supplement, we have helped seniors by giving them more money. We also introduced the Canada child benefit, thanks to which, again this year, 300,000 children will no longer have to live in poverty. Today, with our housing strategy, we are going to help a lot of people find a place to live. This is very important, and it is all part of our strategy to make things better.
Mr. Speaker, radicalized ISIS terrorists are returning to Canada right now under the Liberal government, and it has admitted that it does not have any capacity to monitor or assess the risks to our national security or public safety. Many Canadians are asking why the Liberal government is not following the lead of our allies and refusing entry, or more. Instead, it is throwing out the welcome mat. Canada cannot and must not become a safe haven for terrorists.To the minister, how many terrorists who have already returned to Canada under their watch are under 24-hour surveillance?
Mr. Speaker, will the Prime Minister join me in condemning the egregious crackdown on free speech at Wilfrid Laurier University?
Mr. Speaker, the reason the hon. opposition member is focusing on me is because he does not want to focus on Canadians. We will continue to improve the lives of Canadians. Today we announced our housing strategy. It is very important for Canadians. We will help 500,000 Canadians have access to housing. It is very important. We are going to help people who have nowhere to live. This is a very important day for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I am very glad to have the hon. member's opinion, but I am even more glad to have the RCMP, CSIS, and CBSA among the best security intelligence and law enforcement expertise in the world. Their work is highly respected and highly sought after, including in the international coalition against Daesh in Syria and Iraq. They are charged with identifying and stopping all terror threats of all kinds against Canada and Canadians, and they do that job as well as or better than anyone else in the world.
As I said, Mr. Speaker, by being free of conflicts from day one, we have been focused on things we are working for on behalf of Canadians, and that is having a real impact. The kind of impact Canadian families can see. They can see it with more money in their pockets, because of the Canada child benefit. They can see it if they are a senior with the improvement in the guaranteed income supplement. We can see that all those actions are leading to a much better economy, an economy that is helping all of our constituents and all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I will continue to do important work on behalf of Canadians while the opposition focuses on me. It is very important to continue strengthening our economy. We are in a very good position. Our economic growth is much better than it was two years ago. That is very important. We have 500,000 new jobs and the lowest unemployment rate in a decade. The economy is growing and we will continue with our work.
Mr. Speaker, today is a very important day with regard to improving housing outcomes in our country. We will continue to work with the provinces and municipalities, but today we are announcing how we can improve the situation now.With the $11.2 billion allocated in budget 2017, we will explain how we can help 500,000 Canadians get access to housing. This is very important. We will explain how we are going to reduce homelessness by 50%. This is an important strategy. Today is an important day.
Mr. Speaker, our government has made tax evasion and avoidance one of its top priorities. We have invested almost $1 billion to fight tax evasion. We continue to work for Canadians. It is a top priority and we will continue to do so. We will not mislead Canadians, as opposed to my colleague across the way.
Mr. Speaker, as I have continued to say, I have followed all the rules. What I want to do is make sure that Canadians know that while the opposition is focusing
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from AlfredPellan for his excellent question and for the work he does on the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.Rail safety is indeed my number one priority. To give a few examples, we have added safety barriers on Saint-Ambroise Street in Montreal, on Saint-Georges Street in the Saint-Hyacinthe subdivision, and on Pont-Mitchell Street in the Drummondville subdivision. These are great examples of how we have improved rail safety. Rail safety is my priority.
Mr. Speaker, we have an action plan for improving the quality of services the agency provides to Canadians. We have no lessons to learn from the Conservatives, who chose to make cuts to the call centres year after year.While the number of calls were increasing, they reduced the number of agents at the centres, the opening hours, and the standards of service. Instead of making cuts, we have chosen to make investments. We will continue to take tangible measures to provide Canadians with the best service.
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to talk about what we are trying to do on behalf of all Canadians. We know that having a tax system that is fair matters to Canadians. We have put forward some measures that are going to ensure that it is just that. What we have then done to make sure it is fair for all Canadians is to look at how we can best help Canadians to be successful. By taking the money from the changes in taxes and putting it into force through indexing the Canada child benefit and increasing the working income tax benefit, we are going to show benefits for Canadians across this country while having a tax system that is fairer.
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of everyone in this House, I would like to start by wishing you a happy birthday.[Members sang Happy Birthday]
Mr. Speaker, the innuendo and insinuation in the hon. member's question is simply completely false. In this country we have the RCMP, CSIS, CBSA, and other security services that do a superlative job, and anyone who needs to be under surveillance is indeed under surveillance.
Mr. Speaker, seven years ago, Lyle and Marie McCann were brutally murdered. Their family was never able to give them a proper funeral, because the murderer refused to reveal the location of their remains. Convicted murderers who re-victimize families by withholding the whereabouts of their victims' remains should not be eligible for parole. Will the Minister of Justice do the right thing and pass legislation that will fix our broken parole system to ensure closure for families like the McCanns?
Mr. Speaker, we keep getting told in this chamber that nothing has changed, and people are still eligible for their disability tax credit.However, we receive calls every day at our constituency offices about new rules that are rendering people living with type 1 diabetes, autism, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and developmental disorders ineligible for the disability tax credit, despite having receiving it for years.Families are desperate for help. When will the government stop making excuses and fix this problem?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have a nasty habit of imposing their vision on the provinces and municipalities. We saw this with the legalization of cannabis and the health accords. We have every reason to believe that they will do the same thing with the housing strategy. Some 1.7 million Canadian families are having a hard time finding places to live.Will the government create a true partnership with the provinces and municipalities in order to tailor the strategy to local realities?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance is unfairly adding to Canadian entrepreneurs' tax burden.The Minister of Finance is telling our disappointed entrepreneurs to call him, but the Auditor General indicated that more than 29 million Canadian entrepreneurs did not have their calls returned. That represents almost half of the people who called the minister.I want to ask the Minister of Finance a simple question: when will he pick up the phone and answer the calls of concerned entrepreneurs?
Mr. Speaker, of course the public safety minister has taken away the powers from all those police agencies. Two Canadians travel to Iraq. One goes to fight ISIS with the Canadian Armed Forces, the other decides to join the death cult as a terrorist. Both come back to Canada. The Canadian soldier is injured while serving our country, and the Liberals cut his pay. The ISIS terrorist, on the other hand, also comes back to Canada, but is offered taxpayer-funded reintegration training by the Liberals. Why is the Prime Minister cutting the pay for our injured troops while funding support services for ISIS terrorists?
Mr. Speaker, as I said, we agree with all of the Auditor General's recommendations. I would like to point out to the members opposite that the previous Conservative government decided to reduce services to Canadians by cutting funding for call centres. Under former minister Findlay, they reduced the number of agents in call centres, the business hours, and the number of services. Rather than cutting services, we decided to reinvest. I am working to ensure that the Canada Revenue Agency treats Canadians not just as taxpayers, but as important clients
Mr. Speaker, there is more bad news on the inquiry into murdered and missing indigenous women. Following its interim report, which blamed Liberal interference for slow progress of the inquiry, there have been eight resignations and firings. The Prime Minister said he would review the report and pay attention to its recommendations, but nothing has changed. The Liberals have broken their promise to families to do everything in their power to help this vital inquiry succeed.When will the Liberals finally put words into action and bring this national tragedy to an end?
Mr. Speaker, what I can promise is that we have been working hard on this for the past two years. I agree with all of the Auditor General's recommendations. The former Conservative government chose to cut services for Canadians by decreasing funding for call centres. That was done under the former minister of national revenue, Ms. Findlay. The Conservatives cut the number of agents in the call centres, reduced business hours, and even lowered service standards.
Mr. Speaker, during question period, the Minister of National Revenue accused me of spreading disinformation. That is not very nice. I am therefore requesting the unanimous consent of the House to table the Auditor General's report on the Canada Revenue Agency, because I get the sense she did not read it.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to seek consent for the following motion: That this House call on the Department of Transport to prohibit the carrying of a knife with a blade measuring less than six centimetres on board aircraft.
Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General's report is damning for the current Minister of National Revenue, not the minister who was in office two years ago. This report once again proves that the Minister of National Revenue is incapable of managing the important issues that fall under her agency's responsibility.Her mandate letter states that she must make the CRA a client-focused agency, but she is far from achieving that goal. On the new government propaganda website, the minister has put that objective under ongoing commitments. What does that mean? Does it mean the government does not care about this objective? The minister should have created a new category entitled we have given up on this commitment because we failed miserably.After two years, how would the minister grade herself on fulfilling her mandate? Would she give herself an E or an F?
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister keeps repeating that he disclosed all of his assets since day one. We are not fabricating the fact he hid his offshore corporation for two years. The Prime Minister says the minister has always worked since day one with the Ethics Commissioner to ensure his personal finances were in line with the expectations of Canadians. We are not fabricating the fact he never received the commissioner's permission to introduce Bill C-27, a bill from which he and his family would profit.The minister still has mystery assets. Why will he not tell Canadians what is inside all of his other companies?
Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman can be absolutely assured that our forces are doing exactly the job they need to do. Approximately 60 terror travellers returned to Canada under the previous Conservative government. Not a single one of them was charged by the previous Conservative government. In fact, the previous Conservative government cut $1 billion from the security services of Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I can assure you that we will not start singing How old are you now? on your birthday, but maybe as a birthday present, the minister could give you the gift of an answer to one of our questions.It is not only the Canada Revenue Agency that taxpayers cannot get an answer from. A letter, representing thousands of small businesses across the country, has been sent to the Prime Minister asking for clarification about his unfair tax changes. The Prime Minister has created so much uncertainty and confusion. When will the Prime Minister finally end all of this confusion and just stop attacking local businesses?
Mr. Speaker, I am a bit confused because while Liberals help Stephen Bronfman and other friends who use tax havens to avoid paying taxes, Canadians cannot speak to anyone when they call the CRA to get help with paying taxes. While the finance minister gets a free pass from the Prime Minister, despite the fact he has interests in a company he is in charge of regulating, hundreds of thousands of public servants are paying the price for the Liberal government's incompetence in the Phoenix fiasco.Liberals have usually waited at least one full term before demonstrating a sense of entitlement. Why are they in such a rush now?
Mr. Speaker, the question was about Phoenix. Governing is about making choices. Let us take a closer look at the Liberals' choices.A couple with no children gets nothing. A person who earns less than $45,000 gets nothing. Someone who takes the bus no longer gets a tax credit. On the other hand, someone who sends their money to the Cayman Islands does not have any problems. Someone who introduces a bill that will make him richer will write a cheque. Someone who wants to see the Prime Minister will pay $1,500. Netflix does not pay any tax. KPMG clients will get a deal.When will the Liberals stop working for their Bay Street millionaire friends?
Mr. Speaker, a leaked Parks Canada memo alerted British Columbians that thousands of plastic feed bags escaped from an aquaculture farm and washed ashore in the Broken Group Islands, yet for some reason the Tseshaht First Nation and other local groups were never notified. We only know about the spill due to the memo, riddled with talking points and concerns about negative press but containing no plan. Clearly, the government cares a thousand times more about its image than protecting the environment. Will the Liberals apologize to Vancouver Islanders and finally act to create a permanent, dedicated, and annual fund to help with marine debris cleanups?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to creating open spaces for Canadians to debate and express their views. In a free society, we may disagree with someone's views, but we must defend their right to hold them, unless those views promote hate. Intolerance and hate have no place in Canadian society or in our post-secondary institutions. We will continue to fight to ensure that the charter rights of Canadians are upheld and that every Canadian can feel safe and secure in their community.
Mr. Speaker, two years ago, the government promised us an anti-poverty strategy. The parliamentary budget officer's report shows that the government has failed on that count. Not only has it not yet carried out an analysis of existing measures to see whether and how they are working, but also many of its measures are poorly designed. If fighting poverty is so important to the government, when will it launch a comprehensive anti-poverty strategy?
Mr. Speaker, that is right. The Liberals are going to continue signing agreements with tax havens, as they did last year with the Cook Islands.Interestingly, when the Liberals wants something to happen, there is no stopping them. An infrastructure privatization bank? Done. Legalization of cannabis? Full steam ahead.However, families who need help paying the rent will have to wait until after the next election. The Liberals are incapable of paying public service employees. That is too complicated. They cannot even answer the telephone. People just have to wait on hold.I would like to make a direct appeal to the Minister of Finance. When will he come down from his ivory tower and start working for ordinary Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, subsequent to the point of order my colleague from Joliette raised on November 8, I would like to share some additional observations that I hope will inform your consideration of the matter. I also believe that the vote was marred by irregularities and should be retaken.As my colleague from Joliette said, the code of conduct for members of Parliament, which is part of our Standing Orders, clearly prohibits an elected member from furthering his or her private interests. In addition to taking part in the vote on Motion No. 42, a motion that will have an impact on his private interests, the Minister of Finance influenced the debate through his then-parliamentary secretary, the member for Saint-MauriceChamplain.As stated in the Guide for Parliamentary Secretaries, issued by the Prime Minister on January 16, 2016, a parliamentary secretary speaks on behalf of the minister. In other words, when a parliamentary secretary takes the floor in the House, it is the minister's words that we hear, as we can see on pages 1 and 2 of the guide. On page 1, under Your Role and Responsibilities, it says: Section 47 of the Parliament of Canada Act sets out the following succinct job description: The Parliamentary Secretary or Secretaries to a minister shall assist the minister in such manner as the minister directs. In this context, the responsibilities of parliamentary secretaries generally fall into two broad categories: (1) House business and (2) department-related duties. On page 2, under House Business, it says: In this context, the role of parliamentary secretaries in supporting ministers House duties includes: --attending Question Period; --piloting the ministers legislation through the legislative process on the floor of the House, in parliamentary committees...and with caucus and opposition MPs; --supporting the ministers position on Private Members Business; Later on, the guide specifically talks about the role of parliamentary secretaries with respect to private members' business. On page 4, under Private Members' Business, the guide states: Given that ministers do not generally participate directly in debates on Private Members Business, this is an opportunity for parliamentary secretaries to bring their parliamentary skills to bear. This is particularly so since all Private Members Business comes to a vote. Parliamentary secretaries play a key role in the Government's handling of Private Members Business, in that they: --may be called upon to speak for the minister during Private Members Hour; --work with the Government House Leaders office to organize and deliver the ministers response to Private Members Bills and motions; As members can see, Minister of Finance, by way of his his parliamentary secretary, reassured members of the House about the government's actions on this matter. He also urged them to vote against Motion No. 42. I remind members that if this motion had passed, it would have affected the minister's personal interests. I want to be clear. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance should have recused himself from the debates on Motion No. 42, since he speaks on behalf of his minister. I repeat, this minister's interests are directly affected by Motion No. 42. As my colleague from Joliette pointed out, we are talking about the results of a vote and about the integrity of the House of Commons as an institution, which you oversee, Mr. Speaker. We are here, at the heart of representative democracy, and at the heart of the trust that the public must have in its representatives. This vote should be taken again, since it was tainted.
Mr. Speaker, I sense a pattern. When the Conservatives are in government, they blame everything on the Liberals. When the Liberals are in government, they blame everything on the Conservatives.What the Liberals need to understand is that their own Minister of Finance is currently under investigation for introducing a bill that could have helped him and several of his colleagues make millions of dollars.Bonus: he does not think there is anything wrong with this. Double bonus: he does not think there is anything wrong with holding assets in a company he is in charge of regulating. The Liberals promised higher ethical standards. Why can they not even enforce the bare minimum?
Mr. Speaker, getting through to a real person at the CRA is notoriously difficult, unless of course someone is a personal friend and fundraiser for the Prime Minister. In that case, he just picks up the phone for them.The Auditor General reports that 64% of calls were blocked, given the busy signal, or told to call back and disconnected. The government is raising taxes on diabetics, small businesses, and middle-class families, and it will not even pick up the phone to answer questions.Why does the government only answer questions for wealthy Liberal insiders and hang up on everyone else?
Mr. Speaker, we know the finance minister has already been found guilty of breaking the Conflict of Interest Act. That is clear. What is not clear, maybe as clear as mud, is how many other conflicts of interest he is in. Therefore, the finance minister has a choice to make. He can continue to keep Canadians in the dark, or he can reveal what assets he has owned in numbered companies over the last two years, or what exactly the finance minister is trying to hide. Yes, we are focused on the finance minister.
Mr. Speaker, my issue with the minister's responses is that every time he hears the fact that he broke the compliance standards, he assumes it is a personal attack, and it is not. We are just asking him to be accountable for his actions. The mandate tracker says: you must uphold the highest standards of honesty and impartiality, and both the performance of your official duties and the arrangement of your private affairs should bear the closest public scrutiny. Is anyone able to trust the minister when we know that in his personal affairs, he has broken it?
What is not a fabrication, Mr. Speaker, is the erosion of trust that Canadians are having in the finance minister. It is not just about what is hiding behind door number two, door number three, or door number four. What about Morneau Shepell stock held by family members? How much has he and his family profited from decisions made by the finance minister? Since the minister was sworn in, shares in Morneau Shepell have skyrocketed by 38%. Do Canadians have the right to know if the minister's financial interests and that of his family conflict with his public duties, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, in July, our American friends released detailed documents on their NAFTA priorities, including considerable detail on rules of origin for autos and other goods. They updated this document a few days ago. In August, Canada did not really release a detailed plan, but the minister gave a speech with considerable detail on the War of 1812. Today, Scotiabank is predicting the failure of NAFTA. When will the minister step away from the dinner parties and her progressive talking points and start fighting for the two million jobs that rely on NAFTA?
Mr. Speaker, of course we are going to talk about the Minister of Finance.It was this minister who said that he would put his assets in a trust, but did not do so until he was caught red-handed. It was this minister who introduced a bill that put him in a direct conflict of interest because of his family business and who consulted the Ethics Commissioner after the fact. The Minister of Finance still has private numbered companies.Why is the minister not answering Canadians' questions and why has he not disclosed all his assets so that Canadians can finally properly judge him?
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat that I agree with all of the Auditor General's recommendations. The former Conservative government decided to cut services, cut staff, and to cut the evaluation of the quality of services. That happened under former national revenue minister, Ms. Findlay.Instead of making cuts, we have chosen to reinvest $50 million over the next four years. We are taking real action to ensure that Canadians have the services they are entitled to expect.
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to hear the minister mention the CSIS report, because I have a report here that states, in the last paragraph, that these people return to countries like Canada and that they wait for orders to carry out a terrorist attack.Now, the government is taking care of these people, as though they were small children who need to be coddled. We want to know whether these people are under 24-hour surveillance before something happens and it is too late.
Mr. Speaker, I do not know why the Prime Minister cannot just simply denounce what happened at the university.The Prime Minister defends and protects hidden companies in France, shares that go up in accordance with the Liberals' decisions, and a bill that could result in personal gains. The Minister of Finance still controls many numbered companies we know nothing about.When will the Prime Minister order the Minister of Finance to disclose all the shares he bought, sold, or held in all of these private companies or trust funds since he was elected?
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Coast Guard's icebreaking services are essential for keeping our waters safe, protecting our shoreline economy, and strengthening our economy. We are working hard to ensure the continuity of these services, and the interim icebreaking services will supplement the program.
Mr. Speaker, at least on this side of the House we can remember the homes that we own. For two years, the finance minister profited from his ownership in a company that made millions after he introduced legislation that benefited that same company. There was no blind trust. There was no sign-off from the Ethics Commissioner, and we only knew about his continued ownership with Morneau Shepell because he got caught. Now he is under investigation yet again.Canadians want to know what other skeletons the minister is hiding in his closet. When will he finally come clean, and reveal what else he is hiding, so Canadians can see his other conflicts of interest?
Mr. Speaker, let me assure the member opposite and all Canadians that at the NAFTA negotiating table we are fighting very hard, and in a very smart, fact-based way, for the Canadian national interest. We made good progress on some of the technical chapters in the Mexico round. However, I must tell members that significant differences remain on some of the key issues, such as rules of origin and chapter 19. I want to say to Canadians that we will always stand for the national interest.
Mr. Speaker, we are seeing both parties in the opposition continuing to focus on me, and we understand why. What is hard to understand about the opposition member who just spoke is why he is not interested in talking about housing on a day when we are talking about historic changes in housing. We talked in budget 2017 about $11.2 billion to be spent on a national housing strategy. Today, we are unveiling how we will make a huge difference for families across this country. It is an important day for Canadian families. It is an important day for housing.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to repeat what I have said to this House previously. I worked with the Ethics Commissioner from day one, disclosed all of my assets to the Ethics Commissioner, and I have actually decided to go further than she recommended by selling all of the shares in the company I built with my family and, in fact, make a significant donation to charity.I will continue to work on behalf of all Canadians, doing the work that we were elected to do to make our economy better, to help middle-class Canadians, and to ensure that the future is brighter than the present.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member opposite for raising this very grave issue. This absolutely is ethnic cleansing, and the responsibility falls squarely on Myanmar's military leadership and civilian government. These are crimes against humanity.In Da Nang, the Prime Minister and I raised the treatment of the Rohingya directly with Aung San Suu Kyi. Our special envoy has visited Myanmar and Bangladesh to see first-hand what is happening. This is an urgent issue and Canada is absolutely seized of it.
Mr. Speaker, the only cutting of the Canadian Armed Forces that was done was by the previous government of billions of dollars.Under our new defence policy, we are investing in our people. In chapter 1, we are looking after people, increasing their pay, increasing their benefits, and, more importantly, for any deployed personnel on an international named operation, it will be tax-free. We are going to be making sure that we look after our forces. We are making sure that we are going to be looking after Canadian Armed Forces members.
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member opposite that we care greatly about the environment, that we are concerned about this incident, that Parks Canada is involved with the cleanup, and that we will continue to work very hard to ensure that we protect our oceans. As members know, we have our oceans protection plan. We are absolutely committed to protecting our oceans and protecting the environment.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Yukon for his boundless optimism and his dedication to advancing sustainable development in our northern communities. Canada's clean growth economy starts with a sustainable and competitive resources sector. That is why this week we launched our new $155-million clean growth program to fund clean technology projects in the forestry, mining, and energy sectors, helping to reduce emissions and improve environmental outcomes. Our smart investments make our country a global leader in the transition to a low-carbon economy and a cleaner future.
Mr. Speaker, first of all, I welcome the hon. gentleman to the House and congratulate him upon his recent election.Second, all members of the House share the angst and concern the member has expressed with respect to this particular situation. I would look forward to an opportunity to discuss with him and with the Minister of Justice any constructive ideas he might wish to offer about how we can improve our criminal justice system.
Mr. Speaker, the revenue minister's list of greatest misses is truly impressive. First, she wanted to tax employee discounts, then she started rejecting Canadians who had been granted a disability tax credit. Now we learn from the Auditor General that her department does not just reject half the calls it receives but of those that actually make it through, 30% of Canadians get the wrong information. If the minister wants to win back just a little bit of credibility, will she make this promise today that no Canadian will face a fine or penalty if they followed the bad advice of her agency?
Mr. Speaker, with the opening of the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk road, and the commemoration of the Alaska Highway, growth and the potential of the north has never been higher. Infrastructure investments mean growth of industry at a time when our communities are expanding and diversifying. Fuelling this growth are clean technology projects in energy, mining, and forestry sectors. By helping reduce greenhouse gases and improving environmental outcomes, we have committed to smart, sustainable management of our natural resources. Could the minister update the House on the importance of the clean growth program and promoting clean technologies?
Mr. Speaker, no changes have been made to the eligibility criteria for the disability tax credit or the tax credit for people with diabetes.For 10 years, the previous Conservative government made cuts to scientific research. Last year, our government invested $41 million in research into diabetes and $5 billion into mental health services for more than 500,000 young Canadians under 25.We are making this credit more accessible. We have simplified the forms and are allowing specialized nurse practitioners to fill out the forms if the applicants do not have a doctor.
Mr. Speaker, the government promised strict measures, like the ones Australia has taken, to stop jihadists from returning to Canada. The safety and security of Canadians is the top priority for us.Yesterday, the minister refused to give us information on these traitors because he said that he did not want to give away operational details. Does anyone really believe that a basic question can compromise operations?Here is a simple question. Are these murderers under 24-hour surveillance, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, the interesting part about making promises like the minister is just making is that he has to be trusted to deliver on them, and that is what we are talking about today. The Prime Minister set out his new mandate tracker last week and actually reiterated directives. The quote regarding the finance minister is that As Minister, you must ensure that you are aware of and fully compliant with the Conflict of Interest Act.The Minister of Finance has already been fined for not being in compliance with the ethics act. Given that the minister was found not to be in compliance with it, what is the Prime Minister going to do to ensure that his directive is enforced?
Mr. Speaker, for months we have pushed the government to take leadership on the Rohingya issue, the greatest humanitarian crisis facing the world today. There are 600,000 Rohingya who have been forced out of Myanmar.The United Nations has determined that it is ethnic cleansing. Today, the U.S. government declared the Myanmar military operation to be ethnic cleansing. Our foreign affairs minister has said that this looks...like ethnic cleansing.With this kind of international consensus, when is the government going to do something substantive to hold the Myanmar regime responsible for these horrendous atrocities?
Mr. Speaker, while the opposition wants to focus on me, we want to focus on Canadians. That is the work we are doing today, by talking about the historic change of the federal government taking a role that has not been taken for 50 years in housing, distributing a huge amount of help to 500,000 families, allowing them to have more money in their pocket for housing, and a key to a house. This is the sort of work that we are setting out to do on behalf of Canadians, and we will keep doing it while the opposition members keep focusing on personal attacks.
Mr. Speaker, this is indeed historic. Never in the history of Canada have the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister been under investigation by the Ethics Commissioner at the same time. That is the Liberals' idea of making history.The problem with the Minister of Finance is that he is hiding things from Canadians. He introduced Bill C-27, which benefited his family's company tremendously, but said he worked with the Ethics Commissioner. I believe him because that is precisely what he did after introducing the bill. That is unacceptable.Why is the Minister of Finance not being straight with Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, again, the opposition in this case is likely focusing on personal attacks because the members do not want us to focus on what they did not do in housing for the last decade. What we are going to announce today is how we are going to help 500,000 Canadians have more money in their pocket for housing, or a key to a house. We are going to talk about how we are going to reduce homelessness by 50%. We are taking a historic role that has not been taken for 50 years in housing, making a huge difference for Canadian families. Important work and an important job are getting done today.
Mr. Speaker, for two years the Minister of Finance hid his Morneau Shepell shares in a numbered company, and we only found out about that because he was caught. He said he was working with the Ethics Commissioner from the beginning, but we know that is not true. He has been caught again. He is under investigation yet again, and Canadians do not know what else he is hiding. The Prime Minister has said that sunshine is the best disinfectant. Will the finance minister let the sunshine in, face it with a grin, open up his books, and let Canadians in on what else he is hiding?
Mr. Speaker, I have read the Auditor General's report and agree with all of his recommendations. Moreover, serving Canadians is a key component of my mandate letter. Our very first budget reinvested $50 million in the Canada Revenue Agency's call centres. We have already started hiring agents to handle more calls from Canadians. We have an action plan for modernizing the telephony platform, improving training, and updating our service standards. Our investments are always made to improve the quality of the services Canadians have a right to expect.
Mr. Speaker, to repeat, 100% of my assets have been disclosed from day one to the Ethics Commissioner.The opposition is focusing on personal attacks and does not want to focus on the last decade in which it did nothing in housing. We are talking today about how we are going to make a huge difference in housing. The $11.2 billion we set in budget 2017 is going to make a significant long-term difference for Canadians, with 500,000 people with a key to their own home, or money to actually pay for their lodging. This is huge. We are going to reduce homelessness in this country by 50%. We are on the job for Canadians, and we will not be distracted.
Mr. Speaker, the clock is ticking for the 600 workers at the Davie shipyard who will be out of a job within days because of the federal government. Winter is here. We urgently need icebreakers on the St. Lawrence, and the navy desperately needs two more supply ships, including the future ship Obelix, to achieve its mission. The members on the other side need to open their eyes. Ottawa is asleep at the wheel, and our operational capability is under threat as a result. Why is the Liberal government boycotting the best shipyard in North America? Why is it determined to put the Davie shipyard's top skilled workers out of a job?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ending this ongoing national tragedy, and to ensuring that the commission has all the support it needs to succeed.We have heard, and take very seriously, the concerns raised about how existing government policy and processes were impeding the work. A working group has been created to provide effective back-office support to the commission to ensure it is able to do its work effectively.Our government remains fully committed to ensuring that families get the answers they have been waiting for.
Mr. Speaker, our government is focused on investing in public infrastructure to create long-term economic growth and build strong, sustainable, and inclusive communities. We have appointed 10 outstanding Canadians to the board of the infrastructure bank. These appointments will help us mobilize pension funds and institutional investors to build more public infrastructure that Canadian communities need, and create jobs for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, that is a fabrication of an issue. That is all I can say. Being clear on my assets was important from day one. That is what allows me to continue
Mr. Speaker, as I reported to the House, I have no interest nor does my family in Morneau Shepell.We on this side of the House work here to improve the situation of Canadians. It is going well. Canadians are doing well. The economy has improved. There is more work to do. We are talking today about the work we are going to do in housing to help 500,000 Canadians to have the key to their house, or more money in their pockets to ensure they have housing. We are going to make sure we have 50% fewer people who actually do not have a place to live. This is the sort of work we are going to continue to do on behalf of Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that 81% of Canadian families are paying more taxes under this government. My question is simple and perfectly valid, especially considering that we know this minister has been in a direct conflict of interest for the past two years. If he has nothing to hide, will the Minister of Finance be honest and disclose, once and for all, his assets, companies, shares, and everything he is hiding from Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, every week brings new revelations about the Minister of Finance's conflicts of interest.First, there were his undeclared shares, then his villa in France, and now, we have the bill he created, Bill C-27, from which his own family and his company, Morneau Shepell, directly benefit.Will the Prime Minister step up and order his Minister of Finance to show some transparency and disclose all of his assets?
Mr. Speaker, I understand why the members opposite want to focus on me. They do not want to focus on what is going on for Canadians. They do not want to consider how well our economy is doing, because, of course, it paints a very different portrait than what happened over the last decade. We are seeing that the work we are doing, investing in Canadians, is paying off. Canadians are doing better. Families are doing better. We are seeing a huge benefit to Canadian families. More money in their pockets means our economy is doing better. We will continue to focus on improving the lives of Canadians, because we know that focusing on Canadians works.
Mr. Speaker, many Quebeckers are concerned about rail safety. However, we are heartened by the tireless work of the Minister of Transport, who is clearly making rail safety his number one priority.Could the minister tell us about some of the measures he has taken to improve rail safety in Quebec?
Mr. Speaker, I am accountable, and I will continue to be accountable to Canadians. While the opposition focuses on fabrications, I will focus on being accountable to results for Canadians. We are focused on making sure the economy grows. We are focused on making sure that it helps Canadian families. Those two things are demonstrably having an impact. We have seen the highest level of growth in years, significantly higher than we saw in the previous government, and importantly, a lower level of employment than we have seen in a decade. Those are important goals, and we are accountable for that.
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that nine out of 10 families are better off since we introduced the Canada child benefit. Thanks to this very important benefit, families are now receiving an average of $2,300 more to help improve their situation. That is a significant and very positive change for Canadian families. We are going to continue to work for them.
Mr. Speaker, we already have an action plan to improve the quality of services the CRA provides to Canadians. As of 2018-19, we will have a new telephone platform that will allow us to answer more calls, give an estimate of the wait times, and make sure that Canadians are not getting a busy signal.As part of this plan, we also intend to provide better training for call centre agents by creating a national quality control team. What is more, the CRA will be updating its service standards to better meet its clients' expectations. All of these practical measures will improve the services offered to Canadians and respond to the concerns raised by the Auditor General.
Mr. Speaker, as leaders in this country we all are called to a higher standard, and that includes being held accountable for our actions. That is not anybody picking on us or anybody picking on the Minister of Finance. It is him being accountable for his actions, and it is shameful to see him refusing to do that.The Prime Minister talks about sunny ways. He talks about sunshine being the best disinfectant. Let us give the finance minister a chance to be accountable, and instead of keeping Canadians in the dark. Let him reveal to Canadians what assets he has held, be accountable for his actions, own up, stand up, and take some leadership.
Mr. Speaker, as often as the opposition focuses on personal attacks, we are going to focus on what we are doing for Canadians. That, we know is important. Today, as we have said, is a particularly important day. We are talking about budget 2017's $11.2 billion invested in housing, and how that is going to make a difference for Canadians. The Prime Minister is going to be talking today about how 500,000 people are going to have access to housing. That is critically important. We are going to reduce homelessness by 50% in this country. These are important goals which we know Canadians are waiting to hear. We are looking forward to telling them more this afternoon.
Mr. Speaker, our government is making unprecedented investments in infrastructure of $186 billion over 12 years. We know that these investments are essential. We also know that we have to be innovative. I would like to ask the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities to update this House on the progress of the Canada infrastructure bank and its leadership team.
Mr. Speaker, I know why the opposition members want to talk about me. They do not want to talk about our economy and our Canadian housing strategy.Today is a very important day. We are going to explain to Canadians how we can improve this country's housing situation. This is very important. We are announcing major changes this afternoon.
Mr. Speaker, that is a very good question. Our first step was to introduce a strategy to reduce poverty in our country. Thanks to the guaranteed income supplement, we have helped seniors by giving them more money. We also introduced the Canada child benefit, thanks to which, again this year, 300,000 children will no longer have to live in poverty. Today, with our housing strategy, we are going to help a lot of people find a place to live. This is very important, and it is all part of our strategy to make things better.
Mr. Speaker, radicalized ISIS terrorists are returning to Canada right now under the Liberal government, and it has admitted that it does not have any capacity to monitor or assess the risks to our national security or public safety. Many Canadians are asking why the Liberal government is not following the lead of our allies and refusing entry, or more. Instead, it is throwing out the welcome mat. Canada cannot and must not become a safe haven for terrorists.To the minister, how many terrorists who have already returned to Canada under their watch are under 24-hour surveillance?
Mr. Speaker, will the Prime Minister join me in condemning the egregious crackdown on free speech at Wilfrid Laurier University?
Mr. Speaker, the reason the hon. opposition member is focusing on me is because he does not want to focus on Canadians. We will continue to improve the lives of Canadians. Today we announced our housing strategy. It is very important for Canadians. We will help 500,000 Canadians have access to housing. It is very important. We are going to help people who have nowhere to live. This is a very important day for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I am very glad to have the hon. member's opinion, but I am even more glad to have the RCMP, CSIS, and CBSA among the best security intelligence and law enforcement expertise in the world. Their work is highly respected and highly sought after, including in the international coalition against Daesh in Syria and Iraq. They are charged with identifying and stopping all terror threats of all kinds against Canada and Canadians, and they do that job as well as or better than anyone else in the world.
As I said, Mr. Speaker, by being free of conflicts from day one, we have been focused on things we are working for on behalf of Canadians, and that is having a real impact. The kind of impact Canadian families can see. They can see it with more money in their pockets, because of the Canada child benefit. They can see it if they are a senior with the improvement in the guaranteed income supplement. We can see that all those actions are leading to a much better economy, an economy that is helping all of our constituents and all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I will continue to do important work on behalf of Canadians while the opposition focuses on me. It is very important to continue strengthening our economy. We are in a very good position. Our economic growth is much better than it was two years ago. That is very important. We have 500,000 new jobs and the lowest unemployment rate in a decade. The economy is growing and we will continue with our work.
Mr. Speaker, today is a very important day with regard to improving housing outcomes in our country. We will continue to work with the provinces and municipalities, but today we are announcing how we can improve the situation now.With the $11.2 billion allocated in budget 2017, we will explain how we can help 500,000 Canadians get access to housing. This is very important. We will explain how we are going to reduce homelessness by 50%. This is an important strategy. Today is an important day.
Mr. Speaker, our government has made tax evasion and avoidance one of its top priorities. We have invested almost $1 billion to fight tax evasion. We continue to work for Canadians. It is a top priority and we will continue to do so. We will not mislead Canadians, as opposed to my colleague across the way.
Mr. Speaker, as I have continued to say, I have followed all the rules. What I want to do is make sure that Canadians know that while the opposition is focusing
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from AlfredPellan for his excellent question and for the work he does on the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.Rail safety is indeed my number one priority. To give a few examples, we have added safety barriers on Saint-Ambroise Street in Montreal, on Saint-Georges Street in the Saint-Hyacinthe subdivision, and on Pont-Mitchell Street in the Drummondville subdivision. These are great examples of how we have improved rail safety. Rail safety is my priority.
Mr. Speaker, we have an action plan for improving the quality of services the agency provides to Canadians. We have no lessons to learn from the Conservatives, who chose to make cuts to the call centres year after year.While the number of calls were increasing, they reduced the number of agents at the centres, the opening hours, and the standards of service. Instead of making cuts, we have chosen to make investments. We will continue to take tangible measures to provide Canadians with the best service.
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to talk about what we are trying to do on behalf of all Canadians. We know that having a tax system that is fair matters to Canadians. We have put forward some measures that are going to ensure that it is just that. What we have then done to make sure it is fair for all Canadians is to look at how we can best help Canadians to be successful. By taking the money from the changes in taxes and putting it into force through indexing the Canada child benefit and increasing the working income tax benefit, we are going to show benefits for Canadians across this country while having a tax system that is fairer.
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of everyone in this House, I would like to start by wishing you a happy birthday.[Members sang Happy Birthday]
Most positive speeches
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of everyone in this House, I would like to start by wishing you a happy birthday.[Members sang Happy Birthday]
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to talk about what we are trying to do on behalf of all Canadians. We know that having a tax system that is fair matters to Canadians. We have put forward some measures that are going to ensure that it is just that. What we have then done to make sure it is fair for all Canadians is to look at how we can best help Canadians to be successful. By taking the money from the changes in taxes and putting it into force through indexing the Canada child benefit and increasing the working income tax benefit, we are going to show benefits for Canadians across this country while having a tax system that is fairer.
Mr. Speaker, we have an action plan for improving the quality of services the agency provides to Canadians. We have no lessons to learn from the Conservatives, who chose to make cuts to the call centres year after year.While the number of calls were increasing, they reduced the number of agents at the centres, the opening hours, and the standards of service. Instead of making cuts, we have chosen to make investments. We will continue to take tangible measures to provide Canadians with the best service.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from AlfredPellan for his excellent question and for the work he does on the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.Rail safety is indeed my number one priority. To give a few examples, we have added safety barriers on Saint-Ambroise Street in Montreal, on Saint-Georges Street in the Saint-Hyacinthe subdivision, and on Pont-Mitchell Street in the Drummondville subdivision. These are great examples of how we have improved rail safety. Rail safety is my priority.
Mr. Speaker, our government has made tax evasion and avoidance one of its top priorities. We have invested almost $1 billion to fight tax evasion. We continue to work for Canadians. It is a top priority and we will continue to do so. We will not mislead Canadians, as opposed to my colleague across the way.
Mr. Speaker, as I have continued to say, I have followed all the rules. What I want to do is make sure that Canadians know that while the opposition is focusing
Mr. Speaker, today is a very important day with regard to improving housing outcomes in our country. We will continue to work with the provinces and municipalities, but today we are announcing how we can improve the situation now.With the $11.2 billion allocated in budget 2017, we will explain how we can help 500,000 Canadians get access to housing. This is very important. We will explain how we are going to reduce homelessness by 50%. This is an important strategy. Today is an important day.
Mr. Speaker, I will continue to do important work on behalf of Canadians while the opposition focuses on me. It is very important to continue strengthening our economy. We are in a very good position. Our economic growth is much better than it was two years ago. That is very important. We have 500,000 new jobs and the lowest unemployment rate in a decade. The economy is growing and we will continue with our work.
As I said, Mr. Speaker, by being free of conflicts from day one, we have been focused on things we are working for on behalf of Canadians, and that is having a real impact. The kind of impact Canadian families can see. They can see it with more money in their pockets, because of the Canada child benefit. They can see it if they are a senior with the improvement in the guaranteed income supplement. We can see that all those actions are leading to a much better economy, an economy that is helping all of our constituents and all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I am very glad to have the hon. member's opinion, but I am even more glad to have the RCMP, CSIS, and CBSA among the best security intelligence and law enforcement expertise in the world. Their work is highly respected and highly sought after, including in the international coalition against Daesh in Syria and Iraq. They are charged with identifying and stopping all terror threats of all kinds against Canada and Canadians, and they do that job as well as or better than anyone else in the world.
Mr. Speaker, the reason the hon. opposition member is focusing on me is because he does not want to focus on Canadians. We will continue to improve the lives of Canadians. Today we announced our housing strategy. It is very important for Canadians. We will help 500,000 Canadians have access to housing. It is very important. We are going to help people who have nowhere to live. This is a very important day for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, will the Prime Minister join me in condemning the egregious crackdown on free speech at Wilfrid Laurier University?
Mr. Speaker, radicalized ISIS terrorists are returning to Canada right now under the Liberal government, and it has admitted that it does not have any capacity to monitor or assess the risks to our national security or public safety. Many Canadians are asking why the Liberal government is not following the lead of our allies and refusing entry, or more. Instead, it is throwing out the welcome mat. Canada cannot and must not become a safe haven for terrorists.To the minister, how many terrorists who have already returned to Canada under their watch are under 24-hour surveillance?
Mr. Speaker, that is a very good question. Our first step was to introduce a strategy to reduce poverty in our country. Thanks to the guaranteed income supplement, we have helped seniors by giving them more money. We also introduced the Canada child benefit, thanks to which, again this year, 300,000 children will no longer have to live in poverty. Today, with our housing strategy, we are going to help a lot of people find a place to live. This is very important, and it is all part of our strategy to make things better.
Mr. Speaker, I know why the opposition members want to talk about me. They do not want to talk about our economy and our Canadian housing strategy.Today is a very important day. We are going to explain to Canadians how we can improve this country's housing situation. This is very important. We are announcing major changes this afternoon.
Mr. Speaker, our government is making unprecedented investments in infrastructure of $186 billion over 12 years. We know that these investments are essential. We also know that we have to be innovative. I would like to ask the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities to update this House on the progress of the Canada infrastructure bank and its leadership team.
Mr. Speaker, as often as the opposition focuses on personal attacks, we are going to focus on what we are doing for Canadians. That, we know is important. Today, as we have said, is a particularly important day. We are talking about budget 2017's $11.2 billion invested in housing, and how that is going to make a difference for Canadians. The Prime Minister is going to be talking today about how 500,000 people are going to have access to housing. That is critically important. We are going to reduce homelessness by 50% in this country. These are important goals which we know Canadians are waiting to hear. We are looking forward to telling them more this afternoon.
Mr. Speaker, as leaders in this country we all are called to a higher standard, and that includes being held accountable for our actions. That is not anybody picking on us or anybody picking on the Minister of Finance. It is him being accountable for his actions, and it is shameful to see him refusing to do that.The Prime Minister talks about sunny ways. He talks about sunshine being the best disinfectant. Let us give the finance minister a chance to be accountable, and instead of keeping Canadians in the dark. Let him reveal to Canadians what assets he has held, be accountable for his actions, own up, stand up, and take some leadership.
Mr. Speaker, we already have an action plan to improve the quality of services the CRA provides to Canadians. As of 2018-19, we will have a new telephone platform that will allow us to answer more calls, give an estimate of the wait times, and make sure that Canadians are not getting a busy signal.As part of this plan, we also intend to provide better training for call centre agents by creating a national quality control team. What is more, the CRA will be updating its service standards to better meet its clients' expectations. All of these practical measures will improve the services offered to Canadians and respond to the concerns raised by the Auditor General.
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that nine out of 10 families are better off since we introduced the Canada child benefit. Thanks to this very important benefit, families are now receiving an average of $2,300 more to help improve their situation. That is a significant and very positive change for Canadian families. We are going to continue to work for them.
Mr. Speaker, I am accountable, and I will continue to be accountable to Canadians. While the opposition focuses on fabrications, I will focus on being accountable to results for Canadians. We are focused on making sure the economy grows. We are focused on making sure that it helps Canadian families. Those two things are demonstrably having an impact. We have seen the highest level of growth in years, significantly higher than we saw in the previous government, and importantly, a lower level of employment than we have seen in a decade. Those are important goals, and we are accountable for that.
Mr. Speaker, I understand why the members opposite want to focus on me. They do not want to focus on what is going on for Canadians. They do not want to consider how well our economy is doing, because, of course, it paints a very different portrait than what happened over the last decade. We are seeing that the work we are doing, investing in Canadians, is paying off. Canadians are doing better. Families are doing better. We are seeing a huge benefit to Canadian families. More money in their pockets means our economy is doing better. We will continue to focus on improving the lives of Canadians, because we know that focusing on Canadians works.
Mr. Speaker, many Quebeckers are concerned about rail safety. However, we are heartened by the tireless work of the Minister of Transport, who is clearly making rail safety his number one priority.Could the minister tell us about some of the measures he has taken to improve rail safety in Quebec?
Mr. Speaker, every week brings new revelations about the Minister of Finance's conflicts of interest.First, there were his undeclared shares, then his villa in France, and now, we have the bill he created, Bill C-27, from which his own family and his company, Morneau Shepell, directly benefit.Will the Prime Minister step up and order his Minister of Finance to show some transparency and disclose all of his assets?
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that 81% of Canadian families are paying more taxes under this government. My question is simple and perfectly valid, especially considering that we know this minister has been in a direct conflict of interest for the past two years. If he has nothing to hide, will the Minister of Finance be honest and disclose, once and for all, his assets, companies, shares, and everything he is hiding from Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, as I reported to the House, I have no interest nor does my family in Morneau Shepell.We on this side of the House work here to improve the situation of Canadians. It is going well. Canadians are doing well. The economy has improved. There is more work to do. We are talking today about the work we are going to do in housing to help 500,000 Canadians to have the key to their house, or more money in their pockets to ensure they have housing. We are going to make sure we have 50% fewer people who actually do not have a place to live. This is the sort of work we are going to continue to do on behalf of Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, that is a fabrication of an issue. That is all I can say. Being clear on my assets was important from day one. That is what allows me to continue
Mr. Speaker, our government is focused on investing in public infrastructure to create long-term economic growth and build strong, sustainable, and inclusive communities. We have appointed 10 outstanding Canadians to the board of the infrastructure bank. These appointments will help us mobilize pension funds and institutional investors to build more public infrastructure that Canadian communities need, and create jobs for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ending this ongoing national tragedy, and to ensuring that the commission has all the support it needs to succeed.We have heard, and take very seriously, the concerns raised about how existing government policy and processes were impeding the work. A working group has been created to provide effective back-office support to the commission to ensure it is able to do its work effectively.Our government remains fully committed to ensuring that families get the answers they have been waiting for.
Mr. Speaker, to repeat, 100% of my assets have been disclosed from day one to the Ethics Commissioner.The opposition is focusing on personal attacks and does not want to focus on the last decade in which it did nothing in housing. We are talking today about how we are going to make a huge difference in housing. The $11.2 billion we set in budget 2017 is going to make a significant long-term difference for Canadians, with 500,000 people with a key to their own home, or money to actually pay for their lodging. This is huge. We are going to reduce homelessness in this country by 50%. We are on the job for Canadians, and we will not be distracted.
Mr. Speaker, the clock is ticking for the 600 workers at the Davie shipyard who will be out of a job within days because of the federal government. Winter is here. We urgently need icebreakers on the St. Lawrence, and the navy desperately needs two more supply ships, including the future ship Obelix, to achieve its mission. The members on the other side need to open their eyes. Ottawa is asleep at the wheel, and our operational capability is under threat as a result. Why is the Liberal government boycotting the best shipyard in North America? Why is it determined to put the Davie shipyard's top skilled workers out of a job?
Mr. Speaker, I have read the Auditor General's report and agree with all of his recommendations. Moreover, serving Canadians is a key component of my mandate letter. Our very first budget reinvested $50 million in the Canada Revenue Agency's call centres. We have already started hiring agents to handle more calls from Canadians. We have an action plan for modernizing the telephony platform, improving training, and updating our service standards. Our investments are always made to improve the quality of the services Canadians have a right to expect.
Mr. Speaker, for two years the Minister of Finance hid his Morneau Shepell shares in a numbered company, and we only found out about that because he was caught. He said he was working with the Ethics Commissioner from the beginning, but we know that is not true. He has been caught again. He is under investigation yet again, and Canadians do not know what else he is hiding. The Prime Minister has said that sunshine is the best disinfectant. Will the finance minister let the sunshine in, face it with a grin, open up his books, and let Canadians in on what else he is hiding?
Mr. Speaker, again, the opposition in this case is likely focusing on personal attacks because the members do not want us to focus on what they did not do in housing for the last decade. What we are going to announce today is how we are going to help 500,000 Canadians have more money in their pocket for housing, or a key to a house. We are going to talk about how we are going to reduce homelessness by 50%. We are taking a historic role that has not been taken for 50 years in housing, making a huge difference for Canadian families. Important work and an important job are getting done today.
Mr. Speaker, this is indeed historic. Never in the history of Canada have the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister been under investigation by the Ethics Commissioner at the same time. That is the Liberals' idea of making history.The problem with the Minister of Finance is that he is hiding things from Canadians. He introduced Bill C-27, which benefited his family's company tremendously, but said he worked with the Ethics Commissioner. I believe him because that is precisely what he did after introducing the bill. That is unacceptable.Why is the Minister of Finance not being straight with Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, while the opposition wants to focus on me, we want to focus on Canadians. That is the work we are doing today, by talking about the historic change of the federal government taking a role that has not been taken for 50 years in housing, distributing a huge amount of help to 500,000 families, allowing them to have more money in their pocket for housing, and a key to a house. This is the sort of work that we are setting out to do on behalf of Canadians, and we will keep doing it while the opposition members keep focusing on personal attacks.
Mr. Speaker, for months we have pushed the government to take leadership on the Rohingya issue, the greatest humanitarian crisis facing the world today. There are 600,000 Rohingya who have been forced out of Myanmar.The United Nations has determined that it is ethnic cleansing. Today, the U.S. government declared the Myanmar military operation to be ethnic cleansing. Our foreign affairs minister has said that this looks...like ethnic cleansing.With this kind of international consensus, when is the government going to do something substantive to hold the Myanmar regime responsible for these horrendous atrocities?
Mr. Speaker, the interesting part about making promises like the minister is just making is that he has to be trusted to deliver on them, and that is what we are talking about today. The Prime Minister set out his new mandate tracker last week and actually reiterated directives. The quote regarding the finance minister is that As Minister, you must ensure that you are aware of and fully compliant with the Conflict of Interest Act.The Minister of Finance has already been fined for not being in compliance with the ethics act. Given that the minister was found not to be in compliance with it, what is the Prime Minister going to do to ensure that his directive is enforced?
Mr. Speaker, the government promised strict measures, like the ones Australia has taken, to stop jihadists from returning to Canada. The safety and security of Canadians is the top priority for us.Yesterday, the minister refused to give us information on these traitors because he said that he did not want to give away operational details. Does anyone really believe that a basic question can compromise operations?Here is a simple question. Are these murderers under 24-hour surveillance, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, no changes have been made to the eligibility criteria for the disability tax credit or the tax credit for people with diabetes.For 10 years, the previous Conservative government made cuts to scientific research. Last year, our government invested $41 million in research into diabetes and $5 billion into mental health services for more than 500,000 young Canadians under 25.We are making this credit more accessible. We have simplified the forms and are allowing specialized nurse practitioners to fill out the forms if the applicants do not have a doctor.
Mr. Speaker, with the opening of the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk road, and the commemoration of the Alaska Highway, growth and the potential of the north has never been higher. Infrastructure investments mean growth of industry at a time when our communities are expanding and diversifying. Fuelling this growth are clean technology projects in energy, mining, and forestry sectors. By helping reduce greenhouse gases and improving environmental outcomes, we have committed to smart, sustainable management of our natural resources. Could the minister update the House on the importance of the clean growth program and promoting clean technologies?
Mr. Speaker, the revenue minister's list of greatest misses is truly impressive. First, she wanted to tax employee discounts, then she started rejecting Canadians who had been granted a disability tax credit. Now we learn from the Auditor General that her department does not just reject half the calls it receives but of those that actually make it through, 30% of Canadians get the wrong information. If the minister wants to win back just a little bit of credibility, will she make this promise today that no Canadian will face a fine or penalty if they followed the bad advice of her agency?
Mr. Speaker, first of all, I welcome the hon. gentleman to the House and congratulate him upon his recent election.Second, all members of the House share the angst and concern the member has expressed with respect to this particular situation. I would look forward to an opportunity to discuss with him and with the Minister of Justice any constructive ideas he might wish to offer about how we can improve our criminal justice system.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Yukon for his boundless optimism and his dedication to advancing sustainable development in our northern communities. Canada's clean growth economy starts with a sustainable and competitive resources sector. That is why this week we launched our new $155-million clean growth program to fund clean technology projects in the forestry, mining, and energy sectors, helping to reduce emissions and improve environmental outcomes. Our smart investments make our country a global leader in the transition to a low-carbon economy and a cleaner future.
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member opposite that we care greatly about the environment, that we are concerned about this incident, that Parks Canada is involved with the cleanup, and that we will continue to work very hard to ensure that we protect our oceans. As members know, we have our oceans protection plan. We are absolutely committed to protecting our oceans and protecting the environment.
Mr. Speaker, the only cutting of the Canadian Armed Forces that was done was by the previous government of billions of dollars.Under our new defence policy, we are investing in our people. In chapter 1, we are looking after people, increasing their pay, increasing their benefits, and, more importantly, for any deployed personnel on an international named operation, it will be tax-free. We are going to be making sure that we look after our forces. We are making sure that we are going to be looking after Canadian Armed Forces members.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member opposite for raising this very grave issue. This absolutely is ethnic cleansing, and the responsibility falls squarely on Myanmar's military leadership and civilian government. These are crimes against humanity.In Da Nang, the Prime Minister and I raised the treatment of the Rohingya directly with Aung San Suu Kyi. Our special envoy has visited Myanmar and Bangladesh to see first-hand what is happening. This is an urgent issue and Canada is absolutely seized of it.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to repeat what I have said to this House previously. I worked with the Ethics Commissioner from day one, disclosed all of my assets to the Ethics Commissioner, and I have actually decided to go further than she recommended by selling all of the shares in the company I built with my family and, in fact, make a significant donation to charity.I will continue to work on behalf of all Canadians, doing the work that we were elected to do to make our economy better, to help middle-class Canadians, and to ensure that the future is brighter than the present.
Mr. Speaker, we are seeing both parties in the opposition continuing to focus on me, and we understand why. What is hard to understand about the opposition member who just spoke is why he is not interested in talking about housing on a day when we are talking about historic changes in housing. We talked in budget 2017 about $11.2 billion to be spent on a national housing strategy. Today, we are unveiling how we will make a huge difference for families across this country. It is an important day for Canadian families. It is an important day for housing.
Mr. Speaker, let me assure the member opposite and all Canadians that at the NAFTA negotiating table we are fighting very hard, and in a very smart, fact-based way, for the Canadian national interest. We made good progress on some of the technical chapters in the Mexico round. However, I must tell members that significant differences remain on some of the key issues, such as rules of origin and chapter 19. I want to say to Canadians that we will always stand for the national interest.
Mr. Speaker, at least on this side of the House we can remember the homes that we own. For two years, the finance minister profited from his ownership in a company that made millions after he introduced legislation that benefited that same company. There was no blind trust. There was no sign-off from the Ethics Commissioner, and we only knew about his continued ownership with Morneau Shepell because he got caught. Now he is under investigation yet again.Canadians want to know what other skeletons the minister is hiding in his closet. When will he finally come clean, and reveal what else he is hiding, so Canadians can see his other conflicts of interest?
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Coast Guard's icebreaking services are essential for keeping our waters safe, protecting our shoreline economy, and strengthening our economy. We are working hard to ensure the continuity of these services, and the interim icebreaking services will supplement the program.
Mr. Speaker, I do not know why the Prime Minister cannot just simply denounce what happened at the university.The Prime Minister defends and protects hidden companies in France, shares that go up in accordance with the Liberals' decisions, and a bill that could result in personal gains. The Minister of Finance still controls many numbered companies we know nothing about.When will the Prime Minister order the Minister of Finance to disclose all the shares he bought, sold, or held in all of these private companies or trust funds since he was elected?
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to hear the minister mention the CSIS report, because I have a report here that states, in the last paragraph, that these people return to countries like Canada and that they wait for orders to carry out a terrorist attack.Now, the government is taking care of these people, as though they were small children who need to be coddled. We want to know whether these people are under 24-hour surveillance before something happens and it is too late.
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat that I agree with all of the Auditor General's recommendations. The former Conservative government decided to cut services, cut staff, and to cut the evaluation of the quality of services. That happened under former national revenue minister, Ms. Findlay.Instead of making cuts, we have chosen to reinvest $50 million over the next four years. We are taking real action to ensure that Canadians have the services they are entitled to expect.
Mr. Speaker, of course we are going to talk about the Minister of Finance.It was this minister who said that he would put his assets in a trust, but did not do so until he was caught red-handed. It was this minister who introduced a bill that put him in a direct conflict of interest because of his family business and who consulted the Ethics Commissioner after the fact. The Minister of Finance still has private numbered companies.Why is the minister not answering Canadians' questions and why has he not disclosed all his assets so that Canadians can finally properly judge him?
Mr. Speaker, in July, our American friends released detailed documents on their NAFTA priorities, including considerable detail on rules of origin for autos and other goods. They updated this document a few days ago. In August, Canada did not really release a detailed plan, but the minister gave a speech with considerable detail on the War of 1812. Today, Scotiabank is predicting the failure of NAFTA. When will the minister step away from the dinner parties and her progressive talking points and start fighting for the two million jobs that rely on NAFTA?
What is not a fabrication, Mr. Speaker, is the erosion of trust that Canadians are having in the finance minister. It is not just about what is hiding behind door number two, door number three, or door number four. What about Morneau Shepell stock held by family members? How much has he and his family profited from decisions made by the finance minister? Since the minister was sworn in, shares in Morneau Shepell have skyrocketed by 38%. Do Canadians have the right to know if the minister's financial interests and that of his family conflict with his public duties, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, my issue with the minister's responses is that every time he hears the fact that he broke the compliance standards, he assumes it is a personal attack, and it is not. We are just asking him to be accountable for his actions. The mandate tracker says: you must uphold the highest standards of honesty and impartiality, and both the performance of your official duties and the arrangement of your private affairs should bear the closest public scrutiny. Is anyone able to trust the minister when we know that in his personal affairs, he has broken it?
Mr. Speaker, we know the finance minister has already been found guilty of breaking the Conflict of Interest Act. That is clear. What is not clear, maybe as clear as mud, is how many other conflicts of interest he is in. Therefore, the finance minister has a choice to make. He can continue to keep Canadians in the dark, or he can reveal what assets he has owned in numbered companies over the last two years, or what exactly the finance minister is trying to hide. Yes, we are focused on the finance minister.
Mr. Speaker, I sense a pattern. When the Conservatives are in government, they blame everything on the Liberals. When the Liberals are in government, they blame everything on the Conservatives.What the Liberals need to understand is that their own Minister of Finance is currently under investigation for introducing a bill that could have helped him and several of his colleagues make millions of dollars.Bonus: he does not think there is anything wrong with this. Double bonus: he does not think there is anything wrong with holding assets in a company he is in charge of regulating. The Liberals promised higher ethical standards. Why can they not even enforce the bare minimum?
Mr. Speaker, getting through to a real person at the CRA is notoriously difficult, unless of course someone is a personal friend and fundraiser for the Prime Minister. In that case, he just picks up the phone for them.The Auditor General reports that 64% of calls were blocked, given the busy signal, or told to call back and disconnected. The government is raising taxes on diabetics, small businesses, and middle-class families, and it will not even pick up the phone to answer questions.Why does the government only answer questions for wealthy Liberal insiders and hang up on everyone else?
Mr. Speaker, subsequent to the point of order my colleague from Joliette raised on November 8, I would like to share some additional observations that I hope will inform your consideration of the matter. I also believe that the vote was marred by irregularities and should be retaken.As my colleague from Joliette said, the code of conduct for members of Parliament, which is part of our Standing Orders, clearly prohibits an elected member from furthering his or her private interests. In addition to taking part in the vote on Motion No. 42, a motion that will have an impact on his private interests, the Minister of Finance influenced the debate through his then-parliamentary secretary, the member for Saint-MauriceChamplain.As stated in the Guide for Parliamentary Secretaries, issued by the Prime Minister on January 16, 2016, a parliamentary secretary speaks on behalf of the minister. In other words, when a parliamentary secretary takes the floor in the House, it is the minister's words that we hear, as we can see on pages 1 and 2 of the guide. On page 1, under Your Role and Responsibilities, it says: Section 47 of the Parliament of Canada Act sets out the following succinct job description: The Parliamentary Secretary or Secretaries to a minister shall assist the minister in such manner as the minister directs. In this context, the responsibilities of parliamentary secretaries generally fall into two broad categories: (1) House business and (2) department-related duties. On page 2, under House Business, it says: In this context, the role of parliamentary secretaries in supporting ministers House duties includes: --attending Question Period; --piloting the ministers legislation through the legislative process on the floor of the House, in parliamentary committees...and with caucus and opposition MPs; --supporting the ministers position on Private Members Business; Later on, the guide specifically talks about the role of parliamentary secretaries with respect to private members' business. On page 4, under Private Members' Business, the guide states: Given that ministers do not generally participate directly in debates on Private Members Business, this is an opportunity for parliamentary secretaries to bring their parliamentary skills to bear. This is particularly so since all Private Members Business comes to a vote. Parliamentary secretaries play a key role in the Government's handling of Private Members Business, in that they: --may be called upon to speak for the minister during Private Members Hour; --work with the Government House Leaders office to organize and deliver the ministers response to Private Members Bills and motions; As members can see, Minister of Finance, by way of his his parliamentary secretary, reassured members of the House about the government's actions on this matter. He also urged them to vote against Motion No. 42. I remind members that if this motion had passed, it would have affected the minister's personal interests. I want to be clear. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance should have recused himself from the debates on Motion No. 42, since he speaks on behalf of his minister. I repeat, this minister's interests are directly affected by Motion No. 42. As my colleague from Joliette pointed out, we are talking about the results of a vote and about the integrity of the House of Commons as an institution, which you oversee, Mr. Speaker. We are here, at the heart of representative democracy, and at the heart of the trust that the public must have in its representatives. This vote should be taken again, since it was tainted.
Mr. Speaker, that is right. The Liberals are going to continue signing agreements with tax havens, as they did last year with the Cook Islands.Interestingly, when the Liberals wants something to happen, there is no stopping them. An infrastructure privatization bank? Done. Legalization of cannabis? Full steam ahead.However, families who need help paying the rent will have to wait until after the next election. The Liberals are incapable of paying public service employees. That is too complicated. They cannot even answer the telephone. People just have to wait on hold.I would like to make a direct appeal to the Minister of Finance. When will he come down from his ivory tower and start working for ordinary Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, two years ago, the government promised us an anti-poverty strategy. The parliamentary budget officer's report shows that the government has failed on that count. Not only has it not yet carried out an analysis of existing measures to see whether and how they are working, but also many of its measures are poorly designed. If fighting poverty is so important to the government, when will it launch a comprehensive anti-poverty strategy?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to creating open spaces for Canadians to debate and express their views. In a free society, we may disagree with someone's views, but we must defend their right to hold them, unless those views promote hate. Intolerance and hate have no place in Canadian society or in our post-secondary institutions. We will continue to fight to ensure that the charter rights of Canadians are upheld and that every Canadian can feel safe and secure in their community.
Mr. Speaker, a leaked Parks Canada memo alerted British Columbians that thousands of plastic feed bags escaped from an aquaculture farm and washed ashore in the Broken Group Islands, yet for some reason the Tseshaht First Nation and other local groups were never notified. We only know about the spill due to the memo, riddled with talking points and concerns about negative press but containing no plan. Clearly, the government cares a thousand times more about its image than protecting the environment. Will the Liberals apologize to Vancouver Islanders and finally act to create a permanent, dedicated, and annual fund to help with marine debris cleanups?
Mr. Speaker, the question was about Phoenix. Governing is about making choices. Let us take a closer look at the Liberals' choices.A couple with no children gets nothing. A person who earns less than $45,000 gets nothing. Someone who takes the bus no longer gets a tax credit. On the other hand, someone who sends their money to the Cayman Islands does not have any problems. Someone who introduces a bill that will make him richer will write a cheque. Someone who wants to see the Prime Minister will pay $1,500. Netflix does not pay any tax. KPMG clients will get a deal.When will the Liberals stop working for their Bay Street millionaire friends?
Mr. Speaker, I am a bit confused because while Liberals help Stephen Bronfman and other friends who use tax havens to avoid paying taxes, Canadians cannot speak to anyone when they call the CRA to get help with paying taxes. While the finance minister gets a free pass from the Prime Minister, despite the fact he has interests in a company he is in charge of regulating, hundreds of thousands of public servants are paying the price for the Liberal government's incompetence in the Phoenix fiasco.Liberals have usually waited at least one full term before demonstrating a sense of entitlement. Why are they in such a rush now?
Mr. Speaker, I can assure you that we will not start singing How old are you now? on your birthday, but maybe as a birthday present, the minister could give you the gift of an answer to one of our questions.It is not only the Canada Revenue Agency that taxpayers cannot get an answer from. A letter, representing thousands of small businesses across the country, has been sent to the Prime Minister asking for clarification about his unfair tax changes. The Prime Minister has created so much uncertainty and confusion. When will the Prime Minister finally end all of this confusion and just stop attacking local businesses?
Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman can be absolutely assured that our forces are doing exactly the job they need to do. Approximately 60 terror travellers returned to Canada under the previous Conservative government. Not a single one of them was charged by the previous Conservative government. In fact, the previous Conservative government cut $1 billion from the security services of Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister keeps repeating that he disclosed all of his assets since day one. We are not fabricating the fact he hid his offshore corporation for two years. The Prime Minister says the minister has always worked since day one with the Ethics Commissioner to ensure his personal finances were in line with the expectations of Canadians. We are not fabricating the fact he never received the commissioner's permission to introduce Bill C-27, a bill from which he and his family would profit.The minister still has mystery assets. Why will he not tell Canadians what is inside all of his other companies?
Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General's report is damning for the current Minister of National Revenue, not the minister who was in office two years ago. This report once again proves that the Minister of National Revenue is incapable of managing the important issues that fall under her agency's responsibility.Her mandate letter states that she must make the CRA a client-focused agency, but she is far from achieving that goal. On the new government propaganda website, the minister has put that objective under ongoing commitments. What does that mean? Does it mean the government does not care about this objective? The minister should have created a new category entitled we have given up on this commitment because we failed miserably.After two years, how would the minister grade herself on fulfilling her mandate? Would she give herself an E or an F?
Mr. Speaker, I wish to seek consent for the following motion: That this House call on the Department of Transport to prohibit the carrying of a knife with a blade measuring less than six centimetres on board aircraft.
Mr. Speaker, during question period, the Minister of National Revenue accused me of spreading disinformation. That is not very nice. I am therefore requesting the unanimous consent of the House to table the Auditor General's report on the Canada Revenue Agency, because I get the sense she did not read it.
Mr. Speaker, what I can promise is that we have been working hard on this for the past two years. I agree with all of the Auditor General's recommendations. The former Conservative government chose to cut services for Canadians by decreasing funding for call centres. That was done under the former minister of national revenue, Ms. Findlay. The Conservatives cut the number of agents in the call centres, reduced business hours, and even lowered service standards.
Mr. Speaker, there is more bad news on the inquiry into murdered and missing indigenous women. Following its interim report, which blamed Liberal interference for slow progress of the inquiry, there have been eight resignations and firings. The Prime Minister said he would review the report and pay attention to its recommendations, but nothing has changed. The Liberals have broken their promise to families to do everything in their power to help this vital inquiry succeed.When will the Liberals finally put words into action and bring this national tragedy to an end?
Mr. Speaker, as I said, we agree with all of the Auditor General's recommendations. I would like to point out to the members opposite that the previous Conservative government decided to reduce services to Canadians by cutting funding for call centres. Under former minister Findlay, they reduced the number of agents in call centres, the business hours, and the number of services. Rather than cutting services, we decided to reinvest. I am working to ensure that the Canada Revenue Agency treats Canadians not just as taxpayers, but as important clients
Mr. Speaker, of course the public safety minister has taken away the powers from all those police agencies. Two Canadians travel to Iraq. One goes to fight ISIS with the Canadian Armed Forces, the other decides to join the death cult as a terrorist. Both come back to Canada. The Canadian soldier is injured while serving our country, and the Liberals cut his pay. The ISIS terrorist, on the other hand, also comes back to Canada, but is offered taxpayer-funded reintegration training by the Liberals. Why is the Prime Minister cutting the pay for our injured troops while funding support services for ISIS terrorists?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance is unfairly adding to Canadian entrepreneurs' tax burden.The Minister of Finance is telling our disappointed entrepreneurs to call him, but the Auditor General indicated that more than 29 million Canadian entrepreneurs did not have their calls returned. That represents almost half of the people who called the minister.I want to ask the Minister of Finance a simple question: when will he pick up the phone and answer the calls of concerned entrepreneurs?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have a nasty habit of imposing their vision on the provinces and municipalities. We saw this with the legalization of cannabis and the health accords. We have every reason to believe that they will do the same thing with the housing strategy. Some 1.7 million Canadian families are having a hard time finding places to live.Will the government create a true partnership with the provinces and municipalities in order to tailor the strategy to local realities?
Mr. Speaker, we keep getting told in this chamber that nothing has changed, and people are still eligible for their disability tax credit.However, we receive calls every day at our constituency offices about new rules that are rendering people living with type 1 diabetes, autism, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and developmental disorders ineligible for the disability tax credit, despite having receiving it for years.Families are desperate for help. When will the government stop making excuses and fix this problem?
Mr. Speaker, seven years ago, Lyle and Marie McCann were brutally murdered. Their family was never able to give them a proper funeral, because the murderer refused to reveal the location of their remains. Convicted murderers who re-victimize families by withholding the whereabouts of their victims' remains should not be eligible for parole. Will the Minister of Justice do the right thing and pass legislation that will fix our broken parole system to ensure closure for families like the McCanns?
Mr. Speaker, the innuendo and insinuation in the hon. member's question is simply completely false. In this country we have the RCMP, CSIS, CBSA, and other security services that do a superlative job, and anyone who needs to be under surveillance is indeed under surveillance.
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of everyone in this House, I would like to start by wishing you a happy birthday.[Members sang Happy Birthday]
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to talk about what we are trying to do on behalf of all Canadians. We know that having a tax system that is fair matters to Canadians. We have put forward some measures that are going to ensure that it is just that. What we have then done to make sure it is fair for all Canadians is to look at how we can best help Canadians to be successful. By taking the money from the changes in taxes and putting it into force through indexing the Canada child benefit and increasing the working income tax benefit, we are going to show benefits for Canadians across this country while having a tax system that is fairer.
Mr. Speaker, we have an action plan for improving the quality of services the agency provides to Canadians. We have no lessons to learn from the Conservatives, who chose to make cuts to the call centres year after year.While the number of calls were increasing, they reduced the number of agents at the centres, the opening hours, and the standards of service. Instead of making cuts, we have chosen to make investments. We will continue to take tangible measures to provide Canadians with the best service.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from AlfredPellan for his excellent question and for the work he does on the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.Rail safety is indeed my number one priority. To give a few examples, we have added safety barriers on Saint-Ambroise Street in Montreal, on Saint-Georges Street in the Saint-Hyacinthe subdivision, and on Pont-Mitchell Street in the Drummondville subdivision. These are great examples of how we have improved rail safety. Rail safety is my priority.
Mr. Speaker, our government has made tax evasion and avoidance one of its top priorities. We have invested almost $1 billion to fight tax evasion. We continue to work for Canadians. It is a top priority and we will continue to do so. We will not mislead Canadians, as opposed to my colleague across the way.
Mr. Speaker, as I have continued to say, I have followed all the rules. What I want to do is make sure that Canadians know that while the opposition is focusing
Mr. Speaker, today is a very important day with regard to improving housing outcomes in our country. We will continue to work with the provinces and municipalities, but today we are announcing how we can improve the situation now.With the $11.2 billion allocated in budget 2017, we will explain how we can help 500,000 Canadians get access to housing. This is very important. We will explain how we are going to reduce homelessness by 50%. This is an important strategy. Today is an important day.
Mr. Speaker, I will continue to do important work on behalf of Canadians while the opposition focuses on me. It is very important to continue strengthening our economy. We are in a very good position. Our economic growth is much better than it was two years ago. That is very important. We have 500,000 new jobs and the lowest unemployment rate in a decade. The economy is growing and we will continue with our work.
As I said, Mr. Speaker, by being free of conflicts from day one, we have been focused on things we are working for on behalf of Canadians, and that is having a real impact. The kind of impact Canadian families can see. They can see it with more money in their pockets, because of the Canada child benefit. They can see it if they are a senior with the improvement in the guaranteed income supplement. We can see that all those actions are leading to a much better economy, an economy that is helping all of our constituents and all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I am very glad to have the hon. member's opinion, but I am even more glad to have the RCMP, CSIS, and CBSA among the best security intelligence and law enforcement expertise in the world. Their work is highly respected and highly sought after, including in the international coalition against Daesh in Syria and Iraq. They are charged with identifying and stopping all terror threats of all kinds against Canada and Canadians, and they do that job as well as or better than anyone else in the world.
Mr. Speaker, the reason the hon. opposition member is focusing on me is because he does not want to focus on Canadians. We will continue to improve the lives of Canadians. Today we announced our housing strategy. It is very important for Canadians. We will help 500,000 Canadians have access to housing. It is very important. We are going to help people who have nowhere to live. This is a very important day for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, will the Prime Minister join me in condemning the egregious crackdown on free speech at Wilfrid Laurier University?
Mr. Speaker, radicalized ISIS terrorists are returning to Canada right now under the Liberal government, and it has admitted that it does not have any capacity to monitor or assess the risks to our national security or public safety. Many Canadians are asking why the Liberal government is not following the lead of our allies and refusing entry, or more. Instead, it is throwing out the welcome mat. Canada cannot and must not become a safe haven for terrorists.To the minister, how many terrorists who have already returned to Canada under their watch are under 24-hour surveillance?
Mr. Speaker, that is a very good question. Our first step was to introduce a strategy to reduce poverty in our country. Thanks to the guaranteed income supplement, we have helped seniors by giving them more money. We also introduced the Canada child benefit, thanks to which, again this year, 300,000 children will no longer have to live in poverty. Today, with our housing strategy, we are going to help a lot of people find a place to live. This is very important, and it is all part of our strategy to make things better.
Mr. Speaker, I know why the opposition members want to talk about me. They do not want to talk about our economy and our Canadian housing strategy.Today is a very important day. We are going to explain to Canadians how we can improve this country's housing situation. This is very important. We are announcing major changes this afternoon.
Mr. Speaker, our government is making unprecedented investments in infrastructure of $186 billion over 12 years. We know that these investments are essential. We also know that we have to be innovative. I would like to ask the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities to update this House on the progress of the Canada infrastructure bank and its leadership team.
Mr. Speaker, as often as the opposition focuses on personal attacks, we are going to focus on what we are doing for Canadians. That, we know is important. Today, as we have said, is a particularly important day. We are talking about budget 2017's $11.2 billion invested in housing, and how that is going to make a difference for Canadians. The Prime Minister is going to be talking today about how 500,000 people are going to have access to housing. That is critically important. We are going to reduce homelessness by 50% in this country. These are important goals which we know Canadians are waiting to hear. We are looking forward to telling them more this afternoon.
Mr. Speaker, as leaders in this country we all are called to a higher standard, and that includes being held accountable for our actions. That is not anybody picking on us or anybody picking on the Minister of Finance. It is him being accountable for his actions, and it is shameful to see him refusing to do that.The Prime Minister talks about sunny ways. He talks about sunshine being the best disinfectant. Let us give the finance minister a chance to be accountable, and instead of keeping Canadians in the dark. Let him reveal to Canadians what assets he has held, be accountable for his actions, own up, stand up, and take some leadership.
Mr. Speaker, we already have an action plan to improve the quality of services the CRA provides to Canadians. As of 2018-19, we will have a new telephone platform that will allow us to answer more calls, give an estimate of the wait times, and make sure that Canadians are not getting a busy signal.As part of this plan, we also intend to provide better training for call centre agents by creating a national quality control team. What is more, the CRA will be updating its service standards to better meet its clients' expectations. All of these practical measures will improve the services offered to Canadians and respond to the concerns raised by the Auditor General.
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that nine out of 10 families are better off since we introduced the Canada child benefit. Thanks to this very important benefit, families are now receiving an average of $2,300 more to help improve their situation. That is a significant and very positive change for Canadian families. We are going to continue to work for them.
Mr. Speaker, I am accountable, and I will continue to be accountable to Canadians. While the opposition focuses on fabrications, I will focus on being accountable to results for Canadians. We are focused on making sure the economy grows. We are focused on making sure that it helps Canadian families. Those two things are demonstrably having an impact. We have seen the highest level of growth in years, significantly higher than we saw in the previous government, and importantly, a lower level of employment than we have seen in a decade. Those are important goals, and we are accountable for that.
Mr. Speaker, I understand why the members opposite want to focus on me. They do not want to focus on what is going on for Canadians. They do not want to consider how well our economy is doing, because, of course, it paints a very different portrait than what happened over the last decade. We are seeing that the work we are doing, investing in Canadians, is paying off. Canadians are doing better. Families are doing better. We are seeing a huge benefit to Canadian families. More money in their pockets means our economy is doing better. We will continue to focus on improving the lives of Canadians, because we know that focusing on Canadians works.
Mr. Speaker, many Quebeckers are concerned about rail safety. However, we are heartened by the tireless work of the Minister of Transport, who is clearly making rail safety his number one priority.Could the minister tell us about some of the measures he has taken to improve rail safety in Quebec?
Mr. Speaker, every week brings new revelations about the Minister of Finance's conflicts of interest.First, there were his undeclared shares, then his villa in France, and now, we have the bill he created, Bill C-27, from which his own family and his company, Morneau Shepell, directly benefit.Will the Prime Minister step up and order his Minister of Finance to show some transparency and disclose all of his assets?
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that 81% of Canadian families are paying more taxes under this government. My question is simple and perfectly valid, especially considering that we know this minister has been in a direct conflict of interest for the past two years. If he has nothing to hide, will the Minister of Finance be honest and disclose, once and for all, his assets, companies, shares, and everything he is hiding from Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, as I reported to the House, I have no interest nor does my family in Morneau Shepell.We on this side of the House work here to improve the situation of Canadians. It is going well. Canadians are doing well. The economy has improved. There is more work to do. We are talking today about the work we are going to do in housing to help 500,000 Canadians to have the key to their house, or more money in their pockets to ensure they have housing. We are going to make sure we have 50% fewer people who actually do not have a place to live. This is the sort of work we are going to continue to do on behalf of Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, that is a fabrication of an issue. That is all I can say. Being clear on my assets was important from day one. That is what allows me to continue
Mr. Speaker, our government is focused on investing in public infrastructure to create long-term economic growth and build strong, sustainable, and inclusive communities. We have appointed 10 outstanding Canadians to the board of the infrastructure bank. These appointments will help us mobilize pension funds and institutional investors to build more public infrastructure that Canadian communities need, and create jobs for the middle class.
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ending this ongoing national tragedy, and to ensuring that the commission has all the support it needs to succeed.We have heard, and take very seriously, the concerns raised about how existing government policy and processes were impeding the work. A working group has been created to provide effective back-office support to the commission to ensure it is able to do its work effectively.Our government remains fully committed to ensuring that families get the answers they have been waiting for.
Mr. Speaker, to repeat, 100% of my assets have been disclosed from day one to the Ethics Commissioner.The opposition is focusing on personal attacks and does not want to focus on the last decade in which it did nothing in housing. We are talking today about how we are going to make a huge difference in housing. The $11.2 billion we set in budget 2017 is going to make a significant long-term difference for Canadians, with 500,000 people with a key to their own home, or money to actually pay for their lodging. This is huge. We are going to reduce homelessness in this country by 50%. We are on the job for Canadians, and we will not be distracted.
Mr. Speaker, the clock is ticking for the 600 workers at the Davie shipyard who will be out of a job within days because of the federal government. Winter is here. We urgently need icebreakers on the St. Lawrence, and the navy desperately needs two more supply ships, including the future ship Obelix, to achieve its mission. The members on the other side need to open their eyes. Ottawa is asleep at the wheel, and our operational capability is under threat as a result. Why is the Liberal government boycotting the best shipyard in North America? Why is it determined to put the Davie shipyard's top skilled workers out of a job?
Mr. Speaker, I have read the Auditor General's report and agree with all of his recommendations. Moreover, serving Canadians is a key component of my mandate letter. Our very first budget reinvested $50 million in the Canada Revenue Agency's call centres. We have already started hiring agents to handle more calls from Canadians. We have an action plan for modernizing the telephony platform, improving training, and updating our service standards. Our investments are always made to improve the quality of the services Canadians have a right to expect.
Mr. Speaker, for two years the Minister of Finance hid his Morneau Shepell shares in a numbered company, and we only found out about that because he was caught. He said he was working with the Ethics Commissioner from the beginning, but we know that is not true. He has been caught again. He is under investigation yet again, and Canadians do not know what else he is hiding. The Prime Minister has said that sunshine is the best disinfectant. Will the finance minister let the sunshine in, face it with a grin, open up his books, and let Canadians in on what else he is hiding?
Mr. Speaker, again, the opposition in this case is likely focusing on personal attacks because the members do not want us to focus on what they did not do in housing for the last decade. What we are going to announce today is how we are going to help 500,000 Canadians have more money in their pocket for housing, or a key to a house. We are going to talk about how we are going to reduce homelessness by 50%. We are taking a historic role that has not been taken for 50 years in housing, making a huge difference for Canadian families. Important work and an important job are getting done today.
Mr. Speaker, this is indeed historic. Never in the history of Canada have the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister been under investigation by the Ethics Commissioner at the same time. That is the Liberals' idea of making history.The problem with the Minister of Finance is that he is hiding things from Canadians. He introduced Bill C-27, which benefited his family's company tremendously, but said he worked with the Ethics Commissioner. I believe him because that is precisely what he did after introducing the bill. That is unacceptable.Why is the Minister of Finance not being straight with Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, while the opposition wants to focus on me, we want to focus on Canadians. That is the work we are doing today, by talking about the historic change of the federal government taking a role that has not been taken for 50 years in housing, distributing a huge amount of help to 500,000 families, allowing them to have more money in their pocket for housing, and a key to a house. This is the sort of work that we are setting out to do on behalf of Canadians, and we will keep doing it while the opposition members keep focusing on personal attacks.
Mr. Speaker, for months we have pushed the government to take leadership on the Rohingya issue, the greatest humanitarian crisis facing the world today. There are 600,000 Rohingya who have been forced out of Myanmar.The United Nations has determined that it is ethnic cleansing. Today, the U.S. government declared the Myanmar military operation to be ethnic cleansing. Our foreign affairs minister has said that this looks...like ethnic cleansing.With this kind of international consensus, when is the government going to do something substantive to hold the Myanmar regime responsible for these horrendous atrocities?
Mr. Speaker, the interesting part about making promises like the minister is just making is that he has to be trusted to deliver on them, and that is what we are talking about today. The Prime Minister set out his new mandate tracker last week and actually reiterated directives. The quote regarding the finance minister is that As Minister, you must ensure that you are aware of and fully compliant with the Conflict of Interest Act.The Minister of Finance has already been fined for not being in compliance with the ethics act. Given that the minister was found not to be in compliance with it, what is the Prime Minister going to do to ensure that his directive is enforced?
Mr. Speaker, the government promised strict measures, like the ones Australia has taken, to stop jihadists from returning to Canada. The safety and security of Canadians is the top priority for us.Yesterday, the minister refused to give us information on these traitors because he said that he did not want to give away operational details. Does anyone really believe that a basic question can compromise operations?Here is a simple question. Are these murderers under 24-hour surveillance, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, no changes have been made to the eligibility criteria for the disability tax credit or the tax credit for people with diabetes.For 10 years, the previous Conservative government made cuts to scientific research. Last year, our government invested $41 million in research into diabetes and $5 billion into mental health services for more than 500,000 young Canadians under 25.We are making this credit more accessible. We have simplified the forms and are allowing specialized nurse practitioners to fill out the forms if the applicants do not have a doctor.
Mr. Speaker, with the opening of the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk road, and the commemoration of the Alaska Highway, growth and the potential of the north has never been higher. Infrastructure investments mean growth of industry at a time when our communities are expanding and diversifying. Fuelling this growth are clean technology projects in energy, mining, and forestry sectors. By helping reduce greenhouse gases and improving environmental outcomes, we have committed to smart, sustainable management of our natural resources. Could the minister update the House on the importance of the clean growth program and promoting clean technologies?
Mr. Speaker, the revenue minister's list of greatest misses is truly impressive. First, she wanted to tax employee discounts, then she started rejecting Canadians who had been granted a disability tax credit. Now we learn from the Auditor General that her department does not just reject half the calls it receives but of those that actually make it through, 30% of Canadians get the wrong information. If the minister wants to win back just a little bit of credibility, will she make this promise today that no Canadian will face a fine or penalty if they followed the bad advice of her agency?
Mr. Speaker, first of all, I welcome the hon. gentleman to the House and congratulate him upon his recent election.Second, all members of the House share the angst and concern the member has expressed with respect to this particular situation. I would look forward to an opportunity to discuss with him and with the Minister of Justice any constructive ideas he might wish to offer about how we can improve our criminal justice system.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Yukon for his boundless optimism and his dedication to advancing sustainable development in our northern communities. Canada's clean growth economy starts with a sustainable and competitive resources sector. That is why this week we launched our new $155-million clean growth program to fund clean technology projects in the forestry, mining, and energy sectors, helping to reduce emissions and improve environmental outcomes. Our smart investments make our country a global leader in the transition to a low-carbon economy and a cleaner future.
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member opposite that we care greatly about the environment, that we are concerned about this incident, that Parks Canada is involved with the cleanup, and that we will continue to work very hard to ensure that we protect our oceans. As members know, we have our oceans protection plan. We are absolutely committed to protecting our oceans and protecting the environment.
Mr. Speaker, the only cutting of the Canadian Armed Forces that was done was by the previous government of billions of dollars.Under our new defence policy, we are investing in our people. In chapter 1, we are looking after people, increasing their pay, increasing their benefits, and, more importantly, for any deployed personnel on an international named operation, it will be tax-free. We are going to be making sure that we look after our forces. We are making sure that we are going to be looking after Canadian Armed Forces members.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member opposite for raising this very grave issue. This absolutely is ethnic cleansing, and the responsibility falls squarely on Myanmar's military leadership and civilian government. These are crimes against humanity.In Da Nang, the Prime Minister and I raised the treatment of the Rohingya directly with Aung San Suu Kyi. Our special envoy has visited Myanmar and Bangladesh to see first-hand what is happening. This is an urgent issue and Canada is absolutely seized of it.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to repeat what I have said to this House previously. I worked with the Ethics Commissioner from day one, disclosed all of my assets to the Ethics Commissioner, and I have actually decided to go further than she recommended by selling all of the shares in the company I built with my family and, in fact, make a significant donation to charity.I will continue to work on behalf of all Canadians, doing the work that we were elected to do to make our economy better, to help middle-class Canadians, and to ensure that the future is brighter than the present.
Mr. Speaker, we are seeing both parties in the opposition continuing to focus on me, and we understand why. What is hard to understand about the opposition member who just spoke is why he is not interested in talking about housing on a day when we are talking about historic changes in housing. We talked in budget 2017 about $11.2 billion to be spent on a national housing strategy. Today, we are unveiling how we will make a huge difference for families across this country. It is an important day for Canadian families. It is an important day for housing.
Mr. Speaker, let me assure the member opposite and all Canadians that at the NAFTA negotiating table we are fighting very hard, and in a very smart, fact-based way, for the Canadian national interest. We made good progress on some of the technical chapters in the Mexico round. However, I must tell members that significant differences remain on some of the key issues, such as rules of origin and chapter 19. I want to say to Canadians that we will always stand for the national interest.
Mr. Speaker, at least on this side of the House we can remember the homes that we own. For two years, the finance minister profited from his ownership in a company that made millions after he introduced legislation that benefited that same company. There was no blind trust. There was no sign-off from the Ethics Commissioner, and we only knew about his continued ownership with Morneau Shepell because he got caught. Now he is under investigation yet again.Canadians want to know what other skeletons the minister is hiding in his closet. When will he finally come clean, and reveal what else he is hiding, so Canadians can see his other conflicts of interest?
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Coast Guard's icebreaking services are essential for keeping our waters safe, protecting our shoreline economy, and strengthening our economy. We are working hard to ensure the continuity of these services, and the interim icebreaking services will supplement the program.
Mr. Speaker, I do not know why the Prime Minister cannot just simply denounce what happened at the university.The Prime Minister defends and protects hidden companies in France, shares that go up in accordance with the Liberals' decisions, and a bill that could result in personal gains. The Minister of Finance still controls many numbered companies we know nothing about.When will the Prime Minister order the Minister of Finance to disclose all the shares he bought, sold, or held in all of these private companies or trust funds since he was elected?
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to hear the minister mention the CSIS report, because I have a report here that states, in the last paragraph, that these people return to countries like Canada and that they wait for orders to carry out a terrorist attack.Now, the government is taking care of these people, as though they were small children who need to be coddled. We want to know whether these people are under 24-hour surveillance before something happens and it is too late.
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat that I agree with all of the Auditor General's recommendations. The former Conservative government decided to cut services, cut staff, and to cut the evaluation of the quality of services. That happened under former national revenue minister, Ms. Findlay.Instead of making cuts, we have chosen to reinvest $50 million over the next four years. We are taking real action to ensure that Canadians have the services they are entitled to expect.
Mr. Speaker, of course we are going to talk about the Minister of Finance.It was this minister who said that he would put his assets in a trust, but did not do so until he was caught red-handed. It was this minister who introduced a bill that put him in a direct conflict of interest because of his family business and who consulted the Ethics Commissioner after the fact. The Minister of Finance still has private numbered companies.Why is the minister not answering Canadians' questions and why has he not disclosed all his assets so that Canadians can finally properly judge him?
Mr. Speaker, in July, our American friends released detailed documents on their NAFTA priorities, including considerable detail on rules of origin for autos and other goods. They updated this document a few days ago. In August, Canada did not really release a detailed plan, but the minister gave a speech with considerable detail on the War of 1812. Today, Scotiabank is predicting the failure of NAFTA. When will the minister step away from the dinner parties and her progressive talking points and start fighting for the two million jobs that rely on NAFTA?
What is not a fabrication, Mr. Speaker, is the erosion of trust that Canadians are having in the finance minister. It is not just about what is hiding behind door number two, door number three, or door number four. What about Morneau Shepell stock held by family members? How much has he and his family profited from decisions made by the finance minister? Since the minister was sworn in, shares in Morneau Shepell have skyrocketed by 38%. Do Canadians have the right to know if the minister's financial interests and that of his family conflict with his public duties, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, my issue with the minister's responses is that every time he hears the fact that he broke the compliance standards, he assumes it is a personal attack, and it is not. We are just asking him to be accountable for his actions. The mandate tracker says: you must uphold the highest standards of honesty and impartiality, and both the performance of your official duties and the arrangement of your private affairs should bear the closest public scrutiny. Is anyone able to trust the minister when we know that in his personal affairs, he has broken it?
Mr. Speaker, we know the finance minister has already been found guilty of breaking the Conflict of Interest Act. That is clear. What is not clear, maybe as clear as mud, is how many other conflicts of interest he is in. Therefore, the finance minister has a choice to make. He can continue to keep Canadians in the dark, or he can reveal what assets he has owned in numbered companies over the last two years, or what exactly the finance minister is trying to hide. Yes, we are focused on the finance minister.
Mr. Speaker, I sense a pattern. When the Conservatives are in government, they blame everything on the Liberals. When the Liberals are in government, they blame everything on the Conservatives.What the Liberals need to understand is that their own Minister of Finance is currently under investigation for introducing a bill that could have helped him and several of his colleagues make millions of dollars.Bonus: he does not think there is anything wrong with this. Double bonus: he does not think there is anything wrong with holding assets in a company he is in charge of regulating. The Liberals promised higher ethical standards. Why can they not even enforce the bare minimum?
Mr. Speaker, getting through to a real person at the CRA is notoriously difficult, unless of course someone is a personal friend and fundraiser for the Prime Minister. In that case, he just picks up the phone for them.The Auditor General reports that 64% of calls were blocked, given the busy signal, or told to call back and disconnected. The government is raising taxes on diabetics, small businesses, and middle-class families, and it will not even pick up the phone to answer questions.Why does the government only answer questions for wealthy Liberal insiders and hang up on everyone else?
Mr. Speaker, subsequent to the point of order my colleague from Joliette raised on November 8, I would like to share some additional observations that I hope will inform your consideration of the matter. I also believe that the vote was marred by irregularities and should be retaken.As my colleague from Joliette said, the code of conduct for members of Parliament, which is part of our Standing Orders, clearly prohibits an elected member from furthering his or her private interests. In addition to taking part in the vote on Motion No. 42, a motion that will have an impact on his private interests, the Minister of Finance influenced the debate through his then-parliamentary secretary, the member for Saint-MauriceChamplain.As stated in the Guide for Parliamentary Secretaries, issued by the Prime Minister on January 16, 2016, a parliamentary secretary speaks on behalf of the minister. In other words, when a parliamentary secretary takes the floor in the House, it is the minister's words that we hear, as we can see on pages 1 and 2 of the guide. On page 1, under Your Role and Responsibilities, it says: Section 47 of the Parliament of Canada Act sets out the following succinct job description: The Parliamentary Secretary or Secretaries to a minister shall assist the minister in such manner as the minister directs. In this context, the responsibilities of parliamentary secretaries generally fall into two broad categories: (1) House business and (2) department-related duties. On page 2, under House Business, it says: In this context, the role of parliamentary secretaries in supporting ministers House duties includes: --attending Question Period; --piloting the ministers legislation through the legislative process on the floor of the House, in parliamentary committees...and with caucus and opposition MPs; --supporting the ministers position on Private Members Business; Later on, the guide specifically talks about the role of parliamentary secretaries with respect to private members' business. On page 4, under Private Members' Business, the guide states: Given that ministers do not generally participate directly in debates on Private Members Business, this is an opportunity for parliamentary secretaries to bring their parliamentary skills to bear. This is particularly so since all Private Members Business comes to a vote. Parliamentary secretaries play a key role in the Government's handling of Private Members Business, in that they: --may be called upon to speak for the minister during Private Members Hour; --work with the Government House Leaders office to organize and deliver the ministers response to Private Members Bills and motions; As members can see, Minister of Finance, by way of his his parliamentary secretary, reassured members of the House about the government's actions on this matter. He also urged them to vote against Motion No. 42. I remind members that if this motion had passed, it would have affected the minister's personal interests. I want to be clear. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance should have recused himself from the debates on Motion No. 42, since he speaks on behalf of his minister. I repeat, this minister's interests are directly affected by Motion No. 42. As my colleague from Joliette pointed out, we are talking about the results of a vote and about the integrity of the House of Commons as an institution, which you oversee, Mr. Speaker. We are here, at the heart of representative democracy, and at the heart of the trust that the public must have in its representatives. This vote should be taken again, since it was tainted.
Mr. Speaker, that is right. The Liberals are going to continue signing agreements with tax havens, as they did last year with the Cook Islands.Interestingly, when the Liberals wants something to happen, there is no stopping them. An infrastructure privatization bank? Done. Legalization of cannabis? Full steam ahead.However, families who need help paying the rent will have to wait until after the next election. The Liberals are incapable of paying public service employees. That is too complicated. They cannot even answer the telephone. People just have to wait on hold.I would like to make a direct appeal to the Minister of Finance. When will he come down from his ivory tower and start working for ordinary Canadians?
Mr. Speaker, two years ago, the government promised us an anti-poverty strategy. The parliamentary budget officer's report shows that the government has failed on that count. Not only has it not yet carried out an analysis of existing measures to see whether and how they are working, but also many of its measures are poorly designed. If fighting poverty is so important to the government, when will it launch a comprehensive anti-poverty strategy?
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to creating open spaces for Canadians to debate and express their views. In a free society, we may disagree with someone's views, but we must defend their right to hold them, unless those views promote hate. Intolerance and hate have no place in Canadian society or in our post-secondary institutions. We will continue to fight to ensure that the charter rights of Canadians are upheld and that every Canadian can feel safe and secure in their community.
Mr. Speaker, a leaked Parks Canada memo alerted British Columbians that thousands of plastic feed bags escaped from an aquaculture farm and washed ashore in the Broken Group Islands, yet for some reason the Tseshaht First Nation and other local groups were never notified. We only know about the spill due to the memo, riddled with talking points and concerns about negative press but containing no plan. Clearly, the government cares a thousand times more about its image than protecting the environment. Will the Liberals apologize to Vancouver Islanders and finally act to create a permanent, dedicated, and annual fund to help with marine debris cleanups?
Mr. Speaker, the question was about Phoenix. Governing is about making choices. Let us take a closer look at the Liberals' choices.A couple with no children gets nothing. A person who earns less than $45,000 gets nothing. Someone who takes the bus no longer gets a tax credit. On the other hand, someone who sends their money to the Cayman Islands does not have any problems. Someone who introduces a bill that will make him richer will write a cheque. Someone who wants to see the Prime Minister will pay $1,500. Netflix does not pay any tax. KPMG clients will get a deal.When will the Liberals stop working for their Bay Street millionaire friends?
Mr. Speaker, I am a bit confused because while Liberals help Stephen Bronfman and other friends who use tax havens to avoid paying taxes, Canadians cannot speak to anyone when they call the CRA to get help with paying taxes. While the finance minister gets a free pass from the Prime Minister, despite the fact he has interests in a company he is in charge of regulating, hundreds of thousands of public servants are paying the price for the Liberal government's incompetence in the Phoenix fiasco.Liberals have usually waited at least one full term before demonstrating a sense of entitlement. Why are they in such a rush now?
Mr. Speaker, I can assure you that we will not start singing How old are you now? on your birthday, but maybe as a birthday present, the minister could give you the gift of an answer to one of our questions.It is not only the Canada Revenue Agency that taxpayers cannot get an answer from. A letter, representing thousands of small businesses across the country, has been sent to the Prime Minister asking for clarification about his unfair tax changes. The Prime Minister has created so much uncertainty and confusion. When will the Prime Minister finally end all of this confusion and just stop attacking local businesses?
Mr. Speaker, the hon. gentleman can be absolutely assured that our forces are doing exactly the job they need to do. Approximately 60 terror travellers returned to Canada under the previous Conservative government. Not a single one of them was charged by the previous Conservative government. In fact, the previous Conservative government cut $1 billion from the security services of Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, the finance minister keeps repeating that he disclosed all of his assets since day one. We are not fabricating the fact he hid his offshore corporation for two years. The Prime Minister says the minister has always worked since day one with the Ethics Commissioner to ensure his personal finances were in line with the expectations of Canadians. We are not fabricating the fact he never received the commissioner's permission to introduce Bill C-27, a bill from which he and his family would profit.The minister still has mystery assets. Why will he not tell Canadians what is inside all of his other companies?
Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General's report is damning for the current Minister of National Revenue, not the minister who was in office two years ago. This report once again proves that the Minister of National Revenue is incapable of managing the important issues that fall under her agency's responsibility.Her mandate letter states that she must make the CRA a client-focused agency, but she is far from achieving that goal. On the new government propaganda website, the minister has put that objective under ongoing commitments. What does that mean? Does it mean the government does not care about this objective? The minister should have created a new category entitled we have given up on this commitment because we failed miserably.After two years, how would the minister grade herself on fulfilling her mandate? Would she give herself an E or an F?
Mr. Speaker, I wish to seek consent for the following motion: That this House call on the Department of Transport to prohibit the carrying of a knife with a blade measuring less than six centimetres on board aircraft.
Mr. Speaker, during question period, the Minister of National Revenue accused me of spreading disinformation. That is not very nice. I am therefore requesting the unanimous consent of the House to table the Auditor General's report on the Canada Revenue Agency, because I get the sense she did not read it.
Mr. Speaker, what I can promise is that we have been working hard on this for the past two years. I agree with all of the Auditor General's recommendations. The former Conservative government chose to cut services for Canadians by decreasing funding for call centres. That was done under the former minister of national revenue, Ms. Findlay. The Conservatives cut the number of agents in the call centres, reduced business hours, and even lowered service standards.
Mr. Speaker, there is more bad news on the inquiry into murdered and missing indigenous women. Following its interim report, which blamed Liberal interference for slow progress of the inquiry, there have been eight resignations and firings. The Prime Minister said he would review the report and pay attention to its recommendations, but nothing has changed. The Liberals have broken their promise to families to do everything in their power to help this vital inquiry succeed.When will the Liberals finally put words into action and bring this national tragedy to an end?
Mr. Speaker, as I said, we agree with all of the Auditor General's recommendations. I would like to point out to the members opposite that the previous Conservative government decided to reduce services to Canadians by cutting funding for call centres. Under former minister Findlay, they reduced the number of agents in call centres, the business hours, and the number of services. Rather than cutting services, we decided to reinvest. I am working to ensure that the Canada Revenue Agency treats Canadians not just as taxpayers, but as important clients
Mr. Speaker, of course the public safety minister has taken away the powers from all those police agencies. Two Canadians travel to Iraq. One goes to fight ISIS with the Canadian Armed Forces, the other decides to join the death cult as a terrorist. Both come back to Canada. The Canadian soldier is injured while serving our country, and the Liberals cut his pay. The ISIS terrorist, on the other hand, also comes back to Canada, but is offered taxpayer-funded reintegration training by the Liberals. Why is the Prime Minister cutting the pay for our injured troops while funding support services for ISIS terrorists?
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance is unfairly adding to Canadian entrepreneurs' tax burden.The Minister of Finance is telling our disappointed entrepreneurs to call him, but the Auditor General indicated that more than 29 million Canadian entrepreneurs did not have their calls returned. That represents almost half of the people who called the minister.I want to ask the Minister of Finance a simple question: when will he pick up the phone and answer the calls of concerned entrepreneurs?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have a nasty habit of imposing their vision on the provinces and municipalities. We saw this with the legalization of cannabis and the health accords. We have every reason to believe that they will do the same thing with the housing strategy. Some 1.7 million Canadian families are having a hard time finding places to live.Will the government create a true partnership with the provinces and municipalities in order to tailor the strategy to local realities?
Mr. Speaker, we keep getting told in this chamber that nothing has changed, and people are still eligible for their disability tax credit.However, we receive calls every day at our constituency offices about new rules that are rendering people living with type 1 diabetes, autism, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and developmental disorders ineligible for the disability tax credit, despite having receiving it for years.Families are desperate for help. When will the government stop making excuses and fix this problem?
Mr. Speaker, seven years ago, Lyle and Marie McCann were brutally murdered. Their family was never able to give them a proper funeral, because the murderer refused to reveal the location of their remains. Convicted murderers who re-victimize families by withholding the whereabouts of their victims' remains should not be eligible for parole. Will the Minister of Justice do the right thing and pass legislation that will fix our broken parole system to ensure closure for families like the McCanns?
Mr. Speaker, the innuendo and insinuation in the hon. member's question is simply completely false. In this country we have the RCMP, CSIS, CBSA, and other security services that do a superlative job, and anyone who needs to be under surveillance is indeed under surveillance.