House of Commons Debates VOLUME 148 Ï NUMBER 211 Ï 1st SESSION Ï 42nd PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Tuesday, October 3, 2017 Speaker: The Honourable Geoff Regan CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) 13827 HOUSE OF COMMONS Tuesday, October 3, 2017 The House met at 10 a.m. Acts and provisions that have expired, lapsed or otherwise ceased to have effect. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) Prayer Hon. Ralph Goodale (Minister of Public Safety and Emer- gency Preparedness, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, I would like to table, in Ï (1000) both official languages, a charter statement on Bill C-60, an act to [Translation] correct certain anomalies, inconsistencies and errors and to deal with other matters of a non-controversial and uncomplicated nature in the VACANCY Statutes of Canada and to repeal certain acts and provisions that have BATTLEFORDS—LLOYDMINSTER expired, lapsed or otherwise ceased to have effect. The Speaker: It is my duty to inform the House that I have *** received notice that the following vacancy has occurred in the [Translation] representation. COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE [English] PROCEDURE AND HOUSE AFFAIRS The vacancy is the seat of the hon. Gerry Ritz, member for the electoral district of Battlefords—Lloydminster, by resignation, Hon. Larry Bagnell (Yukon, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I have the effective Monday, October 2, 2017. Pursuant to paragraph 25(1)(b) honour to present, in both official languages, the 39th report of the of the Parliament of Canada Act, I have addressed my warrant to the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs. The Chief Electoral Officer for the issue of a writ for the election of a committee advises that, pursuant to Standing Order 91.1(2), the member to fill the vacancy. Subcommittee on Private Members' Business met to consider the order for the second reading of private members' bills introduced in the Senate and recommended that the item listed herein, which it has determined should not be designated non-votable, be considered by ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS the House. The Speaker: Pursuant to Standing Order 91.1(2), the report is [Translation] deemed adopted. OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER OF THE (Motion agreed to) ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT *** The Speaker: I have the honour to lay upon the table, pursuant to subsection 23(5) of the Auditor General Act, the fall 2017 reports of CANADA ELECTIONS ACT the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development Mr. Michel Boudrias (Terrebonne, BQ) moved for leave to to the House of Commons. These reports are permanently referred to introduce Bill C-364, an act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Develop- to make a consequential amendment to another Act (political ment. financing). *** Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise in the House today to introduce [English] a private member's bill to amend the Canada Elections Act to restore public funding for political parties. This issue was previously MISCELLANEOUS STATUTE LAW AMENDMENT ACT debated many times here in the House. With the support of all my Hon. Maryam Monsef (for the Minister of Justice and colleagues across party lines, I hope that we will finally be able to Attorney General of Canada) moved for leave to introduce Bill enhance our collective democracy properly. More importantly, C-60, An Act to correct certain anomalies, inconsistencies and errors however, I hope we can chase away the dark cloud that is hanging and to deal with other matters of a non-controversial and over the ethics of political party financing and restore public uncomplicated nature in the Statutes of Canada and to repeal certain confidence in our institution. 13828 COMMONS DEBATES October 3, 2017 Business of Supply (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) manager for his extraordinary leadership.” I said the name Jack Preset, and it should be Jack Oliveira. *** Ï (1005) I also said “Local 183”, but unfortunately, I paused, and it did not [English] come across clearly. The record currently says “Local 182”, but it should say “Local 183”. CRIMINAL CODE Mr. Mel Arnold (North Okanagan—Shuswap, CPC) moved I would like to make those two corrections. for leave to introduce Bill C-365, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (firefighting equipment). The Speaker: I thank the hon. member for Davenport for correcting the record. He said: Mr. Speaker, it is an honour today to table my private member's bill, Bill C-365, an act to amend the Criminal Code regarding firefighting equipment. This bill would amend the Criminal Code to establish specific penalties related to the theft of firefighting equipment. It would also create an aggravating GOVERNMENT ORDERS circumstance for sentencing if mischief involves firefighting equipment. Finally, it would establish sentencing objectives in relation to the theft of such equipment. [English] This summer I was shocked to hear reports of firefighting BUSINESS OF SUPPLY equipment being stolen and vandalized during the worst wildfire season in British Columbia's written history. After researching the OPPOSITION MOTION—CONSULTATIONS ON PROPOSED TAX CHANGES Criminal Code, it was apparent that there was a gap when it comes to the denunciation and deterrence of theft or damage to firefighting Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Carleton, CPC) moved: equipment. That, given the proposed changes to the taxation of private corporations as outlined The bill's proposed amendments would bring theft causing actual in the Minister of Finance's paper “Tax Planning Using Private Corporations” will danger to life in line with a similar scenario regarding mischief have a drastic negative impact on small and medium sized local businesses, the dealing with the same equipment. The amendments would also House call on the government to continue, until January 31, 2018, its consultations provide prosecutorial discretion over charges laid and judicial on these measures. discretion and objectives in sentencing in cases involving theft or mischief in relation to firefighting equipment. He said: Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the hon. Leader of the Opposition. I look forward to debating this bill in the House and hope for the support of my colleagues and the brave women and men firefighters The government says it wants to avoid unintended consequences right across the country as I move it forward. from its proposed tax changes. Here is one. What if these proposals (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) simultaneously raise taxes and reduce government revenue? *** Let us consider the government's new tax on so-called passive QUESTIONS ON THE ORDER PAPER income. Under the present system, when all is said and done, small Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the business earnings are taxed at the same rate as wages. The only Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): difference is timing. Assuming a 50% personal income tax rate, a Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand. wage earner pays 50¢ on the dollar in the year it is earned. A The Speaker: Is that agreed? business, by contrast, pays 15¢ in the year it is earned and the remaining 35¢ when she takes the money out of the company. The Some hon. members: Agreed. government claims that this is allowing the business owner to invest that 35¢ inside her company, growing a bigger nest egg than she *** would if she had paid all the tax up front. This, according to the OFFICIAL REPORT finance minister, is unfair. Ms. Julie Dzerowicz (Davenport, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. On September 20, I introduced my private member's To prove it, the finance minister's so-called consultation bill on Portuguese heritage month, and there is a correction and document has a table showing how much better off this small clarification I would like to make for the record. I misspoke at one business woman is from investing the after-tax proceeds of $100,000 point, and I would like to correct that. of business earnings versus investing the after-tax proceeds of $100,000 in wages. In the first instance, the business owner has At around 12 minutes and 45 seconds into my 15-minute speech, I starting capital of $85,000, with the small business tax rate being said, “There is no Portuguese fundraiser that is not supported by roughly 15%, in most provinces. As an employee, she would have Local 182 and Local 506. I want to thank Jack Preset as division only $50,000 as starting capital. October 3, 2017 COMMONS DEBATES 13829 Business of Supply The result is that if both she and her employee had the same generate tax revenue for the government. I am excluding all of that money and invested the after-tax proceeds, she, as a small business revenue from my calculation. owner, would have $62,000 at the end of a 10-year investment, and the employee would have about $58,000, using the round numbers the government provides in table 7 of its consultation paper. It is The finance minister suggests that these types of passive $62,000 at the end of the day at the end of the 10-year period for the investments inside a company constitute dead money. He is dead small business woman, and $58,000 for the employee. It is not fair, wrong. In fact, this bizarre claim contradicts his own consultation right? However, there is one key detail the finance department paper, which calculated that these very investments generate $27 excluded from this table. In fact, the only detail that matters is billion in income every year.