House of Commons Debates VOLUME 148 Ï NUMBER 139 Ï 1st SESSION Ï 42nd PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Monday, February 13, 2017 Speaker: The Honourable Geoff Regan CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) 8813 HOUSE OF COMMONS Monday, February 13, 2017 The House met at 11 a.m. These are the reasons I am here today to debate and defend this motion. [English] Prayer It is my belief and that of many of my colleagues that the Government of Canada must continue to recognize the important PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS role that co-operatives and mutuals play in the Canadian economy and ensure that the sector continues to thrive. There have been some Ï (1105) efforts to recognize that today's co-operative sector is as diverse and [English] innovative as the economy itself. However, these efforts have not been sufficient. ROLE OF CO-OPERATIVES Mrs. Alexandra Mendès (Brossard—Saint-Lambert, Lib.) Historically, co-operatives have been associated with agriculture moved: and agrifood; whereas today, co-operatives have evolved as an That, in the opinion of the House, the government should recognize the important innovative model in almost every sector of Canadian and global role co-operatives play in the economy and ensure that they continue to thrive by economies. In 2013, responsibility for co-operatives moved from taking concrete steps such as: (a) developing, in consultation with provincial and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to Industry Canada. It was a territorial governments, Indigenous communities and the co-operative sector, a federal co-operative strategy to promote and support Canada’s co-operative sector; move that was meant to reflect how the co-op model has grown, and and (b) providing periodic progress reports on pre-established goals and targets. that also began to consider co-operatives as equal to sole proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations. This represents She said: Mr. Speaker, hon. colleagues, I would like to first thank modest progress in the way that co-operatives and the co-operative my colleague, the hon. member for St. John's East, for seconding this model must be supported by the government. motion. [Translation] [Translation] The purpose of Motion No. 100, entitled “Role of Co-operatives”, That said, this change did not include a mandate to provide is to develop and implement a strategy to promote and support coordination and co-operation between government departments and Canada's co-operative sector. other levels of government or with the co-operative sector itself. This Some may wonder why I came up with this motion and moved it. also means that the department cannot implement any policies that I am very pleased to have the next few minutes to explain. I moved would have a positive impact on the development of co-operatives, this motion because the growth and success of the co-operative and address deficiencies in our economy and, ultimately, benefit mutual sector align perfectly with our government's objectives. Canadians from coast to coast to coast. These objectives will strengthen our country and invigorate and diversify our economy through the creation of long-term, well-paid, This government has ambitious plans to grow our economy, help high-calibre jobs. This motion will generate competition by lowering the middle class, and support those working hard to join it. Industry the cost of goods and services and giving consumers better choices. Canada has been renamed and reorganized. Now called Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, the department is [English] focused on its ambitious innovation agenda, which will help achieve It is an all-around win. the objectives of the government. Co-operatives and mutuals have a role to play in that agenda, and adopting Motion No. 100 is a crucial [Translation] step in ensuring that they are an integral part of that strategy. The government and I believe that when we have an economy that works for the middle class, we have a country that works for Co-operatives are inherently innovative. They are created in order everyone. In many cases, co-operatives are better than conventional to meet people's needs and to serve the people, first and foremost. In businesses at creating an environment that strengthens the middle my riding, Brossard—Saint-Lambert, we have excellent co-ops that class and those working hard to join it. offer vital services with a real focus on customer service. 8814 COMMONS DEBATES February 13, 2017 Private Members' Business For instance, Coop Aide Rive-Sud, an in-home support co- network of 32 community-owned co-ops, providing northern operative, provides a range of services including housekeeping, meal peoples with fuel, tourism, food, and employment. Arctic Co-ops preparation, errands, laundry, and hairdressing. The co-op's member- is now a successful and internationally recognized example of do-it- ship has grown steadily since 1997, and so has the number of jobs yourself community economic development in the Canadian north. created for the worker members, who are all employees of the co- As of 2012, Arctic Co-ops ranked 24th in Canada among non- operative. financial co-ops, based on total revenues. This success was partially the result of federal encouragement and support. There are many The user members rely on the dedicated work of over 130 worker examples of successful models, domestically and internationally, that members who are proud of being instrumental in bettering quality of offer strategic possibilities to fill economic gaps and meet social life at home. Of course, home care is a growing challenge in Canada, needs in Canada. and co-operatives are a sustainable model for client-focussed service. Ï (1110) This debate is an opportunity to draw the attention to what a [English] national co-operative development strategy might provide for Canadians from all walks of life: rural or urban, first nations and Another inspiring example of innovation through a co-operative Métis, young entrepreneurs, official language minority communities, model is La Guilde co-operative in Montreal, formed two years ago. the growing freelance sector, and new Canadians. Co-operatives It is a collective of 72 video games programming boutiques that have offer a point of entry and participation in the innovation economy. grouped together to scale up to compete in a global video game market. The co-operative movement is a global one, and offers countless examples of innovative and stable economic development that we Based on a democratic structure and built on a model of non-profit must learn from. Canada has not been quite as successful as producing co-operatives, La Guilde has equipped itself to respond in comparable economies in developing the co-operative and mutual a sustainable way to the real needs of independent game developers sector for our own domestic benefit. We rank 31st in percentage of in Montreal. Using the concept of shared services, these indepen- GDP generated by our co-operative and mutual sector. In a country dent, creative students are now a stable sustainable ecosystem that where 18 million people are members of a co-operative or mutual, can build out into an expanding global industry and compete with half of the population, and 3.4% of our GDP is attributable to co- established giants such as Ubisoft. operatives, we can do more, and we can certainly do better. [Translation] Ï (1115) By implementing a framework to promote the development of co- [Translation] operatives and mutuals in Canada and by fully exploring a strategy on how co-operatives can participate in the growth of every region Consider for example countries such as New Zealand, the and every emerging sector, we can maximize the positive spinoffs Netherlands, and France. It is important to note that these countries from the co-operative model in Canada. have returned to the co-operative model in recent years, specifically Quebec has felt the impact that co-operatives can have on local in the renewable energy, health care, and entrepreneurial co- economies. In the 1970s, Quebec had the highest funeral costs in operative sectors, thus allowing professionals to share their resources Canada. In order to address this issue, people organized themselves while remaining independent. under the co-operative model and, in the decades that followed, Quebec became the province with the lowest priced funeral services, With this motion, I am continuing the work begun by the Hon. services that constitute an emotional and financial burden for most Mauril Bélanger, which deserves all of our respect since the special Canadian families. committee's report was written in a completely co-operative manner. If Motion No. 100 is adopted, it will give the government the In its report, the Special Committee on Co-operatives, chaired by mandate to develop a framework and strategy for co-operative our late colleague, the Hon. Mauril Bélanger, quotes a brief development. This mandate is the catalyst needed for the govern- submitted by the Institut de recherche et d'éducation pour les ment to act on the recommendations made by the Special Committee coopératives et les mutuelles of the Université de Sherbrooke. It on Co-operatives, launched by Mauril about five years ago during reads: the International Year of Co-operatives. ...the presence of funeral cooperatives in Quebec for nearly three decades has had and continues to have a regulating effect by lowering the price of funerals in [English] Quebec by 50%.... [English] It has already been five years. I hope members will all agree with me that it is time to move forward with recommendations to draft a Many national co-operative success stories would not exist today plan, create a framework, and find a way forward.