House of Commons Debates VOLUME 148 Ï NUMBER 037 Ï 1st SESSION Ï 42nd PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Tuesday, April 12, 2016 Speaker: The Honourable Geoff Regan CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) 2039 HOUSE OF COMMONS Tuesday, April 12, 2016 The House met at 10 a.m. The Speaker: The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? Some hon. members: Agreed. Prayer (Motion agreed to) *** ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS PETITIONS Ï (1000) [Translation] HIV/AIDS FOREIGN AFFAIRS Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP): Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present two petitions. Mr. David Lametti (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the The first is from constituents in my riding of Saanich—Gulf Minister of Foreign Affairs and pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I Islands calling on the government to move to a national strategy on have the honour to table, in both official languages, the treaty HIV/AIDS, particularly based on the principle of treatment as entitled “Ministerial Declaration on Trade in Information Technol- prevention. ogy Products” adopted in Nairobi on December 16, 2015. *** SECURITY CERTIFICATES [English] Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP): Mr. Speaker, the second petition deals with the very troubling ongoing issue of the COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE violation of human rights and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in AGRICULTURE AND AGRI-FOOD the use of security certificates. In particular, the petitioners are very concerned that security certificates risk deportation to countries that Mr. Pat Finnigan (Miramichi—Grand Lake, Lib.): Mr. conduct torture. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the second report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and HEALTH Agri-Food in relation to its study of the main estimates for the fiscal year 2016-17. Mr. David Sweet (Flamborough—Glanbrook, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I have a petition, signed by dozens of my constituents, *** who are concerned about the imbalance in health care that was created by the government with regard to health care provided to BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE regular Canadian citizens versus that provided to refugees presently. Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): *** Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties, and if you seek it, I think you will find unanimous consent for the Ï (1005) following motion. I move: QUESTIONS ON THE ORDER PAPER That, notwithstanding the provisions of any Standing Order, for the remainder of 2016, when a recorded division is to be held on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the except recorded divisions deferred to the conclusion of oral questions, the bells to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): call in the Members shall be sounded for not more than thirty minutes. Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand. The Speaker: Does the hon. parliamentary secretary have the unanimous consent of the House to propose the motion? The Speaker: Is that agreed? Some hon. members: Agreed. Some hon. members: Agreed. 2040 COMMONS DEBATES April 12, 2016 The Budget [Translation] moment to sincerely thank my constituents of Kitchener South— Hespeler for the trust they have placed in me. I truly am blessed and REQUEST FOR EMERGENCY DEBATE honoured to represent them here in Ottawa. SITUATION IN INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES Mr. Charlie Angus (Timmins—James Bay, NDP): Mr. Speaker, Also I would like to thank all the volunteers and donors who suicide in indigenous communities is an international scandal. The played a vital and critical role in the election campaign. I cannot entire world is appalled at the scale of the tragedy in northern thank them enough for their hard work and commitment. From the communities and is urging the Government of Canada to take action. bottom of my heart, I truly appreciate their efforts and thank them I therefore request an emergency debate about this tragedy because it very much. I would not be here without them. is happening not just in Attawapiskat, but in all indigenous communities in Canada. Because time is limited, I will focus on five key areas in budget [English] 2016: the middle-class tax cut, the child benefit, the historic The crisis in Attawapiskat has gathered world attention, and infrastructure plan, benefits to seniors, and help for young people. people are looking to this Parliament to explain the lack of hope that However, first I would like to establish some context by telling is not just in Attawapiskat but in so many indigenous communities. everyone about the people of Kitchener South—Hespeler, the They are looking to us in this new Parliament to offer change. electoral district I represent here in the House. I am asking for this emergency debate because we do not have the Kitchener South—Hespeler is a new electoral district created in opportunity in this session of Parliament to raise this through Waterloo region. I know Kitchener South—Hespeler very well. It is opposition day motions. We have raised individual questions in the where I grew up and have lived most of my life. I would be remiss if House of Commons; however, that is not sufficient to be able to I didn't say how beautiful it is. There are two rivers that run through address the lack of mental health services, police services, and it, the Speed and the Grand, where people canoe and fish to their community supports in so many of the communities. hearts' content in the summer and fall. Also, question period is not sufficient for Parliament to talk about how we can actually build a national response, working with Historic Hespeler Village has been the setting for many movies indigenous youth, families, and leaders, to actually bring a hopeful and TV series. The natural settings are a photographer's delight. solution. There are lots of hiking trails and green space, and plenty of soccer In closing, the Prime Minister called the situation in Attawapiskat fields and baseball diamonds to play on. heartbreaking, but it is up to us as parliamentarians to turn this into a moment of hope-making. That is why I am asking my colleagues to Right in the centre of the riding, there is the 165-acre Chicopee work with me, to work together, to discuss this issue tonight, and to Ski and Summer Resort, where families hike and bike in the summer start to lay a path forward to give hope to the children of our and ski and snowboard in the winter. We are a blend of suburban northern and all our indigenous communities. settings with a lot of manufacturing and business parks, Canada's SPEAKER'S RULING premier polytechnic, Conestoga College, some regional government and health institutions, and all the usual retail providers. The Speaker: I thank the hon. member for Timmins—James Bay for this request for an emergency debate. I note the gravity of this situation, and I believe this does meet the exigencies of the Standing The most recent data from Statistics Canada tells us that the Order. I therefore grant an emergency debate for this evening. residents of Kitchener South—Hespeler number about 98,000 people, 23,000 of whom are children under age 18, and 10% of us are seniors, around 10,000. Our average age is 36. GOVERNMENT ORDERS This means that my riding has many young families that will be [English] assisted by our child benefit plan, which I will get to in a moment. THE BUDGET In brief, Kitchener South—Hespeler is home to the middle class FINANCIAL STATEMENT OF MINISTER OF FINANCE and those seeking to join the middle class. The House resumed from April 11 consideration of the motion that this House approve in general the budgetary policy of the The budget is one that will grow the middle class and help hard- government, and of the amendment, and of the amendment to the working Canadians keep more money in their pockets. amendment. Mr. Marwan Tabbara (Kitchener South—Hespeler, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I am going to be splitting my time today with the member For nearly a decade the middle class has seen stagnant growth, for Burlington. lack of job opportunities, and cuts to services. Real wages have not seen a significant increase for many years, and house prices keep I rise today to speak to the budget that was delivered by our hon. increasing, making it harder for the average Canadian to enter the Minister of Finance, but before I begin, I would like to take a market. April 12, 2016 COMMONS DEBATES 2041 The Budget Families are working longer hours, overtime shifts, night shifts, housing, early learning and child care, cultural and recreational and even two jobs just to make ends meet. At what cost are Canadian facilities, and green infrastructure that will adapt to climate change. families forced to work two jobs and long hours? This is robbing them of time better spent with family. I will be addressing five key areas of budget 2016. The first The fourth commitment is to seniors. commitment is the middle-class tax cut. Our Liberal government knows that, when we have a strong, healthy, and vibrant middle class, we have a strong Canada. I am The Liberal government made a series of promises to protect sure all in the House will agree that we live in the greatest country on income splitting for seniors, to restore the OAS and GIS eligibility earth.