✔︎ M-163 (Women, Peace and Security Ambassador)

Motion

M-163: Women, Peace and Security Ambassador.

Vote

Yea.

Rationale

I am in support of this motion because it helps to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls which is a priority in Canada.

Result

Passed.

Community Support, Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Initiatives Funding Announcement

June 27, 2018 – Langley, British Columbia

John Aldag Member of Parliament for Cloverdale-Langley City announces New Funding for Community Support, Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Initiatives in Langley and Surrey B.C. This new Government of Canada initiative will support community-led projects events, and community capacity building the Surrey and Langley community.

Today, John Aldag MP for Cloverdale-Langley City announced three new funding streams that will strengthen diverse communities and support anti-racism initiatives in Surrey and Langley B.C. The government is investing a total of $51.9 million over three years, which includes new funding of $21 million for projects, events, and community capacity building. MP Aldag made this announcement on behalf of The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for Multiculturalism.

Consisting of three components, this new funding will support:

1. Projects that address racism and discrimination with a focus on Indigenous Peoples and racialized women and girls;

2. Events that promote intercultural and interfaith understanding, and celebrate a community’s history and culture, such as heritage months recognized by Parliament; and

3. Community capacity building projects that will help recipients support the inclusion of newcomers and diverse communities.

Programs like these help bring Canadians together and enable people from all backgrounds to fully participate in society. Those interested in applying for this new funding are asked to contact Canadian Heritage at pch.soutienauxcollectivités-communitysupport.pch@canada.ca.

Quotes

“Although Canada is a welcoming and diverse country, our government knows that we can do better. That’s why we are proud to launch funding for initiatives that will celebrate our diversity, embrace our differences and address issues of racism and discrimination. By encouraging mutual understanding between all Canadians, programs like this will help build a society where everyone feels a true sense of belonging and can fully participate in their community.”

- The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for
Multiculturalism

“Diversity is our strength and it is important that each of us works towards fostering a more caring and inclusive Canada. This funding will help us celebrate and embrace our differences, show pride in our individual and collective identities and ancestries, and work towards better understanding of others."

- John Aldag, Member of Parliament (Cloverdale - Langley City)

Quick Facts

In Budget 2018, the Government of Canada announced $23 million in new funding over two years
tackle racism and discrimination, with a focus on Indigenous Peoples and racialized women and girls, of which $21 million will support funding resources for anti-racism and community support initiatives.

Canada is continuing to combat inequity and exclusion that prevents some Canadians from fully
participating in our society.

Contacts:

Carly Haugen
Office of John Aldag, Member of Parliament
604-575-6595
john.aldag.c1@parl.gc.ca

Media only:

Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819-994-9101
1-866-569-6155
pch.media-media.pch@canada.ca

✘ C-345 (Canada Labour Code)

Bill

C-345:  An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (pregnant and nursing employees)

Second reading.

Vote

Nay.

Rationale

This bill would create an uneven playing field for federally regulated workers across the country, as legislation in the provinces varies in each jurisdiction. It may have the negative effect of allowing employers to shirk their responsibility to accommodate pregnant workers. Preventive withdrawal provisions already exist in the Canada Labour Code (sections 132 and 204-205.2) to allow a pregnant or nursing employee, if there is a risk to her health or that of her foetus or child, to be reassigned or have her job functions modified without loss in pay or benefits, or if this is not reasonably practicable for her employer, to take a leave of absence without pay for the duration of the risk. This bill does not identify which, or how provisions in provincial legislation would apply to federally regulated workers in those provinces.

Result

Defeated.

Spring 2017 Town Halls

On April 19 & 20, I had the pleasure of hosting two townhalls in our riding of Cloverdale-Langley City. The purpose of these events was to get input directly from constituents here at home, and hear about how our community feels about a broad range of Government initiatives.

I would like to thank everyone who attended for their dedication to bettering our community. For those who were unable to attend, and to follow up on some important questions posed during the meetings, I have compiled a “Townhall Review” for the benefit of those living in Cloverdale-Langley City.

If you have any other questions or comments about my work here at home and in Ottawa, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

John Aldag
Member of Parliament
Cloverdale-Langley City

Video replay

On The Issues

Budget 2017

On March 22, our Government tabled a budget that aimed to make strategic investments in the Canadian economy to ensure growth over the long term. In line with investing in the prosperity of the Canadian economy, our Government’s focus has been on strengthening the middle class and those working hard to join it because without a strong middle class, the entire country suffers.

Key Investments:

Transit

Transit infrastructure is one of the Government of Canada’s main priorities. As we look to ultimately transition from a carbon-based economy, public transit is fundamentally important to creating a green economy that is both beneficial to the environment, and stimulates job creation across the country.

In Budget 2017, the Government of Canada called for the investment of $20.1 billion over 10 years to directly fund transit initiatives through bilateral partnerships with provinces and municipalities. This includes over $1 billion that is being invested in the Lower Mainland for use towards projects such as those in the Surrey-Langley corridor. Ultimately, a further $5 billion will be invested in transit initiatives by the newly created Canada Infrastructure Bank.

Housing

Alongside transit, housing affordability is one of the topics I hear most about from the residents of Cloverdale-Langley City. The problem is felt across all demographics, from young people entering the workforce, to couples trying to raise a family, to seniors living on a fixed income.

In Budget 2017, our Government called for $11.2 billion over 11 years to be directed to housing action. This money will build, renew, and repair Canada’s affordable housing stock, creating new units for those struggling to find shelter, and easing the housing burden on all Canadian families. In addition, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Minister Jean-Yves Duclos has been working to create a National Housing Strategy that will target acute housing issues experienced by Canadians from all regions of the country.

Health

On February 21, the Government of Canada signed the BC Health Accord with the Provincial Government. Over the next 10 years, this historic agreement will provide more than $1.4 billion to our province, improve our overall quality of health care, and target initiatives such as improving mental health services and increasing home care infrastructure.

Budget 2017 also calls for $140.3 million over 5 years to tackle the growing issue of prescription medication affordability, and implemented the Community Heroes Program, which will help support the families of emergency responders who die in the line of duty.

At the townhalls, I heard about concerns related to BC’s opioid crisis. The Government of Canada is committed to addressing these issues, with $100 million over 5 years dedicated to opioid crisis mitigation, including a much needed allotment of $10 million to the provincial government to tackle the issue.

M-103: “A motion regarding systemic racism and religious discrimination”

In recent months, M-103 became somewhat of a contentious issue across the country. Proposed by my colleague Ms. Iqra Khalid from Mississauga, this motion sought to address the statistically observed rise in hate crimes being perpetrated upon Canada’s Muslim community, while calling for the Standing Committee on Heritage to conduct a study on strategies to reduce or eliminate race and religious – based hatred experienced by any Canadians.

The motion drew criticism for what was perceived to be a favouring of one religious community over others, and its implications on Canadians’ ability to exercise free speech. Because M-103 is a motion, it is a legally non-binding declaration of the House of Commons and does not have any ramifications on Canadian law, nor does it affect anybody’s ability to speak in whatever way they choose. Canada currently has hate-speech law that guarantees freedom of expression while criminalizing that which causes harm or incites violence. In addition, M-103 simply addressed the fact that while hate crimes decreased in Canada over the last several years, those enacted on Muslim Canadians have more than doubled. M-103 addressed this troubling statistic, while working towards a holistic solution to hate-based criminality in general. Overall, M-103 was similar to a motion concerning anti-Semitism introduced by Mr. Irwin Cotler, and passed unanimously in the House of Commons in the spring of 2015.

On March 23, I was proud to stand in support of M-103, and help pass it in the House of Commons.

You may find the exact text of the motion below:

“That, in the opinion of the House, the government should: (a) recognize the need to quell the increasing public climate of hate and fear; (b) condemn Islamophobia and all forms of systemic racism and religious discrimination and take note of House of Commons’ petition e-411 and the issues raised by it; and (c) request that the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage undertake a study on how the government could (i) develop a whole-of-government approach to reducing or eliminating systemic racism and religious discrimination including Islamophobia, in Canada, while ensuring a community-centered focus with a holistic response through evidence-based policy-making, (ii) collect data to contextualize hate crime reports and to conduct needs assessments for impacted communities, and that the Committee should present its findings and recommendations to the House no later than 240 calendar days from the adoption of this motion, provided that in its report, the Committee should make recommendations that the government may use to better reflect the enshrined rights and freedoms in the Constitution Acts, including the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”

Pipelines & the Environment

Kinder Morgan

Otherwise known as the Trans-Mountain Expansion, this pipeline runs from Edmonton to Burnaby, twinning the currently existing Kinder Morgan pipeline that delivers oil to the Port of Vancouver. The pipeline has been contentious in BC, and I have heard a great deal of feedback both in favour and opposed to the Government of Canada’s decision to approve the project.

The creation of the TMX pipeline will create 15,000 jobs, the majority in BC. That being said, many have been concerned about the ecological risks of this project. When approved, Kinder Morgan was given 157 stringent environmental conditions to ensure they are a responsible ecological partner to both BC and Alberta. Such conditions aim to ensure that the TMX pipeline delivers oil safely to market, and maintains ecological well-being in our province. Because TMX will twin an existing pipeline, the vast majority of construction will be done along the route of the existing line, reducing the environmental impact of construction.

Ocean Protection Plan

To further ensure the safety of our coastal waters, the Government of Canada has invested $1.5 billion in the protection of Canada’s oceans and marine-ways. The Oceans Protection Plan has four key priorities:

• To create a marine safety system that improves responsible shipping, protects Canada’s waters, and strengthens response measures;

• To restore and protect marine ecosystems and habitats

• To strengthen partnerships and launch co-management practices with Indigenous and coastal communities

• To invest in oil spill cleanup methods and research.

The Government of Canada believes that our country needs an advanced and effective protection system for our coastal waters, and building off of work done between Indigenous and coastal communities and various government programs, the Oceans Protection Plan will help ensure our province’s environmental health.

Protected Areas

As a member of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development, I have studied Canada’s network of protected areas. This builds off my experience with Parks Canada, and is a personal passion of mine. Not only do protected areas safeguard the ecological richness of Canada’s most sensitive and sensational areas, it promotes the value of our natural environment to Canadians, and people across the world.

In Budget 2017, the Government of Canada called for $364 million to be invested in Parks Canada over 2 years, which will help the organization continue maintaining Canada’s protected spaces, and expand to others. Canada has committed to protecting 17% of terrestrial land and 10% of marine areas by 2020 in line with our AICHI commitments, and I am incredibly excited about this important initiative.

Coal Phase-Out

Coal is a major carbon emitter, and one of the least environmentally friendly energy sources. The Government of Canada’s goal is to bring Canada’s electricity output to 90% non-coal generated sources by 2030. This will help Canada keep its climate commitments, and reduce carbon pollution by more than 5 megatonnes in 2030, the equivalent of removing 1.3 million cars from Canada’s roads. Pursuing this goal will mean cleaner air and healthier lives for Canadians.

Carbon Pricing

The threat of climate change is an immediate and serious risk to the well-being of all Canadians. That is why the Government of Canada has implemented a structure of carbon pricing. This system will ultimately be under the control of the provinces, and revenues can be used by provincial governments as they see fit. Rather than being a means to generate government revenue, the Government of Canada believes carbon pricing is an important initiative in reducing our country’s carbon emissions over the long term.

As British Columbians, we already have a long-standing provincially-implemented price on carbon, whose revenues are used to reduce the level of income tax paid across BC.

Seniors

Investing in Home-Care

Approximately 15% of hospital beds are occupied by those who could, and would rather be treated at home. As part of the Government of Canada’s efforts to improve seniors’ quality of life, the BC provincial federal Health Accord provides $785.7 million for better home care including addressing critical home care infrastructure requirements.

Budget 2017 has also called for an additional $1 billion over 4 years to help provinces and territories build this critical home care infrastructure, and a total of $6 billion over 10 years to address current home-care gaps.

Returning Eligibility for OAS and GIS to 65

In 2015, the Liberal Party campaigned on a promise to reverse a decision by the Conservative Party of Canada to increase seniors’ eligibility for Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement to 67. By maintaining the current eligibility of 65, this will help over 750,000 additional seniors every year.

Additional changes in benefits mean up to $947 more per year for Canada’s vulnerable seniors. This is estimated to help lift 13,000 seniors, 12,000 of whom are women, out of poverty.

Dedicated Housing Fund

Canada’s National Housing fund will help increase affordable housing for seniors, and dedicate an additional $200 million over 2 years for affordable seniors housing.

Digital Literacy Fund

Budget 2017 also proposes $29.5 million over five years, starting in 2017–18, for a new digital literacy exchange program.

This program will foster more inclusive Canadian Internet literacy by supporting initiatives that teach basic digital skills, including how to use the Internet safely and effectively, to certain groups that are affected by digital divides, including seniors, low-income Canadians, Indigenous Peoples, and those living in northern and rural communities.

Cannabis Legalization

Bill C-45: An Act respecting cannabis and to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the Criminal Code and other Acts

On April 13, the Minister of Justice tabled Bill C-45. This proposed legislation is the culmination of over a years’ work, and the recommendations of the Cannabis Task Force. It is clear that the era of cannabis prohibition has not worked. The current system has allowed organized crime to profit from the sale of illicit cannabis, and has not kept marijuana out of the hands of our country’s youth. Too many kids have easy access to cannabis and this needs to stop.

Bill C-45 calls for the legalization and strict regulation of cannabis, and implements serious penalties for those found guilty of driving while under the influence of marijuana, and for distributing it to minors. While the Government of Canada has set the lowest allowable age of majority for the sale of marijuana to be 18, the provinces will ultimately decide the age at which it may be legally purchased.

Our legislation is robust and well informed by experts in many fields, including health, public safety, justice, and law enforcement, as well as from over 30,000 Canadians. In the weeks and months ahead, our Government will continue to engage collaboratively with the provinces, territories, municipalities, and our Indigenous partners who share responsibility with us in implementing cannabis legalization and regulation.

Modernization of the House of Commons

Our government wishes to improve the tenor and quality of legislative debate and to make the House a place where MPs from all parties can best perform their duties on behalf of constituents. Consistent with our Party’s 2015 platform, Government House Leader, Ms. Bardish Chagger introduced a discussion paper on possible reforms to the House of Commons Standing Orders.

The paper contains ideas on how to modernize the House to make it more accountable, predictable, efficient, and transparent and we believe sensible reforms will serve to modernize this House to bring it into the 21st century and to make it more relevant, transparent, and accountable to Canadians.

There are three primary themes of this discussion paper: management of the House of Commons, management of debate, and management of Committees and included several specific possible ways to address these issues. Such proposals were the introduction of a “Prime Minister’s Question Period” which would dedicate one Question Period per week to questions answered solely by Canada’s Prime Minister. This would make him or her more directly accountable to Canadians, and allow the Official Opposition to directly investigate initiatives put forward by their Government.

Another suggestion was the re-allocation of sitting hours on Fridays to the remainder of the week. Currently, the House sits a half day on Fridays, meaning that those representing Western or Northern constituencies cannot get back in time for the rest of the work day at home. By distributing these sitting hours throughout the rest of the week, Members will be able to have longer work weeks, and spend more time connecting with their constituents. In addition, the discussion paper touched on the possibility of introducing electronic voting for Members of Parliament. Under current Standing Orders, parliamentarians vote by physically standing in the House of Commons and participating in a roll called by the Speaker. Our Government was interested in exploring the possible benefits of allowing Members to vote remotely, thereby increasing their efficiency, and the efficiency of the House of Commons.

The nature of this discussion paper was never to unilaterally change the way Parliament functions, but to engage with our colleagues in Ottawa, and Canadians across the country on ways that we could improve the House of Commons to reflect our 21st century world. Having discussed the matter at length with members of the Official Opposition, our Government of Canada will only be recommending changes in line with our Party’s 2015 election platform.

Q&A

What reassurance can the Government of Canada provide that Canada is taking a stronger position on the environment and climate change?

• The Government of Canada believes that we must gradually transition to a carbon-free economy if we want to mitigate the damage of human-induced climate change. Indeed, the overwhelming bulk of scientific research that across the globe, we must do more to address environmental issues if we want to maintain our current quality of life. In line with this acknowledged necessity, the Government of Canada is taking several key environmental initiatives such as the phase-out of coal-fired electricity by 2030, the Oceans Protection Plan and a national framework on carbon pricing. In addition, Budget 2016 and Budget 2017 invested significant funds into green technology, and our Government believes the fostering of clean tech is crucial to our efforts to combat climate change.

What is the Federal Government doing to keep up with the growing needs of electric vehicle services across Canada?

• Budget 2016 invested $5 billion over five years for the creation of green infrastructure, with a focus on electric vehicles and renewable power sources. For more information – visit http://www.budget.gc.ca/2016/docs/plan/ch2-en.html

What is the National Housing Strategy, and what does it include?

• Canada’s National Housing Strategy was unveiled in the 2017 Federal Budget. It includes $11.2 billion in investments over the next 11 years to address critical housing challenges across the country. This strategy has several key focuses, including housing affordability, the creation and maintenance of affordable housing units, making federal land more available for the creation of affordable housing, Indigenous housing and the unique housing challenges faced in Canada’s North. It seeks to work with provincial and municipal governments to form lasting and effective partnerships that will respond to the housing needs of Canadians.

• In Budget 2016, the Government of Canada announced an interim housing framework while the National Housing Strategy was implemented. This arrangement will continue for the 2017 fiscal year, with the National Housing Strategy and related funding being implemented in April, 2018.

• For more information on Canada’s National Housing Strategy, visit page 132 – 137 of the 2017 Federal Budget: http://www.budget.gc.ca/2017/docs/plan/budget-2017-en.pdf

What is the Federal Government doing with regards to Canada/US relations?

• The Government of Canada takes its relationship with the United States very seriously. With the world’s longest contiguous border, Canada and the US have a tremendous history of close cooperation. In recent months, many Ministers and Members of Parliament have travelled to the United States, and many officials from the US have travelled to Canada to share information about our respective countries and their local economies. As a member of the Standing Committee on Environment and Climate Change, our committee will travel to the United States this June to discuss important topics related to climate change, protected spaces, clean air and water, and ecological preservation with our US counterparts.

Can the Federal Government do anything to improve access to physicians and reduce surgical wait times?

• Ultimately, health care is constitutionally under provincial jurisdiction, and the distribution of health care funding is handled by the Provincial Government. With that being said, the Government of Canada provides provinces and territories with transfer funding that enables provinces to invest in crucial matters such as education and health care. The BC Health Accord signed between the BC Provincial Government and the Government of Canada will deliver federal funding to better equip our province’s healthcare system. With over $1.4 billion over the next ten years to be delivered, the BC healthcare system will be able to better adapt to changing conditions and improve the quality of care amongst all British Columbians. An important measure being carried out with this funding is a hugely substantial increase in home-care in BC. By allowing people to get adequate care from home, this both increases the quality of care for those who do not need to, nor wish to be treated in the hospital and opens up space for additional patients who otherwise may not have had access to hospital treatment such as surgical procedures.

What are your feelings on Electoral Reform?

• As a member of the Special Committee on Electoral Reform, I had had the ability to study the issue of Electoral Reform in-depth. While I personally believe that Canada would benefit from some measure of Electoral Reform, the lack of public engagement our Committee, and the Minister of Democratic Institutions had on the matter indicated it would be irresponsible to unilaterally change the voting method when most Canadians had little or no knowledge on the types of changes possible, and with little consensus on the best possible alternatives among those who were vocal proponents of Electoral Reform.

• If you would like to read more about my thoughts on Electoral Reform, you can read my public statement here: http://www.johnaldagmp.ca/my-work/electoral-reform-open-letter

Why was the proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline not approved?

• After thorough examination, the Government of Canada decided not to proceed with the Northern Gateway Pipeline. This decision was reached for many reasons; economic and environmental. With the Kinder Morgan Trans-Mountain Expansion going forward, the need for Northern Gateway to bring Canada’s oil to Pacific port was greatly diminished. Given that its economic value was lessened, disrupting the natural environment of British Columbia’s northern region made little sense when the Kinder Morgan pipeline would twin existing infrastructure, and cause greatly less ecological disruption.

How will legalizing cannabis make it less accessible to youth?

• The era of marijuana prohibition has frankly failed at keeping it out of the hands of our youth. Its proliferation on the black market has made it widely, and easily available across many youth forums, especially our schools. By legalizing and strictly regulating cannabis, the Government of Canada plans on making the illicit production and sale of illegal cannabis by organized crime simply unprofitable. When the unmonitored trade of cannabis is undercut, consumers will be left with legal avenues to attain cannabis, where age of majority laws will be strictly and universally enforced.

How is the Government of Canada responding to refugee claimants crossing over the US border into Canada?

• Canada has a long-standing, effective and compassionate response to those claiming refuge in our country. Upon entering, all individuals, without exception, are detained in an RCMP or CBSA facility and screened for any possible criminality concerns. Once an individual has passed this rigorous process, he or she is given temporary status in Canada, awaiting a decision by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship on the legitimacy of their refugee claim. If they are approved, they become a permanent resident of Canada. If however they are denied, they are notified they must leave Canada voluntarily, or be deported by the CBSA.

How is the Government of Canada responding to accusations of trade impropriety regarding Canada’s dairy and softwood lumber industries coming from the United States Government?

• The Government of Canada stands by Canada’s system of supply management, and is disappointed by arguments put forward by our US counterparts that our trade system presents an imbalance to the United States. We are continuing to engage our trading partner to resolve this issue, and the Government of Canada is proactively addressing all trade concerns regarding our largest trading partner, and those around the world. In addition, Canada’s Ambassador to the United States, Mr. MacNaughton, sent an open letter to the Governors of New York and Wisconsin addressing Canada’s dairy industry. In this letter, he challenges the argument that Canada is responsible for any challenges to US producers, which are caused by global overproduction, to which Canada does not disproportionately contribute.

How does the carbon pricing affect the local economy?

• Canada’s carbon pricing framework is a federal initiative that will ultimately be executed by the provinces and territories themselves. This means that any revenue generated through carbon pricing will be handled in whatever manner the provincial governments choose. For reference, in British Columbia, we have had a carbon pricing structure since 2008, whose revenues are used to lower the income tax of every British Columbian.

What is the Government of Canada doing to increase the involvement of women in politics?

• Striving for gender equality in Parliament and across the country is a fundamental goal of our Government. We have learned an important lesson: when women run for Parliament, they win. In fact, when women run for the House of Commons, they win proportionately more than men. It is crucially important to encourage women to run at every opportunity, and foster our country’s political discourse to be supportive of female candidates, Members, Ministers, and Prime Ministers. In 2015, our Government took the historic step of appointing a gender-balanced Cabinet. In the past year, we have seen 5 by-elections, in which the Liberal Party had 4 female candidates, 3 of whom won their riding along with another female colleague elected from the Conservative Party of Canada. In addition, our Government’s discussion paper on modernizing the House of Commons put forward proposals to create a Parliament more suited to the 21st century workplace. It sought to make the House of Commons more family friendly for both men and women, and decrease traditional barriers to entry for women entering politics.

With my name due to be selected to introduce Private Members’ Business in the House of Commons, what topics am I considering?

• At the beginning of every new Parliament, there is a random draw to select the order in which Members of Parliament are selected to proceed with Private Members’ Business. My number is 79, and I am due in late June, or when the House of Commons resumes in September. This “Members’ Business” can be a bill, concerning Canadian legislation, or a motion, which is a non-binding declaration in the House of Commons. I have several ideas for how to proceed with my PMB, including:

  • A motion calling for a study on broadening the eligibility of parental leave. I have been advocating for changes to the parental leave EI system since I became a Member of Parliament, and strongly believe that making parental leave more flexible will benefit all families.

  • A motion to establish February 21 as International Mother Languages Day. This day of celebration, already adopted by the United Nations and the Province of British Columbia, celebrates linguistic diversity both in Canada and across the world. This builds on work I have done in Ottawa and the riding, as one of the most influential advocates who pushed for the motion to be adopted in the UN is a constituent of Cloverdale-Langley City.

  • A bill to consolidate existing legislation concerning built heritage and National Historic Sites of Canada. This is an extension of my 32 year career with Parks Canada, over a decade of which was with National Historic Sites. Currently, Canada’s framework surrounding these crucial sites is inconsistent, and inadequately protects these pieces of our cultural heritage.

Debate on Budget 2016 (Bill C-15)

Debating Budget 2016 (Bill C-15) on behalf of Cloverdale - Langley City - May 9 & 10, 2016

"Madame Speaker,

I rise in the house today in support of Bill C-15, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 22, 2016 and other measures.

The much-anticipated, much-needed Budget 2016 is an essential step to grow the middle class and revitalize the Canadian economy. Budget 2016 has received a positive response from my constituents, I have received some questions, and I`ll address these to begin.

The first measures I will be speaking to are the elimination of the Children’s Arts Tax Credit and the Child Fitness Tax Credit.

These tax credits only benefit families who can afford to enroll their children in Arts and Fitness programs, which is not the case for many Canadians. When families do not have the money, the tax credit does not matter. We are committed to taking an approach to help working families. The cost of raising a family was the top issue raised during the campaign and continues to be a top priority in my riding. This bill offers true help to 9 out of 10 families.

I will now speak to some of the positive elements of this bill that resonate with my constituents.

The Canada Child Benefit is a new measure that will begin in July 2016 and will provide simpler, tax-free, monthly financial benefits to eligible families. The CCB will help those who cannot afford to put their children in extracurricular programs. It will give them the option of enrolling their children in programs that would otherwise be financially out of reach. Families who could not enroll their children in arts and fitness programs will now have that chance.

Our Government’s measures for families with children, combined with the middle class tax cut, will provide these families with additional net-after-tax benefits of approximately $14 billion during the 2015/16 to 2020/21 period.

The Canada Child Benefit will replace existing federal child benefits to provide Canadian families with the additional help that is required with the high cost of raising children. The CCB will provide a maximum benefit of up to $6400 per child under the age of 6 and up to $5400 per child aged 6 through 17 for families who need it the most. And high income earners will have their assistance reduced, even eliminated. This is good public policy.

Approximately 9 out of 10 families will receive more under the CCB than under the current system of child benefits. Ultimately, about 3.5 million families will benefit from the CCB, with an average increase of approximately $2300 annually.

As stated by Rob Carrick of the Globe and Mail “The new Canada Child Benefit is a solid win over existing programs in both dollar terms and ease of use. The money is tax-free, so it won’t have to be accounted for when completing your income tax return every year.”

In addition, the CCB will help raise nearly 300,000 children out of poverty by 2017, but it doesn’t end there, Budget 2016 will continue to support poverty reduction in future years. As stated by Anita Khanna, the national coordinator of Campaign 2000 “this is a historic step forward in the battle against child poverty in Canada that is long overdue and long called-for by Campaign 2000 and other groups.” 

In line with providing support for the majority of Canadians, Budget 2016 proposes to eliminate the income splitting credit for families. This initiative provides a better solution for helping those who need it the most. We learned during the campaign that many couples did not benefit. Our programs are more equitable. And I must note that income splitting for seniors remains.

The second aspect of Budget 2016 that I will be speaking to is the introduction of the School Supplies Tax Credit.

Educators often, at their own expense, purchase supplies for the benefit of our children, so it is only fair that they are compensated for it. Budget 2016 introduces a 15% refundable income tax credit that will apply on up to $1000 of eligible supplies. Teachers and early childhood educators will be able to use this credit for the purchase of eligible supplies for use in a school or in a regulated child care facility for the purpose of teaching or otherwise enhancing students’ learning in the classroom or learning environment. This initiative will provide a benefit of about $140 million over the 2015-16 to 2020-21 period.  

...

Mr. Speaker, in continuing to address Bill C-15, it is not every day that I begin by speaking about feminine hygiene products. Yet this is an important issue for all Canadians in redressing unequal taxation of essential goods. Currently, feminine hygiene products are subject to GST and HST as goods which are considered to be non-essential. Mr. Speaker, I think we can all agree this is a misguided policy and if not sexist, it is at least based entirely outside the experience of Canadians. I’m proud to say that Bill C-15 will rectify this disproportionate taxation of women, by removing the GST/HST on feminine hygiene products.

The next measure of Budget 2016 that I will address is Division 2 of Part 4, which amends the Canadian Forces Members and Veterans Re-establishment and Compensation Act. I wish to highlight 5 key improvements:

First, this bill will replace the “permanent impairment allowance” with the “career impact allowance” to better support veterans who have had their career options limited by a service-related illness or injury.

Secondly it increases the percentage in the formula used to calculate the earnings loss benefit. This benefit will provide income replacement of 90% of gross pre-release military salary for injured veterans who are participating in a Veterans Affairs Canada’s rehabilitation or vocational assistance program for those who have injuries preventing them from suitable and gainful employment. The benefit will also keep up with inflation and not be capped at 2% indexation.

Third, the Act will specify when a disability award becomes payable and clarify the formula used to calculate the amount of a disability award.

Fourth, the disability award will be indexed to inflation, in line with other New Veterans Charter benefits, and Higher Awards will be paid retroactively to all veterans who have received an Award since the introduction of the New Veterans Charter in 2006.

And fifth, the act also improves the Last Post Fund to provide financial assistance to the estates of eligible deceased veterans towards the cost of burial and funeral services. The estate exemption for families of low-income veterans will also be increased from roughly $12,000 to $35,000.

Canada’s veterans deserve our care, compassion and respect. The above measures would greatly improve income support to disabled veterans, including both veterans transitioning to the civilian workforce and those with injuries preventing them from suitable and gainful employment. However, our government’s support for veterans does not stop there. Over the next year, in consultation with the Veterans’ community, the Government will work to find a way to better streamline and simplify the system of financial support programs currently offered by Veterans Affairs Canada and National Defence for veterans and their families.

In addition to helping young Canadians, middle-class families, and our respected Veterans, the Government is committed to supporting Canada’s seniors.

Single seniors are at nearly 3 times the risk of living at a lower income than seniors generally, which is why Budget 2016 aims to increase the single rate of the guaranteed income supplement for the lowest-income pensioners by up to $947 annually. This enhancement more than doubles the current maximum Guaranteed Income Supplement top-up benefit and represents a 10% increase in the total maximum Guaranteed Income Supplement benefits available to the lowest-income single seniors.

Additionally, Budget 2016 will repeal section 2.2 of the Old Age Security Act, which increases the age of eligibility, from 65 to 67, to receive Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement Benefits.

Budget 2016 also addresses a concern that some of my constituents have brought forward; requests for additional support for senior couples living apart. Many times senior couples have to live apart for reasons beyond their control, including long-term health care, resulting in higher costs of living, and an increased risk of living in poverty. The current system provides recipients with Guaranteed Income Supplement benefits based on their individual incomes, but Budget 2016 will extend this treatment so couples also receive Allowance benefits.

Mr. Speaker, Budget 2016 puts people first and delivers the help that Canadians need now, not in a decade from now. It is an essential step to restore prosperity to the middle class. When you have an economy that works for the middle class, you have a country that works for everyone.

Budget 2016 reflects a new approach for the government: one that offers immediate help to those who need it most, and sets the course for growth for all Canadians. With the implementation of Budget 2016, the Government of Canada invests for the years and decades to come. We invest for our seniors, our veterans, our children and grandchildren, so that we may enjoy a more prosperous and hopeful Canada."