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House Hansard - 98

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
September 20, 2022 10:00AM
  • Sep/20/22 4:54:51 p.m.
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Order. It is my duty pursuant to Standing Order 38 to inform the House that the questions to be raised tonight at the time of adjournment are as follows: the hon. member for Calgary Midnapore, The Economy; the hon. member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, Government Policies; the hon. member for Vancouver East, Indigenous Affairs.
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  • Sep/20/22 4:55:17 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-22 
Madam Speaker, first I must say that I disagree with the member's conclusions on economic policies with respect to inflation. To imply that provinces and even municipalities do not play a role in inflation is just outright wrong. They do, in fact, have an impact. One only need look at provincial variances, even within provinces. The member used the example of housing. That is something I would expand upon, but it is not what my question is about. My question is about the legislation. Everyone in this chamber supports Bill C-22. That has been very clear. Yes, there are some issues surrounding the details within the legislation, but there seems to be a general feeling that those issues could be dealt at the standing committee. My friend knows how busy the chamber can get and how limited the time is here, whether it is because of the GST tax credit legislation that will be coming up, opposition days or the dental care legislation. We have a good opportunity to try to pass this legislation so that it at least goes to committee, and then we can have all sorts of debate come third reading. Would the member not agree, given that everyone seems to be supporting the legislation, that it would be in the best interests of Canadians and people with disabilities to see the legislation go to committee? It seems to me that the principle of the legislation is universally accepted and supported in the House, so why not get it to committee?
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  • Sep/20/22 4:56:48 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-22 
Madam Speaker, I always appreciate the thoughts of the member for Winnipeg North. We get to hear a lot of them. Nonetheless, yes, it sounds like the sentiment of the bill, a benefit for the disability community in this country, is universally supported in this place. The devil is in the details and that is why we are here to debate things. I would point out again, as I did at the beginning of my speech, the lack of governance the Liberals are providing by not providing details as to how much the benefit will be, who is eligible and how it will be rolled out. All of these things should be in the bill. Those are the prerogatives of governing, and I would criticize the Liberals again for bringing forward a vacuous bill when they have been promising something like this for over three years.
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  • Sep/20/22 4:57:49 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-22 
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Peace River—Westlock for his speech. I want to tell him that, as a Quebecker, I value the right to die with dignity, and I support the non-partisan work that was done in Quebec in that regard. The intellectual shortcut he took from Bill C-22 to the issue of euthanasia is extremely dangerous. That said, I have a question for the hon. member. The study of Bill C‑22's predecessor, Bill C-35, ended a year ago when the election was called. Incidentally, today also marks the first anniversary of my re-election as the member for Shefford. I want to once again thank the voters in my riding for placing their trust in me. At present, Bill C‑22 provides for three years of consultations. That is a long time for persons with a disability who need help immediately and who are being affected by inflation right now. I also want to remind my colleague that I am very involved with disability organizations. My partner and I have done a lot of volunteer work, and a member of my family had a disability and passed away.
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  • Sep/20/22 4:59:04 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-22 
Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her work. It sounds like we are in agreement that this bill is lacking in details. I was very much looking forward to having details on this bill. As the member noted as well, this bill was in the works prior to an election that nobody asked for or needed, so I am hoping, like her, that the Liberals will be able to put some details in the window. We will see what we get at committee.
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  • Sep/20/22 4:59:43 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-22 
Madam Speaker, I agree with my hon. colleague that this bill is lacking. The Liberals have had seven years to put it in place, but there are no details and there always seems to be quick solutions. I will give a couple of examples. Pipelines received $2.2 billion in fossil fuel subsidies, something the Conservatives supported. The Conservatives were in power forever and had years to do something. There is all this money for corporations and all this money for corporate bailouts, but those with disabilities and organizations have to beg for a tuppence. Now the minister is saying that people have to wait for three years. I have offered a tangible solution. I put forward a bill, Bill C-223, in support of a guaranteed livable basic income that would lift people out of poverty, in addition to current and future government supports. The Conservatives talk about government waste. I can say there is lots of corporate waste that they continually support. I am wondering if the member supports my bill, Bill C-223, as he is so worried about lifting people out of poverty. It is a framework for a guaranteed livable basic income.
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  • Sep/20/22 5:00:57 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-22 
Madam Speaker, I must say that very few bills have elicited such a response as Bill C-223. In my constituency office, I have had thousands of people communicate with me over that particular bill. I will not be supporting it. However— Mr. Matthew Green: Contrary to all the emails. Mr. Arnold Viersen: No, that is not contrary at all, actually. Most of the emails were calling for me to very much not support that particular bill. However, I would point out that it is within the NDP's power to change this Parliament, as it has put together a confidence agreement with the government. While NDP members seem to share my disappointment in Bill C-22, I would point out that they are continuing to support the government.
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  • Sep/20/22 5:01:50 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-22 
Madam Speaker, as the member for Peace River—Westlock points out, Canadians with disabilities need more than a message. They need funds in the bank. I share his concern that the text of the bill is the exact same as it was in June 2021. Given the member's support for moving the bill ahead, can he share whether he also supports getting emergency funds to Canadians with disabilities who need it now, recognizing that the bill is not going to see the light of day for quite some time?
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  • Sep/20/22 5:02:24 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-22 
Madam Speaker, I am not entirely sure what the member means by “emergency funds”, but I would again point out that I am very disappointed that this is such an empty and vacuous bill. The prerogative of the government is that it gets to propose things, but this is hardly a proposal. This is three words on the top of a blank page. Members keeping saying to send the bill to committee, but I am not exactly sure how the committee will flesh some of these things out. I am sure we will hear from thousands of Canadians on what they think the government ought to do, but regarding how the bill will get fleshed out at committee, given my experience with committee, I am not exactly sure what to expect from that process.
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  • Sep/20/22 5:03:14 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-22 
Madam Speaker, I think the member brought up a lot of the shortfalls of the bill. The government, over the last few years, has been promising that it would bring it through, but we see that most of the details are being left up to cabinet to decide. I want to put this to him. Twenty-one regulations would be created through this piece of legislation, but it is leaving it up to cabinet to decide very simple things, such as when the benefit would be paid and what the rules would be for recision, which means how it would get paid back. The one that is most concerning to me is subclause 11(d), which says, “respecting the manner in which a benefit is to be indexed to inflation”. We have a cost-of-living crisis in this country. It is becoming more and more unaffordable, and when we go to the grocery store we see it. It is sticker shock for most people. The people on a fixed income, as the member was saying, are the ones who are hurt the worst, especially at the grocery store but also on their rent. Month after month, it is becoming more difficult to pay those bills, and now we would leave it up to cabinet to decide how this will be fixed in the future, for our benefit. Could the member perhaps weigh in with his opinion on whether this is a particular area that should be amended in order to provide certainty for persons with disabilities?
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  • Sep/20/22 5:04:32 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-22 
Madam Speaker, the bulk of the bill is on the so-called regulations side of things. Again, I do not know if we can determine in the regulations that the minister should tie this to a particular percentage point or something like that around inflation. I note that inflation is probably the number one reason that folks from the disability community are communicating with me to say that it is getting harder and harder to live on what they receive. It is interesting that the government would not just put in the bill that this would be indexed to inflation.
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  • Sep/20/22 5:05:23 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-22 
Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook. It gives me great pleasure today to rise in the House to speak to a piece of legislation that I think is essential to supporting Canadians, reducing poverty, making life more affordable and building a more inclusive and accessible Canada. Bill C-22 is another step forward on the path to reducing poverty in Canada. Our government has been focusing on uplifting Canadians and identifying the barriers that limit people in communities from economic advancement and participation. It is why, in 2018, Canada's first-ever Opportunity for All poverty reduction strategy was launched. Opportunity for All focused on government action to reduce poverty through dignity, opportunity and inclusion, resilience, and security. These are the pillars that have guided our government's work in identifying how to better serve Canadians, while also measuring the progress of our efforts in tackling poverty. Poverty is a long-standing problem in this country and has persisted for much too long. It can and must come to an end. As a government, we have been strong in implementing measures to serve all Canadians in the pursuit of poverty reduction. We have seen significant improvement in the lives of Canadians and their families through the increases to the Canada child benefit, which has lifted hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. By listening to seniors, we have provided increases to the guaranteed income supplement, which has lifted many thousands of seniors out of poverty. There is also the creation recently of the Canada workers benefit, which provides tax credits to low-income workers across Canada. All of these benefits help to build up our middle class and support people who are most at risk of living in poverty. What all of these measures have in common is that they are necessary for reducing the risk of Canadians' finances receding below the poverty line. What they also demonstrate is that we have a real track record of taking sizable and tangible steps forward on tackling the income gaps that exist in Canada. We are committed to continuing to bridge these gaps. It is why I am very pleased to speak to Bill C-22, an act to reduce poverty and to support the financial security of persons with disabilities by establishing the Canada disability benefit. As a part of our government's poverty reduction strategy, persons with disabilities were identified as one of numerous groups at risk of living in poverty. As we know, over six million Canadians have been identified as persons with disabilities, and six million is by no means a small segment of the population. Many of our family members and neighbours are persons living with one or more disabilities, which is exactly why this bill is a crucial measure for improving the financial security of the Canadians who need it most. The Canada disability benefit would build upon the groundwork that has been established by this government to ensure the rightful inclusion of persons with disabilities. This is directly in line with not just our government's commitment to poverty reduction, but another important piece of legislation, called the Accessible Canada Act, which came into force in 2019. It mandates that Canada must improve and move toward a barrier-free Canada by 2040. Building upon the work that our government has done for Canadians with disabilities is of the upmost importance to this government. It is why we have initiated consultations with the disability community and other equity-seeking groups as a part of the disability inclusion action plan to ensure that our government continues to develop policy that is reflective of the needs of Canadians. This bill will be a cornerstone of our disability action plan. The Canada disability benefit will greatly impact the lives of many Canadians, as this legislation seeks to reduce poverty and support the financial security of working-age persons with disabilities. The Canada disability benefit will become another crucial part of Canada's social security net, as it will address the long-standing financial hardships felt by persons with disabilities. Supporting the financial security of persons of working age with disabilities is at the heart of this bill as approximately one in five Canadians is living with a disability. As we know from the Canadian Survey on Disability from 2017, approximately 22% of working-age Canadians with disabilities were living in poverty in 2017. Furthermore, persons with severe disabilities, at 26%, and very severe disabilities, at 31%, are particularly vulnerable and experience high rates of poverty, nearly three times the rate that persons without disabilities experience, which was roughly 11% in 2017. Let me repeat that: Living with a severe disability makes a person three times more likely to live in poverty. That is a social injustice that needs to be rectified as soon as possible. The income supplement that is proposed in this legislation will help provide additional needed income assistance over and above those offered by provincial and territorial governments. In addition to the vulnerability of individuals living with severe and very severe disabilities, those who also identify as members of the BIPOC community and/or as LGBTQ2S+ have also been reported to have a greater likelihood of facing income insecurity. We must also not forget the strain that the pandemic has put on these communities. Of course, the inflationary pressures we are seeing caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the supply chain disruptions that resulted, not to mention Russia's unjust war on Ukraine and China's zero-COVID policy, have continued to exacerbate an already challenging increase to the cost of living. It is a priority of our government to create legislation that enhances the lives of persons with disabilities, which is exactly why implementing the Canada disability benefit to strengthen the financial security of working-age persons living with disabilities will do just that. By working with the provinces and territories, the implementation of the Canada disability benefit will serve as an income supplement to ensure those who qualify for the benefit do not experience clawbacks in their finances from other income supports that they currently receive. We will make sure people are better off as a result. Through an inclusive consultation process centred on the disability community and stakeholders across the country that serve them, provinces and territories included, the development of the disability benefit will be designed to work for the people it is intended to help. This legislation provides a framework for enacting this important support while creating the room for details to be formulated through regulation. We have all heard of the principle of “nothing about us without us”, and this legislation provides the framework for staying true to this principle. This legislation allows us to do this now and delay no further. The Conservatives seem to fail to understand the concept of a framework legislation and a consultation process that will help determine more specifics as we move forward. I have heard first-hand from people in my community who live with disabilities of the financial strains and hardships that they deal with on a day-to-day basis. I want to highlight the story of a man named David whom I spoke to last week in my riding. David has several disabilities, and his wife also lives with a disability. David and his wife have four children and an annual income that puts them well below the poverty line. David's family receives the Canada child benefit, thankfully, which provides them with much-needed extra funds to support their family. In David's case, the Canada disability benefit would provide further financial security to his family. Many Canadians share a very similar experience to David. I also spoke recently with a woman named Marie in my riding, who is a former school teacher who suffered from a stroke and now faces challenges with mobility and communication. Her husband has taken on the role of a caregiver in their home, and Marie requires the use of a wheelchair and remains on the first floor. The couple are living well below the poverty line and reached out to me to get advice on how they could raise funds to widen a doorway, just so Marie could get out to her backyard and experience some fresh air. These stories are heartbreaking to hear, but they are not uncommon, and I know Marie and her family, as well as David, will benefit greatly from the Canada disability benefit. We must continue the work of adequately addressing the financial insecurity that millions of persons with disabilities experience. Like in Marie's and David's cases, the need for special equipment, customized supports for cars or homes, and medical procedures can really add up and increase the financial burdens they experience. I am confident that the Canada disability benefit will greatly benefit many low-income, working-age Canadians with disabilities. As a government, we will continue to work diligently to reduce the risk of poverty for those individuals. I fully support Bill C-22, as I know this benefit will improve lives and lift Canadians out of poverty. I encourage all opposition members to do so as well.
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  • Sep/20/22 5:15:17 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-22 
Madam Speaker, in the paragraph the member was reading that said persons with disabilities represent about one in five Canadians, there was a section he read that was discussing the potential benefits and who might be getting this. Is he implying that the government believes that up to one in five Canadians would therefore be eligible for this benefit? Is that the government's goal? It is not in the legislation, so all we have to go on is just making assumptions based on the 21 regulations. I am putting it to the member: Are one in five Canadians going to get this benefit?
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  • Sep/20/22 5:15:52 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-22 
Madam Speaker, I do not think that one in five Canadians will receive or be eligible for the Canada disability benefit. I believe it will be targeted at working-age individuals living with a disability who need supplemental income in addition to the income benefits they already get. It really has to be very targeted. That is why I think the consultation process across the country with provinces and territories, assessing the cost of living and looking at the basket of goods Canadian families need to purchase are very important. We need to design this benefit so that it works for all individuals who are of working age and who cannot work because of their disability.
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  • Sep/20/22 5:16:48 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-22 
Madam Speaker, as we have said repeatedly, the bill's framework is sound. No one can be against doing the right thing, but many elements are missing. Here is my concern. We are talking about people with disabilities. Can my colleague reassure me that Ottawa will not interfere with provincial jurisdictions? After all, this bill really falls within the health portfolio.
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  • Sep/20/22 5:17:21 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-22 
Madam Speaker, the consultation process that is engaging provinces and territories in designing this benefit is essential for ensuring that this really is a supplemental income benefit that individuals living with disabilities will be able to get. There is no intention, from my perspective, to overstep into provincial jurisdiction, but to work collaboratively with stakeholders who serve individuals living with disabilities, with the families and individuals who live with those disabilities, and with the provincial counterparts we have, in order to ensure this benefit really leaves people better off.
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  • Sep/20/22 5:18:11 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-22 
Madam Speaker, I agree that poverty for those with disabilities is a crisis in this country, and the Liberals have had seven years to address this crisis. This is my second time being elected, and this crisis still has not been addressed, and then I read that it is going to take three years for anybody to even receive this benefit. This is deeply concerning, because we know, according to Disability Without Poverty, that 41% of people impacted by poverty are those with disabilities. We have had solutions on the table. I will give an example. P.E.I. has put forward a proposal for a guaranteed livable basic income; it is just waiting for support from the federal government. I put forward a private member's bill, Bill C-223, in support of a framework for a guaranteed livable basic income, which is supported by disability groups across the country, to lift people out of poverty now. I am wondering if the hon. member supports a guaranteed livable basic income, especially for persons with disabilities.
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  • Sep/20/22 5:19:25 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-22 
Madam Speaker, I thank the member opposite for her incredible work and advocacy for individuals who lack the income to live a full life. I have always been a vocal advocate for a guaranteed basic income, and I have never hidden that from anybody. I think the patchwork of benefits we offer today could be greatly enhanced by a guaranteed basic income, so I thank the member.
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  • Sep/20/22 5:20:05 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-22 
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak to Bill C-22. I must say the Canada disability benefit act is long in waiting and I am proud that our government is moving forward on this important legislation. I am also very proud of our minister, who has been a strong leader in this area since 2015. I call her the ace in the hole that we have, and that leadership will benefit us as we move forward in this important area. Our government has created a strong environment in which all Canadians can succeed. It is extremely important that we have an economy in which all Canadians and individuals have the opportunity to participate and to which all can contribute. I want to bring us back to 1967 and a Liberal government under the leadership of the Right Hon. Lester Pearson, who at the time stood up in this House and said that no seniors should live in poverty. That is why we saw the creation of the guaranteed income supplement. As well, in 2016, our government stood up and said that no child should live in poverty, and that is why we brought forward the Canada child benefit, which lifted hundreds of thousands of young Canadians out of poverty. Today, we are standing before members and saying that no people with disabilities should live in poverty. That is why we are coming forward with this very important bill to support people with disabilities in our country. It is clearly evident that people with disabilities face unique barriers in many areas, in particular health, social well-being and financial security. We have seen that. During the challenges of COVID, it became very evident, or more evident. I had many calls in my office from people with disabilities. It is important to note that people with disabilities are twice as likely as other Canadians to be living in poverty. I would also say that six million people above the age of 15 have identified themselves as living with disabilities. That is 22% of our population. Fifty-nine per cent of those individuals living with disabilities are working, whereas 80% of other Canadians are working. Those numbers are the reason we are bringing forward this bill today. It is time. It is a must, and we need to continue that leadership today. I want to talk about the process here. Consultation started over a year ago with various organizations representing people with disabilities. We have been talking with people with disabilities right across the country. That process needs to continue, because we cannot finish the work without having their feedback and without understanding fully the challenges they face and what solutions can be brought to the table. The second part of consultation that is extremely important is with the provinces and territories. As we know and some members might make references to, the issue of people with disabilities is under the jurisdiction of the provincial governments. However, once again, the federal government must step up and support people with disabilities, as we did with health care and with education, etc. It is important to note that in these discussions with the provinces and territories that this funding is a supplement and not a replacement of funds. There would be no clawbacks, which is crucial. That is why consultation is so important to find ways of making this work for people with disabilities who have those challenges and are living in poverty. That way, we can eliminate some of those challenges, and it is not by clawbacks. I want to share something from Rick Hansen. He said that the Canadian disability benefit is precisely the tool that is required at this time to address poverty among people with disabilities and the hardships that they face every day. He also stated that the Canadian disability benefit would enable access to the workforce for some and an increased participation in Canadian culture for many others. I will now talk about some of the programs out there, nationally and locally. One is Ready, Willing and Able. It is a partnership between the Canadian Association for Community Living and the Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorder Alliance and its partners. This organization has conversations and partnerships with over 10,000 businesses in this country, 4,000 of which are active discussions taking place as we speak. There are 3,000 people with disabilities who are working because of the partnership built with these businesses across the country, which is a success story that our government has been working on and funding through this program. Also, in my riding of Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, we have Building Futures, which is an organization that I have had the opportunity to visit on many occasions. It has four social enterprises that it has built, and people with disabilities are working and controlling all four. One is Assembly Plus, which is assembling various electronics, equipment and manufacturing parts for businesses, and it is a very important piece of the finished product. There is the Futures Birds, which is custom artwork. It is another business that creates jobs and opportunities. Another is the Futures Impressions, or copy shop, which is a successful printing shop that has been opened for over 30 years. At times, I have been able to get some of my printing done there as well. Of course, when I go to visit the Futures Café, which started in 2015, I enjoy the great meal it provides and I continue to support the great work that it does. These are the types of things that are important. In the few minutes I have left, I want to explain to Canadians the process. We are in second reading debate on the bill, which will be followed by a vote. If the vote is successful, the bill will go to the HUMA committee, and I am expecting all members to support it. The committee will come back with a report. There will be debate and then a vote, and if successful, which it should be, it will go to the Senate where the same process will take place. Then, of course, there is royal assent. I will finish my remarks by reading from an article by André Picard who wrote, “Canada has a remarkable opportunity to lift hundreds of thousands—perhaps millions—of people out of poverty”, and this legislation would help in that area.
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  • Sep/20/22 5:29:22 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-22 
Madam Speaker, allow me to acknowledge my hon. colleague. I am glad we are meeting again in Ottawa instead of Edmonton. Let us consider the nature of this bill. As a man of rigour, does he not feel that, in being asked to vote in favour of this bill, we are being asked to vote for a principle? Voting for a principle when it comes to people with functional limitations and disabilities is something everyone can obviously agree on, but what is the actual substance of this bill? I find it lacks rigour. Who is it really for? Is it a temporary, band-aid solution, or are we going to see long-term solutions? Can the government revamp its relationship with Quebeckers and Canadians with disabilities? It has a responsibility to provide these people with a better quality of life. I think this bill lacks long-term vision, but I do not think that was the government's intention. Can the member help me understand?
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