Dan Vandal

[Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 1, June 7th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, it is always an honour to rise on behalf of my constituents in Saint-Boniface—Saint-Vital to speak to these important issues in the House.

It is a great honour to rise today on behalf of the citizens of Saint Boniface—Saint Vital who, on October 19, voted for change, change in leadership, in direction, and in priorities for our country. I am very happy to say that budget 2016 delivers on those promises of change.

As a former city councillor for many years, I am proud to say that this budget delivers on our commitment to rebuild our communities, both rural and urban, as well as rebuilding our cities.

Just this last weekend I had the pleasure to attend the Federation of Canadian Municipalities annual general meeting in Winnipeg, Canada. There, cities and municipalities from coast to coast to coast met in Winnipeg and they collectively sent the message that they had been sending for the last 20 years to little avail. That message is that cities are in desperate need of the most basic of infrastructure. Whether it is regional roads, residential streets, back lanes, sidewalks, bridges, community centres, libraries, pools, day cares, and more, all need the help and the investment of the federal government.

Let me give members a little real-time example. The City of Winnipeg currently spends $1 billion a year on infrastructure, above ground infrastructure only, and the heavy construction industry of Manitoba commissioned a study about six years ago that said that the City of Winnipeg should actually be spending an extra $300 million per year on above ground infrastructure, just to maintain the current infrastructure at its current level. That bears repeating. This would not actually improve our infrastructure; it would only maintain it to the level that it is currently at today. I daresay that cities cannot do this alone, and the time has never been better for federal investment into our infrastructure.

This weekend, I spoke to a councillor from the great ward of St. Boniface, Mathieu Allard. I also spoke with a councillor from Transcona, Mr. Russ Wyatt, who spoke about the absolute need of the federal government to partner with municipalities to construct transportation infrastructure on the east side of the city of Winnipeg, which is one of the fastest-growing segments of the entire city. Whether it is Woodvale-Lagimodiere, whether it is Marion Street, whether it is Archibald Street, the city is crying out for partnerships from the federal government to get the traffic moving on the east side of the city.

Those very same councillors spoke of the need for the federal government to also partner with Transcona on the Transcona outdoor pool project, as well as the Taché Boulevard walkway project in St. Boniface.

The councillor for St. Boniface spoke to me about the importance of the Tache Boulevard walkway project in front of the St. Boniface Cathedral. It is a wonderful project, one that is extremely important to the people of St. Boniface. It is supported not only by the City of St. Boniface, but also by the Winnipeg Foundation. The only thing missing is infrastructure funding from the federal government.

Both of these are very worthy projects that will be eligible under our green and our social infrastructure programs, which will be rolled out in the future.

I also spoke with a councillor from Point Douglas, Mike Pagtakhan, who emphasized the necessity for a new Arlington Street Bridge, which connects central Winnipeg to the north end of Winnipeg. I spoke to the councillor from Elmwood, Jason Schreyer, who advocated strongly for a new Louise Bridge, a piece of infrastructure that should have been renewed long ago but fell by the wayside because of a lack of funding by all levels of government.

I spoke to the councillor from Old Kildonan, Devi Sharma, who advocated on the merits of completing the ring road project called Chief Peguis Trail, which would link Main Street to the CentrePort project, an initiative not only important to alleviate traffic congestion in Winnipeg but also to enhance economic development opportunities at CentrePort Canada, Winnipeg's very own inland port located near the airport.

Winnipeg needs to catch up on its rapid transit obligations. The future of cities is closely connected to managing traffic, getting rid of gridlock, and getting traffic moving again, and nothing does that better than getting people out of their cars and getting them to use rapid transit. Winnipeg has ambitious plans for rapid transit and what it needs is a federal government that is equally interested.

I am equally proud that our first slice of infrastructure spending will be on what is arguably the most important of all, our underground infrastructure: water systems and wastewater treatment systems.

People have to understand that for many years federal and provincial governments have been extremely reluctant to invest in our underground systems for a simple and cynical reason, because we do not often get to cut ribbons when pipe is placed underground. It is not a play structure that would be immediately utilized by hundreds of children in any park or schoolyard. It is not a bridge that would benefit thousands of citizens as they commute back and forth. Nonetheless it is probably the most important of all because nothing is more important than clean water and a clean environment.

That is why I am proud that budget 2016 makes green infrastructure its first priority. It is filling a void that previous federal and provincial governments have created, because make no mistake about it, cities cannot do it by themselves and budget 2016 recognizes this.

We will also be giving families more money to help with the high cost of raising their children. We will be introducing a more generous, simplified, and tax-free Canada child benefit to give families more money to raise their children. Our Canada child benefit is geared to income. Those who need the help the most will receive the help, single- and low-income families. Our plan will raise 300,000 children out of poverty. This is an important measure that will give children a better opportunity at a brighter future. Families in Manitoba alone will receive $490 million more next year than the previous year. That is incredibly significant.

Another part of our plan is to raise the guaranteed income supplement for low-income seniors by 10%. This would give one million of our most vulnerable seniors, often women, almost $1,000 more per year.

The budget includes a $675-million investment in CBC/Radio-Canada, a national institution that is crucial to official language minority communities. In Saint Boniface, Radio-Canada Manitoba, which broadcasts on radio and television, is an important member of the Franco-Manitoban community that supports and promotes our culture.

The federal budget recognizes the contribution of cultural industries to the Canadian economy by committing $1.9 billion to arts and culture over five years. These investments will support major national institutions, protect both official languages, and support industries that showcase Canadian culture, including the Canada Council for the Arts, Telefilm Canada, and the National Film Board of Canada.

Recently a round table was held at the Barbara Mitchell Family Resource Centre. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and I met with community organizations to discuss poverty and housing issues. Stakeholders discussed the urgent need for affordable housing and that such housing needs to be part of a larger community plan in mixed neighbourhoods, creating an ecosystem of community housing that supports people through training programs and other services.

Budget 2016 proposes to double the current federal funding under the investment in affordable housing initiative, create an affordable rental housing initiative fund to test innovative business approaches, such as housing models with a mix of rental and home ownership, and invest in renovations to existing social housing.

Budget 2016 will lift 300,000 children out of poverty. It will offer nine million Canadians a middle-income tax cut, which I really have not spoken of today. It will improve the living conditions of one million seniors through a 10% increase in the guaranteed income supplement. There is $8.4 billion of new funding for indigenous infrastructure and education, $2 billion for arts and culture over five years, and Canada's largest-ever infrastructure program is being introduced in this budget. I am very proud to support this budget.

[Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 1., May 5th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I know that we have recently had the opportunity to spend a week in our home constituencies, and budget 2016 and Bill C-15 contain some extremely positive measures that will benefit Canadians from coast to coast to coast, including Canada's largest-ever infrastructure program and the Canada child benefit, which will benefit nine out of 10 Canadian families.

I am wondering if the hon. member can share with this chamber what his constituents are saying about both Bill C-15 and budget 2016.

[Criminal Code, May 3rd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member would agree that the bill being introduced, and that will be adopted, is profoundly shifting the paradigm on this issue. There are people who think it goes too far. There are people who think it does not go far enough. However, the reality is that it profoundly shifts the paradigm on the issue of medically assisted dying. It will be reviewed in five years, and I think there will be ample opportunity to improve it. I am confident that will happen.

On the palliative care commitment, it is quite clear that there is $3 billion over four years. I was sitting in this seat when the health minister made a commitment to improve palliative care service over the next four years.

[Criminal Code, May 3rd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I met extensively with the St. Boniface Hospital in my ward, and with the Archbishop of Saint Boniface. There is certainly no argument from me that palliative care is extremely important in this whole topic.

We committed, post-election, $3 billion over the course of four years for improved home care, which is tightly connected to palliative care. We also have to take the health minister at her word when she says that palliative care is an absolute priority in her term as health minister. A lot of it is about partnerships with the governments across Canada.

I agree that palliative care needs to be improved. We need to improve the budgets on palliative care, and I support that notion.

[Criminal Code, May 3rd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to rise in this chamber in support of Bill C-14, medical assistance in dying.

I am in favour of the bill, not only because it was mandated by the Supreme Court of Canada, but for very personal reasons. I believe it is a bill, a policy, that respects the rights of individual Canadians who are suffering unbearable pain. It respects their right to die a peaceful death.

I rise today to speak in favour of this bill on medical assistance in dying, not because of the Supreme Court's decision to strike down the criminal law banning medical assistance in dying, but rather for very personal reasons.

To begin with, the bill refers to medically assisted dying. It is not referred to as medically assisted suicide. My common definition of suicide, and I believe it is society's definition, is intentionally taking one's own life when death is not imminent. In the case of Bill C-14, there are clear conditions that would qualify an individual for medical help in dying. This would include, of course, the reality that death is imminent for that individual.

Henceforth, I believe we should stop calling it suicide because it is clearly not suicide in the common form of our understanding. I also believe that there is no parallel with the very sad and tragic suicide epidemic that is occurring in indigenous communities across our great country. In my mind, one is an apple and one is an avocado. They should not be compared.

The whole debate around medically assisted death is deeply personal and has led to some very emotional discussions. For me, it has led to much personal reflection. Like many Canadians, like many people in these chambers, I have seen too many family members and friends suffer excruciating pain needlessly when death was imminent.

Very personal for me was an experience last August 2, the same day that the federal election was called, when my mother passed away. She was 96 years old and she had been living alone for the last 20 years. She had been living bedridden and in pain in a care home for the last five years.

My mother was a religious person and had a special relationship with her god. She prayed every day. She scolded me for not attending church as often as I should. Over the last 20 years her body deteriorated, but her mind and hearing stayed sharp. Over the last 10 years, my mother shared with me her desire to have her life end. Medical advances had helped her to live longer, but her quality of life had severely deteriorated. She had become completely bedridden in the last five years and, in the last four years, malignant masses and tumours had developed throughout her lower body. Constant pain set in, and pain protocol was established. My mother, tough as nails, continued to breathe, pray, and hope that God would come and take her away. The praying and hoping continued for years and years.

My mother was of sound mind. She was a religious person who was at peace with her god. Families, nuns, and a priest would visit her faithfully. They gave her comfort, but she continued to express to me that she wanted to die peacefully and comfortably. She wished that there was a way to end the unbearable physical pain that could no longer be managed regardless of the care she received. I wish she could have had that choice, and she should have had that choice.

My personal feeling is that the legislation does not go far enough. I would have preferred that those who are experiencing enduring and intolerable suffering, with no chance of ever improving during their lifetime, be allowed the opportunity to access medically assisted dying, under the strict conditions that we have imposed in the bill.

However, I also understand that the legislation shifts the paradigm in such a profound way that in the future we will be making reviews. The law will be improved, and evidence will be collected. I hope that myths will be dispelled, and individual human dignity, self-determination, and choice will be nurtured further.

This choice is the basis of our discussions today. We hope to offer this choice to individuals who, in their last moments on earth, are experiencing intolerable physical suffering as a result of a grievous and irremediable medical condition. The debate is not about suicide. It is about trying to ensure the dignity of the dying person. We make choices about the care we receive throughout our life, and it is unfortunate that this choice is taken away from us at the end of our life.

It is true that the Supreme Court's decision in Carter v. Canada made physician-assisted death legislation necessary. I believe many of us have spoken to the fact that the timelines are anything but ideal. Would I have preferred to have another six months of debate, consultation, and discussion in order to make this reality? Of course, I would have preferred that. I believe every member in these chambers would have preferred that.

However, it is also true that there are people who feel that this legislation does not go far enough. There are also people who are opposed to physician-assisted death entirely. I have had many discussions with constituents on this issue.

I represent Saint-Boniface—Saint Vital, a riding with many Catholic constituents, and they have all made their views very clear.

Everyone, regardless of their position in this debate, wants to ensure the protection and dignity of individuals. The notion of dignity, which has come up several times in these chambers, is highly individual. Personal history, personal beliefs, and personal health situations all define what dignity means to the individual, and I might also add the right to self-determine.

Dying with dignity is a personal choice that needs to be respected. This bill is necessary. As a society, we must make sure that the best care possible is available to all our fellow Canadians.

This is an important moment in our history, where consultation has not only played an important role in the past but will play an important role into the future. I applaud the government for undertaking vast consultations across Canada and abroad to ensure that this legislation defends people's choices and freedoms in a way that protects the most vulnerable. It also supports personal convictions of health care providers.

I further congratulate the government on taking the time to continue the very important consultations and discussion surrounding mature minors, people who suffer from mental illness, and people who would like to arrange advance directives.

I would like to add that I fully support the government's commitment to a full range of options for quality end-of-life care, including palliative care, an area in which the St. Boniface Hospital, in my riding, is a leader. This bill establishes responsible measures to promote a standard approach to medical assistance in dying across Canada. It recognizes the inherent value and the equality of every human life.

The proposed legislation sets the framework for medically assisted dying across the country. It also provides a review in five years. It is balanced, responsible, and a very compassionate response to a very difficult, very personal issue.

[Business of Supply, April 19th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I am having a hard time believing the hon. member and her party are serious, notwithstanding the fact that the Minister of Justice has a ruling in writing from the Ethics Commissioner that no breach of ethics occurred, that no conflict of interest occurred and notwithstanding the fact that the hon. member represents a party that found was guilty on the in-and-out scandal. It was guilty on the robocalls scandal. It blatantly tried to suppress the vote through the conflict of unfair elections act. The former prime minister's former chief of staff gave $90,000 cheque to Mr. Duffy. As well, the parliamentary secretary to the former prime minister was led out in shackles and went to jail.

That party is guilty of everything I have mentioned. Therefore, do you actually believe Canadians feel you have any credibility whatsoever when you talk about ethical scandals?

[Maria Chaput, April 14th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, today I call upon all my colleagues in the House to join me in recognizing and thanking Senator Maria Chaput, who retired from the Senate of Canada on March 1, after 13 years of service.

Maria was the first Franco-Manitoban woman to sit in the other place, where she defended the rights of francophone minority communities with passion and conviction.

Her invaluable contribution to the Canadian francophonie, and especially the Franco-Manitoban community, earned her a number of prestigious awards, including the Ordre des francophones d'Amérique.

Over her 13 years in the Senate, Maria was a strong advocate for the respect of Canada's two official languages and an avid promoter of the many benefits of our country's linguistic duality.

Maria, we are very grateful for the important role you played and will continue to play. Thank you, dear friend.

[The Budget, April 14th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for that good question. I have a great deal of respect for him.

Over five years, $8.4 billion will be allocated for residential housing, with $554 million over two years. Education is also important. I know this is not ideal. It took generations to create the situation in which we find ourselves today, and it is going to take generations to fix it.

As a new MP who came into office five or six months ago with new advisers, I consider this a good start. I am committed to continuing the good work that will be done on these serious issues, and I hope that the hon. member will help us.

[The Budget, April 14th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, it is true that when we took office the economy was in worse shape than we had thought. The reality is that we are going into debt to rebuild our communities, to rebuild our cities, to rebuild our rural municipalities, and I think that is something Canadians want. I know they certainly wanted it on October 19 when they voted in the new government.

It is actually quite funny to hear representatives from the previous government accuse us of being in debt. The previous government ran eight consecutive years of operating deficits, it ran a trade deficit every single year that it was in power, and it had the lowest rate of GDP since the dirty thirties.

[The Budget, April 14th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, as always, it is a genuine honour to rise on behalf of the people whom I represent in Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, who, on October 19, voted for a change in leadership, a change in direction, and a change in priorities for our country. I am very happy to say that budget 2016 delivers on those promises.

As a former city councillor for many years, and a former chair of public works, I am proud to say that this budget delivers on our commitment to rebuild Canada's communities and rebuild Canada's cities.

Cities all over the country, from Ottawa to Moncton, from Moncton to Vancouver, are in desperate need of the most basic infrastructure: regional roads, residential streets, back lanes, sidewalks, bridges, community centres, libraries, and that is just the infrastructure above ground. The infrastructure below ground is equally important, and some would say even more important: the water systems, the waste-water treatment systems.

Cities and municipalities, especially rural municipalities, simply cannot afford to do it themselves. The time is right for investment by the federal government, especially with the interest rates being as low as they are.

Let me give hon. members a real-time example from Winnipeg, the city I represent. Winnipeg currently spends $1 billion a year on strictly above-ground infrastructure, all the items I mentioned previously. A report about six years ago by the heavy construction industry said that Winnipeg should be spending another $380 million, in addition to the $1 billion, just on above-ground infrastructure. If we did spend an extra $380 million, this would not actually improve the infrastructure, but it would maintain the infrastructure at its current state. That is the level of crisis in our cities across Canada. Let me repeat, because it bears repeating: an extra $380 million over the $1 billion for our city of Winnipeg would not improve the infrastructure; it would maintain it at its current state.

Cities cannot do it themselves. It is time for the federal government to invest.

I am especially proud that our first slice of infrastructure spending will be on what is arguably the most important infrastructure of all, the underground infrastructure, our water systems, our waste-water treatment systems.

We have to understand that for years and years, provincial governments and federal governments have been extremely reluctant to invest in our underground systems for a very simple reason and a very cynical reason: we do not often get to cut a ribbon when pipe is placed underground. It is not a play structure. It is not a sexy bridge. We do not often get to cut a ribbon when the underground infrastructure is placed, but nonetheless, it is probably the most important of all, because nothing is more important than clean water and a clean environment.

That is why I am proud that budget 2016 makes green infrastructure its first priority. It is filling a void that previous federal and provincial governments have created, because again, make no mistake about this, cities and municipalities, especially rural municipalities, cannot do it by themselves, and budget 2016 recognizes this.

We will also be giving families more money to help with the high cost of raising their children. We will be introducing a more generous, simplified and tax-free Canada child benefit to give families more money for their children. Our Canada child benefit will be geared to income to help those who need it the most: single and low-income families. Our plan will raise over 300,000 children out of poverty. This is an incredibly important measure that will help provide children a better opportunity and a brighter future.

Families in Manitoba, the province I represent, alone will receive $490 million more in child benefits the next year from the previous year.

Another part of the plan in this budget which I am very proud of is the raise in the guaranteed income supplement for low-income seniors by 10%. This will give one million of our most vulnerable seniors, often single women, almost $1,000 more per year.

As I previously noted, this has been a difficult week. Earlier in the week we had a thoughtful, emotional, and important discussion on the suicide crisis in Attawapiskat and the incredibly horrible conditions of indigenous folks on reserves as well as in cities across Canada. I was heartened that on the day of that debate, the Minister of Justice rose and said that we are being held back by the shackles of the Indian Act and that the solution lies in removing those shackles and continuing an honest nation-to-nation relationship with indigenous folks, Métis people, and Inuit people all over the country. I agree with that.

I am extremely proud of our indigenous platform and what is in budget 2016. There is targeted funding to improve the physical conditions that indigenous communities live with. There is an increase of $8.4 billion of new money over the next five years. We will invest $2.6 billion of new money in primary and secondary education over the next five years. We will invest $970 million of new money in school infrastructure over five years. We will invest $935 million of new money over five years for prevention to keep kids out of CFS, child and family services. We will invest $554 million of new money over two years for housing on reserves.

Nobody is naively saying that better infrastructure is the only solution. Far from it, but it is an excellent start. Ultimately, in addition to better schools and clean water, it will be a relationship between Canada and our indigenous communities based on respect, on honour, on honouring the treaties, on honouring decisions of the Supreme Court on land claims that will help our families and our communities all over the country.

On Friday, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance came to Saint-Boniface—Saint-Vital to talk to members of the community about budget 2016.

During the first roundtable discussion at the Université de Saint-Boniface, we met with stakeholders from the francophone economic sector. They commended us on our inclusive budget, a budget that invests in the future. They are excited about our investments in green technologies and innovation and the choices this affords them. These investments in a green economy offer new market and job opportunities, beyond the traditional markets.

The members of my community also talked about how important cultural organizations are to the vitality of official language minority communities. The budget includes a $675-million investment in CBC/Radio-Canada, a national institution that is crucial to official language minority communities.

In St. Boniface, ICI Radio-Canada Manitoba is an important member of the Franco-Manitoban and Franco-Métis communities that supports and promotes our culture. The federal budget recognizes the contribution of cultural industries to the Canadian economy by committing $1.9 billion to arts and culture over five years.

These investments will support major national institutions, protect both official languages, and support industries that showcase Canadian culture, including the Canada Council for the Arts, Telefilm Canada, and the National Film Board of Canada.

There is not enough time to discuss everything. I am proud of this budget, and I have not even talked about the middle-income tax cut, which will benefit nine million Canadians. I have not talked about our infrastructure investment in rapid transit.

Budget 2016 will lift 300,000 children out of poverty. It will offer nine million Canadians a middle-income tax cut. It will improve living conditions for one million seniors through a 10% increase in the GIS.

There is $8.4 billion of new funding for indigenous infrastructure and education and $2 billion for arts and culture over five years. As well, Canada's largest-ever infrastructure program is being introduced in this budget.

I am incredibly proud of this budget, and it should be unanimously approved in this chamber.