Speech (House debate)

{
    "time": "2017-02-13 11:50:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Mr. Alexander Nuttall (Barrie\u2014Springwater\u2014Oro-Medonte, CPC)",
        "fr": "M. Alexander Nuttall (Barrie\u2014Springwater\u2014Oro-Medonte, PCC)"
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"4744883\" data-originallang=\"en\">Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to address the House of Commons today on such an important matter.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744884\" data-originallang=\"en\">I spent roughly six and a half years in the financial services sector. I had the opportunity to work both with TD and RBC as well as with Meridian Credit Union. The products and opportunities that are offered through the co-operative structure are a great help to consumers and provide competition, especially in the financial services sector, to what is mostly a closed industry.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744885\" data-originallang=\"en\">I would like to thank the member for <a data-HoCid=\"214403\" href=\"/politicians/alexandra-mendes/\" title=\"Alexandra Mendes\">Brossard\u2014Saint-Lambert</a> for bringing forward the motion today. The issue needs to be addressed by the government and by the House going forward. It is an issue that past governments have seen as a very important one. Changes were made by the former finance minister, the late Jim Flaherty, with regard to the laws surrounding credit unions, allowing them to nationalize, allowing them to go cross-country, and not just be stuck in each province. Those changes were the seeds that are now sowing more competition in the financial sector.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744886\" data-originallang=\"en\">Originally this was brought forward as a bill, but was retracted and brought forward as a non-binding motion. I question that. From where I sit, it looks like the government may have perhaps intervened, that perhaps it did not want to see this come forward as a binding bill on which it would need to act, and therefore wanted a non-binding motion instead that could be supported but pushed aside. This is not the approach the government promised us when it was sworn into power. It is not the approach that was communicated to us through the throne speech, on December 4, 2015.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744887\" data-originallang=\"en\"> I would like to take a couple of excerpts out of that speech to show what was communicated to us with respect to the expectations for members of Parliament, specifically backbench MPs, and how their opinions would matter.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744888\" data-originallang=\"en\">Reading the speech, the Governor General said:</p>\n<blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"4744889\" data-originallang=\"en\"> I call on all parliamentarians to work together, with a renewed spirit of innovation, openness and collaboration...In this Parliament, all members will be honoured, respected and heard, wherever they sit. For here, in these chambers, the voices of all Canadians matter. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744890\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Let us not forget, however, that Canadians have been clear and unambiguous in their desire for real change. Canadians want their government to do different things, and do things differently. They want to be able to trust their government. </p>\n</blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"4744891\" data-originallang=\"en\">The problem is this. We have an important matter before us that would have been a strong bill brought forward in the House by a backbench MP on the government side. However, it appears at this point that this was not in line with what the government wanted. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744892\" data-originallang=\"en\">I commend the member for <a data-HoCid=\"214403\" href=\"/politicians/alexandra-mendes/\" title=\"Alexandra Mendes\">Brossard\u2014Saint-Lambert</a> for bringing forward this important issue. It speaks to competition in many sectors across the country. Co-operatives are spread across each and every sector. Unfortunately, with this being a non-binding motion on the government, it will not have the effect I would like. It speaks to the fact that nothing concrete is coming forward from the government with regard to economic development, or pushing industry down the road, or our economy, which has seen difficult times over the last year. We had some good numbers on Friday of last week, but besides that, we have seen poor job growth numbers.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744893\" data-originallang=\"en\">We have been asking for a plan from the <a data-HoCid=\"214319\" href=\"/politicians/navdeep-bains/\" title=\"Navdeep Bains\">Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development</a>, or what used to be Industry Canada. We have not seen anything but three bills.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744894\" data-originallang=\"en\"> The first bill dealt with copyrighted works for persons with disabilities. We supported that, and always will. However, it does not have a wide-ranging effect on the economy. It does not show the plan the government said it would bring forward.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744895\" data-originallang=\"en\">The second bill was with regard to disclosure of boards and compliance. If a board was non-compliant regarding the number of persons and diversity on the board, it then needed to explain why. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744896\" data-originallang=\"en\">Another bill was tabled just last week. It has yet to come to our innovation committee. However, as we move forward, we see a lack of a plan for the economy. When a member on the other side of the House brings forward a very strong motion, which I would rather see as a bill because it would be binding, I wonder why the government, or the member on the other side, did not proceed with a bill instead of something that would be non-binding motion. We are not seeing a plan for the economy going forward. The motion is actually a meaningful piece that could have provided help and support. We wish the minister would have taken it and worked with the member to ensure it was a binding policy that the government could take to the private sector and push very hard. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744897\" data-originallang=\"en\">When I was at Meridian, there were times when we had a lot of influence over what happened in the economy. As a credit union, a co-operative, we were able to fill sectors that perhaps the banks could not. There were times when smaller businesses felt they could not compete, so they came together, worked together and through the process of creating a co-operative, they found savings in sourcing products and opportunities for selling their products. Co-operatives are very important, and I wish we had seen this in a full bill.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744898\" data-originallang=\"en\">Going back to credit unions and co-operatives overall, there are a number of financial co-operatives. When the previous government moved a motion to allow for co-operatives and credit unions to go to a national level, there was some concern about whether they would be able to compete with the high cost of doing so. Out east, the credit unions, with the provinces, came together and were able to put forward a larger bank and credit union co-operative. They provided savings to their members, as well as more products to them. Out west, Vancity and some other large credit unions looked at breaking out onto the national stage. In Ontario, my former employer, Meridian Credit Union, looked at a national perspective as well. There were talks of mergers, and all types of different opportunities. However, in the last year, a couple of them have taken that step onto the national stage. Some are looking at online banks and some are still looking at mergers. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744899\" data-originallang=\"en\">This has created more competition in the financial services sector and it has forced the bigger players, the banks, to sharpen their pencils. At the end of the day, this increased competition has resulted in better products and rates for consumers, and an all-around good move forward for Canada. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744900\" data-originallang=\"en\">I would like to see the government take concrete steps. It should not just stop with a non-binding motion. It should encourage co-operatives and credit unions because they are saving dollars for consumers. They are creating jobs for Canadians, where we have seen abysmal job growth. They are creating a better, more stable economy going forward through this type of diversity.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744901\" data-originallang=\"en\">It certainly has been an honour to speak about this today. I look forward to returning and being able to address this again in the future. </p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"4744883\" data-originallang=\"en\">Monsieur le Pr\u00e9sident, je suis content de parler d'un sujet aussi important \u00e0 la Chambre des communes.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744884\" data-originallang=\"en\">J'ai travaill\u00e9 environ six ans et demi dans le secteur des services financiers, tant \u00e0 la banque TD et \u00e0 la Banque Royale qu'\u00e0 la caisse populaire Meridian. Les produits et les possibilit\u00e9s qu'offrent les coop\u00e9ratives sont tr\u00e8s utiles aux consommateurs et stimulent la concurrence, et c'est d'autant plus vrai dans le secteur des services financiers, qui est en bonne partie un secteur ferm\u00e9.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744885\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je tiens \u00e0 remercier la d\u00e9put\u00e9e de <a data-HoCid=\"214403\" href=\"/politicians/alexandra-mendes/\" title=\"Alexandra Mendes\">Brossard\u2014Saint-Lambert</a> d'avoir pr\u00e9sent\u00e9 la motion dont nous sommes saisis aujourd'hui. Il faut que le gouvernement et la Chambre s'int\u00e9ressent de nouveau \u00e0 cette question, que les anciens gouvernements jugeaient tr\u00e8s importante. L'ancien ministre des Finances, le regrett\u00e9 Jim Flaherty, a apport\u00e9 des modifications aux dispositions l\u00e9gislatives sur les coop\u00e9ratives de cr\u00e9dit: il leur a permis de s'\u00e9tendre \u00e0 l'ensemble du pays sans \u00eatre limit\u00e9es \u00e0 une seule province. Ces modifications stimulent actuellement la concurrence dans le secteur financier.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744886\" data-originallang=\"en\">\u00c0 l'origine, cette mesure faisait l'objet d'un projet de loi, mais celui-ci a \u00e9t\u00e9 retir\u00e9, et nous sommes aujourd'hui saisis d'une motion non contraignante. Je me pose des questions \u00e0 ce sujet. Il me semble que le gouvernement est intervenu. On dirait qu'il ne voulait pas que cette mesure soit pr\u00e9sent\u00e9e en tant que projet de loi contraignant auquel il aurait \u00e9t\u00e9 oblig\u00e9 de donner suite, qu'il souhaitait plut\u00f4t une motion non contraignante qu'il pourrait appuyer, puis \u00e9carter. Ce n'est pas l'approche que le gouvernement nous a promise lorsqu'il a \u00e9t\u00e9 asserment\u00e9. Ce n'est pas l'approche qui a \u00e9t\u00e9 communiqu\u00e9e dans le discours du Tr\u00f4ne, le 4 d\u00e9cembre 2015.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744887\" data-originallang=\"en\">J'aimerais citer quelques extraits du discours afin de montrer ce qui nous a \u00e9t\u00e9 communiqu\u00e9 concernant les attentes des d\u00e9put\u00e9s, en particulier des d\u00e9put\u00e9s d'arri\u00e8re-ban, et l'importance de leurs opinions.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744888\" data-originallang=\"en\">Lors de la lecture du discours, le gouverneur g\u00e9n\u00e9ral a dit:</p>\n<blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"4744889\" data-originallang=\"en\"> J'invite tous les parlementaires \u00e0 travailler ensemble dans un nouvel esprit d'innovation, d'ouverture et de collaboration [...] Tous les membres y seront honor\u00e9s, respect\u00e9s et entendus, peu importe leur all\u00e9geance. Car ici, en ces chambres, la voix de tous les Canadiens et Canadiennes est importante. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744890\" data-originallang=\"en\"> N'oublions pas toutefois que les Canadiens et Canadiennes ont clairement indiqu\u00e9 qu'ils souhaitaient un r\u00e9el changement. Ils veulent que leur gouvernement fasse diff\u00e9rentes choses, et ce, diff\u00e9remment. Ils veulent pouvoir faire confiance \u00e0 leur gouvernement. </p>\n</blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"4744891\" data-originallang=\"en\">Le probl\u00e8me, c'est que l'importante question dont nous sommes saisis aurait pu faire l'objet d'un bon projet de loi parrain\u00e9 par un d\u00e9put\u00e9 minist\u00e9riel de l'arri\u00e8re-ban. Or, pour le moment, il semble que cela ne correspondait pas aux intentions du gouvernement.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744892\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je f\u00e9licite la d\u00e9put\u00e9e de <a data-HoCid=\"214403\" href=\"/politicians/alexandra-mendes/\" title=\"Alexandra Mendes\">Brossard\u2014Saint-Lambert</a> d'attirer l'attention sur cette question importante. La motion touche la comp\u00e9titivit\u00e9 d'une foule de secteurs au pays. Les coop\u00e9ratives apportent leur contribution dans tous les secteurs. H\u00e9las, comme c'est une motion non contraignante pour le gouvernement, elle n'aura pas l'effet que j'aimerais voir. Cela montre que le gouvernement ne propose rien de concret pour promouvoir le d\u00e9veloppement \u00e9conomique, aider l'industrie ou soutenir l'\u00e9conomie canadienne, qui a travers\u00e9 une p\u00e9riode difficile l'ann\u00e9e derni\u00e8re. Mis \u00e0 part les chiffres positifs de vendredi dernier, nous avons vu peu de croissance au chapitre de l'emploi.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744893\" data-originallang=\"en\">Nous avons demand\u00e9 un plan au <a data-HoCid=\"214319\" href=\"/politicians/navdeep-bains/\" title=\"Navdeep Bains\">ministre de l'Innovation, des Sciences et du D\u00e9veloppement \u00e9conomique</a>, ce qu'on appelait autrefois Industrie Canada. Or, nous n'avons vu que trois projets de loi.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744894\" data-originallang=\"en\">Le premier portait sur les droits d'auteur visant les oeuvres destin\u00e9es aux personnes ayant une d\u00e9ficience. Nous \u00e9tions et nous serons toujours en faveur des initiatives de ce genre, mais elles n'ont pas de retomb\u00e9es substantielles sur l'\u00e9conomie. Ce n'est pas le genre de plan que le gouvernement s'est engag\u00e9 \u00e0 pr\u00e9senter.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744895\" data-originallang=\"en\">Le deuxi\u00e8me projet de loi concernait la divulgation de certains renseignements par les conseils d'administration et la conformit\u00e9; il pr\u00e9cisait que, si le nombre de personnes ou la diversit\u00e9 au sein d'un conseil ne r\u00e9pondait pas aux exigences \u00e9tablies, il fallait expliquer pourquoi.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744896\" data-originallang=\"en\">Un autre projet de loi a \u00e9t\u00e9 pr\u00e9sent\u00e9 la semaine derni\u00e8re. Celui-ci n'a pas encore \u00e9t\u00e9 renvoy\u00e9 au comit\u00e9 de l'innovation, mais, plus nous avan\u00e7ons, et plus nous constatons qu'il ne semble pas y avoir de plan pour l'\u00e9conomie. Lorsqu'une d\u00e9put\u00e9e de l'autre c\u00f4t\u00e9 de la Chambre pr\u00e9sente une motion tr\u00e8s ferme \u2014 que j'aurais pr\u00e9f\u00e9r\u00e9 voir prendre la forme d'un projet de loi, puisqu'il aurait \u00e9t\u00e9 contraignant \u2014 je me demande pourquoi ni le gouvernement ni la d\u00e9put\u00e9e n'en ont fait un projet de loi au lieu d'une motion non contraignante. Je ne vois pas de plan pour l'\u00e9conomie qui se pr\u00e9pare. La motion, en fait, aurait tr\u00e8s bien pu aider et soutenir un projet de loi. Nous aurions pr\u00e9f\u00e9r\u00e9 que le ministre s'en inspire et qu'il travaille avec la d\u00e9put\u00e9e pour en faire une politique contraignante que le gouvernement aurait pu appliquer rigoureusement au secteur priv\u00e9.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744897\" data-originallang=\"en\">Quand je travaillais \u00e0 Meridian, il y a eu des fois o\u00f9 nous avions beaucoup d'influence sur ce qui arrivait \u00e0 l'\u00e9conomie. Comme coop\u00e9rative de cr\u00e9dit, nous pouvions travailler dans les secteurs o\u00f9 les banques ne le pouvaient pas. Il y a eu des moments o\u00f9 les petites entreprises, sentant qu'elles \u00e9taient incapables de soutenir la concurrence, se sont r\u00e9unies en coop\u00e9rative, ce qui leur a permis de faire des \u00e9conomies dans l'approvisionnement de leurs produits et de trouver de nouvelles possibilit\u00e9s pour les vendre. Les coop\u00e9ratives sont tr\u00e8s importantes; j'aurais donc aim\u00e9 voir cette motion prendre la forme d'un projet de loi. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744898\" data-originallang=\"en\">Il existe, dans l'univers des coop\u00e9ratives, un certain nombre de coop\u00e9ratives financi\u00e8res. Quand le gouvernement pr\u00e9c\u00e9dent a propos\u00e9 une motion permettant aux coop\u00e9ratives et aux coop\u00e9ratives de cr\u00e9dit d'exercer leurs activit\u00e9s \u00e0 l'\u00e9chelle nationale, certains craignaient que les co\u00fbts d'une telle expansion les emp\u00eachent de demeurer concurrentielles. Dans l'Est du pays, les coop\u00e9ratives de cr\u00e9dit et les provinces, travaillant de pair, ont mis sur pied une coop\u00e9rative de services bancaires et de cr\u00e9dit de plus grande envergure. Gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 ce changement, les membres peuvent r\u00e9aliser des \u00e9conomies et avoir acc\u00e8s \u00e0 plus de produits. Dans l'Ouest du pays, Vancity et d'autres grandes coop\u00e9ratives de cr\u00e9dit ont \u00e9tudi\u00e9 la possibilit\u00e9 d'\u00e9tendre leurs activit\u00e9s au reste du pays. En Ontario, mon ancien employeur, la caisse populaire Meridian, a aussi \u00e9tudi\u00e9 les possibilit\u00e9s qu'offre la sc\u00e8ne nationale. Il a \u00e9t\u00e9 question de fusions et de toutes sortes d'autres projets. Bref, au cours de la derni\u00e8re ann\u00e9e, quelques-uns de ces organismes ont \u00e9largi leurs activit\u00e9s \u00e0 l'\u00e9chelle nationale. Certains pensent \u00e0 \u00e9tablir une banque en ligne; d'autres envisagent toujours des fusions. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744899\" data-originallang=\"en\">Ces changements ont intensifi\u00e9 la concurrence dans le domaine des services financiers, ce qui a forc\u00e9 les principaux joueurs du secteur, les banques, \u00e0 refaire leurs devoirs. Au bout du compte, gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 cette concurrence accrue, les consommateurs profitent de meilleurs produits et de meilleurs tarifs, et le Canada fait un grand pas dans la bonne direction.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744900\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je souhaite que le gouvernement adopte des mesures concr\u00e8tes, car une motion non contraignante ne suffit pas. Le gouvernement doit encourager les coop\u00e9ratives et les coop\u00e9ratives de cr\u00e9dit, car elles procurent des \u00e9conomies aux consommateurs. Elles cr\u00e9ent de l'emploi pour les Canadiens, alors que la croissance de l'emploi est catastrophique. Gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 la diversit\u00e9 qu'elles apportent, elles contribuent \u00e0 cr\u00e9er une \u00e9conomie plus stable et plus dynamique.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4744901\" data-originallang=\"en\">C'est un honneur de participer au d\u00e9bat d'aujourd'hui. J'esp\u00e8re avoir l'occasion de poursuivre ces discussions. </p>"
    },
    "url": "/debates/2017/2/13/alex-nuttall-1/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/alex-nuttall/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/4193/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "9366706",
    "h1": {
        "en": "Private Members' Business",
        "fr": "Initiatives parlementaires"
    },
    "h2": {
        "en": "Role of Co-operatives",
        "fr": "L'apport des coop\u00e9ratives"
    },
    "document_url": "/debates/2017/2/13/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2017%2F2%2F13%2F"
    }
}