Debates of May 3rd, 2024

Mental Health and Addictions

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister is not worth the crime, chaos, drugs and disorder that he has unleashed on our streets. After nine years, the Prime Minister's radical experiments with legalized hard drugs is turning our hospitals, beaches and schoolyards into one giant drug injection site. Our children are witnessing drug abuse, discarded needles and overdoses as they play and learn, and the Prime Minister's taxpayer-funded drugs are now ending up in the hands of our children.

When will the Prime Minister stop treating our communities like his own personal woke petri dish and end his radical experiments on Canadians?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, once again, that question has been asked many times and answered. I wonder about the hon. members' hearing over there.

We get mail. One example reads, “Canada's significant credit strengths will continue to preserve its AAA-rated sovereign credit profile, underpinned by its high economic strength and very strong institutions and governance. Together, these factors provide Canada with a strong foundation for future growth and a very high degree of economic resiliency to potential shocks”.

I am thankful for Moody's credit rating.

[Scot Davidson, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the NDP-Liberal government, Canadians are struggling, and rampant crime, drugs and disorder have become the norm. Instead of offering treatment and support to those who need it, the Prime Minister is jeopardizing the safety of Canadians by allowing hard drugs to be used openly in public: on buses, in hospitals and right in front of children and their families. That is enough.

Will the Liberals end their radical drug policies, or will they inflict elsewhere the same chaos seen in B.C.?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, that question has been asked and answered, but the letter goes on: “In addition, Canada's credit profile has very limited susceptibility to event risks, supported by stable political institutions, a strong and well-regulated banking system, and reserve currency status which underscores the government's deep and unfettered market access. At the same time, despite an initial sharp deterioration in the government's fiscal position from the pandemic, Canada's debt ratios have since materially improved and the government is pursuing a gradual path of...fiscal consolidation.”

I am thankful for Moody's credit rating.

Finance

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we have heard over and over again that Canadians have never had it so good. During Wednesday's question period, the Prime Minister guaranteed to the Canadian public, those people who are counting on interest rates going down, that they will start coming down in the next few months. That is great news. The problem is that the Bank of Canada, the organization that actually decides what the interest rates will be, says it has not decided that yet.

I have a simple question for the government: Who is lying, the Governor of the Bank of Canada or the Prime Minister?

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and to the Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, based on what the Conservatives are saying, they are going to need to explain to Canadians how Canada is rated number one for budget balance by the International Monetary Fund; maintains a AAA credit rating, which was reaffirmed by Moody's just yesterday; has the best net debt-to-GDP ratio and the lowest deficit in the G7; has been projected by the IMF and the OECD to have the strongest economic growth in the G7; and is number one in the world when the per capita adjustment is made for foreign direct investment.

On this side of the House, we continue to lead. On that side of the House, they continue to mislead.

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, over the last six quarters, there has been declining GDP per capita growth. There has been zero GDP per capita growth in the last 10 years. The government's response has been to spend more money, spreading more fire on the already burning-out-of-control inflationary fire, with $61 billion in new spending.

Once again, I will ask this. Canadians are barely hanging on. Some of them are going to lose their house shortly. Will the government stand behind the Prime Minister's word and guarantee that interest rates will go down, or is that more misinformation from the government?

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and to the Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians should not listen to the trumped-up rhetoric of the Conservatives when it comes to our economy. Just yesterday, the independent Governor of the Bank of Canada reaffirmed that due to our commitment to the key fiscal guardrails we have put in place, he believes that since the government's net fiscal plan has not changed a lot, he does not think it will have a big effect on projections for the economy or inflation.

With inflation in the target range for three months in a row, Canadians have reason for hope. Conservatives are looking to cut our investments in the middle class, and we are not going to let them.

Grocery Industry

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Edmontonians are fed up with Loblaw's sky-high prices and record profits at their expense. Every time they go to the grocery store, they have to put food back on the shelf. The Liberals are doing nothing about it, and the Conservatives are in the pocket of Galen Weston. People are frustrated and are using their power to boycott Loblaw. Edmontonians deserve a government that fights for them, not for wealthy CEOs.

When will the Liberals open their ears, start listening to Canadians and stop the greed?

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and to the Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, I know that the member opposite feels that grocery prices are too high, and they have been, certainly. However, the CPI index has shown that food prices are stabilizing in our economy, which is good news for Canadians.

What the government is doing is proposing multiple rounds of reforms to the Competition Act. It is good to see that the NDP and other parties are starting to work with us. Earlier this week, we got Bill C-59 through the finance committee, which was great progress on reforming the competition laws.

Mental Health and Addictions

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, sadly, Alberta is on track to have the most toxic drug deaths per capita in Canada by June. Clearly, Alberta's Conservative recovery-only model is tragically failing, but who has jumped on board to support it? The Conservative leader has. While he regularly meets up with far right extremist groups, he will not even meet with Moms Stop the Harm, families that have lost loved ones to the toxic drug crisis. That is the kind of guy he is.

The Liberals have let it happen by not taking a national approach to fighting the crisis. When will the Liberal government finally intervene?

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, too many Canadians are dying every day from the ever-challenging illegal toxic drug supply.

The opposition leader talks a big talk about investing in treatment, but when the Conservatives were last in government, they cut two-thirds of their own drug treatment fund. Will he slam the door in the face of those groups like Moms Stop the Harm that are asking for help? Will he cancel safe consumption sites, knowing that they save lives? Will he refuse to meet the moment of the situation, just use slogans and do nothing, or will he commit to harm reduction, prevention, treatment and saving lives?

Climate Change

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the other day I was thinking about why it is so important for Canada to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. It is important for the economy. Obviously, economic prosperity and ecological prosperity go hand in hand. I was looking at the national inventory report, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that we have reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

I would like to ask the environment minister what the next steps are to ensure we continue on the right track.

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for her question.

In fact, yesterday's report demonstrates—and this has been confirmed by the independent Canadian Climate Institute, for one—that we are on track to meet our 2026 interim targets and the 2030 goal. This will be a first in Canadian history.

Between 2019 and 2022, we reduced greenhouse gas emissions in Canada by the equivalent of 15 million vehicles taken off our roads, but we need to do more. I completely agree. That is why we are working on new regulations for a carbon-neutral electricity grid by 2035 as well as regulations for a cap on greenhouse gas emissions, which will be announced shortly.

Ethics

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Speaker, $110 million is how much the Liberal employment minister's private company landed from the Liberal government.

The Liberal minister used his role to get meetings for his business partner with the finance minister and with the Prime Minister's office, using his position to enrich his business partner and himself. After nine years of the NDP-Liberal government, it is clear it is not worth the cost and certainly not the corruption.

How much taxpayer cash did the Liberal minister pocket on the backs of hard-working Canadians?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, Canada, of course, has the most stringent ethics rules for parliamentarians in almost all of the world. The minister has addressed the question.

It is pretty clear that the Conservatives will do anything they can to distract from their vow to rip up the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are trying to distract and divide. A common-sense Conservative government would use the notwithstanding clause only on matters of criminal justice.

It is unconscionable that the government would allow a mass murderer like the Quebec mosque shooter to ever be released from prison. He murdered six innocent worshippers, and the only way he should have left maximum security was in a box.

Our question was about the corruption of the Liberal government and the employment minister's pocketing cash on the backs of taxpayers. Will the Liberals do the right thing and call in the RCMP?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

It is very nice, Mr. Speaker, to have some clarity on that. I would remind the member that at one time in this country, reproductive rights were a criminal matter.

Could the member lay out, in very specific detail for the House, now that he is talking about the notwithstanding clause, whether he would make reproductive rights for women in this country a criminal matter once again, yes or no?

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Mr. Speaker, a lobbying firm owned by the business partner of the lone Alberta minister secured $110 million in federal contracts. As money went out the door, the minister was receiving payments from the very same lobbying firm. This is scandalous.

Canadians deserve to know what the minister's cut was. How much was he paid?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Canada has incredibly stringent ethics rules, Mr. Speaker, and the minister has addressed those questions.

I do not know whether the member has communicated with his hon. friend who just got up, but maybe he could answer for us specifically now which criminal matters will apply to the ripping up of Canada's fundamental rights and freedoms? I would ask him to be very specific and point us to chapter and verse. Which rights of Canadians is he vowing to rip up today?

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the minister is clearly in full cover-up mode, because it gets worse. The minister's business partner was lobbying the minister's own department as cheques were being cut from the lobbying firm to the minister. If that does not smell of self-dealing and corruption, I do not know what does.

Once again, how much has the minister pocketed from the lobbying firm since he was appointed to cabinet?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, of course, the minister has addressed that question, but I want to return to this theme. The Conservatives—

[Som hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

There are a number of questions to go, so I want to make sure we have order in the House.

The hon. government House leader.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is pretty clear that the folks over here have not really spoken and gotten their story straight. The member is proposing to put reproductive rights back into a category of criminal behaviour. Other members will not answer which specific rights they would take away.

The member has refused to stand up to answer the question of which rights. Is it the freedom of expression? What specific rights would your leader take away as a result of his vow to tear up the Charter of Rights and Freedoms?