Debates of Feb. 28th, 2024

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

It being Wednesday, we will now have the singing of the national anthem led by the hon. member for Elgin—Middlesex—London.

[Members sang the national anthem]

Housing

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is another day and another renoviction in my community. This time it is folks at 250 Frederick Street in Kitchener who are being made to fear that they will be on the street if they do not vacate their unit by May 31. Folks who pay around $1,000 a month in rent can go online and see fake pictures of units in their own building being posted for rents starting at $1,800, while others are being pressured into signing new leases at the higher amounts. Bad faith landlords are taking advantage of people across the country because there is no where else for them to go.

After three decades of underinvestment, social housing stock is down to 3%. The federal government must show that it is prepared to at least double social housing across the country.

In the meantime, I send my thanks to ACORN Canada and the Social Development Centre Waterloo Region for organizing folks at 250 Frederick Street. By sticking together, they can stand up to their landlord and fight to keep their housing. Local organizations are doing their part. It is past the time for the federal government to do its part.

Human Rights in Russia

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Alexei Navalny was killed on February 16 by Vladimir Putin. Putin ordered him killed in the same manner a mafia don orders a hit. Navalny's only crime was to challenge Putin's illegitimate claim to power and his illegal war on Ukraine. Alexei Navalny was a brave man. He knew the risks of challenging a murderous mafia thug. In fact, he anticipated his murder in a documentary entitled Navalny.

Vladimir Kara-Murza shares the same courage. He too has challenged the murderous thug. It may be hoped that he may not be murdered, but weak, pathetic people such as Vladimir Putin cannot let courageous people live. While we mourn Alexei Navalny, let us hope that Vladimir Kara-Murza will not suffer the same fate.

Jack Donald

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour the life of my dear friend Jack Donald.

In 1964, Jack moved his family to Red Deer, where they opened a service station business called Parkland Oil Products Ltd. Through the years, Jack and his wife Joan grew that service station into Canada's largest independent marketer and distributor of fuels, known today as Parkland Fuel Corporation. There is no denying that Jack excelled at business, but Jack was also a community builder. He was president of the Optimist Club, city alderman, citizen of the year and prominent philanthropist. He, along with Joan, donated millions to causes in Red Deer and central Alberta, such as the Donald School of Business at Red Deer Polytechnic.

Most importantly, Jack was a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend. I will say to Joan, John, Kathy and all of the family that we share in their sorrow. They should know in this difficult time that Jack left an indelible mark on central Alberta and his smile will never fade from our memories.

Canada-Nepal Relations

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canada and Nepal have deep ties, and the impact of this friendship can be felt in both our countries as we recognize 59 years of our friendship. In Nepal, Canadian organizations, such as Canadian Foodgrains Bank, help fight climate change, support businesses, protect the environment and support women. In Canada, and in my city of Brampton, we have a strong and vibrant Nepalese-Canadian community.

As the chair of the Canada-Nepal Parliamentary Friendship Group, I was honoured to have welcomed the chairperson of the National Assembly of Nepal to Canada and to have attended many community events led by Canada-Nepal community groups, women's groups and the local cricket team. Earlier this month, I also attended the opening of Hakka Desi Spice restaurant in Brampton.

As we celebrate vibrant Nepalese culture and cuisine in our city, let us continue to celebrate and nurture the traditions and culture of Nepal here in Canada.

Centre d'écoute et de prévention suicide Drummond

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Centre d'écoute et de prévention suicide Drummond, or CEPS, is celebrating its 40th anniversary. It has spent 40 years promoting life, 40 years working to reduce suffering, 40 years awakening hope. That is what they call sowing the seeds of happiness.

Last year alone, CEPS answered over 8,000 calls from men, women, adults, teenagers, and even children. Vulnerability can affect all age ranges. Someone is on the other end of the line 24/7 to lend an empathetic year to those who can see no end to their distress.

They defuse crises, provide support for those in mourning and reignite the flame of life. CEPS volunteers have a gift for bringing light to the darkest corners. I call that working miracles. If listening is an art, CEPS members are artisans; artisans of life.

Happy 40th anniversary to CEPS Drummond. Thank you for being there to foster happiness in our community.

Pink Shirt Day

[Emmanuella Lambropoulos, Liberal, Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today is Pink Shirt Day. In Canada, this day is devoted to raising awareness against bullying in schools, in workplaces, at home and online. People may be wondering how Pink Shirt Day came to be.

It all started in a small town in Nova Scotia when two teenagers saw a new kid being bullied at school for wearing a pink shirt. They could have watched from the sidelines, but they did not do that. They decided to take action. They handed out 50 pink shirts for their classmates to wear in solidarity with the bullied kid.

This is the story of how one act of kindness had a ripple effect, and now, on this day, people across the country wear pink shirts to stand up against bullying.

Bullying violates a person's right to human dignity and safety. It affects the victim's physical, emotional and social well-being. It is a problem we are seeing in every school and workplace.

Let us all be kind and make this world a better place, one act of kindness at a time.

Memorial Park in Listowell

[John Nater, Conservative, Perth—Wellington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, February 28, 1959, would come to be known as Listowel's darkest day. It was a Saturday morning, like any other, and the town's peewee hockey team was on the ice, but at 9:27 a.m., the arena's roof collapsed, killing seven boys and the town's recreation director. The town came together and supported those who were injured, grieved with the families of those lost and pledged to remember the eight lives lost.

Today, 65 years later, the land where the arena once stood is now vacant, but not for long. The Friends of '59 and the Memorial Arena Park 59 Committee are working to create a permanent park where the arena once stood. The memorial arena park would ensure that Listowel's darkest day is never forgotten and the light of the eight lives lost will always be remembered.

Order of Canada

[Michael Coteau, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Mr. Speaker as we come to the end of Black History Month, it is important to recognize that Black Canadians continue to make important gains and contributions to our country. They continue to make history, and yesterday, history was made.

Ms. Lillie Johnson was awarded the Order of Canada for her outstanding work in health care and advocacy for sickle cell awareness. At 101 years old, Ms. Johnson has already received many awards and recognitions throughout her long-standing career as nurse, midwife and educator.

Her experience and accomplishments in health care made her a vital resource, eventually leading to her becoming the first Black director of Public Health Ontario. While taking care of patients with sickle cell disease, who were disproportionately Black, she realized the impact of the lack of awareness, which led to the creation of the Sickle Cell Association of Ontario.

I send Ms. Johnson my congratulations on this well-deserved achievement, and I thank her for her continued advocacy and support for those with sickle cell.

Foreign Affairs

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, constituents have reached out to me to raise the plight of their loved ones in Gaza and the heart-wrenching humanitarian crisis unfolding there. They have asked me to advocate on their behalf for the immediate provision of aid, including food, clean water, medication and medical supplies. They are pleading for Canada to use all our influence to support the passage of aid into Gaza for civilians.

This is about our humanity. Canadians are rightly proud of our peacekeeping tradition, and I, like many, am disturbed by what we are seeing on the ground. Gazans need humanitarian aid, and that requires allowing the unobstructed delivery of the essentials for life.

Canada has provided $100 million in aid, but we have to ensure our support and the support that others have stepped up to provide can actually make it to those who are suffering. We cannot fail, and lasting peace is the only solution.

Carbon Tax

[Martin Shields, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, while the common-sense Conservatives would axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime, after eight years, the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister is not worth the cost, crime or corruption.

On April 1, and this is not an April Fool's Day joke, we can get ready for another 23% carbon tax increase from the NDP-Liberal government, which will rob money from hard-working Canadians, increase food prices and not lower emissions.

People such as Ann, Neil and Scott have called me in desperation, and they have shared with me the costs of their skyrocketing energy bills. Some are paying nearly double in carbon tax than the energy they use, but it does not seem to matter to these NDP-Liberals. If the radical environment minister had his way, all Alberta families would be forced to freeze inside or walk to work in -40°C on roads and bridges that would no longer exist.

Common-sense Conservatives would axe the tax for everyone, everywhere, so Canadians could afford to heat their homes, drive their kids to school, get to work and get the government to butt out of their lives for good.

St. Patrick's Parade

[Peter Schiefke, Liberal, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is almost that time of year once again, and thanks to an army of volunteers led by Jay de la Durantaye, Rob Dumas, Ken Bell, Mark Noonan and Eileen McAleese, and the entire team at the Soulanges Irish Society, our community of Vaudreuil—Soulanges will become Irish for a day at the 13th annual St. Patrick's Day parade in Hudson.

This year, our grand marshal, renowned Canadian musician Brian Greenway will lead the parade, a parade that will feature Irish woman of the year, Kim Sullivan; parade queen, Veronica Gilmore; princesses Shawnessa Doyle-Guiliani, Vanessa Mooney and Addie Derouin; and reviewing officer, Hudson's mayor, Chloe Hutchison.

As always, this is a cannot-miss event. On Saturday, March 16 at 1 p.m., everyone is invited to Main Street to celebrate Irish heritage and culture. Let us make the 13th annual Saint Patrick's parade a cannot-miss event. Sláinte!

Carbon Tax

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Mr. Speaker, while common-sense Conservatives will axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime, the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister is not worth the cost, crime or corruption after eight years.

A typical family of four will now pay $700 more in groceries in 2024 because of the Prime Minister's carbon tax. On April 1, he is increasing the carbon tax yet again, by 23%, as part of his plan to quadruple it, increasing the misery for Canadian families.

Families in Saskatchewan cannot afford this increase, yet the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister will keep hiking this tax, regardless of how expensive groceries and fuel become. He does not understand that if one taxes the farmer that grows the food and the trucker who ships the food, the tax passes down to the person who buys the food.

The Prime Minister is not worth the cost.

ArriveCAN App

[Richard Martel, Conservative, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, while the common-sense Conservatives will axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime, after eight years, this Prime Minister is not worth the cost, the crime or the corruption.

The failed ArriveCAN app was initially supposed to cost $80,000, but we have learned that this Prime Minister ended up wasting at least $60 million on it. The Prime Minister shamelessly dipped into Canadians' pockets at a time when they are struggling to make ends meet and having a hard time paying their mortgage and when prices just keep going up. This is not the first time. He has been doing this throughout his term in office.

How did the ArriveCAN app end up costing over 750 times the initial price? I cannot even imagine. We, the common-sense Conservatives, have made it our mission to get to the bottom of this new scandal. Canadians deserve answers and they will get them.

After eight years of this Prime Minister, things need to change. The only way to achieve that is with our common-sense leader.

Black and Indigenous Entrepreneurship

[Andy Fillmore, Liberal, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, last week I had the privilege of meeting with Tribe Network in Halifax, including CEO and founder Alfred Burgesson. Tribe Network is an organization committed to supporting Black and indigenous people and people of colour in pursuit of their entrepreneurial aspirations.

Tribe provides invaluable support by offering the necessary knowledge, tools and resources for its network to thrive and innovate. Its mission comes to life through concrete actions. Recently, it has joined forces with Volta in Halifax, which nurtures tech industry talent in Atlantic Canada.

Tribe is also co-organizing a pitch competition encouraging racialized youth to contribute to the development of clean energy innovations. This month, it is hosting a series of online workshops on financial literacy, bringing together experts in the field and facilitating access to knowledge.

Halifax has a rich history of Black entrepreneurship, and I am thankful to witness the legacy of pioneers like Viola Desmond being carried on today, thanks to the dedicated work of Tribe Network.

Indigenous Affairs

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, Inuit, indigenous and northern women have great strength. They deal with many hardships, including the effects of the lack of federal investments. They deal with overcrowded homes and so much more. Inuit, indigenous and northern women make beautiful clothing from caribou, seal and other materials. They work in partnership with hunters and many others. Funding for Inuit, indigenous and northern women has never been enough, but now they are forced to worry about whether even those meagre funds will continue.

Pond Inlet has overcrowded schools. They must be funded for another. In Cambridge Bay, they ask for funds to keep passing on traditional knowledge. In Kivalliq, economic development programs must continue.

The Liberals are planning to sunset programs like the Inuit child first initiative. They need more supports, not less.

Mirabel, Maple Capital of the World

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a year ago, right here in the House, I proclaimed the riding of Mirabel as “Maple Capital of the World”.

I call it the capital because quality reigns supreme and pride courses through our veins like sap. To the naysayers I say that a change of capital is nothing short of a revolution. I salute all the maple metropolises across Quebec.

On February 21, I, alongside Mirabel mayor Patrick Charbonneau, Tourisme Mirabel president Stéphane Michaud and several maple producers, kicked off the season by awarding the prize for Mirabel's biggest maple to the Vermette family of Saint-Augustin. It is a beautiful sight to behold, over 15 feet in circumference and over 200 years old. Now that is a maple. It would not surprise me if it is the biggest in Quebec, and maybe even the biggest in the world.

Our maple syrup producers are fully prepared to welcome people properly, with all the know-how they have.

I welcome my colleagues to the maple capital of the world and wish them a happy maple syrup season.

ArriveCAN Application

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister is not worth the cost, crime or corruption after eight years, especially with revelations related to arrive scam. While common-sense Conservatives will axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime, the Prime Minister wasted at least $60 million on his ineffectual app.

After fighting for weeks to get witnesses to committee, we have new information that GC Strategies' contract resulted in an expense for $19 million to a company that does not do IT work, for an app that sent more than 10,000 Canadians forcibly into quarantine with no justification. Today's motion, which Conservatives brought forward, is essential, as it calls out the lack of transparency from the Liberals and will require accountability for this injustice inflicted upon taxpayers.

While Liberals use every trick in the book to stop the truth from coming to light, Conservatives will bring accountability back to this country.

Coldest Night of the Year

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this past weekend I joined thousands of people across Canada taking part in the Coldest Night of the Year, a family-friendly walk organized to raise funds supporting those experiencing homelessness and fleeing violence and abuse, families experiencing hunger, and the most vulnerable in our communities. Whether it was a two-kilometre or five-kilometre walk, our communities stepped up and out into the cold to really support our neighbours who are struggling.

I want to recognize Eden Food for Change, an awesome not-for-profit community kitchen in my riding, and Armagh House, a transitional housing shelter for women, whose teams organized their own family-friendly walks and raised thousands of dollars for our communities this year. I thank all participants and the hosts of this year's Coldest Night of the Year walk for the critical work they do in keeping our communities safe.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, while common-sense Conservatives fight to axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime, this Prime Minister is not worth the cost or corruption.

We have just learned that the RCMP is investigating arrive scam. The RCMP commissioner revealed that the Prime Minister blocked them from obtaining documents in the SNC-Lavalin affair.

Will he lift PMO confidentiality so the RCMP can get all the facts in this criminal investigation?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the ArriveCAN situation is obviously unacceptable. That is why authorities are reviewing its procurement process.

Anyone who took advantage of our COVID‑19 response to save Canadian lives should face the consequences if they abused the system. It will be automatic. That is why there will be consequences, based on what the authorities find.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, that non-answer proves once again that this Prime Minister is not worth the cost or the corruption.

The question was whether he would let the RCMP see cabinet documents. We know that in another criminal investigation into this Prime Minister's scandals, the SNC-Lavalin scandal, he blocked the police from seeing all the documents.

Once again, if he has nothing to hide, will he hand over all the documents, including PMO documents, to the police?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservative leader's desperation and penchant for personal attacks are on full display as he brings up problems that were completely resolved four years ago.

The truth of the matter is that we take the ArriveCAN matter extremely seriously. That is why authorities are responsibly following up on it. Anyone who took advantage of a situation where everyone was there to help Canadians in a global pandemic crisis will face the consequences.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, while common-sense Conservatives fight to axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime, the Prime Minister is not worth the cost or corruption.

We found yesterday that his government is under RCMP investigation again, this time for arrive scam. The commissioner of the RCMP revealed, however, that the last time they were investigating him for criminal activity, in the SNC-Lavalin affair, he blocked them from getting cabinet documents.

Will he lift cabinet confidentiality and hand over all the documents to the police so they can investigate any of his potential crimes?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the situation around ArriveCAN is obviously unacceptable, which is why authorities are looking into this procurement process. Anyone who took advantage of everything we were doing to try to keep people safe during COVID to get rich will face consequences. That is the way our system works.