Debates of April 16th, 2024

Justice

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I will reiterate something my colleague knows full well: Quebec is secular and Canada is secular. That is a fact. We are working with that.

What I do no understand is that when we, as Quebeckers, want to speak to Quebec's issues, the Bloc Québécois tell us to mind our own business. The Bloc members tell us that every time. Now they are jumping for joy because a foreign leader came here to Canada and told them what to do. Someone comes from another continent and we have to listen to him.

I will repeat this to my colleague with all due respect: We are 35 members from Quebec elected by Quebeckers; we are proud Quebeckers, and we will always stand up for Quebec.

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there are 32 members from Quebec who support the will of Quebec's National Assembly. By supporting the challenge to Quebec’s Act respecting the laicity of the State, Ottawa is really challenging our model for living in harmony.

Quebeckers want the separation of church and state. We have moved on. I am sure this is not easy to understand for members who fight to ensure that the House begins with a prayer every day. However, Quebeckers have chosen secularism. Religion is private and the state is public.

I would like a straight answer from the minister. Why is his government opposed to secularism?

[Arif Virani, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, let us be clear. This is about a group of Quebeckers who went to court to defend their rights under the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

If Quebec appeals before the Supreme Court of Canada, we will be there, as we have mentioned several times over the past year, to intervene and participate in these important discussions pertaining to the Canadian charter and the Quebec charter.

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we are in a Parliament that sings God Save the King for the head of the Anglican Church, a Parliament where elected officials pray every day, not at home, which would be entirely within their rights, but here in the House.

We have a government that wants to change the date of the election to accommodate Diwali, a religious holiday. Then, it tells us that Canada is in favour of secularism and that secularism is important. Come on.

Will the minister admit that he wants to challenge Bill 21 simply because he is against secularism?

[Arif Virani, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, we are firmly committed to participating in these important national discussions that have a major impact on all Canadians, discussions about issues affecting our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.

As we have said many times, we have serious concerns about the pre-emptive usage of the notwithstanding clause in section 33 of the charter. The first word should not be the last word in the dialogue between the legislative assemblies and the courts.

Carbon Pricing

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years, the NDP-Liberal government is not worth the cost, but let us hear from some rural residents. Judy from Arkona writes, “The carbon tax is killing us”, and Scott from Tupperville says, “As a senior, I am finding it hard to cope.” Walter from Alvinston writes, “I have not even received a carbon rebate.”

In his broken-promise budget, set to be delivered at 4 p.m. today, will the Prime Minister finally axe the tax on farmers, make food cheaper for Canadians and pass Bill C-234 in its original form?

[Gudie Hutchings, Liberal, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, I would really like to say to the Conservatives that they do not have to wait until four o'clock. They can pass the fall economic statement, because that is impeding where rural top-ups are going. In my riding, that would mean $1,430 to go to a family of four every year. All the way across the country, in Alberta, it would mean $2,160. I wish they would pass the FES. Then they would truly be helping rural Canadians and rural families.

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, even the polls tell us that the majority of Canadians are fed up with the Prime Minister overspending, over-promising, under-delivering and failing this country. Over $52 billion will be spent on servicing his debt alone. While Canadians are struggling, he raised the price of gas, groceries and home heating, raising the carbon tax by 23% just two weeks ago. This is punishment, not progress.

In his big-deficit budget later today, will the Prime Minister finally axe the tax on farmers and make food cheaper for Canadians?

[Gudie Hutchings, Liberal, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, I want to tell a story again that I told a few weeks ago. A constituent in my riding took the time to track every single amount of money that he had paid. Do members know what? He doubled it. In case he missed a few things, he was in $38 every time he got his cheque.

I wish they would do their homework, because eight out of 10 Canadians get more with their Canada carbon rebate, especially in rural Canada.

[Warren Steinley, Conservative, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

Mr. Speaker, this is coming from the Liberal member who said that if Canadians want programs, they should vote Liberal. Come on.

After eight long years, the Liberal-NDP government is not worth the cost. Canadians are finding it harder to make ends meet. We all know that at four o'clock today the government is going to table a dumpster fire budget. The Prime Minister simply is not worth the cost.

The question is this: Will he finally axe the tax on farmers so Canadians can put food on their tables?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we are focused on ensuring affordability for Canadians moving forward and addressing the climate issue. The price on pollution is an affordability mechanism. Eight out of 10 families get more money back. The PBO has underlined that. Three hundred economists across this country have underlined that.

Every one of the Conservative MPs over there ran on a platform that included a price on pollution. That is the height of hypocrisy. Their only plan is to take money away from poor people and let the planet burn.

[Warren Steinley, Conservative, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

Mr. Speaker, “climate Ken” can say whatever he wants, but we are 62nd out of 67 countries—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

The hon. member, who is an experienced member of the House, understands that he cannot refer to other members other than by the titles they have, so I would ask him to start from the top and to avoid such language.

The hon. member for Regina—Lewvan.

[Warren Steinley, Conservative, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that the Prime Minister is not worth the cost. They see it time and again when they go to the grocery store. We know that our farmers are paying more. By 2030, when the carbon tax is fully implemented at $170 a tonne, farmers will be paying $1 billion in taxes.

My question once again is this: At the government's four o'clock budget dumpster fire, will it axe the tax on farmers so Canadians can put food on the table?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure if the hon. member is trying to insult me or give me a compliment, but I would say that it is important in this chamber that we use facts and are not misleading Canadians.

Eight out of 10 Canadians get more money back. That is underlined by 300 economists in this country. To be honest, it is underlined by the premier of his province. When Scott Moe came here and testified, he said that they looked at the alternatives and they were all too expensive. It is absolutely the right thing, because we have put in place something that does address affordability and reduces carbon emissions.

On that side of the House, Conservatives do not believe in climate change and they act—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

Order. The hon. member for Hamilton Centre.

Housing

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this past weekend, I met with over 100 youth from Hamilton who told me they do not even know how they are going to be able to pay rent, let alone ever be able to afford to buy a home in their lifetimes. A recent Spectator news report confirms that Hamilton's rents are out of control and quickly outpacing Canadian cities.

Under the Liberals' watch, life has only gotten better for wealthy developers. They are raking it in—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I can usually hear the hon. member for Hamilton Centre quite well, but I am having difficulty hearing him today. I would ask all hon. members, in particular the member for Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, to please only take the floor when recognized by the Speaker.

I will give the hon. member 20 seconds to finish his question.

The hon. member for Hamilton Centre.

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, under the Liberals' watch, life has only gotten better for big money developers, and they are raking it in while rents double for Canadians.

Why are the Liberals refusing to take on corporate developers and failing to build non-market affordable housing now?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Housing]

Mr. Speaker, I have great respect for the hon. member and thank him for his advocacy on building more homes in Hamilton, but he may not be aware that we recently invested $93.5 million in his city to help speed up the construction of up to 9,000 new homes. In addition, we are putting money on the table that is going to help speed up the development.

If the member's concern is about building non-market housing, I am pleased to point to the billion dollars we invested, in the fall economic statement, to build more affordable housing, the hundreds of millions we are using to build more co-operative housing and the $4 billion we are using to deal with the needs of urban, rural and northern communities to serve indigenous peoples. We are going to build housing for the most vulnerable. We are going to build housing for everyone.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, indigenous people in Winnipeg make up nearly 75% of the unhoused population. Almost 90% are sleeping outdoors or living in encampments. The Liberals' inadequate response is costing lives, and the Conservative leader cut 8,000 affordable units when he was the minister in charge. It is clearly not a Conservative priority.

In today's budget, will the Liberals commit to increasing funding for affordable housing, with rent geared to income, and get serious about ending homelessness?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Housing]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her concern. She is right to point out the desperate need of so many communities across the country when it comes to building more affordable housing. She is right to point out the need for increased investment to support the needs of indigenous people who remain unhoused. That is why we put more than $4 billion on the table to support the needs of indigenous peoples in communities and an additional $4.3 billion to deal with the needs of indigenous peoples who live in urban, rural and northern environments. On top of that, we have invested more than $120 million to build thousands of homes in the member's city. We are going to keep doing what we need to do to build more affordable housing.

I have one point of correction: It was 800,000 units that the opposition leader lost while he was housing minister.