Debates of April 16th, 2024

Employment

[Ken Hardie, Liberal, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

Mr. Speaker, today, the Deputy Prime Minister will deliver the budget. Over the last few weeks, we have seen the important efforts of this government to invest in this country, building a record we can be proud of. On the other side, the Leader of the Opposition loves to talk about his record when he was minister of employment. He wants to convince Canadians that he has the solution to make life better: cut, cut, cut. Well, cuts do not create jobs. Cuts do not create investment. Cuts do not increase wages.

Can the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages tell the House what the government is going to do to make life better for Canadians?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Employment]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Fleetwood—Port Kells for his hard work. Since we took office in 2015, wages are up, employment is up and foreign direct investment is up. We are investing in Canadians and in the economy, creating great jobs and growth for the whole country.

When the Leader of the Opposition was minister of employment, wages were lower, employment was lower and foreign investment was lower. While we are fighting for fairness for every generation, his record is clear. There is one thing I will bring up. If he ever takes over, there will be cuts, cuts and more cuts.

Finance

[Anna Roberts, Conservative, King—Vaughan, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years, it is clear the NDP-Liberal government is not worth the cost. In Newfoundland and Labrador, there are 28 bodies in a freezer outside of a hospital because their families cannot afford to bury them. This sounds like a Netflix horror movie, but sadly it is the nightmare of the Prime Minister's out-of-control spending. Conservatives demand that he stop the outrageous spending and make life affordable.

Will the Liberals listen and give Canadians the ability to bury their loved ones?

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

Mr. Speaker, we know it is a challenging time for many people. That is why we have been there all along. We have been there with the child care benefit. We have been there with the increased OAS and GIS. We are now there with a dental program that is rolling out to help people. We have our carbon rebate this year for people. We know it is challenging times. We will be there for Canadians and we always will be.

[Anna Roberts, Conservative, King—Vaughan, ON]

Mr. Speaker, like the old song, it is “Stop! In the Name of Canadians”. There are 28 bodies in a freezer because families cannot afford to bury their loved ones. Houses have doubled. Food bank usage is higher. Families are losing their homes. It is enough. Today, the Liberals are announcing their budget.

Will they show some compassion and ensure there is a dollar of savings for every dollar of spending, so Canadians can afford to live?

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

Before the hon. minister gets up, I want to tell members that I hear some singing in the House. Members know that singing is not permitted in the House. I will just ask whoever is doing that to please stop.

The hon. Minister for Rural Economic Development.

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

Mr. Speaker, when people find themselves in a very challenging or upsetting time in their lives, they know that this party, on this side of the House, is there to help them in many ways.

We do not believe in slogans. We believe in helping people, which we have been doing since the very beginning. We will continue to help, especially with the budget later today.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years, this Liberal government is not worth the cost. After eight years of astronomical deficits and spiralling debt, this government has never managed to control spending. This is a perfect recipe for inflation.

Canadians know what inflation is. Rents have doubled. Mortgages have doubled. Things have reached a point where it is cheaper to stay in a motel than have an apartment.

At the very least, will there be a plan, if only to control spending, later on when the budget is tabled?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Speaker, when the Conservative leader was the minister responsible for housing, he built six affordable housing units across the entire country during his entire term.

Municipalities in Quebec are building 8,000 housing units with the help of the Canadian government. If we divide the 8,000 housing units by six, it amounts to about 1,200 times more. Nevertheless, the Conservative leader insults Quebec's municipalities by calling them incompetent.

Who is incompetent, the Conservative leader with six units or Quebec municipalities with 8,000 units?

Public Services and Procurement

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Québec seems to enjoy playing with numbers these days. I have a number for him: 750. The ArriveCAN app cost 750 times more than it should have. Who was the President of the Treasury Board was when that happened? It was the current member for Québec. What happened to him after that? He became the health minister. What is he now? He is the Minister of Public Services and Procurement. He has won the triple crown of mismanagement.

Does he find it insulting to have spent 750 times more on the app, when it was his responsibility to make sure it was done properly?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Speaker, “insulting” is indeed the key word. Quebec municipalities were insulted by being called incompetent.

They are creating 8,000 affordable housing units with the support of the Canadian government and the co-operation of the Quebec government, while the Conservative leader, the leader of insults, built just six affordable housing units across the country during his entire mandate as the minister responsible for housing. Some 66 units have been built in the past few weeks just in the riding of my colleague, the member for Louis-Saint-Laurent.

[Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Ottawa is brewing a new fiasco at the border. On May 13, importers might hit a wall at customs. Why? Because that is when CARM, the new application for assessing and paying duties and taxes is officially implemented at the border.

Last week, 22 organizations raised concerns saying that neither the Canada Border Services Agency nor businesses will be ready on time.

Will Ottawa push back the implementation date until the Standing Committee on International Trade completes its study and makes recommendations?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague knows full well that we always want to work with the parliamentary committees. I had a discussion with the president of the CBSA yesterday about the issue raised by my colleague. I am sure that the CBSA is aware of the facts of this application. I am sure that it will be managed properly.

[Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Ottawa set a precedent for failure in terms of implementing major new IT systems. One such precedent is called Phoenix. Eight years later, Ottawa still cannot pay its employees.

There is also a precedent with the Canada Border Services Agency. It is called ArriveCAN. How reassuring. It fills us with confidence. The CBSA has failed to provide the documents concerning CARM, as requested by the committee. The committee cannot complete its study, and no one seems to know exactly what to do if the application crashes on May 13.

Is Ottawa going to do the only thing there is to do, which is postpone the rollout?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, once again, we have consulted exporters and importers, and we will continue to do so. We fully understand their concerns, and that is why I raised this issue with the president of the CBSA. I do not share my Bloc Québécois colleague's pessimism. As my colleague, the Quebec lieutenant, often says, they are experts in pessimism. I do not share that pessimism, but I understand the importance of doing things the right way.

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

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister, it is clear he is not worth the cost or the corruption, like the $60-million arrive scam contractor, who is being hauled before the House of Commons tomorrow for refusing to answer committee questions about his role in the Prime Minister's latest multi-million-dollar scandal. This contractor claims that he only did Google searches and sent LinkedIn direct messages.

Therefore, what did this guy and his partner give to the Liberals in exchange for the multi-million dollars they were paid?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, just because my hon. friend continues to repeat something that he knows is not accurate does not make it so. He knows very well that a series of investigations are being undertaken. The RCMP is seized with this matter. If the House in its wisdom decides to call people before the bar, that is entirely within the purview of the House.

We have also said from the beginning that anybody who abused taxpayer money should face the consequences, and that is exactly what will happen.

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

Mr. Speaker, if the minister gets up and says something is not true, that points to the lie, because we know that 75% of the contractors listed on this app did no actual work. We know that two guys working out of a basement were paid tens of millions of dollars, but did no actual work. We know that every step of the way the Liberals have tried to cover it up, like how that minister and everyone on front bench, and right to the back, voted against having the Auditor General investigate.

The question is very simple. These yo-yos working out of a basement were paid tens of millions of dollars and did no actual work. What did they give the Liberals in exchange for that sweetheart deal?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, again, if our hon. friend wants me to point out the part of his question he knows is inaccurate, it is the last sentence of the question.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Prime Minister's ArriveCAN app has become the biggest scandal we have seen in the past 100 years. Tomorrow, Kristian Firth will have to come before the bar of the House of Commons to testify because he lied and he protected his contacts within the Liberal government by refusing to give their names.

Two men with no IT skills working out of a basement were given $20 million to develop an app, ArriveCAN. I challenge the minister responsible for this historic level of corruption to rise and apologize for this scandal, which is making Liberal cronies rich at the expense of Canadian families.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague knows full well that there are investigations under way. The House decided to summon someone to answer questions. That is all part of the responsibilities of the House of Commons. We are open to that.

We have also said from the beginning that we are open to a careful review of this situation, whether it be by the Auditor General, the RCMP or parliamentary committees. Anyone who has misused taxpayers' money will face the consequences.

Tourism Industry

[Brenda Shanahan, Liberal, Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, National Tourism Week celebrates one of Canada's vital industries. This industry accounts for one in 10 jobs and has a presence in every region, including mine, Châteauguay—Lacolle, soon to be renamed Châteauguay—Les Jardins-de-Napierville.

Our government has made strategic investments, such as the indigenous tourism fund and the tourism growth program.

This is in stark contrast to the Conservatives, who vote to abolish programs at every opportunity. Would the Minister of Tourism tell us how important the tourism industry is?

[Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Châteauguay—Lacolle is absolutely right. The tourism industry generated nearly $100 billion in 2023 and employed nearly two million workers across the country. Beyond the numbers, tourism makes us proud. We are proud to share our destinations with more than 2.5 million visitors from around the world.

That is why I am so surprised that the Conservative Party voted against giving Bonhomme Carnaval a job. Those of us on this side of the House wish everyone a happy National Tourism Week.

Public Services and Procurement

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years, the Prime Minister is not worth the cost. Just when one thinks that the NDP-Liberal government could not be even more out of touch, it goes ahead and nominates the CBSA as “unsung heroes” for the arrive scam.

Recklessly spending 60 million taxpayer dollars and demonstrating some of the worse financial record-keeping we have ever seen is the opposite of “innovative and effective” procurement practices. The CBSA should be an example of how not to do government procurement.

Why on earth would the government reward incompetence?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, my hon. friend knows very well that we have instituted a series of changes in terms of the procurement process both at CBSA and horizontally across the Government of Canada.

My colleague, the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, has spoken about the changes we have made in light of the recommendations of the Auditor General. We welcome other reviews, whether it is parliamentary committees. In the case of ArriveCAN, as we know, the RCMP are looking into this matter.

As I said, anybody who abused taxpayer money will properly face the consequences.