Government Business No. 34—Proceedings on Bill C-62  Mr. Speaker, my colleague is from a neighbouring riding of Fredericton, and it is always good to have good debate and discussion with her. I want to assure her that the concerns we are hearing are that this pathway is being opened up and people do perceive that when someone is struggling in a season of difficulty, they may want to access, through the avenue of MAID, medical assistance in dying, for the sole purpose of mental illness.

Government Business No. 34—Proceedings on Bill C-62  Mr. Speaker, I always consider it an honour to rise in the people's House to speak in regard to matters of great importance and consequence for the nation of Canada. I rise with mixed emotions today as, obviously, many Canadians have been grappling and dealing with this issue and have been considering and discussing the issue for years and months.

Government Business No. 34—Proceedings on Bill C-62  Mr. Speaker, it has been said that the character of a nation is revealed in how it treats its most vulnerable. I cannot think of a higher obligation for the House that houses the representatives of the people to take up than this very discussion. It is a matter of debate that should not be rushed.

Questions on the Order Paper  With regard to the October 26, 2023 announcement temporarily pausing the carbon tax on deliveries of heating oil: when the three year pause is completed in November 2026, does the government plan to tax home heating oil at the current carbon tax rate of $65 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), or will it be taxed at a higher rate, and, if so, what will that rate be?

Carbon Pricing  Mr. Speaker, what we did was vote non-confidence in the government as it needs to be replaced. After eight years of the NDP-Liberal government, Canadians from coast to coast are desperate for relief. A potato farming couple from Grand-Sault have seen their freight costs of oil rise over $300,000 a year, due to the implementation of the carbon tax.

Questions Passed as Orders for Returns  With regard to the Auditor General’s report entitled “Modernizing Information Technology Systems”, in section 7.44: (a) what are details of the 22 high-risk projects monitored by the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS), including, for each, the (i) name of the department or agency overseeing the project, (ii) project name, (iii) description, (iv) action taken by the government to address the concerns raised in the report; and (b) what are the total expenditures to date, and the project future expenditures of each of the 22-high risk projects monitored by the TBS?

Questions Passed as Orders for Returns  With regard to the Auditor General’s report entitled “Modernizing Information Technology Systems”, in section 7.50: (a) which departments or agencies have requested funding for “modernization needs” and how much has each one requested; and (b) which departments or agencies were represented by the 83% of Chief Technology Officers that expressed they were not satisfied with the available mechanisms for funding modernization projects?

Season's Greetings  Madam Speaker, today, we remember the real reason for the season. C is for the Christ child who was born in Bethlehem that first Christmas night. H is for the hope for all humanity that came down to us. R is for the fact that there was no room in the inn for Him. The question remains: Is there room for Him in our world and hearts today?

Carbon Pricing  Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Liberals voted with the Bloc to keep the tax on farmers. This bill would have saved farmers nearly $1 billion between now and 2030. This Christmas season, people are hurting. P.E.I. farmers are paying between $30,000 and $75,000 more a year due to the carbon tax.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I will remind my hon. colleague that it was the previous Conservative government that tried to pass meaningful Senate reform. The other side of the House fought that every step of the way. They tried to bring it about. Here is the issue. Are we going to listen to what our farmers are saying and enact what they want us to enact, or are we just going to acquiesce to an unelected body?

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, if one talks to those who grow our food, produce our food, work in our fields and those who represent the farmers, the overwhelming majority of them want this bill passed. This bill is a priority for the Canadian people. This bill needs to be enacted sooner rather than later.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I will say to my hon. colleague that the real issue that is at stake is the fact that affordability across this country is a huge challenge for every Canadian. Farmers have been facing soaring input costs and competitive disadvantage for a long time here in Canada.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, it is always an honour to be able to rise in the people's House and share concerns and many reflections that we hear from back home. Today, I rise in the House to speak to our motion regarding Bill C-234 and its intention to remove the carbon tax from farm fuels, and to urge the government to take the pressure off its appointed senators to keep holding up this bill.

Carbon Pricing  Mr. Speaker, after eight long years of the NDP-Liberal government, everything is up. Taxes are up, fuel is up, food is up and Canadians are fed up, but they are still hungry. Now, in the midst of this affordability crisis, the Prime Minister has doubled down on his plan to quadruple the carbon tax.

Questions on the Order Paper  With regard to the new passport design: (a) how much was spent on the graphic design of the new passport; (b) which vendors were contracted or sub-contracted to do the graphic design work; and (c) how much was each vendor in (b) paid for graphic design work associated with the new passport?