Human Resources Committee on May 23rd, 2024

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, London North Centre, ON]

I found it interesting, Mr. Chair, that nothing was mentioned about rebates. The fact is that Canadian families in the affected provinces do receive rebates in excess of what they put in, and we know that from the Parliamentary Budget Officer.

I don't want to belabour the point, Mr. Chair. We should move immediately to a vote.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

There's a call for a vote, so I'll move directly to a recorded vote on the motion by Mrs. Gray.

(Motion negatived: nays 7; yeas 4 [See Minutes of Proceedings])

Mrs. Gray your time has gone.

We still have time left.

Mr. Coteau, you have a couple of minutes to conclude.

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

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to our witnesses for being here.

The work you do to support families and children is probably the most important work that can be done in our society today. It is absolutely true that if we invest in young people and provide them with the opportunity to get an early start and have a balanced approach, it produces a better child, a better adult, a better citizen and a better country.

It's astonishing to me that we are talking about children here, and still Conservatives.... This bill is a very simple piece of legislation. All it's asking is to develop a coordinated strategy between the provinces and territories. That's it. It's saying, ”Let's work together.”

Mr. Mansfield, I think there were $230 million dedicated in your province of B.C. to student nutrition programs. This is a huge amount of money. It really does complement well the federal initiative, and we can work together, the federal, provincial and municipal governments and school boards, to do something important here.

I was a trustee for eight years at the Toronto District School Board. I led the task force on student nutrition. One of the recommendations back in 2007 was for a national food program. I remember visiting different jurisdictions, and I heard over and over again that we need a national program.

I taught in South Korea, and they had a national food program. The United States, a country that sometimes is not considered the most supportive of social services, has a national program. Canada is one of the only countries in the G20 that doesn't have one, so I think this is a huge move for Canadians.

The Conservatives talk a lot about carbon pricing. They say that carbon pricing is the way forward—

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

We don't say that.

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

—that it's the way forward in regard to countering the whole argument against Bill C-322.

I heard the same arguments back in my time at the provincial government when we closed the coal plants. The Conservatives said that it would be disastrous. It was all about children from my perspective, because when we closed the coal plants and we mitigated pollution, we saw a 50% reduction in asthma cases in kids in the GTA.

We're talking about carbon pricing here. We're talking about putting in place a system that reduces pollution by penalizing those who pollute the most. We're putting in place mitigating penalties for those who pollute the most and reducing it by creating an incentive not to pollute. We're talking about children here in Bill C-322.

This is a proposed piece of legislation that I see as a game-changer for this country, and it's a shame that the Conservatives can think of carbon pricing only when it comes to a very simple framework that's being proposed by one of the members.

Mr. Mansfield, you ran 200 times around the school to raise awareness. That was 90 kilometres, I believe. How long did it take you?

[Brent Mansfield]

It took 11 hours and 20 minutes, with a pause for a press conference, a few bathroom breaks and a couple of snacks.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Mr. Coteau.

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

That's it? That's my five minutes?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Well, we're running out of time.

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

That wasn't five minutes, though.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

You can sum up with a quick question.

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

What did that do for your community, raising awareness around this issue?

[Brent Mansfield]

It was fantastic. My students were with me for most of the day. I finished at about five o'clock. I had about 200 people still there. Families and parents mobilized.

This has been a major part of my teaching. My students would probably be watching this right now if it weren't so early. I will go back and show them. They believe in this. My school board believes in this. My province believes in this. Part of the reason I ran was that I saw leadership from my province. I'm now looking for leadership from this federal government.

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

Thank you for running, and thank you for leading.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Mr. Coteau.

Committee members, as it relates to....

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

I'm listening.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Good. Thank you. Nobody else is.

As it relates to Bill C-322, as you know, as chair I've always taken the prerogative to allow the promoter of the bill or motions to present in the House. Since the promoter of this bill is Mr. Cormier, who is not a standing member of the committee, I need the committee to consider, after we do clause-by-clause on Monday, is it the will of the committee that a 30-sitting-day extension be requested to the House to ensure that the report can be presented the week of June 3?

It's a routine proceeding that the committee would have to adopt to allow Mr. Cormier to table it when the committee dispenses of the bill.

Do I have agreement?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, committee members.

Finally, with regard to the committee study on the federal housing investment, is it the will of the committee to have a press release prepared to inform the public about briefs and the deadline to submit briefs?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Good. Thank you, committee members.

With that, thank you for your time, and thank you to the witnesses.

Is it the will of the committee to adjourn?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

The committee is adjourned. Thank you.