Evidence of meeting #127 for Industry, Science and Technology in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was merger.
A recording is available from Parliament.
11:50 a.m.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
I want to go back to MP Singh. I want to go back to my question.
Did your brother meet with the CEO of Metro, yes or no?
11:50 a.m.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
Did your brother, who works for one of the largest lobbyist firms in Canada, meet with the CEO of Metro?
11:50 a.m.
NDP
Jagmeet Singh NDP Burnaby South, BC
You know, it's really interesting. The Conservatives want to attack my family, but not the corporate greed of the CEOs of Metro, Loblaws and Sobeys. I wonder why.
11:50 a.m.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
On April 1, 2025, the Prime Minister is going to increase the carbon tax again, which is jacking up the cost of everything, including food, which you seem to be concerned about, but unwilling to do anything about, other than a puffery bill here.
On April 1, 2025, when the carbon tax increases again, will you oppose that carbon tax increase, yes or no?
11:50 a.m.
NDP
Jagmeet Singh NDP Burnaby South, BC
I think it's very telling that the Conservative member just called a bill that goes after bread price-fixing, goes after collusion and goes after large corporations ripping off Canadians a “puffery bill”. That is very insightful into the Conservatives' viewpoint of corporate greed.
11:50 a.m.
Conservative
11:50 a.m.
NDP
Jagmeet Singh NDP Burnaby South, BC
They think that stopping corporate greed.... I want Canadians to know this.
11:50 a.m.
NDP
Jagmeet Singh NDP Burnaby South, BC
I'm going to answer; I'm going to finish the question. I'm going to respond to your question.
11:50 a.m.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
You are not going to stop the carbon tax.
You're taking longer than I asked.
11:50 a.m.
NDP
Jagmeet Singh NDP Burnaby South, BC
Not at all. They specifically are referring to a bill that's going to take on corporate greed and stop what happened with the bread price-fixing, and he's referring to that as a “puffery bill”. That shows you where the Conservatives stand on this.
11:50 a.m.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
I want to go back to the ethics, and the ethics issue.
Before you went out against the grocery companies, did you talk to the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner to inform them and get clearance because of your brother's role in defending and lobbying for Metro? Yes or no? Did you do that? Answer with a yes or no. Did you get clearance?
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
11:55 a.m.
NDP
Jagmeet Singh NDP Burnaby South, BC
First, that's patently false, and second, I've attacked the CEO of Loblaws, the CEO of Metro and the CEO of Sobeys. I've directly called them out for ripping off Canadians. I've not heard the Conservatives do that. I wonder why.
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
You haven't gone to the Ethics Commissioner. That's what you're saying.
11:55 a.m.
NDP
Jagmeet Singh NDP Burnaby South, BC
I believe the reason is that the Conservatives have no interest in going after the real reason why Canadians are paying the highest prices for groceries, which is corporate greed—
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
It's because of the carbon tax and the budget that you continue to support—
11:55 a.m.
NDP
Jagmeet Singh NDP Burnaby South, BC
They're going to ignore that, and note what they're willing to do: They're going to attack anyone else—
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
[Inaudible—Editor]—inflationary spending that you continue to support.
11:55 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Joël Lightbound
Mr. Perkins, Mr. Singh, it's impossible to hear.
I think we can do better.
Mr. Perkins, the floor is yours.
11:55 a.m.
Conservative
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
It would be nice to get a straight answer from you for once. You sound just like a Liberal minister.
Give me a yes or no answer: Did you talk to the Ethics Commissioner to deal with your obvious conflict of interest?
11:55 a.m.
NDP
Jagmeet Singh NDP Burnaby South, BC
The thrust of your question is: Who am I attacking? I'm attacking the CEO of Metro. I'm attacking the CEO of Loblaws.