House of Commons Hansard #299 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was election.

Topics

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Regina—Qu'Appelle Saskatchewan

Conservative

Andrew Scheer ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, how about pushing back on the fact that this entire incident was orchestrated by a terrorist group, Hamas? This is shameful. Here we are, a week later, after the world has seen Hamas putting innocent civilians in harm's way just to achieve this very type of tragic incident, and the Prime Minister continues to place the blame unilaterally on Israel, a country that goes out of its way to minimize civilian casualties.

Will the Prime Minister finally do what the entire international community has already done: condemn Hamas and recognize its role in this tragic event?

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we have repeatedly condemned the violence, including the incitement to violence by Hamas, but I will express once again that I am proud that Canada is one of those countries in which support for Israel and friendship with Israel go beyond partisan lines. Our government has continued to be a friend to Israel.

There is, in fact, only one issue on which we deeply disagree with the Conservatives with regard to Israel. It is that we do not think it should be a partisan domestic issue.

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

Order. Yesterday I asked the hon. member for St. Albert—Edmonton not to be yelling when someone else has the floor. I ask him again not to do that.

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Regina—Qu'Appelle Saskatchewan

Conservative

Andrew Scheer ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, Canada used to have one voice when it spoke to the issue in the region, until this Prime Minister changed the government's position when it comes to Israel.

The Prime Minister has politicized this issue by failing to condemn Hamas until a week later, by placing the blame unilaterally on Israel, and by ignoring the fact that Hamas put those innocent civilians in harm's way deliberately.

Why did the Prime Minister take so long to acknowledge the role that a terrorist organization had in this? Why is he politicizing our relationship with Israel?

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, how quickly they forget. In the 2015 election campaign, protestors were outside the home of a Jewish leader in Toronto because he had dared to support the Liberal Party in our election and leaders within the Jewish community had actually stepped forward and supported a different party than theirs.

The politicization of the Israel question has been done by them. It is shameful and unhelpful to the kind of pluralistic democracy we are. We will always be a friend to Israel on this side of the House.

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Guy Caron NDP Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC

Mr. Speaker, page 40 of the Liberals' 2015 election platform reads, and I quote:

We will fulfill our G20 commitment and phase out subsidies for the fossil fuel industry over the medium-term.

Not only does the government not have a plan to eliminate those subsidies, but now it also wants to give Kinder Morgan a blank cheque.

Does the government intend to keep its promise and eliminate subsidies for the oil and gas industry?

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, together with our G20 partners, we have committed to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies by the year 2025, and we are on track to meet that target.

Canada is able to develop its resources while protecting the environment. That is why we are committed to the Trans Mountain expansion project, which will create thousands of good jobs.

We have also made significant investments in our world-class oceans protection plan totalling $1.5 billion.

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Guy Caron NDP Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC

Words, Mr. Speaker, just words.

The truth is that the Liberals have no intention of cutting off oil and gas subsidies and no plan to do so. The truth is that they now want to subsidize Kinder Morgan. How much will that cost? The government says it cannot answer that question because it does not negotiate in public.

News flash: when they announce that they are going to subsidize a company like Kinder Morgan or some other company that wants to take over the project, that is negotiating in public.

What is it going to be? $500 million? $1 billion? $5 billion? Does the government have a cap in mind for the Kinder Morgan subsidy?

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, our government respects the fact that it must create economic growth while protecting the environment. That is why the Trans Mountain project had to satisfy additional assessment criteria before we approved it.

It is important for people to know that, once approval has been granted, the government will keep its promises. That is why we are working with the company and with our partners across the country to ensure this project gets built because it is in the national interest.

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC

Mr. Speaker, Canada's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are in shambles.

The government committed to abolish fossil fuel subsidies by 2025, but the Auditor General concluded that the government had no intention to do so. The betrayal does not end there. What is worse is the Liberals now want to bail out a Texas-based oil company.

Canadians do not want to give a handout to a big U.S. oil company. Why are the Liberals giving a blank cheque to Kinder Morgan?

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, together with our G20 partners, we have committed to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies by the year 2025. We are on track to meet this target. Unfortunately, the NDP continues to say we have not done anything, but in budget 2016 we announced the expiration of the tax writeoffs on capital investments in LNG facilities and in budget 2017 we announced the elimination of certain tax credits for exploration expenses in the oil and gas sector in certain cases.

We are committed to growing the economy and protecting the environment at the same time. The NDP and Conservatives still think there is a choice to be made. We know they go together.

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC

Mr. Speaker, that is not according to the Auditor General. The Prime Minister promised to abolish fossil fuel subsidies, and that promise was made with other G7 countries. He made this commitment over and over again. As we approach the next G7 summit, the world will be watching, and the lack of Canadian leadership will be glaring. Rather than paying off a Texas-based oil company and its fat-cat shareholders, will the government end fossil fuel subsidies and invest in a transition for energy workers toward a future in sustainable energy?

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the lack of concern by the NDP for the hard-working Albertans in our oil and gas sector is disheartening. As I said to them when I was out there, we recognize that the Trans Mountain expansion is in the national interest. Ensuring we continue to get good prices for our resources while we move forward toward a low-carbon economy is exactly what all Canadians expect.

We are pleased to have found that project in the national interest. We will get that project built, despite the naysaying by the NDP.

Carbon PricingOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON

Mr. Speaker, the finance department has calculated the cost of the federally imposed carbon tax on the average Canadian family. I obtained the documents; it is just that all the numbers are blacked out. Now, many are calling it a cover-up, a carbon tax cover-up. The Prime Minister is here today. He could uncensor those documents, end this carbon tax cover-up, and tell Canadians what this tax will cost them.

Carbon PricingOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, over the past couple of years we have done two things that are completely foreign to the Conservative Party. One of them is to take real action on reducing our carbon emissions. The second is to work collaboratively with the provinces instead of setting them up as enemies.

What we are doing is working with the provinces so they can establish their plans to reduce their carbon emissions, including putting a price on carbon pollution. They will determine how they will be returning the money collected from that price on pollution to their citizens. Speculation about—

Carbon PricingOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

The hon. member for Carleton.

Carbon PricingOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON

Mr. Speaker, well, we would not have to speculate if the Prime Minister would just uncensor the documents that would tell us. He says not to worry: he is going to raise taxes on working-class consumers, but he will give the money back to provincial politicians to spend. This is his version of trickle-down economics. He takes money from the people who earn it, gives it to politicians, and expects us to believe that a few drops will trickle down to the people who earned it in the first place.

Why does he not uncover the cost, tell the truth, and indicate how much this tax will cost the average family?

Carbon PricingOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, what the Conservatives simply do not understand is that growing the economy for the future requires us to also be protecting future generations. That means being smart about reducing the amount of carbon emissions, reducing the pollution we are putting out. By putting a price on pollution, by encouraging better choices by industry and citizens, we know that we are creating a sustainable future for everyone. That is why for 10 years they made no choices, showed no leadership on the environment, and could not build a strong economy.

TaxationOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON

Mr. Speaker, he has used his “better choices” line again. Nothing could better indicate how much he is out of touch. This millionaire Prime Minister told British Columbians, who are paying $1.60 a litre for gas, that they just need to make better choices if they want to stop overpaying to get from A to B. Furthermore, the Prime Minister wants to charge the GST on top of the carbon tax. He will raise a quarter of a billion dollars in B.C. and Alberta alone.

How much money will his government take from taxpayers in this tax on the tax?

TaxationOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite likes to talk about taxes, but you notice he does not explain why he voted against raising taxes on the wealthiest one per cent and lowering them on the middle class. That is the first thing we did.

Then he wanted to continue to send child benefit cheques to millionaire families instead of giving more money to the families who need it. Our Canada child benefit gives more money to nine out of 10 Canadian families and is lifting hundreds of thousands of kids across this country out of poverty. Those are the choices that we have made, and we are going to continue to make them despite—

TaxationOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

The hon. member for Carleton.

TaxationOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised before the last election that he, because he is a millionaire, would stop taking child care benefits. Now he is taking taxpayer-funded nanny services for his kids while making everybody else pay for their child care out of their own pockets.

On the issue of taxes, the Fraser Institute has calculated that 80% of middle-class taxpayers are paying more since the Prime Minister took office, $800 more. How much will those same families have to pay in higher carbon taxes?

TaxationOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, in French we say, “chassez le naturel, il revient au galop”. As soon as the Conservatives get in a place they do not like, they start attacking personally. They start slamming someone and throwing mud.

The fact is that we lowered taxes for the middle class and raised them on the wealthiest one per cent. The study they are talking about actually did not even count the Canada child benefit.

What I think Canadians would want to hear is whether they will then change back the Canada child benefit to benefit millionaires and take money out of the pockets of the poorest in Canada, because that is what they want—

Government SpendingOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Conservative

Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC

Mr. Speaker, the G7 summit will be held in La Malbaie, in my riding, in June. It is quickly approaching and people have many questions and want answers, especially about the significant costs associated with this event.

For several weeks now, major transformations have overshadowed the natural beauty of the region and inevitably resulted in significant expenses.

With the G7 only three weeks away, is the Prime Minister able to inform us of the cost of the G7 summit?

Government SpendingOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, first, I am very proud to invite the world leaders to our magnificent region of Charlevoix. I know that the residents of Charlevoix are proud to welcome people from all over the world and to show them how beautiful their region is.

I will be headed to the beautiful region of Charlevoix this afternoon to meet with community leaders, the mayor, and residents to answer their questions, as we have been doing for the past few months, and to talk about how this event will be a great success for them, their country, and the world.