Debates of Jan. 29th, 2019

Freedom of Religion

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

Mr. Speaker, Azzedine Soufiane, Khaled Belkacemi, Aboubaker Thabti, Abdelkrim Hassane, Mamadou Tanou Barry, and Ibrahima Barry are names that the people of Quebec City and all Canadians will forever keep in their memory.

On January 29, 2017, exactly two years ago, a criminal killed them in cold blood. These men, these fathers and brothers, were gathered at the Quebec City mosque. Brought together in faith, they were the victims of human cruelty. The entire country knows that the freedom to practice religion is sacred and that intolerance must be condemned at all levels.

Let us never turn a blind eye to actions that can lead to such tragedies.

January 29 should become a national day of solidarity with victims of intolerance and anti-religious violence. These six men will live forever in our hearts and minds.

[The member spoke in Arabic.]

[Translation]

We will remember them.

Mental Health

[Majid Jowhari, Liberal, Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to be the first to rise in this new chamber to speak to the issue of mental health in Canada.

This afternoon, I was pleased to welcome Samuel Breau from the Bell Let's Talk initiative to discuss how members of Parliament could be a part of the conversation, to raise their voices and fight to end stigma around mental illness. This initiative effort has raised nearly $100 million for the cause. Seeing him speak on this issue in person and from the heart never fails to inspire and impress.

Each year on Bell Let's Talk day, Canadians can use #BellLetsTalk to support mental health initiatives across the country. Awareness of the impact of mental health and illness has never been higher, and we must all continue to raise awareness and learn to be open and accepting of our struggles.

Tomorrow, I invite all of my colleagues and neighbours in my community to do their part and join the conversation.

Freedom of Religion

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on the night of January 29, 2017, 17 children were orphaned because their fathers were targeted for their beliefs. Hatred struck, and these 17 children were orphaned. Since that freezing winter evening, six families and an entire community have lived each day with the repercussions of this act of terror.

Our thoughts are also with the first responders affected by what they saw and experienced. All too often, these unsung heroes suffer in the shadows.

Today is a painful day for the Muslim community in Canada. Two years ago, a gunman opened fire during evening prayers at the Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec. Today, we stand in solidarity with the survivors who are still struggling with the repercussions of this act of terror.

Today, let us help the survivors look to the future.

Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today humbled and grateful at the mandate given to me by the electors in the greatest riding in Canada, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes.

My constituents know that my door is always open to them. I thank them for their trust in me and promise that I will represent them in Ottawa and fight for what is important to them each and every day: standing up for our farmers, reducing the burdens on small businesses, advocating for infrastructure money, fighting the backdoor gun registry and the ineffective carbon tax.

My election comes out of sad events: the passing of my mentor and friend, Gord Brown. He worked hard for his constituents and he was a great Canadian. I will continue that legacy of hard work.

One final note is to acknowledge and thank my wonderful family, my wife Amanda and my children Luke, Ama, Michaela and James.

Freedom of Religion

[Frank Baylis, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, two years ago today, six men who were praying in a Quebec mosque lost their lives.

Ibrahima Barry, Mamadou Tanou Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Aboubaker Thabti, Abdelkrim Hassane and Azzedine Soufiane were all killed. A father, a son, a brother, a husband, a friend, and a colleague were all victims of hate.

After the massacre, vigils were organized across Quebec and Canada. Many people gathered and were united.

Today we stand in solidarity with our Muslim brothers and sisters. We condemn this hateful act as an attack on all Canadians. Together we remember the victims, and we strive to see the humanity in our fellow citizens. No matter our race, the colour of our skin or our religion, we are all Canadians.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

There have been discussions among representatives of all the parties in the House, and I understand that there is consent to observe a moment of silence in memory of the victims of the attack at the Centre culturel islamique de Québec, which took place two years ago.

I invite hon. members to rise.

[A moment of silence observed]

Ethics

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Milton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman served his country with distinction and deserves every opportunity to defend himself, and the Liberals have done everything they can to deny this right. The Prime Minister has refused to release documents needed for the defence case. Now we know that code names were being used to evade access to information laws within the ministry. Today we have learned that the former president of the Treasury Board has withheld personal emails from Mr. Norman's lawyers. When did the Prime Minister know that the minister was withholding personal emails in this case?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, first, it would be inappropriate to comment on this matter before the courts. The sub judice convention indicates that MPs should refrain from discussing ongoing legal proceedings. Courts are dealing with the handling of evidence, and we respect the judicial independence and the House of Commons rules.

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Milton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, a minister of this Prime Minister's government is withholding personal emails from the lawyers of Mark Norman. In October, the former minister said that the only contact he had with Irving was being copied on a letter, but there would appear to be copious documents that are relevant, and as a result, he has lawyered up to try to work his way out of this cover-up. This is all very concerning, and it lies at the feet of this Prime Minister.

Once again, when did the Prime Minister learn that his minister was withholding personal documents relevant to the Mark Norman case?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as we all know, these are matters before the court right now. The court is engaged in it. We know that in Canada, the independence of our judicial system is something that must be a bedrock of our society and indeed of our functioning as a society and as a parliament. We respect the independence of those courts. We will allow the courts to do the job they need to do.

Taxation

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Milton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is the end of the month, and in the normal world, families are taking a look at their personal budgets and trying to figure out how they are going to balance their own, because they know, unlike the Prime Minister, that budgets do not balance themselves. They also know that if they are short this month, they cannot just borrow their way out of debt, unlike the Prime Minister, who thinks that the country can. Finally, Canadians know that they will be the ones paying for the mistakes of the government and this Prime Minister.

Therefore, at the very least, Canadians deserve a clear answer before the election. Will the Prime Minister impose massive tax hikes on these Canadian citizens?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, from the very beginning, our plan has been to lower taxes for the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%. That has been an issue for the Conservatives, because we know that they prefer to give tax breaks and advantages to the wealthiest. Unfortunately, that approach for 10 years under Stephen Harper did not work to create any more than anemic growth. What we have been able to do, by investing in Canadians and investing in their communities, is have the lowest unemployment rate in 40 years and see Canadians create 800,000 new jobs. We are going to continue to invest in our communities, because our plan is working to grow the economy for the middle class and those working hard to join it.

[Alain Rayes, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the former Conservative government was so good at fiscal management that this government inherited a balanced budget.

Now, 80% of Canadian families are paying more in taxes to make up for this Prime Minister's out-of-control spending.

However, during the last election campaign, he made a formal promise that they would rebalance the budget before the end of their first term.

Will he table a plan to rebalance the budget without forcing Canadian taxpayers to foot the bill through increased taxes?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, in 2015, we presented a plan to invest in Canadians and in their communities and to stimulate economic growth, after 10 years of failures under the Harper Conservatives.

We have created a strong and growing economy. Canadians have created 800,000 good jobs in the past three years. We continue to see the lowest unemployment rates in decades.

We will continue to invest in Canadians to create more prosperity for the middle class and those who are working hard to join it.

[Alain Rayes, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that this government is spending uncontrollably at the expense of our children and grandchildren. Who will have to pay for that? Who will have to pay for the Prime Minister's failures, mistakes and out-of-control spending? Workers, business owners and families across Canada, that's who.

I will therefore repeat my question to the Prime Minister. Will he table a plan to balance the budget without raising taxes for Canadians, yes or no?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have not and will not raise taxes for Canadians. On the contrary, we have lowered taxes. We lowered taxes for the middle class by asking the wealthiest Canadians to pay a little more.

That is precisely what upsets the Conservatives because they would rather grow the economy by making investments that benefit the wealthy and giving them bigger tax breaks. That does not work. The trickle down effect does not work in Canada or anywhere else. That is what the Conservatives do not understand.

We created economic growth by investing in the middle class and we will continue—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order. The hon. member for New Westminster—Burnaby.

Housing

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister misled Parliament and all Canadians when he said in this House that he has already “helped more than one million Canadians find affordable housing”. We checked the CMHC record, and it says that only 14,703 new units have been or are even being built, so the government gave away $14 billion in corporate tax writeoffs in the mini-budget but has only built a few new housing units.

Why is the Prime Minister deliberately misstating the facts? When will the government find new affordable housing for Canadians?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve housing that is safe, affordable and accessible. That is why we have made unprecedented investments in housing across this country since day one, including with our national housing strategy. We have already helped more than almost one million Canadians access homes. Our plan is for stable housing and financing now and for the next decade. We know that quality of life, that better opportunities for kids, for families, for everyone, relies on housing. That is why we are investing in a national housing strategy.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Speaker, let us be clear. Doing routine repairs and maintenance is not finding new housing for Canadians. That answer shows appalling disrespect for Canadians in Burnaby and everywhere else who are suffering through the worst housing crisis we have ever had. Canadian families are struggling under the worst family debt crisis in our history and in all the industrialized world. Forty-six per cent of Canadians are $200 away from financial insolvency in any given month.

Why does the government not build affordable housing? Why does the Prime Minister not start to care as much about Canadians as he does about Bay Street billionaires?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I would suggest that the NDP be careful about maligning the idea of repairing or refurbishing existing housing stock. Far too many Canadians live in housing that is unacceptable, and the investments we have made that have helped rebuild, refurbish, renovate, improve housing for Canadians right across this country are making a real difference. That is part of the money we are flowing to communities and to Canadians to make sure they have safe and affordable places to live. Yes, there is much more work to do, but we are doing it with unprecedented investments in housing.

Poverty

[Brigitte Sansoucy, NDP, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a study has shown that nearly half of Canadians are $200 away from not being able to pay their monthly bills.

Sophie, one my constituents, was telling me how difficult it is for her and her mother to make ends meet at the end of the month. People are struggling under crushing levels of personal debt, and the Liberals' priority is to give billions of dollars in gifts to big business.

When will the Liberals really help people instead of choosing to help the richest companies?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, our priority from the beginning has been to invest in the middle class and those working hard to join it. That is why we lowered taxes for the middle class. That is why we created the Canada child benefit, which is lifting hundreds of thousands of children across the country out of poverty.

We invested in a national housing strategy, which has already helped nearly one million people find housing, and we will continue to invest in our communities and in Canadians to help them build a better world for themselves and their families.

Seniors

[Brigitte Sansoucy, NDP, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister left out Canadian seniors who are in a lot of debt.

Paul, a senior in my riding, told me that he and his wife have a hard time making ends meet with their small pension despite having worked their whole lives.

I should also mention the lack of affordable housing for seniors across the country.

When will the Liberals choose to give our seniors a real helping hand instead of spending billions on pipelines and corporate welfare?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I welcome this opportunity to talk about everything we have done for seniors, starting with the national housing strategy, which includes a significant investment in housing for seniors.

The Harper Conservatives raised the retirement age to 67, but we brought it back down to 65. We increased the guaranteed income supplement by nearly $1,000 for the most vulnerable seniors.

We will keep investing to address the challenges facing seniors. We will help them. We are here for them.