Debates of Jan. 29th, 2019

Opposition Motion—Federal Deficit

[Pierre Nantel, NDP, Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her speech.

Today, the Conservatives are asking the government whether it will make a commitment to not create new taxes. For my part, I will be speaking about existing taxes.

The member opposite is very familiar with the retail sector. She knows full well that merchants and SMEs must collect the HST on their clients' transactions. It is not money taken from their account, but it is their job to collect this tax.

Speaking of an existing tax, why is the government intent on being one of the last lax governments not to charge a “destination” tax, such as the GST, on over-the-top television services of web giants such as Netflix?

[Linda Lapointe, Liberal, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I know what my colleague is referring to, but since we are talking about SMEs, I would remind members that we lowered their tax rate to 10% on January 1, 2018, and lowered again to 9% on January 1, 2019. Yes, we are working for SMEs.

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I think my colleague from Longueuil would have appreciated an answer about Netflix collecting tax.

We agree with the principle of the motion, which is about having a realistic plan to balance the budget as quickly as possible. However, the Bloc Québécois is against the last part of the motion about a commitment to never raise taxes of any kind. We are for the carbon tax or something similar, which would give Quebec a relative advantage.

We would also like to see tax hikes for the wealthiest 1% of the population as a way of reducing the middle class's tax burden. We also want the government to go after all businesses, beginning with Canadian banks, that report the bulk of their earnings in tax havens and do not pay tax. We think that would be a good way to balance the budget. Things that are immoral should be illegal.

I would like my colleague to comment on that. Why not make things that are immoral illegal and tax the profits that banks declare in tax havens?

[Linda Lapointe, Liberal, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we have a plan, and we have presented budgets. The Bloc Québécois opposed these budgets. I have to wonder how my colleague opposite, who, like me, lives in Quebec, feels about having voted against the Canada child benefit. This is a tax-free benefit that has significantly helping families in my riding and in his.

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I hear the Conservatives continue to talk about investments as if everything happens on the general ledger and everything has to have an immediate response, where really, the investments are coming from Canada's balance sheet, looking at investing in our economy to create growth and show the positive results we are seeing.

Could the hon. member comment, as a small business person, on how investments from the balance sheet help to create growth within the general ledger?

[Linda Lapointe, Liberal, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his question.

Like me, he strongly believes in investing in science. He believes that innovation brings change, which is absolutely the case. We have created 800,000 jobs since 2015. That is a lot. The unemployment rate is at its lowest in 40 years. Yes, this is working. We must invest in small business, in innovation, in training and in superclusters.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise today to speak to this opposition motion presented by the hon. member for Carleton and to provide some insight and my perspective on it.

I will start by saying that, as usual, I am perplexed by the fact that the Conservatives somehow have this moral high ground to stand on to judge this side of the House when it comes to fiscal responsibility. For some reason there is a notion out there, and I would say it goes far beyond just our borders, that Conservative and alt-right governments are fiscally responsible.

In reality, when we actually stop and look at it, what we see, in looking back at the last 19 budgets introduced by Conservative governments in the House of Commons of Canada, 16 ran deficits. This is really easy to prove. Anyone can go on Google and see this. As a matter of fact, and this one takes a little more work, but with help from the Library of Parliament I was able to do it, if we actually dig and look at the debt that has been created by governments over the past 151 years, we actually find that the Conservatives have been in power for 36% of the time yet have racked up well over 50% of the debt.

For some reason, there is a perception out there that Conservatives are somehow fiscally responsible. However, the proof, in the last 151 years of this experiment that we call Canada, has not produced any results that actually substantiate that claim.

We come to today's motion, presented by the hon. member for Carleton. He is specifically trying to drill down in various rhetorical ways, as he has done many times in the past in this House, on commitments made by the government.

What we have been able to see, the results from the government over the last three years plus, is the lowest rate of unemployment since we started recording it over 40 years ago. We are now sitting at the lowest rate. That is what the government has produced.

The debt-to-GDP ratio, which is extremely relevant, but of course, the Conservatives never want to talk about it, because it is pretty amazing as well, is at the lowest rate it has been in Canada, and more importantly, is among the lowest rates among the G7 countries. We currently have among the best, especially when we compare ourselves to our neighbour to the south, debt-to-GDP ratios.

We are also one of the national leaders among the G7 countries when it comes to growth. This is as a result of investing. This is as a result of investing in Canadians. This is as a result of investing in their potential. This is as a result of investing in businesses in Canada. That is what this government is doing, and that is why we are seeing the results we are.

Let us talk about the first thing the government did when it came into power. The first thing it did was reduce taxes for the middle class and raise them on the 1%. We recognized, unlike the Conservatives, that to have a successful economy, we need to have people out there in the marketplace engaging in the marketplace. We are not going to have a successful economy if all the wealth and all the income is among the top 1%.

One would think, from a business perspective, that the Conservatives would get this. We need people to spend money. How are people going to make money in their businesses if we do not have people spending money? That is exactly what the tax cut for the middle class is all about.

It is also about creating equality and equal opportunities. It is about seeing the potential in marginalized segments of our population and how they can contribute to our economy. That includes an issue that I am extremely passionate about as it relates to gender equality and putting more women in the workforce in less traditional jobs in this country. This is about creating opportunities and putting the necessary pieces of the puzzle in place so that we can see the success that continues to see our country grow. That is exactly what we have done.

We also recognize that we have to take care of some of the most vulnerable in our community. That is why the government put in place a $40-billion, 10-year plan with respect to a national affordable housing strategy to assist people. If people do not have the most basic requirement of housing, if they do not have their most basic need, how can they possibly be expected to perform and work in our society and generate wealth and opportunities? That is what we saw, and that is why we are delivering on that.

At the same time that we made sure to put the social elements in place, we also looked at strengthening the private sector and the business sector. That is why this government decided to reduce the small business corporate tax rate from 11% to 9%.

I will note that this was introduced in the budget last year, and the Conservatives voted against it. I challenged them on this many times, asking why they would vote against a reduction from 11% to 9%, and the answer, to be fair, was that they had to vote against the entire budget, so they could not vote for that.

Fair enough, but not once did I hear a Conservative member stand to say, “Despite the fact that I am going to be voting against the budget, I would like to say that I am really happy with seeing the corporate tax rate for small businesses reduced from 11% to 9%.” I may stand corrected and I would love to see the excerpt from Hansard to confirm that I am wrong, but I spend a lot of time in the House through the various debates, and whether from this side of the House or from the opposition putting forward motions, I have yet to hear that.

As we put these different mechanisms in place to strengthen the social aspects of our communities and to strengthen businesses, we are seeing the results coming out on the other end of it. We have 14 new free trade agreements covering 26 countries. We are the only G7 nation with free trade access to the Americas, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. This government understands the benefits of putting policy in place that gives us the opportunity to start trading and working collaboratively with other economies so that we can see the win-win scenarios that come out of those. We are going to continue doing that.

We will continue to work to make sure that we strengthen our economy and, more importantly than just the economy, the people who contribute to that economy and who make the economy a reality. We are going to do this by making sure that we put those elements in place.

When I listen to the debate from the other side of the House, as I have this morning and into the afternoon, I wonder about exactly what the Conservatives would cut.

The Conservatives talk about austerity and the need to cut, cut, cut, and one of the things that has come up a number of times in this debate is the Canada child benefit. The member who introduced this motion might be interested to know that 16,400 children in Carleton receive the Canada child benefit, which equates an average of $5,400 per month per family. The member for Carleton might want to start having a conversation with those members of his community as to what he plans to do with the CCB should he ever be put in a position to have the ability to do something with it.

Because the Conservatives refuse to tell us what austerity measures they will take, the only reference point we have is to see what Doug Ford has done in Ontario. We know that the Leader of the Opposition and Doug Ford are pretty tight, since we have seen pictures of them hanging out and they have had several meetings. I can only assume that the Leader of the Opposition is taking his direction from Doug Ford. If that is the case, Ontarians and Canadians should be extremely worried.

Let us look at what Doug Ford has done. He is stripping education, removing free education for the poorest of families in Ontario. He has eliminated repairs to school buildings. He has removed the youth pharmacare plan. Doug Ford eliminated the indigenous culture fund. He scrapped social assistance increases. He scrapped the minimum wage and he put an end to the round table on violence against women.

Who would do that? How much could that possibly have cost? However, Doug Ford did that.

Since the opposition refuses to say what it plans to do in terms of austerity, Canada should look to Doug Ford, who is the Leader of the Opposition's best friend these days, to see what direction it will head in, because that is the direction this country would head in if the people of Canada gave the Leader of the Opposition the opportunity to do so.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the member likes to go on and on about the things that Conservatives cut, but what he has failed to mention is that the Liberal government severely cut back the environmental measures in its new trade deal with Mexico and the United States. Why do I know that? I worked for the secretariat under the former trade deal. It was a very strong entity that gave citizens the right to file petitions alleging failed enforcement. Liberals took all of that way.

So much for Liberals saying they work hard to make sure they balance economic development and environmental protection. They do the absolute opposite when they get to the bargaining table.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would disagree with what the member said. Liberals, and this government in particular, recognize the fact that there is a balance. Nothing was more telling than the debate we had yesterday on the bill that came back from the Senate, when the Conservatives talked only about the economy as if that were the only thing that mattered. They never mentioned the environment. If we jump over to New Democrats, they only talk about the environment and never mention the economy.

We have to respect the fact that in order for us to be prosperous, in order for us to promote, encourage and ensure strong environmental protection, we have to have a strong economy. That is probably the thing that puts New Democrats in the position they are in. It is because they have never been able to comprehend this fact. Unfortunately, it has led to their current status in the House.

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers are lucky because we can use green energy to grow our economy. We are perfectly positioned to combine the two. Here, by buying a pipeline, this government is promoting oil sands development even as it claims to be an environmental crusader. That does not work for us at all.

We are in favour of eliminating the deficit quickly. One way to do that would be to increase taxes on Bay Street banks that post record profits every quarter.

Why is the Liberal government not looking at that option? Why is it not considering making things that are immoral illegal and taxing the profits that banks squirrel away in tax havens to legally avoid paying taxes here? Why not just make that illegal? That would go a long way toward eliminating the deficit.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, one has to look at the options. If it is not the Liberals in government, it will be the Conservatives. Let us look at what the Conservatives do when it comes to, in particular, renewable energy and green energy. They will copy the playbook of Doug Ford, who ripped electric vehicle charging stations out of the GO stations, and for what purpose? Spite could be the only reason. They cancelled renewable energy contracts throughout the province of Ontario. That is what we are going to get if, God forbid, this country ever goes down the road of having the Conservatives in power.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to be sharing my time with the hon. member for Durham.

Our Conservative Party of Canada official opposition motion of the day states:

That, given the Prime Minister broke his promise to eliminate the deficit this year and that perpetual and growing deficits lead to massive tax increases, the House call on the Prime Minister to table a plan in Budget 2019 to eliminate the deficit quickly with a written commitment that he will never raise taxes of any kind.

Today's official opposition motion contains two facts, followed by two requirements. I know the facts resonate with Canadians across the country and reflect the frustration and anger of Saskatchewan constituents, who can hardly sleep because they are so motivated to see this be a “won and it's done“ disastrous blip in our country's history.

As for the two requirements, we are simply asking the Prime Minister today to table a plan to eliminate the deficit, as he promised, without any tax increases. The government has one more opportunity before the door hits them on the way out to stop spending foolishly—while insisting that veterans are asking for more than they can give—and live within their means instead of crippling the life out of our economy.

When the election is over and Canadians breathe a common sigh of relief, there will be no rewriting of this history of the Liberal damage done. The ghost of Pierre Elliott Trudeau still haunts this country, and now the son who thought he could follow in his father's footsteps will be making his own footprints in the snow, contemplating with incredulity that budgets actually do not balance themselves after all.

The first fact is that the Prime Minister broke his promise to eliminate the deficit this year. Canadians laughed when he said the budget will balance itself. They are no longer amused. He promised he would balance the budget in 2019. Instead, he continues to spend. The PBO confirmed that the deficit is more than $21 billion this year alone. The Prime Minister clearly thinks he can borrow his way out of debt. According to Finance Canada, the budget will not be balanced until at least 2040, by then racking up an additional $271 billion of debt.

When trying desperately to change the channel, the Prime Minister sings the praises of his only two claims to fame. He claims to have lowered taxes for the middle class while raising them on the wealthiest 1% of Canadians. He claimed that the loss of revenue to the government from the temporary gift of tax relief to middle-class Canadians would be offset by the increase on the wealthy.

On December 8, 2015, just weeks after the Liberals won the election, the Financial Post recorded that although the Prime Minister claimed during the campaign that the increased taxes on the wealthiest 1% of Canadians would raise $2.8 billion in fiscal 2016, the Liberals had already had to change their prediction—i.e., break their promise. It would only raise $2 billion.

The artificial stimulus to rejuvenate the middle class was forecast in their platform to cost $2.9 billion in fiscal 2016. That prediction also fell short. The new forecasted cost, weeks into governing, was $3.4 billion. The Financial Post article on December 8, 2015, stated that “In other words, the middle class tax cut and corresponding increase on high earners was pitched as roughly revenue-neutral and will now cost $1.4 billion.” We know it is not costing the wealthy, because in fact they are actually paying over $4 billion less in taxes.

Here is the thing: Somehow the costing was not accurate. Whether it was due to poor fiscal advisement or simply a devious spin to win votes at any cost, lo and behold, the scheme was not revenue neutral but instead left a gaping hole of $1.4 billion. I think we can safely say that the trend of a $1.4-billion gap continues on at the very least annually to the current day.

Clearly, right from the get-go, the Prime Minister had no understanding or capability to cost or administer anything with the term “revenue neutral” attached. Do members need more proof? I will get to the carbon tax in a minute.

The Prime Minister's second claim to fame is the Canada child benefit, which he says is putting more money in the pockets of nine out of 10 Canadians. I was speaking with a young father of four children last week who was really concerned and represents what I hear throughout my riding. He and his wife are both full-time students. He is working full time and his wife is home schooling their children. Yes, of course, they can always use the extra money. It helps out. However, he said that every month he cannot help but think about how his kids are going to suffer in the future, because by 2040 they will start to pay this debt off while starting to raise their families and will continue to be burdened with this huge debt they did not agree to.

It is not right to do this on the backs of the next generation. Every year that the Prime Minister runs deficits, he is borrowing money from future generations, maybe not from his kids and grandkids, but definitely from the children and grandchildren of today's middle-class parents. Today's deficits are tomorrow's tax hikes. The failure of the Prime Minister to balance the budget means higher taxes down the road and less protection against the next economic downturn.

Let us examine tomorrow's taxes, with the fake revenue-neutral spin attached to the current government's carbon tax. For New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, the Liberal carbon tax will increase the cost of gas, home heating and everyday essentials. This will impact the everyday lives of families in those provinces. It will do nothing for the planet, other than continue to destroy Canada's economy and force us to use resources from lesser environmentally concerned countries. It is compounding the uncertainty that is sending investment, bright leaders and capable, competent workers out of Canada, thus devastating businesses all over this country.

Worst still, it is going to get even more expensive. In 2019, the federal carbon tax starts at $20 a tonne, going up to $50 a tonne in three years. However, internal government documents confirm the Liberals are already planning for a carbon tax of $300 a tonne. That is 15 times larger than it will be on April 1, when it kicks in. This is no April fool's joke. A special carbon tax side deal with Canada's largest emitters means they will not be impacted, while families and small business owners get hit with the full force of this tax. For wealthy Liberals, like our Prime Minister, an extra $100 a month for groceries or an electrical bill may not be a big deal, but it matters a lot to a family trying to make their household budget last to the end of the month.

Then there is the silent killer, the additional GST being charged on the carbon tax. There's nothing to see here, right? It was intended all along as another way to make up for the poor fiscal management of the current Liberal government, a government that thinks it knows better and could provide better from a postnational ideology that destroys the rights of individuals to create their own wealth, grow their own families and enjoy a life where government does not dictate values, make demands or punish the very people it is there to serve.

In 2019, Canadians will have a clear choice between a leader who knows their challenges because he has lived the same challenges and his family is his plumb line, and a leader who has never known what it feels like to go without so that his kids could have more, or work every day to earn what he has. Canadians deserve a government made up of talented, passionate, motivated men and women, who fight every day to help Canadians realize their dreams. That is what our Conservative team is offering. We will lower taxes, put people first and enable Canadians to be proud on the world stage once again.

The Conservatives will continue to expose the Prime Minister's many failures and expose how Canadians will be paying for more of those failures if he is re-elected, while presenting our own vision for creating opportunity to help Canadians get ahead.

I can imagine the Prime Minister would love to get his hands on our Conservative platform for the 2019 election. He has asked for it almost every day: “What's your plan? What's your plan? What's your plan?” He is going to have to be patient. We want to show it to Canadians first.

Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order.

It is my duty to inform the House that a vacancy has occurred in the representation, namely Nicola Di Iorio, member for the electoral district of Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, by resignation effective earlier today.

Pursuant to paragraph 25(1)(b) of the Parliament of Canada Act, I have addressed a warrant to the Chief Electoral Officer for the issue of a writ for the election of a member to fill this vacancy.

Religious Freedom

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today, we remember that, two years ago, six people were killed and 19 others were injured because of their religion.

On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I would like to once again offer my condolences to the family and friends of the victims of the Quebec City mosque shooting. Today, let us come together to honour the memory of the six Quebeckers who lost their lives to hate on January 29, 2017.

It bears repeating that there is no place for hatred of Muslims in Quebec, and all Quebeckers, if they so choose, must be able to practice their religion without fear.

I would also like to tell the survivors, the families, the orphans and the entire Muslim community of Quebec City that they have our unwavering support. All those whose lives were changed that night and for whom life goes on should know that we stand behind them now and forever.

540 Golden Hawks Squadron

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, named after the world famous Golden Hawks precision flight team of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Oakville's 540 Golden Hawks squadron has been serving the youth of Oakville since 1951. With 240 cadets, it is one of the largest air cadets squadrons in Canada.

Cadets are encouraged to become active, responsible members of our community and contribute to society in terms of environmental, citizenship and community activities. Their band has been a staple at the Oakville Santa Claus parade for years. Cadets are trained in drills, first aid, instructional techniques, leadership, marksmanship, meteorology, navigation, principles of flight, survival training and much more.

Recently, the 540 Golden Hawks invited me to tour and inspect their squadron. lt was inspiring to speak with these young leaders about why they chose to become cadets and what they are doing to make Canada a better place for us all.

Canadian Junior Curling Championships

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Mr. Speaker, last week, the 2019 New Holland Canadian Junior Curling Championships took place in the city of Prince Albert. At the tournament, Alberta's Selena Sturmay guided her undefeated team to a 9-6 win over B.C.'s Sarah Daniels in the women's gold medal game. Only six other women's teams have run the table since the inaugural event in 1971.

On the men's side, British Columbia's Tyler Tardi won a record-setting third straight junior title. The B.C. skip defeated Manitoba's JT Ryan 7-5 in the men's final. ln junior curling history, this has never been done before.

Both winning teams will represent Canada at the world junior championships in Liverpool, Nova Scotia, in February of this year. I say to both teams, good luck.

I would like to personally congratulate chair, Bryan Rindal, the over 300 event volunteers and all event sponsors who devoted so much of their persona! time, effort and money to make this event a great success. Well done, Prince Albert.

Lincoln Alexander Day

[Bob Bratina, Liberal, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

Mr. Speaker, January 21 was Lincoln Alexander Day in Canada. The first black member of Parliament, federal cabinet minister and Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, I covered Linc's first election victory in 1968 as a young radio reporter, and he became a good friend and mentor.

When I first ran for public office his advice to me was “don't spend any of your own money” and “campaign in elevators” because nobody stays too long and there are always new faces.

After the 9/11 attack, Hamilton suffered a retaliatory hate crime when arsonists burned our Hindu Samaj Temple. The community rallied to assist and arranged a fundraising gala highlighted by an address by Lincoln Alexander. Few of us could have delivered Linc's message with the conviction he had when he told the Hindu community in his remarkable voice with a tear in his eye, “I feel your pain”.

Those of us who knew the hon. Lincoln Alexander will never forget him.

Milton Orris and Murray Swales

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Mr. Speaker, l would like to pay tribute today to two men who truly made a difference in their communities and this country.

Milton Orris grew up in Grand Forks where his family owned the Grand Forks Gazette. He began his working career at that newspaper and then went on to teach health care administration at the University of Toronto. As a dean at Ryerson College, he helped define what continuing education could be in an urban environment. He retired back to the B.C. interior and was totally involved in his community through his passions for peace, education, youth and the environment.

Murray Swales was another pillar of the south Okanagan community who helped many local groups through his expertise in financial organization. He was that busy person you could always count on to do more. I particularly appreciated his role in creating the Dream Café Co-op, which allowed Canada's best live music venue to go on and thrive.

Both Milton and Murray passed away before Christmas. They will be missed by their families, their friends and their communities.

Canada-Mexico Relations

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the 75th anniversary of Canada-Mexico bilateral relations.

Relations between Canada and Mexico began as allies in World War II. Since then, Canada and Mexico have made major strides to increase trade and strengthen diplomatic relations, including the signing of the NAFTA agreement in 1994 as well as the updated version, CUSMA, late last year.

Canada and Mexico are each other's third largest trading partner and we are working hard and creatively to increase our trade moving forward to our mutual benefit.

In late 2016, our government lifted the visa requirement for Mexican visitors to Canada. This has increased the flow of travellers, ideas and businesses between both countries.

We also co-operate in the areas of environmental, indigenous, immigration and bilateral security and defence.

[Member spoke in Spanish]

50th Anniversary of the Official Languages Act

[Alupa Clarke, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Official Languages Act.

As everyone knows, it is no ordinary act or simple guideline for the development of our public policy. On the contrary, not only does this act reflect the history of our Canadian identity, but it should also reflect our current society, specifically by meeting the present-day needs of minority language communities.

That is why anglophones and francophones across the country expect their legislators, everyone in this place, to commit to modernizing the act immediately.

The Official Languages Act will guarantee the continuity of what has defined us as Canadians since 1867. In doing so, the act will undoubtedly ensure the peaceful coexistence of our founding peoples and unite our great federation. That is why the Conservative Party of Canada and our leader are firmly committed to modernizing the act.

Religious Freedom

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, two years ago today, Canada witnessed one of its deadliest mass shootings, a terrorist attack at a mosque in Ste. Foy, Quebec that killed six Canadians as they worshipped. Make no mistake, this was an attack not only on those gathered at CCIQ that evening, but on our values and the very ideals that have shaped our country, the values of pluralism, friendship and diversity.

Martin Luther King once said, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

lt is in that spirit that a Pickering resident, Ryan Slobojan, began “Push Back the Darkness”, an initiative meant to combat lslamophobia. Tonight, people across Canada will be placing a light in their windows to symbolize their commitment to pushing back the darkness.

Ryan is here today with his daughter Elizabeth and members of the Muslim community across Durham Region to remember the lives lost and to encourage us all to fight back against hatred and intolerance.

Canada-Peru Relations

[Alexandra Mendes, Liberal, Brossard—Saint-Lambert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 75th anniversary of Canada's official bilateral relationship with Peru. Canada and Peru have a long-standing commitment to multilateral co-operation and democratic institutions, most recently, our country's leadership on the crisis in Venezuela through the Lima Group.

Throughout the years, Canada maintained a very close relationship with Peru. In 2017, over $250 million was invested in strong development assistance programming, focused on support for women and girls, indigenous youth and girls and supporting small agribusiness.

Peru is Canada's third-largest bilateral trading partner in Central and South America. Canadian merchandise exports to Peru reached nearly $710 million in 2017, while Canadian merchandise imports from Peru reached $1.8 billion.

Canadian direct investment in Peru totalled $11.1 billion in 2017, mainly in mining, oil and gas, and financial services. Canada also promotes educational and scholarship opportunities in tandem with Peruvian institutions.

Together, let us celebrate the 75th anniversary of bilateral relations with this key player in South America.

Carbon Pricing

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Mr. Speaker, one thing is for certain. The Liberals will raise taxes and make life more expensive for everyone.

The Liberals love to laud the B.C. carbon tax, but let me tell a different story. lt was designed to be revenue neutral, but with the stroke of a pen, the NDP government betrayed British Columbians by turning it into just another tax grab.

I suspect that the federal carbon rebate cheques will also quickly disappear in order to pay for the Prime Minister's out-of-control spending. Experts agree that if it is going to work, it has to be 15 times larger. Therefore, the carbon tax is not an environmental plan; it is a tax plan.

The results for rural communities is that families will pay at every turn. They have no alternative. They will be unfairly punished when they are driving their kids to hockey, commuting to work, buying groceries and heating their homes. Everyday Canadians cannot afford another four years of the Liberal government's spending and mismanagement.

Montreal Non-Profit Organization for Refugees

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this month, the Action réfugiés Montréal organization is celebrating its 25th anniversary. This is the perfect occasion to recognize the important work of this association, which strives tirelessly for more social justice for asylum seekers and refugees. With its three awareness programs, Action réfugiés Montréal has become indispensable in Montreal.

Over the years, Action Réfugiés Montréal has helped private groups sponsor over 1,200 people from countries such as Afghanistan, Burundi and Syria, just to name a few. Through its twinning program, which matches newly arrived refugee women with women already living in Montreal, it is helping create social support systems to break the isolation many newcomers feel.

When many countries are turning inward and there are a record number of displaced people around the world, the work of organizations like Action Réfugiés Montréal needs to be celebrated and supported more than ever.

Together, let us continue to support these programs that promote inclusion and help our wonderfully diverse Canadian society.

Religious Freedom

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the second anniversary of the attack at Le Centre culturel islamique de Québec. Mamadou Tanou Barry, Azzedine Soufiane, Abdelkrim Hassane, Ibrahima Barry, Aboubaker Thabti, Khaled Belkacemi, these fathers, husbands, brothers and sons were killed while praying at a mosque.

Today is a day to recommit to fighting islamophobia and all other forms of hate and discrimination in Canada and around the world. We are truly enriched by the diversity of our country, but in order to preserve this way of life, we must challenge those who divide us. We must work toward building a more inclusive society, one in which we treat each and every person with respect, dignity and equality. In doing so, we will forever remember and honour these men, their family and their friends.