House of Commons Hansard #374 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was child.

Topics

Carbon PricingOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

The hon. member for Carleton.

Carbon PricingOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON

Mr. Speaker, only a trust fund millionaire who inherited a massive family fortune would accept a $200 cheque as compensation for a future $5,000-a-year bill. Everyday Canadians who have to pay their own bills and work hard for their own money know that it is a rip-off. These same Canadians are only a couple of hundred dollars short of failing to pay their bills already. Why will the Prime Minister not be truthful and tell them? How much is the final price of his carbon tax?

Carbon PricingOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that the price of inaction would be monumental, but we do recognize that we need to build the economy of the future and put a price on pollution in a way that supports regular families in this time. That is exactly what we are doing by returning money directly to Canadians, because we know that supporting families and making life affordable while we fight climate change is essential. The member opposite has no plan to fight climate change, and indeed, his leader promised it 276 days ago, and still he has not delivered.

Carbon PricingOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have now said three times in a row that the carbon tax could rise up to as much as $5,000, based on the government's own figures in the government's own documents. Three times the Prime Minister has refused to rule that out. Now $5,000 is not a lot of money if one has inherited a big family fortune, and therefore, he is not worried about money, because he has never had to worry about money. Everyday Canadians do worry about their money. Will he tell them the truth? What is the full and final cost of the carbon tax?

Carbon PricingOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, again, the snide personal attacks are all about distracting from the fact that the Conservatives have no plan for the future of our economy, no plan to fight climate change, no plan to help families through the transforming economy. These are the things that we are focused on, that we have been focused on from the very beginning. We lowered taxes for the middle class and raised them on the wealthiest one per cent. We delivered a Canada child benefit that makes a huge difference right across the country, including for 16,000 kids in the member opposite's own riding, for $48 million a year in the riding of Carleton

Carbon PricingOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

An hon. member

Oh, oh!

Carbon PricingOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

Order. I want my hon. friend, the member for Prince Albert, to know that even though he is a ways off, I can still him very clearly, but I prefer to hear him when he has the floor, not when someone else has the floor.

The hon. member for Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River.

Indigenous AffairsOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

NDP

Georgina Jolibois NDP Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK

Mr. Speaker, in northern Saskatchewan, more and more people are becoming homeless or live in houses that are overcrowded or infested with mould. In Hatchet Lake, as many as 20 people are sharing a single home that is unsafe to live in. Instead of taking this crisis seriously, the Liberals only say that more work needs to be done. Northern families cannot wait any longer for the Prime Minister to act. Does he have a plan to address the northern housing crisis, yes or no?

Indigenous AffairsOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, not only do we have a plan to address that crisis, we started to put it in place years ago. I can highlight that in budget 2018, we put $600 million toward first nation housing, $500 million toward Métis nation housing, and $400 million for an Inuit-led housing plan. We know we need to continue to work to close the unacceptable gap in housing for indigenous peoples. There is much more to do, but we are acting, not just talking about it. We are delivering for families right across the country and will continue to work hard to do exactly that.

Indigenous AffairsOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

NDP

Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC

Mr. Speaker, there is a first nations elder in my riding whose house is so riddled in mould that it is a serious health hazard to him and his family.

After being approved for a CMHC loan to fix it, he was told he would have to pay all the cost up front. This is a person who barely makes ends meet. Because he could not pay those costs up front, the loan was cancelled and he is now living in that mould-infested house.

The Liberal government is failing indigenous communities. Where is the national indigenous housing strategy?

Indigenous AffairsOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, we recognize that the situation in indigenous communities across the country is still dire. That is why we have been investing in it. We have been working in partnership with them. However, we recognize there is much more to do.

We have eliminated a number of long-term drinking water advisories. We have invested significantly in new housing. However, of course there are still many more investments to make and much more work to do.

We are closing the gap. We are helping indigenous communities right across the country. We will continue to focus on doing what is right to make sure that everyone has a safe and secure place to live right across the country.

FinanceOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Liberal members all disgraced themselves yet again. They refused to tell Canadians that they will not raise taxes. What does that mean? It means that these people, who keep racking up deficits, will have to raise taxes at some point.

Could the Prime Minister look Canadians right in the eye and tell them straight out by how much he is going to raise their taxes?

FinanceOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, it is sad to see the Conservatives once again resorting to falsehoods and fearmongering to scare Canadians.

The first thing we did was cut taxes for Canadians. We lowered the small business tax rate to 9%, and we invested in the Canada child benefit, which puts more money in the pockets of nine out of 10 families because we put an end to the Conservatives' practice of sending cheques to millionaire families. We are going to keep taking care of Canadians and making sure our investments help them. It is the Conservatives who want to give benefits to the richest—

FinanceOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

The hon. member for Louis-Saint-Laurent.

FinanceOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Party and the Prime Minister are the ones who told falsehoods in 2015 when they promised to eliminate the deficit in 2019.

The Prime Minister also failed to tell the truth when he said that budgets balance themselves. I am sorry, but that is not how it works. The truth is that the Liberals ran up three astronomical deficits, one after the other. The truth is that deficits eventually need to be paid.

Will the Prime Minister tell Canadians the truth? Will he look them right in the eye and tell them how much more they will have to pay in taxes because of those deficits?

FinanceOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, during the 10 years that Stephen Harper was in office, the Conservatives added $150 billion to the national debt. During Stephen Harper's 10-year reign, Canada posted the lowest rate of growth since the Great Depression.

I can see why Canadians wanted a new approach. That is why they chose the Liberal government, which has invested in our communities and given more money to the middle class. What are we seeing? A total of 800,000 new jobs have been created in the past three years and the unemployment rate is the lowest it has been in 40 years. We are investing in Canadians—

FinanceOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

Order. The hon. official opposition House leader.

EthicsOral Questions

January 30th, 2019 / 2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Candice Bergen Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB

Mr. Speaker, never before has a government been so mired in ethical scandals as those Liberals: the Prime Minister himself broke ethics laws; Liberal ministers involved in shady cash-for-access events. Now we have just learned that the former Liberal MP for Brampton East, the same one who has a massive gambling debt, had a huge Liberal fundraiser, where he reportedly raised approximately $600,000. There are a lot of questions around this fundraiser that so far the Liberals are not answering.

Could the Prime Minister tell us this. Did the Minister of Innovation or any other one of the Liberal ministers—

EthicsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

The right hon. Prime Minister.

EthicsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have a right to openness and transparency in political fundraising. That is why we move forward with new legislation to ensure that political fundraising is done under new transparent, open rules. We have been doing that for close to a year now.

It is time for the Conservative Party to abide by those rules as well, to talk about who is actually donating to the Conservative Party, who is attending fundraising events with their leader and making sure they are opening them up to media the way that we are.

We are open and transparent in our fundraising. Why are the Conservatives still being—

EthicsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

Order, please. The hon. opposition House leader.

EthicsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Candice Bergen Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB

Mr. Speaker, that was entire fabrication. I know the Prime Minister has problems with the truth, but maybe it is time that he actually came clean with some facts.

There are questions around this $600,000 fundraiser. Who went to the fundraiser? Were there ministers in attendance? What happened with the over $600,000 that was raised for a Liberal MP with massive gambling debts?

These are simple questions with simple answers. What is he hiding? Who is he protecting?

EthicsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the House that Liberal fundraisers follow all the rules in openness, transparency and accountability. We actually strengthened those rules. It is the Conservatives who are continuing to hold fundraisers in secret, continuing to keep from Canadians who is donating, how much and who is attending. We have invited the media to attend our fundraisers. They are still being secretive about their fundraising.

Canadians want to know who is paying for the Conservative Party of Canada.

HealthOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

NDP

Wayne Stetski NDP Kootenay—Columbia, BC

Mr. Speaker, today is Bell Let's Talk Day, which encourages people to have conversations about mental health to raise awareness and reduce the stigma.

A recent B.C. report has found that 20 to 40 year olds may suffer mental health impacts because of lower incomes, higher debt and high housing costs. A woman in my riding living with mental health challenges told me how she had to live in a storage unit, and sadly it is true. We need to address both mental health challenges and the housing crisis because for many people they go hand in hand.

Will the Liberal government take action now to address these very serious issues for Canadians?

HealthOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for his advocacy. Almost all Canadians have family and friends affected by mental illness today and every day. However, today is an important day to support those around us, especially those who suffer in silence.

We want to ensure Canadians get the support they need when and where they need it. We have made the largest investment in Canadian history for mental health services, $5 billion in budget 2017, and we have targeted investments specifically among indigenous peoples, black Canadians, veterans and homeless Canadians. There is much more to do.

Today, like every day, we need to talk more about mental health.