Debates of Dec. 15th, 2021

Housing

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

We did, because they all failed, Mr. Speaker. The proof is in the pudding. Housing prices now are higher than ever before. It costs $720,000 for the average house, not a fancy mansion like the one the Prime Minister inherited or the one taxpayers pay to house him in. An average house costs $1 million in Canada's biggest city. This is broadening the gap between rich and poor. He cannot blame the rest of the world for the problem that is happening here at home.

Why exactly does Canada have the world's second-biggest housing bubble?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives continue to focus personal attacks on me, we are going to stay focused on Canadians. We will continue to invest in housing. We will continue to be there with solutions for Canadians.

Indeed, we will take no lessons from Conservatives when it comes to housing, because the Harper government played no leadership role on housing, and the Conservatives' plan on housing in the last election was to give tax breaks to wealthy landlords selling their buildings. That made no sense.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, what makes sense to him is to give cheap debt to investors to buy their buildings. Investors have doubled the amount they have been able to borrow on the cheap because of the Prime Minister's money printing.

I am sorry that the Prime Minister took my question personally, but the 30-year-olds who will be celebrating Christmas in their parents' homes are taking that personally as well. They cannot afford houses for themselves, because this Prime Minister's policies have inflated those costs out of existence.

Here is a simple question: Does Canada have a housing bubble or is it just inflation?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, young people in Canada, and indeed all Canadians, have faced real challenges over these past 19 months with the COVID pandemic and extra pressures on so many different things. That is why as a government we chose to be there for them. We chose to invest in young Canadians, in seniors and in workers and to support small businesses. These are the things that the Conservative Party continues to say that we should not have done: that we invested too much and spent too much in supporting Canadians through this pandemic. The fact is that not only was it right to support Canadians through this health crisis, but it was also the right thing to do to make sure our economy comes back as strong as possible, as it is.

Justice

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there are two little things I want to point out. The Prime Minister seems fine with the fact that I do not have the right to sit in the House with a mask bearing the Bloc Québécois logo. Is that a restriction of my fundamental freedom?

I also want to set the record straight. This teacher did not lose her job. If the Prime Minister could stop repeating lies, that would be great.

I am looking at all these people over there, and I would like all Quebeckers to see the Liberals trampling over a law from their own nation.

Let us get this sorted out. Why not hold a referendum on Bill 21 in Quebec? We would not ask the Prime Minister to do it, since the word “referendum” makes him break out in hives. Why not vote on the claims of support—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Order. The right hon. Prime Minister.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, my God, does the Bloc Québécois ever want to stir up trouble between the federal and provincial governments. That is all it does. That is why it is here. No matter what the topic is, the Bloc Québécois always finds a way to attack the big, bad federal government.

I am sorry, but this federal government has been there for Quebeckers over the past 19 months, with the army in long-term care homes, with $8 out of every $10 in pandemic support coming directly from the federal government, and with billions of dollars for the health care system.

We have been there for Quebeckers, and that may be why the Bloc Québécois is so frustrated.

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, trouble, trouble, toil and trouble. For goodness' sake, get thee behind me, Jean Charest.

While Bob Rae insults Quebec, the Quebec nation, the National Assembly of Quebec and attacks his own people, the Prime Minister is working so hard here to come off as a nice guy.

What does the Prime Minister have to say to the Uighur nation? Do the same values of humanity apply?

What does the Prime Minister have to say when his ambassador does not stand up for the Tigray region?

What does the Prime Minister have to say when indigenous people do not have clean drinking water?

What does the Prime Minister have to say to Raif Badawi?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois is stirring up trouble to avoid facing the reality that many Quebeckers who are not represented by the Bloc Québécois are seriously wondering if, in a free society, someone should lose their job because of their religion.

Many people are shocked by this. As a Quebecker, I share this concern. I noted from day one of Bill 21 that I had concerns about a free society telling someone what to wear or not wear when it comes to their religion.

The Economy

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday's economic update was not short on spending, but it was missing one word: inflation. That does not seem to bother the Prime Minister, unlike 60% of Canadian families, who are struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table for their children and families. The reality is that the cost of living is the highest it has been in Canada in 30 years.

When will the Prime Minister do something about this increase that is directly affecting families, seniors and the wealthy?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the best way to grow our economy and make life more affordable for Canadians is to end COVID-19, specifically the omicron variant.

The Conservative Party still does not seem to understand that. Inflation caused by this global pandemic is happening all over the world and Canadians are facing rising prices. As we have been saying during the pandemic, we will continue to stand by Canadians with concrete measures to support them during this crisis.

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

Mr. Speaker, here are some figures for you and for the Prime Minister. The price of gas has increased 43% and Canadian families will spend $1,000 more on food next year.

What is bizarre is that the Prime Minister seems to be fine with this, with the cost of living being higher for Canadians. What will people do? They will pay more taxes, and that will give the Prime Minister more money to spend.

Enough is enough. This is costing people a lot of money, and they are having trouble staying within their family's budget. When will the Prime Minister take concrete action to tackle the increase in the cost of—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Order. The right hon. Prime Minister.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, from the beginning of this pandemic, we made a promise to Canadians: We said that we would be there for them and would support them during this crisis. That is exactly what we have done, despite the fact that the Conservative Party continues to say that we did too much for seniors, too much for students and too much for small businesses.

We were there to support Canadians, not just because that is how to get through this pandemic, which should remain our priority, but also because it will help our economy and jobs recover more quickly. That is why we are there for Canadians.

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

Mr. Speaker, inflation is only good for the Prime Minister. It is not good for Canadian families, the honest workers who are working hard to earn a living so they can feed their families, buy a home and fill up the tank. That is very clear.

The more people spend, the more expensive it gets because they have to pay taxes to fill the government's coffers. This government loves to spend and increase the cost of living even more. Enough is enough. All we want are some concrete measures. That is what people want.

When will he get to work for—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Order. The right hon. Prime Minister.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have been there with concrete measures for Canadians for months and months and we will continue to be there.

We have already made, and will continue to make, life more affordable for families, seniors and the middle class with a range of measures, as we have already done by increasing the Canada child benefit and tying it to the cost of living, by increasing the guaranteed income supplement for the most vulnerable seniors, and by providing more assistance to students and more affordable housing. I could go on, but I will leave it there.

Health

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of Finance delivered an economic and fiscal update that shares our plan for Canada's recovery. My constituents in Halifax West want a strong, green and inclusive recovery. At the same time, however, we are seeing a new variant that reminds us that the fight against COVID-19 is not over yet.

Can the Prime Minister share with the House the measures in the economic update that will help people in Halifax West and across the country finish the fight against COVID-19?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Halifax West for her question and her hard work.

The best way to ensure a robust economic recovery for all Canadians is to finish the fight against COVID-19. Our economic update proposes a plan to ensure that booster shots and rapid tests are free for all Canadians, to support workers and businesses through the local lockdown program, and to spend $2 billion to procure therapeutics and treatments against COVID-19. We will be there for Canadians every step of the way.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal agriculture minister recently said that it is not like the government can enact a law to lower the price of food.

I have a message for the Prime Minister. Liberal policies have increased the prices of everything, including food. A new Liberal policy to put a cap on fertilizer use would do exactly that: It would increase the price of food, not to mention that the policy would be devastating. It would bankrupt Canadian farm families who would no longer be able to feed the world, and it would increase the price of groceries.

Why is the Prime Minister intent on putting a cap on crop production while at the same time increasing the price of food for Canadians?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives do not seem to recognize this inflation is a result of the COVID pandemic and disruptions around the world to our economy because of it. We will continue to be there to support Canadians. The first thing we can do, and the thing we recommend so strongly to our Conservative politician friends, is to make sure people are getting vaccinated, to make sure we get out and get that third booster—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I have to apologize to the right hon. Prime Minister.

The member for Foothills asked a question and he wants to hear the answer. I want everyone to keep quiet so that he can hear it.

The right hon. Prime Minister has about 10 seconds left.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the best way to support Canadians from one end of this country to the other, whether workers or farmers or teachers or young people, is to invest in ending this pandemic for good. That is what we are doing.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Canadian farm families bear the responsibility of feeding the world. It is a responsibility and a burden they carry with pride, but the Liberal policy to put a cap on fertilizer use would set farming back decades.

If Canadians think the price of food at the grocery store is high now, they should just wait. When Canadian farmers cannot use innovative, sustainable and environmentally friendly practices to feed Canadians, it will exacerbate the cost-of-living crisis.

Why is the Prime Minister ignoring farmers and ignoring science? Why is he listening to eco-activists who want to make food unaffordable for Canadians?