Debates of Dec. 9th, 2021

100th Anniversary of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul

[Yves Perron, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this year we are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Sainte‑Geneviève‑de‑Berthier conference of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, an institution that makes a huge difference in the lives of Berthier—Maskinongé residents.

I would like to highlight the contribution of the volunteers, who work together to keep this conference of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul alive and well. They have big hearts and they give of their precious time to ensure that second-hand clothing, furniture and other household items can be sold at very low prices by providing financial support to the Groupe d'entraide En toute amitié thrift store and furniture counter.

Long before going green was the thing to do, these individuals made it a priority to encourage people to recycle and reduce waste. They also organize an annual food drive in Berthier and run Opération Bonne Mine, which helps families get their kids what they need for school and contributes to student retention.

I tip my hat to them, and I wish the Sainte‑Geneviève‑de‑Berthier conference of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul a very long life.

Toronto District School Board

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we are guaranteed freedom of expression in our Constitution except, apparently, according to the Toronto District School Board, when it comes to calling out anti-Semitism.

School board trustee Alexandra Lulka was unfairly singled out for her criticism of anti-Semitic resources distributed back in May. They promoted terrorism. Even a review concluded that the pamphlets were anti-Semitic and Lulka was right, but the TDSB's integrity commissioner went ahead and recommended censure of this trustee.

The threat of censuring trustee Lulka not only shows that the TDSB does not consider the lived experiences of Jews who have faced dangerous consequences of vile hate to be valid, it shows that it does not care. It is extremely concerning given we have spent the last year facing a reckoning on racism.

Last night, TDSB trustees listened to reason and made the only justifiable decision. They voted no; it was 10 to seven. It should have been 17 to zero. This should have never been considered, and it is far from over in the largest taxpayer-funded school board in the country. I will never let it go unnoticed in the House.

Osama Alsamman

[Sameer Zuberi, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I sincerely thank the voters and residents of Pierrefonds—Dollard, as well as my volunteers and family for helping to send me back to the House of Commons for the second time.

I would also like to take this opportunity to pay homage to a volunteer in my recent campaign.

Two weeks ago today, Osama Alsamman passed away at the age of 35 due to complications related to COVID. Osama was a refugee, who could not return to his native Syria because of the political situation there. He was someone who enthusiastically believed in the promise of Canada and, despite not yet being a citizen, actively contributed to our democracy.

Osama is survived by his wife Kawthar and two young children, Qusai and Sana, ages four and two. A fund is also being established to help his young family live in dignity.

His sudden passing reminds us how precious life is, and how short it is.

Osama Alsamman will be remembered and forever loved by his family and friends. May he rest in peace.

Housing

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, half of Canadians under 30 have given up on owning a home. The Canadian dream used to be that we worked hard so that our kids would have even more opportunity than we had. The Liberals have dashed that dream.

Inflation is driving up the price of everything. Even a quarter of those who can afford a home are vulnerable to next year's interest-rate hikes.

Why is the finance minister still ignoring the inflation crisis hitting Canadian families?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion]

Mr. Speaker, every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. We are the party in government that brought federal leadership back into the housing issue by bringing in the national housing strategy. We have committed to implement a $4 billion housing accelerator fund. We will also make enhancements to the first-time home buyer incentive and put in a rent-to-own program to turn more Canadian renters into homeowners.

The Economy

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, national leadership? We are the only country with housing price increases approaching 40%, and food inflation is the worst it has been in more than a decade.

Next year, it is going to take another $1,000 out of every family's budget. Canadians are going to be paying more for everything from bread to vegetables, and paycheques are already being squeezed to the breaking point.

My question is pretty simple. Maybe that minister will answer, after the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister have refused.

Will the Liberals finally start thinking about monetary policy?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member across the way knows that the Bank of Canada mandate is reviewed every five years. This process is under review right now. The bank has undertaken an extensive process on this matter. There have been good conversations between the government and the Bank of Canada. We look forward to announcing the results of that review in due course.

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

“We are increasingly concerned that the BoC’s mandate may change.” Mr. Speaker, that is a quote from one of Canada's leading economists, and that quote should have all Canadians concerned.

Young Canadians are already priced out of owning a home. All Canadians are watching their grocery bills go up by thousands of dollars and the Liberals want the bank to stop trying to control inflation.

The Prime Minister was asked 11 times yesterday and did not answer, so maybe the new minister will answer. Why is the Liberal government going to abandon the Bank of Canada's 2% inflation target?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. Leader of the Opposition knows that the Bank of Canada is independent and has been so since 1991, when monetary policy became its province. Canada was the second country in the world to establish an independent central bank, an approach that has become an international best practice.

Canadians quite rightly expect better from all MPs than taking cheap shots at the strong, independent institutions that have served the national interest with so much predictability and good service.

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, all parents want to give their children a better future. The dream of owning their first home is out of reach for young people because of this government. The Liberals want the Bank of Canada to stop controlling inflation.

Why is this government abandoning future generations?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion]

Mr. Speaker, all Canadians deserve safe and affordable housing.

The fact of the matter is that we brought federal leadership back into the housing market. Every single time we proposed more investments in affordable housing, the leader of the official opposition and his party voted against that. When we brought in measures to bring in the first-time home buyer incentive, they voted against that. Even today, there is no mention of affordable housing in their motion. They have no credibility on this issue.

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve the truth. Prices are going up but wages are stagnant. Inflation is out of control and the Liberals are doing nothing. Canadian families are watching their grocery bills get higher every week. The necessities, like food, are not affordable.

Why are the Liberals doing away with the Bank of Canada's 2% inflation target?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, we know that inflation and affordability are pressing issues for Canadians. We know these are global phenomena, not a problem unique to Canada.

I also want to reassure Canadians that we are working hard to make life more affordable for them. Our child care plan will reduce family expenses significantly. We are determined to make the cost of living more affordable.

Health

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, travel is complicated. After going through 108 steps at the border, travellers have to go home and take a COVID‑19 test. Then they have to quarantine and wait for the results.

Some time later, having heard nothing, they figure they do not have COVID‑19. They go out in the community. They go to restaurants. The thing is, not getting results does not mean they do not have COVID‑19, because the government loses 30% of those tests. That is what the Auditor General told us today: three of every 10 tests go missing or are incorrectly identified.

When will the government start doing its job properly?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for giving me the opportunity to thank the Auditor General, who plays a fundamental role in our democracy and in Parliament.

We greatly appreciate her review, and we will take her perspective and her findings into consideration as we look forward and continue to protect the health and safety of Canadians.

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, travellers go home, take a COVID-19 test, quarantine themselves and wait for the results. After a while, they do not hear back so they assume they do not have COVID-19.They start going out into the community and going to restaurants.

If they never hear from the officials, it may be because 14% of those who tested positive were never contacted by the feds. That means 1,156 people had COVID-19 and did not know they had it.

I do not even know whether to laugh or cry. How could such a fiasco have happened?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, this gives me the opportunity to remind people that COVID‑19 is not over. Just this morning, we heard the health minister in the United Kingdom say that in the next few weeks or months, there could be one million cases of the omicron variant in that country.

In Canada, that would be the equivalent of 20,000 cases of that variant a day, or twice as many as the highest case number we have seen in the past 20 months. That is why we must continue to work together to protect people's health here in Canada.

The Economy

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary budget office released a report today, which makes it clear that inequality is growing in Canada. Wealth is being concentrated into fewer and fewer hands. Workers struggling on lower incomes have fewer and fewer resources, which is not surprising. We also know the pandemic has probably made all of this even worse. As we know, the pandemic has hurt working-class people and lower-income folks more than those at the top. All of this underlines how important it is to have a fair taxation system.

Why does the Prime Minister continue to refuse to tax the super wealthy and invest those resources into making life more affordable for people?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, let us review some of the ways that we are making life more affordable for Canadians: A single mom with two kids will receive $13,600 from the Canada child benefit; the average family in Saskatchewan will get almost $1,000 back with the carbon price rebate; seniors received $500 this month; we are increasing OAS by 10%; and a student will save more than $3,000 with the changes we made to the program. That is how we are making life more affordable. We will continue to do so.

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, that does not change the reality. Inequality is growing in Canada.

The Parliamentary Budget Office released a report that clearly shows inequalities are on the rise. It is quite likely that the pandemic has aggravated the situation. This is another reminder of the importance of having fair and equitable taxation.

Why is the Prime Minister refusing to bring in taxation that would see the ultrarich pay their fair share, which could be invested in people and make their life more affordable?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to asking those who prospered during the pandemic to help a little more for those who did not. Our platform committed to raise corporate income taxes on the largest, most profitable banks in the country, as well as insurance companies, and introduced a temporary Canada recovery dividend given that they have recovered faster. We are also working to implement a global minimum tax and 136 OECD/G20 inclusive framework members have signed up.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Mr. Speaker, amidst the cost-of-living crisis, hard-working Albertans are being forced to pay more and more for everyday goods. For example, I recently heard from a constituent who had to pay more than $77 for two small cuts of beef, and yet the Liberals seem content to just dismiss the real-life implications of this crisis as simply a global issue, but that does not help my constituents afford the products they need every day.

Does the government really believe it is just inflation or is the Prime Minister just incompetent?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, since taking office, this government has been focused on making life more affordable for Canadians. The very first vote I took in this place was to lower taxes on the middle class. We introduced the Canada child benefit to support families. We increased supports for seniors, lowered small business taxes, increased the Canada workers benefit, increased the Canada student grant, all making life more affordable.

In Alberta, thanks to the child care deal, Albertans will save thousands of dollars a month starting January 1. Life will be more affordable for Canadians. That is what we will do.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Mr. Speaker, in my riding, there are entire areas in towns like Canmore where people are living in their vehicles. What does the member say to them? There are parents who have to make a decision about whether they are going to give their kids lunches for school or a Christmas gift. What does he say to them? There are people who cannot afford gas to drive to work. There are seniors who cannot afford to eat. What does he say to them? They do not want to hear about all the money the government can spend. They want to hear about actual results and they are not seeing anything from the Liberal government.

What is the government going to do about it?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, we saw through the campaign that the Conservative Party was skilled at flip-flopping, but I find it particularly shocking that the flip-flopping is happening during the same question period.

Do they actually want us to invest more or less in Canadians, because if it is more, then they should vote for Bill C-2.