Debates of Oct. 19th, 2022

Public Safety

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I can tell the House what will not make our communities safer: moving back on gun control.

We have moved forward with strong measures on interdicting assault weapons and on freezing the market on hand guns. These are things, unfortunately, that Conservatives continue to stand against. They want to make assault weapons available again to Canadians. They want to make hand gun purchases available once again to Canadians.

We are going to continue to stand for stronger gun control even as we invest in communities, even as we support our police forces and even as we stand forward to create a safer Canada.

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Mr. Speaker, there were over 124,000 additional violent crimes last year compared with in 2015. The Liberal approach is clearly failing Canadians. Crime is on the rise, and it is Canadian families who pay the price.

The Prime Minister and the federal government have the real responsibility to act. The buck stops with them. They cannot just stand by and be passive observers. The time for action is today.

When will the Prime Minister take decisive action to protect Canadian families from violent criminals?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I am extremely encouraged to hear Conservatives bringing up questions like this, because it means maybe they are going to support us in our strengthening of gun control measures. Maybe they are going to finally stand behind us in our banning of assault weapons, which are no longer free to be bought, sold or used anywhere across the country.

We are moving forward on a freeze on the purchase of handguns across the country. If the Conservative Party is deciding to support that, that is good news for communities across the country. We are going to continue to stand with families. We are going to continue to stand against domestic violence. We are going to continue to be there for communities that need support in the face of rising violence.

Public Services and Procurement

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Monday at the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, Liberal members worked very hard to protect their Liberal donor, winner of a sole-source contract lottery worth $28 million for his land in Saint‑Bernard‑de‑Lacolle.

Now, Radio-Canada is reporting that the Prime Minister is refusing to disclose the value of the secret contract and the identity of the lucky owner of the land that is located directly at the entrance of Roxham Road.

Can the Prime Minister tell us who owns the land at Roxham Road and how much the contract is worth?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we all know how important our immigration system is to Canadians. It is an upstanding and robust system that ensures the growth of our economy and our communities. It is important that we carefully monitor this system and ensure that the values we all share as Canadians are supported as we welcome asylum seekers. We will always go about this properly. We will always ensure that the rules are being followed. We will always be there to welcome those who are fleeing violence and terror in the world, in accordance with our values.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as we can see, the Prime Minister is not answering the question. My question has nothing to do with asylum seekers. The question is clearly about a contract. We know about the contracts awarded to Mr. Guay in the Lacolle sector. Just two kilometres away, there is a sector known as Roxham. The crossing is located on a piece of land and the Government of Canada is paying who knows how much to who knows who.

Can the Prime Minister tell us who owns the piece of land and how much we, the taxpayers, are paying for this little piece of land?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I want to assure all members of the House that contracts pertaining to Roxham Road were awarded by public servants according to our principles and all the rules in place.

The rules are always followed when awarding contracts and we will always ensure that that is the case.

Natural Resources

[Kristina Michaud, Bloc, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Deputy Prime Minister announced that Canada will fast-track energy projects to export more oil and gas to Europe.

The Liberals are exploiting the war in Ukraine to produce and sell even more fossil fuels in the midst of a climate crisis. What a real bunch of winners.

I have a guessing game for the Prime Minister. Who said the following last week, and I quote, “The war in Ukraine shows that if Canada does not produce natural gas, the market will be monopolized by polluting dictatorships like Putin's”? Was it the Deputy Prime Minister in Washington or the Conservative leader in La Pocatière?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine was a game changer for a lot of people in Europe who need energy this winter and in winters to come.

Canada is there to help deal with the global energy crisis caused by Russia. We are also working with our European partners to try to fast-track the transition to renewable energy. That is why we have invested so much in the green transition here in Canada. That is why we are welcoming foreign investors who decarbonize our energy sector so that we can be leaders in supplying energy in a net-zero world.

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the correct answer was the Conservative leader in La Pocatière.

I understand that the Prime Minister might be a little confused, considering that the Deputy Prime Minister said the exact same thing in Washington. The Liberals and the Conservatives are indistinguishable.

The Deputy Prime Minister even said that Canada must expend domestic political capital to fast-track energy projects. In other words, never mind what the public thinks, never mind what indigenous communities think, never mind climate change. Canada has gas to sell.

Does the Prime Minister find it embarrassing that his new doctrine is exactly the same as the Conservative leader's?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, for the past seven years, we have demonstrated that we know full well that the economy and the environment must go hand in hand. That is why we are investing unprecedented amounts in this energy transition. That is why we are helping to decarbonize our energy sources. That is why we are putting a price on pollution across the country. We want to make sure that industries and businesses make the investments needed for us to reach our 2030 targets and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

We will continue to be a leader on the environment because it is good for the economy.

The Economy

[Tim Uppal, Conservative, Edmonton Mill Woods, AB]

Mr. Speaker, we have not seen grocery prices rise like this in the last 40 years. Last week many Canadians struggled to afford Thanksgiving dinner with their families, all because of the Prime Minister's inflation crisis.

Next week is Bandi Chhor Divas and Diwali. Can the Prime Minister please tell Canadians how much more it will take to celebrate the festival of lights under his homegrown inflation crisis?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I have heard across the country, in farms, grocery stores and community centres from one end of the country to the other, that people are facing challenges with the rising cost of living, which is why we are delivering a doubling of the GST credit for the next six months this fall and why we are pleased that Conservative MPs were able to convince their leader to reverse his initial objection to that proposal and support it.

Now, I would ask members of the Conservative caucus to convince their leader to support dental for Canadians with kids under 12 and supports for rental for low-income Canadians.

Taxation

[Tim Uppal, Conservative, Edmonton Mill Woods, AB]

Mr. Speaker, what he is not telling us is that the vast majority of Canadians will not even qualify for those programs and it will just make the situation worse. The fact is that many Canadians are worried about heating their homes this winter, and too many are relying on the food bank to support their family, which is a decision no Canadian family should have to make. The last thing Canadians need is for the Prime Minister to triple the carbon tax, making everything more expensive.

Will the Prime Minister commit to stopping and cancelling his planned tax hikes on Canadians?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, there we have it. The Conservative Party just admitted it is not supporting our cost of living relief measures because it is afraid they will make things worse.

Canadians do not need excuses from Conservatives. They need Conservatives to step up and support direct support for low-income renters, with an extra $500 on top of the Canada housing benefit to be delivered to them, and support families who cannot afford to send their kids to the dentist.

These are things that will touch millions of Canadians. Why are the Conservatives not there to support them? Canadians do not want excuses; they want support.

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as several of my colleagues pointed out today, the cost of food is 11.4% higher than it was last year. Prices have not gone up that much since 1981.

Canadians are struggling to buy food and clothing and heat their homes. Christmas is coming. What kind of holiday are Canadians going to have? The Prime Minister is bound and determined to take even more money off Canadians' paycheques.

Will he commit to cancelling his plans to raise taxes on January 1?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, if the Conservative Party were really concerned about the rising cost of living for Canadians, it would support our measures to help Canadians who are struggling the most, low-income renters who need a bit more help to pay the rent this fall, and families that cannot afford dental care for their children under the age of 12.

I know these measures will not change everything, but they will definitely help a lot of families have a merrier Christmas. Why are the Conservatives refusing to help families in need?

Small Business

[Anju Dhillon, Liberal, Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, our government has been there from the very beginning to support small businesses across Canada. They are the heart of our communities and the backbone of our economy. That is why it is crucial that we all work together to give small business owners the support they need to succeed.

Can the right hon. Prime Minister remind Canadians what our government has been doing to support small businesses?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I would first like to thank the member for Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle for her question and for all her hard work.

Canadians know who really stands up for small business. When we proposed a tax cut to help small businesses grow, the Conservatives voted against it. When we helped 1,400 small businesses in Ottawa get back on their feet after the convoy crisis, the opposition leader said he was proud of the occupiers. The Conservatives refuse to properly support small business owners, but we on this side of the House will always be there for small businesses in this country.

Taxation

[Jake Stewart, Conservative, Miramichi—Grand Lake, NB]

Mr. Speaker, the cost of home heating just keeps going up in Atlantic Canada. Half of Atlantic Canadians are living in energy poverty. The cost of home heating oil jumped 30% in the last month in New Brunswick. Half of Atlantic Canadians heat with oil and are facing a cold, bitter winter because of the Liberal government. Today's numbers confirm that Liberal inflation is up again for groceries and housing back home.

With the affordability crisis devastating Atlantic Canadian families, why are the Liberals planning to triple taxes on home heating?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, again, all in this House are concerned about the rising cost of living faced by Canadians in Atlantic Canada and indeed across the country, so the question we all have is this: Why are Conservative politicians not supporting our cost of living relief measures? Why are they not stepping up to send cheques to the lowest-income renters, which will support close to two million Canadians who are going to have trouble paying rent this winter? Why are they not sending support to families who cannot send their kids under 12 to the dentist? We are talking about $1,300 that is going to help families over the next couple of years. The Conservatives say they care, but they do not stand up for them.

[Shelby Kramp-Neuman, Conservative, Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this morning, media reports indicated that food prices are skyrocketing. Up by 11.4% this month, it is the largest increase in 41 years. Everything is broken, and the government's carbon tax makes the already unbearable even worse. Instead of the Liberals driving up prices and sending Canadians deeper in debt, we need less talk and more decisive action from the government now.

When will the Prime Minister cancel his plan to triple taxes on gas, groceries and home heating?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as the members opposite well know, our price on carbon pollution returns more money to most Canadian families in the areas in which it is imposed. The reality is that we are stepping up to support Canadian families across the country, including with our cost of living relief package.

The question that many Canadians have is this: Why are Conservative politicians not there to support our measures to deliver help to low-income renters and families who cannot afford to send their kids to the dentist?

These are things that matter to Canadians, yet the Conservatives are standing in the way.

[Fraser Tolmie, Conservative, Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, SK]

Mr. Speaker, this upcoming Remembrance Day, veterans across Canada will be thanked for their service by being charged GST on top of a carbon tax on their heating bills, which is a tax on a tax on a tax. Heating a home during winter is a necessity.

Why will the Prime Minister not cancel his plans to triple his tax on home heating and axe his tax on tax?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, despite Conservative misinformation, the reality is that with our price on carbon pollution, more money is returned to 80% of families in the areas in which it is imposed than they pay in these taxes. That is a fact that Conservatives have been avoiding. As the carbon price increases to give predictability signals to businesses to continue to invest in reducing their emissions, Canadians keep getting more money back.

We are going to continue to deliver for Canadians. We are going to continue to stand up to support Canadians who need it.