Debates of Oct. 21st, 2022

Public Safety

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

Madam Speaker, the Minister of Emergency Preparedness repeatedly told the House that, “At no point did our government pressure or interfere with the operational decisions of the RCMP, including their communications strategy.”

Audio recordings of Commissioner Lucki reveal she said, “it was a request that...I got from the minister's office. And I shared with the minister that...it was going to be...in the news releases, and it wasn't.”

The minister directly interfered in an RCMP investigation for the purpose of advancing the Liberals' political agenda. When will the minister resign for misleading Parliament?

[Yasir Naqvi, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness]

Madam Speaker, the members opposite can ask the same question as many ways as possible. The answer remains the same. In our democracy, one of the fundamental principles is that we, the government, do not interfere in any police operation or police investigation.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

Madam Speaker, Commissioner Lucki told Parliament that she, “was not directed to publicly release information about weapons used...to help advance pending gun control legislation.”

We now have audio recordings where the Commissioner states, “Does anybody realize what's going on in the world of...guns”. She then continues, “they're...trying to get a legislation going.” The commissioner pressured her subordinates, under direction from the minister, to advance the government's political agenda. In her own words, she didn't “come through for the minister”.

The commissioner misled Parliament. When will the government demand her resignation?

[Yasir Naqvi, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness]

Madam Speaker, I do want to again stress the fact that the commissioner testified to parliamentarians at a committee in July, where she said, “I did not receive direction and I was not influenced by government officials regarding the public release of information”. She is stating exactly the practice, which is that politicians do not interfere in police operations or police investigations. Our government abides by that really important principle, and at no time did the government interfere in a police investigation.

Taxation

[Tako Van Popta, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister and the costly coalition with the NDP is making life more expensive for all Canadians. People in British Columbia are deeply concerned about the rapid rise in the cost of living and now of home heating fuels. The last thing Canadians need at this time is more inflationary taxation.

Will the Liberal government cancel its plans to triple taxes on home heating this winter?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, the leader of the official opposition said that countries that are running higher inflation than Canada are dumb. That list includes the U.S., Italy, Germany, Sweden, Denmark and the entire eurozone.

Right now, when we are in a time of global crisis, when people are finding things hard, it does not matter that Canada has one of the lowest inflation rates in the world. We have to do everything we can to help Canadians, and that is why I ask the member opposite why they will not support dental care for families who need that support. Why will they not support help for those who are low-income and renting? Why do they refuse to support it? Worse, why do they not even let it pass through the House?

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Madam Speaker, the government is making life more expensive for everyone. I have heard from seniors living on a fixed income who are struggling to put food on the table. I received an email from a constituent concerned that the prices at the local grocery store are skyrocketing but portions are being decreased.

Winter is coming, and homes need to be kept warm. Canadians are cash-strapped. Will the Liberal government give Canadians a break and cancel its triple taxes on home heating?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, what I find most unfortunate is that, at a time of global turmoil, when people across the world are facing the impacts of not only inflation but also climate change, the government, which is taking action, faces an opposition in the Conservatives that is raising and amplifying people's anxiety instead of providing solutions.

What are their solutions? To take something they know gives more money back than it takes to fight climate change and to stand up against dental care for those families who need it and support for low-income families who are renting. That is not responsible.

Natural Resources

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Madam Speaker, with the new pro-oil and pro-gas doctrine that Canada announced in Washington, chances are good that the Prime Minister will once again be appointed the oil companies' point man. This is just like in March 2017, when the oil companies invited the Prime Minister to Texas to give him the prestigious global energy and environment leadership award. Shell, BP, ExxonMobil and all the other oil companies were swooning. He was their man.

Five years later, with the announcement of the new doctrine in Washington, does the minister think that his leader has a head start to win the award again this year?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to tell my colleague that the very important international magazine National Geographic named the Prime Minister of Canada man of the year for the work Canada is doing to protect nature.

It is no coincidence that the United Nations turned to us to organize the next international UN conference on biodiversity.

When this conference could not be held in China, the UN turned to Canada because it is one of the countries that is doing the most to protect biodiversity and fight climate change.

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Madam Speaker, there are some strange similarities between China and Canada. This reminds me of Canada's announcement in Washington. We saw the Prime Minister being honoured by oil companies in the past. Meanwhile Équiterre and the Sierra Club are suing the Minister of Environment and Climate Change for approving the Bay du Nord project, and the Deputy Prime Minister just announced to the world that Canada is going to fast-track oil and gas projects, even if it means losing political capital.

Should we believe what this government does or what it says?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Madam Speaker, I would like to remind my colleague that, in the last year alone, we invested $15 billion in the electric battery and electric vehicle sector. That money went to 10 different projects, including several in Quebec.

The German chancellor came to Canada to announce a project to produce green hydrogen from offshore wind power. When my colleague talks about what we are doing in Canada, that is it. That is exactly what we are doing. We are making a green shift and investing tens if not hundreds of billions of dollars in Canada's green transition.

The Economy

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

Madam Speaker, Canada is experiencing an affordability crisis where 60% of Canadians are struggling to put food on the table and 20% of Canadians are dependent on food banks. Food inflation recently hit a 40-year high, at 11.4%. Bread is up 22%; cereal, 17.9%; and baked goods, 14%. The cause of this inflation is hundreds of billions of dollars of reckless spending, most of which was not related to COVID.

When will the Liberal government finally abandon its irresponsible policies of tax and spend, and let Canadians have a full belly when they go to bed at night?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, what is irresponsible is pretending that a global problem we have to take seriously is a problem that just exists in Canada. The Conservatives might as well promise that the wind will stop blowing at our coastal borders if they were in government.

The reality is that we face global challenges, just like every other country, and it does not matter that we have one of the lowest rates. We need to take action. We need to provide support. It does not matter that we have lifted 2.7 million people out of poverty in the last five years. We have to do more. It does not matter that this House has adopted legislation to help those who are in need with $500 in a GST credit.

Where are they on dental? Where are they on housing?

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

Madam Speaker, what does matter is that the more the government spends, the more things cost. I would say that the government has spent like a drunken sailor, but quite frankly, that would bring intoxicated mariners into disrepute.

After a wild bender of spending, the government has gotten up from a ditch and said it has seen the light of fiscal restraint. Excuse my incredulity, but I am sure that millions of Canadians share my skepticism.

Will the government reassure Canadians, fully commit to the Leader of the Opposition's plan and legislate “pay as you go”?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition called the U.S., Italy, Germany, Sweden, Denmark and the entire eurozone “dumb” because they have higher inflation rates than we do. What action was he was taking while those “dumb governments” were attempting to deal with global inflation? He was recommending that people take their precious savings and invest in Bitcoin. Those people would have lost absolutely everything.

I am quite sure that international leaders have more tact and dignity than to share their opinions about the leader of the official opposition.

Taxation

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister, in his costly coalition with the NDP, is making life more expensive for Canadians. Media reports say that Canadians who pay for natural gas or electricity can expect their bills to go up by 50%, 100% or even 300% this winter. I do not know about my colleagues, but everyone I know uses electricity and needs to heat their family home.

Let me be clear: Warmth during a Canadian winter is not a luxury. Will the government cancel its plans to triple the taxes on home heating?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, it is just like the Conservatives to believe that inflation is something that can stop at Canadian borders and that we will not be affected by it. They also say that we caused it. That is how ridiculous and preposterous their positions are.

That is also their position on climate change. They want to pretend that climate change is not going to cost tens or hundreds of billions of dollars. In fact, over the next 100 years, perhaps it will be trillions of dollars.

We just watched what happened in Atlantic Canada. We just watched what happened with Fiona. We need to take responsible leadership to protect this planet and, at the same time, make sure life is more affordable for Canadians. That is exactly what we are doing.

Small Business

[Emmanuella Lambropoulos, Liberal, Saint-Laurent, QC]

Madam Speaker, this is Small Business Week, which gives us the opportunity to celebrate the contributions of small Canadian businesses that are the pillars of our economy and our communities. To help them prosper, we must reduce the burden of regulations that are no longer required.

Can the President of the Treasury Board update the House on Bill S-6 and how it will help Canadian businesses?

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board]

Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague from Saint‑Laurent for her question and her hard work in her community.

Annual regulatory modernization bills are a key element of the government's efforts to improve efficiency while maintaining protections for the environment, consumers, health and safety.

Bill S-6 makes 45 common-sense changes to reduce the administrative burden for businesses, facilitate digital interactions and simplify regulatory processes.

I hope that all parties in the House will agree to help facilitate the work of—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member for Beauce.

Taxation

[Richard Lehoux, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Madam Speaker, food banks are no longer meeting demand in my riding and across Canada.

Mr. Boutin, from La Source in Beauce, told me that the demand is skyrocketing, and winter has not even hit yet. The impact of inflation is already being felt, especially for young families and seniors. With high grocery prices, ever-increasing interest rates and a recession just around the corner, we want a real answer.

When will this government suspend all new taxes? Enough is enough.

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Madam Speaker, I would like to reassure my colleague. The federal price on pollution does not apply to Quebec, because Quebec has kept its own cap-and-trade system, which operates in a completely different way from the carbon pricing system.

In Quebec's case, emissions are reduced through the cap component of their system, not a price increase. That is how it works. There will be no increase in Quebec.

The Economy

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Madam Speaker, the government ballooned our debt by over $100 billion even before COVID, and then by $500 billion during COVID, $200 billion of which had absolutely zero to do with the pandemic. Now the finance minister has seen the light, taken the advice of our leader and brought in a “pay as you go” policy.

Canadians know they cannot trust the finance minister and this costly coalition with the NDP when it comes to fiscal responsibility. Is that not right?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, the finance minister has been seeing the light all through this crisis while the Leader of the Opposition was in the darkest corners of the Internet searching for solutions with Bitcoin and recommending such things.

We have actually been driving economic growth. I would point out there was 3.3% growth in the second quarter for Canada, and that France's was 2.2%, Germany's was 0.6%, the U.K.'s was 0.9% and the U.S.'s was -0.6%. I would also point out that we have seen a growth of 400,000 jobs from where we were before the pandemic began.