Debates of Oct. 26th, 2022

Taxation

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

Mr. Speaker, $200 billion had nothing to do with COVID. It did not actually help Canadians through COVID.

Canadians cannot afford this Liberal-NDP coalition. It is actually making everything more expensive for Canadians. That is why interest rates went up today. I am going to ask again, will the Liberals give Canadians a break and cancel their planned tax hikes?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives can continue to talk about cuts to EI, continue to talk about cuts to pensions and continue to talk about making pollution free again. The reality is we are not only going to continue to be there to support Canadians through these difficult times, but we are also going to stand against the Conservatives' opposition to our plan to support Canadians with dental care, to support low-income renters with direct help as we move forward into the winter.

We know that Canadians need help now. Canadians are also wondering why the Conservatives are continuing to stand against support for Canadians who need it.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House we are not against families. We are for families. Let us talk about those folks. Let us talk about those ordinary Canadians who are working hard to make ends meet, those folks who are raising their kids, those folks who are trying to pay their bills, and those folks who are driving their children to hockey games, etc. These are the folks who watched their heating bill double over the last year. These are the folks who are going to watch their heating bill go up by another 30% this winter. These are the folks many of whom cannot afford the $100 extra a month that is going to be.

Will the Prime Minister exercise some compassion and take away his plan to triple—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The right hon. Prime Minister.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Lethbridge was talking about being there for folks raising families. That is exactly one of the things we are focused on right now in delivering support for families that cannot afford to send their kids to the dentist. We know there are far too many Canadians looking at the various bills they are facing and knowing they are not going to be able to send their kids to the dentist this year. That is wrong. That is why we are moving forward with $1,300 in support over the next two years, so that all families can send their kids to the dentist.

Why do Conservatives, who want to support families, stand—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Laval—Les Îles.

The Environment

[Fayçal El-Khoury, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, all Canadians deserve a healthy environment and safe communities.

Since the Canadian Environmental Protection Act was last reformed 20 years ago, chemicals have come to play an increasingly bigger part in our daily lives and our economy.

To keep everyone safe, Canada needs an environmental protection act that addresses the problems of the 21st century with the help of modern science.

Can the Prime Minister provide us with an update on Bill S-5?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Laval—Les Îles for his question and his hard work.

The right to a healthy environment recognizes that all Canadians deserve safe communities and healthy environments. We have committed to passing a law that codifies these principles, and we firmly intend to deliver on that commitment.

I hope that the Conservative Party will stop trying to delay this bill, as it has been doing for the past few weeks, and allow us to refer it to a committee as soon as possible so it can be passed sooner than later.

Taxation

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the budgets of Canadian families are taking a big hit.

Interest rates are going up, the price of groceries is going up, the price of home heating is going up, the price of gas is going up. In short, the price of everything we consume is is going up.

Does the Prime Minister realize that the last thing Canadians need is for him to raise taxes?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, that is why we are not raising taxes. We are here to help families. We are here to help them with dental care and make investments to assist low-income renters. The member opposite is strongly opposed to these initiatives.

We are asking the Conservative Party to stop blocking the passage of the bill on dental care and rental assistance so that we can help families across the country as quickly as possible.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the only help the Liberals are offering Canadians is the triple threat: they have tripled the debt; they are tripling the carbon tax, and in less than two years, they have tripled interest rates. This is a threat that Canadians cannot afford. Soup is up 30%. Bread and potatoes are up 17%. Margarine is up 38%. These are not luxury items from a Liberal cocktail party. These are staples Canadians rely on every single day.

How many Canadian families are going to have to rely on food banks before the Prime Minister cancels his plans to triple the taxes on fuel, food and home heating?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the average family of four in this country in the jurisdictions where the carbon tax backstop applies receive more money from the climate action incentive than they pay on average in the price on pollution.

We are moving forward in a way that both fights climate change and supports the families that need it, like how we are moving forward on supports for low-income renters and for families that cannot pay for their kids to go to the dentist, but Conservative politicians are standing against support for dental care and support for low-income rentals. Why?

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that the Prime Minister has become too comfortable with the luxuries he has not earned. He does not understand the burdens that are on every Canadian, burdens that the Liberals are tripling by tripling the carbon tax, tripling the debt and now tripling the interest rates.

Will the Prime Minister end his planned tax hikes on food, fuel and home heating, or is he yearning for the days of his father when Canadians who could not afford their mortgage were dropping their house keys off at the bank before taking their families to the food bank?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, there is much misinformation floating around out there and that is why we are happy to put things very clearly for Canadians, despite the approach that the members of the opposition are taking. Let us consider how families in the communities of the opposition front benches benefit from our climate action rebates.

A family of four in the opposition leader's riding has received over $550 this year alone. They have received over $620 in the deputy finance critic's riding and over $800 so far this year in the member opposite's riding. We are there to support families even as we fight climate change.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the situation in Afghanistan remains heartbreaking to this day. Afghan women and interpreters helped our country for years and they have been targeted by the Taliban since it took over in Afghanistan over a year ago. It goes without saying that it is our duty to help them get to safety.

Can the Prime Minister inform this House on the progress that has been made so far toward this government's commitment to resettle at least 40,000 Afghan refugees by the end of next year?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Guelph for his tireless work and advocacy for his constituents.

I am pleased to say that today we will be welcoming two more planes with Afghan nationals fleeing the Taliban regime. With those arrivals, we have now resettled over 23,000 Afghans. We are excited for those arriving today to begin their new lives here. We will continue our work until we have resettled at least 40,000 Afghans.

Health

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, in July, Sunshine House received Health Canada funding to run a mobile overdose prevention site providing peer-led support to people who use drugs, but it has hit a bureaucratic wall. The people at Sunshine House have been told they need an exemption to run the site.

Winnipeg Centre has an overdose crisis. Last week, five people died due to a toxic drug supply. People need help and the government delays are costing lives. Will the Prime Minister act to ensure this overdose prevention site can start its critical life-saving work now?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, this is a government that has always put evidence and data at the centre of everything we do to move forward. We know harm reduction and safe consumption sites work. That is why over the past seven years we have seen the opening of countless numbers of sites across the country, but we know there is more to do.

That is why we are moving forward with a program with British Columbia to ensure safer drug supplies. That is why we are moving forward in cities across the country, including the member opposite's city, to ensure we are getting the support for people who are facing such terrible challenges in epidemics and deaths. We are going to continue to be there hand in hand with local municipalities.

Foreign Affairs

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians care about human rights. We stand up for human rights, whether it is for the Uighur Muslims in the People's Republic of China and whether it is the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and around the world. We must also stand up for Palestinian human rights. We must make it very clear that as a staunch friend of Israel we also call for human rights to be respected for the people of Palestine.

There are two important UN resolutions coming up. I want to ask the Prime Minister, will Canada consider please voting for the motion to respect what is happening, to help Palestinian refugees and to take action on Israeli settlements?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is a steadfast friend and ally of Israel and a friend to the Palestinian people. We are firmly committed to a two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. We continue to firmly support the goal of a comprehensive just and lasting peace in the Middle East, including the creation of a Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel.

The House resumed from October 25 consideration of the motion.

Opposition Motion—Ties Between the Canadian State and the Monarchy

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

It being 3:40 p.m., pursuant to order made on Thursday, June 23, the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion of the member for Beloeil—Chambly relating to the business of supply.

Call in the members.

(The House divided on the motion, which was negatived on the following division:)

Vote #199

Business of Supply

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I declare the motion lost.

The House resumed from October 24 consideration of the motion that Bill C‑242, An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (temporary resident visas for parents and grandparents), be read the third time and passed.