Debates of Nov. 16th, 2022

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Elgin—Middlesex—London will lead us in the singing of the national anthem.

[Members sang the national anthem]

Municipal Elections

[Marcus Powlowski, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON]

Mr. Speaker, a few weeks ago, we here in Ontario had our municipal elections. I rise today in order to thank all of the outgoing but also the incoming municipal leaders.

In my riding, I have 11 municipalities and 11 first nations, so I cannot name them all, but I would like to mention a few people who have decided not to run after years of service to their community, namely Dennis Brown, who served as mayor in Atikokan for 24 years, and also two other mayors, June Caul in Fort Frances and Bill Mauro in Thunder Bay, who decided not to run again, as did Chief Peter Collins of Fort William First Nation.

I would like to thank them all. Having worked with them for a number of years, I think they were all really excellent. I could call them and it did not matter if it was an evening or if it was on a weekend. They were always there for their communities.

I am sad not to be working with them any further, but I look forward to working with a whole bunch of new people.

To them, I say to keep their phones on and in their pockets because I could be calling them at any time.

National Defence

[Marc Dalton, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

Mr. Speaker, in Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge, large crowds came out to honour our veterans who fought for our freedoms, as well as those now serving in our Canadian Forces and protective services.

Afterwards I visited our local Royal Canadian Legion. Branch 88 is the largest in Canada. It is a vibrant and happening place.

I talked with many members. I was asked if it was true that the Prime Minister was in Cambodia rather than in Canada on this important day. They felt disrespected and upset, but they should not be surprised. Our military is simply not a Liberal priority.

Under them, the Canadian Forces have shrunk by tens of thousands. We do not have troops for peacekeeping, meeting our NATO obligations or defending our country.

Our equipment is obsolete and ammunition cupboards are bare, so there is little that we can give to help Ukraine.

I say shame on the Liberals and shame on the Prime Minister.

Oakville Firefighters

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the most wonderful time of the year is fast approaching. However, this may not be the case for all Canadians. For many, the holidays may look different this year.

Kurt Merriman, chief elf at the Oakville Professional Firefighters Association, is working to bring the magic of Christmas to all with the annual toy drive. The firefighters are collecting gifts for families, particularly older youth, who may need assistance this time of year, while helping to spread holiday cheer.

This year, they are taking part in four events contributing to the cause, starting this Saturday at 9 a.m. with the Oakville Santa Claus Parade in downtown Oakville and Kerr Village, followed by the Oakville Blades' Teddy Bear Toss Game, the Toronto Rock lacrosse game and a drive-through event on December 9.

I encourage all who can to contribute and to attend these events so that we can ensure that everyone can enjoy the holiday season.

Pierre Urquhart

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to highlight the lengthy career of a community builder from Laurentides—Labelle, Pierre Urquhart.

In 2019, Pierre welcomed me as a new MP and helped me better understand the issues in Pays‑d'en‑Haut and all the valuable key players. Executive director of the Vallée de Saint‑Sauveur—Piedmont chamber of commerce and tourism for 27 years, founder of the Carrefour jeunesse-emploi des Pays‑d'en‑Haut and of the Maison des jeunes de Saint‑Sauveur—Piedmont, Pierre has helped Saint‑Sauveur shine thanks to his talent as an organizer and his involvement in numerous events such as the Christmas parade and the Cuban festival.

Everyone in my little corner of the world knows Pierre Urquhart. On behalf of his community, I would like to thank him and wish him a wonderful, well-deserved retirement.

Pascal Élie

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Pascal Élie was the cartoonist at Le Devoir. He was my neighbour for 10 years. Our houses shared a wall.

I watched his two boys grow up. One of his sons played hockey with one of mine, and our families saw each other all the time at the rink. We shared a lot of meals, and we always talked federal, provincial and municipal politics. I really liked his cartoons in Le Devoir because they were amusing and astute without ever being cruel.

He was a gentle, refined and highly intelligent man who made us laugh. He also worked for the Montreal Gazette. He spoke both languages and understood both cultures. A neurodegenerative disease took his life in October. I watched him waste away over the course of 10 years, gradually losing control of his body but never complaining.

He was courageous and dignified to the end. My condolences to his wonderful family. May he rest in peace.

Chilliwack—Hope

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Chilliwack—Hope, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it has been one year this week since many B.C. communities, including my own, were devastated by flooding and mudslides. We mark the anniversary of this event, but more importantly, the selflessness and heroism of the people who took action to help their fellow British Columbians in their time of need.

We had farmers who put their lives at risk to save the animals on Sumas Prairie. We had volunteers who filled sandbags through the night to save a threatened pump station, farms and family homes. We had people who provided food and shelter to stranded strangers. There were angling guides providing critical search and rescue services. First responders, soldiers and road crews were all doing whatever was needed to keep us safe.

One year later, some of the land and some of our neighbours still bear the scars of this traumatic event. We will be there to help them heal no matter how long it takes. While we will never forget the devastating impact that the unprecedented rains brought last year, we will also remember the spirit of unity and the sense of community that brought us together like never before.

Human Rights in Iran

[Leah Taylor Roy, Liberal, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we must not forget the name Mahsa Amini or the cry “women, life, freedom”. Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian woman arrested for not wearing her hijab properly, died in a hospital in Tehran two months ago today.

Eyewitnesses and leaked medical reports indicate she was severely beaten. Her death sparked an uprising that has resulted in the killing of at least 326 people, including 43 children and 25 women, and the imprisonment of more than 15,000 protesters by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Canada is horrified, and I am horrified, by the regime’s blatant disregard for women’s rights and human rights. Canada has designated the Islamic Republic of Iran as a regime that has engaged in terrorism and in systematic and gross human rights violations.

The regime and its most senior officials, including the IRGC, which is tens of thousands of people, will be banned from entering Canada. Current and former senior officials present here will be investigated and removed from the country.

I am proud of the decisive and far-reaching steps our government is continuing to take. Zan, Zendegi, Azadi.

Louis Riel

[Jim Carr, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, today, in the churchyard of Saint-Boniface Cathedral, citizens of the Red River Métis Nation are gathering at the gravesite of Louis Riel to commemorate his life.

In his lifetime, Riel was the visionary, political and spiritual leader of his people. Today, he is recognized as a father of Confederation whose actions in life embody the contemporary ideals of bilingualism, multiculturalism, minority rights and social justice.

On the 137th anniversary of his execution, I would like to leave members with his words. He said, “I am more convinced, everyday that without a single exception, I did right. And I have always believed that, as I have acted honestly, the time will come when the people of Canada will see and acknowledge it.”

Public Safety

[Rob Moore, Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

Mr. Speaker, no government has done more than the Liberals to make life easier for violent criminals and harder for their victims.

They are letting mass murderers apply for parole and they refuse to stop illegal guns from coming across the border. Now they are trying to repeal laws that Conservatives brought in that required violent criminals to serve their time in jail and not from the comfort of their own home.

We strengthened these laws to protect innocent Canadians and the Supreme Court of Canada has just reaffirmed that these laws are, in fact, constitutional. With violent crime up by 32% under the government’s watch, violent offenders need more accountability, not less.

Despite the facts, the Prime Minister wants to reverse these laws with his soft-on-crime bill, Bill C-5. If this bill were to pass, not only would violent offenders become eligible to serve time from the comfort of their homes, but also those charged with violent gun crimes, like drive-by shootings or a robbery with a firearm, will not be required to serve mandatory jail time at all.

The Prime Minister must finally do the right thing and withdraw his soft-on-crime bill, Bill C-5.

Paulina Corpuz

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a pillar of Toronto's Filipino community and a great friend, Paulina Corpuz, who passed away recently.

A proud Filipina, Paulina fought to bring recognition to her community and its many accomplishments in Canada. She led the push for Toronto to declare June as Filipino Heritage Month. It was the first jurisdiction in Canada to do so. Her efforts inspired my private member's motion to make June Filipino Heritage Month across Canada, which received unanimous approval from the House of Commons.

I have seen first-hand how much this recognition means to the community and it all started with her. For Paulina, the goal was always to inspire the younger generation to get involved in public life and public service. She was undeniably successful in this goal, and her legacy will live forever.

My condolences to her family and all those she inspired. Rest in peace, my dear friend Paulina.

Inflation

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are worried. They feel as though they have lost control of their finances, and they are right.

Today, we learned that the consumer price index was 6.9% higher in October than it was a year ago. Here are some concrete examples. A pound of butter now costs $8.29 and a litre of gasoline costs over $2.50, sometimes even $3 in some regions.

These increasing prices are having unfortunate consequences. Food bank use has reached record highs. Parents are being forced to skip meals so that they can feed their children.

What is this government doing? Nothing. The recent economic update does nothing to stop inflation, nothing to address the cost of living crisis and nothing for citizens who are struggling to stay afloat.

The Conservatives have some very simple and practical suggestions: no tax hikes and no new spending.

Domestic Food Production

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

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is making everything more expensive. Even the basic necessity of food is up 11.4% with inflation. This means that 51% of people are cutting back on buying groceries, and 20% are skipping meals. Unlike the Liberal elites, the average Canadian knows that cutting their $13-a-month Disney+ subscription is not going to feed their family. That is why we need to support our farmers.

Canadian farmers grow some of the highest-quality produce in the world, while following the strictest regulations, but the cost of producing fresh food in Canada is going up, way up, because of the Liberals' attack on Canadian energy, their nonsensical fertilizer-reduction policies and the tripling of the carbon tax. Increased costs of production mean growers are becoming uncompetitive with imported food. That costs our economy and our jobs.

Conservatives know that supporting domestic food production will lower costs and keep Canadians fed. The time for Canadian food sovereignty is now.

Dennis Marinos

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

Mr. Speaker, darkness stumbled upon our community last week, on November 5, as we lost Mr. Dennis Marinos. Mr. Marinos worked tirelessly for 27 years to help other people as a pioneer in volunteer jobs, as congresses, councils, associations and committees no longer had secrets for him.

At a time when we take democracy for granted, Mr. Marinos served as a shining example of democratic spirit, and his legacy of dialogue, helping others and caring about his fellow human beings warms the hearts of all who knew him.

He acted with virtues close to the heart of our community over and again. Everyone in Laval knew that Mr. Marinos would simply be there to lift them up. He was a force of good against the sometimes unsympathetic currents of life, always offering an outstretched hand, a warm word, a sympathetic smile.

We lost an inspiration for a community, a province and a country.

May my good friend rest in peace, and may his memory be eternal.

Climate Change

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB]

Mr. Speaker, we need to be honest. Canada is a failure when it comes to tackling the climate crisis. Here at home, first nations like Peguis, Little Grand Rapids, Pauingassi, St. Theresa and others who are impacted disproportionately by climate change are already paying the price of Liberal inaction.

Yesterday, the Auditor General exposed the Liberals’ failures. There is some support for evacuations, but nothing for mitigation, adaptation and, frankly, survival, leaving 112 communities, including some in my riding, without the supports they need to stay safe.

Then there are Canada’s abject failures on the world stage. Canada is the only country in the G7 that has not lowered its emissions since the signing of the Paris accord. The Liberal government gives over $14 billion a year to its friends in big oil, and even builds them pipelines. For a Prime Minister and a government that is all style and no substance, we would think they would recognize how bringing along their buddies in big oil to COP27 would look.

The climate crisis is already having a major impact in Canada. First nations and people across our country cannot afford more greenwashing. We need action now. Our future depends on it.

40th Anniversary of Women's Employment Centre

[René Villemure, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise to recognize the 40th anniversary of Le Pont, a women's employment resource centre in Trois‑Rivières. The organization's mission is to help women integrate, reintegrate and remain in the workforce.

The organization provides women with the tools and supports they need to ensure their independence. Le Pont offers career counselling, coaching and job search assistance, serving as a link between women and employers.

Le Pont has been a leader in the field since 1982, with a team that encourages women to recognize their own value and reach their full potential. In a society that is supposed to be egalitarian, I think we can all agree that that is an important mission.

It was an honour for me to take part in the celebrations marking the 40th anniversary on November 10 at the Gouverneur Hotel in Trois‑Rivières. I would like to personally congratulate Annie Brassard, the executive director, Stéphanie Hamel, the chair of the board of directors, as well as the entire Le Pont team on the exceptional work they do for the women of the Mauricie region.

Taxation

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister recently scoffed at Canadians when she told the CBC that the carbon tax does not add to the challenges that they face. Talk about being out of touch.

The minister should get her facts straight. According to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, once the Liberals triple their carbon tax, the net cost to Alberta families will be more than $2,000. This tone-deaf, downtown-Toronto finance minister should realize that, when $2,000 is added onto the bills of hard-working Albertans, it significantly adds to the challenges they face.

The minister should come down from her ivory tower, give Canadians a break and axe the tax.

Telecommunications

[Mike Kelloway, Liberal, Cape Breton—Canso, NS]

Mr. Speaker, access to safe and secure telecommunications infrastructure is essential to the residents of Cape Breton—Canso, as well as all rural communities from coast to coast to coast. It gives them the ability to go to work, go to school, connect with loved ones and so much more. The recent telecom outages across Cape Breton—Canso following hurricane Fiona were unacceptable, as they prevented people's ability to communicate when it mattered the most.

This disruption of telecommunications cascaded to a point where wireless networks became overloaded. We heard stories of folks who were left unable to contact loved ones, and in some cases, unable to contact emergency services.

Recently, I raised these concerns with the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry and offered my full support for swift action to ensure that these outages do not happen again. As a government, we must hold telecom companies accountable. That is what Canadians expect from us, and I will keep fighting to do just that.

Health

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians were wondering why children in other countries were able to access pain medication easily, while there is a major shortage in Canada. Families are suffering, and some parents have to go to the United States to buy these medications.

Yesterday, we learned the reason for that. The deputy minister of health said that this government knew about the shortage in April, seven months ago. However, it has done nothing since then.

Why has this government made Canadian children suffer for seven months?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, as a minister and a mother, I know the stress that Canadian families and children are experiencing.

That is why I am very pleased that my colleague, the Minister of Health, announced on Monday that our government has secured a foreign supply of children's medication.

Children's health remains our priority.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, if it was a priority, why did they not do anything for seven months? We just found out yesterday from the deputy minister of health that the government knew in April that there was a shortage of children's pain medication.

As a result of the government doing nothing, we have parents who have had to drive to the States. Sometimes they have to meet in dark parking lots to buy a bottle of Aspirin or Tylenol for $200, and their children are up all night, screaming. On what date did members of the cabinet become aware that this shortage was in place and that our children were suffering?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, not only as a minister, but also as a mother, I am very aware of the stress and anxiety of parents across Canada and of Canadian children. That is why I was glad that, on Monday, my colleague the Minister of Health announced that Health Canada has secured a foreign supply of children's medication, which will be available for sale in the coming weeks. Health Canada has also approved the exceptional importation of infant and children's ibuprofen and acetaminophen. It has been imported and distribution has begun.

Taxation

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, today we found out that the inflation rate is three times higher than the Bank of Canada's target.

Canadians are paying up to 30% more for some foods, and the price is only going up. The price of gas is up 10% and the price of food in general is up 11%.

The government's solution is to continue with inflationary deficits and taxes, tripling taxes on gas, heat and groceries. Will the Liberals cancel these inflationary taxes and spending so Canadians can afford to eat, heat and house themselves?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the only thing that has tripled under our government is Canada's AAA credit rating.

The reality is that inflation in Canada went down or remained stable for four consecutive months. That is good news, but we understand that Canadians are having a tough time. That is why we have a responsible and compassionate tax plan to help the most vulnerable Canadians.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, she tells Canadians that they have never had it so good. She is out of touch, and Canadians are out of money. One of the reasons is the rising cost of fuel. Home heating bills are up 77% in Newfoundland and Labrador. There are similar increases across the Atlantic, and northern Ontario will get hit hard because of oil heating, yet the government wants to triple the carbon tax to punish people further. This is after the tax has failed to reduce emissions or hit targets to fight climate change.

Instead of hitting Canadians with more punishing taxes, why do the Liberals not give Canadians relief so they can keep the heat on?