House of Commons Hansard #129 of the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was money.

Topics

HousingStatements by Members

2:15 p.m.

Conservative

Michelle Ferreri Conservative Peterborough—Kawartha, ON

Mr. Speaker, CMHC, the federal government's housing agency, has spent $4.5 billion and committed another $9 billion to tackle homelessness, but it has no idea if anyone is benefiting from their work.

It has no idea. How can there be no accountability for billions of dollars when more Canadians are living in tents or cars and inflation is skyrocketing? This is absurd. If any member in the House takes a walk through their downtown, they will see the homeless crisis is getting worse every single day.

Lynn, a senior in her mid-60s, is homeless because she cannot afford rent in Toronto. She lived in her car for seven weeks before finding a place in a shelter system. Sage lives in a tent. She is 23 years old, from Portage la Prairie, and has been homeless for two years. These are not data points on a graph. They are people.

The Liberals plan to announce large amounts of funding that no one can access with zero accountability is not working. Canada needs leadership. It needs a plan. It needs accountability. It needs housing.

Royal Canadian Legion Literary Contest WinnerStatements by Members

2:15 p.m.

Liberal

Tim Louis Liberal Kitchener—Conestoga, ON

Mr. Speaker, last week, we honoured our veterans, who served proudly to preserve those freedoms. The responsibility of remembrance falls on all of us, and we recognize and appreciate the peace that we have today.

Each year the Royal Canadian Legion holds a literary contest to engage our youth in acts of remembrance. Julia Mederak, a student at John Sweeney Catholic Elementary School in Kitchener submitted a poem entitled “Remembrance Day” and won first place. She shared her poem on Kitchener’s CBC morning radio show, and I would like to read the last stanza of her award-winning work.

We celebrate Remembrance Day
We honour the vet
Our heads bowed in silence
Lest We Forget.

I send my congratulations to Julia. We thank her for her contributions in guiding our next generation as we continue to remember.

Democratic InstitutionsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, 10 months ago, our security and intelligence services informed the Prime Minister of allegations that a foreign government had interfered in our elections through illegal donations. The Prime Minister should have informed the Commissioner of Canada Elections so that the matter could be investigated.

Did the Prime Minister inform the commissioner of Canada Elections to instigate an investigation after he became aware, almost 10 months ago, of allegations of illegal foreign funding?

Democratic InstitutionsOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

University—Rosedale Ontario

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, our government understands that some of the world's dictatorships are actively trying to undermine democracies around the world.

As a university student, I lived and studied in an authoritarian communist regime, the Soviet Union. I have no illusions about the nature of that political system. Our national security agencies have stepped up their efforts to counter threats from foreign actors.

Climate ChangeOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, as the world's wealthy gather for the COP conference, burning massive amounts of jet fuel to get there, what is becoming clear is that the government does not have a climate plan; it has a tax plan. Its plan has failed to reach a single solidarity greenhouse gas emissions target and Canada now ranks 58th out of 64 countries on climate performance. This is after it has hit Canadians with high taxes. It plans to triple the tax, tripling down on failure.

Will the Liberals cancel the carbon tax and come up with a real environmental plan?

Climate ChangeOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

University—Rosedale Ontario

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, all Canadians know that the Conservative leader does not have a plan to tackle climate change, and that means he does not have a plan to grow the Canadian economy.

The reality today is that our most important trading partners, the U.S. and the EU, are all taking serious climate action. These are our allies and these are our customers. That is why in the fall economic statement, we invested heavily in the green transition, and we are going to continue to do that.

Climate ChangeOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, these are our allies and these are our customers, and all of them have better climate change performance than the government has in Canada.

What it has done in Canada is raise taxes on people's energy use, energy that they must use. People do need to heat their homes if they live in rural Newfoundland, and they need to use oil to do it because that is all there is. The cost is already up 77% year over year and likely to go up further. Some families will pay as much as $6,000 to heat their homes.

Is the government really going to tell them that they have to pay more for the government's failures on the environment?

Climate ChangeOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

University—Rosedale Ontario

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, Canadians understand that putting a price on pollution is the most effective way to fight climate change. In fact, one of the Canadians who was early to advocate this economically effective approach was none other than Preston Manning.

It is also worth pointing out that our price on pollution is revenue neutral. All the money goes back to Canadian families. A family in Alberta is getting back more than $1,000. That is true for a family in Saskatchewan as well.

Climate ChangeOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Revenue neutral, Mr. Speaker? It is not neutral for taxpayers who will pay thousands of dollars more in the tax than they get back in any rebates, according to the government's own Parliamentary Budget Officer.

If the government really wanted to fight greenhouse gas emissions, it would approve projects that do that. For example, there were 15 LNG projects proposed when the government took office. Not a single one has been built. The only one that is under construction was approved by the previous Conservative government and it required subsequent governments to exempt it from the carbon tax in order for it to be economical and to speed up its approval by ignoring Bill C-69.

Will the government get out of the way and let our projects go ahead to protect the earth?

Climate ChangeOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

University—Rosedale Ontario

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, our government bought and will complete the building of the Trans Mountain pipeline. Our government absolutely understands that LNG is an important transition fuel and plays a valuable role for Canada and the world.

I do want to point out that we understand that for projects to work, they have to meet environmental standards and indigenous people have to be consulted. That is how we are going to get projects in Canada built, including necessary renewable energy projects.

Climate ChangeOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, it is true that they have to meet environmental standards. We had real environmental standards under the previous Conservative government. In fact, the only way that the LNG Canada project in western Canada went ahead was by exempting it from the new anti-development, Bill C-69.

She is right also that first nations have to be consulted. One person is an indigenous grandmother from the Haisla first nation who told me that LNG Canada and projects like it meant that her autistic grandchild would have the resources for treatment. That means help for first nations, paycheques for people and clean energy for the world.

Why will the Liberals not get out of the way and let it happen?

Climate ChangeOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

University—Rosedale Ontario

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know better than to listen to the economic advice of the Conservative leader. Let me tell the House about Robert Breedlove. He is a bitcoin trader who posted “Central banking is an institution of slavery. Burn. It....Down.” After that was posted, the Conservative leader appeared on Mr. Breedlove's YouTube channel and said that he found it extremely informative.

The Conservative leader needs to publicly disavow those inflammatory comments and apologize to Canadians for his own reckless advice.

HealthOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Bloc

Yves-François Blanchet Bloc Beloeil—Chambly, QC

Mr. Speaker, the shortfall in health care funding for Quebec is around $6 billion. Stretchers are piling up in emergency rooms. Surgery waiting lists are suffering a similar effect, with all the anguish that goes along with that. There is also a national mental health crisis, with its prescriptions and fears of suicide attempts. At this rate, we will not be sending help abroad; we will be receiving it here.

The government claimed it wanted to work hand in hand with Quebec, but now it is being unbelievably arrogant. How can the government justify that arrogance?

HealthOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

University—Rosedale Ontario

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, we understand that we all need to invest in our health care system and that we need to work closely with the provinces and territories. Yesterday evening, I discussed this subject with my Quebec counterpart, Eric Girard.

The Canada health transfer will provide the provinces and territories with $45.2 billion in support this year, an increase of 4.8%.

HealthOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Bloc

Yves-François Blanchet Bloc Beloeil—Chambly, QC

Mr. Speaker, rather than talking about what the government is giving, let us talk about what is missing.

In general, the government has begun to treat Quebeckers and health system managers as though they are no good. The Prime Minister and his ministers think they are better than everyone. The only thing the federal government has that the Quebec government does not is money. No one in the federal government has any knowledge, experience or skill in emergency room management, mental health or the hiring of doctors and nurses. The government does not have those skills and it is creating delays at the expense of the most vulnerable people.

Can we get a decent transfer now?

HealthOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

University—Rosedale Ontario

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, this year, Quebec received $10.1 billion through the Canada health transfers. That is a 4.8% increase. Add to that $450 million to help the province clear backlogs in procedures and surgeries.

Canada was there for Quebec and Quebeckers during the pandemic. We will continue to be there for them.

HealthOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Peter Julian NDP New Westminster—Burnaby, BC

Mr. Speaker, across the country, access to pediatric health care is in crisis. Children's hospitals are overwhelmed.

In Quebec, sick kids have had to be transferred 150 kilometres away from their home to get care. In Saskatchewan, a four-year old girl with cancer had to wait 20 hours in the emergency room for a bed to free up in the hospital's pediatric unit.

When will the Liberals take action to get care for our children who desperately need it? Are they going to do something for Christ's sake?

HealthOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

Order.

I want to remind the member that he is to use parliamentary language in the House. That includes not using language that inflames people, especially when it involves a religious reference. It may offend many people.

The hon. Deputy Prime Minister.

HealthOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

University—Rosedale Ontario

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, we all know that our health care system is facing real challenges, and we will continue to work to help and support our health care system.

My colleague, the Minister of Health, was clear: Increasing funding for our health care system must translate into better results for Canadians and health care workers.

HealthOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Lindsay Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON

Mr. Speaker, they are simply not listening. This is not about one province, and it is not about a second province. It is about all the provinces, and maybe they should be taking offence at some of these responses, because I know the constituents in my riding are.

Parents in London are living in fear of their kids getting sick. They know there is a crisis in London's children's hospital and they face a record influx of patients and high emergency wait times. London's health officials are warning that it is not getting better; they are expecting significant pressure for the upcoming weeks.

Families and their children cannot afford to wait for this help, and this government continues—

HealthOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

The hon. Deputy Prime Minister.

HealthOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

University—Rosedale Ontario

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, we know Canadians cannot wait, and that is why the federal government is there right now. That is why the Canada health transfer will provide the provinces and territories with $45.2 billion in support, which is an increase of 4.8%. We all know our health care system is facing real challenges and our health care workers are facing real challenges.

My colleague, the Minister of Health, has been clear: Increasing funding for our health care system must result in improved results for the Canadians who depend on it.

TaxationOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

Jasraj Singh Hallan Conservative Calgary Forest Lawn, AB

Mr. Speaker, this government's refusal to address inflation shows how out of touch it really is.

As families struggle to pay for gas, food and home heating, they are also being hit with higher mortgage costs. The Bank of Canada raised interest rates to fight Liberal inflation, and now mortgage interest costs are up 11.4%. This is the largest increase in 30 years.

Canadians are out of money and this government just does not care. Will the Liberals end their inflationary spending and cancel their plans to triple taxes on groceries, home heating and gas?

TaxationOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

University—Rosedale Ontario

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, inflation in Canada has now fallen or remained flat for four months in a row. That is good news for Canadians.

Now, we also know that many Canadians are facing real challenges, and that is why we put forward a compassionate and fiscally responsible plan. That is why we are doubling the GST credit. That is why we are providing $500 to Canadians struggling to pay their rent. That is why we are providing dental care for kids under 12.

TaxationOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

Jasraj Singh Hallan Conservative Calgary Forest Lawn, AB

Mr. Speaker, the minister's Mickey Mouse advice to cancel Disney+ subscriptions to magically save Canadians this winter from freezing will not help anybody. While the out-of-touch finance minister sits in her ivory tower in downtown Toronto lecturing Canadians, more and more people are hit with Liberal inflation and rising taxes. Food inflation is up 11%; gas is up 17.8%, and home heating will double. When will she show some compassion, end the inflationary spending and cancel her plans to triple the carbon tax?