House of Commons Hansard #141 of the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was spending.
Randy Boissonnault LiberalMinister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, Canada is not the only country facing high food prices. We know this is a challenge for Canadians.
It is also true that extreme weather conditions have led to poor harvests and that supply chain issues have led to higher food prices.
That is why we have a plan to double the GST credit and provide support for dental care and housing. We are taking action. The Conservatives are voting against it. We are here for Canadians.
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, the same report demonstrated that by 2030, a farm with 5,000 acres, an average farm, would pay $150,000 in carbon taxes, taxes that are already driving up the cost of food because they get passed onto the consumer.
Food prices are expected to be up $1,000 for the average family to $16,000 a year to feed the average family. That is an incredible sum. In fact, the Mississauga Food Bank reports that some people have even said that the poverty is so grinding that they are asking for help with medical assistance in dying. We need to feed our people.
Why does the government not reverse its inflationary policy so people can afford to eat and live?
Karina Gould LiberalMinister of Families
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we remain committed to supporting people get out of poverty. In fact, we understand how difficult life is right now, which is why we have put forward numerous measures to help the most vulnerable Canadian.
However, if the Leader of the Opposition is indeed sincere in his desire to help lift Canadians out of poverty, he would have voted for measures like the Canada dental benefit, or the Canada housing benefit, or perhaps child care, which has fees being reduced by 50% right across the country. Instead of doing that, he voted against it.
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, not only is Christmas dinner going to be especially expensive if people buy it at the grocery store, but now the government wants to ban people in rural country sides from actually hunting for their turkey. It has targeted a long list of hunting rifles and shotguns with a sweeping ban that is being widely condemned by experts, by hunters and by first nations people.
The government has admitted in recent testimony that the ban will apply to hunting rifles contrary to prior talking points. Will it reverse this ban?
Marco Mendicino LiberalMinister of Public Safety
Mr. Speaker, before I answer that question, tomorrow we are marking the 33rd anniversary of the École Polytechnique shooting tragedy. To the families of the victims and to the survivors, we stand with them. We know that despite the passage of time, the hurt and loss never completely heal.
We own it to them, to all victims and to all Canadians to end gun violence once and for all. I hope all members in the chamber will join me in a moment of solidarity.
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, of course, we are all in solidarity in ending the violence committed with guns. In fact, today we saw an example of the real problem. Police seized 62 firearms in Toronto and 57 of them came from the United States of America. Only one of them was from Ontario and it was stolen over a year ago.
The problem is not hunters in Wainwright, Alberta or in Happy Valley-Goose Bay on the east coast, who are using their tools to feed their families. The problem is the illegal guns coming across the border.
Why will the government not reinforce our border instead of attacking our hunters?
Marco Mendicino LiberalMinister of Public Safety
Mr. Speaker, my Conservative colleague asks what the government is doing to reinforce our borders. We have invested $450 million over the last two years alone to add more boots on the ground for the CBSA, to add more state-of-the-art technology for the CBSA to allow it to build on the progress it has made in seizing illegal guns at the border.
What did the Conservatives do every moment when they had a chance to support those resources for the CBSA? They voted against it.
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, the results of the Liberals' policy are a 32% increase in violent crime and a massive 92% increase in gang murders. No matter how expensive their policies are and no matter how much they target law-abiding hunters, it is not getting the job done to protect our people.
Why does the government not want to help fight actual crime instead of targeting our hunters and farmers?
Marco Mendicino LiberalMinister of Public Safety
Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what the federal government is doing. We have already invested $450 million to add more boots on the ground for the CBSA. That is exactly what we are doing with this bill, which brings in tougher penalties for criminals.
Why are the Conservatives not supporting this bill? If they want to target criminals, they have to support this bill.
Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Salaberry—Suroît, QC
Mr. Speaker, COP15 on biodiversity starts this Wednesday. A new report revealed that 2,253 species are at risk in Canada.
Meanwhile, the federal government has authorized exploratory oil and gas drilling off the coast of Newfoundland, no environmental assessment required, smack dab in the middle of natural habitat for endangered right whales as well as seven other whale species, turtles, corals, birds and more.
Is Canada basically telling COP15 that biodiversity matters except when oil companies need it not to?
Julie Dabrusin LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, I have already said this, but I want to make it very clear that the Northeast Newfoundland Slope marine refuge will remain a refuge under current conditions, and we will examine all exploration activities in a marine refuge on a case-by-case basis.
What we now have is a tendering process, but that does not authorize production activities.
Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Salaberry—Suroît, QC
Mr. Speaker, with COP15 two days away, the federal government continues to demonstrate that Canada has a double standard when it comes to oil companies.
In 2020, Canada announced the creation of marine refuges off the coast of Newfoundland, where fishing is restricted to protect biodiversity. Last month, however, it authorized four oil companies to conduct exploratory drilling in the middle of a marine refuge without an environmental assessment.
As I understand it, fishing is prohibited to protect the ocean floor, but drilling is permitted. If that is not a double standard for oil companies—
Julie Dabrusin LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, I keep repeating the same thing day after day when I get asked this question: It is simply a tendering process that does not authorize offshore production.
I want to clarify that any proposed offshore production would first be subject to the Impact Assessment Act.
These are exploratory zones only. This is not for production.
Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, another three indigenous women were murdered by an alleged serial killer in Winnipeg, and police are not going to look for their remains, which they believe are in the Brady landfill. Imagine hearing that about one's relative. While the government stalls in providing resources, indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people continue to be murdered, because we are a target.
Will the government provide immediate funding to stop this genocide and the resources to search for the remains of our precious sisters?
Marc Miller LiberalMinister of Crown-Indigenous Relations
Mr. Speaker, our hearts go out to the families of the victims. It is not on a day like this that we can sit here and pat ourselves on the back about what we have been doing as a government. Obviously, it has not been enough. It is very puzzling to hear the news that this landfill will not be searched. I spoke to the mayor of Winnipeg yesterday about this and hope to get some clear answers shortly. Clearly, the federal government needs to play a role in an area where jurisdiction is a poisonous word and continues to kill indigenous women and children in this country.
Niki Ashton NDP Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB
Mr. Speaker, indigenous women are being targeted and murdered again by a serial killer. This is a nightmare. It is a killer with a chilling connection to neo-Nazism. This is happening here at home in Manitoba, and more women have gone missing since.
There must be a comprehensive federal response now: emergency shelters, economic supports and real action on the dangerous rise of white supremacy. The families of Marcedes Myran, Morgan Harris, Rebecca Contois and the fourth loved one deserve justice. Indigenous women and indigenous communities deserve urgent action now from the federal government.
When will the Liberals finally act?
Marc Miller LiberalMinister of Crown-Indigenous Relations
Mr. Speaker, extremism of the nature described by the member opposite is one of the biggest terrorist threats in this country, and it continues to prey on those who are most vulnerable, including indigenous women, children, girls and LGBTQ folks across the country.
We need a comprehensive federal response. We need a comprehensive provincial response. We need a comprehensive municipal response.
It is why, in part, I have called for a federal, provincial, territorial and indigenous meeting in January to discuss the painful issue of MMIWG and why we continue to fail as governments in making sure that everyone in this country is indeed safe.
Jasraj Singh Hallan Conservative Calgary Forest Lawn, AB
Mr. Speaker, I have more bad news. Families can expect to pay another $1,100 on their grocery bills on top of 40-year-high food inflation, according to a recent report. Canadian families will be paying an average of $16,000 annually on their grocery bills next year. What is the cause? It is too many dollars chasing too few goods.
Liberal inflation and the carbon tax have already driven up the cost of home heating, gas and groceries. The Liberals will make it even worse when they triple the carbon tax. Why will they not stop forcing their failed, inflationary carbon tax on cash-strapped Canadians?
Randy Boissonnault LiberalMinister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, Canada and Canadians are not alone around the world in facing high prices. It is true that extreme weather has led to very bad harvests, and supply chain issues are still causing food prices to rise, which is why we have put in place supports to provide housing opportunities for Canadians, to double the GST tax credit and also to put in place dental supports.
If the Conservatives are serious about getting these supports to Canadians, they can support the government and vote for the fall economic statement, Bill C-32.
Jasraj Singh Hallan Conservative Calgary Forest Lawn, AB
Mr. Speaker, the minister from Alberta knows full well that Albertans overwhelmingly rejected the costly coalition's carbon tax. Albertans gave the provincial government a resounding mandate to scrap the NDP carbon tax, which drove away jobs and drove away our economy, and now the Liberals plan on tripling the carbon tax on gas, groceries and home heating.
Why will the minister not stand with Albertans and with Canadians, stand up against his “leave it in the ground” left Prime Minister, and give Canadians a break so that they do not have to choose between eating and heating?
Randy Boissonnault LiberalMinister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, let me remind my hon. colleague from Calgary Forest Lawn of the heat dome that caused people to die in my riding of Edmonton Centre, and of the atmospheric river that drowned parts of British Columbia. Let me remind him that people in my riding, in the middle of a pandemic, did not say, “Hurry up on the child care,” although they wanted that, and did not say, “Give us more supports on COVID,” although they wanted that. What did they say? “Fight climate change and make sure we can have a future for our kids.”
The other side does not understand market economics. We do, and that is what is going to help Canadians and Albertans.
Shannon Stubbs Conservative Lakeland, AB
Mr. Speaker, the NDP-Liberals' record inflation means that Canadians cannot afford to eat. Half of Canadians are already forced to cut back on healthy food, and 1.5 million Canadians had to visit a food bank in a single month. Families will have to spend over $1,000 more on food next year.
The Liberals' out-of-control spending and their ever-increasing carbon tax make everything more expensive. When will the Liberals give Canadians a break and stop forcing their failed carbon tax on struggling Canadians?
Karina Gould LiberalMinister of Families
Mr. Speaker, last Thursday I was in London, Ontario, with the Prime Minister, to announce that the Canada dental benefit was open for applications. I had the opportunity to talk with families about how important this is for them and for their children. It is $1,300, over two years, to make sure low income kids go to the dentist.
The Conservatives have had opportunities to support vulnerable Canadians time and time again. They have voted against them each time. I hope we can count on their support with the fall economic statement, so we can deliver that badly needed support to Canadians.
Shannon Stubbs Conservative Lakeland, AB
Mr. Speaker, most Canadians can hardly afford to make ends meet. Even the Bank of Canada's governor says that this record inflation is a made-in-Canada problem caused by NDP-Liberal out-of-control spending.
Taxes, because of the Liberals, now cost Canadians 10% more than food, shelter and clothing combined. Half of Canadians would go broke over a sudden $1,000 expense, but the NDP-Liberals are going to take even more away.
They are out of touch, and Canadians are out of money. When will the Liberals axe their failed carbon tax?
