Debates of Dec. 6th, 2022

Democratic Institutions

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, let me repeat that our government respects and honours the work of the Auditor General, and that we accept her report. Let me share point 10.23 from the report. I quote:

We found that the COVID-19 programs achieved their objective to help Canada avoid a more severe contraction of the economy and the social consequences of, for example, a significant increase in poverty. This financial support allowed the economy to rebound and return—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country.

Official Languages

[Patrick Weiler, Liberal, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes that French is in decline in Canada, as the census showed. That is why it is important to pass our ambitious bill.

Could the President of the Treasury Board explain to us how Bill C-13 will improve French in the federal government?

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question and especially for his hard work. We are firmly committed to promoting both of our official languages. With Bill C-13, Treasury Board will play an enhanced role in monitoring and evaluation. For the first time, that will include monitoring federal institutions to ensure that they meet their obligation to take positive measures, including in areas where they work with their provincial and territorial counterparts. We need to move forward with Bill C-13 to strengthen official language minority communities, among others.

Democratic Institutions

[Rob Morrison, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr Speaker, Mary called me on the weekend. She is a senior on a fixed income, and her doctor is 230 kilometres away. She cannot afford the fuel inflation.

The Auditor General today revealed $32 billion in questionable spending, including $54 million to build a $250,000 app, billions in wage subsidies to wealthy corporations, and issuing cheques to prisoners and organized crime.

Will the minister apologize for questioning the independence of the Auditor General?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Minister of Seniors]

Mr. Speaker, we recognize the challenges seniors are facing. The government has been there for them, unlike the party opposite, which has opposed every single measure we put forward to support seniors, whether it was the doubling of the GST credit, which will help 11 million people, rental and dental support, increasing the old age security by 10% for those 75 and over, or the fact that we are increasing the guaranteed income supplement, which has helped over 900,000 seniors. We are going to continue to make sure we support seniors, now and into the future.

Veterans

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there has to be some sort of limit to what we are going to hear from the Minister of National Revenue today. It is one thing to attack the Auditor General and say that she doubts her integrity, but she even had the gall to say that managing the pandemic as a minister was more difficult than managing the Second World War.

Does the minister have the courage to stand up today and apologize on behalf of the 40,000 Canadian soldiers who lost their lives between 1939 and 1945?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, we thank the Auditor General for her report and we have great respect for her work. Let us look at a few facts from that report. The supports provided during the pandemic prevented an increase in poverty. The CERB program supported 8.9 million Canadians and the wage subsidy kept more than 5.3 million people employed. It was the compassionate thing to do. We did it for Canadians, and it was the right thing to do.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am very disappointed in the Minister of National Revenue's lack of courage. She is the member for Gaspésie, and I would remind the minister that there were people from my regiment, the Régiment de la Chaudière, who landed at the beaches in Bernières‑sur‑Mer in 1944. Those soldiers were courageous people.

Can the minister from Gaspésie demonstrate as much courage as the Régiment de la Chaudière soldiers from Gaspésie by standing up and apologizing on their behalf?

[Diane Lebouthillier, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, allow me to reassure my colleague. If there is anyone who does not lack courage, it is most certainly the people of Gaspésie and the Magdalen Islands.

That said, CRA is working very hard to make sure that everyone who collected COVID‑19 benefits was eligible to do so. Our robust audit and recovery strategies will be thorough and compassionate. This report only goes to show that our estimates were correct.

The Economy

[Taleeb Noormohamed, Liberal, Vancouver Granville, BC]

Mr. Speaker, whether it is because of bad crops or extreme weather, Putin's illegal war in Ukraine or supply chain issues, food prices in Canada and around the world are on the rise. Canadians are having a hard time putting food on the table, and they are looking to us.

Can the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance tell the House what the government is doing to help Canadians with the cost of living?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my friend and hon. colleague from Vancouver Granville for his hard work on the file and his dedication to his residents.

We are always here to support Canadians, and the measures we have in place put more money in the pockets of Canadians. In the fall economic statement, we propose to eliminate student loan interest, to make housing more affordable and to increase the Canada workers benefit. The Conservatives can do the right thing and see their hearts grow not one, not two, but three sizes, and vote for Bill C-32 and to support Canadians.

Housing

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, hundreds of thousands of people experience homelessness in Canada every year, and the Liberals' national housing strategy is failing them. The Auditor General says the Liberals will not meet their chronic homelessness target, and the CEO of CMHC confirmed that is the case. Meanwhile, people are dying on the streets. There is zero accountability from the Liberals and no clear plan to eliminate chronic homelessness. Canadians need action, not failed Liberal promises.

What is the government's plan to eliminate chronic homelessness in Canada and ensure that everyone has a place to call home?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion]

Mr. Speaker, this is our plan: We are doubling funding to the reaching home strategy, from $2 billion to just under $4 billion. We are introducing the rapid housing initiative, which is on track to build 14,000 deeply affordable homes for the most vulnerable, including those experiencing homelessness. We have the introduction of the Canada housing benefit, which is helping vulnerable Canadian renters across the country. We are building more deeply affordable housing through the co-investment fund, which offers $2.9 billion to build 22,000 additional deeply affordable homes.

Health

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are dying and lives are being shattered every day because of a contaminated drug supply. The Conservative leader wants to double down on the failed war on drugs, while the government will not fund the supports people need. The Liberals promised in the last election to send $500 million to the provinces and territories to improve access to evidence-based treatment, but yet again it has not followed through.

When will the government move past the stigma and mount a health-based response to this national crisis?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the toxic drug and overdose crisis continues, as the member says, to take a tragic toll on families, loved ones and communities. The government will use every tool at its disposal to work with its partners to end the national public health crisis.

Since 2017 we have committed more than $800 million to address the overdose crisis, and we are taking concrete steps to divert people who use drugs away from the criminal justice system. Approving B.C.'s decriminalization proposal for personal possession of certain substances was an important step. We know we have to do more, and we will.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

That is all the time we have today for Oral Questions.

The member for Mirabel is rising on a point of order.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to read a quote from the Auditor General's statement: “With the audits we are releasing today, the focus of our work is shifting to look at how federal departments and organizations managed programs and services for Canadians as the pandemic continued to evolve”.

Today, in the House, the Minister of National Revenue questioned—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Let me remind the House how a point of order works.

If a Standing Order has not been followed, then a member must explain how it was not followed.

If the hon. member for Mirabel wants to continue with a Standing Order that was not followed, I will be happy to hear what he has to say.

The hon. member for Mirabel.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, to make a long story short, today the Minister of National Revenue attacked a fundamental institution of the House whose primary role is to hold the government accountable. She tried to mislead the House. She was therefore out of order. Today she must rise, retract her comments and apologize.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

That is a matter of debate. It is not really a point of order.

The hon. parliamentary secretary to the government House leader is rising on a point of order.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am rising on a point of order that you somewhat addressed. You made very clear what a point of order is, and then the member continued to go on about something that was not a point of order. There has to be a point that you intervene when it relates to matters like that.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I thank the hon. member for his guidance. He is absolutely right.

I want to remind all members that, when they rise on a point of order, it is because a point of order was not followed and they need to explain why it was not followed. Otherwise, it becomes debate, and we do not want to take time away from each other's ability to debate important questions that are already on the Order Paper.

The House resumed consideration of Bill C-32, An Act to implement certain provisions of the fall economic statement tabled in Parliament on November 3, 2022 and certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 7, 2022, as reported (without amendment) from the committee, and of Motion No. 1.

Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2022

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons (Senate)]

Mr. Speaker, when I left off just before question period, I was reflecting on the fact that there is too much attention being paid by the Conservatives in the House to inflation only as it relates to domestic inflation. They are not considering the whole picture of inflation being a global issue, something that countries throughout the world are, quite frankly, dealing with right now.

Canada has the third-lowest inflation rate in the G7. Of course, that is little comfort to those who are experiencing the effects of inflation right now, but that is exactly why we are debating this particular piece of legislation today. This is legislation to help those who are feeling the impacts of inflation the most with trying to get through this very difficult time.