House of Commons Hansard #143 of the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was families.

Topics

2 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

It being Wednesday, we will now have the singing of the national anthem led by the hon. member for Sarnia—Lambton.

[Members sang the national anthem]

SportsStatements by Members

2 p.m.

Liberal

Kirsty Duncan Liberal Etobicoke North, ON

Mr. Speaker, safe sport should always be the primary goal of every sport, ahead of winning games, tournaments or medals, because athletes only get one childhood. Athletes should look forward to practice, going to the gym and being on the field or on the rink. They should look forward to being physically fit, being trained by coaches committed to developing good athletes and good people, having fun around other athletes and sharing the love of sport with family and friends.

For decades, sport has had a dirty hidden secret of abuse, harassment and sexual assault, despite victims and families courageously coming forward to the media and the stakeholders in the sport system. Four years ago, our government started to build a safe sport system in our country. We have many miles to go, and to get there we need a national public inquiry. Athletes are waiting. We cannot afford to fail our children.

Christmas GreetingsStatements by Members

2 p.m.

Conservative

Richard Bragdon Conservative Tobique—Mactaquac, NB

Mr. Speaker, it came upon a midnight clear with the stars brightly shining. It was a holy night when angels were heard on high. Hark, now hear the angels sing, “Glory to the newborn king.” It was the first noel when the angels did say, “Born is the king of Israel.” Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, lay the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

In the little town of Bethlehem, the hopes and fears of all the years met that night when God came near. The shepherds said to themselves, “Oh come, let us adore him.” The three wise men said, “We three kings of Orient have come from afar.” God did rest these merry gentleman, and the wise still seek him today.

Whether up and out, or down and out, these same glad tidings, which are for all people, will bring us peace on earth, goodwill and joy to the world. Because of that night so divine, he is indeed our Immanuel and is with us in these uncertain times. My prayer is that he would stay near us forever and keep us in his loving care until our night is long past and our morning is nigh.

From my family to everyone's, we wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Community VolunteersStatements by Members

2:05 p.m.

Liberal

Jenica Atwin Liberal Fredericton, NB

Mr. Speaker, reflecting on the year as it draws to a close, we cannot ignore the challenges that many members of our communities across the country are facing. We also know that kindness, generosity and empathy are the lights that shine the brightest at this time of year. We all have stories that come to mind of goodwill and compassion, the radiant moments when people are connected by our shared humanity.

I am pleased to have the opportunity to celebrate the people who give and bring our communities closer together: the members of the carpenters' union, local 1386, who donated 104 turkeys to the Oromocto area food bank; the thousands of families who have opened their hearts and homes to Ukrainians fleeing war; and the people who volunteer their time to contribute to the important mission of Meals on Wheels by delivering food while breaking isolation with a moment of connection. To everyone who digs deep to give what they can, I give my thanks.

I am reminded of a quote by Scott Adams: “there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” I am filled with hope at the prospect of watching ripples of kindness illuminate our homes in the year to come.

FirearmsStatements by Members

2:05 p.m.

Conservative

Chris Lewis Conservative Essex, ON

Mr. Speaker, some of the greatest memories that I have are my time whitetail deer hunting with my grandpa Jack, my father Kim, my brothers, my friends and my sons. There is little that is more rewarding than spending precious time with family and friends in the field, sharing laughs and creating stories to share for many generations. It is not about the hunt. It is about spending time with the ones we love.

The Liberal government wants to take away this incredible opportunity for generations to come to carry on this legacy, by introducing legislation to make lawful duck and deer hunters' tools and farmers' tools illegal. The sneaky tactics introduced in Bill C-21 are one more example of a Liberal government that is out of touch. Frankly, it has no clue whatsoever what it has introduced, let alone the freedoms it is stripping from the hands of law-abiding Canadians. Levi is my grandson, and I will not accept that he will not get the same opportunity with his “Pip”, me.

Gilles BoyerStatements by Members

2:05 p.m.

Liberal

Peter Schiefke Liberal Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC

Mr. Speaker, a community is the reflection of its people. These are the extraordinary people who make a community like Vaudreuil-Soulanges famous across Canada.

Today I would like to pay tribute to one of these people. Gilles Boyer is an exceptional man who dedicated his life to the well-being of the population of Vaudreuil-Soulanges. As president of the Kiwanis, founding member of the Regroupement des gens d'affaires de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, president of Le Zèbre Rouge for almost 15 years and member of the board of directors of the Fondation du centre hospitalier Vaudreuil-Soulanges, Mr. Boyer is an example of selflessness and of what a Canadian can aspire to become.

He is all heart and, even after retiring, he still helps young and old carve out a place for themselves in our community and in the world.

I would like to thank Gilles for everything he has done, and for what he is still doing for our community of Vaudreuil-Soulanges. He has made a difference in very many lives. We are a far better and stronger community thanks to him.

Food InsecurityStatements by Members

2:05 p.m.

Conservative

Shelby Kramp-Neuman Conservative Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON

Mr. Speaker, according to the 2022 “Food Price Report”, food prices are expected to rise up to 7% next year. For a family of four, it predicts the average grocery bill to ring in at $16,300, a staggering increase of $1,100. A key culprit in this increase is the Liberal carbon tax, which will cost a typical farm thousands of dollars once it is tripled, which will increase the cost for farmers, for producers and for truckers to transport, all resulting in ballooning grocery costs.

Just today, a new poll shows that 53% of Canadians are fearful about not being able to put enough food on the table. That is not okay. A Canada where food prices are at near record highs and food bank usage is ballooning is not a Canada I recognize nor am I willing to accept. This is unsustainable, and it is high time that the government takes action to help lower the cost of food in Canada.

FirearmsStatements by Members

December 7th, 2022 / 2:10 p.m.

Liberal

Brendan Hanley Liberal Yukon, YT

Mr. Speaker, in the Yukon, a rifle in the house means a moose hunt in the fall and a winter of meat in the freezer. Conversations about upcoming hunts are as common as musings on the weather.

Last spring, students from Porter Creek high school in Whitehorse went on a bison hunt, where they learned to harvest the meat while honouring the animal that had given its life. They learned while living out on the land, setting up wall tents, keeping a fire and maintaining a snowmobile. Closer to home, my son helped our neighbours butcher a moose after a hunt last fall. While cutting meat and making sausages, he learned to appreciate the life and effort that went into the welcome gift packs of meat that we later received.

The need to address gun violence is very real, both in rural and urban Canada. Equally pressing is the need to preserve our ability to hunt, whether as indigenous peoples, Yukoners or Canadians. As Yukon’s MP, I will do my best to ensure that as we work together in the House to prevent one further death from gun violence, we will honour hunting as a way of life. It is the true Canadian thing to do.

Elections at Jean-Nicolet Elementary SchoolStatements by Members

2:10 p.m.

Liberal

Emmanuel Dubourg Liberal Bourassa, QC

Mr. Speaker, today I enthusiastically welcome a delegation of students and teachers from Jean-Nicolet elementary school, a school in my riding of Bourassa. They are visiting Ottawa today. Every year, teacher Kerline François organizes an election campaign with her students to teach them how our democratic system works.

This year, I swore in prime minister Youssef Jaafari, deputy prime minister Alexis Garcia-Briones, justice minister Jamesley Cacéus, minister of sport and recreation Francesca Joyce Ketcha, minister of the environment and social solidarity Ennymabel Arvelo Joaquim, minister of arts and communication Lina Dib, and minister responsible for the public service and the auditor general Mirbel Saintilnor.

I wish them all an excellent term as sixth-grade council of ministers. We are assured a succession. I would like to congratulate their teacher and thank her for accepting my invitation.

Public SafetyStatements by Members

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB

Mr. Speaker, our Conservative tough-on-crime laws have been systematically stripped away by the Liberals letting violent criminals be back on the street instead of in jail where they belong. The results are tragic.

The Toronto police reported that shootings in 2019 skyrocketed, over 400%, to 492 shootings from 117 in 2014. In 2014, murders in Toronto were 76, but in 2019, under the Liberals, Toronto suffered a staggering 240 murders. The Liberal approach has seen violent crime increase 32% since the Prime Minister took office, and gang-related homicides have increased a whopping 92%.

The NDP-Liberal soft-on-crime coalition has made life easier for violent criminals, and it has failed to stop the flow of illegal guns across our border. Instead, the Liberals are targeting duck hunters, farmers and sport shooters while the revolving-door justice system is putting gang members back on the street, where they continue to terrorize our communities. This is bad public policy, which only the ducks, deer and clay pigeons support.

Easter Seals AmbassadorsStatements by Members

2:10 p.m.

Liberal

Heath MacDonald Liberal Malpeque, PE

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Katelyn and Meghan Rogers on recently being named the 2023 Easter Seals ambassadors for Prince Edward Island. Katelyn and Meghan were born with cerebral palsy and are 10-year-old twins who attend Eliot River Elementary School in my home community of Cornwall. Their appointment is also significant as it marks the first time P.E.I. has ever had two Easter Seals ambassadors.

I am personally excited for Katelyn and Meghan as new ambassadors and their motto, “Believe in yourself and don’t give up”. In congratulating Katelyn and Meghan, I congratulate their proud parents, Kevin and Andrea Rogers. I look forward to following the 2023 Easter Seals campaign and seeing Katelyn and Meghan’s great advocacy work on behalf of all Islanders with disabilities.

I would also like to thank outgoing ambassador Vaeda Matheson for her three years in the role, spanning the course of the pandemic. While the pandemic introduced challenges to the traditional Easter Seals campaign, Vaeda’s dedication and commitment has been evident throughout her time in the role.

I say congratulations to all for what they are doing to bring more awareness to people with disabilities.

HousingStatements by Members

2:10 p.m.

Bloc

Denis Trudel Bloc Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC

Mr. Speaker, Christmas is coming and I would like to dream a bit. I dream of more housing co-ops for families, singles and seniors. I dream of social housing for students and persons with handicaps, and a roof over the heads of people experiencing homelessness, first nations members and veterans.

I could also hope for more projects like L'appart à moi, which allows people living with Down's syndrome and intellectual disabilities to rent an apartment. Some of these renters from my riding are here today.

I would like to thank Marie-Claude, Marc, Valérie, Chloé, Mylène, Nadia, David, Étienne, Raphaël and the entire L'appart à moi team for contributing to my vision of a fairer and more united world. I would like to thank them all for allowing us to dream of a world where everyone is entitled to the highest level of fairness and a warm, safe and affordable home.

Government PrioritiesStatements by Members

2:15 p.m.

Conservative

Dan Muys Conservative Flamborough—Glanbrook, ON

Mr. Speaker, everything the Liberal government touches is broken. There is a backlog of 2.6 million people stuck waiting for answers from Canada, with 57% of those files beyond the processing time set by the government. It is frustrating.

Toronto’s Pearson Airport is ranked as the most delayed airport in the world. It is embarrassing. In the GTA, food bank use was 60,000 people per month before the pandemic and 120,000 people per month during the pandemic. Now it is over 182,000 people per month because of the inflationary policies of the government. It is alarming.

Everything is broken. These are just three examples. I could easily give 30. Canadians expect better. Conservatives, under our new leader, stand ready to fix it and give Canadians the competent government they need and deserve.

Dunamis Award WinnersStatements by Members

2:15 p.m.

Liberal

Angelo Iacono Liberal Alfred-Pellan, QC

Mr. Speaker, the excellence of our businesses and entrepreneurs in Laval never ceases to amaze, and I am very proud to congratulate the five businesses in Alfred-Pellan that received Dunamis Awards from the Laval chamber of commerce and industry.

Recognizing commitment and contributions to the business community, the Dunamis Awards are bestowed on local businesses. Les Champimignons, an ingenious family-run company, won the award in the start-up category. Congratulations to Annie, Peter, William and Brandon.

Josée Dufour of Axiomatech won the businessperson of the year award for ages 40 and up. La Ferme Jeunes au Travail won the award in the social economy or co-operative category. Direct Impact Solutions won awards in the export and services categories. Fondation Cité de la Santé won first prize, business of the year. I would like to congratulate them for their perseverance and resilience. I would also like to congratulate all of the finalists.

Local AuthorStatements by Members

2:15 p.m.

NDP

Lisa Marie Barron NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC

Mr. Speaker, Lindsay Ford, a children's book writer and illustrator in my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith, continues to entertain with fun and engaging books. Her latest book, titled How Do You Eat an Elephant?, is the story of a child starting at a new school and feeling overwhelmed, yet overcoming these challenges one small win at a time.

These stories grab the attention of all ages, addressing important issues and highlighting local characters. How can one not be entertained by a book like The Granny That Never Got Old or another titled Howard, a story about Vancouver Island's giant gnome?

The book Tommy Tutu is inspired by a true story as well. Wearing a pink tutu to school, the main character navigates staying true to self while overcoming challenges around social norms and bullying.

Please remember to support the wealth of local talent we have in our ridings. It is books like these that bring us together and celebrate diversity, all the while teaching important lessons. What a wonderful gift this is.

QuebecStatements by Members

2:15 p.m.

Bloc

Yves-François Blanchet Bloc Beloeil—Chambly, QC

Mr. Speaker, I salute the Quebec National Assembly, which is the only national parliament of Quebeckers and which unanimously chose to renounce or, better yet, condemn the oath of allegiance to the king.

I salute the courage and determination of the three Parti Québécois MNAs and the government's swift action, at the very time when the Conseil de presse du Québec was condemning the moderator of the last English-language debate, who basically gave a voice to every prejudice against Quebec, against the French language and against the rejection by Quebec of the church's interference in affairs of state.

That makes us racist, so much so that they are refusing to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Jean Paul Riopelle, a giant among giants in Quebec visual arts. I propose that they give us back Riopelle's works. We will celebrate his centennial with style.

As long as we are renouncing the oath of allegiance to the king, let us renounce the monarchy itself. Instead of being a conquered people and subjects of the king, let us be good neighbours.

Long live Quebec!

Government SpendingStatements by Members

2:20 p.m.

Conservative

Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB

Mr. Speaker, recent Auditor General reports exposed what appears to be a competition among the Liberal cabinet on who can be the most incompetent. Billions of dollars were spent by the housing minister with no clue whom they were housing. Indigenous Services Canada paid out hundreds of millions for remediation because it repeatedly ignored calls to fix infrastructure. Natural Resources and Environment Canada used fake data and made-up technology to bolster its hydrogen strategy.

If we think things cannot get any worse for this competition, along comes the minister of the CRA and ESDC saying, “Hold my beer.” Twenty-seven billion dollars, at a bare minimum, has been paid out to ineligible corporations and $4 billion to ineligible individuals including prisoners, people outside Canada and also the dead.

Liberal cabinet ministers should compete on serving Canadians better, not on who can waste more Canadian taxpayer dollars.

Gender-Based ViolenceStatements by Members

2:20 p.m.

Liberal

Emmanuella Lambropoulos Liberal Saint-Laurent, QC

Mr. Speaker, yesterday marked 33 years since the horrific day that shocked Canadians across the country, the day that 14 bright young women were separated from the rest of their class and shot to death because they were women.

I would like to say that misogyny and femicide are behind us, but that is not at all the case. Since today is one of the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, I would like to shed some light on our current situation.

A woman is killed in Canada every two and a half days. In 2021, 173 women were killed at the hands of men in this country and, so far in 2022, 14 women have been killed in the province of Quebec alone.

We need to work together, the government, provinces, territories, municipalities, schools and parents, to make Canada a safer place for all Canadians and put an end to gender-based violence. We will always remember those 14 souls that were taken from us on December 6, 1989.

The EconomyOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, Canadians were hit with yet another interest rate hike today. The Bank of Canada imposed that hike, but it had to do so because of this government's inflationary deficits. Even the Governor of the Bank of Canada indicated that the deficits are increasing inflation, which in turn leads to higher interest rates.

For a family that bought an average house with an average mortgage, that is $7,000 more in interest a year. That is impossible. The more the government spends, the more Canadians pay.

When will the Liberals stop making Canadians pay?

The EconomyOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Edmonton Centre Alberta

Liberal

Randy Boissonnault LiberalMinister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite knows very well that the Bank of Canada is an independent institution.

It is true that this is a difficult time for Canadians. It is not true that the investments that we made in Canadians have caused inflation. One need only look at the report of the former governor of the Bank of Canada, Stephen Poloz, which indicates that our investments prevented a period of deflation.

Within the hour, the Leader of the Opposition will have the opportunity to help Canadians by supporting Bill C-32 to implement the support measures set out in the the fall economic statement.

The EconomyOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, Canadians were hit with another interest rate uppercut today as inflationary deficits by the Liberal government are driving up inflation and interest rates. The Governor of the Bank of Canada has even said these deficits are driving the higher cost. One mother told the CBC that she signed into a 1.9%, variable rate mortgage because she believed the government when it said that the rates would be low for long. She now says, “I should punch myself on that decision. Why did I listen to all these people?”

How is this mother going to pay the extra $1,000 a month in mortgage payments they are putting on her back?

The EconomyOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Edmonton Centre Alberta

Liberal

Randy Boissonnault LiberalMinister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, I would be careful if I were the member opposite. He asked people to listen to his advice, when his idea to hedge on inflation was to go buy crypto. Shame on that advice. It is irresponsible and not appropriate.

We are going to eliminate interest on student loans and apprentice loans. We are going to make it more affordable to buy a house. We are going to get workers the money they need faster. In one hour, the Conservative chorus can sing with us and support Canadians, or it can do what it has always done and vote against it.

FirearmsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, we are singing from a very different song sheet than the inflationary government.

Do members know who else is singing from a different song sheet? The Liberal MP for the Yukon. He has confirmed what Conservatives have been saying all along. He says, “I'm not happy with this [gun bill], and I'm not in a position to support this bill at this point with those amendments in play.” He also says, “This is really upsetting. Many, many Yukoners...regularly hunt, either as a food source or for the recreational aspects of hunting.” Even their own back bench is getting the message.

Canadians do not want to ban hunters; they want to stop criminals. Will the government get the message?

FirearmsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Eglinton—Lawrence Ontario

Liberal

Marco Mendicino LiberalMinister of Public Safety

Mr. Speaker, we are doing precisely that, including some of the provisions within Bill C-21, which will give additional tools to police, including raising maximum sentences to go after hardened gun traffickers, and including $450 million to bolster resources for CBSA to allow it to build on the record number of illegal gun seizures.

Those were provisions the Conservatives either voted against or filibustered. If the Conservatives were serious about protecting our communities from gun violence, they would reverse their position and support these measures so we can go after the criminals who have been terrorizing our communities for far too long with guns.

Public Services and ProcurementOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, this Liberal government awarded a contract to a company with ties to China to secure counterespionage technology. The problem is that the owner of that company has been charged in the United States with 21 espionage related crimes.

How can the government hire a company that has been criminally charged with espionage to protect our police forces from espionage?