Debates of March 21st, 2022

Opposition Motion—Cost of Living

[Kody Blois, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to be able to finish my question to the member, if the member for North Island—Powell River could stop heckling me in the background.

My question is simple. My colleague did a great job highlighting some of the government programs around affordability, the measures that the government has undertaken. This motion, at its core, is about affordability. I had the opportunity to look at the text of the member for Abbotsford's opposition day motion for tomorrow. It is also on affordability.

I live in a rural area. I know my colleague is from an urban area in Manitoba. I think inner-city busing right now is an important element for vulnerable individuals. I know that, ultimately, the Government of Canada has to work with provinces and territories in that regard. I do not know where Premier Stefanson might be on this, but would my hon. colleague agree that inner-city busing for individuals who are vulnerable would be something the government could and should look at in the days ahead to support those who are vulnerable?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, it is something the Government of Canada has been doing for the last number of years. Just prior to the pandemic, the Prime Minister was actually in Winnipeg at the Winnipeg transit garage where we had announced supports for public transit. Over the last number of years, we have seen a national government take an interest in busing and in public transport. Earlier today in question period, the minister was asked about CP Rail. At the end of the day, we are talking about huge investments to assist in facilitating transportation. Whether it is inner cities or rural communities, we are investing hundreds of millions of dollars and I suspect we will continue to see these types of investments. For me, it was really nice to see money being allocated to things such as building bus shacks, which helps a lot of inner cities and so forth.

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

Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Winnipeg North knows just how much I enjoy listening to him and, in some respects, he knows that he inspires me, especially when he leads the charge against NDP misinformation.

I am going to talk about the tax cut for the middle class that the government made in its first term, because the Liberals do not understand the marginal tax rate.

They lowered taxes by 1.5% for people who fall into the $49,000 to $98,000 tax bracket today. What does that mean? I did a quick calculation. Currently, the middle-class tax cut for a family with two incomes of $50,000 would be $29. I checked the Société de transport de Montréal website and that amount of money is not enough to buy 10 subway tickets. A family with two incomes of $150,000, or total family income of $300,000, will get a $1,470 tax cut thanks to the Liberals, or 50 times the amount received by a family with two incomes of $50,000.

Given these calculations, does my colleague still believe that a family with an income of $300,000 is part of the middle class? Does he not agree, as he himself admitted, that they should have thought about this before and perhaps increased the basic exemption in their first term rather than in their third term?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, one of the problems in questions and answers is that the Speaker is not going to let me give a full, detailed answer. Suffice it to say that what members need to recognize is that, when we brought in these measures of the special tax on Canada's 1% wealthiest and the tax break for the middle class, it actually came along, at the end of the day, with the reform of the Canada child benefit program, and that enhanced disposable income for many individuals. I am sure my friend would have liked to see that and he would have no doubt supported it had he been here.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

It being 6:28 p.m., it is my duty to interrupt the proceedings and put forthwith every question necessary to dispose of the business of supply.

The question is on the motion.

If a member of a recognized party present in the House wishes to request a recorded division or that the motion be adopted on division, I would invite them to rise and indicate it to the Chair.

The hon. member for North Island—Powell River.

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, we would certainly like to see a recorded vote.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

Pursuant to order made on Thursday, November 25, 2021, the division stands deferred until Tuesday, March 22, 2022, at the expiry of the time provided for Oral Questions.

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

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, I believe if you seek it you will find unanimous consent to see the clock at 6:43 p.m.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

All those opposed to the hon. member's moving the motion, please say nay.

The House has heard the terms of the motion. All those opposed to the motion, please say nay.

It is agreed.

A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.

Foreign Affairs

[Kevin Vuong, Independent, Spadina—Fort York, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the answer I received to my initial question, one that I support, outlines Canada's efforts to assist people trying to flee the violence in Ukraine. I support our nation's legacy of providing shelter to those in dire need. Forty years ago, it was my parents and other refugees who were being generously welcomed to Canada. I would not have the honour of standing before members today if not for the compassion of Canada.

However, my question was not on Canada's effort to assist Ukrainian refugees to come to Canada, but on whether Canada would be providing assistance to Poland and other NATO allies that have opened their borders to the Ukrainian exodus. Three weeks ago, when I asked the government if it would assist, there were 115,000 refugees headed for Poland. Today, 3.3 million Ukrainians have fled their country to seek sanctuary. Poland has welcomed more than two million of them.

Poland is a nation of honour. The Polish know what it is like to stand up to aggression and they know what it is like to stand up to tyranny. It is why the first line of the country's national anthem is “Poland is not yet lost”. It is why the country's historical unofficial motto is “for our freedom and yours”.

I have seen first-hand the courage and honour of the Polish people as a proud member of the Warsaw Security Forum community. I see the efforts of my friends in Poland who are doing everything they can to support Ukrainians who have sought shelter in their country, but resources are being stretched to the brink. Thus, my question remains relevant: Will Canada support our allies at this tragic time?

I am asking if my hon. colleague can inform the House whether Canada will be providing help to those nations that have opened their borders to the sea of humanity seeking safety. That is my question that I am asking again, both of the government and of my hon. colleague.

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development]

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague for Spadina—Fort York has raised an incredibly important question.

We continue unequivocally to condemn President Putin's unprovoked and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine. Our hearts break as we hear about untold suffering, particularly in cities such as Mariupol, where thousands of people are trapped without electricity, water, gas or a way of communicating with their loved ones.

The most vulnerable are in need of humanitarian assistance.

This is why Canada is deeply concerned with the ongoing challenge to ensure humanitarian access to besieged cities and to help those who are trapped to meet their immediate and most basic humanitarian needs. Canada will continue to call on Russia to uphold its obligations under international humanitarian law to allow humanitarian access and to facilitate safe, rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian assistance to those in need.

Canada has consistently supported the humanitarian response in Ukraine and in neighbouring countries such as Poland since 2014. Our funding has been provided to experienced humanitarian partners, including United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, which are all working to help the most vulnerable people in Ukraine.

We saw a dramatic rise in civilian casualties and humanitarian consequences last month, as a result of Russia's invasion and disregard for international humanitarian law. We remain steadfast in our commitment to alleviating their suffering and protecting human dignity.

In 2022 to date, Canada has committed $145 million to supporting the humanitarian response in Ukraine and in neighbouring countries. Of this amount, $95 million has been allocated to experienced Red Cross, UN and non-governmental humanitarian partners. This includes a very successful $30-million matching fund with the Canadian Red Cross.

To respond to requests for in-kind assistance from the ministry of health of Ukraine, Global Affairs Canada is coordinating with provincial and interdepartmental partners to support the donation of relief supplies that can be effectively integrated into humanitarian response operations through international partners. This will support a coordinated international response, which has been rapidly scaling up, and make use of the supply pipelines that are already being established to deliver relief items.

Through these pipelines, Canada's in-kind assistance will be channelled directly to the needs of the most vulnerable in Ukraine and in the region.

Given the scope of the crisis, there is an increasing need to provide international support to countries on the front line, such as Moldova and Poland.

To support their efforts, Canada is providing unearmarked funding to key humanitarian partners to help provide immediate services to refugees in support of host government-led responses.

In conclusion, Canada's commitment to stand united with those affected by the conflict in Ukraine is clear. We are continuing to work in close collaboration with our allies and our humanitarian partners on the ground to monitor the development of this rapidly evolving crisis.

[Kevin Vuong, Independent, Spadina—Fort York, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for expanding on the support we have been providing to Ukraine and to neighbouring countries. Not only do we have to stick together; we must stand together, and we will win together. I thank the member and the government for all we are doing to support Ukraine, Poland and our neighbouring NATO allies.

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canada remains steadfast in its commitment to address the humanitarian needs in Ukraine as well as the needs of those who have fled to neighbouring countries. We reiterate our deep concern for the increasing number of civilian casualties as well as for the growing number of people crossing the border into neighbouring countries in search of safety, and we continue to call for safe passage for the most vulnerable as well as for the principal delivery of humanitarian assistance.

Let there be no doubt: Canada's commitment to stand in solidarity with Ukraine is demonstrably clear. Our significant support, both financial and in kind, is critical to supporting our humanitarian partners in addressing the most pressing humanitarian needs on the ground in Ukraine and in neighbouring countries.

We are prepared to provide additional assistance if and as required.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, on February 11, I raised a question concerning the impact an RCMP payroll increase and back pay will have on the rural communities of Yorkton—Melville. The agreement reached last June between the federal government and the National Police Federation includes a $20,000 payroll increase for the more than 19,000 regular members of the RCMP. It also provides for retroactive pay dating back to April 2017.

In rural Canada the RCMP are our source of stability and safety. Officers are our friends, neighbours and a staple of our communities. We know that our members and reservists are deserving of a long overdue raise. We are frustrated that the government has failed to increase the number of members in the west as promised, and we are deeply concerned for the health and safety of those who are serving rural Saskatchewan.

I have raised this issue on behalf of my municipalities and constituents who had no say during the federal government's unilateral negotiations. I am asking the minister to answer to concerned mayors, councillors and my constituents who are footing the entire bill for this pay increase. The minister is not oblivious to the growing economic hardships of Canada's rural communities. He knows the government's spending is out of control with no plan to rein it in. Inflation is the highest it has been in over 30 years and four in five Canadians are saying they changed their food buying habits because of increased costs.

He also knows that, effective April 1, the government’s carbon tax will add 12¢ to every litre of gas with further increases to come. We have a cost of living crisis in this country. Canadians do not have the flexibility to absorb yet another steep increase in their taxes, but that is exactly what will happen as a result of poor planning or intentional design on the part of the Liberal government. The largest of my riding’s communities is the city of Yorkton, and it is a prime example of how this deal has thrown a huge wrench into their budgeting plans.

Yorkton councillor Quinn Haider has told me that, in addition to the increase in salary, they are being expected to absorb the retroactive costs from as far back as 2017. The RCMP agreement came their way with the cost being about $2.1 million and, like a responsible administration, Yorkton had been diligently planning accordingly by putting significant funds into an RCMP reserve for the back pay. However, the cost is ending up to be $1.4 million, nearly double the amount set aside. The city has used up its entire reserve and has had to draw from other reserves in order to cover these costs. The council has had no choice but to plan for a 4.86% increase in taxes this year, 2.36% of which is solely for the RCMP pay increase and back pay.

The councillor told me, “I don’t believe anyone on council has a problem with the RCMP getting a raise, but this is a significant hit. We didn’t have any say in these contract negotiations whatsoever. We’re not the only city around who’s in the same predicament. Everyone is. This hurts.”

For some perspective, last year, the city of Yorkton’s tax increase was 0%. The city honoured hard-working taxpayers and gave them a break during the difficulties businesses and workers were facing with COVID lockdowns by making sacrifices and finding efficiencies. This year, council was hopeful for a modest 2% increase in municipal taxes, but now, because of a well-intentioned but unfair federal deal, residents of Yorkton can expect to pay more than double that amount.

Yorkton and many cities like it are being left to explain such a sharp tax increase to their residents and wondering what is motivating the federal government to stay so silent on doing its part. When will the Liberal government take responsibility by revisiting this deal and announce its commitment to cover the RCMP back pay, which it unilaterally negotiated and then dropped exclusively on the provinces and our municipalities?

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to address this historic first collective agreement for Royal Canadian Mounted Police members.

Let me begin by saying that there is no greater responsibility for the Government of Canada than to keep our citizens and communities safe. RCMP members continue to play a primary role for Canadians in supporting this objective. The RCMP provides policing services across Canada, including much of rural Canada, all of the Canadian north and many towns and large urban centres. It delivers local and regional policing services under a contracted cost-sharing agreement with jurisdictions that have opted to have the RCMP as their police service of jurisdiction. They include all provinces except Ontario and Quebec, as well as the three territories and 155 municipalities.

The Government of Canada shares the cost of RCMP contract policing by paying 10% of salary, equipment and other costs in large municipalities and 30% of these costs in municipalities with a population of less than 15,000. This collective agreement between the Government of Canada and the National Police Federation, the bargaining agent for RCMP members, went into effect on August 6, 2021. It provided a reasonable economic increase and market adjustments to address long-standing wage differences that existed between RCMP members and reservists and other police services across Canada. As a result of the agreement, RCMP salaries are now in line with those of other police services across Canada.

The agreement marked the first time that RCMP members received a pay increase since 2017. Government officials kept partners informed throughout the collective bargaining process starting in 2017, including on anticipated salary increases, to help them plan accordingly. However, the Government of Canada is mindful that policing represents a significant cost for all communities, including municipalities that contract RCMP police services. We have heard the calls from municipalities that the cost of the agreement, while fair for regular members, presents challenges. For this reason, our government remains committed to continuing to meet with contract policing partners in order to effectively implement the collective agreement. In the coming weeks, officials will sit down with jurisdictions to discuss the impacts of the agreement and their specific needs.

The women and men of the RCMP work tirelessly to serve and protect Canadians, including those in rural areas, and for this I thank them wholeheartedly. Our partnerships with all contract jurisdictions to support the RCMP in the communities they police are strong. In these challenging times, our government remains committed to working closely with contract partners, and indeed with all provinces, territories and municipalities, to achieve our shared public safety priorities. We will listen and be there for all communities to support them in ensuring that the public remains safe and secure.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, responding to my question on February 11, the Minister of Public Safety stated:

...to be clear, there are long-standing arrangements that exist between the federal government, the provinces and the municipalities. Of course, we remain in very close touch with them to ensure that there is fair and equitable support when it comes to the RCMP.

We will always be sure that the RCMP are properly resourced....

Saskatchewan requested the federal government to absorb the retroactive costs of this contract and rightly accuses the government of ignoring the 2021 agreement, which states, “The contract parties are committed to a more co-operative and collaborative relationship.” The province and its municipalities were not consulted during negotiations. Minimal and infrequent information on progress is not consultation.

If the minister was really committed to ensuring the RCMP is properly resourced, he would have worked collaboratively with Saskatchewan and its municipalities, which of course are prepared to honour future agreements. When will he announce that the federal government will absorb the financial impact of its unilateral decisions for retroactive compensation from 2017 to 2021?

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to make it clear that the Government of Canada remains committed to the public safety of all Canadians across the country and remains proud of the services the RCMP provides to our contract police jurisdiction partners. The agreement was fair for our hard-working RCMP members and for Canadian taxpayers.

To reiterate, we appreciate the financial planning challenges and the complexity of the implementation of the collective agreement, and we are mindful of the significant cost this represents for municipalities, provinces and territories. The Government of Canada remains steadfast in our commitment to continue our strong collaboration with our contract partners, with a view to supporting their ability to meet their financial obligations under the contracts.

Housing

[Eric Duncan, Conservative, Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise tonight to follow up on my question period topic from a few weeks ago on the issue of housing and the crisis our country finds itself in.

Having only 35 seconds to ask a question in question period is not the easiest to summarize a major national issue. I hope this 10-minute back and forth tonight will be a bit more helpful.

I hear repeatedly across my riding, whether in the city of Cornwall, the united counties of SDG or in Akwesasne, from a number of people who are struggling when it comes to housing and, equally as important, the rental market in our region. I know our region is not unique. Frankly, it is a national crisis we find ourselves in today.

As opposition MPs, we are not on the government side. I wish we were, and I aspire to get there some day. One of the things I want to address is that part of our job as the opposition is to propose ideas, and I have a few that I will suggest later. It is also to scrutinize and ask tough questions about what the government has proposed. In this case it is to address housing, to present some facts and figures of the reality of what has happened in the past few years, and to bring a local context here to the floor of the House of Commons. Sadly, I can do that, again between Cornwall, SDG and Akwesasne, because the stats and figures paint a very bleak picture when it comes to housing affordability for Canadians.

The Cornwall and District Real Estate Board and its president, Troy Vaillancourt, recently gave the February statistics of where the housing situation was in our region. The average price of homes sold in February 2022 was a record $434,000. That was up 28.5% from last February. If we go back five years, housing prices in Cornwall and area have doubled since that time. Active listing supply is a major challenge on this problem. Active listings were down 65% below the five-year average, and 81% below the 10-year average for the month of February.

As we talk about this, we are likely going to hear, in the response from my colleague across the way, the Liberals trying to tout their national housing plan. It is a 10-year plan that was introduced in 2017. Simple math would tell us that it is halfway through. We are going to hear a sunny ways picture of the billions here and the billions there that they are spending to help the housing market.

Five years in, I would encourage the Liberals to pull back on that plan because it is clearly not working. If the plan is to make housing more affordable and to get younger people to realize their dream of home ownership, it is absolutely not working. In my region, housing prices have doubled in five years. Rent is skyrocketing. If we talk to local real estate agents or the Canadian Real Estate Association, it is scheduled to get no better.

We need a change of course. I asked the government about this printing money and adding to debt. Even its shared equity program is absolutely flawed, and we need to make sure that it never comes back again. All that giving new homeowners interest-free money to buy new houses is doing is raising prices further. More and more people are realizing they can borrow more interest-free loans, and it is making the market even worse.

I will ask the government a question again in my comments, and in my rebuttal I will give some ideas. Will the government acknowledge that its housing plan has been a failure five years in? What could it do differently to finally make home ownership more affordable and make renting more affordable in this country?

[Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion (Housing)]

Mr. Speaker, this government is proud of its record of putting roofs over Canadians' heads, and I would like to thank my colleague for Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry for the opportunity to speak about what we are doing for Canadians and how we are tackling the housing affordability crisis in this country.

We know that the main way to address housing affordability is to address supply. That is why this government launched the national housing strategy in 2017, the first of its kind in Canada. It is an ambitious 10-year plan backed by more than $72 billion in investments. It is supply-oriented and includes a range of initiatives that address housing affordability from every angle that would have an impact.

Since 2015, we have invested over $30 billion, creating and repairing nearly 480,000 units in Canada. That is 10,000 homes for tens of thousands of Canadians. It includes homes in my colleague's region of eastern Ontario. In Brockville, the Marguerita Residence Corporation is building an 88-unit, affordable housing complex for seniors thanks to the federal funding delivered through the Canada-Ontario community housing initiative.

A major partnership with Habitat Humanity is also giving low-income families across the country a chance to access the dream of home ownership, including in my colleague's city of Cornwall. These are just a few examples from one region. The successes are repeated across the country.

Yes, we recognize that we need to and can do more, and that we must do that. Since the last election, this government has set out an ambitious new agenda for further activities to make housing more affordable for all Canadians. We have planned new initiatives, such as the housing accelerated fund to help cities speed up the development process, a rent-to-own program to help renters get on the path to ownership and an expanded access to funding to support green home retrofits.

We will be working with the provinces, territories and municipalities to develop a fairness in real estate action plan to ensure that there is more protection and transparency for homebuyers and renters. We will also be collaborating with indigenous partners to co-develop an urban, rural and northern indigenous strategy and Canada's first-ever national indigenous housing centre.

Even as we are proud of our successes in improving housing affordability, we look forward to doing more, and I look forward to the exchange with my colleague on this issue.

[Eric Duncan, Conservative, Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the reply, and I will summarize again what I said in my intervention.

We are five years in and halfway through the $72 billion that was promised. The Auditor General said that the Liberals actually did not spend what they said they were going to. Actually, I am kind of glad about that, because if they had spent more than they already have, we would be further in debt, and I think housing prices might be even higher. We need to stop printing money and debt and giving it to people, which is inflating the market.

The national housing plan is not working. Here are some ideas that the Conservatives are proposing: ban foreign buyers, which the government had an opportunity to do through a committee but refused to do; tackle money laundering; make changes to encourage building more apartments and rental housing; and look at mortgage and lending rules and incentives.

We need to invest urgently, in my view, in infrastructure for water and sewer, which presents an issue in my riding. We can talk to the mayors of my riding in Glen Walter, Winchester and Ingleside for examples of where that challenge is.

Habitat for Humanity is a wonderful organization and social housing is helpful in our community, but we need more action and we need more resolve. Again, clearly, the direction with five years in of a 10-year plan has failed to date, and my riding of Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry is a good example of that, unfortunately.

[Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Liberal, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this government recognizes the urgency and importance of this issue, which is why our government has made it a priority. We implemented Canada's first national housing strategy, and it is why we continue to deliver on these programs and work towards the goal of housing affordability for all. I urge my colleague and members of all sides of this House to work with their constituencies to make sure that they use the programs that are available to them. They are there for Canadians just as this government is there for Canadians.

I hope that this time around the party opposite will support the measures that we will be addressing in the future on this problem.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

The motion that the House do now adjourn is deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 6:55 p.m.)

Address

of

His Excellency Volodymyr Zelenskyy

President of Ukraine

to both Houses of Parliament

in the House of Commons Chamber, Ottawa

on

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

His Excellency Volodymyr Zelenskyy was welcomed by the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, by the Honourable George J. Furey, Speaker of the Senate, and by the Honourable Anthony Rota, Speaker of the House of Commons.

Appendix

[Anthony Rota, Liberal, Speaker of the House of Commons]

Your Excellency, President Zelenskyy, Prime Minister, Speaker Furey, party leaders, honourable parliamentarians, distinguished guests, mesdames et messieurs, welcome to this extraordinary event, a joint address to Parliament by His Excellency Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine.

I thank all those who have made it possible for us to hear from President Zelenskyy today, whether here in the chamber or by video link.

I now invite the Prime Minister to address us.