Debates of March 28th, 2022

Economic and Fiscal Update Implementation Act, 2021

[Mel Arnold, Conservative, North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the member asked when we will stop speaking to the bill. I would never encourage members of the House to stop speaking about a bill as significant as this, with billions in spending, no accountability and coming from a government that let the priorities pass on for months before it even introduced it. Therefore, I will take no lesson from this member about when we should and should not speak about a bill.

[Denis Trudel, Bloc, Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I must admit that I had a bit of a hard time following my colleague's speech. He is worried that the government is not taking care of the debt for future generations. I think that is important too. He talked about the housing crisis and said that the tax on unused properties in Canada is inadequate. I completely agree with him.

I often hear the Conservatives criticizing what the government is doing on the housing file, but I do not hear them proposing a whole lot of solutions. In a study a month or two ago, Scotiabank, which is supposedly one of their friends, said that there is a shortage of 1.8 million housing units in Canada to address the crisis.

My colleague pointed out that housing prices have doubled since the Liberals took office, but accessibility also includes the availability of more housing. What solutions does the Conservative Party propose to address this shortfall of 1.8 million housing units in Canada?

[Mel Arnold, Conservative, North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

Mr. Speaker, there is no question that there is a drastic shortage of affordable housing, and housing of any sort, across this country. That is because people have flocked into the housing market as an investment. They have not seen the investment in rental housing being as productive as it used to be, so we have seen a reduction in rental housing in some areas. In consultations with elected representatives in my riding of North Okanagan—Shuswap a couple of years ago, I learned it had been decades since there was a fourplex built in one community because of zoning issues. These are issues where we are all going to need to work together with all levels of government to identify what it is we can do to create more housing for Canadians. It cannot be simply government alone.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, to follow up on that, the hypocrisy is that, in the past, governments, the Liberals and the Conservatives, talked about government getting out of the way of getting action on things, including housing and so forth. The 1% tax is not seen as sufficient, so regarding inventory, what exactly would the Conservatives be involved in? What would they encourage and what specific things would they do with respect to the private sector? I think that is important. Some of the party members are saying we have to get out of the way and others are saying we have to do more than this, so what exactly would they do more of?

[Mel Arnold, Conservative, North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

Mr. Speaker, obviously housing is top of mind for many members and, I think, for Canadians right across this country. Incentivizing the construction of residences, whether single-family or multi-family apartment buildings, is where the federal government can make a difference regarding that growth in new inventory that is desperately needed across the country.

[Tako Van Popta, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to the government's fall economic and fiscal update.

To better understand the economic pressures that Canadians are facing, we need to look at the data. We have the highest rate of inflation that we have had in a generation. My children are all adults now and do not know what inflation is. It is at 5.7% at the moment, and that means that, on average, everything is going to cost every Canadian citizen almost 6% more today than it did a year ago. If we look at industry-specific statistics, it is much more challenging than that.

For any young families in my riding of Langley—Aldergrove, part of metro Vancouver, who are prospective first-time buyers, the news is not good at all. Single family houses are up 42%, condos are up 39% and townhouses are up 35%. Frankly, it is becoming unrealistic for young families to even believe they are ever going to own a house.

I was talking to Alison in my riding just the other day. She and her husband are both earning quite a bit of money. They have managed to save up a really good down payment. They pre-qualified for a mortgage. They are doing everything right. About a year or a year a half ago, they got into the market to bid on a townhouse. They lost out to a higher bidder. They tried again on a second townhouse. The same thing happened, and they lost out to a higher bidder. They did that 10 times in a row. The tenth time, they bid way over asking price thinking that they would for sure get it. Again, they were outbid by a higher bidder.

I was talking to Alison and she asked what they were doing wrong. I said that she was not doing anything wrong and that she was doing everything right, but that there were economic forces at play that were beyond the ability of ordinary Canadians to deal with.

This is what the Vancouver Sun said just this weekend about this topic:

Young, educated, urban Canadians have [many reasons] to be angry...with Ottawa for the ways it has worsened the housing crisis.

[The Liberal government] has three times campaigned, with apparent earnest emotion, on promises to provide affordable housing. And each time, [it] has reneged.

Canadian housing is now 100 per cent more expensive than when [the Liberals] first took office in 2015.

That is the legacy of the Liberal government, that housing prices have doubled in the time it has held office.

One of the failed programs of the Liberal government is the first-time homebuyers incentive. That is the program that says the government would own a piece of the equity stake in the home of any first-time homebuyers who use the program. Happily, very few people have actually used the program. I was talking to a mortgage broker who works in my neighbourhood, and he explained to me why the program is a failure. It just does not work, certainly not in my riding where houses are as expensive as they are.

Mortgage Professionals Canada, a very credible organization, has said this about the housing affordability crisis: “If we had historically equally considered the demand-side and supply-side policies, we probably would be in a far better position”.

I would just summarize this part by saying this: Is it not a fresh idea that we are going to look at basic economic principles? That is where the government has failed.

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

I thank the member for his intervention. There will be about six and a half minutes left when he gets back to this matter.

During the last couple of Statements by Members, it has been getting pretty noisy in the chamber. I am hoping that members could keep their conversations outside in the lobbies, and as they come in, they could listen to these great statements that members are giving.

Ngoc Bé Huỳnh

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

Mr. Speaker, a short time ago, it was Rare Disease Day. I want to bring scleroderma, also called systemic sclerosis, to the attention of the House. This rare autoimmune disease impacts over 40,000 Canadians.

One of those people was Ngoc Bé Huỳnh.

She was studying to become a doctor before war broke out in her country. She evaded Communist soldiers, she fought off pirates, and she survived two years in a refugee camp before being welcomed to this country. She was grateful to be here, but it was not easy. She did not speak English or French, but her indomitable spirit was not going to let her fail. She learned English. She went to college and she retrained as an electrical assembly worker, becoming the first in her factory to be a female line worker.

Ngoc Bé Huỳnh was her name. Others knew her as Belinda Vuong. I simply knew her as mom.

We do not know much about scleroderma. We know it predominantly affects women and that it relentlessly attacks the body. Life expectancy is three to 15 years. My mom lived with it for over 18 years. She passed away this morning after her courageous battle.

To my mom, who raised me to stand in my truth, to focus on doing right and to help as many people as I can: [Member spoke in Vietnamese].

[English]

I thank my mom. I love my mom. I will miss my mom.

Retirement Congratulations

[Shaun Chen, Liberal, Scarborough North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to recognize Dennis Levesque, a proud veteran and community leader, on his well-deserved retirement.

Dennis worked over the last 45 years to create meaningful change in our communities and country. After serving in the Canadian Armed Forces for 37 years as a senior officer, instructor and helicopter pilot, he was awarded two Command Commendations and retired as a lieutenant-colonel.

Dennis then worked at Sts. Peter and Paul Residence in my riding of Scarborough North, where he served as chief administrative officer for eight years. Sts. Peter and Paul was founded in 1980 as a Ukrainian seniors residence that today serves a diverse community of elders.

I would like to not only wish Dennis a happy and healthy retirement but also acknowledge the incredible work at Sts. Peter and Paul. Let us all continue to stand in solidarity with our Ukrainian community here in Canada and around the world.

Slava Ukraini.

Label for Creators in Cap-Santé

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in addition to having 40 of the most beautiful villages in Quebec, Cap‑Santé, the major centre of Portneuf in my riding of Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, is known for its artists, artisans, agriculture and heritage, as well as its amazing old-fashioned Christmas market.

I would like to share with the House one of this municipality's recent initiatives, which is worthy of note. I am referring to the creation of the Créations d'origine cap‑santéenne, or COCS, label. I invite my colleagues to visit the COCS Facebook page, which is a place where all the city's creators can come together. Joining forces to promote their local brands and showcase products and services is an excellent way for these creators to better define their identity, local characteristics and uniqueness. It further strengthens the already close ties of this extremely talented community.

I thank them for once again putting our beautiful region of Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier on the map.

Reverend George Leslie Mackay

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, Humber River—Black Creek, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to rise in the House today in memory of a great Canadian who played a major role in fostering the beginnings of our relationship with Taiwan.

Reverend George Leslie Mackay arrived in Tamsui in 1872 as a missionary, an educator and a medical practitioner.

Reverend Mackay contributed greatly to education and public health in Taiwan. He founded the Oxford College, which is now known as Aletheia University, where he lectured on many subjects, including Bible studies and medicine. His work within medicine, while very basic, had major positive impacts for the people in Taiwan, so much so that even today his name is synonymous with medicine in Taiwan and many hospitals bear the name of Reverend Mackay.

It has been 150 years since Reverend Mackay landed in Taiwan to begin his work, and 150 years later the relationship with Canada remains strong. In times like this, we must rally together with our friends, showing support for our democracies and common visions of peace and stability worldwide.

We, as a nation, are honoured to continue this friendship sparked so long ago and will continue to nurture it and stand strong together for our people, for democracy and for peace.

Patrice Vermette

[Denis Trudel, Bloc, Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the city of Longueuil and Quebec in general are hotbeds of exceptional talent.

We witnessed that yet again in spades at yesterday's Oscars. Patrice Vermette, a resident of my riding, won the Oscar for best production design for his absolutely stunning work on Dune by Quebec's Denis Villeneuve, another awesomely talented member of Quebec's film community.

This was Patrice Vermette's third Oscar nomination. From his Longueuil living room, in the midst of the pandemic, he brought his considerable talent and signature style to bear on translating Frank Herbert's epic masterwork into magnificent images.

Filmmaker Denis Villeneuve has worked with Mr. Vermette for 10 years, and he describes Vermette as a rare, singular talent. I congratulate Patrice Vermette on this extraordinary accomplishment, and I thank him for putting Quebec on the map in such a dazzling way.

Réjean Pommainville

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House to celebrate the life of a man who left his mark not only on Ontario's agricultural community, but on the Franco-Ontarian community as a whole. Réjean Pommainville was a dairy producer, a passionate farmer, a champion of Franco-Ontarian culture and an advocate for his agricultural community.

Réjean served on the Ontario Federation of Agriculture board of directors for nearly a decade and was involved with the federation in various capacities for over 40 years. He was also passionate about preserving cultural heritage and spent hours working on preservation at Village Gagnon and even on his own farm, where he built a general store, a small church, a saloon and, of course, a prison. Réjean brought a strong work ethic as well as a sense of humour to everything he did.

I extend my deepest condolences to his wife, Barbara, his children, the Pommainville family and his friends.

Space Technology Hall of Fame Induction

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to recognize a lifetime achievement for Dr. Harry Ing, founder of Bubble Technology Industries, or BTI. His company, located in Chalk River, has been selected for induction into the prestigious U.S Space Technology Hall of Fame.

BTI produces a small device for measuring neutron radiation called a bubble detector. In use for over 30 years in thousands of applications, the technology has been deployed on over two dozen space missions to assess radiation risks in space. The bubble detector is used to monitor radiation in hospitals, power plants, manufacturing facilities and nuclear submarines. It was also used to protect emergency responders after nuclear incidents at Fukushima and Chernobyl. Currently, BTI is pursuing new opportunities to search for water on the moon and to protect astronauts from radiation.

Congratulations to Dr. Harry Ing, vice president Lianne Ing, head of research Dr. Martin Smith and everyone at Bubble Technology on their induction into the U.S Space Technology Hall of Fame.

Master Mariners of Canada Nautical Skills Competition

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, the Master Mariners of Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador division, recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of the nautical skills competition, a fun, competitive and challenging event for the next generation of seafarers.

My province and the ocean are inseparable, and with events like these, our leadership in both the marine industry and the global ocean economy is growing like never before. I am also proud to say that my family's connection to the sea runs deep, from my grandfather's schooner to my cousin's longliner. Now I am very proud of my son, Paddy, as he works toward his master mariner designation in our country's Arctic waters.

I want to extend my sincere congratulations to all the master mariner student participants and to the institute's associate VP and the remarkable team. It was well done.

Academy Awards

[Andy Fillmore, Liberal, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to celebrate Ben Proudfoot, a filmmaker from Halifax, who took home the Oscar for best documentary short at last night's Academy Awards. Ben's winning film The Queen of Basketball tells the often overlooked story of Lusia Harris, the only woman to be officially drafted by the NBA, the first woman inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame and the first woman to score a basket at the Olympics.

In his acceptance speech last night, Ben said, “If there is anyone out there that still doubts whether there's an audience for female athletes...let this Academy Award be the answer”.

Throughout his career, Ben has used film to shine a light on trail-blazing women, such as Heather Lawson, the first woman trained as a stone mason in Canada, and astronomer Jocelyn Bell Burnell for her work on the discovery of pulsars.

Speaking of pulsars, today people in Ben's hometown of Halifax are over the moon with pride. I invite all members to join us in congratulating him on this remarkable achievement. I send my congratulations to Ben.

Agriculture in Abbotsford

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Abbotsford has a proud tradition of agricultural excellence. With the most productive soil in Canada, my community produces much of the food that finds its way to the tables of Canadians.

Abbotsford is the blueberry capital of North America, with almost a third of our cultivated land reserved for the growing of berries. Nurseries, greenhouses, dairy and poultry barns dot our landscape. In fact, we have become the breadbasket of B.C. and also claim the most farm gate sales per hectare in Canada. Our chicken and egg producers deliver a secure supply of premium, quality products to kitchen tables every day.

However, our farmers are not immune to environmental challenges. This past November, we experienced a once-in-a-lifetime storm that spawned massive flooding across Abbotsford. Our farmers experienced catastrophic losses of crops and livestock. Despite these challenges, they are bouncing back.

To the farmers of Abbotsford and across Canada, I give a big “thank you” for the contribution they make to a healthy and prosperous Canada.

Support for Ukraine

[Terry Sheehan, Liberal, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

Mr. Speaker, members know that Sault Ste. Marie is a kind, caring community. Throughout our history, Ukrainians have contributed to our city's growth and development, and Saultites have been rallying in support of Ukraine for the past few weeks.

The march for Ukraine sovereignty last week was a multi-religious march where our local faith leaders from many religions organized and came together. More than 500 people showed up to pledge their support and demonstrate their solidarity for Ukraine.

I have received numerous phone calls from constituents pledging housing, food, work and more for refugees coming to Sault Ste. Marie. I am working closely with our local partners at the Ukrainian church, city hall and community organizations to ensure that we have an action plan, infrastructure and a hub for resources to support and welcome Ukrainians with open arms.

Saultites are once again showing their love, compassion and community support for refugees and displaced people, and we will be prepared to welcome as many Ukrainians as possible. We will continue to find ways to support refugees and will be prepared for whatever comes our way.

Slava Ukraini.

National Defence

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have the privilege of representing the fine women and men of 4 Wing stationed in Cold Lake.

The Prime Minister has delayed selecting future fighter jets for over six years, and Conservatives have been pushing to select the F-35s to replace the old F-18s. In fact, we need to increase our defence spending to 2% of the GDP to meet our NATO commitments and support our armed forces. We have first-rate soldiers relying on increasingly second-rate equipment, and this government should have addressed the issue before we were in crisis.

The Prime Minister and his Minister of Foreign Affairs seem to believe that we can lay down our arms and accomplish our foreign policy goals through the power of convening and moral authority. Well, I think we saw at the European Parliament how seriously the world takes this government's moral authority. I hope that the government will wake up, make the necessary decisions of investments to modernize our armed forces and stop resting our foreign policy goals on the Prime Minister's personal brand. Our country, and the women and men who defend it, deserve better.

44th Parliament

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

Mr. Speaker, in Canada's latest celebrity marriage, the Prime Minister's new bride has given him the gift of time to plan an exit strategy without electoral embarrassment while ignoring the voice of Quebec.

Given this government's history of broken promises, NDP members should remember the warning about not trusting Liberals bearing gifts. This Trojan horse wedding is designed not to deliver pharmacare and dental care but to show the irrelevance of the NDP. The Prime Minister may not yet have served the divorce papers on this relationship, but I can assure members that he has already drawn them up. In this marriage of convenience, the losers will be the Canadian people.

Treatment of Cancer

[Peter Schiefke, Liberal, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this week I celebrate 10 years in remission from cancer. Ten years after my last treatment and hearing the words, “Your scans are clear”, I stand here in this House as grateful as ever.

I am grateful to Dr. David Hei and the incredible team at the Carbone Cancer Center. I am grateful to Dr. Jacques Corcos and the incredible team at the Segal Cancer Centre. I am grateful to my parents and the family and friends who called, visited and supported me. I am grateful to my incredible wife, who day in and day out, month in and month out stood by me through it all, and I am grateful to be here in this House today.

I also rise to remember all those who were not as lucky as I was, all the family members and good friends, young and old, who fought just as hard but did not survive.

Finally, I rise to send my best wishes, on behalf of the House, to all those currently fighting this battle with all their might. I want to tell them not to give up and to keep going. They can do this, and we are with them all the way.

Jack Verhulst

[Lindsay Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last year my community lost an incredible social justice activist and a mentor of mine, someone who knew there was no greater obligation than to look out for your neighbour and community.

Jack Verhulst was a child of war-torn Nazi-occupied Holland. Growing up, he knew the hardship, poverty and fear of war. Jack understood the importance of peace, security and compassion and brought those lessons with him when he emigrated to Canada in the early 1950s.

Jack was a truck driver, a farmer and an union man. He joined the NDP because of founder Tommy Douglas. Jack admired Tommy's integrity. There was not a more dedicated campaigner. Jack was a riding president and candidate, but Jack was most known as a legendary fundraiser. There was no saying no to Jack, though some may have tried.

We all miss him, but none more than his wife Tina; his children Maryann, Maurice and Rita; his grandson Dylan; and, of course, the riding association of Perth-Wellington. They were his strength and inspired his passion for fairness and equity. That is what Jack worked to achieve, and that is what we in the House must continue to strive for. I send my thanks to Jack.

Drummond Chamber of Commerce and Industry

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Drummond chamber of commerce and industry, the CCID, is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year.

Drummond is one of the most prolific entrepreneurial centres in Quebec. Are members aware that the expression “one person's loss is another's gain” does not apply in Drummond?

That is because one person's gain is everyone's gain in Drummond. This even applies to success: When one person succeeds, everyone succeeds.

Whenever a new business is created or a new store opens its doors in Drummond, the entire community, led by the CCID, is swift to offer its full support, encouragement and backing to ensure it becomes another success story.

The CCID is proud of its history of supporting business people who go on to make an impact across Quebec and around the world. Now more than ever, the CCID is positioning itself as an essential tool for the economic development of our region, which is the most welcoming region for business people of all backgrounds.

I would like to congratulate the current president of the CCID, Marc Tremblay, and the board of directors, and I want to recognize the hard work of executive director Alexandra Houle and her entire team.

I hope the Drummond chamber of commerce and industry will be around for many years to come.

Canadian Men's Soccer Team

[Richard Martel, Conservative, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we witnessed a historic moment last night. The Canadian men's soccer team qualified for the 2022 World Cup with a crucial 4-0 win over Jamaica.

Congratulations to the entire team, which was led by the talented Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David and Cyle Larin. The perseverance, determination and mutual support shown by the team, especially following Alphonso Davies' myocarditis diagnosis, are a reflection of our Canadian values.

I also want to congratulate the team members behind the bench, especially head coach John Herdman. As a former coach, I know first-hand the sacrifices and efforts they have had to make to guide the team to the top.

This victory will have a big impact on the popularity of amateur sport across Canada, just as it will on the soccer club in my region, the Venturi de Saguenay, led by Maxime Pepin Larocque.

We will be watching Canada's team, and we are behind them all the way. We hope they will make us proud, as the Canadian women's team did.

Go, Canada, go.

National Citizen Scientist Cornerstone Award

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Alzheimer's impacts so many of our families, friends and neighbours. It is a terrible disease. Anthony “Tony” Ng was able to see the signs of dementia develop in his father years ago. When he saw those signs developing for himself, he joined the Toronto Memory Program. This year, he is a recipient of the National Citizen Scientist Cornerstone Award. It is an award that recognizes clinical trial volunteers who personally have made an extraordinary effort to support local Alzheimer's research.

He is supported by his wife Kathie in this work, and they are described as medical research heroes. I thank Tony for everything he is doing to advance Alzheimer's research.