House of Commons Hansard #49 of the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was illness.

Topics

Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipOral Questions

March 30th, 2022 / 2:40 p.m.

Bloc

Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the government announced measures to expedite the processing of Ukrainian refugees. That responds in part to the Bloc Québécois's demands, but there is an elephant in the room. The most important element is missing, and that would be the planes.

Even though the announcements addressed the 60,000 applications in one fell swoop, the refugees will be quickly disappointed when they see that they are vying for the same handful of spots on flights from Poland to Canada for a minimum of $1,000. What families need is not to be approved by Canada but to get to Canada. When will an airlift be put in place?

Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Orléans Ontario

Liberal

Marie-France Lalonde LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration

Mr. Speaker, I would like to again thank my colleague for his question and co-operation since the start of the crisis, this war in Ukraine.

We are working with all our partners, including the airline companies. We recently announced the easing of biometric requirements to allow three cohorts of people to arrive in Canada more quickly. We will be there for Ukrainians, before and after.

Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Bloc

Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC

Mr. Speaker, that is a partial answer to an administrative problem. It is not an answer to the human problem. There are families who need to get out. They have fled the war, but not everyone can afford three or four plane tickets.

Hearing that their file has been processed is not what will soothe mothers who left home a month ago with traumatized children. What will bring relief is the day they can unpack their suitcases in their new homes, knowing that they are safe here. That is the reality. When will the minister charter flights to get them out?

Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Orléans Ontario

Liberal

Marie-France Lalonde LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration

Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform the House that we have welcomed over 12,000 Ukrainians to Canada so far. We have been there from the beginning.

Let me remind the House of what we have done. We have launched a new program, we have relaxed the biometric requirements and we have brought in more agents to process applications. At the settlement centres, we will continue to be there.

TaxationOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Conservative

Chris Warkentin Conservative Grande Prairie—Mackenzie, AB

Mr. Speaker, Canadians in rural and northern communities are disproportionately disadvantaged by the Prime Minister’s carbon tax. New studies by the parliamentary budget office and the Bank of Canada have confirmed that Canadians are paying more in this tax than they receive in rebates and that this tax is contributing to out-of-control inflation.

Knowing that so many rural and northern families and seniors are already struggling to pay for essentials like groceries, home heating and fuel, why would the Prime Minister break his election promise and increase this punitive tax yet again?

TaxationOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Winnipeg South Manitoba

Liberal

Terry Duguid LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Mr. Speaker, I would reiterate again that pollution pricing works not only to reduce pollution but to drive innovation and help create the clean economy of tomorrow, which is jobs. I know the hon. member wants to create jobs in this country. This means billions in economic development and good jobs today and tomorrow.

We know where the economy of the world is headed. It is to low-carbon energy. The Conservatives are stuck in the past. We are looking toward the future.

The EconomyOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Conservative

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

Mr. Speaker, the cost of everything is rising at historic rates and Canadians are at a breaking point. Seniors in Hastings—Lennox and Addington and across this country do not want a handout. They want the dignity and respect that they have earned. They want to regain pride in being Canadian. They need a government that works with them, not against them.

When will the Prime Minister stop dodging questions in the House and tell working-class Canadians and low-income seniors what he is doing to fix this abysmal economic situation he helped create?

The EconomyOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Dartmouth—Cole Harbour Nova Scotia

Liberal

Darren Fisher LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Seniors

Mr. Speaker, seniors have worked all their lives and they deserve to be safe and financially secure later in life. Our Liberal government is delivering on our promise to increase OAS by 10% for those 75 and older, strengthening support for all Canadians later in life.

Since 2015, our Liberal government has restored the age of eligibility for OAS to 65, increased GIS for single seniors and strengthened CPP for future retirees, which was mirrored by the QPP. During the pandemic, we took action to provide seniors with needed support through special tax repayments and a GST top-up.

TaxationOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Marty Morantz Conservative Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB

Mr. Speaker, constituents in my riding can barely afford to fill up their cars. They have spent more and more of their income on the most basic of necessities. The Liberals say they are working hard to deliver a real change for Canadians. The truth is just the opposite. Canadians are giving all their hard-earned change to the Liberals.

Can the Minister of Finance show just a little compassion, give Canadians a break and promise no new tax increases in the April 7 budget?

TaxationOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Edmonton Centre Alberta

Liberal

Randy Boissonnault LiberalMinister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, while we have to wait just over a week to learn the full contents of the budget, I am very happy to share today some facts that speak directly to affordability. First, a single mom with two kids will receive $13,600 from the Canada child benefit. Second, the average family in Saskatchewan will get almost $1,000 in a carbon price rebate. Third, seniors received $500 this summer and we are increasing OAS by 10%. Fourth, a student will save more than $3,000. Those are the facts.

HousingOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Matt Jeneroux Conservative Edmonton Riverbend, AB

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives have started a housing task force. Does anyone want to know why? It is because the government continues to fail Canadians when it comes to the price of homes. Here is one example. When it comes to the first-time homebuyer program, the Liberals have changed the criteria three times in the last two years. Does anyone want another example? On the shared equity mortgage program, there have only been nine applications in three years of a five-year program. They have doubled the average price of homes in Canada.

How can the minister continue to say his programs work?

HousingOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

York South—Weston Ontario

Liberal

Ahmed Hussen LiberalMinister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion

Mr. Speaker, I will just give the hon. member one example of the large national housing strategy. The Canada—

HousingOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

HousingOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Deputy Speaker Conservative Chris d'Entremont

Order. Let us quiet down a bit.

The hon. Minister of Housing has the floor.

HousingOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

Ahmed Hussen Liberal York South—Weston, ON

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member asked which programs work. I will just give him one small example that is making a significant impact on the lives of his constituents. The Canada housing benefit is helping 35,000 households with rent in Alberta. That is a program in the national housing strategy.

However, perhaps the hon. member may speak to some of his colleagues. The member for Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry believes that we should stop investing in affordable housing through the national housing strategy and that we should stop investing in the first-time homebuyer incentive. He should speak to his caucus members who do not believe in federal investments in housing.

Climate ChangeOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

NDP

Laurel Collins NDP Victoria, BC

Mr. Speaker, the climate crisis is putting everything we value at risk, yet the Liberals' emissions reduction plan clearly does not meet the urgency of the crisis, with inadequate ambition and massive subsidies to unproven carbon capture technology. The government continues to put the interests of big oil and gas above protecting the workers who are impacted by the climate crisis. Climate delay will not cut it. We must act now.

With the upcoming budget, will the Liberals finally take the climate crisis seriously?

Climate ChangeOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Winnipeg South Manitoba

Liberal

Terry Duguid LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure if the hon. member caught the emissions reduction plan announcement yesterday, but it is a practical road map to fight climate change and create good jobs as we build a clean economy. Here are a few of the highlights. We are going to make it easier and more affordable for—

Climate ChangeOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

Climate ChangeOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Deputy Speaker Conservative Chris d'Entremont

Order, please.

Let us all restart here. The parliamentary secretary can restart his answer.

Climate ChangeOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

Terry Duguid Liberal Winnipeg South, MB

Mr. Speaker, I am really excited about our emissions reduction plan, as members can see. As a reminder to the hon. member, we are going to be investing in energy retrofit for greener homes and buildings, and establishing a greener electricity grid. We are going to reduce oil and gas emissions, which I know is important to the hon. member. Very, very importantly, we are going to support our farmers in agriculture to be more sustainable and put more money in their pockets. It is a great plan; it is an action plan.

Post-Secondary EducationOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

NDP

Blake Desjarlais NDP Edmonton Griesbach, AB

Mr. Speaker, American student loan payments have been frozen since the pandemic started. Meanwhile, in Canada people only received six months of relief from crushing monthly payments. In fact, the federal government collected $3.2 billion in student loan payments the following year. It is bad enough that young people have had to deal with cuts from Conservative premiers during the pandemic, but it is truly shameful the Liberal government also collected billions from them. Canadians deserve better.

When will the Liberal government start tackling affordability by cancelling student debt?

Post-Secondary EducationOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Delta B.C.

Liberal

Carla Qualtrough LiberalMinister of Employment

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to advise the member that until at least next March of 2024 students do not have to pay debt on their student loan payments, and we made a commitment, which we will make good on, to eliminate permanently student debt for students so they can go off into their careers in a position to excel, to flourish and to prosper, like every Canadian has a right to.

InfrastructureOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Liberal

Chad Collins Liberal Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON

Mr. Speaker, citizens of my community of Hamilton East—Stoney Creek were clear in the last election they wanted a government that would invest in public transit. Once initiated by the province, the completion of projects like the Confederation GO station in Hamilton will spur economic development and reduce highway congestion. Our government knows that safe and affordable transit is the key that unlocks social economic opportunities in our communities.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities provide an update to the House on the critical investments we are making in public transit infrastructure?

InfrastructureOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Pickering—Uxbridge Ontario

Liberal

Jennifer O'Connell LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs

Mr. Speaker, our government has made unprecedented investments in public transit. Last year, our government announced approximately $12.1 billion in new investments for the GTHA to build new and expand existing transit networks. Thanks to the advocacy of that member and his hard work, important work is currently under way for critical projects such as the GO Transit expansion project, which will provide important service and connections to many communities. We will continue to invest in transit across Canada.

Public Services and ProcurementOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

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

Mr. Speaker, in 2015, the Prime Minister promised not to buy F-35s, even though he knew that Canada's defence industry had already invested hundreds of millions of dollars and had to meet its obligations to Lockheed Martin.

Even with this week's announcement, the Prime Minister is still keeping Canada's defence industry in limbo. He did not commit to buy F-35s. He agreed to talk about it.

When will he realize that the aerospace industry has waited long enough and that the time for talk is over?