Debates of May 11th, 2022

Public Safety

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, obviously, the Prime Minister has become a master of misinformation.

It is not me who is saying that; it is the RCMP Commissioner herself who made that clear in committee yesterday. First, the RCMP never asked for the Emergencies Act to be invoked. Second, the RCMP never asked for bank accounts to be frozen. Third, the RCMP found out that the Prime Minister was invoking the Emergencies Act at the same time as the rest of Canadians.

Will the Prime Minister also recognize that it was not necessary to invoke the Emergencies Act and that his decision was purely political?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as Commissioner Lucki told the committee, the Emergencies Act allowed police to maintain a secure perimeter and refuse entry of individuals travelling to the illegal protest with the intent of participating.

It gave police the enforcement authority to arrest individuals who continued to supply fuel, food and other materials, and it gave police new powers to compel individuals to provide essential goods or services for the removal, towing and storage of vehicles and equipment.

We have now announced that an independent inquiry will be held to examine the circumstances. We will continue to be open and transparent.

The Economy

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, all of that happened after, but the RCMP had said that it wasn't needed. That is what the Prime Minister is trying to avoid saying. The Prime Minister is good at spinning tales and denying the facts. That is his specialty.

Even though the Prime Minister's Office is in possession of a study saying that Canadians now have to take on a second job to make ends meet, to delay retirement or to press pause on their summer vacation plans, the Prime Minister is doing absolutely nothing. We are two years in and Canadians deserve better.

When will the Prime Minister wake up and give Canadian families a break by lowering the price of gas?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, if the Conservative Party truly wanted to make life more affordable for Canadians, then it would not have tried to delay the budget bill on the first day of debate.

To make housing more affordable, the budget implementation bill would implement a two-year ban on foreign investment in real estate in Canada. We plan to double the home accessibility tax credit.

The bill would also implement other assistance measures that Canadians need and deserve, including an additional $2 billion to the provinces and territories to reduce wait times and surgery backlogs.

We are here to help Canadians. The Conservatives are here to play politics.

Diversity and Inclusion

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Bloc Québécois moved a motion to change the rules of the House so that the prayer of support for the British monarchy would be replaced by a moment of reflection, allowing everyone to have a moment to themselves.

Everyone here had all sorts of preposterous arguments for why it was not important. However, everyone here will have to stand up and vote under the watchful eyes of Quebeckers. It comes down to a vote for Christian prayer and the British monarchy or a vote for the separation of church and state.

How will the Prime Minister be voting?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent the riding of Papineau, and I am proud to be a Quebecker. However, I can tell the leader of the Bloc Québécois that, these days, Quebeckers are concerned about the cost of buying a home, the price of gas, buying groceries for their families, the fight against climate change, Putin's illegal war in Ukraine, and other such issues. We on this side of the House are going to stay focused on Quebeckers, on Canadians and on their everyday needs. That is our priority.

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, anyone can be attached to the prayer and the monarchy. That is totally legitimate. However, given the context, I would like to make a religious reference: whitewashed tombs.

Those parties are afraid of having to say one thing to Quebec and another to Canada. Here and now, they cannot do that. They will have to stand and vote, and the outcome could change the Standing Orders of the House.

Is the Prime Minister for or against maintaining the symbolic power of religion and the monarchy in Canada and Quebec?

It is simple.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, apparently the Bloc Québécois is so desperate that it is trying to pick a fight wherever it can.

The fact is, we do have separation of church and state in this country. We respect all religions, and we will continue to make decisions based on the values and interests of all Canadians, both in this House and in legislative assemblies across the country. We will always respect other people's choices, and we will not go picking fights where there simply is no fight to pick.

Taxation

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are paying $2 or more per litre at the pumps. People are hurting. Families are hurting. At the same time, big oil and gas companies are posting huge profits, in some cases record profits. We also know that the government has seen an increase in revenues. Will the Prime Minister take the side of people, tax the excess profits of these companies and reinvest that into the pockets of Canadians by increasing the child benefit and the GST credit by $500 each?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, a number of years ago, we attached the Canada child benefit to the rising cost of living, so indeed the cost-of-living increases go with the Canada child benefit.

On the issue of asking those who have succeeded most to pay more, we have done that. We raised taxes on the wealthiest 1% and lowered them on the middle class as our very first action. Unfortunately, the NDP in those days voted against that measure. Furthermore, in our latest budget, we are moving forward and asking the largest companies and banks to pay a little more to help Canadians. That is exactly what we are doing.

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, people are struggling. They are paying nearly two dollars a litre for gas. Meanwhile, Imperial Oil is making its best profits in 30 years. Big businesses are making more more, while ordinary people pay the price.

Will the Prime Minister tax big companies' excess profits and put the money back into Canadians' pockets?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, building a fairer and more inclusive economy has always been a top priority for our government. That is why we raised taxes on the wealthiest 1% in order to cut taxes for the middle class.

We introduced the Canada child benefit and stopped sending cheques to millionaires so we could send more money to the families who need it most, and the list goes on.

That is why budget 2022 introduces a temporary Canada recovery dividend and increases corporate income tax on banks permanently.

We will continue to ensure that our system is fair for everyone.

Natural Resources

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, in a strong and clear decision, Alberta's highest court ruled that the job-killing Bill C-69 is an ugly power grab. In her ruling, Alberta's justice stated, “History teaches that government by central command rarely works...[and] Canada...by deliberate choice, is a federation, not a unitary state.”

The Prime Minister was very quick yesterday to say that his government would appeal this decision. His tactics are well entrenched: my way or the highway. With all the bright lights around this Prime Minister, how did they not see that this overreach would not withstand a constitutional challenge?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, a few years ago, the carbon-pricing issue ended up in our favour at the Supreme Court. The Impact Assessment Act delivered on an important promise we made to Canadians to reform a broken system. While the previous Conservative government passed a bill that gutted environmental protections, we took a different approach.

We spent years working with companies, with communities, with indigenous peoples and more. That input made Canada's rules stronger. These better rules for major projects restore public trust in the process and protect the environment, advance reconciliation and ensure that good projects can move forward.

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the truth is zero pipelines have been proposed or built under the Liberals, and they have killed billions in projects and hundreds of thousands of jobs. The PM ignored experts, workers, indigenous leaders and investors in every province and territory on Bill C-69. The court said it is a “profound invasion” that places a chokehold on provinces. It called it a “wrecking ball” that “smacks of paternalism” and overrides indigenous agreements. It is uncertain, unpredictable, unquantifiable and unreliable, just like Conservatives warned. Therefore, instead of wasting more time and tax dollars to appeal, will he just repeal Bill C-69?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, with the Conservatives' failed approach on major projects, nothing was getting done in Canada. Communities, indigenous peoples and others kept taking every project to court, because they did not have a proper environmental assessment process and they did not have a proper evaluation process for major projects. We changed that by working with communities and companies to give the clarity that understood that it is essential to both protect the environment and build a stronger future. That is the only way to get things built. Unfortunately, Conservatives remain stuck in a world in which they think they can ignore environmental responsibilities.

Canadian Heritage

[John Nater, Conservative, Perth—Wellington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, will the government commit to releasing its policy directive to the CRTC before voting on Bill C-11?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we know how important it is to ensure that Canadian producers and Canadian creators of content resonate, not just across the country, but around the world. We have always had measures in Canada that promote Canadian music and content on Canadian TV and Canadian radio. That is something we have long had, to protect Canadian content creators. Unfortunately, once again, Conservative politicians stand against the arts community and creators. We believe in making sure Canadians can succeed around the world, and in a digital world, that is what we are doing.

[John Nater, Conservative, Perth—Wellington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, if the Prime Minister is so proud of his approach, why does he not simply release the policy directive that he will be sending to the CRTC to implement this law? This “just trust us” approach does not inspire confidence in the Canadian people. The government is asking an entity that has neither the capacity nor the competence to regulate vast swaths of the Internet, but the government will not disclose how it will instruct it to do so. Canadians are rightly concerned about how this will impact what they see and hear online.

Why is the government asking Parliament to give the CRTC more power over Canadians without telling Canadians what the CRTC will be doing with that power?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, in this country, the CRTC has always ensured that we promote Canadian creators creating Canadian content. That is what it has done on the radio waves for decades, ensuring that we have Canadian music played on radio stations. That is what it has done with TV, ensuring that Canadian content gets put on Canadian TV, not just as a way of telling our stories, but also as a way of encouraging creators and producers in Canada.

In a digital world, we need to ensure, in the same way, that Canadian producers of content are protected and upheld, and that is exactly what Bill C-11 would do.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to mislead Canadians.

He tells them that Bill C-11 will level the playing field. What he means by this is actually that digital-first creators, those who produce on YouTube, TikTok or Twitch, are too successful, so they actually need to be held back through more regulation and by putting fees on top of them. Digital-first creators would be forced to subsidize commercial broadcasters.

I will let that sink in for one moment: The government's definition of levelling the playing field looks like punishing those who are successful, so they can be equal with those who are not. How is that fair?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have heard for quite a while now the member for Lethbridge get up and completely mischaracterize what this bill is all about. It is there to ensure that Canadian creators, the Canadian artistic community and Canadian producers of content are able to be found by Canadians and by people around the world on the Internet. That is something that matters in order to continue to support our creative and artistic community in this country. Why are Conservatives continuing to stand against creators, artists and the stories Canadians want to tell to each other?

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, once again, the Prime Minister has proved he is either incompetent or absolutely committed to misleading Canadians every step of the way.

He continues to do this over and over again. The fact of the matter is that Bill C-11 would actually tip the scales in favour of traditional broadcasters by punishing digital-first creators, artists and those who use TikTok, YouTube, Twitch or Spotify in order to get their message out. Somehow, magically, this is supposed to protect Canadian culture. “Punish the little guys; reward the big guys” is the plan here.

Why does the Prime Minister insist on punishing digital-first creators?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, for decades, Canadian music has been succeeding, not just in Canada but around the world. One of the reasons is that we had a system in place that made sure Canadian content got played on Canadian radio stations, which allowed extraordinary artists to succeed, not just in Canada but around the world.

The fact is that in a digital world we need to ensure the same opportunity for Canadian creators of content to resonate across Canada and around the world, and that is exactly what Bill C-11 would do. Unfortunately, yet again, we see the Conservative Party standing against artists and creators of content in this country.

Why are Conservatives so scared of Canada's artists? I think we all know.

Diversity and Inclusion

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said himself that he of course wants to stand up for all religions.

However, every day, he asks parliamentarians to pray to the western Christian God. That must bug more than a few people here.

Why not simply deal with this? We could vote to change the Standing Orders, and every religion would be equal during a moment of reflection.