Debates of Sept. 22nd, 2022

Terry Fox

[Ron McKinnon, Liberal, Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, today let us once again recognize the legacy of Terry Fox, one of Canada’s greatest heroes and certainly Port Coquitlam’s hometown hero. At the age of 18, Terry lost his leg to cancer, and after 16 months in and out of cancer wards, he decided he could not ignore the suffering that he saw.

In 1980, Terry began his Marathon of Hope. In 143 days he ran more than 5,300 kilometres and raised millions of dollars for cancer research. In his name, Terry's Marathon of Hope continues today, and Canadians have raised more than $850 million to find a cure.

His story inspires everyone. His dedication and courage remind us what we can accomplish.

As Canadians across the country participate in Terry Fox runs, Terry’s memory will lead us all forward, and together we will end cancer once and for all.

Autism Awareness

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last week I was visited by an extraordinary eight-year-old who is challenging the stigma of living with autism. His name is Fabrizio Celenza, and he shared with me that he doesn’t talk about autism for sympathy or pity. He talks about it to open a door into his life to help others understand, to educate, and to build acceptances for children and adults living with autism.

Fabrizio was a young ambassador for Project Lifesaver, a community-based organization that utilizes technology to help protect and quickly locate individuals with cognitive disorders who are prone to the behaviour of wandering.

Autism awareness starts in our community. Two organizations advancing this in the city of Vaughan are the Shining Through Centre for Children with Autism and Waves of Changes for Autism. This evening I will attend the latter's seventh annual gala with several hundred attendees.

In the wise words of my newest friend, Fabrizio Celenza, let us always remember that it’s okay to be different.

Cost of Living

[Dan Muys, Conservative, Flamborough—Glanbrook, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the new Conservative leader will put people first: their retirement, their paycheques, their homes and their country.

Inflation is driving up the cost of everything. Last weekend I heard this over and over from people in Binbrook, the kind of place where young families are moving in droves to escape the high cost of housing in the GTA, only to find out that because of the policies of the government, the cost of living is no better there.

At the fall fair, over 500 constituents stopped by my booth and filled out a survey card, and the results were overwhelming: Grocery prices, gas prices and taxes have them worried. The last thing they can afford are the proposed tax increases from the government, but we have hope. By tackling Liberal inflation, we will put them back in control of their lives and their money.

A Conservative government will put a lid on taxes and truly deliver affordability for suburban families in Binbrook, in southern Ontario and all across Canada.

Mississauga—Erin Mills

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to be back in the House after a productive summer in my riding of Mississauga—Erin Mills. In between attending over 160 community meetings and events, visiting local businesses and bringing ministers to Erin Mills to hear directly from residents about local issues, I once again hosted my annual barbecue, where we welcomed over 4,500 residents.

I joined colleagues representing Canada at the 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Halifax. I joined a delegation in New York as part of the IPU for the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. Last week, I joined the Minister of International Development and MPs to visit flood-impacted regions of Pakistan and hear directly from those in need. I am proud that our Canadian government has stepped up with over $30 million in support.

It has been a busy summer and I look forward to working with members in this House as we continue to deliver on programs that Canadians are counting on us for.

Natural Resources

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the new Conservative leader will put people first: their retirement, their paycheques, their homes and their country. Right now, we lose wages by importing 130,000 barrels of overseas oil every single day because our government prefers dirty dictator oil to responsible Canadian energy. We will repeal the current government's anti-energy laws and replace them with a law that protects our environment, consults first nations and gets things built. Within five years, we will set the goal to end dictator oil in Canada altogether.

Instead of helping Putin sell his natural gas to Europe to finance his war against Ukraine, a Poilievre government will support projects like GNL Quebec. Some people prefer that natural gas money finance Putin's weapons of war. I want that money to finance paycheques for our energy workers across the nation.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I know we have been away all summer, but I just want to remind the hon. members that when we are referring to someone else in the chamber, regardless of who it is, we use their title or the riding they represent, and not their own name. We tend to get carried away sometimes, and those things happen in the chamber.

The hon. member for Cariboo—Prince George.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the new Conservative leader will put people first. He will put their retirement first, their paycheques first, their homes first and their country first.

We will bring hope to doctors, nurses and engineers, and hope to others who are immigrants to this country but are blocked from working in their profession for no other reason than that they come from another country. We will team up with provinces to guarantee that within 60 days an immigrant applying to work in their profession will get a yes or no based on their tested abilities and not based on where they are from. We will back up 30,000 small study loans for those in need of time off work to study up to the Canadian standards.

There has been enough talk. Let us remove the gatekeepers. Let us get more doctors, more nurses, more engineers and more inflation-proof paycheques for our brilliant immigrants.

Guinness World Record

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this summer I had a wonderful time connecting with residents, attending community events and marking special celebrations in my riding of Mississauga—Streetsville.

I am excited to share that on Saturday, September 17 our team, my family, the MP for Davenport and community gathered at the Portuguese Cultural Centre of Mississauga and together broke the Guinness world record for the largest Portuguese folk dance. In honour of this achievement, the Portuguese Cultural Centre has pledged to raise money for Canadians with physical and mental disabilities.

This world record would not have been set without the hundreds of individuals who took part in this special feat. I extend my warmest congratulations to the Portuguese Cultural Centre and to all those who helped achieve this incredible new record.

Obrigada e parabéns. Congratulations and well done.

New Democratic Party of Canada

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the new Conservative leader and the Prime Minister may disagree on some things, but when it comes to standing with the billionaire class, they are both just in bed with their corporate buddies.

Like the Liberals, the Conservatives do not stand with working people. They are unwilling to tax the ultrarich; they are unwilling to stop the billion-dollar giveaways to big oil; and they are unwilling to take the steps necessary to end the housing crisis in this country. However, Canadians are increasingly tired of the games of these two parties: both the silver-tongued snake oil of the opposition leader and the entitlement of the Prime Minister.

Canadians struggling to get by need real action. Far too many indigenous communities lack basic housing. More than half of Canadians are $200 from insolvency. In this Parliament, Liberals and Conservatives are competing on who can fight better for the billionaire class, but it is the NDP that is fighting to deliver true justice to Canadians.

Oscar Kistabish

[Sylvie Bérubé, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Oscar Kistabish, the president of the Val-d'Or Native Friendship Centre, has been awarded the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec's First Peoples Medal.

The First Peoples Medal recognizes outstanding contributions by members of the first nations and the Inuit nation. This recognition highlights the career paths of remarkable individuals whose dedication, commitment and achievements have contributed to the influence of their community, their nation or first peoples throughout Quebec, elsewhere in Canada or internationally.

Mr. Kistabish is a highly respected elder in the Anishinabe community of Pikogan and has dedicated a large part of his life to promoting traditional indigenous culture. He continues to play a big role in passing down ancestral Anishinabe culture on the land.

As a residential school survivor, Mr. Kistabish now shares his experiences and teachings, serving as a spiritual guide to help survivors find the path to healing.

Thank you, Mr. Kistabish.

Food Affordability

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the new Conservative leader will put people first: their homes, their paycheques, their retirements, their country. By contrast, under the Liberals, Canadians are struggling to put food on the table, fuel in their cars and heat in their homes.

Rising housing prices and interest rates have made the dream of home ownership impossible for young Canadians. Our seniors are watching their retirement savings disappear as a result of Justinflation. Now the Liberals want to triple the carbon tax, impacting farmers in every corner of the country.

I want to be clear. This is not a western issue. This is not a rural issue. This is a Canadian issue. Food costs are up 10%, the highest inflation in 40 years. Fertilizer policy, tariffs and tripling fuel taxes will drive the cost of food even higher. Whether one lives in Okotoks or Ottawa, this impacts every single Canadian and every single consumer.

The Liberals must abandon their planned tax hikes on food, fuel and paycheques. Our Canadian food sovereignty and affordability depends on it.

1972 Summit Series

[James Maloney, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the day was September 28, 1972. The time was 2:30 p.m. It was the third period. There were 34 seconds left to play, and the goal heard around the world won the critical game between Canada and the Soviet Union.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Summit Series. The players were legends then and they are legends now. While Paul Henderson scored seven times in eight games, even scoring the game-winner in game seven, it was his goal two days later that earned him the most famous goal in Canadian history.

I think of those legends often. Some will be here today. Some served in this chamber, like the Hon. Ken Dryden, but one more needs to be in the Hall of Fame. That is Paul Henderson.

Lester B. Pearson said, “This fastest of all games has become almost as much of a national symbol as the maple leaf.” He was right, and that day cemented hockey in the minds of all Canadians forever.

Taxation

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, it is good to see the Prime Minister here on a visit to Canada to refuel his private jet. However, here on the ground, in Canada, things are not going well. According to the Financial Post, rents are so high in Toronto that students are living in homeless shelters. Food banks are facing the highest demand in history. This is the worst time to increase costs for Canadians.

Will the Prime Minister cancel his tax hikes on gas, heating, food and paycheques?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I want to once again congratulate the member for Carleton who is now the leader of the official opposition.

We are now all back in the House of Commons and I know that we have a lot of work to do together this fall. On this side of the House, we are going to focus on helping Canadians while building an economy that works for everyone. We are going to invest to build more housing, bring down the cost of living, fight climate change, help the middle class, create safer communities and put more money in the pockets of the most vulnerable families.

We hope that all Canadians will work with us.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has effectively admitted that his carbon tax has not worked and, therefore, he needs to triple it. According to the Liberal Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, the forthcoming hike in the carbon tax will mean that the total cost increase for a Newfoundland senior living in the countryside, on their heating bill, will be 80%.

Canadians cannot afford that, but just for clarity, if someone is a Newfoundland senior, how much will their home heating bill rise as a result of the forthcoming hike in the Liberal carbon tax?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, like all parliamentarians, we have each heard stories from Canadians who are struggling with the high cost of living and with the inflation that has been caused by the global crisis. That is why we are putting forward concrete measures that are going to help Canadians. We are going to double the GST tax credit, which is going to hit millions of families with extra support. We are delivering on support for low-income families on dental, and we are also moving forward with support for low-income renters.

The Leader of the Opposition has an opportunity to support these measures and get help directly to Canadians. I hope he does exactly that.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the leader of the Liberal Party has an opportunity to respect the fact that heating one's home in January and February in Canada is not a luxury, and it does not make those Canadians polluters. They are just trying to survive. This from a Prime Minister who burned more jet fuel in one month than 20 average Canadians burn in an entire year.

Will the Prime Minister ground the jet, park the hypocrisy and axe the tax hikes?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we are going to continue to stay focused on direct and real help for Canadians, responding to the challenges they are facing with meaningful measures that are going to help millions of Canadians in the middle class and those working hard to join it.

If Canadians had followed the advice of the Leader of the Opposition and invested in volatile cryptocurrencies in an attempt to “opt out of inflation”, they would have lost half of their savings. Responsible leadership means stepping up for Canadians and being there to support them. Will the Conservative leader support our measures to support Canadians?

Employment Insurance

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, we will not support tax hikes on Canadians. Speaking of tax hikes, they plan to raise taxes on paycheques.

Now, yesterday, the finance minister claimed that all the EI tax hikes they would collect would go to EI benefits. In fact, I looked it up. Over the next three years, they are going to collect $10 billion more in EI taxes than they pay out in EI benefits, allowing the Prime Minister to grab up the difference and use it to feed his insatiable spending appetite.

Canadians cannot afford a bigger bite off their paycheques. Will the Prime Minister cancel his tax hikes on Canadian paycheques?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, in this House it is important to look at the facts, and the facts are that, when the Leader of the Opposition was the minister responsible for employment insurance, premiums were 20% higher for workers than they are now. That is right; workers paid 20% more. That is why we are continuing to move forward to support workers.

On the issue of the CPP, we promised to be there for workers as they become seniors to help them with their retirements, and that is exactly what we did. In regard to pricing pollution, we promised it would no longer be free to pollute anywhere in this country, and it no longer is. That is what we are focused on.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is quite wrong. Today, payroll taxes on the average $60,000-a-year worker are about $700 higher than when we left office and, by the way, we left with a balanced budget.

Now he wants to raise those taxes even further, a bigger bite off of Canadian paycheques at a time when inflation is at a 40-year high, when students are forced to live in homeless shelters and when home ownership rates are at the lowest level in a generation. Does he not understand that now is the worst time to raise taxes? Will he cancel those tax hikes?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition wants to go back in time. Let us look at what he was doing when he was in government. He continued to deliver child benefit cheques to millionaire families, which we ended when we took office. He voted against raising taxes on the wealthiest 1% so we could lower them on the middle class. He voted against a Canada child benefit that delivers hundreds of dollars a month, tax free, to every Canadian family.

We have seen where the Leader of the Opposition stands. On this side of the aisle, we are going to stay focused on helping Canadians for real.

Canadian Heritage

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

Mr. Speaker, I first want to say how happy I am to see that the Prime Minister is with us once again. I missed him. We will no longer need the NDP to tell us what the Liberals think. We can continue with our work now that the House has sung the praises of the monarchy.

Speaking of singing, I would like to tell the Prime Minister about francophone singers, because as French-language creators they have had their portion of income paid to English-language creators. Since this does not bother his minister, I would like the Prime Minister to tell me if he intends to ensure that—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The right hon. Prime Minister.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, for the past seven years, and especially during the pandemic, our government has always been there for artists across the country. We know just how much artists contribute to our identity and culture, which we share with the world. We will always be there to stand up for them. It is important that everyone be treated equally in our systems, and that is exactly what we are doing.