Debates of Sept. 27th, 2022

Taxation

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, what I will do is tell Canadians the truth about what is happening with their EI contributions and their pensions. What is true is that in 2015 a Canadian who earned $49,500 paid $931 in EI premiums. Do members know how much that same Canadian will pay next year? It is $807. That is $125 less than she paid when the Conservative leader was the employment minister. That is supporting hard-working Canadians.

Health

[Luc Thériault, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

Mr. Speaker, throughout the pandemic, the Prime Minister kept telling Quebec and the provinces that he was prepared to discuss an increase in health transfers, but not until after the pandemic.

The federal government terminated all its health measures yesterday. It is time to address this issue. There is no longer anything to stop the government from tackling the other major public health crisis, namely, the chronic federal underfunding of health care.

The question is simple: When will the Prime Minister convene a summit on increasing health transfers?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to be asked this question.

This gives me the opportunity to say that once again, next week, I will be speaking with all my fellow health ministers. I plan to tell them that I am their ally and that I am going to help them invest money to reduce the backlogs in surgery and diagnosis, which are huge because of the accumulated effects of COVID-19. I will also help them provide Canadians with access to a family doctor, a family health care unit, long-term care, palliative care and quality home care. Everyone knows that this care is important to Canadians, and certainly to Quebeckers.

[Luc Thériault, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government often boasts that it spent a lot of money on a one-time basis during the pandemic, but that does not solve ongoing problems.

We need the federal government to pay its fair share on a recurring basis. That will make it possible to reduce wait lists, hire more nursing staff and put an end to mandatory overtime. That will make it possible to train and hire psychologists for the public system.

When will this government understand that the future of public, universal health care requires $28 billion in recurring health transfers with an annual escalator of 6%?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague is quite right. The Canadian government invested $73 billion in health and safety for Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has continued to spend on vaccines sent free of charge to the provinces and territories, rapid tests and Paxlovid.

Hundreds of thousands of courses of Paxlovid treatment are now available in the provinces and territories to help Canadians with serious health problems related to COVID-19. There is also the personal protective equipment and all the other services that we provided to the provinces and territories and paid for.

Taxation

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Mr. Speaker, under the Liberal government the cost of living is skyrocketing. However, do not fret, because the government has an affordability plan; the same government that got Canadian families into this affordability crisis.

The truth is that families are spending more of their income on taxes than on food, shelter and clothing combined. That is 43% of their income on taxes and just 35% on essentials. Will the government end its planned tax increases on gas, home heating and groceries?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, we understand that Conservatives have seen the light when it comes to our plan to support Canadians with the cost of living. They kicked and they hollered at the beginning of this parliamentary session, but over the weekend they did a very Conservative flip-flop and said that they are going to support the GST credit. They did the right thing. I hope that this weekend will see them supporting another important measure: the $500 payment to support Canadians with the cost of housing.

[Martin Shields, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the average Canadian family now spends more of its income on taxes than it does on the necessities of food and shelter combined. Farmers in Bow River are paying millions in carbon taxes annually just to power their irrigation systems. Their hard-earned dollars are being syphoned off by the NDP-Liberal government rather than being reinvested in local economies, local infrastructure and local goods. Will the government end its planned tax increases on gas, home heating and groceries so farmers can get back to feeding the world and so Canadians can afford nutritious food?

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, on-farm fuel for farmers is exempt. As he would remember as well, through the fall economic statement last year we provided a carbon tax rebate for farmers, which they are eligible for this year, based on farm expenses.

[Ron Liepert, Conservative, Calgary Signal Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government takes more out of a working Canadian's paycheque for taxes than is left to take home to pay for groceries or their mortgage, that is if they can afford a home, and to put gas in their vehicle. That is not right.

The Prime Minister is out of touch, but he has an opportunity. I would ask him this. Can he promise to this House today that there will be no more taxes on Canadians?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives seem to think Canadians are not smart, but I know that Canadians are really smart. I know Canadians are responsible, and I know that Canadians understand the value of the Canada pension plan. Canadians understand the importance of saving in the Canada pension plan. That is why Canadians see right through the Conservatives, who are irresponsibly suggesting that we eviscerate the CPP. That should not be a surprise, though. They told Canadians to invest in crypto.

Climate Change

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it was so tough to see the devastation caused by hurricane Fiona over the weekend. It is a sobering example of the climate crisis that we all face here and in our communities.

Could the Minister of National Revenue give us some concrete examples of this reality?

[Diane Lebouthillier, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Pontiac for her important question.

With devastating storms like Fiona, we are no longer talking about climate change. We are talking about a climate crisis. One of my constituents from the Magdalen Islands told me that he had never seen such rough seas. He said that it would be impossible not to believe in climate change after a storm like that. The climate crisis is real, and we must take action.

What do the Conservatives not understand? When will they wake up and understand that we are in the midst of a climate crisis?

Public Services and Procurement

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

Mr. Speaker, in January 2017, the Prime Minister invited the world to come to Canada via Roxham Road. The Prime Minister's invitation created some very lucrative opportunities for his Liberal friends. Radio-Canada reports that at least half a billion dollars has been spent simply managing Roxham Road in Saint‑Bernard‑de‑Lacolle.

For example, he awarded untendered contracts totalling no less than $14 million to his friend Pierre Guay, a gentleman who, coincidentally, contributed more than $16,000 to the Liberal Party of Canada. Contracts like that, awarded by this Prime Minister, smack of corruption.

Can the Prime Minister explain his actions?

[Helena Jaczek, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Speaker, as I said before, transparency and accountability are critically important to our government. The rental agreement reference was negotiated based on a fair market value to arrive at a competitive price. Given the location of the land and its proximity to the border, this was an ideal location for CBSA to use for this purpose. Our government is delivering open, fair and transparent procurement processes while obtaining the best value for Canadians.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have visited the site in Saint‑Bernard‑de‑Lacolle three times in the past five years, and each time I saw totally unnecessary expenses, such as large tent villages standing empty. Money was being spent for absolutely no reason.

The worst thing about all this is that contracts have been given to friends, but we cannot know the details of those contracts. We are not getting the information, on the pretext of national security.

What do land and tents have to do with national security?

[Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I am really proud of my colleague's question because it gives me the chance to talk about what we are doing and the agreements we are working with. I think the member from the Bloc Québécois also mentioned it earlier.

I want to be very clear. Our system for asylum seekers must be robust and humane. There is no magic solution. I know there has been talk of suspending the agreement, but that would surely have the opposite effect. What we need to do is modernize it. That is what we are doing, in collaboration with the United States.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, today, the Liberals have falsely claimed that the immigration system is both fair and delivering value for money. I think that the 2.4 million people languishing in the longest immigration backlog in Canadian history will be enraged by these talking points. This includes the family of Ayad, a 12-year-old torture survivor who is currently huddled alone in a refugee camp.

Will the Liberals explain to Ayad 's family how spending half a million dollars to make it easier for people to skip the line in upstate New York at Roxham Road is both fair and delivering value for money?

[Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about some of the investments we are making. We have taken measures to reduce the wait time. We are doing more to tackle the backlog in the short term, while making our system more sustainable in the long term. We are doing this by hiring 1,250 more staff members.

We understand the value of immigration and we will continue to be there in protecting our immigration system, while continuing to invest to make sure people who can come to Canada come as quickly as possible.

International Development

[Sameer Zuberi, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, according to the United Nations, the world is going through a global food crisis caused by war, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. Canada, with its international partners like the World Food Programme, has worked tirelessly to combat food insecurity.

Mr. David Beasley, the executive director of the World Food Programme, has been championing this cause during his ongoing visit to Canada.

Could the Minister of International Development tell us how Canada is working with its partners from the World Food Programme to fight food insecurity around the world?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the climate crisis is causing a food security crisis for the most vulnerable around the world.

Hunger leads to conflict. This is why Canada was the fourth-largest single country donor to the World Food Programme in 2021, providing over $306 million in humanitarian funding for emergency food and nutritional assistance to people in need.

I want to take this opportunity to thank the members of the World Food Programme and the many other organizations for feeding the most vulnerable on our planet.

Indigenous Affairs

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, families across Canada are struggling with food prices. Grocery costs are even worse in Nunavut. CEOs of big grocery stores get millions of dollar in bonuses, while families in the north are unable to access affordable, fresh food.

The government refuses to listen to Inuit and fix the nutrition north program.

When will the government step up and finally implement a windfall tax on grocery stores making record profits and help Nunavummiut access the nutritious and affordable food they deserve?

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Minister of Northern Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, in Inuvik, approximately a month ago, we announced an expanded nutrition north program, with $164 million in new funding, in partnership with indigenous partners. The newly expanded program moves beyond simply a subsidy with a new community food program fund to directly support community-led food security activities.

We are providing more funds directly to indigenous partners, through the harvesters support grant, increasing access to traditional country foods, through hunting, harvesting and food sharing.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, an Inuit woman who travelled to Ottawa to be a nurse died after just four days in the city. She was a victim of violence, who had no access to safe, affordable housing. The missing and murdered indigenous women and girls inquiry's final report cites housing 299 times.

The minister was asked about it today and he said, “words fail me.” His words and inaction are failing indigenous, Inuit and Métis people.

Will the minister ensure that there are meaningful investments in a “for indigenous, by indigenous” urban, rural and northern housing strategy in budget 2023?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion]

Mr. Speaker, the case the hon. member is referring to obviously touches all of us. When a member of our community is targeted and does not have access to safe and affordable housing and is on the street, it diminishes all of us.

We are committed to a “for indigenous, by indigenous” urban, rural and northern housing strategy. That is why in budget 2022 we dedicated $300 million as a first installment of what is needed, which is a significant amount of money and investments that are needed, to put in place serious investments in a “for indigenous, by indigenous” urban, rural and northern housing strategy.