Debates of Oct. 19th, 2023

Carbon Pricing

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, Jill lives in the riding of the member for Regina—Qu'Appelle. She recently shared that she gets more money back than she pays out and that it helps her at the grocery store. She does not want the carbon pricing rebate to go away. Why would the Conservative Party of Canada cut this program from Jill?

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the government's own impact assessment on its clean fuel regulations says that the regulations are estimated to increase the price of gasoline and diesel, that “low-income households may be disproportionately affected by...[r]egulations”, and that rural Canadians “may have limited opportunity to reduce their fuel consumption in response to higher [fuel] prices.”

Why did the government ignore its own advice and plow ahead with the second carbon tax?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, if the Conservatives have a problem with my accent in English, then I will answer them in French. Maybe it will be easier for them. Bob, a teacher, also wrote to us. He just received his carbon pricing rebate. This year, he and his partner will receive $720. That is more than $13 a week. Bob told us that he is making more money with the carbon pricing rebate than if there were no rebate. Bob is asking us and the Conservative Party to keep the carbon pricing rebate.

Sport

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is finally making a name for itself internationally. It has just received the Ignoble Purpose Award from Professor Declan Hill of the University of New Haven in Connecticut for its refusal to hold a public inquiry into sexual misconduct in sports.

The federal government has been promising this inquiry for over a year. The Liberals had enough time to change ministers of sport, but not to launch the inquiry to ensure the safety of athletes, especially female athletes. That alone is a disgrace. Winning an ignoble award is an international disgrace. When will the government launch an independent public inquiry?

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for his question and his work on this very important subject. Systemic reform and a change of culture in sport are absolutely essential. Our sports system does not do enough to protect our children or to hold the leaders of sports organizations to account. It is important to realize that, right now, there is a lot of work to be done.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is always the same with the Liberals. They make announcements when they feel the pressure, and then they drop the ball. A year ago, the former minister of sport promised a public inquiry into sexual misconduct in sport. A year went by, and nothing was done. Did the Prime Minister reprimand her? No, he promoted her.

Canada could have been a world leader in fighting misconduct in sport, just as it was a leader in the anti-doping movement. Instead, it earned itself an ignoble prize, following in Qatar's footsteps. Victims are waiting. When will the government get to work for them?

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity]

Mr. Speaker, again, I thank my colleague for his question. We have started working on a safe sport framework for Canada. It will include implementing safe sport requirements such as the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner and the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport.

Canada is a leader in fighting for a safer sport system in Canada.

Carbon Pricing

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of a Liberal government, everything is more expensive in Canada. These Liberals, with the support, assistance and enthusiasm of the Bloc, are implementing and creating a new tax, the second Liberal carbon tax. That is why it is costly to vote for the Bloc Québécois.

The department acknowledges that it has not assessed the regional impact of the second carbon tax. News flash: the public transit that is available in Plateau Mont‑Royal is not available in Cabano.

Could the Bloc Québécois explain why it agrees with the second Liberal tax?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to explain to my hon. colleague how Quebec does not use a pricing system, but a greenhouse gas emissions cap and trade system, and that the clean fuel regulations that we brought in was one of the Conservative Party's commitments in the 2021 election campaign. The difference between us and them is that they only talk about these issues while we on this side of the House take action.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to explain to the minister how the first Liberal carbon tax is impacting Quebec. The things we buy from outside Quebec, from the rest of Canada, have been impacted by the Liberal carbon tax. I would also like to point out to him that public transit is not as widely available in La Tuque as it is in downtown Montreal. The reality is that the people of La Tuque, and people across Quebec, are going to have to pay the second Liberal carbon tax without getting any real public transit benefit in return.

How is this government going to explain the higher cost to people?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, I have tremendous respect for my colleague from Louis‑Saint‑Laurent and for everyone from Louis‑Saint‑Laurent watching us today, because I know they are watching. I can tell my colleague from Louis‑Saint‑Laurent that the people of La Tuque expect one thing. They know that the member for Louis‑Saint‑Laurent is a man of influence, a man of reason and a man who speaks for his caucus.

I hope he can persuade his colleagues to vote for our affordability bill to help Canadians. It is the best way to stabilize prices and help Canadians.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this Liberal government, the government is introducing a second carbon tax without even assessing its impact on the regions. It is doing this with help from the Bloc Québécois, which wants to radically increase this carbon tax by voting with the government twice. The Bloc has no regard for Quebeckers who are struggling to make ends meet.

Voting for the Bloc means that it will cost Quebeckers more to put food on the table. Voting for the Bloc means that it will cost Quebeckers more to gas up their cars. Voting for the Bloc means that it will cost Quebeckers more for housing.

This government is tired and worn out. Why do the Bloc members support the costly carbon tax that is hurting Quebeckers?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question, but the ones who are really suffering now are the interpreters. Another thing that hurts even more is that Canadians are watching us, including the people of Saint-Nicolas in Lévis, in my colleague's riding. People are watching and wondering whether, for once in their lives, the Conservatives will vote in favour of Canadians to help them with affordability. On this side of the House, it is clear.

Will the Conservatives vote for Canadians for once, yes or no?

Housing

[Francis Scarpaleggia, Liberal, Lac-Saint-Louis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we know that there is a housing crisis in Canada. Our government is on the front lines fighting this crisis. We introduced Bill C‑56, which will eliminate the GST on the construction of housing and speed up residential construction across Canada. However, as we speak, the bill is still being debated in the House, which is causing delays in getting help to Canadians.

Can the Minister of Employment and Workforce Development remind the House how this bill will help Canadians who have been hard hit by the housing crisis?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Employment]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Lac‑Saint‑Louis for his question.

The bill in question will accelerate the construction of housing across Canada, thus creating quality jobs. Investing in housing helps build strong communities.

Once again, the Conservatives are filibustering and refusing to vote in favour of this bill for Canadians. They are against social development, against the construction of housing. They are so caught up in their political games that they are not going to support Canadians.

Will they support Canadians, yes or no?

Foreign Affairs

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's closest intelligence allies have already clarified the record. The government has not, so I am going to give the government an opportunity to correct and clarify the record. Will the government clearly state that the Israel Defence Forces and the State of Israel were not responsible for the explosion at the hospital in Gaza on Tuesday?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, what happened in Gaza is absolutely devastating. Palestinian civilians and Israeli civilians are equal and must be protected. We heard the Prime Minister earlier today. Canada and its allies are working to determine exactly what happened, and Canadians deserve answers.

Natural Resources

[Jeremy Patzer, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Prime Minister, Canada has lost its reputation as a world leader in energy production. After we told Germany, Japan and France that there is no business case for LNG, Qatar is now the supplier of choice for our G7 allies. This is the same Qatar that is housing the leadership of Hamas, the terrorist organization that is murdering innocent Israelis and Palestinians.

Will the Prime Minister admit that there is not only a business case for LNG but a moral one as well?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, it is just shameful to be drawing out that type of conspiracy theory when we are talking about such sensitive issues.

Let us talk about how we are supporting our allies, because the facts are important. We are working with all of our allies in providing green hydrogen and providing nuclear technologies. We are there to support our allies when they come looking to us for support, and I would ask the member opposite this: If he cares so much about clean energy, why did he vote against supporting the creation of offshore wind in our Atlantic provinces? It would create good-paying jobs and clean energy.

Public Services and Procurement

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Speaker, at least $38 million of a $1-billion green slush fund is under investigation for conflicts of interest and gross mismanagement. It is another example of corruption and scandal, and Canadians want to know who got rich. After eight years of the NDP-Liberal government, we have whistle-blowers seeking career and legal protection for bringing Canadians' attention to this latest example of government waste and abuse.

The Prime Minister is simply not worth the cost, so Canadians want to know which BFF, family member, former staffer or Liberal lobbyist got rich.

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, again, we need to rectify the facts. I think there will be a number of small and medium-sized businesses in the country in the energy space and in the environmental space that will be shocked by this comment.

We did the responsible thing. The moment there was an allegation of wrongdoing, we hired an independent third party expert to investigate. Once we got the results of that investigation, we took action. We demanded that agency, as we do of all agencies of the Government of Canada, to have the highest standard of governance. That is what Canadians expected and that is what we did.

Small Business

[Chandra Arya, Liberal, Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this week is Small Business Week. Small businesses employ about 10 million Canadians and contribute about 40% of GDP. From indigenous people to new Canadians, we have dynamic entrepreneurs in my riding of Nepean with small businesses in sectors from technology to tourism. I am glad our government has supported these local businesses.

This week is an opportunity to celebrate them. Could the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario tell the House how we are supporting our hard-working small business owners and entrepreneurs across Canada?

[Filomena Tassi, Liberal, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, small businesses are the heart of Canadian communities, and our government is delighted to support small businesses like Mādahòkì Farm, which I had the pleasure of visiting with the member for Nepean. It offers a unique indigenous experience and a marketplace for local indigenous entrepreneurs.

Our government is going to continue to support entrepreneurs and small business owners so they can reach their potential and develop new possibilities for Canadians. I thank all small businesses across Canada for their commitment and for their dedication and hard work.

Happy Small Business Week.

Infrastructure

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, several water main breaks saw torrents of water pouring down the streets of Prince Rupert and flooding people's homes. Now there is a city-wide boil water advisory. This is not the first time. Last December, the city had to declare a state of emergency due to its failing water infrastructure.

This is a port city that is critical to Canada's supply chain and our economy. Will the minister stand and speak directly to the people of Prince Rupert and assure them that timely federal help is on its way?

[Chris Bittle, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing]

Mr. Speaker, we know the people of Prince Rupert are facing serious water challenges and we are closely monitoring the situation.

Through the disaster mitigation and adaptation fund, we are helping communities protect their critical infrastructure while reducing long-term costs associated with replacing infrastructure following natural disasters. The minister has been working with Mayor Pond and the province on Prince Rupert's application to the fund to address its water challenges.

We will always have the backs of the people of Prince Rupert, and we will share more on this as soon as we can.