Debates of Oct. 27th, 2023

Carbon Pricing

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

Mr. Speaker, I am going to tell the story of 870,000 Quebeckers who, each month, have to use food banks because they are hungry.

That is one in 10 Quebeckers, 30% more in one year, 73% more than in 2019. Worse yet, 70% of food banks have been short on supplies.

The “Liberal Bloc” wants to radically increase the carbon taxes that, as we know, will continue to increase the cost of everything.

When will the Prime Minister cancel the second carbon tax of 20¢ a litre that he imposed on the backs of Quebeckers?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Employment]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for the question.

It is clear that we are working very hard right now to stabilize the price of groceries for Canadians across the country, the Canada child benefit continues to put money in the pockets of Canadians and Quebeckers every year, and the carbon tax does not apply to Quebec, as the member knows full well.

We are here to support Quebeckers and Canadians and we will continue to do this work.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are asleep at the wheel. We saw this all too clearly yesterday in an article in the Journal de Montréal, under the headline “872,000 Quebeckers are using food banks every month: a national embarrassment”. That is what eight years under the Liberals looks like.

The article states that “the face of poverty is changing: it includes families, workers, sometimes even unionized workers, women, newcomers, university students...”

After his dizzying free fall in yesterday's polls, did the Prime Minister panic and forget about Quebec? Will he cancel the second carbon tax that he forced on all Quebeckers, yes or no?

[Jenna Sudds, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, once again, on this side of the House we recognize that many Canadian families are facing challenges. Just last week, I had the opportunity to visit Eden Food for Change in the riding of Mississauga—Erin Mills, and that organization helps to feed individuals each and every day. Through the community services recovery fund, we have put $400 million into community organizations to help address these problems.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Radio-Canada has revealed that the Liberals are considering reviewing immigration thresholds for 2026 because of the housing crisis.

The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship has even confirmed that he plans to say more on November 1. However, Ottawa is still reviewing its thresholds without talking to Quebec and the provinces, despite the fact that Quebec and the provinces are the ones responsible for health care, education, French language learning, infrastructure, and more. The provinces alone know what their capacity is to successfully welcome immigrants.

Will the government commit to consulting them and adjusting its thresholds based on their capacity to accommodate immigrants?

[Stéphane Lauzon, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizens' Services]

Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite well knows, Quebec sets its own immigration targets. It can select the francophone newcomers who will build the homes and infrastructure they need, and who will fill essential jobs in the health care sector.

We always respect Quebec's jurisdiction in immigration, but it is also important to recognize that newcomers are undeniably part of the solution.

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is odd. Yesterday, when the Bloc Québécois said that we needed to review immigration levels, the Liberals accused the Bloc of being against immigration, but when the Liberals are the ones reviewing those levels, like they are currently doing, then that absolutely does not mean they are against immigration. When they do it, then it is okay, but when someone else does it, it is bad.

On Tuesday, on the Bloc Québécois's initiative, we will discuss immigration targets. I wonder if we will be able to have an intelligent debate without the Liberals suggesting that everyone except them is intolerant.

[Stéphane Lauzon, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizens' Services]

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois is asking us to be there for immigrants in Quebec. We are very pleased to be part of the solution. Quebec has the exclusive power to select the majority of immigrants who arrive in the province. As set out in the Canada-Quebec accord, Quebec also receives financial compensation from the federal government for its assistance.

We respect Quebec's jurisdiction on immigration. We are working very well with the Government of Quebec. The Government of Quebec is a good partner.

Housing

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Speaker, we are seeing a housing crisis across the country, and Halifax is seeing one of the worst in Canada. People are forced to live in parks and in their cars. Women fleeing violence have nowhere to go when they stay at a shelter, and students cannot find a home they can afford. Liberals and Conservatives point fingers, but between them, those two parties have lost over a million affordable homes over the last 17 years.

When will the Liberals finally build the homes people desperately need so no one has to sleep on the streets in Halifax?

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing]

Mr. Speaker, there are 70,000 new units for individuals who have experienced homelessness, and 122,000 people who were close to being homeless are not homeless because of the national housing strategy. That applies to what I just said before on homelessness. The member rightly brings up the plight and position of women who experience homelessness. Over 400 units of shelter were either renovated or constructed through the government's investments. We have more to do. It is not an acceptable situation, but we will get it done.

The Economy

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals say they are not making things worse, but they are certainly not making things better. Here is the reality of yet another Canadian: Stephanie Finlayson, of Woodstock, Ontario, has been struggling to make ends meet. Big corporations that make record profits are gouging people such as Stephanie at the grocery store, at the pumps, with bank fees and with their cellphone bills. After working full time and paying her monthly bills, she only has nine dollars left for food. Under the Liberal government, people are going under, and Conservatives have no interest in cracking down on corporate greed.

When is the government going to put something in place to protect Stephanie from this ongoing corporate gouging?

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, our government is stepping up to fight inflation and alleviate the pressures in our economy to address Canadians' affordability challenges. Meanwhile, we see the Conservatives shudder at even the thought of standing up to corporations. We brought them to the table. They have produced action plans. We are updating our competition laws. I wish all members of this House would get on side and vote in support of our affordability act.

Carbon Pricing

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Mr. Speaker, a year ago, the Liberal MP for St. John's South—Mount Pearl, in a show of great compassion to Atlantic Canadians, said he was “sick and tired” of hearing from people complaining about the cost of heating. Then he and his fellow Liberals voted against removing the carbon tax from home heating. After eight years, NDP-Liberals now admit the carbon tax is hurting people and it is not worth the cost.

Will the Prime Minister admit the pain he has caused and axe the entire carbon tax?

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that climate change is real, and Nova Scotians know that climate change is real. Over the past two years, we have had fires, floods and hurricanes.

We have also heard that Nova Scotians need help and time. That is why I am proud our government has incentivized heat pumps and created incentives for medium- and low-income families to ensure they can make the transition to clean and affordable energy. Our government is committed to addressing climate change, and we will be there to help all Canadians make that change.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the announcement he referenced is from a panicking, plummeting Prime Minister. After eight years, even the Prime Minister now admits his carbon tax is not working. However, the NDP-Liberal government continues to punish Canadians with a carbon tax on everything. The Prime Minister is not worth the cost. Last night in Nova Scotia, 1,000 people demanded the Liberals axe the tax.

When will the Prime Minister do his job and axe the entire carbon tax?

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, we want to save people money and fight climate change at the same time. We know that a price on pollution reduces emissions and puts more money in the pockets of middle-class families. We also know that many families who use home heating oil in Atlantic Canada are having trouble making the switch to a cleaner and cheaper source of heat, particularly in rural communities. It is a switch they want to make. That is why we are pausing the price on pollution on home heating oil for three years, doubling the rural rebate and creating a new program to deliver cleaner, more affordable heat pumps to families in the region while we save them thousands of dollars every year.

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it has been eight long, miserable years with the NDP-Liberal government. A year ago, its members voted to keep the carbon tax on home heating, and now they are in full panic mode. With polling numbers in free fall, their new re-election slogan is “elect them and they will only quadruple the carbon tax right after the next election”. There is no relief either for the second carbon tax the Prime Minister has piled on. My constituents know the Prime Minister is not worth the cost.

When will the NDP-Liberal government admit its carbon tax is punishing Albertans and axe the entire carbon tax?

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

Mr. Speaker, we announced yesterday that we are going to double the rural top-up for Canadians, who benefit from the implementation of carbon pricing. We will also, through a pilot project, make it free for Atlantic Canadians who want to switch to heat pumps, which will enable them to save $2,000 per year. What is it the Conservatives do not like about it? I will tell members what it is: It is making Canadians less dependent on their big-oil friends. They want Canadians to continue paying for inefficient, polluting and pricey systems. That is not what we want to do on this side of the House.

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Mr. Speaker, obviously, the members on that side are in panic mode because of falling numbers in the polls, so they are serving up election gimmicks.

This week's food bank report says that one in six Canadians is one of the “working hungry”. They are working and going to the food bank.

Herman, in my riding, tells me that he has been going to the food bank for almost two years, along with his brother and two friends. Another constituent told me that he is okay, as he is skipping only one meal a day and having cereal for the two other meals. Herman and my constituents know this: The Prime Minister is not worth the cost.

When will the NDP-Liberal government treat Albertans fairly and axe the entire tax so they can put food on their dinner table?

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, it is hard to take these champagne Conservatives seriously. They continue to stand up in this House and speak to the hardships that Canadians are feeling, while every step of the way, they oppose the very measures that our government has consistently put forward to help the most vulnerable. These are such measures as the Canada child benefit, offering families hundreds of dollars per month to support their children, and child care, which is saving families hundreds of dollars per month.

Instead of weaponizing the hardships of Canadians for political gain, perhaps they could consider supporting real measures that help Canadians, such as the affordability act.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Mark is a local grocery store owner in Dawson City. He has seen his already high shipping costs get slapped with a 94% fuel surcharge because of the current Prime Minister's carbon tax. A dozen eggs is eight dollars, a pound of butter is nine dollars and a kilogram of cheese is $30. Yukoners know they simply cannot afford the Prime Minister any longer.

Will the NDP-Liberal government finally stop punishing Yukoners and axe its carbon tax?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Canada Energy Regulator estimates that wind power will provide about 30% of Canada's total supply in 2050, compared with under 6% in 2021.

According to a recent study by the Public Policy Forum, “Offshore wind could be for Atlantic Canada what oil was to Texas or hydro power to Quebec.” This is transformational for Atlantic Canada.

I think a lot of Canadians wonder why the Conservative Party is opposing the development of clean, renewable energy for Atlantic Canadians and, in fact, for all Canadians.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

Mr. Speaker, despite the Prime Minister's fancy photo ops yesterday, Yukoners are facing a cold winter. They will have to decide between keeping their kids warm and keeping them fed.

The carbon tax is causing transportation costs to double and food prices to skyrocket. Instead of making it better for struggling Yukoners, the NDP-Liberal government is making it worse. After eight years, the Prime Minister is simply not worth the cost.

Yukoners want to know this: Will the government end the carbon tax in its entirety and, if so, when?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Employment]

Mr. Speaker, I respect the hon. member across the way, who is speaking for the people of Yukon. We have a fantastic member of Parliament on this side who actually represents Yukon.

I can tell members that, in that territory, we are making transformational investments in our tourism industry and in making sure we have climate resiliency.

What the Conservatives have against climate change is the fact that they do not believe in it. They ran on a policy to actually fight climate change. Now that they are under new management, they do not care.

We do. We are going to fight climate change for Yukoners and all Canadians.

Small Business

[Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, Bloc, Terrebonne, QC]

Mr. Speaker, once again, this government is standing alone against everyone else, and this is threatening the survival of 250,000 businesses.

Everyone is asking the government to defer repayment of the CEBA loans for another year without losing any grants. All the premiers, the premier of Quebec and the premiers of the provinces and territories, as well as the National Assembly, which voted unanimously, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business and the Association Restauration Québec, everyone—except the federal government—is on the same side, that of entrepreneurs.

When will the government get on the same page as everyone else and defer repayment, as everyone is calling for?