Debates of Oct. 31st, 2023

Carbon Tax

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals continue to double down on what Canadians already know, which is that their agenda is not about helping all Canadians, but holding onto power and keeping their seats.

The Prime Minister came out admitting that his carbon tax is punishing Canadians and making life unaffordable. His solution is to temporarily remove a small portion of the carbon tax just in Atlantic Canada. The Liberal minister from Newfoundland and Labrador said, on national news, that the decision was based solely on votes. That is political science, not real science. She said that only people who vote Liberal matter.

Another Liberal minister said that he is “sick and tired of people talking about the cold winter”. Heating one's home during a Canadian winter is not a luxury.

The common-sense Conservative promise is simple: Fair and equal treatment for all Canadians. We will end all of the inflation-causing carbon tax.

Poppy Campaign in St. John's East

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, the 2023 poppy campaign is in full swing. It is a way to remember and honour Canadian veterans.

No one better embodies the heart of the poppy campaign than the Deon family in St. John's. Rod Deon was a veteran of the Second World War and was part of the Normandy D-Day invasion. He passed away in the summer at the age of 102 and was involved in the poppy campaign for 50 years, right up until he was 101. Now his daughter Jenn is carrying that legacy and tradition forward in his and other veterans' honour.

A poppy is a way of saying thanks to those who served, like Mr. Deon. I know it is a sentiment that everyone in the House shares.

Lest we forget.

Carbon Tax

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years with this government in office, the cost of living has skyrocketed. People simply can no longer make ends meet.

This government, with the strong support of its Bloc Québécois allies, are imposing a second carbon tax that adds up to 20¢ per litre of gas. Voting for the Bloc Québécois is costly. Unlike what the Bloc members would have people believe, this second carbon tax does apply to Quebec.

Last week, the Prime Minister finally admitted that his carbon tax is harmful and makes life unaffordable. He gave the Atlantic provinces some respite from the tax. The Liberal minister even said that the Atlantic provinces were entitled to that respite because they voted for the government. That is appalling. It is an affront to Quebeckers who are also suffering as a result of the carbon tax.

The Prime Minister must be fair, show some common sense and abandon his costly carbon tax completely, and not just temporarily, for everyone.

[Branden Leslie, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, after eight miserable years, it is clear that the Prime Minister and the Liberal-NDP coalition are not worth the cost. A desperate Prime Minister in total free fall finally admitted that his carbon tax is punishing Canadians and making life unaffordable. This weekend, the Minister of Rural Economic Development admitted that this exemption was not granted to Canadians across the country because they do not vote Liberal.

Meanwhile, today, the Minister of Northern Affairs denied that he had heard any concerns from his constituents about the unfair carbon tax stunt, which I do not believe for a second. Perhaps I can help the member for Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, because I have spoken to Manitobans. I have talked to seniors, families and small business owners who despise the carbon tax and want it axed. The minister had a chance to stand up for Manitobans and remove the carbon tax from our home heating; instead, his government is creating two classes of citizens: those who pay the carbon tax on home heating and those who do not.

Will the Manitoban Liberal Minister of Northern Affairs stand up for his constituents and all Manitobans and finally axe the tax?

Stem Cell Registry

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in Canada today, nearly 1,000 patients are in need of life-saving stem cell transplants.

Less than a quarter of those who are sick find a suitable donor in their family. The others count on unrelated volunteer donors to save their lives. Patients are more likely to find a suitable donor within their own ethnic group.

That is why it is so important that our stem cell registry become as diverse as our country.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, November 1, Canadian Blood Services will host the Hope on the Hill event from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., where parliamentarians, staff and the health community will have the opportunity to join the Stem Cell Registry in person. For who cannot make it, I encourage them to visit blood.ca to discover how they can join the Stem Cell Registry and save lives.

Foreign Affairs

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, New Democrats condemn the Hamas terrorist attack on innocent children, women and the elderly. Now, people who have nothing to do with Hamas are getting killed.

Right at the outset, New Democrats called for a ceasefire, the release of all hostages, the protection of all civilians, an end to the siege and bombardment of Gaza, and for humanitarian aid to reach civilians urgently and without restriction. We condemn all acts of anti-Semitism, anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia, including any glorification or calls for the killing of innocent people, Israeli or Palestinian.

As the siege and bombardment continue, a whole population could be wiped out. Humanity must be at the forefront of this war and any war. We must support ICC investigations into all war crimes. Canada must end arms sales to Israel and condemn settler attacks in the West Bank. We must invest in building a just peace for Palestinians and Israelis and put an end to the occupation.

Jean‑Luc Barthe

[Yves Perron, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today I wish to acknowledge Jean‑Luc Barthe, mayor of the municipality of Saint‑Ignace‑de‑Loyola, for his many years of dedication and loyal service.

Municipal government is local government. To have staying power, municipal politicians must be close to the people. While pursuing his career at Bombardier and Marine Industries, Mr. Barthe first got involved as a city councillor for 21 years and has now served as mayor for 14 years, for a total of 35 years of public service. His outstanding community involvement deserves recognition in the House.

I am very proud to commend Mr. Barthe for his diligence, perseverance and keen sense of responsibility. He is always on the job for his constituents, and that is a very noble thing. His devotion to his beloved municipality commands respect.

I want to congratulate him.

Public Services and Procurement

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

Mr. Speaker, after eight years, rampant corruption and gross mismanagement of taxpayer dollars are being exposed in the Prime Minister’s billion-dollar green slush fund at Sustainable Development Technologies Canada. A friend of the Prime Minister who is chair of the board has funnelled millions of dollars to her company, and she even had executives pressure and mislead staff into approving millions more.

Recent reports reveal that of a small sample of companies that received funding, three of them were ineligible, but they still received a staggering $53 million. The companies did not need the funding, and the external reviewers recommended against funding them, but they got tens of millions of taxpayer dollars anyway because under the NDP-Liberal government, insiders get paid and Canadians pay the price.

Conservatives have alerted Canada’s Auditor General to the corruption in the Liberal green slush fund and have called for a full forensic audit. Canadians deserve answers, because the Prime Minister is just not worth the cost.

Conservative Party of Canada

[Ken Hardie, Liberal, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

Mr. Speaker, last week in members' statements and question period, Conservatives made 179 statements they knew were not accurate or factual. We can put this down to political hyperbole, but link it to other things Conservatives have been doing, and a dark picture emerges. Since they named their latest leader, Conservatives have consistently worked to tear down Canada's democratic institutions, government agencies, the CBC—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I am going to interrupt the member for Fleetwood—Port Kells. To indicate that any hon. member in the House deliberately made false statements is against the rules of the House. If the member is able to, I will encourage him to start his statement again. Understanding what I have just said, he would conduct himself accordingly.

The hon. member for Fleetwood—Port Kells has the floor, from the top in an amended fashion.

[Ken Hardie, Liberal, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

Mr. Speaker, last week in members' statements and question period, there were 179 statements that were not accurate or factual. We could put this down to political hyperbole on the part of the Conservatives, but link it to other things the Conservatives have been doing, and we get a very dark picture. Since they named their latest leader, Conservatives have consistently worked to tear down Canada's democratic institutions, government agencies and the CBC; to dis our economy; to attack our courts; and to disrespect the Speaker as well.

The phrase “everything is broken” promotes distrust. The Conservatives feed the public a steady diet of anger and doubt. Is this a set-up to create citizens' willingness to elect a strongman who would take away some of their freedoms in exchange for an illusionary sense of protection? Is this the Conservative leader's agenda? If so, it is risky and reckless. If not, then he should follow the advice from Cicero: “When [some] speak ill of thee, live so that [none] would believe them.”

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

Colleagues, once again, I will encourage you to please reread the statement that I made from the chair almost two weeks ago regarding trying to bring more decorum to the House. It is really important, not only for ourselves but also for all Canadians, that we understand that each member of Parliament who comes here comes with the best of intentions to serve her or his country, to do so with honour and to do so with integrity.

There are statements we can make that can certainly reflect a point of view people have, but let us make sure we do not cross over the line into calling into question the dignity and honour of all members.

Carbon Pricing

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's flip-flop on his carbon tax creates two classes of Canadians: some who are temporarily exempt from taxes on their heating, and others who will have to pay the second carbon tax, which applies in Quebec and will continue to drive up the cost of gas, diesel and food for Quebeckers.

The Prime Minister's Minister of Rural Economic Development said that Prairie Canadians are going to have to continue to pay the carbon tax because they did not vote Liberal.

Will the Prime Minister denounce her divisive comments or admit that he is hitting Canadians with higher taxes as punishment for not voting for him?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, people across the country are facing very high prices because they heat their homes with oil. That is why they are not always able to switch to more affordable options, like heat pumps. Last week's announcement focuses on replacing oil heating with heat pumps, and that goes for the whole country.

We are here to work with all the provinces that want to make sure low-income households get heat pumps for free so they can get rid of the type of heating that pollutes more, is more expensive and does not help families.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's panicked flip-flop on the carbon tax for oil heating proved that everything he said for eight years about the tax is wrong. It is not worth the cost. He said that the tax would make people better off. He has now admitted that it is not true. He said it is about the environment, but he leaves the tax on lower-emitting and more environmentally friendly natural gas. Now, the Prime Minister is dividing Canadians based on where they live.

Will he stop creating two classes of Canadians? Will he take the tax off all so Canadians can keep the heat on?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the goal from the very beginning of our fight against climate change and the price on pollution was to put more money in people's pockets and encourage protecting the planet. That is exactly what we have seen over the past number of years.

As a step, one of the things we are targeting right now is home heating oil, which is used right across the country, primarily by lower-income residents. They pay more for home heating oil than they would for natural gas, and it is dirtier and more emitting than natural gas.

We are going to provide free heat pumps for low-income families in provinces that are willing to participate with us and drive down emissions.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister admits that he is keeping the tax on cleaner and lower-emitting natural gas. This is clearly not about environmental science; it is about political science. That political science with him is always to divide and conquer. It tears the country apart to serve his own narrow, personal interest.

Does the Prime Minister not realize that what he is doing is not just bankrupting Canadian households, 14% of which are living with unsafe temperatures because of higher energy costs, but also actually tearing our national unity apart?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, what we see from the Conservatives, yet again, is misinformation.

The price on pollution applied to natural gas does put more money back in the pockets of eight out of 10 Canadians across the country. That is what the Leader of the Opposition refuses to recognize. When Canadians receive a climate action incentive cheque, it more than compensates, for eight out of 10 households across the country, for what they spend on the carbon price with natural gas.

The math does not apply to home heating, which is why we are phasing out home heating oil by replacing it with free heat pumps for low-income Canadians.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, it is not surprising that the Prime Minister continues to contradict the Parliamentary Budget Officer, who said that 60% of Canadians pay more in his carbon tax than they get back in rebates. Now he is contradicting what he said on Thursday, wherein he admitted that Canadians are made worse off on a net basis by his tax. That is why he is having to put in a pause until after the election.

Already 14% of Canadians are living with unsafe temperatures in their homes. One in 10 has missed paying a heating bill in the last 12 months. Will the Prime Minister, before people go cold and hungry, axe the tax so that people can keep the heat on?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, home heating oil is more expensive, more emitting and more polluting and is in households that in general are lower income and do not have the means to support it. That is why we are putting forward a program that is going to get free heat pumps installed right across the country, as long as the provinces step up and partner with us the way three provinces already have.

We know the best way to support families is to have them save thousands of dollars a year on heating. That is what they are going to be able to do with heat pumps. That is why we are delivering them right across the country as provinces step up.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

Before I move on, I would like to thank the whips for signalling to their members to keep the noise down. I would ask all members to please look at their whips and follow their example.

The hon. Leader of the Opposition.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister admits that natural gas is cleaner and lower-emitting, and that is exactly why he is going to penalize Canadians for using it.

He says he wants to bring in a pause for some people in some places. I want to get rid of the tax for all people in all places and forever, but why do we not let Canadians decide? Why does the Prime Minister not pause the tax across the country until Canadians go to the polls, so we can have a carbon tax election and Canadians can choose his plan to quadruple the tax or my plan to axe the tax?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, it is amazing to me that after three failed elections in a row by the Conservatives, they still want to fight another election on denying climate change and denying the costs of climate change. After the summer we have had, they continue to say no plan against climate change is what is good for Canadians, good for our economy and good for businesses. They are wrong, and Canadians are going to show them that once again.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

Again, I thank the whips for encouraging members to please exercise self-control, especially when we are listening to someone providing an answer.

I will let the right hon. Prime Minister continue.