Debates of Nov. 21st, 2023

Public Services and Procurement

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's public service workers stepped up during the pandemic and every day since to deliver the critical services Canadians rely on. How did the government thank them? With a disastrous rollout to a new health care plan. Workers are paying thousands of dollars out of pocket for their medication and health care, and are waiting months to be reimbursed, which is forcing families to make impossible decisions. The Liberals' lack of urgency to act just shows how out of touch they are.

When will the government stop delaying and fix this mess so workers can have the benefits they have earned?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's public servants and their families deserve to have access to their benefits as quickly as possible. I have been in close touch with the supplier and have ensured that the supplier will agree to bringing down call wait times to between five and 10 minutes by December 31, opening call centres on weekends as well as introducing escalation processes for those who are not served well.

We will always make sure that Canada's public servants are reimbursed for their benefits. We are grateful for their service every single day.

Small Business

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we are getting the fall economic update from the government today.

Let me give an update from small businesses in northern Ontario. First, they were hammered by the pandemic. Then they were hammered by high inflation. Now they are being hammered by Liberal indifference. If the Prime Minister does not change course on the CEBA repayments, many of our businesses are going to be forced to close their doors in January.

Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and extend the loan repayment deadline so that our small businesses can get back on their feet?

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Minister of Small Business]

Mr. Speaker, we know times were tough and are still tough for small businesses.

If they are unable to repay by January 18, they still have a full three years to repay their CEBA loan. We extended the term loan repayment deadline to make sure that small businesses are able to focus on navigating pandemic recovery. We are also cutting taxes for growing small businesses and lowering credit card fees by up to a quarter. We will always be there for small businesses. That will never change.

Pensions

[George Chahal, Liberal, Calgary Skyview, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Canada pension plan is a key pillar in the federal government's commitment to support Canadians in their retirement. Residents in my province are worried about the attack it is facing. Even more alarming is the official opposition's continued silence on the issue.

Could the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages tell us what our government is doing to protect Albertan pensions and ensure that the Canada pension plan we have all paid into is there for people in retirement?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Employment]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Calgary Skyview for his hard work.

Albertans must speak up on this matter. As a federal government, we will always protect the pensions of Albertans and fight the reckless and risky proposal of Alberta Conservatives to pull Albertans out of the CPP.

Every member in the House should be defending the CPP, but what do we hear from Alberta Conservatives? Silence, zero, zilch. Their silence speaks volumes about their unwillingness to protect Albertans and their pensions.

We will stick up for Albertans every day and for the Canada pension plan. They can do whatever they want. We have the backs of Canadians.

Carbon Pricing

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the NDP-Liberal government, we know the Prime Minister is not worth the cost. He is planning to quadruple the carbon tax on gas, groceries and home heating, but our common-sense plan is to axe the tax to bring home lower prices.

Today the government has an opportunity. Will it include in today's mini budget a plan to finally stop its carbon tax hikes?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative Party pretends to offer certain principles and if people do not like those, they have other principles.

In the 2008 platform of the Conservatives, it states, “We will work...to develop and implement a North America-wide cap and trade system for greenhouse gases and air pollution.” In their 2021 platform that they all ran on, they said, “We recognize that the most efficient way to reduce our emissions is to use pricing mechanisms.”

Given the flip-flopping on that side of the House, how do Canadians believe anything those folks say?

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the simple fact is that the government's plan just is not working. It continues to miss climate target after climate target. It is only driving up the cost of living for Canadians.

In northern Ontario, we cannot afford to pay more for gas and home heating, but the Liberal and NDP politicians across northern Ontario continue to leave their residents out in the cold.

I will ask this again. Will we see in today's mini budget a plan from the government to finally cancel its carbon tax hikes?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to correct the record. The Harper government did not meet any of the environment targets it had. We are on track and are 85% of the way to meeting our 2030 targets. We have six years left to get there, and we will meet the interim 2026 targets. We are meeting our targets when it comes to climate change, protecting nature and phasing out plastic pollution.

Conservatives do not believe in any of this. They want to increase pollution in Canada, but not us on this side of the House. We are working for Canadians, for the health of Canadians, and for the future of our kids and our grandkids.

Housing

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

Mr. Speaker, Scotiabank has calculated that government overspending has added two percentage points to Canada's interest rates. As a result, Canadians who are struggling to pay their mortgages are still suffering.

I remind members that, in eight years, this government has yet to present a balanced budget. Will the government announce a plan to return to balanced budgets in today's mini-budget so that interest rates can come down and Canadians can keep their homes?

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives looking to blame inflation on federal government spending have a very difficult job indeed.

The report my colleague is citing says that COVID-19 support measures and provincial government spending are responsible for an increase, not federal government spending.

My colleague is a former member of Quebec's National Assembly. Is she saying that we should demand that the provinces spend less? Is that what she is saying right now?

Finance

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

Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, I have a reality check for my colleague. The economic situation is such that a 30-year-old man from Sherbrooke has to resort to spending the winter in a tent because he does not have access to affordable housing.

The costly Bloc-Liberal coalition wants to drastically increase the carbon tax, and that makes everything more expensive. Voting for the Bloc Québécois is costly.

Today, we want the government to do three things in the mini-budget: cancel carbon tax increases, balance the budget and build housing without bureaucracy. Will the Minister of Finance surprise us and balance the budget, or will she disappoint us once again?

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

Mr. Speaker, what is disappointing for many of the people watching us right now is the fact that the opposition member, who was part of a government that supported carbon pricing and who advocated in favour of fighting climate change, is now flip-flopping. Gone is her belief in climate change. Gone is her belief that it is important to fight to protect the environment our children and grandchildren will live in.

That is what Canadians find disappointing.

News Media Industry

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, our media are in crisis.

Yesterday, the big boss at Quebecor said that TVA was hanging on by a thread. The vice-president of Bell Media added, “The longer we wait, the more we put ourselves at risk, and the more we risk losing news sources”. Meanwhile, what does the minister have to say? She said, “We hope to have a new regulatory framework by 2025.” The media are at risk now. Do I understand correctly that we might have to wait another two years?

By 2025 it will be too late. What exactly is the minister waiting for?

[Pascale St-Onge, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, as my colleague knows full well, since the media crisis began in Canada, our government has been engaged in introducing tax credits, among other things, and launching new programs, which we will continue to do.

We have now given the CRTC all the tools it needs to adapt the regulatory framework to today's reality, and especially to ensure that web giants pay their fair share and participate in the success of our Canadian businesses and of our Canadian creators. We will continue to work in partnership with everyone in the media industry.

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there are some good ideas in Bills C‑11 and C‑18, but, for now, they are not working. They are not doing anything. That is why, pending the conclusion of negotiations with the web giants in the case of Bill C‑18, an emergency fund for the media is required. That is reasonable. It is essential to maintain the diversity of information in the short term. In the long term, much more will be needed.

Now, we can send a clear message to our media that we are taking action to save them. Will the minister quickly set up an emergency fund before we find out that other newsrooms are closing in our media?

[Pascale St-Onge, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question and for the fact that, unlike the Conservatives, the Bloc has contributed to ensuring that we get through the process to adopt the Online News Act, but also to modernize the framework of the Online Streaming Act.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission is now ready to begin implementing this new regulatory framework. We will see the results in the coming months and years.

One thing is certain: Unlike the Conservatives, we have always been there to support our creators and our artists. We will continue to do so.

Innovation, Science and Industry

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years, the NDP-Liberal government is not worth the cost.

The Liberal-appointed chair of the green slush fund resigned in disgrace after it was revealed that she funnelled more than $200,000 of taxpayer money into her company. An independent report reveals that this just scratches the surface of corruption at the foundation.

How many more Liberal insiders have used the green slush fund to line their pockets?

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

Mr. Speaker, I am sure that the Canadians who are watching the member are wondering what he is saying. Let me bring facts to the story.

From the moment we heard the allegations, we commissioned an independent investigation. We froze the funds of the institution. We accepted the resignation of the chair. The CEO has resigned.

We are going to get to the bottom of this. We are going to continue to have these companies in our country.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the independent report revealed that multiple board members voted to funnel money from the fund to companies they had an interest in. This is scandalous.

In the face of evidence of self-dealing and corruption, the minister has not seen fit to fire anyone. Why? Which Liberal insiders is he protecting?

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

Mr. Speaker, what is scandalous is the Conservatives making claims and allegations against people.

What a responsible government does when there are allegations is investigate. That is exactly what we did. We suspended the financing of the organization. The CEO has resigned. We have accepted the resignation of the chair.

We are going to get to the bottom of this. We are going to continue to help companies in this country. We will invest in green technologies.

[The Speaker, Greg Fergus]

Again, I hope that all members will be so kind as to listen to the hon. member ask his question, and to the answer.

The hon. member for Louis‑Saint‑Laurent.

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

Mr. Speaker, after eight years in power, unfortunately, ethical issues are a defining trait of this Liberal government. Unfortunately, the most recent example is the $1-billion fund for a green economy.

The Auditor General is conducting an investigation into the $40 million in mismanaged funds. The chair of the fund also gave her own company a $200,000 subsidy. She resigned because she was caught red-handed.

Canadians who are watching at home want a clear answer from the government. When and how will the government hold these people to account and pay back the money that they used to line the pockets of Liberal cronies?

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

Mr. Speaker, I have a great deal of respect for my colleague from Louis‑Saint‑Laurent. He is an honourable man.

Today, the people of Louis‑Saint‑Laurent who are watching him are wondering about what he said, because he knows very well what the government did. As soon as the allegations were made, we commissioned an independent report to get to the bottom of things. We suspended the organization's funding. The CEO of the organization has resigned, as has the chair of the board of directors.

We are getting to the bottom of things, but we will continue to help our Canadian companies.