Debates of Nov. 23rd, 2023

Ève Bilodeau

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to rise in the House and highlight an outstanding accomplishment by a young girl from my riding in Saint-Denis-sur-Richelieu.

On October 26, Ève Bilodeau won not one, but two gold medals in the extreme and kempo categories for girls 10 and under at the World Karate championships in Orlando, Florida.

Despite her tender age, she is already the pride of her family and her town. Moreover, she is literally shining an international spotlight on Quebec and proving that our homegrown talent can make it all the way to the top. Who knows, we might even see her at the Olympic Games one day.

Ève Bilodeau's athletic career is an inspiration. She encourages us to dream, and she has all our admiration.

Ukraine

[Alexandra Mendes, Liberal, Brossard—Saint-Lambert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, 10 years ago, the Ukrainian people rose up with virtually one voice to defend the democratic path they had chosen in 1991. Ukraine envisions its future within a free, prosperous and inclusive Europe. Vladimir Putin's Russian Federation refuses to respect that choice, let alone accept it.

The Russian invasion, which began in 2022, is reviving decades of oppression and repression by the Stalinist regime. Canada will always stand with Ukraine in refusing to erase Ukrainian identity.

November is a solemn month for the Ukrainian people. This November 25 marks the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor, the brutal genocide of millions of Ukrainians in 1933.

I join my colleagues in reaffirming our full and unwavering solidarity with Ukraine.

Slava Ukraini.

Caserne de jouets Saguenay

[Richard Martel, Conservative, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, I attended the 36th annual toy drive organized by Caserne de jouets Saguenay. This organization is run entirely by volunteers, and some have been there since 1988.

On the weekend, I saw generous donors line up to bring toys that will be handed out for free to families who are struggling financially. I do not have to tell members that this outpouring of generosity moves me every year. The state of the economy means that there is growing demand. To date, roughly 400,000 toys have been donated.

Today, I want to pay tribute to the co-founder and head, Mario Gagnon, and to all the volunteers, including Robert Dufour, Martine Aubé and Gina Gagnon, for their charity and dedication. They are helping to ease the financial woes of some parents as the holiday season approaches.

I thank Mario and his entire team for their generous efforts that will again this year make a difference to several households.

Now it is our turn to be generous.

Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement

[Ben Carr, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express disappointment over the recent decision by the Conservative Party to vote against the Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement. Its objection to a reference of carbon pricing in the deal, something Ukraine already embraces, appears to be a diversion from the broader and more critical issue at hand, and that is to support Ukraine in its fight against tyranny.

It is regrettable that on a matter of international urgency, the Conservatives have chosen to prioritize populist politics over standing in solidarity with our ally, Ukraine, as it is under siege. It is perplexing that the Conservatives have chosen to be the only party in this House voting against something that Ukraine has asked Canada to support as it fights for its very existence.

The revised Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement is an opportunity for solidarity in the face of adversity. Let us not allow narrow political interests to overshadow the broader principles of unity, support and shared values.

[Marcus Powlowski, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this week, the Conservative Party voted against the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement, supposedly because it imposes a carbon tax on Ukraine. What is this?

There is, in the agreement, a tangential reference to carbon pricing. However, Ukraine has had carbon pricing since 2011, so what is the real reason the Conservative Party voted against this agreement? Perhaps it is because opposing further assistance to Ukraine has become a litmus test for the American far right politically. It may also be for the far right in Canada as well.

At a time when thousands of Ukrainians are risking their lives fighting this war, including some of my relatives, fighting in the best interests of their children, to have one of the main political parties in Canada take a position that seems to be paid out to the interests of the American far right, rather than—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

The hon. member for Cumberland—Colchester.

Birthday Congratulations

[Stephen Ellis, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Mr. Speaker, today, I wish to honour a Canadian hero. Lloyd Coady was born in Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia, and he came from a family of eight children. In 1942, at the age of 18, he was finally able to enlist for World War II, having been sent home previously for being too young.

He did his basic training in Peterborough and Petawawa and arrived in Halifax shortly thereafter. Next, he was sent to Windsor, Nova Scotia, and was trained as a medical orderly.

He served aboard the Queen Mary, the Aquitania and the Samaria, bringing wounded soldiers home from the front. He also served at the Cogswell hospital in Halifax and the Debert hospital. He moved to Truro in 1951 after studying entomology and forestry. He spent the next 35 years chasing bugs throughout the forests of Nova Scotia.

Lloyd was married to Kay for 57 years. He was very active in the community for many service organizations, and he continues to be fit and agile. Many years ago, he actually challenged me to a running race and a push-up contest. I politely declined.

Today, let us all wish Lloyd a happy 99th birthday.

Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement

[Terry Duguid, Liberal, Winnipeg South, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I am profoundly disappointed that the Leader of the Opposition has forced his Conservative caucus to betray the people of Ukraine in voting against Bill C-57, the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement.

This agreement represents a commitment to shared values and democratic principles and is a crucial step toward strengthening prosperity for both Canada and Ukraine.

It is a bill that should have been supported unanimously, to show our solidarity with Ukraine and our commitment to help them rebuild as they fight a brutal and illegal invasion by Russia. Our government will always prioritize the best interests of all Canadians and recognize that trade agreements are not obstacles but bridges to a more prosperous and interconnected future.

The vote on Bill C-57 is the clearest demonstration yet that, when it comes to standing in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, the Conservative Party cannot be trusted. It is not worth the risk.

Slava Ukraini.

Ukraine

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor, the Ukrainian famine and genocide of 1932-33.

This genocide was deliberately planned and executed by the communist Soviet regime under Joseph Stalin to systemically destroy the culture, language and, indeed, the very ethnicity of the people of Ukraine. Sadly, several million innocent men, women and children were starved and slowly murdered by Stalin for one reason. They were patriotic Ukrainians.

Fifteen years ago, Canada became the first western nation to officially recognize the Holodomor as a genocide. As we commemorate the Holodomor this Saturday, let us not forget that Vladimir Putin is repeating history by illegally invading Ukraine, destroying Ukrainian lives and threatening their freedom, all in an attempt to repeat Stalin's Russification of Ukraine.

We stand with the brave people of Ukraine in their fight for sovereignty, democracy and liberty. We remember the victims and honour the survivors of the Holodomor, as well as the Maidan, and pray for those fighting against Russia's barbaric invasion today.

May their memories be eternal. Vichnaya pamyat.

Carbon Tax

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

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Prime Minister, the NDP-Liberal government has finally admitted that it not worth the cost and that the carbon tax is hurting Canadians.

A farmer in southern Saskatchewan shared his carbon tax costs with me. He goes through 150,000 litres of diesel on his farm every year. At over 15¢ per litre, he is paying $24,000 in carbon tax on diesel fuel alone. There is more. The GST gets added on top of that, bringing the total to just under $25,000, but there is still more. The NDP-Liberals will quadruple that number for him, and he will be paying $100,000 a year just on the carbon tax for diesel fuel, thanks to the radical Prime Minister.

Canadian families will pay more for groceries as well, yet the Liberals do not seem to care. They broke ranks with their NDP coalition to vote against common-sense Conservatives who would remove the carbon tax from farm fuels. Now, there are senators, appointed by the Prime Minister, who are trying to shut it down at the last minute. The Prime Minister needs to stand with Canadian families and producers, and tell his senators to stop blocking Bill C-234.

Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement

[James Maloney, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition talks about fighting for freedom in Canada when we live in the freest country in the world. He has hijacked the word for partisan political purposes. He had a chance to stand up for Ukraine, which is truly fighting for freedom, two days ago, and he said no. It is appalling.

The opposition lets domestic petty politics interfere with issues that should be issues on which we are unified, as Canada always has been. It is appalling.

If we want to see Conservative MPs squirm in their seats, we can watch them when their leader tries to explain why. He needs to apologize to Canadians. He needs to apologize to Ukrainians, and he needs to apologize to his caucus. This free trade agreement would help Ukraine rebuild, and we should all be standing with them.

Slava Ukraini.

Recognition of Service

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in the House to extend my heartfelt congratulations to three remarkable public servants who have dedicated their careers to the residents of Hamilton Centre.

I congratulate my legislative assistant, Tyler “Coach” Crosby, who, from day one, has provided me with the sage advice and wisdom he has attained through his 16 years of policy and parliamentary support here on the Hill.

I congratulate Trudy Morris, who, having come off of the factory floor as a proud USW trade unionist, has given us 19 years of improving the material conditions of our constituents through her remarkable tax-filing program and her ability to track down the benefits that have been cut off from our most vulnerable families, seniors and residents.

I congratulate Rose Marie McAleer, who also has an impressive 19 years of service. Her expertise in immigration, family reunification and her general case work is an embodiment of the spirit of our community and the perseverance that we in Hamilton Centre hold dear.

On behalf of the residents of Hamilton Centre and the New Democratic Party of Canada, I extend my deepest gratitude to Tyler, Trudy, and Rose Marie for their years of service. Their contributions have truly made a difference. I am thankful for their service.

Cégep de Jonquière Gaillards

[Mario Simard, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, do you know who took home the coveted Bol d'Or at the college football championship this past Saturday? You guessed it: It was the Cégep de Jonquière Gaillards.

For a diehard football fan like me, it was something to be very proud of. I want to acknowledge the incredible determination of the players, who had a perfect season this year, winning not six or seven of their games, but all 11. They did not lose a single game in 2023. The Gaillards are undefeated. They are the world champions.

At the championship game on Saturday, the Gaillards made a spectacular comeback in the final quarter against a formidable opponent that was ultimately outdone by our team's passion. It was the seventh championship game in a row for Jonquière, and the third championship win for the team.

I would like to give a special shout-out to number 17, Émile Duceppe, the grandson of former Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe. I would like to congratulate the Gaillards, and I will see them next year.

The Economy

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, the NDP-Liberal government tabled a fall economic statement with $46.5 billion of interest on the public debt this year and $52.4 billion next year. That is more than the entire Canada health transfer. That is double the budget for national defence.

The Prime Minister has run up more debt than all previous prime ministers combined, and this week, he piled on another $20 billion in inflationary spending. There is no end in sight, and no plan to balance the budget and tackle inflation.

Prices are up. Rent is up. Interest rates are up. Debts are up. Taxes are up, and time is up. After eight years of the Prime Minister, he is not worth the cost. Rents have doubled. Mortgage payments are up 150%, and minimum down payments have doubled. Two million Canadians a month are at food banks, and people with good jobs are homeless.

It is time for a common-sense Conservative government to clean up the Prime Minister's mess, just like Conservatives have had to do after every Liberal government before this one.

Ukraine

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it has become clear that far right American politics have fully taken over the Conservative Party of Canada.

Last June, five Conservative MPs travelled on a lavish trip to London, England, and dined on thousands of dollars' worth of oysters and champagne. We also know that at least one of those Conservative MPs had his expenses paid for by the Danube Institute, a right-wing Hungarian think tank that has said, “the stakes of the Russia-Ukraine war are not Ukraine's sovereignty, but the victory of NATO, the expansion of the US 'deep state', [and] 'wokeism'”.

Coincidentally, right around the same time, Conservative MPs started shifting their support away from Ukraine in favour of Russian propaganda aimed at turning the world against Ukraine.

I want Ukrainian-Canadians to know that, while Conservative MPs flirt with Vladimir Putin and his attempts to persuade their support, Liberals are unwavering in our commitment and will be there every step of the way until Ukraine wins this war.

Finance

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's mini-budget was full of bad news for Canadians. Rent is up, taxes are up, prices are up and interest rates are up to fight the inflation his deficits caused. In fact, Scotiabank said that its mortgage rates would be two full percentage points lower if the government could just control its spending. That would be the difference, for hundreds of thousands of Canadians, between losing their homes and being able to renew their mortgages.

Does the government realize that time is running out? Will it end its deficit spending so that Canadians can keep their homes?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Employment]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition and his MPs are simply not worth the risk. He and his MPs voted against the Canada-Ukraine free trade deal. Why? They made a brutal political calculation that they would have more support from their far right base here in Canada and in Russia and from their friends in the United States if they abandoned Ukrainians. It is cold, calculated, cruel. Behold, the new Conservative Party and its MPs. What a disgrace.

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

Mr. Speaker, what is disgraceful and cruel is using Ukraine's vulnerability, while Russian tanks are on its soil, to shove a carbon tax permanently down our throats.

Canadians should not be fooled by the Liberals' phony outrage. They are desperate to talk about anything except for their terrible budget. That is because not only are workers' paycheques going to pay for higher prices and interest rates, but now their tax dollars are going to pay for higher interest payments on the national debt. In fact, next year the government will spend more on the national debt than on health care and the armed forces.

When will the government stop its deficits so we can pay doctors, nurses and soldiers instead of bankers and bondholders?

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

Before the hon. government House leader gets up, I just want to encourage members to please not extend their voices, so the Chair can hear the questions from the hon. leader. I can hear members at the far end of the House.

The hon. government House leader.

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, twice this week, the Leader of the Opposition has demonstrated that he is not worth the risk to Canadians.

He has been untruthful about why the Conservatives did not vote for the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement, because there is no price on pollution in that agreement. We need to ask what the real reason is behind why they are abandoning support for Ukraine and for freedom and democracy.

Also, yesterday, instead of waiting for information on what happened in Niagara Falls, the Leader of the Opposition jumped straight to the conclusion that it was a terrorist attack. That is irresponsible and it is not respectful to Canadians.

Automotive Industry

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

Mr. Speaker, if the government truly wanted to help Ukraine, it would support the Conservative motion to export our energy and military equipment, instead of the failed carbon tax. If the government wanted to be honest with Canadians, it would unveil the details of the $15-billion subsidy to a single battery plant that will allow up to 1,600 workers coming from Korea to replace qualified Canadians.

Will the Liberals do the right thing and at least publish the agreement so that Canadian workers can find out how many jobs are being filled by taxpayer-funded foreign replacement workers?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, unlike with the member opposite, who did not, when it came time to find resolve, stand up to his leader when it was time to stand with Ukraine, Canada's support for Ukraine is unwavering.

We have committed over $2.4 billion in military aid, from tanks to armoured vehicles to ammunition. We have trained 37,000 Ukrainian troops. The Prime Minister recently announced an additional $500 million in new funding for military assistance. Yesterday, I spoke to Defence Minister Umerov and told him that 10 million additional rounds of ammunition are on the way.

Our government stands with Ukraine.

Finance

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

Mr. Speaker, one thing is certain. After eight years in power, this Liberal government is not doing right by Canadian families. It is not worth the cost. The economic update very clearly shows this government's pathetic administration.

I heard what the Minister of National Defence just said. Is he aware that this government is set to spend twice as much on the debt than on the army? It is going to spend more on servicing the debt than it is going to invest in health. That is completely unacceptable for a G7 country.

When will this government realize that it has been mismanaging everything for eight years?

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

Mr. Speaker, what Canadians know is that the Conservatives voted against Ukraine. They decided to vote against a free trade agreement with Ukraine.

What we decided to do in the economic statement is what Canadians want. We will continue to build a stronger economy. We will overhaul competition in Canada. We will continue to invest in housing. We have a plan for prosperity. We have a plan for growth. We have a plan for Canadians.

The Conservatives should continue to watch what we are doing so that they can learn from a serious government.

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

Mr. Speaker, the two million Canadians going to food banks every month see what this government has done. Those who want to own a home are seeing that rent has doubled in the past eight years. They see that mortgage costs are twice as high. They also see that down payments cost twice as much.

What is the Minister of Finance's solution? Believe it or not, it is to be able to borrow for up to 100 years. That is proof that our great-great-great-grandchildren are the ones who will pay.

Does the aspiring prime minister agree with the current Deputy Prime Minister? Does he feel that what is happening in Canada right now really does not make sense?