Debates of Nov. 24th, 2023

Canadian Heritage

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

Excuse me.

Could I ask members on both sides to stop having discussions with each other? It is hard to hear the answer from the Speaker's chair, and I cannot imagine that the member for Drummond, who is on the other side of the House, can hear the answer.

I invite the minister to repeat her answer from the beginning.

[Pascale St-Onge, Liberal, Brome—Missisquoi, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, since taking office in 2015, our government has been there to help the entire cultural sector deal with the crisis and the disruption that foreign platforms have brought to the market.

That is why we modernized the Broadcasting Act, and the CRTC is currently consulting broadcasters, platforms and people in the cultural industry to see how we can better help our television and radio stations deal with today's reality.

This modernization will pay off in the coming weeks and months. We will continue to work with my colleague on these issues.

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the work started a long time ago. We should be seeing results by now.

This morning, I sent the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Canadian Heritage a bunch of reactions from people in the cultural sector. They are all livid. They are furious that the economic statement had nothing in it for them. Even the Fédération nationale des communications et de la culture, which is well known to the minister, joined us in criticizing the fact that the economic statement had completely sidelined the electronic media.

The Bloc Québécois was asking for a $50‑million emergency fund to help out the media while the Minister of Canadian Heritage wraps up negotiations with the web giants. For the federal government, $50 million is nothing, but for our media, it would be huge. Ottawa's reasons for refusing to create an emergency fund are political, not financial.

Why did the minister choose to turn her back on our news media, especially our electronic media?

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

Mr. Speaker, we did study the Bloc Québécois proposal and discuss it with certain stakeholders in the cultural sector.

Unfortunately, the $50‑million emergency fund that the Bloc was proposing will not solve the problem. What will solve the problem in the long term is modernized legislation, which we delivered. The enhanced labour tax credit program, which we modified in the fall economic statement, will also help our newsrooms.

We will continue to look at all the solutions. However, one thing everyone in the cultural sector knows is that the Conservatives would have done nothing. They also know that our government has taken action since coming to power in 2015.

Finance

[Gerald Soroka, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP-Liberal coalition's economic update is out. Prices are up, rent is up, debt is up, taxes are up and time is up for this costly coalition. Billions more in tax dollars will be spent, and Canadians will still be struggling. The Prime Minister is just not worth the cost.

Will the government adopt our common-sense plan to balance the budget or step aside and let a Conservative government clean up its mess?

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

Mr. Speaker, it has actually been humorous to watch this week as Conservatives twist and flail like pretzels, turning themselves into things and trying to make people believe they are there for workers. Let us review what they have been doing.

Currently, they are filibustering the sustainable jobs act at the natural resources committee, a bill that gives workers a seat at the table in the clean economy. It represents 400,000 jobs before 2030.

They are opposing landmark legislation our government tabled to ban replacement workers, which is good for workers and enables them to sit at the bargaining table.

Not only do Conservatives have no credibility when it comes to standing up for workers and jobs, but they also have no vision for the future of our economy.

Carbon Pricing

[Gerald Soroka, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

I think the only people who still believe these talking points are the Liberals.

Mr. Speaker, senators appointed by the Prime Minister shut down debate on a common-sense bill to axe the carbon tax for farmers. The NDP-Liberal coalition is blocking important tax carve-outs on grain drying and barn heating. Its actions, driven by failed policies, directly harm Canadian producers and increase food costs.

Will the government finally support hard-working farmers over their own political agenda and give them a tax break?

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, the House has already pronounced itself on this particular bill, but I will talk about support for farmers.

Why did the leader of the official opposition cut $200 million when he was at the cabinet table to support farmers for business risk management?

The leader of the official opposition is not worth the risk. He wants to balance the budget on the backs of farmers. On this side of the House, we will always stand up for farmers.

[Gary Vidal, Conservative, Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK]

Mr. Speaker, that response will do nothing to shorten food bank lineups.

After eight years, the Prime Minister is simply not worth the cost. Lineups at food banks have never been so long. People are hurting bad, and the NDP-Liberal government still plans to quadruple its carbon tax on gas, groceries and home heat.

Bill C-234 would lower taxes for farmers who produce our food. This would lower the cost of groceries. It is just common sense.

Will the Prime Minister tell his appointed senators to put people first and pass Bill C-234 so Canadians can afford to eat?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the member that putting a price on pollution is what enables us to reduce emissions by the equivalent of removing 11 million vehicles from our roads. In Canada right now, there are 26 million vehicles on our roads. We can imagine, if we added 11 million vehicles, the pollution that we would see in our cities and the level of asthma that our kids would have to go through. This is not happening, because we have put a plan in place to help fight pollution, to help fight climate change and to support Canadians in the process.

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years, just as they wanted, the NDP-Liberal-Bloc's carbon tax hikes the cost of heating, cooling and fuel, and so it hikes the price of food. The PM showed this when he paused it for some but not for 97% of Canadians.

Common-sense Conservatives will axe the tax for all for good; we know that it is not worth the cost, and so do Canadians. However, will Liberal senators stop blocking the Conservative bill, Bill C-234, to cut the tax on farm fuels so farmers can afford to feed Canadians and Canadians can afford to eat?

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

Mr. Speaker, I think facts matter in this conversation. According to the Governor of the Bank of Canada, putting a price on pollution has contributed 0.15% to inflation, and not 15%, as the Conservatives are saying.

Economists agree across the country that our pollution pricing system puts more money back into eight out of 10 households in Canada. If we take that away, we will take money away from Canadians, which is no surprise coming from the Conservative Party. They are simply not there for Canadians, and they are not worth the risk.

Foreign Affairs

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it has been reported that Russia is getting made-in-Canada land mine detonators through Kyrgyzstan. This would mean that Russia is using Canadian-made detonators in Ukraine. This is outrageous.

Canada used to be a leader in demining efforts, and we should be doing everything we can to help Ukraine demine. Instead, because of weak arms and sanctions enforcement, Canada may actually be inadvertently arming Russia. Can the minister confirm these reports and explain why Canada is even exporting land mine detonators at all?

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Consular Affairs)]

Mr. Speaker, we will look into what the hon. member has brought to our attention and report back.

Housing

[Lisa Marie Barron, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Mr. Speaker, people in Nanaimo—Ladysmith are struggling to find an affordable place to call home. All the while, the Liberals delay needed help. They have even put off housing funding in the fall economic statement until 2025, but this is not shocking, since the Liberals and Conservatives have spent years putting people on the back burner so their rich friends can get richer off of housing.

People need homes now, not in two years. Will the Liberals immediately release the promised funding to finally build affordable homes?

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

Mr. Speaker, as a result of measures introduced by the current government, two million people are now living in homes, which have been built, repaired or subsidized through the programs introduced. That work continues. In fact, we saw this week, through the fall economic statement, that there are various other supports being introduced: providing low-interest loans for builders, taking a very close look at the work municipalities are doing on short-term rentals and freeing up short-term rentals to make them into long-term homes for individuals and families.

We have more work to do, and we are going to do it in collaboration with parties that actually want to help.

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

Mr. Speaker, across Canada, Canadians are struggling with the cost of housing. Unlike the Conservative leader's plan, we are making the investments necessary to get Canada building again, and it is working.

Statistics Canada has reported that investment in multi-unit home construction is up over 8%, with all provinces reporting increases. However, we are not stopping there. The fall economic statement is bringing more solutions to make sure that we are building homes and building them faster.

Can the parliamentary secretary for housing, infrastructure and communities tell Canadians what new housing measures we are putting forward through the fall economic statement?

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

Mr. Speaker, the member has served his country and his community since 2004, and this caucus and this chamber are better for it. He continues to advocate for measures, as does this caucus. What is the result? In the fall economic statement, we saw, as I just mentioned, real action to deal with short-term rentals. The result will be up to 30,000 short-term rentals turned into long-term homes for Canadians, which we are working with municipalities on, as well as low-interest loans for builders. All these measures make a difference.

On the Conservative side, we see nothing. We see no tangible measures. They want to put a tax, in fact, on the construction of middle-class homes.

Automotive Industry

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is spending billions of taxpayer dollars on foreign workers to fill jobs at a manufacturing plant in Ontario. He is not worth the cost, and his NDP-Liberal government cannot keep its stories straight. The minister from Edmonton says it is just going to be one. This minister here said it is going to be a few. The hiring firm says it is going to be 900. The Windsor Police Service says it is 1,600 workers from overseas to fill this plant in southern Ontario. Will the Liberals release the contract, so Canadians can find out how many workers from overseas $15 billion buys?

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

Mr. Speaker, instead of talking the Canadian economy down, the Conservatives should celebrate that someone is investing $3.4 billion of their money to build a plant in Windsor.

Let me say what an expert says about the Conservatives. Here is what Brendan Sweeney of the Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing had to say about them: “I think those making the noise are hypocritical.... What they’re saying is erroneous and factually incorrect. They don’t have the faintest knowledge of the industry”.

That is what experts are saying about the Conservatives. We are going to continue to fight for Canadian workers.

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

Mr. Speaker, I guess it is a question of whom Canadians want to believe: the NDP-Liberal cover-up coalition or the Windsor Police Service. The Windsor police say 1,600 replacement workers are coming from overseas to work at this plant in southern Ontario.

It is 15 billion taxpayer dollars to fund workers from foreign soil. After eight years, it is clear that the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister is simply not worth the cost. Therefore, will the minister put his disinformation and distraction aside and finally release the contracts, so Canadians can get the truth about how many replacement workers Canadians get for $15 billion?

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

Mr. Speaker, I know Canadians. They are watching this morning. One thing they know is not to believe the Conservatives, because this week, they have seen what they are able to do when it comes to misinformation and disinformation.

Let me bring some facts to this story. The company is going to invest $3.4 billion of its money to build one of the largest battery plants in Canada. The CEO is saying that they are going to have 2,500 Canadian workers at the plant and up to 2,300 workers to build the plant. We are going to continue to fight for Canadian workers, fight for industry and fight for Windsor.

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

Mr. Speaker, the NDP-Liberal government is spending billions of dollars on taxpayer-funded foreign replacement workers to build a battery factory in Windsor. The Liberal minister from Edmonton said there was only one foreign replacement worker. The Liberal minister of industry said there will be a fairly small number. Now, a spokesperson for the company itself says at least 900, and the Windsor Police Service said 1,600. Since the NDP-Liberals cannot get their story straight, will they release the contract to show Canadians how many taxpayer-funded foreign replacement workers will be replacing Canadian workers?

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

Mr. Speaker, I will take no lessons from the Conservatives. It might be Friday morning, but Canadians know something: The Conservatives have done nothing for Windsor, they have done nothing for the auto industry and they have done nothing for workers.

If it were not for us, the auto industry would not be thriving. Not only have we landed a Stellantis plant in this country, but we also now have Volkswagen. We now have Northvolt. We have Ford and GM. While the Conservatives talk down our country, we are going to continue to fight to get investments in this place.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is anything to avoid answering the question. After eight years, can the Liberals finally be clear and transparent with Canadians just once? We know that this Prime Minister is not worth the cost, and this subsidy to a private business will cost every Canadian household $1,000. Will the NDP-Liberal government release the contracts, or is it going to continue to keep the details of this deal secret in terms of how it is subsidizing a private company's jobs and paying for foreign replacement workers?