Debates of Nov. 28th, 2023

Health

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

Mr. Speaker, every day, people across the country lose loved ones to overdoses caused by the increasingly toxic illegal drug supply. Tackling this national public health crisis requires us to leverage all the tools at our disposal.

I am the son of an addictions doctor working on the front lines of this crisis in Winnipeg every day. Like many of us in this chamber, members of my own family are suffering from the harms of substance abuse. For me, as for so many Canadians, this is deeply personal.

Could the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions please update this chamber on the renewed Canadian drugs and substances strategy?

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, we all know that the member is a compassionate and tremendous advocate on these issues, championing them to help support our most vulnerable who struggle with substances.

Recently we announced a renewed Canadian drugs and substances strategy, a comprehensive framework guiding our efforts to address the toxic drug supply and overdose crisis. It is centred on promoting public health and protecting public safety. In his riding, we supported Sunshine House recently, which is doing tremendous work. Together, we will continue to work to address and end the toxic drug supply and overdose crisis.

Carbon Pricing

[Dave Epp, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON]

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

Greenfield Global operates in Chatham, buying corn and converting it to a variety of alcohols, from pharmaceuticals to biofuels. It buys corn from Canadian farmers and from nearby American farmers, who do not pay the carbon tax on fertilizer, the delivery of seed, and the delivery and drying of their corn.

Could the Prime Minister explain what happens to Canadian farmers' bottom lines when they pay the carbon tax and have to compete with American farmers, who do not, in their own backyard? Why is he interfering with the so-called independent senators blocking Bill C-234?

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague is well aware that farmers and ranchers are on the front lines of climate change. They expect parties to have a plan to deal with climate change. We have a plan. My hon. colleague's party does not.

For example, two weeks ago, I was in Winnipeg and announced $9.2 million for living labs. Living labs are to make sure that farmers, ranchers, scientists and the industry itself work together to make sure that farmers and ranchers stay on the cutting line.

We have and will continue to support our farmers.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Mr. Speaker, we know why the Prime Minister is blocking the carbon tax carve-out for Canadian farmers. It is because his environment minister has threatened to quit if Bill C-234 passes.

The environment minister does not care about Canadian farmers. He is jetting off to Dubai for two weeks. It is the middle of the day in Ottawa, but it is the middle of the night in Dubai.

Will the Prime Minister at least allow senators to pass a carbon tax carve-out while his minister is asleep in Dubai?

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

Mr. Speaker, yes, I will be proudly representing Canada at COP28 in Dubai, and I will be in good company. The Premier of Alberta will be there. Premier Smith is leaving tomorrow for COP28 with the largest provincial delegation we have ever seen in the history of COPs. The Premier of Saskatchewan, Scott Moe, will be there as well with the largest Saskatchewan delegation we have ever seen. Quebec will be there with more than 120 representatives from civil society, business and trade unions.

I will be proud to represent Canada at COP28.

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure we all look forward to see what those high-carbon hypocrites come up with.

After eight years, it is clear that the Prime Minister is not worth the cost. The Hunger Report has said that food bank usage has gone up for seven years in a row.

The NDP and Liberals' carbon tax has hiked food prices and forced Canadians to skip meals or cut the basics. Common-sense Conservatives will axe the tax for all, for good. However, a quick fix is Conservative Bill C-234, which would cut it from farm fuels.

Will the Prime Minister stop interfering with the senators and let them pass it so farmers can afford to feed Canadians and so Canadians can afford to eat?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the member of Parliament for Lakeland has the privilege of representing the amazing town of Vegreville. That town is a source of pride for all Ukrainian Canadians, especially from the Prairies, for the amazing pysanka that the people there put up, pride in their heritage.

Is she ashamed that her party has voted against Ukraine? I hope she is because she should be.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I know the hon. member for Battle River—Crowfoot is a very passionate man, but his voice does carry and it is very unique. Therefore, I will ask all members to please keep their voices down when a member has the floor.

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Ukraine needs weapons and Canada's energy, not the Liberals' carbon tax. I am confident that the Ukrainian farmers, who are my neighbours, friends and relatives, support that position and I will never stop fighting for them.

That right there is the Liberals' distract-and-divide agenda. It is only those guys who do not get that when one taxes the farmers who grow the food, the truckers who ship the food, the stores that sell the food and the consumers who buy the food, Canadians cannot afford the food, yet the Prime Minister is going to quadruple his carbon tax, even though he already forces people to choose between heating and eating.

He can help bring down those costs right now. When will the Prime Minister get out of the way of his former Liberal donor, candidate and MP senators and get them to pass the common-sense Conservative bill?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I am actually extremely confident that Ukrainian Canadians across our amazing country are in favour of our free trade deal. I am confident because the Ukrainian Canadian Congress said so. I am confident because President Zelenskyy wants that deal.

A great way to bring down prices of food and fuel for the whole world is by stopping Vladimir Putin. I just do not understand why those Conservatives are standing against Ukraine.

Public Service and Procurement

[Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today, Unifor and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, which represent tens of thousands of aerospace workers in Quebec, are on the Hill. We welcome them.

They are here to say that Ottawa has no business giving Boeing more than $8 billion of our money, untendered, to replace the Aurora aircraft.

It is a farce. Those are not my words. It is Michael Hood, former commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, who said that.

The workers are demanding that Quebec's expertise get a chance to compete. Will Ottawa finally do the right thing and run a competition?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Speaker, I thank our colleague for acknowledging the expertise of aerospace workers not only in Quebec, but also in Canada. That is why the decision we will soon be making is an important one, both for securing the military and geopolitical needs of Canada and the Canadian Armed Forces, but also for continuing to support Canada's aerospace sector. We know that this represents roughly 220,000 jobs created every year, contributing somewhere around $20 billion to our GDP.

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

Mr. Speaker, the holidays may be approaching, but the government has no right to give Boeing a gift worth more than $8 billion in an untendered contract.

Aerospace workers are demanding a call for tenders. The Quebec industry is demanding a call for tenders. The premiers of Quebec and Ontario are demanding a call for tenders. Members of all parties in the House and on the Standing Committee on National Defence are demanding a call for tenders. Everyone understands that a call for tenders is the best way to ensure that the best team wins when it comes to replacing the Aurora aircraft.

Everyone understands, that is, except the Liberal government. When will it finally reverse course and put this out for tender?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for giving me the opportunity to focus on talents and needs, the talents of all aerospace workers in Canada. There are so many of them. We rely on them every day to support the needs of the Canadian Armed Forces. They have done a lot over the past few decades, and we know that we can count on them in the years to come.

Carbon Pricing

[Scot Davidson, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, these Liberals like to go on and on about Canada's AAA credit rating while jacking up taxes and driving more Canadians into poverty. Seventy-one per cent of food bank users say their circumstances—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

Order.

I had difficulty hearing the hon. member for York—Simcoe's question. He can please start his question from the top.

[Scot Davidson, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, 71% of food bank users say their circumstances have become much worse after eight years of the NDP-Liberal government.

If the Prime Minister spoke to real Canadians lined up at food banks, he would know one cannot feed a family with AAA credit rating.

Will the Prime Minister stop blocking the common-sense Conservative bill, Bill C-234, so Canadian families can feed themselves?

[Jenna Sudds, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, we will continue to invest in social security programs like the old age security and Canada pension plan, and in families through the Canada child benefit and the $10-a-day child care program. These are programs which the Conservatives continue to vote against. They totally lack empathy or understanding of the struggle of Canadians.

On this side of the House, we will continue to govern with the needs of Canadians at the heart of everything we do.

Public Safety

[Tim Uppal, Conservative, Edmonton Mill Woods, AB]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Prime Minister's soft-on-crime policies, crime, chaos and disorder have become the norm in Canada. Just in the last week, we have seen armed robberies, shootings of businesses, armed carjackings, extortion letters sent to business owners and international gangsters directing shootings at families here in Canada.

When will the Prime Minister finally take the safety of Canadians seriously?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, our government obviously has always taken the safety of Canadians seriously. The Conservatives seem to be laughing and find that funny, but the good news is that tomorrow morning they have a caucus meeting, where Conservative senators will be present. They should perhaps talk to their Conservative Senate parliamentary colleagues and ask them to please pass the legislation this House adopted to strengthen bail conditions for serious violent offenders. That is something our government worked on with premiers across the country, including Conservative premiers. Also, there is important gun control legislation stuck in the Senate because Conservatives will not pass it.

[Tim Uppal, Conservative, Edmonton Mill Woods, AB]

Mr. Speaker, that is another bill blocked by more Liberal senators.

It was actually the Liberal government's soft-on-crime policies like Bill C-5 and Bill C-75 that let serious violent criminals back onto our streets, and incidents of violent crimes have skyrocketed since then. Violent crime is up by 39%. Murders are up 43%. Gang-related homicides and violent gun crimes are up over 100%.

Only Conservatives would end Liberal-NDP soft-on-crime policies that keep violent offenders on the streets. When will the Liberals get out of the way and allow common-sense Conservatives to bring home safer streets?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, again, my hon. friend is having some difficulty attaching himself to the facts. It is the Conservative senators who are blocking legislation requested by Conservative premiers and worked on by this government last spring and adopted by this House of Commons at all stages when we came back in September.

Why is that legislation to strengthen bail reform and to keep Canadians safer not adopted now? Senators from the Conservative Party are blocking it. That might be something the Conservatives would like to do before Christmas.

Finance

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, our government continues to support Canadians during this ongoing period of inflation, where some prices remain too high.

Yesterday, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change talked about some new measures that are set out in the fall economic statement that will help more Canadians put a roof over their heads, while helping them reduce their home energy costs.

Can the minister tell the House about these important measures?