Debates of Nov. 29th, 2023

The Economy

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, that got him to back down real quick, did it not?

We know that the Prime Minister is ashamed of the hideous record he has of sending two million people to a food bank, of doubling the rent, of making it so that nine out of 10 young people cannot a afford home, and of a massive increase in the number of people who have jobs who have to resort to breadlines in order to eat. He does not talk anymore about the middle class and those working hard to join it.

The Prime Minister is trying to distract Canadians every day and in every way from the misery he has caused at home. Why does he not take responsibility for that misery and finally do his job?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives look at Canadians who are struggling right now, who are hurting right now, and they have made the choice to amplify their fears, to exaggerate them and to gin them up; to make people angry about everything; and to point out that everything is broken in this country. I disagree both with the substance of the Conservative leader's argument and the way he is going about it.

I know what Canadians are doing. They are rolling up their sleeves, leaning on each other and building a better future by fighting climate change, investing in their neighbours and being there to support each other.

The Conservative leader might want to run on anger in a couple of years; we are going to run on a positive, ambitious vision for this country, which Canadians—

[The Speaker, Greg Fergus]

The hon. member for Surrey—Newton.

Labour

[Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal, Surrey Newton, BC]

Mr. Speaker, workers have built this country and they will build the Canada of tomorrow. Our government recently introduced important legislation that would ban replacement workers. While the opposition pretends to be for workers, it has stalled the passing of the legislation.

Can the Prime Minister tell workers across the country why we have their backs?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Surrey—Newton for his hard work.

Members of the Canadian Labour Congress were in Ottawa this week to express their frustration with the Conservative leader's silence on our government's replacement worker legislation. The last time that party stayed silent on a piece of legislation, it voted against Ukraine. For the 19 years the leader has been elected to the House, he has always voted against unions, including with Stephen Harper's Bill C-377 and Bill C-525, and it is increasingly obvious he will always stand against workers.

Housing

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, the federal housing advocate has reported that the government fails to protect Inuit's right to housing. Inuit have to take shifts to sleep because of overcrowding. In the fall economic statement, the government is spending more to settle historic injustices than it is to help indigenous peoples in housing. Liberals have to get this right: Invest in indigenous housing and end these injustices.

When will the Prime Minister finally invest in what is needed? Will he wait until he is forced to by the courts?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I know how important it is to continue to work with the governments of the territories and with indigenous partners, like ITK, to build more housing. We have made significant announcements and significant investments in creating more housing, but there is, as my hon. colleague has said, much more to do.

We will continue to be there as partners for the north as we invest in housing and as we create more opportunities.

Health

[Kevin Vuong, Independent, Spadina—Fort York, ON]

Mr. Speaker, 35 doctors and addiction experts recently wrote to the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, recommending significant reform or outright abolishment of the safe-supply strategy. Harm reduction without treatment does not break the cycle of addiction. In Toronto and across Canada, the strategy is not working and is wreaking havoc on communities. Without a federal exemption, injection sites would be illegal.

Will the Prime Minister listen to the experts and either reform safe supply and provide funding to keep host neighbourhoods safe, or eliminate injection sites altogether?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, it is a scientific and proven evidentiary fact that safe supply and harm reduction save lives.

We know that there is much more to do, and we will continue to do it, working with partners across the country, investing in more supports for communities and moving forward in a way that is grounded in science, to save lives and support people.

Part of our $200-billion investment in health over the next 10 years is aimed at support for mental health and addictions. We are there, but we will remain grounded in science, not ideology.

Presence in Gallery

[The Speaker, Greg Fergus]

I wish to draw the attention of members to the presence in the gallery of the Hon. Jill Balser, Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration for the great province of Nova Scotia.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

Oral Questions

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, you have previously stated in the House that questions must be related to government administration, that they must be relevant in order to be recognized by the House. Earlier, the leader of the Bloc Québécois put a question to the Prime Minister, and you were initially of the opinion that it was not related to government administration.

I want to share what was said by the Canadian Human Rights Commission, which is part of the federal administration. The Commission states that statutory holidays related to Christianity, including Christmas and Easter, are an obvious example of systemic religious discrimination and that this discrimination against religious minorities in Canada is “grounded in Canada’s history of colonialism”.

Mr. Speaker, I am asking that you proceed more carefully in the future rulings you make on the relevance of questions because, in the case involving the leader of the Bloc Québécois, I do not think your decision was the correct one.

[The Speaker, Greg Fergus]

I thank the member for La Prairie for his comments. From what the Chair heard during the first question, no reference was made to that document. I will review the blues. If that did in fact happen, then I would like to apologize to the member for Beloeil—Chambly. I will get back to the House with an answer for the member if needed.

The hon. member for Sarnia‑Lambton on a point of order.

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I think it is important that we are consistent in the way that we apply the rules in the House. During Statements by Members, one of the members opposite accused all of the Conservatives of being complicit with the Russians, which we know is not factual since we have all been banned from Russia.

When one of our members had to withdraw a comment, he also had to apologize. I respect that you asked the member to withdraw the comment, but I did not hear the apology, and I would give the member opposite the chance to do it now.

[The Speaker, Greg Fergus]

I thank the hon. member for raising this point of order. The Chair did ask the member to withdraw the comment. It was important to the Chair on a prima facie look at it to see a distinction between the two situations.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. During the statement made by the member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, the member for Mississauga—Erin Mills was making a number of very clearly unparliamentary statements. One of them is audible on the video at the 14:20:30 mark. I would prefer not to offer specifics if it is not necessary, provided the member is prepared to apologize and withdraw it, but I am happy to provide more specifics if necessary.

[The Speaker, Greg Fergus]

I thank the member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan.

I am going to review Hansard to take a look at that and will come back to this chamber if necessary.

The House resumed from November 22 consideration of the motion, and of the amendment.

Foreign Affairs and International Development

[The Speaker, Greg Fergus]

It being 3:32 p.m., the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the amendment of the member Dufferin—Caledon to the motion for concurrence in the 10th report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development.

Call in the members.

And the bells having rung:

[The Deputy Speaker, Chris d'Entremont]

The question is as follows.

May I dispense?

[Some hon. members]

No.

[The Deputy Speaker, Chris d'Entremont]

[Chair read text of amendment to House]

(The House divided on the amendment, which was negatived on the following division:)

Vote #457

Committees of the House

[The Deputy Speaker, Chris d'Entremont]

I declare the amendment defeated.

The next question is on the main motion.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #458