Debates of Nov. 3rd, 2023

Carbon Pricing

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and to the Minister of Official Languages]

Madam Speaker, every day Liberal MPs stand up against the Conservative Party, which routinely votes against vital supports for affordability, housing and health care. We have been there for Canadians across every region for the past eight years. Meanwhile the Conservative MPs are opposing every single measure we introduce to address affordability and climate change. This approach is reckless. Instead of their track record of divisive politics, they should be able to support good measures to help Canadians. This is a national program, despite the misinformation from the Conservative Party. Their approach is reckless and unacceptable.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I want to remind members that I am sure whoever posed the question wants to hear it, as opposed to hearing members interrupt.

The hon. member for Louis‑Saint‑Laurent.

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

Madam Speaker, after eight years of this Liberal government, the Prime Minister has once again invented a new way to divide Canadians: those who will benefit from a pause on the Liberal carbon tax and those who will not, which is 97% of Canadians.

This is proof that this tax is not worth the cost, and neither is this Prime Minister. It is also proof that this Liberal carbon tax is a fiscal measure, not an environmental one.

When will the Prime Minister understand? More importantly, when will he allow Liberal MPs to vote using common sense and abolish the Liberal carbon tax on home heating?

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and to the Minister of Official Languages]

Madam Speaker, there is no price on pollution in Quebec. When it comes to fighting climate change, all we hear from the Conservatives is that they oppose it. They oppose a national program for heat pumps, which save on energy bills. They oppose a price on pollution and putting more money into the pockets of Canadians.

If the Conservative Party really cares about Canadians, they should come up with a plan, not just list the cuts they cannot wait to make. The Conservatives want to cut programs, not support Canadians or fight climate change.

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

Madam Speaker, what we want to cut is the Liberal carbon tax.

Here is something everyone agrees on. Winters are cold in Canada. People have to heat their homes, so that costs a lot of money. That is why we need home heating in the winter. Everyone agrees on that. Where we disagree is that some people think it is a good idea to have a carbon tax on heating. We disagree. We will be voting on this on Monday. It sounds like the NDP will vote in favour of the motion. With all due respect to New Democrats, I will believe it when I see it. One other unknown is whether the Bloc Québécois will vote with the Liberals or with common sense.

When will we find out if the Prime Minister is going to allow his MPs to vote for common sense?

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and to the Minister of Official Languages]

Madam Speaker, every day, Liberal members oppose the Conservative Party, which consistently votes against essential support measures for affordability, housing and health care.

Over the past eight years, we have supported Canadians in every region, while Conservative members have opposed all measures to fight poverty and climate change. Their approach is irresponsible. Instead of standing up for Canadians, they continue with their politics of division. We need to support positive measures to help Canadians across the country.

Canadian Heritage

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

Madam Speaker, yesterday, TVA announced the elimination of 547 jobs. This is a dark day for both the company and Quebec television. The Bloc Québécois stands in solidarity with the men and women who are being laid off today after giving of their time and talent to TVA for years.

Traditional television has been threatened for a long time. Everyone knows it, but nothing has been done. What more will it take for the government to wake up and realize that the future of our television is in jeopardy?

[Taleeb Noormohamed, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Madam Speaker, first, our thoughts are with the more than 500 families who are affected by these job losses. We will be there for them, and we will also be there for the cultural industry and the media. The reality is that this is the reason why we need to continue our work on Bill C‑11. That is why we introduced that bill. The reality is that the Conservatives always oppose measures to protect the cultural industry, the media and even Canadian content.

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

Madam Speaker, yesterday, Pierre Karl Péladeau made it clear that the traditional television business model is broken. We have to go back to the drawing board. Television, radio and newspapers all face the same dilemma. Unless we make a fresh start and acknowledge the scope of the crisis facing our media industry, our access to information, to our creators and to our culture will come under threat. We have reached a crossroads.

My question is simple: What is the plan? What does the government intend to do to save our traditional television and print media?

[Stéphane Lauzon, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizens' Services]

Madam Speaker, my heart goes out to the journalists and workers at Quebecor and TVA, all the 500 employees who lost their jobs yesterday. This is not good news for Quebec. This decision was made by a private company. We always support journalism and information sharing.

That is why Bill C‑11 is so important. We hope that the Bloc Québécois and the Conservatives will vote with us to support Canadian and Quebec journalism.

Northern Affairs

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, the Liberals continue to ignore the NDP's call to reform nutrition north. Last month, the minister made an announcement that did not make any reforms and only gave support to a tiny fraction of hunters and food-sharing initiatives. Continuing to subsidize for-profit companies is not reform.

When will the government stop equating a few thousands of dollars in supports to hunters with the millions in subsidies to for-profit corporations?

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Minister of Northern Affairs]

Madam Speaker, transparency, accountability and effectiveness of nutrition north are an absolute top priority. That is why we have established the nutrition north compliance audit review committee, to look at how the subsidy is rolled out. That is why we have expanded the nutrition north program to include the harvesters support grant, which helps traditional hunters hunt, harvest and fish. That is why we have created the community foods program that works with schools and non-profits to make sure people are getting the nutritious food they need.

The Economy

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

Madam Speaker, Food Banks, like loaves and fishes in Nanaimo, are overwhelmed. Two million Canadians are turning to food banks. That is the highest number we have ever seen. Clearly, food prices are out of control and families are suffering. The Liberals promised food costs would be lower by now, but their out-of-touch plan of nicely asking CEOS to stabilize already high prices is not working.

Will the Liberals support the NDP's plan to bring down grocery costs by putting people before profits?

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

Madam Speaker, our government has listened to Canadians, over months, who are saying that they are struggling to pay their bills. We recognize that it is challenging when we see that the grocery industry is highly consolidated with 80% market share, and food prices are way too high. That is why we called the CEOs of the largest grocery chains to Ottawa, and they have developed action plans. We are now seeing them implement those action plans, and we are monitoring closely to make sure that we can hold those grocery chains accountable. We are also updating our competition laws to increase competition in the marketplace, and I think that is essential. That is responsible action on behalf of our government.

Carbon Pricing

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Madam Speaker, last Thursday, the Prime Minister flip-flopped on his NDP-Liberal carbon tax scheme. He is giving a tax pause to select people for select types of home heating. After eight years, this Prime Minister is just not worth the cost. With winter just around the corner, every Canadian deserves tax relief on their home heating, including in places like Sault Ste. Marie.

On Monday's vote, can that member have the freedom to vote for our Conservative common-sense plan to take the tax off all forms of home heating for those in Sault Ste. Marie and for all Canadians?

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity]

Madam Speaker, fighting climate change while helping families with their affordability challenges is a dual priority, and a serious plan needs to have both. Our government is standing up to take action on the environment in a way that directly helps Canadians.

The recent changes are about home-heating oil, the dirtiest way to heat one's home. As a rural member of Parliament, a lot of my neighbours use home-heating oil and I want to help them get off that, and this plan does just that. There are more people who use home-heating oil in Ontario than there are in Nova Scotia. This is a pan-Canadian solution to getting off home-heating oil just like we are trying to get off coal.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister has created two classes of Canadians: those who pay carbon tax and those who do not. I am sure the member for Sault Ste. Marie has been hearing the same thing from his residents as I have from mine. People are struggling to afford to keep the heat on when the temperature goes down. They do not understand why they are being punished for using clean natural gas.

So, again, on Monday, will the member for Sault Ste. Marie vote with his Liberal government's costly, unfair tax on home heating or will he stand with the Conservative motion and take the tax off and keep the heat on for residents of Sault Ste. Marie and for all Canadians?

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity]

Madam Speaker, I think it is important to point out, since the question came from a member from British Columbia, that British Columbia does not have a federal carbon tax, it uses its own, and it is actually a leading province on fighting climate change.

Conservatives keep claiming that pollution pricing is driving up inflation, and that is just false. This is about moving away from the dirtiest way to heat a home, the least healthy way to heat a home, and lowering emissions at the same time.

It would great that if in this place we discussed not whether we should fight climate change but how we fight climate change. It would be great to hear from the Conservatives if they have a plan.

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

Madam Speaker, after eight years of this NDP-Liberal government, they finally admitted that their carbon tax is making it harder for Canadians to afford to heat their homes. The Liberals have said that only people who elect Liberals will get a break. To folks who cannot afford to eat, heat or house themselves, this Prime Minister just is not worth the cost.

Seven of eight members of Parliament in Ottawa are Liberals, but the common sense of the MP for Carleton will give them all a chance to take the tax off so Ottawans can keep the heat on. Will the Liberal members for Ottawa vote for our common-sense plan to take the carbon tax off home heating bills for everyone in Ottawa and eastern Ontario?

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity]

Madam Speaker, all of the Conservatives, including that member, ran on a platform that included a plan to price carbon. They also ran on a plan with a clean fuel standard almost identical to what was proposed by our government.

Now, that member has many constituents who use home-heating oil, and that is bad for our air quality, it raises emissions, it is the dirtiest and it is the most expensive way to heat one's home. We are providing free heat pumps for any Canadian whose province wants to work with our government to get them off home-heating oil.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I just want to say that it is quite disrespectful when a member is standing up answering a question and others are having conversations across the way. Again, I want to remind members that if they do not want to take part in question period and be respectful, they should maybe step out and have those conversations together somewhere else.

The hon. member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes.

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

Madam Speaker, what is clear is that this is a tax plan and not an environmental plan.

After eight years of this NDP-Liberal government, the Liberals told Canadians that if they wanted a break from the carbon tax, they had to vote Liberal. Ottawa has seven Liberal MPs. Glengarry—Prescott—Russell has a Liberal MP and Kingston and the Islands has a Liberal MP, but with all of these Liberals, why do the residents of eastern Ontario and Ottawa not get a break from the carbon tax? Will any of these Liberal MPs, like the member for Kingston and the Islands, stand up right now and say that they will vote to scrap the tax on home heating?

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity]

Madam Speaker, my friend and colleague, the hon. member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes knows that he ran on a platform to price carbon in the last election. He promised his constituents that he cared about climate change.

As I said before, it would be great if we could spend some time in this House debating how we fight climate change, not if we fight climate change. Not only is this hypocritical of the Conservatives, but it also shows that they cannot be trusted. Their plans are risky; no, if they had a plan, it would be risky. It is irresponsible and reckless.

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

Madam Speaker, after eight years, this government is making Quebeckers poorer. The second carbon tax applies in Quebec and adds up to 20¢ per litre of gasoline. I am not the one saying that. It is the Parliamentary Budget Officer.

Even that is not enough for the Bloc Québécois though. They want to drastically increase it. Voting for the Bloc Québécois is costly. Our Conservative motion is calling for the carbon tax to be cancelled across the board: everywhere and for everyone.

Will the Liberals support our common-sense motion to eliminate the carbon tax on all forms of heating and for all Canadians?

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and to the Minister of Official Languages]

Madam Speaker, that is stretching the truth a bit and not putting it the right way. The member who just spoke was part of the Quebec National Assembly when it put a price on pollution. Quebec was a leader in the world when it did that.

Now, in the House, she is standing up to say no. She should talk to the opposition leader and tell him that what they are doing is risky. It does not help the environment, Quebeckers, or Canadians.