Debates of Dec. 13th, 2023

Foreign Affairs

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I notice that members will wait until I have actually recognized a member to then start heckling again. If members are going to be allowed to heckle, then may I please have a way to identify them before they heckle? Please do not lean back to try to cover your face from other members so the Speaker cannot hear.

Please allow the member for Etobicoke Centre to finish so we can all get back to the business of doing the people's work.

The hon. member for Etobicoke Centre, from the top, I regret.

[Yvan Baker, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the government has been clear as to where we stand on the war in Ukraine. We know that the Ukrainian people are not only fighting for their own freedom and survival, but are also fighting for us, and that we need to be fighting for them.

It is also clear now where Conservative MPs stand. Their leader has never advocated more military, financial or humanitarian support for Ukraine. They voted against the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement. Yesterday, the leader of the Conservative Party referred dismissively to Ukraine as a faraway foreign land. Under this leader, the Conservative Party has abandoned Ukraine.

Could the Prime Minister please reassure Canadians that the government will stand with the Ukrainian people until they win?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we see how much the Conservatives hate it when we talk about Ukraine.

I thank the member for Etobicoke Centre for his leadership in supporting Ukraine.

The Conservatives, yet again, showed Ukrainians and all Canadians who they really are. When it came time to support military aid to Ukraine, they voted against. When it came time to support Operation Unifier, they voted against. When it came to the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement, twice they voted against.

While the Conservative leader is busy taking talking points from Fox News and Donald Trump, on this side of the House, we support Ukraine.

Small Business

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, even though small businesses are dealing with a cost of living crisis, the Liberals are forcing them to pay back the Canada emergency business account loan within the next few weeks or risk losing up to $20,000. While the Liberals put small businesses in jeopardy, they are handing out $21.6 billion to their rich consultant friends. Reducing this out-of-control outsourcing by just 4% more would cover the costs of extending the CEBA.

Instead of choosing rich CEOs and highly paid consultants, will the Liberals support small businesses by extending the CEBA by just one year?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, during the pandemic, we stepped up with unprecedented supports for small businesses. We were there to support them. We were there to invest in them. We were there to support Canadian workers, Canadian families and Canadian seniors. We were there with supports that saw us through the pandemic with fewer deaths and a stronger economy than most of our peers.

The fact is that we were there to help Canadians through the pandemic, and we are going to continue to support small businesses in many different ways. However, the pandemic is over its acute phase. We will continue to be there to support people, but pandemic supports needed to end.

Oil and Gas Industry

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, despite climate negotiations being captured by fossil fuel interests, countries just agreed at COP28 to transition away from fossil fuels. Nonetheless, back at home, the government continues to do the opposite, wasting over $1,200 on behalf of each and every Canadian taxpayer to expand the TMX pipeline, and increasing oil production to record levels.

Why is it that the PM cannot find the money to ensure that we end legislated poverty for people with disabilities, but has tens of billions of dollars for a leaky pipeline?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, Canada demonstrated, yet again, its leadership on the world stage with ambitious leadership in putting a cap on emissions from the oil and gas sector, recognizing that we do need to get to a net-zero economy. We need to support all our industries, including our energy industry, in moving towards that.

We will be there to support workers in the energy industry as we focus on decarbonization. We will be there to support businesses across this country as they shift to lower-emitting technologies. We understand the process it takes; we will accompany Canadians every step of the way, and we will get to net zero.

Appointment of Clerk

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

Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties, and if you seek it, I believe you would find unanimous consent to adopt the following motion. I move:

That the motion on the Order Paper in the name of the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons related to the appointment of Eric Janse as Clerk of the House of Commons, pursuant to Standing Order 111.1(1), be deemed adopted.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

All those opposed to the hon. minister's moving the motion will please say nay.

The House has heard the terms of the motion. All those opposed to the motion will please say nay.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

(Motion agreed to)

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

Three times today, the leader of the official opposition made reference to a document that was tabled at COP28. That document, entitled, Climate Change Performance Index, gives the—

[Some hon. members]

No.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, I am sure that if you reflect on what took place over question period, and the amount of decorum, and this is something that is really important—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I will just ask the hon. parliamentary secretary to please quote the standing order so the Speaker can hear.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, a member of Ukrainian heritage, the member for Etobicoke Centre, on several occasions tried to get his question across—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I am just wondering whether the hon. parliamentary secretary would like to quote the standing order that he is referring to, so I could listen.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, it is Standing Order 18, in reference to decorum. A member of Ukrainian heritage, the member for Etobicoke Centre, on several occasions attempted to get his question across.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, as I am right now, he was being shouted down as opposed to being allowed to be heard. We believe, Mr. Speaker, that you should look at those questions and report back, because we are starting to see the MAGA right from the Conservative Party in—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order on the issue of decorum under Standing Order 18. The entire time I, a person of Ukrainian heritage, was giving my S. O. 31, I was heckled and yelled at by the Liberals.

When the member for Etobicoke Centre got up, he actually misinformed the House when he said that we were opposed to Ukraine. Actually, the Liberals voted against all the measures we took as a government, as Conservatives. The Liberals voted consecutively, in 2014 and 2015, against measures to support Ukraine, including Operation Unifier and Operation Reassurance.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

Colleagues, we are now moving into issues of debate.

The hon. member for Haldimand—Norfolk, on a point of order.