Debates of Dec. 6th, 2023

Carbon Pricing

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

Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite knows, there are no senators on this side of the House. The only senators within a political party are Conservative.

Perhaps the member opposite would like to ask why 13 Conservative senators did not show up to vote. Is it perhaps because they do not support the leader's position on Ukraine and recognize that if the Conservatives truly cared about making food more affordable, they might support the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement? The questions the member has to ask are for the Conservative senators who did not vote for the Conservatives' bill.

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the member can say whatever she wants, but when the minister is phoning his Liberal-appointed senators and instructing them to gut the bill, it is pretty hard to believe the Liberals. Common-sense Conservatives would axe the tax, removing the tax from Canadian farmers and making food cheaper for all Canadians.

The Prime Minister continues to stand in the way of Canadian farmers and punish them with this carbon tax. When will the Prime Minister set aside his ideological position on the carbon tax and remove it for all farmers, families and first nations?

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

Mr. Speaker, once again, the member knows full well, although he is not sharing it with Canadians, that the only senators who sit in a political party are Conservative senators, and they did not show up to vote yesterday. The member should really ask why they did not do that. Perhaps they have an issue with some of the positions that his leader has taken.

If the member cares about the high cost of living and if he cares about food prices, then he should simply change his vote on the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement, because that is causing the most significant inflation when it comes to food prices, as is climate change. The member should check his ideological opposition to fighting climate change.

[Richard Lehoux, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this desperate, panicked Prime Minister spent all weekend calling senators, begging them to kill Bill C-234. Not surprisingly, last night, the Senate voted in favour of an amendment that will gut Bill C‑234. This will keep food prices high at a time when Canadians are struggling.

Will this Prime Minister scrap his plans to radically increase the carbon tax on farmers and families?

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, has the member been living under a rock? Where was he when there were forest fires this summer? Where was he when there was flooding? Where was he when people were being displaced? Where was he when everyone else was noticing the impact of climate change on our farmers and on our everyday lives? Where was he this morning? I was at our caucus meeting this morning, and there were no senators present, while he was surrounded by Conservative senators. He should speak the truth.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

The minister asked the member to tell the truth. I just asked a member to leave the House because he said something similar. I just want to make sure that no one is asking these questions. It amounts to almost the same thing.

The hon. member for Beauce.

[Richard Lehoux, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am on the ground, whereas my colleague might not be. There are direct repercussions for farmers, even back home in Quebec. For those who may not know it, all the propane consumed in Quebec comes from outside, so we do pay the tax.

We refuse to give a pass to the economic statement that was presented last week by the government and that has not even been called for debate yet. The word “agriculture” does not even appear in the bill, even though food bank use is at a record high.

Do the Liberals really want to lower the price of food? I will repeat my question and hope that my colleague across the way will take the time to answer. When will the Prime Minister give up his plan to radically increase the carbon tax?

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

Mr. Speaker, let me set the record straight: The price on pollution reduces pollution and puts more money in the pockets of eight out of 10 families in provinces where pricing applies.

The number of families in the riding of Beauce who receive the Canada child benefit is 9,470. Nine out of 10 families in the member's riding receive the Canada child benefit. Unfortunately, even though the member was not here at the time, the Conservative leader voted against the Canada child benefit and therefore against the interests of 9,470 families in the riding of Beauce.

Veterans

[Luc Desilets, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we now know that it was the Prime Minister who interfered in the public art competition for the monument commemorating the Afghanistan mission. We know that it was the Prime Minister who pulled some strings to overturn the decision so the Daoust team, the Quebec team, would lose. Yesterday, the House of Commons spoke. On the Bloc's initiative, the House denounced the government's about-face and its failure to play by its own rules.

Will the Prime Minister acknowledge the House's anger and reverse his decision to cast aside Quebec's winning team?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I want to be very clear: It was the Department of Veterans Affairs that made the decision to support the Stimson design. Why? Because we chose to listen to veterans. More than 12,000 Canadians responded to a questionnaire or survey, and the vast majority of them were veterans. They made it clear that, for them, the Stimson design best represented the bravery, sacrifice and loss of veterans. That is why we made this decision.

[Luc Desilets, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are deliberately rejecting Quebec.

There was a call for tenders for the monument. Quebec won, so the Prime Minister vetoed that decision. Quebec was therefore swept aside.

In the Boeing versus Bombardier matter, the Liberals did not take any chances: They refused to issue a call for tenders. Quebec had no chance of winning because the Liberals had rejected it in advance. However, it still comes out to the same thing. In both cases, the Liberals went to great lengths to exclude Quebec so we would miss out on a federal contract. Why?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, once again, let me be very clear: The Department of Veterans Affairs made the final decision to support the Stimson design because, as I said, we chose to listen to veterans. We put together a survey or questionnaire. More than 12,000 Canadians responded to the survey, and the vast majority of them were veterans.

I do not understand why my hon. colleague does not want to listen to veterans, because, once again, they made the ultimate sacrifice of reporting for duty on the mission in Afghanistan.

Carbon Pricing

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

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the NDP-Liberal government, Canadians know the Prime Minister is not worth the cost. He spent the weekend making desperate and panic-stricken phone calls to senators, pleading with them kill Bill C-234, and yesterday that is exactly what they did when they voted to gut the bill and keep food prices high for struggling Canadians.

When will the Prime Minister listen to Canadians and take the carbon tax off farmers, first nations and families who just want to heat their homes?

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

Mr. Speaker, we do not need Conservatives to tell us how to help farmers. Farmers are the most impacted by climate change. The last season was one of the worst, with 20% lower wheat yields in the Prairies. The culprit was a hotter season. That is climate change. Now, we already know that Conservatives do not believe in climate change, but it seems like they do not believe in math either as 94% of families that earn less than $50,000 a year receive more back from the price on pollution than they spend.

However, this is typical. It is an old story. These Conservatives just want to steal from the poor and give to the rich, with the leader from Carleton and his merry climate change deniers.

[Terry Dowdall, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

Mr Speaker, Liberal-appointed senators voted yesterday to keep the carbon tax pain on Canadian families and once again betray farmers by gutting Bill C-234. With food bank usage at a record high, the Prime Minister should have the courage to explain why he instructed senators to keep food prices high for struggling Canadians. After eight years, the NDP-Liberal government is not worth the cost.

Will the Prime Minister listen to Canadians and take the carbon tax off farmers, first nations and families who are struggling to get by?

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

Mr. Speaker, being a farmer, and meeting farmers right across the country, one of the first questions they ask me is, “How come the Conservative Party of Canada does not have a plan to deal with the environment when we look at all the fires, all the floods, all the destruction that's taking place?”

I tell them that we do have a plan. We do have a plan and an example of that plan is what we have done with the minister of agriculture from Ontario. We were able to announce a $25-million program to make sure that farmers remain on the cutting edge and that farmers are able to produce crops that are strong in areas that have more moisture. As I said, we will continue—

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

The hon. member for Edmonton West.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that the Prime Minister is not worth the cost. Yesterday, the Prime Minister's hand-picked senators voted to keep the carbon tax on farmers and keep food costs high. In Edmonton, the veterans food bank is pleading for donations to help our veterans. That is the legacy of the Prime Minister: food banks for veterans begging for help.

When will the Prime Minister listen to Canadians and take the carbon tax off farmers, first nations and families who are desperate to heat their homes?

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

Mr. Speaker, as I said previously, being a farmer and having talked to farmers, they cannot understand how the Conservative Party of Canada would not have a plan to deal with the environment. People have been in situations such as hurricane Fiona in Atlantic Canada, which totally destroyed properties, destroyed dairy barns and killed animals. In fact, that is part of the price on food.

We have supported, and we will continue to support, farmers. For example, the hon. Minister Thompson in Ontario and I announced a $25-million program to make sure that farmers stay on the cutting edge. We have supported farmers, and we will continue to support farmers.

Health

[Tim Louis, Liberal, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Mr. Speaker, too often people in the Waterloo region and across Canada lose loved ones to overdoses caused by the increasingly toxic illegal drug supply. People who are struggling need all levels of government to work together, and a comprehensive and evidence-based substance use policy. We know that stigma and fear will not solve this crisis.

Could the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions inform Canadians on the harm caused by stigmatizing the toxic drug and overdose crisis?

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

Mr. Speaker, common sense without science means loved ones lost. Raising stigma is killing people who need our help. I was shocked to learn that Conservatives kept interrupting experts at the health committee. If the overdose crisis were truly a priority, they would listen to experts and follow the facts.

Our evidence-based plan includes prevention, harm reduction, treatment and law enforcement. We are not pitting one pillar against another. We are using all the tools needed to save lives. Reckless and risky games stoke fear. We need to work together, fight this crisis and save lives.

Carbon Pricing

[Fraser Tolmie, Conservative, Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, SK]

Mr. Speaker, a desperate, panicked Prime Minister spent this past weekend calling senators and pleading with them to kill Bill C-234. Yesterday, his NDP-Liberal government got its wish when the senators betrayed farmers, gutting this important bill and keeping the carbon tax. This keeps food prices high and farmers struggling.

Farmers across Canada buy the goods they need retail and sell what they produce wholesale. After eight long years, farmers know that the Prime Minister is just not worth the cost. If he will not help our farmers, when will he get out of the way so a Conservative government can?

[Arif Virani, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, when I hear from everyday Canadians about affordability, and when I hear from people such as Lindsay in my riding and former classmates such as Stephanie, they say to me that the cost of food is going up, but they understand that it is a complex problem.

Climate change feeds into the cost of food, and things such as instability overseas in Europe and an illegal war in Ukraine affect the price of food. Ergo, we wonder about the sincerity of the party opposite when it votes against instrumental measures, such as an affordability piece of legislation or legislation that would assist Ukraine and stop that illegal war.

[Glen Motz, Conservative, Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB]

Mr. Speaker, if one ate today, they can thank a farmer. If one could not afford to eat today, they can thank these Liberals.

Our farmers spend their days working hard to ensure that Canadians have enough food. The NDP-Liberal government spends its days developing new ways to tax Canadians and drive up costs.

The Conservatives proposed Bill C-234 to take the carbon tax off farmers, but this piece of work Prime Minister has pressured his appointed senators to block the bill. After eight years, will the Prime Minister finally get his hands out of the pockets of farmers, families and first nations and axe the carbon tax?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, I think it is time that the Conservative Party stopped misleading Canadians on these issues. I certainly would invite them to read the article that the University of Calgary economist Trevor Tombe put out yesterday, which basically shows that 95% Canadians with low and moderate incomes get more money back.

Rather than talking about axing the tax, Conservatives should be talking about axing the rebate and taking money out of the pockets of hard-working Canadians.