Debates of March 22nd, 2023

Ramadan

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this evening Muslims in my community of Mississauga—Erin Mills and across Canada will mark the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan. Many of our friends, family members and neighbours will gather at their local mosques to pray, hold Iftars, break their fast and emphasize Canadian and Muslim values such as charity and compassion. This is also a time to reinforce the cultural bonds of our communities that make our Canadian mosaic so great.

As we recently marked the first United Nations International Day to Combat Islamophobia, let us reinforce our commitment to rejecting hate in all its forms in Canada and across the world. I wish all Muslims observing Ramadan a peaceful and blessed celebration with family and friends as we really begin this important journey together.

Ramadan Mubarak.

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, every year Muslims across the world fast during the month of Ramadan. As we fast from dawn to sunset for the next month, we take the time to reflect on ourselves, our actions and our values. Ramadan is a time of patience, empathy and compassion, when we grow closer to our faith, families, friends and communities. We open our hearts and strive to give back to our communities through charity and volunteerism. We share these values as Muslims and Canadians who work every day to make our country a better place.

It is a challenging time for many in Canada and around the world. In the spirit of Ramadan, I encourage everyone to reach out and connect with one another and to offer help and support to those in need.

Ramadan Mubarak, Ramadan Kareem.

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

Mr. Speaker, today marks the beginning of Ramadan, and tomorrow Muslims in Canada and around the world will fast for one month from sun-up to sundown. Fasting is a practice in many faith traditions, where we give up food or other pleasures in order to draw our attention to higher things. Giving up all food and drink from sun-up to sundown is a particularly intense fast, and I salute the temperance, fortitude and commitment of all those observing it.

Muslim Canadians have contributed to our common national life in so many ways, and we honour their service and sacrifice.

There is a strong Muslim community in every province and territory in Canada that deserves to have its rights respected by all levels of government.

As Conservatives, we particularly recognize the contributions of Muslim Canadians to building our Conservative movement: MPs, senators, provincial elected officials, candidates, staff and volunteers continue to build and strengthen the connections between their faith community and our party.

We know that religious freedom is always fragile. It can be threatened by discriminatory state policy and acts of violence. Virtually every country in the world, including Canada, has seen instances of violence targeting the Muslim community. However, the Muslim community is resilient; it is a strong, accepted and critical part of our Canadian family. We stand with Muslims today and always.

Ramadan Kareem, Ramadan Mubarak.

Daljit Bains

[Randeep Sarai, Liberal, Surrey Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to remember somebody special to me. Daljit Bains was a husband, father and strong pillar in the Surrey community. He helped anyone who came to his door. Whether someone was marginalized or in need of a job, he would help them with a meal and some work and even get them a job. If someone was a new immigrant, he would help them settle in. If someone was a visitor, he would lend them his home. He was a neighbour who checked in, kept the neighbourhood neat and tidy and helped others when they needed help in the garden.

Daljit was an ideal citizen, a great Surreyite, my uncle and someone who will always remain in our hearts.

Housing

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years under the Prime Minister, the dream of home ownership has died. The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment has doubled since 2015. The average monthly mortgage payment has more than doubled, from $1,400 to over $3,200.

Canadians are finding it impossible to save for a down payment or afford a mortgage. All of their hard-earned money is going to skyrocketing rent and groceries thanks to the Prime Minister's inflationary spending and taxes.

Young people are doing everything we asked them to do: going to school, getting a job and working hard. However, they still cannot afford to own a home. They deserve better.

Conservatives will bring homes Canadians can afford, cut taxes so that we can bring home more pay, sell unused federal buildings to convert to housing and remove the gatekeepers to build more homes. We know that the Liberals do not believe in the dream of home ownership, but Conservatives do.

When it comes to home ownership, it is time for the Prime Minister to move out of his taxpayer-funded home so that Canadians can move into theirs.

Carbon Tax

[Doug Shipley, Conservative, Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Prime Minister, Canadians are struggling to pay rent, feed their families and heat their homes. Everything is more expensive. Instead of showing compassion for struggling Canadians, the Liberal government has decided to increase the carbon tax on April 1.

Canadians who are already struggling because of the Liberal government's inflationary spending cannot afford to be punished every time they drive to work or heat their homes.

The carbon tax is not an environmental plan. It is a costly tax plan that is damaging to Canadian families and small businesses. In my community, I have heard from residents whose home heating bills have doubled because of the Liberals' failed carbon tax. During these unprecedented times, the government should be focused on ways to put more money, not less, in Canadians' pockets.

Only a Conservative government will bring home lower prices by ending inflationary carbon tax hikes and deficit spending that drive up inflation and harm Canadians.

Innovative Agri-Food Businesses

[Brenda Shanahan, Liberal, Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, things are happening in the agri-food industry in Châteauguay—Lacolle, which will soon be called Châteauguay—Les Jardins‑de‑Napierville.

Today, I want to talk about the success of two dynamic and innovative businesses. First, I want to talk about the Coallier family, who owns G.S.P.M Distribution in Napierville. Recently, the family showed us their vertical hydroponic farm system, which allows year-round market garden production. This clean technology, the only one in Canada, is highly promising for our food autonomy.

I also want to talk about Signé Caméline from Saint-Édouard. A few weeks ago, this company, headed by Chantal Van Winden, won first prize in the Bocuse d'Or SIRHA Innovation Awards, one of the most prestigious culinary competitions in France. This was a first for a Canadian product that stood out for both its quality and its uniqueness.

Red Dress Alert

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people continue to go missing and be murdered at alarming rates. That is why I join family, survivors and advocates in calling for the creation of a nationwide red dress alert program. A red dress alert would notify the public when an indigenous woman, girl or two-spirit person goes missing. This would significantly increase the likelihood that someone who goes missing will be found.

We know this because of how successful early alert programs like Amber Alerts have been. In Ontario, more than 90% of Amber Alerts lead to the safe recovery of children.

We are in the midst of an ongoing genocide of missing and murdered indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people, as the Prime Minister has acknowledged. We have a right to live in safety, with security and with dignity. If we should go missing, we deserve to be and must be found. That is why we must have a red dress alert system put in place immediately. A red dress alert will save lives.

It is time for the government to treat this crisis with the urgency it deserves and put in place a red dress alert system now.

Montreal Alouettes

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Alouettes have finally found a new owner. Montreal's team has been purchased by none other than Pierre Karl Péladeau, making him the first francophone owner since Léo Dandurand, the man who founded the team in 1946.

This well-known sovereignist said that buying the team was not a business transaction, but a matter of national pride. His words were deeply moving. I bet that some will even be converted. I am certain that this will be a great boon to our local talent. Our teams have already reaped many honours at the college and university level, and more and more players, coaches and managers from Quebec are joining the professional ranks.

In Pierre Karl Péladeau, the Alouettes have found a terrific quarterback. I am even convinced that he will not hesitate to go out onto the field himself to finally bring the Grey Cup back to Quebec. After the highs of the 1970s and 2000s, we now feel that our Alouettes are ready to soar again.

It looks like the third down is the charm for Montreal's football team.

Development of National Defence Land

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

Mr. Speaker, for the past seven years, the Wendake community, which I have the honour of representing here in the House of Commons, has been working on an exciting project for first nations and the entire Quebec City area.

It involves developing the National Defence land in Sainte‑Foy, which is located near Laurier Québec and the hospital. This project will create over 1,000 housing units, such as social and health-related housing, as well as indigenous commercial spaces, public, commemorative and historic spaces, with the help of veterans, and spaces for other first nations.

The Wendake project already has the support of the City of Quebec, veterans and Laval University. It is fair to say that everyone in Quebec City supports this project and wants to see it happen. All that it needs to go forward is the green light from the federal government.

Let us be proud. Let us move forward with this project, which promotes reconciliation with first nations and furthers their economic self-reliance.

Community Literacy Week

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, community literacy week is coming up from April 3 to 7, and I want to acknowledge the remarkable work of Quebec organizations such as Le Vent dans les lettres in Gatineau, which is making literacy a community effort.

Even today, many people in the Outaouais region are still vulnerable because they are illiterate. That is why, in addition to running school programs, the incredible team at Le Vent dans les lettres hosts community workshops on various civics-related topics.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting the participants, and I want to commend them for their perseverance and their resilience. Community literacy week teaches us about the importance of making our communications more accessible and inclusive.

Happy seventh community literacy week.

Housing

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, eight years ago, the Prime Minister promised, and I quote, that he was going to “make it easier for Canadians to find an affordable place to call home”. On the day he made that promise, the average mortgage payment was $1,400.

How much is it today?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we know that people across the country continue to face challenges in terms of finding affordable housing. That is why we launched the national housing strategy in 2017.

Last week, I was in Guelph, Ontario, to announce $4 billion in investments for municipalities across the country so they can build more housing faster and make housing affordable for Canadians.

We know it takes investment to meet Canadians' expectations, and that is exactly what we are doing.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the question was about what he promised in 2015: “We will make it easier for Canadians to find an affordable place to call home.” When he made that promise, the average monthly payment for a mortgage in Canada was a modest $1,400. What is it today?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, of course, situations vary across the country, but we have stepped up with housing programs in big cities like Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. We have also stepped up in smaller municipalities and rural areas across the country that need supports in housing.

Unlike the previous Conservative government, which did not feel the federal government had any role to play in housing, we stepped up in tangible, concrete ways to deliver more housing, to deliver rapid housing and to deliver programs that fight homelessness and programs that increase rental stocks. We will continue investing to support people, alongside our partners in the provinces and municipalities.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, he wants to compare that with the Conservative record. I gave him a chance. I told him that when the Conservatives left office, the average monthly payment on a new house was $1,400. I asked him to tell us what it is today, and either he does not know or he is too afraid to admit that it has gone up to over $3,100. That is over a 100% increase.

When the Prime Minister took office, a two-bedroom apartment in Canada's 10 biggest cities, on average, was $1,100. How much is it today?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, over the past eight years, we have seen significant growth in the economy. We have seen more Canadians getting jobs than ever before. We have seen more Canadians lifted out of poverty than ever before because of the things we did, from the very first initiative, which was lowering taxes for the middle class and raising them on the wealthiest 1%, an initiative the Conservatives voted against, to delivering a Canada child benefit that puts more money in the pockets of families that need it. We also stopped sending child benefit cheques to millionaires.

We have continued to move forward in supporting communities, supporting home builders and supporting homeowners and homebuyers. We will continue to be there for Canadians.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, he would have us believe that Canadians have never had it so good. Let us ask the nine in 10 young people who believe they will never own a home, or the 35-year-olds living in their parents' basements because they cannot afford the new doubling of the average down payment, mortgage payment or rental cost.

Speaking of paycheques, when he took office, someone only needed 39% of the average paycheque to make monthly payments on the average house. That number has risen to 62%.

By every objective measurement, things are more expensive and Canadians are taking home less. How did he spend so much to achieve so little?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, across the country, we have seen record job growth. We have seen a record number of Canadians lifted out of poverty. We have seen investments to fight climate change that have put more money in people's pockets. We have continued to move forward in growing the economy.

However, it is only the Conservative leader trying to say Canadians have never had it so good. We know Canadians are struggling, and that is why we continue to step up with investments in dental care and investments in low-income rental supports, two initiatives the Conservatives voted against. We will continue to be there to deliver for Canadians while we deliver a better future for everyone.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is trying to talk about everything but the housing questions I asked. It is easy to understand why. When he took office, housing was affordable, and now it is impossibly expensive. In fact, it is much more expensive than around the rest of the world. Vancouver is now the third most overpriced housing market, and Toronto the 10th worst, in the world. They are worse than Manhattan, Singapore, London and countless other places with more people, more money and less land. In fact, the average house price last year in the United States was almost half less than it is here in Canada.

Why is housing so much more expensive here than elsewhere in the world?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have continually invested in programs and supports for Canadians, and have seen millions of families entering new homes and getting the supports they need. There are millions of refurbishments, with millions in supports right across the country.

It is interesting to contrast that with the Conservative record. In the last election campaign, the Conservative platform promise on housing was to give tax breaks to wealthy landlords. That was their approach on housing.

We contrasted with significant investments in delivering for first-time homebuyers, delivering for people facing homelessness and delivering for Canadian families to access better housing.

Democratic Institutions

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, although no one knows just how many there are, many Chinese nationals who are under the Prime Minister's solemn responsibility and whom Canada let in, are being forced under threat to return to China. We can imagine what is waiting for them upon their return.

Our main ally is coming to Ottawa tomorrow. Is that not just one more reason to establish that the Prime Minister cannot choose who will lead the inquiry or establish that the inquiry does not need to be public?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, since the start, I have been very clear that it was not up to me to launch a public inquiry, because it may not be the best thing to do. That is why we decided to turn to an expert, someone who is absolutely unimpeachable, to make that determination and establish the best way forward.

That is why the former governor general will determine whether there will be a public inquiry or not, and what the parameters of that public inquiry would be. In the meantime, he is encouraging and assuring that the various committees are doing their job to set the record straight and restore the confidence of Canadians.

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, allow me to make a distinction between the Communist Chinese regime and the Chinese people, as well as the extraordinary Chinese culture, which dates back five millennia. Electoral interference, illegal financing, industrial espionage and the forced repatriation of Chinese Canadians: Enough is enough.

Have we not come to the point where a self-serving appointment is not going to cut it?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I think that Canadians understand full well that for issues as serious as this one, what we need is not more partisanship, but less. That is why we chose an eminent Canadian who will be able to look into all these issues. He will ensure that we keep using our tools and approaches for ensuring the integrity of our electoral system and protecting our communities with origins in other countries.

We are offering less partisanship, but the opposition parties want more.