House of Commons Hansard #178 of the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was food.

Topics

Financial Statement of Minister of FinanceThe BudgetGovernment Orders

1:40 p.m.

Conservative

Lianne Rood Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON

Madam Speaker, after eight years of the Liberal government, we are facing some of the most difficult economic times our country has ever seen. In this budget, the Liberals have decided to continue increasing taxes and spending without limit. The budget contains $63 billion in new spending. That is an extra $4,200 of debt per household.

To add insult to injury, on April 1 the Prime Minister's carbon tax increased. The carbon tax now adds 14¢ per litre, which will cost the average Canadian family over $800 this year alone, even after the rebates.

Budget 2023 was an opportunity to give Canadians hope, but instead the Liberals chose to keep their hands in the pockets of Canadians with more inflationary spending and more taxes. The Conservatives cannot support this budget and will be voting against it.

After hundreds of phone calls, in-person visits, contacts and emails with people from Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, it is clear that the Liberal government is completely out of touch with Canadians. The Liberals have had no idea of the sacrifices Canadians have been making day to day since they came to power and cut their secret backroom deal with the NDP. Savings accounts are being depleted, credit cards are being used to purchase everyday items, home ownership is now a pipe dream for future generations and they will be on the hook for the Prime Minister's reckless vanity spending.

After listening to Canadians, the Conservatives had three key demands we wanted included in budget 2023 to restore hope to this country. The first was allowing Canadians to bring home powerful paycheques with lower taxes and scrapping the carbon tax.

With yearly increases to the carbon tax now in play, Canadians who are already in a desperate place are being squeezed again with little left to give. Frances, from Chatham, reached out and shared his family's situation with me. Here are his words: “We eat less, go out less and are stressed.”

A University of Saskatchewan study reports that one in five Canadians is skipping meals, and Second Harvest reports that in 2023 there will be a 60% increase in food bank usage. That is a sombre statistic. Mothers are adding water to their baby formula, and I have heard from people in my own riding, and this is sad, that some seniors are even resorting to eating cat food to survive.

How did Canada, a once prosperous nation, turn into a country where Canadians are going to bed with empty stomachs? This is what happens when we have a Prime Minister who does not pay attention to monetary policy.

The government proudly proclaims that the budget includes a one-time grocery rebate, but news flash, it is all smoke and mirrors. It is the GST rebate branded as a grocery rebate. What the Liberals fail to mention is the rebate disappears thanks to their carbon tax.

The Liberal government gives little and takes more in the same breath and expects people to be thankful for it. Canadians are seeing through this Liberal charade. The Conservatives know that real people deserve a real plan to deal with the cost of living crisis and that no serious plan will be coming until we form government.

Restaurants, bars, wineries, distilleries and breweries are being unduly punished by the Prime Minister's tax plan. The 2% increase to the excise tax this year on alcohol will negatively impact an already struggling industry. The temporary cap on the increase of the excise tax is only for one more year, and we can be certain the tax will increase again after that.

The Conservatives fought to scrap this tax in its entirety. Unfortunately, there is nothing the Liberals will not tax. Hard-working Canadians should be rewarded for their labour. Under a Conservative government, we will make sure this becomes a reality again.

The Conservatives also demanded a budget that would help bring home lower prices by ending the inflationary debt and deficits that drive up inflation and interest rates. Last year, when budget 2022 was tabled, the MP for University—Rosedale said that Canada's debt-to-GDP ratio was Canada's “fiscal anchor” and must decline for the country's finances to be sustainable.

If budget 2023 passes, Canada will be without a fiscal anchor. Let that sink in. There will be no return to a balanced budget and no plan on reducing our debt load. According to a recent Angus Reid poll, nearly half of Canadians want the government to cut spending and present a plan to balance the budget.

The Conservatives agree. Under our leader, the Conservatives would bring in a dollar-for-dollar tax law that would require the government to find a dollar of savings for every dollar of new spending. That would curb spending significantly and bring accountability to government.

The Liberals are always looking for ways to spend more money at the expense of Canadians. They tax, they borrow and then they print more money. The Conservatives understand how hard Canadians work for their money. Budget 2023 continues to tax Canadians to cover for the Prime Minister's out-of-control spending. The taxation needs to stop. The Conservatives will not support this tax-and-spend budget.

The third thing that Canadians were looking for in budget 2023 was a plan to bring homes to Canadians that they can afford by removing government gatekeepers to free up land and speed up building permits. Home ownership has become a remote reality for Canadians wanting to enter the housing market. Nine out of 10 Canadians who do not own a home say they feel they likely never will. Under the Liberals, everything has doubled. Minimum down payments have doubled. Mortgage payments have doubled. Rents have doubled.

The Liberals have taken away what was once a proud milestone in the life of Canadians. Instead of parents visiting their kids' new homes, parents are moving their kids back home to their basement in the house where they grew up. This is what happens when we have a Prime Minister who does not do numbers, who thinks economic growth comes from using a credit card and who does not understand the real impacts of consumer debt. What is the Prime Minister's response? It is to keep drowning Canada. The dream of home ownership has been trampled thanks to the Liberals.

We also have a housing shortage in the country, and according to the CMHC, it is projected that Canada will need 3.5 million new homes to restore affordability. There is no plan in budget 2023 to address Canada's housing crisis. The Liberals have no plan to get homes built. Canada must bring homes people can afford by removing gatekeepers, freeing up land and speeding up building permits. A Conservative government would withhold federal funding from cities that refuse to remove gatekeepers. Affordable housing is not a priority for the Liberal government, and we cannot support a budget that does not address this.

On agriculture, a pillar of the Canadian economy, we see a Liberal government unwavering in its attempt to break the backs of farmers and compromise Canada's food security at home and abroad. The budget does nothing to address the rising cost of fuel, feed, fertilizer, transportation and the energy necessary to grow and produce food.

The sector has also been hit hard with the carbon tax, making food production more expensive and the cost of food even more unaffordable for Canadians. When the carbon tax triples by 2030, it will compromise a farmer's ability to make a profit, leading to bankruptcies and the exit of farmers from the industry. That is already happening. The budget confirms that the Liberals' plan to reduce fertilizer use, which will decrease food production, will jeopardize our food security.

According to a recent report from RBC and the University of Guelph, the industry is set to lose 40% of farm operators to retirement in the next 10 years. With all the farmers retiring and no one entering the business because they cannot afford to, we have a serious problem looming in Canada. Here is an equation I hope the Prime Minister will understand: No farms equals no food. More and more family farms are closing due to the excessive cost of running them.

Reducing fertilizer will surely boost the number of Canadians visiting food banks as their grocery prices continue to jump due to a shortage of food supply. According to a study by MNP, the proposed Liberal reduction in fertilizer targets will cost the Canadian economy $48 billion by 2030. This is what a Canada run by NDP ideology will look like: weak, gutted and hopeless.

I am sure everyone in the House has heard the phrase “actions speak louder than words”. The budget is full of words. How can Canadians trust a government with a long record of waste? We have the $15-billion arrive scam app, the $6,000-a-night hotel room for the Prime Minister, a cabinet minister giving her friend a government contract and $100 million to McKinsey. It does not stop. With government revenue expected to decrease, Canadians can expect a flood of new taxes for years to come under the Liberals.

A constituent reached out to me with her views on what her country has become under the Liberals. Delaney wrote, “We cannot afford our life. I don't spend any money beyond our needs, but it is to a point where I wonder how I will continue to heat my house for my family and provide healthy nutritious meals for my kids. There is something seriously wrong with this country and currently I am not proud to be a Canadian. It is an embarrassment.”

Empty stomachs, unaffordable housing and high taxes are what eight years of the Liberal government have done to Canada, and budget 2023 does little to address the real issues Canadians are facing. I will not support this budget, and I am proudly joining my Conservative colleagues in voting against it.

Financial Statement of Minister of FinanceThe BudgetGovernment Orders

1:55 p.m.

Kingston and the Islands Ontario

Liberal

Mark Gerretsen LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons (Senate)

Madam Speaker, at the beginning of her speech, the member said that Canada was “a once prosperous nation”. Is this to suggest that Canada is no longer a prosperous country? If that is what the member is suggesting, to whom is she comparing us? Would she say we are more or less prosperous than the United States, for example?

Financial Statement of Minister of FinanceThe BudgetGovernment Orders

1:55 p.m.

NDP

The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes

Before I go to the hon. member, I see that there are conversations happening and I can hear the conversations from down here. Therefore, I would ask members, if they want to have those conversations, to take them out into the lobby to allow for the debate to be heard here in the House.

The hon. member for Lambton—Kent—Middlesex.

Financial Statement of Minister of FinanceThe BudgetGovernment Orders

1:55 p.m.

Conservative

Lianne Rood Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON

Madam Speaker, after eight years, Canadians cannot afford to live. It is a tax-and-spend government.

William, a senior in my riding, wrote to me: “The cost of no name chips is $1.33 per bag if you buy 3 at No Frills. Walk into a Shoppers Drug Mart the same bag in the same package is twice the price or more. Walk into a Zehrs that same bag is 1&3/4 more. At Sobey's or Metro, a small plastic cup the size of a small coffee with 8-10 grapes in it you'll spend $7.00. The cost of 6 muffins is now $7.99, a year ago they were 4.99. I'm a pensioner living on $1750 a month. If I didn't own my home, I'd be screwed.”

He is not alone. I am hearing this from people all over this country, from all the people reaching out to my office and from the Canadians I talk to in the places I go. We are billions of dollars in debt, or trillions actually, and future generations are worried about their future because we are not prosperous. The Liberals have driven up inflation. They have driven up the cost of living. Canadians are feeling hopeless, and Conservatives are going to bring back hope for Canadians.

Financial Statement of Minister of FinanceThe BudgetGovernment Orders

1:55 p.m.

Conservative

Marilyn Gladu Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON

Madam Speaker, I appreciate my colleague's great speech. In her speech, she was talking about average Canadians who are struggling. Could the member comment on the debt level of the average Canadian and where that is going?

Financial Statement of Minister of FinanceThe BudgetGovernment Orders

1:55 p.m.

Conservative

Lianne Rood Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON

Madam Speaker, we hear from families that they are less than $200 a month away from bankruptcy. I constantly, on a daily basis, hear from people in my riding, which is a rural riding, and they talk about the carbon tax and how it is affecting their everyday lives. They share that they feel this is unnecessary and it punishes rural Canadians, especially where we live, in Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, where we do not have public transportation available. In fact, one of my constituents, Marilyn, wrote to me with an excellent summary of the carbon tax: “I have noticed on my bills for natural gas home heating that they are charging HST on the federal carbon tax. To me, that seems like usury and I believe that it is also illegal. Adding a tax upon a tax is getting out of hand.”

I fully agree. The Liberals continue to tax Canadians when they hurt the most. The carbon tax unfairly punishes rural Canadians and does nothing. The current government has done nothing and it has not met a single one of its environmental targets with this tax.

Financial Statement of Minister of FinanceThe BudgetGovernment Orders

1:55 p.m.

Bloc

Yves Perron Bloc Berthier—Maskinongé, QC

Madam Speaker, I know my colleague has a keen interest in agricultural issues. I have a technical question for her.

We are currently working on Bill C-282 in committee. This is a bill that was overwhelmingly supported by the Conservatives. Now we are witnessing a filibuster. I would like her opinion on that.

Does she think it is okay to filibuster? If the Conservatives are now against the bill, should they not just vote against it and own that position rather than blocking House proceedings?

Financial Statement of Minister of FinanceThe BudgetGovernment Orders

1:55 p.m.

Conservative

Lianne Rood Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON

Madam Speaker, what I am hearing from my constituents is that they are hurting and the cost of groceries has gone through the roof. The Liberals are promising a grocery rebate in this budget, but really it is just a GST rebate rebranded as a grocery rebate, and that would not do anything to help Canadians who are struggling right now.

We need to offer Canadians some hope, and I have been championing a grocery code of conduct to help Canadians' grocery prices go down by holding our big grocers accountable for their actions and how they nickel-and-dime farmers, which, in turn, passes on extra costs to consumers. We will continue to support Bill C-234, which would remove the carbon tax for on-farm use and the restrictions on fertilizer, because we need fertilizer to grow food. We will not support restrictions on fertilizer. We need to make a real difference.

The NDP-Liberals want to leave people hungry. They like big socialist governments where that has happened before. If we are not careful, we are going to see serious problems in our agriculture industry in the near future.

S.U.C.C.E.S.S. FoundationStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Liberal

Wilson Miao Liberal Richmond Centre, BC

Madam Speaker, on April 8, I had the honour of attending S.U.C.C.E.S.S.'s 50th golden anniversary celebration. It was my privilege to celebrate this important milestone with local community supporters and leaders, who generously donated over $500,000 during the gala's festivities.

Founded in 1973, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. is one of the largest diverse, inclusive and multi-service non-profit charitable organizations in Canada. Over the past 50 years, this organization has provided vital assistance to help immigrants settle and integrate into Canada's diverse society.

Through its service across Canada, I am proud to know that many of my constituents in Richmond Centre have greatly benefited from its services and programs. As we celebrate this significant anniversary, let us reflect on its important work of bringing people together, and let us continue our commitment to support newcomers and Canadians.

HealthStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Conservative

Marc Dalton Conservative Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC

Mr. Speaker, six million Canadians do not have a family doctor, and countless others are forced to wait month after month, sometimes years, because of staffing shortages. We do not have enough doctors. We do not have enough nurses. It does not have to be this way.

Recently, I met Bill at an event I held. Bill is an immigrant from Europe and a brand new Canadian. In Europe, he was a surgeon, but not so here in Canada. There are 20,000 immigrants in Canada who are doctors but are not practising, and 30,000 nurses. Bill could not make it through because of the maze of regulations and the gatekeepers. I met some who are Uber drivers. What a disappointment for them. What a loss for Canada.

This has to change. The human anatomy is the same across the world. A Conservative government will deal with the gatekeepers and will make a way for immigrant doctors and nurses to practise.

Dental CareStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Liberal

Joanne Thompson Liberal St. John's East, NL

Mr. Speaker, last week I visited the dental clinic at The Gathering Place, a street-level community centre in St. John's East. This visit held particular significance, as I have spent many years there as a volunteer, board member, fundraiser and executive director. I saw first-hand the connection between oral health and mental and physical well-being: vulnerable older persons, malnourished because oral disease prevented them from a diet other than soft liquids; young people with advanced tooth decay, too embarrassed to smile or enter the workforce; and deaths from self-medicated overdose to relieve oral pain.

The dental program at The Gathering Place was realized through a team of dedicated dentists and hygienists, who donate their time and expertise to ensure that the most vulnerable have access to oral health care. Now, the Canadian dental care plan in budget 2023 will ensure that all Canadians who need to access dental care can.

Battle of Vimy RidgeStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Bloc

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

Mr. Speaker, last week, we commemorated the 106th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, which was waged in 1917 during the First World War. No less than seven different Quebec-based regiments were active in Vimy, in northern France. Among them, was the legendary 22nd Battalion, the only French-speaking unit in the entire British army.

Under the orders of their brave and brilliant commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas-Louis Tremblay, the soldiers of the 22nd Batallion were tasked with eliminating pockets of resistance and clearing the enemy trenches after the initial assault waves. The 22nd Battalion took more than 500 prisoners during that successful operation. Vimy was a hard-fought victory because the soldiers from Quebec and Canada who served there suffered more than 10,600 casualities, 3,600 of which were fatal.

Let us never forget the price we had to pay, and have to pay, to overcome tyranny.

Joseph BoyleStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Liberal

Brendan Hanley Liberal Yukon, YT

Mr. Speaker, born in the year that Canada became a nation, Joe Boyle is Yukon's version of Indiana Jones, with a touch of James Bond.

Joseph Boyle came north from Ontario in 1897, found gold and struck it rich. A gold-rush millionaire, “Klondike Joe” went on to launch industrial-scale gold mining in the Yukon. In 1905, he sponsored the legendary Dawson City Nuggets hockey team in their journey by dog sled, bicycle, ship and train to challenge the Ottawa Silver Sevens for the Stanley Cup.

When war broke out in 1914, Boyle recruited a 50-man machine gun battery of Yukon gold miners to fight for the Canadian Expeditionary Force. In the years to follow, Boyle reorganized allied Russia's military supply system, ran a network of spies for the British secret service, rescued Romanian royals from newly Bolshevik Russia and helped rebuild Romania after the war. In later years, he became an intimate friend, perhaps a lover, of Queen Marie of Romania.

His early death 100 years ago makes us wonder what more he might have done. Joe Boyle, the man with the heart of a Viking, dreamed and lived big: another Yukoner who made his mark on the world.

National Volunteer WeekStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Conservative

Chris d'Entremont Conservative West Nova, NS

Mr. Speaker, this week we celebrate National Volunteer Week, and I want to acknowledge and thank all the incredible volunteers across West Nova's communities for their many contributions. It is without a doubt that our volunteers are an important part of the backbones of our communities. They offer so generously of their time to help others. Our volunteers have the backs of our citizens no matter what, and they continuously step up for the betterment of our communities.

Without the extraordinary contributions that volunteers make in our communities, our sports, cultural, community and recreational events would not be possible or nearly as successful. Thanks to their dedication, generosity and ability to adapt to all kinds of situations, our volunteers are an inspiration to everyone, and I am very proud of them.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank my volunteers, each and every one of them, for their generosity, their time and their cheerfulness, which greatly contribute to the well-being of our community. Our volunteers make our communities and country a better place, and they deserve our utmost gratitude and respect.

I wish a happy National Volunteer Week to all.

Sikh Heritage MonthStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Liberal

Maninder Sidhu Liberal Brampton East, ON

Mr. Speaker, this past Friday the Sikh community celebrated Vaisakhi. Vaisakhi is the holiest day in the Sikh faith and marks the birth of the Khalsa. During this time of year, Sikh communities across Canada celebrate at their local gurdwaras and local community centres.

April is also a time for us to celebrate Sikh Heritage Month, when we recognize and celebrate the contributions Sikh Canadians have made to Canada. The first Sikhs arrived in Canada in 1897, and since then the Sikh community in Canada has played a pivotal role in science, business, social services and so much more. In Peel Region, organizations such as the Seva Food Bank, Sewa Meals for Humanity and SOCH Mental Health contribute to our community by keeping the values of Sikhism at their core. These values are equality, selfless service and generosity, to name a few.

Canada is the first country in the world to recognize Sikh Heritage Month, and I encourage everyone to take a moment to learn more about the vibrant history of the Sikh community in Canada. Please join me in wishing everyone celebrating a very happy Vaisakhi and Sikh Heritage Month.

Government PrioritiesStatements By Members

April 17th, 2023 / 2:05 p.m.

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB

Mr. Speaker, this budget reflects in a very real way what Canadians expect their government to do. We can talk about the grocery rebate to support well over 10 million Canadians, or we can talk about the expansion of the dental care program to cover yet more Canadians.

I want to highlight the strong support in this year's federal budget for skilled trades workers. We are actually doubling the tradesperson's tool deduction. That is a significant commitment to people in the trades.

Further to that, the Prime Minister has been conducting town halls throughout Canada. Just last week, in the city of Winnipeg, at the Manitoba Building Trades Institute site on McPhillips Street, we had an open town hall to talk about the budget and ensure that ongoing future budgets reflect what Canadians expect.

JusticeStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Conservative

Tim Uppal Conservative Edmonton Mill Woods, AB

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the government's soft-on-crime policies, Canadians do not feel safe to walk on the streets or use public transit.

An Edmonton police officer wrote to me, saying, “The most startling pattern development I have noticed recently is an increase in random, unprovoked assaults on innocent citizens. The constant struggle of the 'catch and release' of criminals for my profession cannot be overstated.”

As reported by the National Post, police officers are being shot and killed on duty at unprecedented rates, and record numbers of Canadians are being randomly attacked by people they have never met. The government is doing nothing to stop it. ln fact, it is making things worse by releasing violent criminals back onto the streets, sometimes in the same hour they were arrested.

A Conservative government would bring back mandatory jail time for violent crimes. We would crack down on easy access to bail, and we would keep violent offenders where they belong, which is behind bars.

Sikh Heritage MonthStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Liberal

Chandra Arya Liberal Nepean, ON

Mr. Speaker, April is Sikh Heritage Month, which recognizes the immense contributions that Sikh Canadians have made to Canadian society. We also celebrated Vaisakhi, which marks the creation of the Khalsa and the Sikh articles of faith. Vaisakhi, also known as Baisakhi, is an important festival for many Hindus, too.

This month I had the honour to host two Ugadi events on Parliament Hill. Ugadi, which was on March 22, is the new year for the Kannada- and Telugu-speaking Hindu communities. On April 14, Tamil Hindu Canadians celebrated their new year, Puthandu.

I wish all of these communities a very happy and prosperous new year. It is a privilege to live in this wonderful country where we can celebrate and share our faiths and our festivals.

Democratic InstitutionsStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Larry Brock Conservative Brantford—Brant, ON

Mr. Speaker, last week the Prime Minister's chief of staff emphasized that there was nothing he had not read or was not briefed on. However, as expected, no explanation was provided for his absence of action.

For example, over the last six years, NSICOP reported on the influence of foreign interference and made recommendations to the Prime Minister. Global Affairs identified Beijing campaigns aimed at discouraging Chinese Canadians from voting Conservative. The Prime Minister and ministers were briefed on Beijing's interference network, which involved at least 11 candidates. The director of CSIS was repeatedly asking the Prime Minister for legislative changes. What did he do in response? He did absolutely nothing.

It is clear that upholding Beijing's objective to defeat Conservatives was more important for the Liberals than prioritizing the security of our democratic institutions, which only intensifies the demand for an independent inquiry to openly investigate foreign interference in our country.

Social MediaStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Rachael Thomas Conservative Lethbridge, AB

Mr. Speaker, based on Bill C-11 and Bill C-18, we know that the government is committed to censoring what people can see, hear and post online. However, what has just come to light is that it is so committed to this that it has actually gotten a head start. It has been trying to censor social media platforms for quite some time.

Thanks to the question put forward by the member for Niagara West, we now have documents, which have been tabled in the House of Commons, and they show that the government pressured social media platforms 214 times in a 24-month period to get them to take down content. Sometimes this was valid due to impersonations or copyright violations, but many times it was simply because the government found the content to be embarrassing.

If adopted, Bill C-11 would take this type of pressuring tactic and make it legal, which means the social media companies would not be able to push back. They would simply have to comply.

Canadians deserve to have their freedom of speech protected. The government needs to back off from censoring speech. We will be calling for an emergency debate.

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League SeriesStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Liberal

Élisabeth Brière Liberal Sherbrooke, QC

Mr. Speaker, it is playoff time in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. After sweeping the Blainville Armada, the Sherbrooke Phoenix will now face the Drummondville Voltigeurs. The famous “route 55” rivalry is back.

Having finished in third place after a record year, the Phoenix team is ready to give the Voltigeurs a lesson in how to play hockey. It is off to a good start.

I am so confident that the Phoenix will be victorious that I am taking up the challenge issued by the member for Richmond—Arthabaska to the member for Drummond. If the MP for Drummond accepts this challenge, he will come and eat poutine at the Louis Luncheonette in Sherbrooke while proudly wearing the Sherbrooke Phoenix jersey. If by some miracle the Voltigeurs win, I will go to Drummondville to admit defeat. That said, I agree with the member for Richmond—Arthabaska: Poutine comes from Victoriaville.

May the best team win. Go Phoenix, go!

HousingStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

NDP

Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC

Mr. Speaker, in my riding of North Island—Powell River, every community I serve is in desperate need of housing. The top three reasons for housing insecurity are a lack of affordable rents or mortgages, low wages and housing in major need of repair with no resources to fix it. Indigenous people are four times as likely to be unhoused.

People with core housing needs in my riding are single-income families; those who live on a fixed income, such as seniors and persons living with disabilities; lone-parent households; and indigenous households. This issue requires a real partner in the federal government, and our region is simply not seeing that.

My constituents have ideas, such as redesigning the reaching home program's rural and remote funding stream. My communities have sent meaningful and thoughtful feedback. I urge the government to listen to it; prioritize rural, remote and indigenous communities; define affordability based on local realities, not market values; invest in non-market housing; and make capital investments into the upkeep of aging properties to keep people housed.

Supply ManagementStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

Bloc

Yves Perron Bloc Berthier—Maskinongé, QC

Mr. Speaker, I remember last February 8 when all the parties voted in favour of including supply management protection in international agreements. All the parties voted for Bill C‑282. I know that some people remember that. Maybe it is time that the political parties remembered too. At this time, in committee, the Conservatives are filibustering to block Bill C-282. They keep stalling, slowing down procedures and generally wasting time. They are doing everything they possibly can to undermine a bill they actually voted for.

It is such a sad spectacle, when the very future of Quebec agriculture hangs in the balance.

I am calling on all Quebec members from every party. All of the parties promised to protect supply management and voted in favour of this vital bill. My Quebec colleagues, Conservatives and Liberals alike, all gave farmers their word. I can assure them that our farmers remember. Today, the time has come for them to honour their word.

Canadian Broadcasting CorporationStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

Conservative

Andrew Scheer Conservative Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK

Mr. Speaker, here are some simple facts that should not be controversial: water is wet; Saskatchewan is cold in the winter; and the CBC is funded by the government. None of that should freak anybody out, but in Liberal Ottawa, pearls are being clutched and outrage is being manufactured, all because, for greater transparency, Twitter applied the “Government-funded Media” tag to the CBC's account.

Liberal MPs are calling it nonsense, an unwarranted attack, even a threat to democracy. What do they not understand? The CBC was created by government. It gets over a billion dollars a year from government, and the government appoints the board that controls it.

It is no wonder the Liberals are reacting this way. They love the CBC because they get so much benefit from it. The CBC sued the Conservative Party in the middle of an election. Its CEO openly attacked the Conservative leader, and it eagerly carries Liberal messages all of the time, but I have good news for all of those who are upset and having fits about Twitter's decision. That government-funded label will not be around for long. After the next election, the Conservative leader will make sure it does not get any tax dollars at all.

Yom HaShoahStatements By Members

2:15 p.m.

Liberal

Ya'ara Saks Liberal York Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, tonight, Jewish communities around the world will mark from sunset to sunset Yom HaShoah, Holocaust memorial day. On this day, we remember the six million members of the Jewish community who remain in our hearts so their lives, their stories and their legacies will not have been lost in vain and so their murders at the hands of the Nazi regime will not be forgotten with the passing of time.

We mark it on this day, on the eve of the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw ghetto uprising, the largest Jewish revolt against the Nazis during the war. Even in this darkest moment of history, Jews fought to live. They fought against the evils of hate and anti-Semitism. Tomorrow, communities will commemorate Yom HaShoah by holding ceremonies that remind us not only of the importance of remembering what happened during the Holocaust, but also to be their collected voices, to be the eyes and the hearts that bear witness to the profound loss in the moment of evil that overtook humanity.

To direct our focus on educating future generations of what it means when we say never again, we stand together here in Canada and with Jewish communities around the world because it is our duty, our obligation, to honour the victims of the Holocaust and to learn from the tragic moment in humanity's history, as a reminder that we can never be complacent in the face of evil and that we must be tireless in our commitment to fight back against the darkness of hate in all of its forms.