Debates of May 11th, 2023

Finance

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary Forest Lawn, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister refuses to appear at the finance committee for two hours to answer basic questions about her failed budget. She spent more time in a round-trip flight between Toronto and—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I have to interrupt the member for a moment. I would like to remind all hon. members that, when they speak among themselves, other people can hear them.

We have great acoustics, but it echoes all over. I want members to be mindful so we can hear the questions and the answers. I know that some of it is not done on purpose and that members are talking among themselves, like being at work and talking to the next person maybe four or five benches over, but it really does echo and it interferes. I just want everybody to be conscious of that.

The hon. member for Calgary Forest Lawn, from the top, please.

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary Forest Lawn, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister refuses to appear at the finance committee to answer basic questions for two hours about her failed budget. She spent more time in a round-trip flight between Toronto and Ottawa than she did in the finance committee in the last year.

Her failed budget added an extra $4,200 cost on struggling households with the $43-billion Liberal budget bonanza.

Why is she hiding from answering for two hours at the committee? Is she as embarrassed by this budget as much as Canadians are?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I have been very clear on this issue. The finance minister is very ready and is scheduled to appear at the finance committee. Guess what is happening.

This morning, once again, the Liberals showed up to work to listen to testimony on the budget implement act, but what did the Conservative MP for South Shore—St. Margarets want to talk about? It was the Taxman from the Beatles. I have nothing against the Beatles, but I do want supports getting out to Canadians.

Therefore, my appeal to every member in the House is this. Let us come together, right now, and pass the bill.

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary Forest Lawn, AB]

Mr. Speaker, if I were the finance minister, I would be embarrassed to answer for two hours as well. She misled Canadians and said that she did not want to add fuel to inflation. She then threw a $43-billion inflationary jerry can on the inflationary fire that she created in the first place.

The Liberals gaslit Canadians for years about their failed carbon tax scam, while Canadians watched them jet-set around the world trying to up their phony celebrity status. Now it seems like the finance minister is auditioning for her next career.

When will the finance minister realize that this is not a part-time job? When will she get to work, appear at the committee for two hours and answer basic questions about her failed budget?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, it is very clear that the Conservatives are not happy about the fact that Canada has maintained its AAA credit rating, that Canada has made sure in this last budget that inflation has not gone up. In fact, it has been going down for nine consecutive months in a row. We have the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7 and the fastest-growing economy.

What is the Conservative filibuster stopping? It is stopping faster payments for the Canada workers benefit, supports to parents to help with their kids' education, tax reductions for tradespeople. The Conservatives are filibustering. When are they going to stop and deliver for Canadians?

The Economy

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are stretched to the limit. They are struggling to get by. They are at the end of their rope, they are fed up and they cannot take any more.

Meanwhile, this government is digging in its heels and taking even more money out of their pockets and off their paycheques. It is continuing with its plan to increase the price of gas, groceries and housing. The people in my riding talk to me about it every day.

The Prime Minister should stop taking luxury vacations all over the world and listen to Canadians, who also talk to him every day.

Will he finally put an end to his policies that are driving up the cost of consumer goods?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.

Listening to Canadians is exactly what we did. It is something that the Conservatives should do. Canadians told us three things.

First, they told us that they need help with the cost of groceries. That is why we proposed a grocery rebate that will help 11 million Canadians across the country. Second, Canadians told us that they want a family doctor. That is why we took action in health. Third, Canadians told us that they need help getting ready to succeed in the 21st-century economy. That is exactly what we are doing. We are positioning Canada for the 21st-century economy.

Health

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am a mother and if my daughter ever needed an abortion, I would do everything possible to make sure she had access to the full range of reproductive health care, yet the government has done nothing to ensure equal access for Canadians. Only one in six hospitals in the country provide abortion services.

The Liberals are all talk, but women in rural communities are suffering. Abortion care is not a campaign slogan. We need more providers, more funding and more action from the government.

How long are Canadians going to have to wait?

[Jenna Sudds, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth]

Mr. Speaker, the right to an abortion and access to abortion undoubtedly go hand in hand. In Canada, universal access to abortion is guaranteed under the Canada Health Act. Through the $45-million sexual reproductive health fund, we are making sure that Canadians facing obstacles to accessing abortions are supported financially and that organizations providing these services have capacity to do so.

Government Programs

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Priests for Life is this militant political action group fighting against women's reproductive freedom and its behaviour is so extreme that Pope Francis himself had to kick its leader out of the Roman Catholic Church.

How is it possible that this group of anti-women extremists keeps getting approval for Canada summer jobs? It is unconscionable. Canadian youth are being encouraged to get trained by this extremist political network while taxpayers foot the bill.

Will the minister explain why Canada summer jobs continues to offer funding to anti-choice extremists?

[Jenna Sudds, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth]

Mr. Speaker, we all know in the House how much we value Canada's summer jobs in our community. It provides incredible opportunities for youth and for employers throughout.

Throughout this process, we know MP input is critical. We value that input, and I encourage all MPs to bring forward their suggestions, their concerns, their ideas. We are always happy to hear from them.

Public Safety

[Randeep Sarai, Liberal, Surrey Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, gun violence and violent crime have prevented Canadians in B.C. from feeling safe in their communities.

Since 2015, our government has prioritized prevention, intervention and enforcement as ways to keep guns off the street and give resources to our neighbourhoods. Could the Minister of Public Safety tell the House what the Government of Canada is doing to eliminate violent crime in British Columbia?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I first want to thank my colleague from Surrey for his advocacy and hard work. I would also be remiss if I did not take a moment to express our condolences to OPP officer Sergeant Mueller's family. He died in a tragic incident last night. Our hearts and our thoughts go out to them.

We want to be sure that these sacrifices are not in vain. That is why we made an announcement earlier this week on providing $390 million for law enforcement across the country, which will help ensure we can prevent another tragedy like that from occurring again and keep Canadians safe from gun violence.

Passports

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know if the Prime Minister could be more out of touch with the reality of Canadians.

It really was not too long ago that people literally lined up and stayed the night, camping out, to get their passport renewed or a new one altogether. People missed out on being able to go see a dying loved one before they passed away. They missed out on weddings. They missed out on funerals. They missed out on family celebrations. Why was that?

Well, it turns out that it was because this government was more concerned with erasing history by removing Terry Fox, Quebec City and Vimy Ridge from our passports, rather than getting passports expedited to Canadians. Why is the government so hellbent on erasing Canada's history?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to share with members of the House that my hon. colleague is deeply mistaken.

With regard to the ability of Canadians to get their passports in a timely way, I want to credit the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development for her work to eliminate the backlogs so Canadians can get passports for travel where and when they were needed. With respect to the changes to the passport, the designs were approved a number of years ago, before there were any considerations of backlogs and passport applications.

It is very important that no party in the House claims a monopoly over owning Canada's history. Every member of the House cares deeply about our nation's history and is proud of the country. We will continue to commemorate it in the years ahead.

[Marc Dalton, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are erasing Terry Fox's picture from Canadian passports. Terry Fox came from Coquitlam, B.C., and was Métis. After his leg was amputated for cancer, he began his cross-country Marathon of Hope to raise funds for research.

Terry did not live to finish the race to the Pacific, but now millions participate in the annual Terry Fox Run to continue his race. Terry Fox is an international hero. Why would the Prime Minister rip this great Canadian's picture from our passports?

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, it breaks my heart to hear anyone in the House politicize a Canadian hero such as Terry Fox. That is something that the Fox family has prided itself on since Terry passed away in 1980.

Not only that, but during the convoy, Terry's statue was defaced here in Ottawa, and the members opposite were supportive of that convoy—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Order.

On both sides I am hearing a lot of talking among members, which makes it hard to hear the questions and the answers. This then elevates, and the chatter starts back and forth.

The hon. parliamentary secretary has the floor.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the members opposite are saying that we are erasing Terry Fox from history. Terry Fox will never, ever be erased from history, not here in Canada, and not around the world.

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

Mr. Speaker, the mayor of Terry Fox's hometown said, “Whoever made the decision to remove Terry Fox from Canadian passports needs to give their head a shake. Our country needs more Terry Fox, not less.”

The members across the way have the nerve to say that we are politicizing the history of the Canadian passport. More than ever, the government is showing that it is totally out of touch with reality. It is despicable to erase the history of our country from Canadian passports.

Will they ever figure that out?

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be a Terry Foxer. I am proud every member in the House is probably a Terry Foxer. There is no Canadian who people relate to more than Terry Fox. He will never be erased from history.

I want to remind the members opposite, who seem to stand here wanting to politicize one of the greatest Canadians ever, that they said nothing when Terry's statue was defaced on Wellington Street during the convoy.

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

Mr. Speaker, I invite the parliamentary secretary and everyone over there to repeat what they said to the mayor of the city Terry Fox was born in. Good luck!

That is not all. The passport is the most important document Canadians carry when they are abroad, but it is also important for what it contains. Quebec City is referenced in it four times: The Quebec conference, Quebec City itself, Samuel de Champlain, and Captain Bernier, who discovered the Canadian north with his boat, are illustrated within its pages.

Once again, why is the government erasing our national history, which we can be proud of, from the Canadian passport?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, it is very important that nobody in the House claims a monopoly over caring for our national heroes, such as Terry Fox, or claims a monopoly over caring about our nation's history.

The reality is that over the past 10 years, an exercise to consult Canadians was taken on to understand what people wanted reflected in their travel document. We have themes recognizing the different regions of Canada, our natural environment, the contributions of indigenous Canadians and of course improved security features.

The Canadian passport is one of the most powerful travel documents. It allows one access to almost every country in the world. It is something we should be proud of. We can protect the security of our passport and celebrate our history at the same time.