Debates of May 17th, 2023

Housing

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the federal watchdog for housing rights has called for an investigation into the government's failure to prevent and eliminate homelessness among women and gender-diverse people across Canada. Those who are especially at risk are indigenous women and two-spirit people. Instead of addressing it, the Liberals refuse to reverse their cut of $150 million to women's shelters, while barely releasing any of the funds they first announced in 2020 for shelters and transitional housing.

When will the government stop with the empty promises and deal with this housing crisis with the urgency it requires?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion]

Mr. Speaker, I disagree with the hon. member. We have gone from just over $2 billion in funding for Reaching Home, Canada's homelessness strategy, to almost $4 billion. That is a doubling of the funding going to over 5,000 different projects to help divert tens of thousands of Canadians from homelessness to permanent housing solutions, as well as transitional homes.

We have also introduced the rapid housing initiative, which is having tremendous success on the ground.

Labour

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, WestJet pilots could be on strike as soon as this Friday if they do not reach a deal with the airline. They are seeking fair pay, better conditions and more job security.

In 2012, when Air Canada pilots voted to strike, the Conservative government of the day was quick to force them back to work. Will the minister stand today to commit to respecting the collective bargaining rights of these pilots, or does he intend to follow the example set by the Conservatives?

[Terry Sheehan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour]

Mr. Speaker, right now the Minister of Labour is on the ground in Toronto to make sure the parties reach a fair agreement, one that works for everyone. Our federal mediators are very good at what they do. Last year, they resolved 93% of federal disputes without any work stoppages. We are focused on the bargaining table because that is where the best deals are always reached.

The Economy

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the rising cost of food affects Canadians, small businesses and families who are trying to put a nutritious meal on the table in my riding and across the country.

Last week, with the passage of Bill C-46, came the creation of the new one-time grocery rebate that will deliver targeted inflation relief for over 11 million low- and moderate-income Canadians and families who need it most.

Can the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance tell this House when Canadians can expect this timely grocery rebate?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to do so, and I would like to start by thanking the hon. member for Guelph for his advocacy on behalf of his constituents and all Canadians.

The one-time grocery rebate will deliver targeted inflation relief to 11 million low- and medium-income Canadians and families who need it most. That is going to be up to an extra $467 for eligible couples with two children, and people will get that support on July 5 of this year.

Carbon Pricing

[Jeremy Patzer, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Mr. Speaker, it has been a good start to seeding for the farmers in southwest Saskatchewan, and what do they get as a thanks from the Prime Minister this year for being the most sustainable and innovative farmers in the world? Carbon tax 2.0. The Liberals are bringing in fuel regulations that are going to gouge producers and consumers above and beyond the first carbon tax, which they are still going to triple.

We already know the first carbon tax has caused the price of food to go up, so how much more are Canadians going to have to pay after the Prime Minister puts in the second carbon tax?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, we have cleared up the fact that the Conservative Party of Canada had committed to put in place a low-carbon fuel standard during the last election campaign, but let us talk about what the farmers are saying.

The Dairy Farmers of Canada has committed the dairy farms sector to reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The Egg Farmers of Canada has announced a commitment to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The farming sector knows very well how climate change is impacting them. It seems the only one who does not know about this is the Conservative Party of Canada.

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is incredible, he actually does not know how food ends up on his plate. The farmer pays a carbon tax, the truck that picks up the farmer's food pays a carbon tax to take it to the processor, the processor pays a carbon tax, the truck that picks it up from the processor to take it to the grocery store pays a carbon tax, the grocery store pays a carbon tax and then Canadians cannot pay for food.

When will the partisan hack finance minister finally understand that the carbon tax causes inflation?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take the opportunity, if I may, to answer this question by giving members an update on the situation that is going on across western Canada. There are currently 209 wildfires burning in Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia, 75 of which are out of control. Mostly hot, dry and windy conditions in the next week will continue to exacerbate things for those communities. There are close to—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I am going to interrupt for a second; it is getting rowdy and noisy again. I have the impression I am at a frat house party or something. Please keep it down, on both sides. Please.

The hon. minister, from the top, please.

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I want to take the opportunity to speak about the situation Canadians are facing particularly across western Canada, where there are 209 wildfires burning, 75 of which are burning out of control. Unfortunately, mostly hot, dry and windy conditions over the next week will exacerbate the situation, and shifting winds have pushed smoke across the country, impacting a number of urban communities, Calgary and Winnipeg in particular. Close to 30,000 Canadians have been evacuated from their communities.

The Government of Canada is there for those Canadians. We have deployed Canadian Armed Forces resources, the Canadian Red Cross and additional police resources. Together we will be there for the people of Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan through this very difficult time.

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is incredibly disappointing to see the minister politicizing these disasters for his own gain. The fact of the matter is after eight years of the Prime Minister Canadians are struggling like never before as the cost of government is driving up the cost of living and people are struggling to afford gas, groceries and home heating. Now they are planning a 41¢-a-litre tax on gas as well as a second carbon tax, which people in northern Ontario cannot afford, though they have little choice but to pay.

When will the finance minister finally scrap the failed carbon tax scam?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, what is unfortunate is that the Conservative Party fails to see a link between climate change and the impact on the economy; that the Conservatives fail to see extreme weather events as being an existential threat to this planet; that they think they can bury their head in the sand and forget that climate change exists and think that there will be an economy for anybody. If we want to have a planet, we must take action on climate, and we are doing that while making sure that life is more affordable for Canadians and we will continue to do that.

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Mr. Speaker, these Liberals have missed every single environmental target that they have created; let alone these Liberals have increased the carbon tax. We know there is carbon tax 2.0. How high does the carbon tax have to go so that the current government can stop blaming—

[An hon. member]

Triple it.

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Mr. Speaker, they want to triple the carbon tax to prevent forest fires and hurricanes. How much does this carbon tax 2.0 have to go up?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, our farmers are the first to realize the price we are paying for climate change, whether it is because of a drought like the one in the west two years ago, a flood like the one in British Columbia two years ago or a hurricane like the one in the Atlantic provinces just over a year ago.

They really are the first ones, and that is why we have created risk management programs to help them. There is the sustainable Canadian agricultural partnership. There are agri-environmental programs to help them be more resilient and deal with the situation they are facing.

Post-Secondary Education

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to research and science, Canada has been racing to the bottom for the past 20 years. It is the only G7 country that has lost researchers since 2016 and the only one that has reduced its investments in R and D over the past 20 years. It has not indexed its graduate scholarships since 2003.

While the minimum wage has doubled, our students' wages have not gone up one red cent. What message does this send to the next generation?

All the students and their associations are watching us right now. When is this government going to wake up and increase the value of graduate scholarships?

[Andy Fillmore, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, our government has been steadfast in its support of science, scientists and scientific research in Canada. That is why budget 2022 proposed $38.3 million over four years for the federal granting councils to add new and internationally recruited Canada excellence research chairs in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. We will continue to support a robust science and research ecosystem that reflects Canada's strengths and that advances Canadian interests.

Finance

[Julie Vignola, Bloc, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, when someone regularly attends the court of King Charles III, they could feel underdressed. That is surely why our last two governors general billed taxpayers—wait for it—more than $100,000 for clothing. That is $100,000 in clothing and shoes. It might be more because they have a clothing allowance of $130,000 per term.

Governors general have the right to dress as they wish, but given how much money they make, could they not pay for their own clothing?

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, we know very well that many Canadians are having trouble making ends meet at this time.

People expect us to manage their money with transparency. That obviously includes members and senators, the government and the Governor General.

Justice

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, when he starts talking about his interest in improving public safety, the Prime Minister will say anything. His actions tell a different story, though.

To start with, he passed Bill C-75, which makes it easier for violent criminals to obtain bail. After that, he passed Bill C‑5 to get rid of mandatory jail sentences for serious crimes. Now he has a bail reform bill, which was tabled yesterday, that is so weak that even the person charged with murdering police officer Greg Pierzchala would still have gotten bail.

Can the Prime Minister admit to his mistakes and simply repeal the law arising from Bill C‑75?

[David Lametti, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have tabled a bill in the House yesterday to strengthen our bail system. It targets repeat violent offenders and offences involving weapons. This is exactly what the provinces and police associations asked for.

Police associations across Canada have publicly endorsed the steps we took yesterday. Several provinces will do likewise.