Debates of May 9th, 2023

Democratic Institutions

[Rob Oliphant, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the government is taking this matter very seriously. As soon as we received confirmation, I quickly took action.

One does not get the attention of the Chinese government by yelling and screaming and by making noise on that side of the House. One gets the attention of the Chinese government by taking direct action, by expelling a diplomat and by doing it carefully and consciously. That is what we do on this side of the House. That is what—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I am going to interrupt the hon. parliamentary secretary. We missed the last 15 seconds of what he was saying; if he does not mind, I would ask him to repeat it.

[Rob Oliphant, Liberal, Don Valley West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this is a case in point. One gets the attention of the Chinese government to stop it from interfering in Canadians' lives by taking direct action and doing it carefully and prudently. That is exactly what the Minister of Foreign Affairs did this week when she declared a Chinese diplomat persona non grata. That is what we are doing on this side of the House. We do not yell. We do not scream. We get attention, and we are consistently effective in doing it.

[René Villemure, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it did take two years. The Liberals do nothing about Chinese interference until it makes headlines. They were fine with holding a $1,500-a-head cocktail party fundraiser with Beijing's buddies. They were fine with connections between a Toronto Liberal MP and the Chinese government. They ignored threats against an opposition member. That had to make headlines before the government started behaving like a government should.

The Liberals have no interest in casting light on interference. They would rather keep it all hidden and hope the media does not try to ferret out the truth. When will there be an independent public inquiry?

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

Mr. Speaker, we took concrete steps to address Chinese interference. My colleague, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, took concrete action. We are responding appropriately. All the opposition ever does is whine and complain.

Carbon Pricing

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has said that he is investing in Canadians. In my community, people are struggling to make ends meet because of the government's inflationary carbon tax.

Adding to record deficits and national debt is not investing in Canadians. Everyone knows we cannot borrow our way out of debt. Life is simply getting more expensive under that government.

When will the government axe the tax and do something to help struggling Canadians?

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

Mr. Speaker, last year, the Conservative member for New Brunswick Southwest said, “The backstop will kick in, the feds will take it over, and as part of that change-up … cheques will begin to roll out to New Brunswick families.”

Well, dreams do come true, because the Conservative premier of New Brunswick said recently that they needed to make a choice that was “in the best interest of New Brunswickers”, when asking the federal government to apply its system of carbon pricing to New Brunswick. He went on to say, “What this does right now is provide relief” from inflation.

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

Mr. Speaker, no one is buying what the Liberals are selling, but they certainly are paying for it. The carbon tax is not a price on pollution; it is a price on people.

Canadians need a bailout, just like my colleague, the member for Laurier—Sainte-Marie.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Order, please. I do not know what it is today, but everybody knows what a prop is.

The hon. member for Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, please continue.

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

I am sorry, Mr. Speaker, I thought it was a very catching photo.

Canadians are out of money. Therefore, I will ask this of the government that is out of touch. When will it axe the carbon tax and give reprieve to Canadians?

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, it seems that the Conservatives have amnesia when it comes to investing in Canadians.

In 2015, when the Liberals came into office, our country ranked 24th in the OECD in terms of child poverty. Since we have come into power, we have instituted the child benefit and we have instituted child care. We are making life more affordable for Canadian families. The Conservatives voted against this every single time. They do not invest in families. They do not invest in children. They do not invest in Canadians. They do not care.

Taxation

[Richard Lehoux, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is not doing anything to lower the cost of groceries for Canadians. On the contrary, it is continuing to implement policies that make food even more expensive.

The carbon tax and the tariff on fertilizer have tied our farmers' hands and driven up the cost of producing all foods. There have never been so many people using food banks, and one in five Canadians is skipping meals to survive.

When will the government put an end to these costly policies so that our farmers can do what they do best and feed our families?

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague knows, he lives in a province where there has been a price on pollution since 2007.

As my hon. colleague knows, we implemented a food bank policy during the COVID-19 pandemic that gave food banks across Canada $30 million.

Once again, we are investing an additional $10 million to help families put food on the table. I invite all food banks across Canada to apply by May 31.

The Environment

[Leah Taylor Roy, Liberal, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act was introduced in the Senate on February 9, 2022. Between the two parliamentary committees, nearly 50 hours were devoted to the study of the bill, 80 witnesses were heard and 105 briefs were submitted for review in committee.

Can the Minister of Environment and Climate Change update the House on Bill S‑5?

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to start by thanking the member for Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill for her question and all of her work on Bill S‑5 as a member of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development.

I also want to thank all the members of the Senate and House of Commons environment committees, who contributed immensely to enhancing this bill.

As my colleague said, 300 amendments were presented, 80 witnesses were heard, more than 100 briefs were submitted and the committees put in 50 hours of work.

I invite every member of the House to work together to ensure that the bill receives royal assent in the coming weeks.

Finance

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

Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister is fangirling over celebrities in the Big Apple, it seems like this finance minister is auditioning for her next career. She showed up at Fenway Park to talk about her budget more times this year than she has to the finance committee. They are always out of the country and always out of touch, and Canadians are out of money.

After delivering one of the worst budgets in Canadian history, pile-driving every household with $4,200 costs, she refuses to show up to the committee to answer basic questions about her failed budget.

It is easier to find Nemo than it is to find this finance minister at the finance committee.

Is she hiding because she is ashamed of her budget like the rest of us are?

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

Mr. Speaker, our government is very proud of our budget and it is wonderful to hear the Conservatives talk about affordability. Guess what the Conservatives want to talk about at the finance committee—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I am going to have to interrupt the hon. minister.

I just want to remind the hon. members that if they want to ask a question, they should talk to their whip and get on the roster and then they can ask a question. While somebody else is answering, it is not parliamentary to shout across with a question.

The hon. minister, from the top, so we can all hear the answer, please.

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, we are very proud of budget 2023 and all of the support measures in place to grow the economy, to support Canadians and to stabilize the health care system for a generation.

Here is what the Conservatives want to talk about at the finance committee: they want to talk about the crimson carpets, from the member for Abbotsford, and the benefits of a steady diet of eels, from the member for South Shore—St. Margarets.

These people are not serious. They are reckless. They are stopping the progress of supports for Canadians.

When will these people get serious?

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I can tell us what we are talking about at the finance committee, the fact that the Minister of Finance has not shown up in six months and has had three invitations to attend and has blown them all off.

Since the Liberal government plans to spend $3.1 trillion, answering a few questions in committee for two hours is the least she should do for her pay.

Will the finance minister stop hiding and testify for two hours, not one, on her failed budget at the finance committee, yes or no?

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

Mr. Speaker, the failure of the Conservatives is to dictate that they are going to vote against a budget before they even see it. That is just the most ridiculous thing that we have seen in a long time in the House.

Let me make a pledge in the House to the Conservatives. Should the filibuster stop, the Minister of Finance is scheduled to appear at finance on Tuesday.

End the filibuster and they will be able to hear directly from the Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister.

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in most jobs, if one showed up only a handful of times in the first five months of work, one would be fired, but that is exactly what the Minister of Finance has done. Then she has the audacity to ask Canadians to cough up $490 billion but will not appear in front of their representatives for two hours. We know she has time, because she spent hours last weekend schmoozing with Liberal insiders and Liberal donors.

When will these Liberals and this minister finally put Canadians ahead of Liberal insiders?