Debates of June 8th, 2023

Housing

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, it is important to be clear about what the government has spent money on. When the Conservatives talk about those deficits, those deficits were spent on such things as CERB, the Canada emergency response benefit, or the Canada emergency wage subsidy, which quite literally kept households afloat during the pandemic.

When it comes to what we are spending on right now, we are spending on such things as the Canada workers benefit. That is in the current budget, which the Conservatives are delaying, and it will help the lowest-income Canadians have more access to more money.

If the Conservatives truly cared about helping low-income Canadians, they would support Bill C-47. They would vote with us, and they would—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Banff—Airdrie.

The Economy

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Mr. Speaker, with billions in new spending in the budget, the Liberals are driving up inflation and the cost of living. This has caused another increase in interest rates, which is going to cost thousands more for Canadians on their mortgages. However, the Prime Minister has the audacity to try to claim that his budget is “uninflationary”.

One does not have to be a meteorologist to look outside and see that it is raining, and one does not have to be an economist to know that this Liberal budget is driving up inflation. When will the government finally come up with a plan to balance the budget?

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

Mr. Speaker, what we are doing is really delivering for Canadians.

I will just read back to the hon. member what his colleagues believe. The member for Edmonton Riverbend believes that we should download responsibility for housing to provinces and territories, as does the member for Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon. The member for Calgary Centre believes in not supporting density and actually opposes more density to build more housing supply. The member for Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry believes that we should pull back federal investments in housing. The member for Calgary Signal Hill believes that we do not even need the housing accelerator fund, and so on and so forth.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Mr. Speaker, let us listen to what some Liberals have to say.

A former Liberal finance minister described the government's economic strategy as “a bit like driving your car with one foot on the gas and the other on the brake”. Some Canadians might want to go out and try that for themselves to really understand the metaphor. However, with the carbon tax driving up the price of gas, no one can afford to do burnouts anymore.

If the Liberals will not listen to our advice or even their own advice, will they at least listen to Canadians, who are footing the bill for all their spending?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Minister of Seniors]

Mr. Speaker, since 2015, we have been there supporting Canadians, including seniors. As the member opposite knows, in April, millions of Canadians received the climate action incentive rebate, putting hundreds of dollars back into their bank accounts. We did not stop there. This budget, which they are filibustering and not making pass through the House, helps nine million Canadians, including seniors. That is going to help with dental care, through our new Canadian dental care plan, and 11 million Canadians will receive a new grocery rebate.

On this side of the House, we are going to continue to make sure that Canadians have the supports that they need.

Democratic Institutions

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

Mr. Speaker, let us take a step back.

There is foreign interference in our electoral system. About a dozen ridings were targeted. The former leader of the opposition was targeted, along with at least two other members. This is extremely serious. The House itself is being targeted. The legitimacy and integrity of the members of the House are being undermined by foreign interference. That is why the House continues to push for a public inquiry.

What is the government waiting for to launch the inquiry?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, the short answer is that we are not waiting for anything.

Since the beginning, we have taken concrete measures, such as creating new national security powers. We increased transparency by creating the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians and the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency. Now, we have a recommendation from Mr. Johnston, a distinguished Canadian, for the next steps: a conversation with Canadians.

How can we take the next steps to better protect our democratic institutions? That is exactly what the Government of Canada is focused on.

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government is constantly accusing the opposition parties of partisanship on the foreign interference file.

Actually, we are asking for an independent public inquiry so as to be as far from partisanship as possible. The Liberals responded with a rapporteur who was appointed by the Prime Minister and only reports to the Prime Minister.

The Conservative Party, the Bloc Québécois, the NDP, every community that has fallen victim to Chinese interference, former chief electoral officer Jean-Pierre Kingsley, and former Liberals, such as Gerald Butts, are calling for a public inquiry.

Who is being partisan on the interference file?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, if we have accused the opposition of making personal attacks against Mr. Johnston, it is because those are the facts. For several months now, the opposition, especially the Conservatives, has continually engaged in personal attacks against Mr. Johnston, despite his long-time service to Canadians.

Now, we need the opposition to reverse course and agree to work together, accept the security briefing and help us protect our democratic institutions and all the Canadians who are working toward that goal.

Finance

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, massive deficits cause inflation. Inflation causes rate hikes. Rate hikes make mortgage payments unaffordable. Unaffordable payments lead to mortgage defaults.

However, there is a solution. The Liberal government could stop the deficits, stop inflation, stop rate hikes and prevent defaults. Even the finance minister agreed with this basic advice a few short months ago.

When will the Prime Minister end his inflationary deficit spending?

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, as I already described, inflation is coming down in Canada, and it is actually below inflation in the United States, inflation in Europe and inflation in the OECD. That is what is allowing us to invest in making life more affordable.

I remember that when I was door knocking last summer, my constituents would tell me that their child care costs were as much as a mortgage payment, but now that we have reduced those costs by half and we are going to continue to reduce them to $10 a day, they are not saying that anymore.

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the latest interest rate hike is having a devastating effect on Canadian homeowners and homebuyers.

Half of homeowners say that their mortgage is already barely affordable now, and shocking higher payments are only one renewal away. Rate hikes are also crushing the dreams of new homebuyers and threatening to collapse transactions that are currently in progress.

When will the Prime Minister take the advice of former Liberal finance minister John Manley, take his foot off the inflationary gas pedal and rein in his deficits?

[Arif Virani, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, what I appreciated about the question from the member opposite is that he is concerned about the welfare of Canadians. On that, we share commonality.

However, we would link the welfare of Canadians to the small businesses that really run our economy. Each time we on this side of the House have put forward policies, proposals or directives that would assist those small businesses, the party opposite has voted against them, whether it was lowering taxes for small businesses or whether it is CEBA supports and rent subsidies that we put in place to assist our small businesses.

Now, before this very chamber, we have support in place that would reduce credit card fees for small businesses from 27% to much lower than what they are right now, and that is being opposed by the party opposite.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives MPs on the immigration committee called four times for action to help international students who were victims of a fake college admission letter scam, and four times the Liberal and NDP MPs on the committee voted against it.

Malicious consultants profited by tens of thousands of dollars from each and every student, promising them a new life in Canada and then sticking them with a fake college admission letter that the immigration department did not catch.

Hundreds of international students are now protesting at CBSA offices. These students finished their studies, worked hard and obeyed the law. How could this incompetent Liberal government allow hundreds of international students to be defrauded?

[Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question, because I think we collectively agree that this is unacceptable and we are seized with this situation that these international students are facing. Our focus is to make sure that we identify the perpetrator of this fraud and prevent them from abusing anyone again.

At the same time, we recognize that there may be students in this cohort who are vulnerable and who were taken advantage of. There is an opportunity for them to present their case, and we will be there with them.

Public Services and Procurement

[Anju Dhillon, Liberal, Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, according to Gilles Lehouillier, mayor of Lévis, the inclusion of Davie Shipbuilding in the national shipbuilding strategy marks the birth of “the largest economic ecosystem in the past 50 years” in Lévis.

Can the Minister of Public Services and Procurement tell us more about the economic spin-offs that Davie's inclusion will have for the Lévis region and for the country more generally?

[Helena Jaczek, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle for her important question.

The historic investment in Davie is great news for Quebec and for Canada as a whole. It is expected to generate $21 million in economic spin-offs in a variety of sectors and support more than 4,000 jobs. Together, we are rebuilding Canada's marine industry.

Finance

[Warren Steinley, Conservative, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and his speNDP junior partners have caused a problem. Their massive inflationary budgets have caused rate increases, which cause mortgage increases, which cause defaults on homes for Canadians.

We have the solution. The solution is to stop the deficits, stop the inflation, stop the interest rate hikes and stop the defaults on homes.

I have a simple question: When will the Prime Minister stop his inflationary deficit spending?

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, at a time when wildfires are raging across Quebec and Canada, the Conservatives' priority is to filibuster a bill for implementing the measures set out in our budget. Clearly, the Conservative's plan centres on austerity.

We have made it very clear that our government will never give up our fight against climate change. We will never abandon the environment. We are here for future generations, and we mean it.

[Warren Steinley, Conservative, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

Mr. Speaker, what a ridiculous response. Canadians are paying the price for the Prime Minister's addiction to spending. The Liberals are telling Canadians that they have never had it so good. One in five Canadians are skipping meals. Eight million Canadians are visiting food banks because there is more month than paycheque always left over.

The simple question is this: If the Liberals are making things so good, why do Canadians not have more money in their pockets?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, contrary to the Conservatives, when we see Canadians struggling, we say, “Let us figure out a way to help them.” The Conservatives say, “Let us do nothing” and sit on their hands.

We have put forward several initiatives to help Canadians, including the increase to the Canada workers benefit, the doubling of the GST tax credit, the grocery rebate that 11 million are going to get as of July 5 or the Canada dental benefit that is going to help millions of Canadians access dental care for the first time.

The Conservatives have an opportunity right after question period to support our budget implementation act, help Canadians and make sure that we move forward together.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

Mr. Speaker, families in Nunavut are waking up to a financial nightmare. The Prime Minister's out-of-control spending is causing inflation, and mortgage rates are skyrocketing. An average mortgage payment for a home in Iqaluit went from $3,100 in 2016 to a whopping $4,667 today. That is a $1,500-per-month rise in the last seven years. Sadly, many families in Nunavut are going to lose their homes.

When will the Prime Minister end his out-of-control inflationary spending? When?

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Minister of Northern Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, our government understands the needs of northerners and Canadians. That is why we have introduced the grocery rebate for all of Canada. That is why, in terms of food security, I have introduced $163 million of new money for Nutrition North. That is why we introduced $10-a-day day care, which the member voted against. That is why we brought in the Canada child benefit, which has lifted 450,000 kids out of poverty, and the member voted against it.

The Environment

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, today is World Oceans Day, and it is a moment to think about the critical role healthy and abundant oceans play in the fight against climate change.

Can the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard please inform the House on our government's progress toward our ambitious goal of protecting 30% of our oceans by 2025?