Debates of Sept. 20th, 2023

Housing

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Please continue.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

Mr. Speaker, welcoming an ambitious level of newcomers is not breaking the immigration system, and we want to make sure communities are equipped to welcome them. We are not going to take lessons from the Conservatives, who failed miserably when it came to housing, by doing absolutely nothing. We have removed taxes on home construction. We are changing the way cities build homes.

We are going to build Canada and we are going to advance the measures to make it happen.

[Leslyn Lewis, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

Mr. Speaker, they lost track of a million people.

After eight years of the Prime Minister, housing prices are at an all-time high, and many Canadians have lost hope of ever owning their own home. This is a direct result of the NDP-Liberal government's reckless deficit spending that has poured countless cash into the economy, driving up inflation, which has driven up interest rates, which has doubled mortgage rates.

Will the Prime Minister finally stop his inflationary spending so Canadians can once again keep a roof over their heads?

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I hope this feigned compassion on behalf of the Conservatives is not fooling Canadians, because on two previous occasions, the Conservatives voted against lowering taxes for the middle class in this country.

We have been criss-crossing the country over the course of the summer. Not a single Canadian has told us they would like us to cut our programs. Canadians are relying on the supports that our government is providing, and we are providing them in a fiscally responsible way.

[Leslyn Lewis, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

Mr. Speaker, former Liberal finance minister John Manley said that the Liberal deficit spending is like pressing a gas pedal on inflation while the Bank of Canada is trying to press the brakes on it by raising interest rates. Eight years ago, Canadians could afford to pay off their mortgage in 25 years. Now it takes 25 years just to save for a down payment.

When will the Prime Minister stop his reckless spending so Canadians can once again afford to buy homes?

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, once again, just a few weeks ago, rating agencies confirmed Canada's AAA credit rating. That is because what we are doing is spending in order to support Canadians, but doing so in a responsible way.

We have just announced the next step in our plan to build more homes faster. What we will do is create more apartment buildings for more Canadian families right across the country. The response from the Conservative leader was that we do not need any more of those. Canadians do need their federal government, and this is the federal government that has their backs.

Natural Resources

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this week, Calgary is hosting the World Petroleum Congress. Ottawa has sent three ministers there. That sends a clear message.

At the same time, they have the nerve to attend a United Nations meeting on climate change. Meanwhile, oil and gas companies are lining their pockets. Everyone knows that the main reason gas prices have gone up is oil and gas company profits.

Will the government announce an end to all oil and gas subsidies at the UN?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, we have put in place a framework to reduce and eliminate subsidies to the fossil fuel sector.

Of course I was in Calgary. I gave a speech about climate change and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in all sectors of the economy, and that, of course, includes the oil and gas sector.

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government is subsidizing rich oil companies that have absolutely no need of subsidies. At the same time, it is withholding money needed for social housing and refusing to adjust seniors' pensions, who are being hard hit by inflation. This inflation has been exacerbated by oil company profits.

Why does Ottawa not take the money it gives to oil companies and invest it in social housing and seniors' pensions instead?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, I am sorry, but what my hon. colleague said is untrue.

We established a framework to reduce and eliminate fossil fuel subsidies. Obviously, this is a very important issue. We have to move faster on developing an economy that can prosper in what must be a low-carbon future.

Carbon Pricing

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if the government taxes vegetable growers, the truckers who transport those vegetables and the processors, then Quebec families are bound to have higher grocery bills.

While half of Canadians are surviving paycheque to paycheque, the Liberal-Bloc coalition seeking to drastically increase taxes thinks that Canadians are not paying enough. Not only does the Bloc Québécois support the carbon tax, but its members want to drastically increase it.

Why have the Liberals and the Bloc joined forces to impoverish Quebeckers?

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

Mr. Speaker, it is disappointing for Canadians to hear a question like that.

This week, Canadians saw that we, on this side of the House, are taking action. What have we done for Canadians? We met with corporate CEOs from across the country to share with them the frustration felt by millions of Canadians and to tell them that enough is enough and that we need to do something to stabilize prices in Canada.

Rather than coming up with slogans, the Conservatives should unite with the Liberal caucus to act in the interest of Canadians. That is what people expect of them.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we hear all sorts of excuses from the Liberal-Bloc coalition for drastic tax increases.

They say that the carbon tax does not apply to Quebec, but that is false. The second carbon tax, which the Bloc Québécois supports, will add 20¢ to the cost of a litre of gas.

After eight years, the Liberals have managed to convince the Leader of the Bloc Québécois to take more money from Quebeckers and send it to Ottawa. That is totally irresponsible if the goal is to help families who are struggling. Voting for the Bloc Québécois is costly.

Why is the Prime Minister endorsing the Bloc Québécois's wish to drastically increase taxes at Quebeckers' expense?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Speaker, what is drastic and irresponsible is denying that climate change exists.

What the Conservative elites have been doing for years now is telling the 80% of Canadians who are keeping more money in their pockets that they do not deserve to have us make their lives more affordable. What is irresponsible and unacceptable is that just two years ago, the Conservative Party was proposing a price on pollution. Now, in 2023, they are changing their minds.

Finance

[Shelby Kramp-Neuman, Conservative, Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, what Canadians want right now is for inflation to come down and for interest rates to fall, not to pour fuel on the fire of inflation. That was what the finance minister promised last year. Instead, mortgage interest rates are up 31%. Inflation is up 4% this month alone. After eight years, the Liberal-NDP government refuses to be the financial steward this country so desperately needs. The Prime Minister is not worth the cost.

Will the Prime Minister finally stop his inflationary spending so Canadians can keep a roof over their heads?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, let us be specific about what they are talking about when they are talking about cuts. When they are talking about dealing with global inflation, they want to do it on the backs of the most vulnerable, as if cutting from the most vulnerable people in Canada is going to somehow fix global inflation. That means, as an example, with the dental care program that we are rolling out, 3.5 million seniors would lose their dental care. That means 181,000 people with disabilities would lose their dental care. That means one million children would lose their dental care. That is what they are talking about. Let us be clear about what their real plan is.

[Shelby Kramp-Neuman, Conservative, Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, that is completely false and is empty, condescending rhetoric. Let us quote former Liberal finance minister John Manley: “This is a bit like driving your car with one foot on the gas and the other on the brake generally, especially if there's slushy conditions under your tires. That’s not a good plan for controlling the direction of your vehicle, not a good plan for controlling the direction of the economy either.”

After eight years, the Liberal-NDP government is still not able to address the housing and living crisis that it helped create. Again, will the Prime Minister finally stop his inflationary spending so people do not go bankrupt, yes or no?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, when the Conservatives were in government, they had higher unemployment, lower wages and stagnation when it came to poverty rates. When they are talking about cutting, they are talking about cutting things like child care. They are talking about cutting things like dental care. They are talking about rolling back pensions, just as they did when they were in government.

What Canadians need right now is a government that is there for them, and what they cannot afford are the risky ideas of the Conservative Party of Canada.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Before we go to the next question, I just want to compliment the hon. members for South Shore—St. Margarets and Dufferin—Caledon, who are very quiet during the questions. If they could just carry that through the answers, I would really appreciate it.

The hon. member for Vancouver East.

Housing

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives and Liberals caused the housing crisis by cancelling the national co-op and social housing program 30 years ago. Canada is now among the lowest of the G7 countries in social housing stock. Seniors, families and everyday Canadians need a home that they can afford.

Under the Liberals' national housing strategy, it will take at least 125 years to build the community housing that we need. Talk is cheap. Bold action is needed. Will the Liberals put people before profits and commit to building two million units of co-op and social housing?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Housing]

Mr. Speaker, I share my hon. colleague's perspective that we need to build more housing in this country, including subsidized housing for low-income families. I also agree with the NDP that the reason we find ourselves with such an extraordinary housing shortage is that federal governments of different partisan stripes for decades have vacated the space.

We re-entered the sector in 2017 with the advancing of the national housing strategy. We are seeing hundreds of thousands of subsidized homes provide safety and security for low-income families. We will continue to advance more measures to build housing stock, including tax incentives to get builders building and to change the way that cities build homes, but we will not forget the most vulnerable along the way.

Diversity and Inclusion

[Randall Garrison, NDP, Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC]

Mr. Speaker, as Canadians, we should be making sure that all our kids feel safe, loved and supported. However, right now, anti-trans demonstrations across Canada are making this impossible, especially for trans kids.

In June, the Conservatives blocked an NDP motion calling on all Canadian leaders to condemn this rising tide of hate and violence. Will the Liberals join New Democrats in condemning this anti-2SLGBTQI+ hate by supporting our motion when it comes back to the House? Will they join us in demonstrating that Canada is truly a country where there is no space for hate?

[Marci Ien, Liberal, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth]

Mr. Speaker, I give a special thanks to the member across for his work, his advocacy and his lived experience.

Absolutely we stand with trans and queer youth. As I reflect on what has happened outside these walls today and the marches that we see, I remind everybody that as a parent I understand the need for parents to be at the centre of their kids' lives. However, I also very much understand the need to centre trans and queer kids and make sure they are heard and make sure they have safe spaces.

To those kids, we are with them and we hear them. I have spoken to them across—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Etobicoke Centre.

National Defence

[Yvan Baker, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as we speak, the Ukrainian people are risking everything and sacrificing their lives to defend their homeland against Russia's genocidal invasion. Russia's invasion is not just an existential threat to Ukraine. It is also the primary reason for food and energy price inflation here in Canada and around the world. It is a major threat to global security and to Canada's security. Canada must stand with the Ukrainian people until they win.

Could the Minister of National Defence share with Canadians what Canada is doing to support the brave people of Ukraine?