Debates of Sept. 26th, 2023

Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada

[Anna Roberts, Conservative, King—Vaughan, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to tell everyone about the hon. leader of the Conservative Party of Canada.

Many know him as the common-sense leader this country needs. His schoolteacher parents know him as the boy they adopted and raised in their modest home in the suburbs of Calgary. His dad knows him as the son he took to early morning hockey games. His neighbours know him as the boy who used to deliver the morning newspaper. His children know him in French, Spanish and English as “papa”. I know him as a man who loves Canada and will fight to have it restored before the Liberal-NDP government destroys our nation. We all know him as the next prime minister of Canada.

When our leader says it does not matter whom people know or where they are from, but rather who they are and where they are going, these are not just empty words; he lived it. It is common sense; let us bring it home.

Housing

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

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Liberal-NDP government, access to housing is worse than ever.

In 2015, when Conservatives were in government and the Conservative leader was the minister of housing, rent for a one-bedroom apartment was $970 a month. Today, the same apartment is $1,900. A typical family home cost less than $450,000, with a typical mortgage payment of about $1,300. Now the payment on that same home is over $3,500 and the down payment has doubled.

When the Conservative leader was housing minister, the budget was balanced, inflation was 1.4% and the Bank of Canada rate was half of 1%. After eight years of the Liberal-NDP government, inflation is at a 40-year high and the Bank of Canada rate is at 5%, because the Prime Minister has added more to the national debt than all previous prime ministers combined.

Canadians cannot afford the government any longer. The Prime Minister is not worth the cost.

Polycultural Immigrant & Community Services

[Charles Sousa, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 50th anniversary of Polycultural Immigrant & Community Services.

Polycultural started as a group of dedicated volunteers providing boots on the ground to support newly arrived refugees from Poland. It has grown into a multicultural, multi-faceted organization with seven locations across the GTA, helping community members from all walks of life, including newcomers, youth, seniors and victims of violence.

It never shies away from new or challenging situations. We remember, with gratitude, the support it offered to Syrian and Afghan refugees in their greatest time of need. Polycultural Immigrant & Community Services supports more than 30,000 individuals each year to find jobs and much more, and we are grateful for the work it does.

Congratulations to our friends at Polycultural for an amazing 50 years. I thank them for all they do.

Nazism

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB]

Mr. Speaker, what happened in the House last week was shameful: the introduction of a Nazi as a hero, someone our vets fought against, part of an SS division that massacred Jews and Poles.

What is as shameful is the Prime Minister's failure to rededicate to fighting and calling out fascism and Nazism in our midst. Let us not forget that 1.1 million Canadians fought and 97,000 were killed or wounded fighting with our allies to liberate the world from the Nazis. Let us also not forget that we are a country that refused to admit Jewish refugees from Nazism in the 1930s, but admitted SS Nazi combatants in the 1950s.

At a time when Canada and the world are seeing the rise of neo-Nazism and fascism, the Prime Minister has failed to speak out. As Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

In the name of the victims of Nazism, Jews, Poles, progressives, LGBTQ people, Roma and millions of others, let us remember and let us learn from history: never again.

Boisbriand Photography Club

[Luc Desilets, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in honour of the 30th anniversary of the Boisbriand photography club.

The club has delivered a host of activities since 1993, including conferences, outings, contests, exhibitions and more, to teach and share knowledge about the photographic arts.

As an amateur photographer myself, I was recently blown away by this club's talent, passion, creativity and attention to detail. I am not the only one: In 2019, the Boisbriand photography club won the Focus prize given by the Musée national de la photographie. In 2020, it placed second among 44 contenders for the title of best photography club in Quebec.

I congratulate its president, Marc-André Thibodeau, and all the club's members for their achievements.

I wish continued success to creative photography and amateur photographers.

Conservative Party of Canada

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the NDP-Liberal government, life is so expensive. Chicken is up 35%, potatoes are up 68%, carrots are up 74% and lettuce is up 94%. It is no wonder that seven million Canadians struggle to put food on the table. That pain takes a toll. It is due to the costly coalition's policies, such as carbon tax 1 and carbon tax 2, which hike the cost of everything and do nothing to reduce emissions.

Gordie from Colinton said, “My daughter and her husband have 4 kids. Trying to feed them all is a shock. They both have good paying jobs but by the time you pay for rent, gas, power, and heating, you have to make a choice between eating or paying the bills.” That is what happens when we tax the farmer who grows the food, the trucker who ships the food and the people who buy the food.

Canadians are out of money, and the Prime Minister is just not worth the cost. Conservatives will turn hurt into hope so Canadians can look forward to the future. We will use technology to reduce emissions and axe the taxes to bring home lower prices and make life affordable.

Royal Canadian Legion

[Randeep Sarai, Liberal, Surrey Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, today I speak for the first time as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence.

Last week, we celebrated National Legion Week for the very first time.

Since 1925, the Royal Canadian Legion has been providing support to veterans who have fought for our country, our values and our democracy. Through its 1,350 local branches across the country and its promotion of remembrance with the annual poppy campaign, the legion is doing what it can to make sure that Canadians never forget.

The legion is also a cornerstone in communities across the country. With one of the largest volunteer bases in the country, it is providing support to veterans and seniors, offering youth sports programs, volunteering to help those in need or simply offering a place to gather for fun and celebration.

I want to express my deep appreciation for all that the legionnaires do and for their tireless efforts to ensure that we remember the bravery, commitment and sacrifice of those who have served their country.

Lest we forget.

Guests in the House of Commons

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Speaker has resigned because of the great shame and embarrassment of paying tribute to a Nazi in the House of Commons.

However, the fact remains that the Prime Minister is ultimately responsible for our international reputation. The Prime Minister is responsible for the diplomatic and intelligence services that could have asked for and checked the list of all guests. Today, he must take responsibility in order to repair the major damage that has been done to our international reputation.

Will he stand up in the House and apologize for this massive, shameful mistake?

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

Mr. Speaker, first, I think it is important to point out that the Speaker of the House of Commons is independent. All members of the House vote for him.

As I said yesterday, I want to thank the Speaker of the House for taking responsibility for his actions. As he said today, a few minutes ago, this was his decision. He is taking responsibility for it, and I think that is the honourable thing to do.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's protocol and intelligence services had the right to ask for the list of everyone whose presence would be acknowledged. What is more, the responsibility to defend Canada's reputation falls on the Prime Minister. We are now in the worst crisis of our history when it comes to our reputation.

Where is the Prime Minister? Where is he hiding? Why does not he not rise in the House of Commons to defend our reputation as Canadians?

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

I am going to remind the hon. members that we cannot say whether someone is here in the chamber. We are very close to that line.

The hon. House leader for the government.

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

Mr. Speaker, as the Leader of the Opposition knows full well, since the Speaker of the House resigned today, the latter took responsibility for the decision he alone made to invite this individual and to acknowledge his presence. As everyone in the House knows, this was embarrassing for us as MPs and as Canadians. He took responsibility and that was the honourable thing to do.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Speaker has taken the fall for this massive international shame and embarrassment. However, we had a war leader from a country that is trying to defend its freedom from not only an invasion but also a propaganda war. The Prime Minister's protocol and intelligence units had the right to ask for the list of all those who would be present and recognized around him.

The Prime Minister did not carry out that responsibility, and now our nation's reputation is in tatters. Will he stand up and apologize to Canadians, the Jewish community, the Ukrainian people and the entire world for this mess that he helped create?

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

Mr. Speaker, I feel that I have to remind the Leader of the Opposition, although he knows this very well himself, that the Speaker of the House of Commons is independent. His election is voted upon by all members of Parliament, and he is the Speaker of all parliamentarians.

We know, and the Leader of the Opposition knows, that this was the decision solely of the Speaker of the House of Commons. He chose to invite this individual. He chose to recognize him without informing the government or the Ukrainian delegation. This was highly embarrassing. I accept his resignation, and I am glad that he did it.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister says he is not responsible for our diplomatic reputation, even though that is precisely the job of the head of the government. He also said he is not responsible for the inflationary spending that led prices and interest rates to rise faster than at any time in history or for housing costs doubling after he promised to lower them. He is not responsible for dressing up in racist costumes so many times that he cannot remember; he says that all Canadians need to learn a lesson from his personal conduct.

Now he says that it is not his responsibility to vet the very people who come into contact with a visiting head of state. Is it that he is not responsible or that he is irresponsible?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would posit that the Leader of the Opposition is being very irresponsible right now in his accusations when, in fact, he knows the truth. This is why every party in the House has asked for the resignation, which has now been received, of the Speaker of the House. It was his decision and his decision alone to invite this individual and to recognize him in this chamber.

The Leader of the Opposition knows this. He is irresponsibly politicizing this issue. This is something that has brought shame and embarrassment to all of Parliament and, indeed, to all Canadians. The Speaker did the honourable thing in resigning.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, I am responsible enough to show up for work. I mean this literally. Has there ever been a greater diplomatic embarrassment in the history of our country? In coffee shops, gyms, businesses and boardrooms around the world, people are reading about this massive and shameful disgrace that unfolded under the watch of a Liberal Speaker and a Liberal Prime Minister; yet, he cannot even show up for work.

Where is he, and why is he hiding under a rock?

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

Order. Underlining whether someone is here is not allowed by the rules of the House.

The hon. government House leader may answer. I will give her the option.

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

Mr. Speaker, this is precisely why the Speaker of the House announced his resignation. He took responsibility for his actions, which have hurt parliamentarians and all Canadians and, indeed, Canada's reputation. That is why every party in the House called for his resignation.

I find it ironic that we have barely heard a word of support for Ukraine from the Leader of the Opposition until he sees a political wedge issue and tries to politicize this issue.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

Order.

The hon. member for Beloeil—Chambly.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is less about the form and more about the substance, but if the leader of the official opposition and I agree on something, it must be because it is so evident. The Prime Minister did not make the mistake, but he is responsible for fixing it, as head of government, whether we like it or not, even for those who want to take his place.

Will he apologize on behalf of Canada and, unfortunately, also on behalf of Quebec, to all those who suffered as a result of what happened here, which was quite traumatic for many people?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his question. The Speaker of the House of Commons has already apologized for the decision he made, which was shameful for us all and shameful for Canadians. What matters is that he has taken responsibility for his actions and decisions. Everyone in the House called for his resignation, and that was the honourable thing to do.

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

Mr. Speaker, six questions later, I can hardly believe that the leader of the government in the House of Commons has failed to understand that the responsibility of the Speaker of the House and the responsibility of the Prime Minister of Canada are two separate things in such matters.

Though he stands accused of nothing, he cannot ignore his responsibility as head of government. He has to accept that responsibility and apologize to the Jewish community of Canada, Quebec and the world. He has to apologize to parliamentarians. He has to apologize to all citizens. He especially has to apologize to President Zelenskyy, who was handed to the Russian propaganda machine on a silver platter.