Debates of Jan. 31st, 2024

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

It being Wednesday, we will now have the singing of the national anthem led by the hon. member for Sarnia—Lambton.

[Members sang the national anthem]

Tamil Heritage Month

[Shaun Chen, Liberal, Scarborough North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today during Tamil Heritage Month to recognize the invaluable contributions of Tamil Canadians to our great nation.

From the arts and sciences to business and community service, Tamils have played a pivotal role in shaping the cultural mosaic that defines Canada. Every January, Canadians are encouraged to learn about and appreciate the vibrant culture, histories and traditions of the Tamil diaspora.

Last Sunday, I enjoyed the sights and sounds of Indian classical dance at a Tamil Heritage Month celebration in my riding of Scarborough North. Organized by the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam and the Tamil Heritage Month Council, the event also highlighted the ongoing struggle for accountability and reconciliation for the Tamil people.

As Canadians, let us reaffirm our commitment to peace and justice, and stand together in solidarity with Tamil communities from coast to coast to coast.

Nandri vanakkam.

Taxation

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

Mr. Speaker, after eight years, more than half of all Canadians are struggling just to cover their mortgage, rent, food, home heating and gasoline. Taxes and the inflation caused by taxes, wasteful spending and deficits are crushing Canada's middle class and those desperately trying to cling to it.

For those Canadians who have even just a little bit left over at the end of the month after paying their bills, and who want to enjoy a basic middle-class indulgence like a night out for dinner and a bottle of wine with a loved one, or a beer with some buddies while watching a game, the NDP-Liberal government is going to raise the taxes on beer, wine and spirits again, for the eighth year in a row, on April 1.

I call on all MPs from all parties to support my private member's bill, Bill C-266, and let Parliament have the final say on taxes instead of letting the government raise them automatically. Let us bring happy hour back for working Canadians.

Ukraine

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, President Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, came to Canada last year and signed a Canada-Ukraine trade agreement. People around the world stand in solidarity in support of Ukraine. We all have a role to play. Every member in every political party has a role to play.

This Friday we are going to be debating the Canada-Ukraine trade agreement again. We are hoping that all members of all political parties can get behind the Canada-Ukraine trade agreement. What we should be doing is saying no to the MAGA right and yes to trade. I am calling on all members of the chamber to vote in favour of the Canada-Ukraine trade agreement.

Sandra Beauregard

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Montarville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today, I am pleased to pay tribute to a distinguished citizen from the federal riding of Montarville. Sandra Beauregard is the founder, president and very soul of Jardins communautaires Saint‑Basile‑le‑Grand, an organization that promotes not just gardening, but also the values of sharing and co-operation, respect for nature and healthy living, including healthy eating.

A few weeks ago, Ms. Beauregard was honoured as a Garden Hero by Gardens Canada for her leadership, her role in promoting gardening and her valuable contribution to her community. To this day, she remains the only Quebecker to have received this honour.

I am therefore pleased to recognize Ms. Beauregard just a few days before the Jardins communautaires Saint‑Basile‑le‑Grand kicks off a new season this Saturday with a seed swap.

Congratulations to Ms. Beauregard and all the best to Jardins communautaires Saint‑Basile‑le‑Grand and its members.

Foreign Affairs

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it has been 116 days since the October 7 attacks: 116 days of hostilities, violence and an ever-escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

I continue to be in full support of a complete and sustainable ceasefire. Hamas must surrender and must release all hostages. More humanitarian aid must reach civilians, and innocent people must be protected, particularly children, who have suffered the worst consequences of this war.

I am grateful for our government's decision to increase the humanitarian assistance being provided to Gaza, now over $100 million, with Canada providing an additional $40 million in humanitarian aid and support to address the urgent needs of the Gaza Strip. We also have an obligation to ensure that Canadians can reunite with family members in the Middle East. In the case of journalist Mansour Shouman, I hope for his safe return to his family in Canada as quickly as possible.

I am proud that the Prime Minister has pushed back against Netanyahu's reckless rejection of a two-state solution. Indeed, the only way forward for Palestinians and Israelis is to have an internationally recognized Palestinian state that is safe and secure with borders. We believe in a two-state solution. We believe that peace is possible.

Emergencies Act

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, last week, the Federal Court issued a damning indictment against the NDP-Liberal government. It ruled that it has violated the rights of Canadians by invoking the Emergencies Act to quell protests in Ottawa. In the words of the judge, there was “no national emergency justifying the use of the Emergencies Act”.

Canadians deserve answers. That is why tomorrow, at the public safety committee, Conservatives are demanding an investigation into the government for its fundamental breach of Canadians' basic human rights. After eight years of the Liberal government, Canadians have no trust that the Liberals will defend their rights. So much for being the party of the charter. The Prime Minister suspended civil liberties, froze the bank accounts of Canadians and demonized Canadians who oppose these Liberal policies. He needs to be held accountable.

Conservatives will fight for answers, transparency and accountability.

When will the NDP stop supporting the liberty-crushing Liberals and finally take a stand to hold the government accountable?

Katey Thompson

[Yasir Naqvi, Liberal, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to remember a member of my community of Ottawa Centre who has tragically passed away after giving so much to this place as a member of the Parliamentary Translation Services team.

Katey Thompson was a Hansard translator who spent 16 years working diligently to provide us all with the expert-level translation services we have come to expect in the House. Over the course of her work, Katey contributed substantially to our Parliamentary record. While she may have left us at the too-young age of 41, her translations will live on forever in the historical record of our democracy.

Her family, her colleagues and her entire community here in Ottawa Centre and at home in Thunder Bay are so proud of her. While she was taken away from this world too soon, Katey had an incredible impact on the people she worked with. I would like to take this opportunity to say a final thanks to Katey and to celebrate the work she has done.

Birthday Congratulations

[Michael McLeod, Liberal, Northwest Territories, NT]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to send best wishes to Mitzi Hodgson on the occasion of her 100th birthday.

Mitzi turned 100 on December 9. Born in Slovenia, Mitzi landed in Norman Wells in 1955. Without knowing a word of English, she began working in the Imperial Oil mess hall. It was here that Mitzi met the love of her life, Eddy Hodgson.

Mitzi has worn many hats over the years, from working in the hospital to owning a local hotel and doing countless hours of volunteering in the church. Mitzi is fluent in four languages and is an accomplished seamstress, dancer, gardener and baker. Her cherry cheesecake was once auctioned for $1,400.

Mitzi is an unsung hero. Her selfless character and genuine kindness are why she has such a vast network of friends and admirers. Along with her two children, four grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and many, many other friends and family members, I want to wish Mitzi a very happy 100th birthday.

Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada

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

Mr. Speaker, after eight years, northern Canadians have learned the hard way that the Prime Minister is not worth the cost.

Northwest Territories Premier R. J. Simpson recently said, “The costs are already high—higher costs are not the solution up here.” Adam and Chris from Yellowknife handed me their monthly heating bills that were $1,400, $1,700 and $2,100 because of the Prime Minister's carbon tax.

Northerners have a choice next election. On one side, they have a costly coalition NDP-Liberal government that has driven up heating costs in the north because of its carbon tax, broken housing promises because there were zero homes built in Nunavut last year, doubled the national debt with little northern infrastructure to show for it and doubled the violent crimes across Canada.

On our side, we have a common-sense plan that we, along with our leader, will axe the tax, build better homes, fix the budget and stop the crime. We will bring it home.

National Ribbon Skirt Day

[Jenica Atwin, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

Mr. Speaker, January 4 in Canada is National Ribbon Skirt Day. This day is the culmination of the hard work of Bella the Brave of Cote First Nation and indigenous peoples across Turtle Island, Senator Mary Jane McCallum and both Houses of Parliament, which offered unanimous support for a day that celebrates and uplifts indigenous women, girls and two-spirit peoples from coast to coast to coast.

Each year, the movement grows bigger. Reconciliation is a complex and multi-faceted process. National ribbon skirt day is but one piece of this important puzzle. Let me quote from the legislation:

Whereas Indigenous women are life-givers and are entrusted with traditional knowledge to care for their families, their communities and the environment;

Whereas the ribbon skirt is a centuries-old spiritual symbol of womanhood, identity, adaptation and survival and is a way for women to honour themselves and their culture;

Whereas the ribbon skirt represents a direct connection to Mother Earth and its sacred medicines.

This recognition is enshrined in law. Canada has come a very long way. Keep rocking those ribbon skirts.

Conservative Party of Canada

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, axe the tax. Build the homes. Fix the budget. Stop the crime. These are twelve words and four straightforward Conservative promises that have Liberal MPs in panic mode.

“It is sloganeering”, they protest, as though their own Prime Minister does not spew meaningless catchphrases like a pull-string doll: “We've got Canadians' backs”, the laughable “We took on debt so Canadians wouldn't have to”, and everyone's favourite, “The budget will balance itself.”

In the real world, as JFK once said, “Things don't happen, they are made to happen.” The Conservatives' 12 words are about making things happen. Each short promise packs in an action toward a positive outcome on a critical issue for Canadians. Axe the tax. Build the homes. Fix the budget. Stop the crime. Whether it happens this spring, next winter or in the fall of 2025, a strong Conservative government will restore common sense to Ottawa, and with that common sense, hope for a better life for all Canadians.

[Stephen Ellis, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Mr. Speaker, 40% of Nova Scotia households are struggling to pay their electricity bills, making Nova Scotians choose between eating and heating. We all know, sadly, that two million Canadians visit a food bank every month.

The NDP-Liberal coalition policies have also failed to provide affordable housing in Canada. In December, rents were at their highest level ever, skyrocketing to $2,178. This has doubled under the Prime Minister.

Let us talk crime. Since this Prime Minister was first elected, car thefts across Canada have increased dramatically. They have doubled in Montreal and tripled in Toronto.

Canadians will have a very simple choice in the next election. On the one hand they will have the costly coalition of the New Democrats and Liberals, who will take their money, tax their food, punish their work, double their housing costs and unleash crime and chaos in their community, or they can have the common-sense Conservatives who would axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime. That is the choice.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I would just ask members please to try to keep their conversations a little quieter so the Speaker can hear the hon. members make their declarations.

The hon. member for Nickel Belt.

Carbon Pricing

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

Mr. Speaker, everyone should file their income tax before April 30 to receive the credits and benefits to which they are entitled. For example, the quarterly issued carbon rebate in Ontario is for all taxpayers and it is a tax-free benefit to offset the cost of federal pollution pricing. Experts around the world agree that pricing pollution works. It is just one way Canada is fighting pollution. The carbon rebate quarterly payment went out January 15 and the next is April 15. The 2024 payment for a family of four in Ontario is $976; for a couple, it is $732; and for an adult living alone, it is $488.

I want to thank those who volunteer at the free tax clinics in Nickel Belt. They are a vital part of helping low- and modest-income Canadians access the important benefits they are entitled to.

Our future generations deserve a strong economy that attracts green investment and protects the environment.

Indigenous Affairs

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the legacy of Canadian policies designed to kill the Indian in the child still impacts our families. There are more indigenous kids in child welfare today than at the height of residential schools. In Manitoba, over 90% are indigenous.

That is why I was proud, along with my colleague Bonita Zarrillo and the NDP, to amend—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I will ask the member to start her statement again because I know that she should not be doing this. I will just remind members that it is tradition that we do not mention the names of members of Parliament, but we refer to them by their ridings.

I will ask the hon. member for Winnipeg Centre to start again.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the legacy of Canadian policies designed to kill the Indian in the child still impacts our families. There are more indigenous kids in child welfare today than there were at the height of residential schools. In Manitoba, over 90% are indigenous. That is why I was proud, along with my colleague from Port Moody—Coquitlam and the NDP, to amend Bill C-318 to provide EI benefits for kinship and customary care. I was concerned that the Liberal members abstained from voting but not surprised, considering they voted against our amendment to affirm the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous parents in the national child care legislation.

If the current government is not ready to give our kids back, then its words of reconciliation are empty. The government must uphold Bill C-15, which mandates the government to take all measures necessary to ensure that the laws of Canada are consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

The hon. member for Beauport—Limoilou.

Victims of Attacks in Burkina Faso

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

Mr. Speaker, today I want to pay tribute to six Quebeckers who were tragically killed during the terrorist attacks in Ouagadougou on January 15, 2016.

The attacks claimed the lives of four members of a Lac-Beauport family—Yves Carrier; his wife, Gladys Chamberland; their children, Charles-Élie and Maude Carrier—and two of their friends from the Quebec City area, Suzanne Bernier and Louis Chabot, all of whom were loved and cherished. They were planning on building a school.

After all these years, although the pain has not dissipated, it is important to remember that they were ambassadors of peace, committed to promoting both understanding and unity. Let us take inspiration from the love and tolerance they embodied. Let us defend the values that were so dear to their hearts. Let us fight against the darkness, as they did, using the light of solidarity, compassion and humanity. Let us find the strength to build a world where peace will prevail over hatred.

Gladys, Yves, Charles-Élie, Maude, Louis and Suzanne—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I am sorry to have to interrupt members during their statements, but it is very important for all members to limit their remarks to 60 seconds.

Conservative Party of Canada

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this government has done untold damage during its eight years in power. An economic recession is looming, and we are in the middle of the worst housing crisis in Canadian history. The crime rate has risen by 40%, and government spending has skyrocketed. Canadians deserve better. They have a choice. The Liberals have a minority government. They are in a coalition with the NDP. To make matters worse, Quebeckers have been duped by the Bloc Québécois, which supports wasteful Liberal spending and the second carbon tax, which it also thinks should be radically increased.

The people of our country will have two choices in the next election. They can choose to be stuck with this Liberal government, which is being propped up by the Bloc Québécois and the NDP, or they can choose the Conservative Party of Canada, which has a plan to axe the carbon tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime. The choice is clear, and Canadians deserve a government that will work for them and restore our national pride. That is the true meaning of common sense.

Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month

[Sherry Romanado, Liberal, Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today marks the last day of Canada's first ever national Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month. It was also on this very day two years ago that I introduced my private member's bill, which became law in June, to establish a national framework for the prevention and treatment of cancers linked to firefighting and to make every January Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month throughout Canada. Bringing increased public awareness to occupational cancers in the fire service, which account for over 85% of all duty-related deaths among Canada's firefighters, it is crucial to promote best practices that can help mitigate the risks.

Raising awareness is essential to ensure that the men and women who put their health and safety on the line get screened regularly and receive timely treatment if they are diagnosed with cancer. I thank the firefighters in my riding of Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne and across Canada for their work. I want them to know that we care about their health and well-being.

Public Safety

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, our priorities are clear. We are going to axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop crime.

When it comes to stopping crime, the Prime Minister is throwing on a cape and claiming to be a big hero on auto theft, but since he brought in catch-and-release and Netflix sentences for car thieves, auto theft has risen by 30%, and that is not to mention the mismanagement of our ports.

Will he reverse the policies that caused the auto theft crisis instead of holding another meeting?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the former Conservative government made cuts to programs to protect civilians and prevent auto theft by cutting funding for police and ports.

We were there to invest, to do more to keep Canadians safe and to protect them from becoming victims of crime. We will continue our work and our investments. We will work with partners and take action.

The Conservative leader is presenting slogans and easy solutions that do not really solve anything. We will do the necessary work.