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House of Commons Hansard #346 of the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was lebanon.
House of Commons Hansard #346 of the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was lebanon.
The Speaker Liberal Greg Fergus
Colleagues, as we know, question period is of a limited time, which I have been reminded of many times. I have allowed this to go on, but if we have to interrupt all the time, we might get to the point where we need to end a question due to a little heckling. Therefore, I will ask hon. members to please not do so.
The hon. member for Mégantic—L'Érable.
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
Mr. Speaker, it is high time that the economic vandalism committed by this Liberal government, with the backing of the Bloc Québécois, stopped.
Under this Prime Minister, Canada has experienced the worst growth in income per capita, or GDP, of any prime minister since 1930. In fact, Canada's growth in real income per capita has been the worst in the G7 since 2015: minus 2% in Canada, plus 8% in the United States. That means a lower standard of living for all Canadians, including seniors who no longer have enough money to pay their rent or bills.
When will this “Liberal Bloc” give a thought to seniors and end its economic vandalism?
Chrystia Freeland LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, I have noticed something very interesting about the Conservatives. A few months ago, the only economy-related word that the Conservatives knew was the word “inflation”.
Today, however, we have good news about inflation. In August, inflation was 2%. All year long, inflation has stayed within the Bank of Canada's target range. This is good news for Canada and for Canadians, but all the Conservatives want is bad news.
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
Okay, Mr. Speaker, let us talk about that. Seniors, Canadians and Quebeckers are no longer able to put food on the table. Why? The cost of food has gone up, the cost of rent has gone up, and everything has gone up because of this government's inflationary policies, which the Bloc Québécois supports.
Seniors built Canada. In their Canada, hard work was rewarded.
Why would the “Liberal Bloc” want to keep sabotaging seniors' retirement by raising their taxes over and over?
The Speaker Liberal Greg Fergus
I encourage the hon. member for La Prairie not to speak before he is recognized.
The hon. Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.
François-Philippe Champagne LiberalMinister of Innovation
Mr. Speaker, we do indeed respect seniors. That is why we have always been there for them. However, seniors understand that we need to invest in the future as well. Canadians understand that.
That is why we have been able to attract generational investments to Quebec. Take, for example, Moderna, which set up shop in Laval. Ford and GM are in Bécancour.
We brought Quebec into the 21st-century automotive industry. We need to thank our workers and the people who built this country. They can count on us to set Canada up to thrive in the 21st century.
Andréanne Larouche Bloc Shefford, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois is making October 29 its ultimatum on behalf of seniors.
Their representatives are in Ottawa today to support our efforts. The FADOQ is here, and so is its Mauricie association. The Association québécoise de défense des droits des personnes retraitées et préretraitées, or AQDR, is here. The Association québécoise des retraités des secteurs public et parapublic, or AQRP, is here. The Académie des retraités de l'Outaouais is here. The Table de concertation régionale des aînés des Laurentides is here.
They are all here to end discrimination against seniors and to call for a 10% increase in old age security for seniors aged 74 and under. They expect a clear answer.
Will the government give a royal recommendation to Bill C‑319?
Steven MacKinnon LiberalMinister of Labour and Seniors
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to talk about the Bloc Québécois's hypocrisy. The member for Shefford should know that in the province of Quebec, 13,300 people are eligible for the dental care program. They are saving hundreds and hundreds of dollars.
The member voted against dental care for vulnerable seniors in Quebec. Shame on her.
Andréanne Larouche Bloc Shefford, QC
Mr. Speaker, if what the minister is saying were enough, FADOQ, AQRP, AQDR and many other groups would not be in Ottawa today. However, they are here to demand a 10% increase in OAS for seniors under the age of 74.
All seniors deserve the same support when they are facing the same rising cost of living. Everyone understands that. They certainly do not deserve to be divided into two classes of citizens. It is time the Liberals put an end to their age-based discrimination.
Will they grant royal recommendation to Bill C‑319?
Steven MacKinnon LiberalMinister of Labour and Seniors
Mr. Speaker, no party in the House has done as much for seniors in Canada and Quebec as the Liberal Party of Canada, despite the push back from the opposition—the Conservative Party and the Bloc Québécois. What did they vote against? They voted against the dental care program, the GIS and additional housing for vulnerable seniors.
The Bloc Québécois voted against all that. Now, what are they accusing us of? The Bloc Québécois should apologize.
Andréanne Larouche Bloc Shefford, QC
Mr. Speaker, on this International Day of Older Persons, the Bloc Québécois would also like to highlight the work of community organizations that support retirees.
It is inexcusable that they are being denied funding from the age well at home program. It is inexcusable that the government is starving our organizations and depriving Quebec seniors of the money and services that are rightfully theirs. It is inexcusable that the feds are bickering over jurisdictions with Quebec at the expense of seniors.
Will the feds finally transfer to Quebec its share of the funding and stop holding seniors hostage?
Steven MacKinnon LiberalMinister of Labour and Seniors
Mr. Speaker, we are particularly proud of the age well at home pilot project. It is a government priority for seniors to stay at home and live independently.
We have transferred the funds to all provinces and sent Quebec 60% of its funding. There are a few projects left. The Quebec government just needs to check a box and it is ready to go. Organizations such as the volunteer centres and Montreal's Chic Resto Pop will get their money.
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Mr. Speaker, in the latest conflict of interest from a government of serial ethical lawbreakers, the Prime Minister wants his buddy Mark “carbon tax” Carney's company to be in charge of $10 billion of Canadians' pension dollars. He does not want him to be subjected to any of the conflict of interest rules: all the power, all the money, but none of the accountability.
After nine years of the NDP-Liberal government, taxes are up, costs are up, crime is up and time is up for carbon tax Carney and the Prime Minister. Why do they not just call a carbon tax election?
Karina Gould LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, it is another week and another tired line from the Conservatives.
When it comes to Canadians who disagree with their vision of the country, instead of allowing for that disagreement to happen, the Conservatives attack them personally and try to bring them down. We have seen this time and time again from Conservatives, whether it is the news media like CBC or CTV or whether it is eminent Canadians who give of themselves.
The Conservatives only have one objective, and that is to tear down Canadians who do not share their beliefs.
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Mr. Speaker, it is no surprise that the member wants to deflect from the Prime Minister, who was twice found guilty of breaking ethics laws himself, and that is why he is trying to protect his buddy, carbon tax Carney, from the ethical rules that would, of course, call into question this $10 billion of Canadians' pensions that they want to let him get his hands on, in exchange for what? It is for advice that he is going to give them from Bay Street that everyone on Main Street can just eat cake when they cannot afford any more of his rising carbon tax.
It has been nine years of the failed NDP-Liberal policies. Canadians are out of money and they are out of time. When can we have an election?
The Speaker Liberal Greg Fergus
Before the hon. House leader gives her answer, I did hear a comment out of turn. I think it was from a minister, though I could not figure out who it was. I will ask members again to please not take the floor unless recognized by the Chair.
The hon. Leader of the Government in the House of Commons.
Karina Gould LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, again what we see from the Conservative members of Parliament is that they just cannot handle being criticized.
It is the same way Conservatives treat the media. When the media asks them tough questions about what they are putting forward in terms of their agenda for Canadians, what do they do? They attack them. This is what they do with the media. This is what they do with eminent Canadians. This is what they do with any Canadian who does not share their vision for Canada.
We should be talking up Canada and talking up Canadians instead of talking them down, like the Conservatives do.
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Mr. Speaker, first the Liberals announced that Mark Carney, the chair of Brookfield, a trillion-dollar corporation whose interests span the entire federal government, would be setting Canada's economic policy. Then news broke that Brookfield had been lobbying for a federally funded, multi-billion dollar investment fund that it would manage. Then, over this past weekend, Mark Carney sent out a fundraising email blast via the Liberal Party's donation list. That is interesting.
Did the Liberals or Brookfield clear any of this with the lobbying commissioner?
Karina Gould LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Again, Mr. Speaker, what we see from the Conservatives is when Canadians do not share their vision of Canada, they talk them down. They try—
The Speaker Liberal Greg Fergus
I am going to ask members again to please not take the floor until they are recognized by the Chair.
The hon. Leader of the Government in the House of Commons from the top.
Karina Gould Liberal Burlington, ON
Mr. Speaker, it is okay, I understand this response makes them uncomfortable because they know it is true.
When it comes to Canadians who do not share their vision of Canada, what do Conservative members of Parliament do? They talk them down. They try to bring them down. They do not like having people push against their agenda. They do not like it when they are asked tough questions. When intelligent people do not share their vision of Canada, they try to take them down instead of having that debate.
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Mr. Speaker, Grifols, a big pharma company, recently gained approval from Canadian Blood Services, which is regulated by the Liberal government, to acquire Canadian plasma resources, a critical source of blood products for Canadians, but this summer, reports said that under this contract, Canadian blood plasma products could be sold abroad for profit by Grifols, something that could jeopardize supply in Canada. Guess which company has been in takeover talks with Grifols this whole time? It is Brookfield.
Is that why the Liberals did not clear Carney with the lobbying commissioner?