Debates of Oct. 10th, 2024

Seniors

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, sometimes it seems like the Liberals want people to hate them. About 79% of the population wants old age security to be increased for seniors 65 to 74. Seventy-nine percent support means it is as popular as ice cream on a sunny day.

All seniors are calling on the government to stop dividing them into two classes. Every age group is also asking for this, including young people. Even the House stopped bickering for two minutes to ask for this. The Liberals are all alone.

Why are they insisting on withholding income from one million Quebeckers?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Minister of Labour and Seniors]

Mr. Speaker, it is very interesting to hear my colleague talk about people 65 to 74 when we know that she and her political party, the Bloc Québécois, teamed up with the Conservatives to oppose lowering the age of retirement from 67 to 65.

The members of the Bloc Québécois are talking about age 65 now, but not so long ago, they wanted us to retire at age 67.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, frankly, we are wondering why the Liberals are seeking a fourth term when their plan for society is to withhold income from one million Quebec seniors. They are out of touch, and the public is starting to notice.

We will say it again: The Liberals have until October 29 to pass Bill C‑319 and increase the pension for people aged 65 to 74. Time is flying by, especially since the Senate is in no hurry to get things done these days.

Are the Liberals really that eager to defend their disregard for seniors to voters?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Minister of Labour and Seniors]

Mr. Speaker, we would attach a little more credibility to what the separatist party opposite is saying if it had not acted openly and aggressively to oppose hundreds and hundreds of dollars in dental care for every senior in need, not only in Quebec, but across Canada, including 14,000 seniors in the member's own riding. There needs to be a little consistency here.

Innovation, Science and Industry

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, you have ruled that the NDP and Liberals violated a House order by refusing to turn evidence over to police for a criminal investigation into the latest $400‑million Liberal scandal. This is paralyzing Parliament. The Liberals' refusal to turn over these documents is an insult to the honesty of everyday citizens.

Will the Liberals put an end to the secrecy and hand the evidence over to law enforcement so that Parliament can work transparently in the interest of all Canadians?

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

Mr. Speaker, I think all Canadians should be concerned today. They should actually be worried, because what we are witnessing today, and have witnessed over the past few days, is worrying.

The Conservative Party wants to run the police. Imagine the situation we are in. The Conservative Party, with the Conservative leader at the helm, wants to direct the work of the RCMP.

The RCMP has been clear. There is a significant risk that the motion will be interpreted as circumventing normal investigative processes and Charter protections. We will fight to preserve democracy.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, while Canadians are struggling, well-connected Liberal cronies have never had it so good.

The Auditor General identified major failures in SDTC's financing of SMEs. The organization betrayed its noble mission by using its $1‑billion budget to line certain people's pockets.

Will the Liberals finally give Canadians the transparency they deserve?

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

Mr. Speaker, the people watching at home and those in the gallery today can see what the Conservatives are up to. The Conservatives now want to run the police in Canada. Just think how far things have come.

I challenge my colleague: 87% of clean tech companies in Canada received funding from SDTC. The reality is that it is a foundation that has helped SMEs in this country.

I think that today is a solemn occasion. The day we let the Conservatives dictate how the police work, I think everyone in the House should be concerned.

[Richard Lehoux, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the House is paralyzed by yet another corruption scandal involving the current Liberal government. This must be in its DNA. We are talking $400 million and 186 conflicts of interest at a time when Canadians are struggling to put food on the table, heat their homes and keep a roof over their heads. Liberal insiders, on the other hand, keep getting richer. The Liberals keep protecting themselves and their friends by hiding documents.

When will the government hand the documents over to the police and get the taxpayers' $400 million back?

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

Mr. Speaker, all Canadians are concerned about what we have been witnessing over the past few days. The fact is, what we are seeing in the House is the Conservatives' attempt to put themselves in charge of the police in this country. What the Conservatives are trying to do is unprecedented in the history of Canada.

Those of us on this side of the House are acting responsibly. We have already handed the documents over to the police. The Auditor General investigated. Independent reports have been produced.

Meanwhile, what the Conservatives are trying to do is sully democracy and prevent the House from working for the benefit of all Canadians.

Climate Change

[Churence Rogers, Liberal, Bonavista—Burin—Trinity, NL]

Mr. Speaker, our government is taking real action to tackle the most pressing issues facing Canadians, and this includes climate change. Canadians know that climate change is making life more difficult and more expensive. We are a government that understands that the realities of rural Canadians differ from those of Canadians living in larger urban areas.

Could the Minister of Indigenous Services and FedNor please tell Canadians how our government is supporting rural and remote communities right across the country?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Indigenous Services and FedNor, I hear first-hand from rural communities hit hard by climate change. Just yesterday, we heard from chiefs from Northwest Territories talk about the most severe drought they have seen in their lifetimes. In fact, it is putting their livelihoods, their ability to gather food and their ability to get goods up and down that river at risk. They know, as so many Canadians know, that we must do more to protect the climate and each other.

Conservative MPs do not care about that, though. They do not even believe in climate change, and they do not really care about affordability either. They did all they could to block the rural top-up of an extra $280 for people in the member's—

[The Speaker, Greg Fergus]

The hon. member for St. Albert—Edmonton.

Democratic Institutions

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday at the public inquiry, the chief of staff to the then public safety minister was unwilling to explain why a CSIS warrant sat on the minister's desk for 54 days when, according to national security officials, such a warrant is typically signed off in between four and 10 days.

It has been reported that the subject of the warrant is a former Ontario Liberal cabinet minister. Does the minister really expect Canadians to believe that this 54-day delay had nothing to do with the partisan interests of the Liberal Party?

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, it is ironic that the member opposite talks about political interests. It was the Conservative leader, when he was the minister of democratic institutions, who said that he was not going to take foreign interference seriously because it was not in his political interest to do so. On the other hand, on this side of the House, we have taken the issue of foreign interference seriously since day one, which includes ensuring that we are protecting our democratic institutions, including the current study to look into Russian-based influencers operating in Canada, which Conservatives want to block.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Mr. Speaker, there is no other plausible explanation for the delay. It was about Liberals protecting Liberals.

The Attorney General is responsible for seeing that cabinet upholds the independent and non-partisan principles of our justice system. His cabinet colleague put the partisan interests of the Liberal Party ahead of the administration of justice. What does the Attorney General have to say about that?

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to foreign interference, this is not a new phenomenon, but what is new to Canadians is a government that actually takes it seriously. That is precisely why we have implemented a number of measures to ensure that our democratic institutions are strengthened and to ensure that it is not at the whim of the Leader of the Opposition when he thinks there is some sort of political advantage to him.

We will take the issues of foreign interference, no matter where they are coming from, incredibly seriously, and we do not cherry-pick like the Conservatives do.

Foreign Affairs

[Shuv Majumdar, Conservative, Calgary Heritage, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Iranian-backed Houthis shoot down civilian merchant ships. They fire missile after missile at innocent Israelis. They disrupt international trade. They traffic in violence and fear across the Middle East. These terrorists can freely operate, fundraise and recruit in Canada.

The Americans banned them in January. NDP-Liberals said they would think about it. It has been 10 months. We need to ban the terrorists and protect Canadians. What is there to think about?

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, once again we see that Conservatives want to play games with incredibly serious issues. We on this side of the House will not. What we will do is ensure that the national security agencies in this country that make regular terrorist listing determinations have the resources they need to do just that. These national security organizations in Canada are constantly reviewing the terrorist listing, and the Minister of Public Safety has ensured that it is put forward for urgent review.

Mental Health and Addictions

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is World Mental Health Day. This year's theme is “It is time to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace”. It reminds us that we need to prioritize mental health in all workplaces and communities right across the country. Everyone deserves to have access to the mental health services they need.

Can the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions tell the House what our government is doing to extend access to mental health services across Canada?

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for all of her advocacy on mental health. It is such an important issue to Canadians.

Today is World Mental Health Day, a day to raise awareness and commit to breaking the stigma around mental health. Mental health is health, and we are committed to expanding access to mental health services for all Canadians. We are taking action. While our government has solutions, the opposition only has slogans.

From our government's work to creating a youth mental health fund to the 988 suicide helpline, we are taking a compassionate approach to make sure no one is left behind.

Foreign Affairs

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, here are today's headlines: “Israeli forces fire on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon”; hundreds of thousands of people are trapped in northern Gaza, ordered to flee with nowhere to go; “Israel seeking to close down Unrwa”; and “Canada's Conservative Leader: Israel Taking Out Iran’s Nuclear Sites Would Be ‘Gift by the Jewish State to Humanity'”. This is crazy. This is enough.

Canada needs to do everything to de-escalate and to build peace. We need to sanction Netanyahu. We need to have an arms embargo, and we need to recognize Palestine.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Consular Affairs)]

Mr. Speaker, since October 7, Canadians have been clear that they expect us to defend Israel's security and get the hostages released, ensure international rules are respected, do everything we can for civilians to be protected and make sure that this conflict does not spread into a regional or international crisis.

Too many innocent civilians, including children and women, have been killed in this war. The loss of innocent lives is something we have not heard Conservatives talk about in the House, and I appreciate the NDP bringing it forward. This should not be controversial.

Indigenous Affairs

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, back in April, Six Nations of the Grand River had to close its community health centre because of worsening black mould, which was first detected over a year ago. While Indigenous Services Canada has a responsibility to ensure Six Nations has a safe and accessible medical facility that meets its needs, the minister recently communicated to the community that it needs to apply for funding and hope for the best.

Will the minister take responsibility, commit to a follow-up meeting with Six Nations' Chief Hill and expedite a new health centre?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, I will always commit to working with first nations leaders on their infrastructure priorities. As the member opposite knows, there is a $380-billion gap in infrastructure left after generations of neglect of first nations communities. We have increased spending on first nations infrastructure priorities by 1,800%, and we are going to continue to do that work.

We are going to continue to be there as partners as communities build up the infrastructure they need for today and tomorrow.