Debates of Oct. 21st, 2024

Carbon Pricing

[Jenna Sudds, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, I recently had the opportunity to be in Manitoba to speak with some parents about what they are facing there. I had the opportunity to announce, alongside the Deputy Prime Minister, that we have come to an agreement on our national school food program that will see, this school year, over 19,000 more children receive food at school. It is an over $17-million commitment over three years. That is what we do on this side of the House to ensure that families are supported.

Labour

[Bonita Zarrillo, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, flight attendants, who are predominantly women, work an average of 35 hours a month unpaid. Consecutive Liberal and Conservative governments have overlooked this issue for decades. The big airline bosses are profiting off of the unpaid labour of flight attendants. It is time for this exploitation to end.

Today, I will be tabling a bill to end unpaid work for all flight attendants in Canada. Will the government support it?

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

Mr. Speaker, Canadian airlines are, of course, private sector entities. The government sets a minimum standard and lets the hard work of collective bargaining take it from there. Flight attendants have a collective agreement that sets out their hours and their wages, and it is not my place to comment on it.

Housing

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, people are dying in the streets, on park benches, in alleys and sometimes in portable toilets. The number of deaths among the unhoused has skyrocketed. In fact, it has tripled in recent years, and this is just the tip of the iceberg considering that a lot of deaths are not even recorded. The housing crisis kills.

Liberals and Conservatives alike have allowed this crisis to fester so that big property owners could line their pockets. They have put profits before people.

What are the Liberals going to do to house people and save lives?

[Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec]

Mr. Speaker, like my colleague, I represent an area in Montreal's east end. We are seeing the human crisis playing out.

Unlike the Conservatives, who ignore human dignity in order to exploit human misery, on this side of the House, we are going to work with every municipality to make sure that everyone has a roof over their heads.

Foreign Affairs

[Yvan Baker, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, recently, I spoke in the House about the growth of radical far-right movements. They have organized disinformation campaigns, have impacted how some people and politicians treat others and have led some politicians to act against the best interests of Canadians.

Our government has said that Canada will stand with the Ukrainian people until they win. Ukraine must win because its victory is essential to Canada's security.

There is a coordinated Russian campaign to spread disinformation, sow distress and encourage isolationism. Could the Minister of International Trade please share with us how Russian foreign interference is a threat to our support of Ukraine and to all Canadians?

[Mary Ng, Liberal, Minister of Export Promotion]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Etobicoke Centre for his steadfast support for Ukraine.

The Conservative leader's dismissal of Ukraine as a “faraway” land is shameful. The Conservatives' willingness to appease far-right disinformation, often fuelled by foreign actors like Russia, undermines democracy and Canadian values. Canadians deserve leadership that stands firmly against these dangerous influences.

While the Conservatives abandon Ukraine, on this side of the House, we will keep supporting Ukraine until it wins this war.

Innovation, Science and Industry

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

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the NDP-Liberals, taxes are up, costs are up, crime is up and now time is up.

At a time when Canadians are skipping meals and many are living paycheque to paycheque, the Liberals have siphoned $400 million of taxpayer money to contracts for their friends at the green slush fund. The Liberal-appointed board has racked up at least 186 conflicts of interest.

When will the government end the cover-up so the House can get back to helping Canadians deal with the cost of living crisis that it created?

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

Mr. Speaker, it is disappointing that after nine years, it is the same slogan, the same type of disinformation, the same type of false accusation. It is time to get real.

The Conservatives know very well that we acted in a timely way to dissolve that organization. The board has resigned, the CEO has resigned and the organization no longer exists. We made a solemn promise to Canadians to get to the bottom of this. That is what we did. The Conservatives should let the House do the important work, which is work for Canadians, instead of filibustering their own motion. It is shameful what they are doing.

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

Mr. Speaker, what is shameful is the cover-up. The Liberal government is still in contempt of Parliament by refusing to turn over the documents that could certainly reveal the depths of its corruption with the green slush fund. It has now paralyzed Parliament to hide its scandal. Meanwhile, Canadians are suffering through the unprecedented food, crime and housing crises that it created.

Will the government finally turn over the documents today and give Canadians the answers they deserve?

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

Mr. Speaker, what my hon. colleague is saying is false. The government has handed over thousands of documents, just done in a way that protects the charter rights of Canadians. What is true is that the Conservatives are filibustering their own motion because they do not want to respect the Speaker's ruling, which asks for this unprecedented motion to go to committee.

There is only one thing the Conservatives are afraid of: They do not want the House to get to work because they know that if there is another confidence motion, the Conservative leader will lose it.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the NDP-Liberal coalition, taxes, costs and crime are all up and now time is up.

After Liberal-appointed board members of SDTC were caught funnelling 400 million tax dollars to 186 of their companies, why will the NDP-Liberals not end the cover-up today by releasing the documents, as Parliament ordered and the Speaker agreed with, so there can be accountability for the obvious corruption and potential crimes that have taken place under the costly coalition?

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

Mr. Speaker, the truth is that the Speaker's ruling was to send this matter to committee for further study because it was unprecedented what the Conservatives were asking for. We agree with the Speaker's ruling. The Conservatives are obstructing their own obstruction because they do not want the truth to come out, which is that they are trying to abuse the extraordinary privileges they have in order to override the rights of Canadians.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the truth is that there is more proof these Liberals are not worth the cost, the crime and the corruption. Here are the facts: 186 conflicts of interest took place and 400 million tax dollars were funnelled to the companies of Liberal-appointed board members. The Speaker ruled that the evidence needs to be handed over unredacted, as Parliament has demanded.

Why are the NDP-Liberals not releasing the documents? What and who are they covering up for?

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

Mr. Speaker, it is typical for the Conservatives to omit the facts that are inconvenient to them. The fact of the matter is that we have provided thousands of pages of documents already; we are respecting the Speaker's ruling, which is to send this matter to committee for further study. I think all Canadians would appreciate and expect that the police follow due process. They expect that parliamentarians support their rights. They would expect that parliamentarians would not try to abuse their extraordinary powers to go after their own partisan vendettas and attack Canadians.

Public Safety

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as we speak, three vehicles have been set on fire in three days in Ahuntsic. The federal government needs to realize that Quebec has been plunged into another gang war.

This war is being waged by younger and younger gang members, who are practically child soldiers. It is a war that is taking innocent lives, like those of Léonor Geraudie and her seven-year-old daughter Vérane, who were collateral victims of arson in Old Montreal on October 5. Meanwhile, it has been radio silence in Ottawa.

What is the government waiting for? When will it crack down on criminal gangs?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, we are not waiting. We are taking action. We have added more RCMP members. While the Conservatives made cuts to border services, for example, we invested to crack down on criminal gangs.

I had some very positive discussions with Minister Bonnardel at our federal-provincial meetings last week. We agreed to continue to work together. I will continue to support him in his strategy to stop drones from dropping contraband goods onto prison grounds in Quebec, for example.

We are working hard together, and we will continue to do so.

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, that is not good enough. This gang war is affecting all of Quebec.

In Montreal, two people died in a fire allegedly linked to extortion. In Frampton, a 14‑year‑old died, apparently trying to take on the Hells Angels, no less. In Quebec City and eastern Quebec, it has been open war for months. As early as September 20, the Quebec City police were warning other police forces that this war could be worse than the one in the 1990s, and things have only gotten worse since.

Does this government understand how serious the situation is?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, we understand the need to ensure public safety in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada. That is exactly what we are doing every single day.

I am very heartened by the RCMP's work with its partners in Quebec, including the Sûreté du Québec, the Montreal police and the Quebec City police. RCMP Commissioner Duheme often talks to me about joint task forces, particularly to address the challenges of criminal gangs.

We will continue to do our job. Frankly, the Bloc Québécois should support the government in this important process.

Finance

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in another conflict of interest involving the Liberal government's de facto finance minister, we have found out that he has been caught using his access to lobby governments to benefit himself and his company. It is carbon tax Carney's heat pump hustle. He is claiming it is green policy, but his only policy is to line his pockets with green, and the Prime Minister is shielding him from Canada's conflict of interest laws and lobbying regulations.

After nine years under the NDP-Liberals, taxes are up, costs are up, crime is up and time is up. Will they just have carbon tax Carney testify at committee?

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

Mr. Speaker, again, when there are Canadians who oppose their policies, all the Conservatives know how to do is attack them. Instead of respecting people and their differences of opinions, the Conservatives go after them personally. That is not how leaders in this country should act.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member opposite that Canadians take it personally when, every time the Liberals given the opportunity, they do not help out Canadians but instead help out well-connected Liberal insiders, such as Mark Carney with his heat pump hustle. He is carbon tax Carney or conflict of interest Carney. It is stacking up in such a way that we cannot even keep track of all the scandals involving the de facto finance minister since the Prime Minister lost confidence in the finance minister. Now Canadians want answers about the access that carbon tax Carney has been given and all the Canadian tax dollars he is lining his pockets with.

Will the Liberals just instruct the de facto finance minister to testify at committee?

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

Mr. Speaker, again, there the Conservatives go attacking private citizens. It just goes to show that anytime a Canadian citizen beats up against them, what do they do? They go on the personal attack.

I have a question for the Conservative leader. Why will he not get his security clearance? It is a question Canadians across this country are asking because they want to know what and whom he is trying to protect.

Financial Institutions

[Ryan Williams, Conservative, Bay of Quinte, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the government, taxes are up, costs are up, time is up and credit card fees are up. The government announced that it lowered credit card fees, but this announcement flopped like a soggy pancake. Stripe, where Liberal leadership candidate Mark Carney sits on the board, said savings will not be passed on to consumers because of “other rising costs”. Even Liberal insiders tied to oligopolies know the government's announcements fall flat.

When will the government learn? It is not Carney that Canadians need, but competition, as well as a Prime Minister who will flip real results for Canadians and their families?

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

Mr. Speaker, the question on Canadians' minds this week is why the Leader of the Opposition will not get his security clearance. Every Canadian is wondering what he is trying to hide and what he is trying to protect. It is an easy thing to do. All the other leaders in this place have done it.

Why will the Leader of the Opposition not get his security clearance?