Debates of Nov. 4th, 2024

Health

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, health care should be public, universal and available for all. Most of all, we are making sure that the patient does not pay. In our country, we ensure that, when people come in for care, they are taken care of on the basis of their need, not the size of their bank account. That is what distinguishes us from so many countries in the world. That is a principle that we stand up proudly for.

I would suggest to the leader of the NDP that we have worked well together on things from pharmacare to dental care. There are many different challenges the provinces are presenting to health care right now, and certainly the party opposite, the Conservatives, would seek to ravage our health care system. Let us work together to make sure we protect it.

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are letting people get charged to get to the front of the line, which should be illegal.

In Quebec, the private sector is playing an increasingly greater role in health care. The Collège des médecins du Québec is asking for an immediate halt to any further private sector expansion into medical care. Studies clearly show that for-profit clinics increase wait times. The Prime Minister, however, calls that innovation.

Why is the Prime Minister allowing American-style companies to profit from the pain of Canadians?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, our government's priority is to ensure that our health care system is universal, public, and accessible to all Canadians. That is unequivocal. We have made significant strides in oral health care and pharmacare. I think that a lot more work remains to be done.

In contrast, the Conservative Party wants to drastically cut health care funding. That is absolutely unacceptable.

Housing

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the NDP-Liberals, almost 50% of young Canadians believe they will never own a home.

This Liberal housing accelerator is an absolute joke. Common-sense Conservatives have a plan. We would axe the GST on new home builds. On an $800,000 house, this would save $40,000. The Conservative leader has now written to the premier of every province asking them to match this tax cut.

When will the NDP-Liberals finally get it through their heads that they are funding bureaucracies and axe the tax on new builds so young people can buy a house?

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing]

Mr. Speaker, the member said that the the housing accelerator fund is a joke. Has he consulted with his caucus? A dozen, probably more, Conservative members have advocated specifically for that program. They went behind the back of the Leader of the Opposition because they wanted to advocate for their constituents to see more homes built.

By calling for the end of the housing accelerator fund, which is how the Conservatives would pay for this so-called new, bold idea, they would end support to communities for homelessness, and they would end support for more building for middle-class Canadians. It is an unacceptable, untenable position.

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Liberal housing adviser Mike P. Moffatt has asked, about the Liberal housing accelerator, if anyone in the federal government could tell him why Toronto deserves $471 million in housing accelerator funds to massively hike development taxes. Housing starts in Toronto are down 20%. Even Liberal advisers know that the housing accelerator is a joke.

Will the NDP-Liberals finally realize that they are funding bureaucracies, tripling development charges and not getting any houses built for young Canadians?

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing]

Mr. Speaker, the member talks about young Canadians and about homebuilding in Canada. However, the Conservatives have six homes to point to from when they were in office. That is the sum total of their work when they were in office, when the Leader of the Opposition held the so-called role of minister of housing. He was not a minister at all. In fact, if we look at the 190,000 number that they talk about from their time in office, that was home builders who did that. It was not them. They know nothing about getting homes built. They only know about cuts. They would make cuts to communities. It is not an acceptable position.

[Scott Aitchison, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of this NDP-Liberal government, we know it is not worth the cost of housing. In fact, its record is so bad that 80% of young Canadians believe that home ownership is only for the very rich.

Conservatives would axe the federal sales tax on new homes sold for under a million dollars, which would save Canadians up to $50,000, or $2,200 a year, in mortgage payments. The Conservative leader has written premiers asking them to match our Conservative plan to axe the tax on housing to save Canadians thousands more. This would mean real relief for young Canadians who are desperately trying to buy a home.

Will the NDP-Liberals axe the tax on housing so that young Canadians can finally buy a home?

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing]

Mr. Speaker, I worked with the hon. member on the House of Commons committee that is responsible for housing. He almost always brings up good points, except today there is a credibility issue at stake.

When the member was mayor of Huntsville, prior to becoming a member of Parliament, he increased development charges, which we agree are an impediment to homebuilding and a tax on homebuilding. How much did he increase development charges? It was not by 2% or 3%, but by 16%.

The Conservatives cannot speak about these issues. They have no credibility on the matter.

[Scott Aitchison, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

Mr. Speaker, when I was on council, we actually cut development charges by 50%. I also knew, as a mayor, that if we get bureaucracy out of the way, we get more homes built. These guys do not understand that. All they are doing is funding the bureaucracy. Since the minister has given billions of dollars to cities all across this country, they have raised development charges and housing starts have dropped. Our common-sense plan would save Canadians up to $50,000 on a new home. This is real relief for Canadians.

Why can they not get on board and axe the tax on new homes?

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing]

Mr. Speaker, like former Conservatives, people like Joe Clark, for example, I recognize that Canada is a community of communities. As an urban-based MP, I want to assure the hon. member opposite that I read the Huntsville Doppler, the newspaper of record in his community. He increased development charges by 16%. It was reported time and again in that newspaper. They want to cut support for communities. They want to cut support for housing. Do not be fooled.

The Leader of the Opposition ditched his glasses. It is the same guy who wants to cut pensions, support for housing, support for young people and support for EI. They are not serious.

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years, the “Liberal Bloc” has discouraged young people from owning their home. It doubled rent, mortgage payments and down payments. As we speak, 80% of Canadians say that home ownership is reserved for the rich. Our leader made a common-sense proposal to eliminate the GST from new homes and this idea has the support of the Corporation des propriétaires immobiliers du Québec.

My question is very simple. Will the Liberals, supported by the Bloc Québécois, cut the federal tax on housing or will they continue to fund their programs that are not building any houses?

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

Mr. Speaker, my colleague's proposal is ill-conceived. Not only would it not help increase the supply of housing, but it would also be done at the expense of the most vulnerable. The Conservatives' hidden intentions are very clear now. They want to help those who want to buy a home, but cut the help to those who are in need.

I have a question for my colleague. How does she explain to people in her riding that she is going to abolish affordable housing and jeopardize the rentals that people need?

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister can ask questions when she is in opposition. The Conservative leader's proposal to eliminate the GST on homes valued at less than $1 million is giving young people hope that they will be able to buy a home and perhaps even start a family. With this program to eliminate the GST, some 30,000 new homes could be built. For a house worth $800,000, for example, the savings would amount to $40,000.

What will it take for the Liberal-Bloc government to show some compassion and common sense and implement our proposal?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Speaker, I want to make three points. The first, which my colleague knows, is that the Conservative leader built a total of six affordable housing units across the country during his entire term in office. The second point is that, a week ago, the Conservative leader announced that he would cancel a $900-million agreement with the Quebec government that is about to launch the construction of 8,000 affordable housing units. My third point is that she need only look at her own riding, where the Mission Unitaînés project will build 100 affordable housing units for seniors on Guillaume-Couture Boulevard. That project is being funded by the program that her Conservative leader wants to cut.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Quebec continues to take in more than its fair share of asylum seekers, yet there is still no plan to distribute the numbers more equally among the provinces. This is a serious matter, especially as migration could skyrocket again with tomorrow's U.S. election. Donald Trump has announced that, if he wins, he will launch the biggest deportation program in American history. He wants to deport 18 million people.

We asked the minister the other day if he has a plan in case Trump's promises drive people to come to Canada. He told us he does. That is good news. Now, can he explain his plan?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is well aware that, over the past few months, we have reduced the percentage of asylum seekers arriving at Montréal-Trudeau airport, which now stands at 29%. He knows very well that we have made a lot of progress working with Quebec. As for the plan to have a well-managed border with the United States, that will continue to happen, no matter who wins the presidency tomorrow. What is more, it would be very unwise to talk about it 24 hours before the election.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, governing is all about planning ahead. At every single opportunity, the immigration department has proven itself incapable of planning ahead. We will keep asking the minister for details about his plan because without details, we have no good reason to believe that a plan exists.

If Donald Trump wins tomorrow, he has promised to deport 18 million people. Our agencies tell us that they are concerned about a wave of immigration at a time when Canada is already incapable of managing the existing influx of asylum seekers.

What is the plan if Donald Trump wins?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, there is a plan, but the member is not going to find out what it is 24 hours ahead the election. He knows that. It would be extremely reckless to unveil such a plan on the floor of the House of Commons.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if he does not want to answer questions, he does not have to attend question period.

The last time Donald Trump threatened to deport people, many headed for Canada. That led to the problems at Roxham Road, the consequences of which are still being felt today. Roxham Road became a problem because the federal government did not have a plan. The Prime Minister literally extended an invitation to a wave of asylum seekers without making any preparations to welcome them. It took him years to respond.

Today, Donald Trump is setting the stage for an even bigger wave than what we saw at Roxham Road. No one wants to go through that whole scenario again.

What is the plan?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, the plan is to not be afraid of our own shadow, as the Bloc Québécois always seems to be.

We have a plan. We are working on it, no matter who the president turns out to be tomorrow morning, but we are not going to reveal it on the floor of the House of Commons 24 hours before the election. We will respect what happens tomorrow.

We can discuss it with the Bloc Québécois after the election.

Housing

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of these NDP-Liberals, they are not worth the cost of housing. Fifty per cent of young Canadians have abandoned the dream of buying a home one day. Rent, mortgage and down payment costs have all doubled. Common-sense Conservatives will axe the federal sales tax on new homes sold. On an $800,000 house, this will save homebuyers $40,000 or $2,200 a year in mortgage payments. Our plan means more housing for young Canadians desperately trying to enter the housing market for the first time.

Will the NDP-Liberals axe the GST on housing for more young Canadians so they can finally buy a home?

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing]

Mr. Speaker, as we have seen, the Conservatives continue to say they will make cuts to pay for their proposals, including this so-called GST initiative. What will that mean? It means the accelerator fund will come to an end. The member is from Kelowna. A few weeks ago, I met with Kelowna's mayor, Mayor Tom Dyas, who shared with me that federal funding secured through the housing accelerator fund has led to a digital permit system that has improved approvals that would have taken, even a year ago, a year and a half-plus to approve. That approval permit process now is less than 10 days.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, even the Liberal housing adviser, Mike P. Moffatt, on the failed Liberal housing plan said, “the federal Liberals have lost the plot”. Habitat for Humanity said reducing GST would reduce costs. Canadian Home Builders Association said it “will make a big difference”. Canadian Real Estate Association said, “This proposed step is a positive move toward lowering building costs, increasing housing supply, and making homeownership more attainable for Canadians.”

Will the NDP-Liberals axe the GST on housing so more young Canadians can finally buy a home?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the simple answer is the Conservative policy on housing is a dud. That is the bottom line.

Let me speak about an issue Canadians are truly concerned about. We have the leader of the Conservative Party who continues to refuse to get a security clearance. I believe Canadians have a right to know why it is the Conservative leader refuses to get it. What is he hiding? Is there something about his past Canadians should know about? It is time the leader step up and be honest with Canadians.