House of Commons Hansard #366 of the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was documents.
The Speaker Liberal Greg Fergus
I will ask the hon. member for Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo and the member for Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame to please not take the floor unless they are recognized by the Speaker. I thank the hon. members.
The hon. member for Battlefords—Lloydminster has the floor.
Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Mr. Speaker, the wannabe minister is desperately clinging to the $8-billion failed Liberal housing photo op program that has built zero houses.
The Conservatives have proposed “the most significant housing policy commitment made in the past two decades.” Those are not my words. That is what the West End Home Builders Association has said. The Canadian Real Estate Association called it a positive step toward making home ownership more attainable for Canadians.
Will the NDP-Liberals listen to the experts and axe the federal sales tax on housing?
Peter Fragiskatos LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing
Mr. Speaker, it is a difficult subject for the Conservatives, obviously. The MP for Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, the MP for Simcoe North, the MP for Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola and the best friend of the Conservative leader, the MP for St. Albert—Edmonton, went behind the back of the Conservative leader to advocate for the accelerator fund, which is going to lead to more homebuilding. In the House of Commons and on social media, they parrot their leader's talking points, but they do not believe in those talking points, evidently, because they are advocating for good government programs that are going to get more homes built for Canadians.
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC
Mr. Speaker, after nine years, the two leaders of the “Liberal Bloc” are not worth the cost of housing. Common-sense Conservatives will eliminate the federal sales tax on new homes sold.
On an $800,000 home, which cost $400,000 back when our leader was the minister responsible for housing, this tax cut will save buyers $40,000, or $2,200 a year in mortgage payments.
When will the two leaders of the “Liberal Bloc” abolish the federal tax on housing? Will they instead continue to fund their photo op programs?
Soraya Martinez Ferrada LiberalMinister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
Mr. Speaker, I would like to share a mathematical concept with my colleague. I have already given this answer in the House.
In mathematics, six housing units is less than 8,000 housing units. That is exactly what the Conservative leader's irresponsible proposal is jeopardizing: 8,000 social and affordable housing units in Quebec. It is up to him to tell Quebeckers why he wants to do this.
The Speaker Liberal Greg Fergus
I would ask all members who wish to talk amongst themselves, including ministers and party leaders, to do so outside the House.
The hon. member for Lévis—Lotbinière.
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have failed spectacularly on housing. The two leaders of the “Liberal Bloc” have doubled the cost of housing, mortgages and down payments.
Because the Liberals have done such a poor job, the common-sense Conservatives will cut $8 billion from the Liberals' failed and ineffective housing program. When our Conservative leader was the minister responsible for housing, he built 195,000 new homes, and we have proof.
Why are the two “Liberal Bloc” leaders so incompetent when it comes to housing?
Soraya Martinez Ferrada LiberalMinister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
Mr. Speaker, I would like my esteemed colleague to tell his constituents about his plans to cut the 80 housing units announced for his riding through the housing accelerator fund.
Furthermore, his constituents want to know why the Conservative leader does not want to get his security clearance and protect the democratic integrity of his own party.
Louise Chabot Bloc Thérèse-De Blainville, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals promised comprehensive EI reform in 2015, in 2019, and in 2021. Then they promised that it would happen by the summer of 2022 at the latest, and after that, they swore it would be done by Christmas 2022. Nine years and four ministers later, the Liberals have done nothing. EI is still leaving six out of 10 workers to fend for themselves.
That is why the Bloc Québécois introduced an EI reform bill that will correct these inequities. Will the Liberals support it?
Randy Boissonnault LiberalMinister of Employment
Mr. Speaker, I have tremendous respect for my Bloc Québécois colleague.
Modernizing the EI system is a priority for our government. We have made very significant changes. We extended sick benefits to 26 weeks. We provided an additional five weeks to seasonal workers. We also added important benefits for adoptive parents.
We will continue to modernize the EI system for all Canadians from coast to coast to coast.
Louise Chabot Bloc Thérèse-De Blainville, QC
Mr. Speaker, with Bill C‑418, the Bloc Québécois is taking action where the Liberals have failed since 2015.
We are proposing a single eligibility criterion of 420 hours or 12 weeks of 14 hours, enhancing benefits from 50% to 60%, increasing the minimum entitlement period to 35 weeks, increasing the special EI sickness benefits to 50 weeks, and the list goes on. In short, we are proposing real reform.
Will the Liberals support it?
Randy Boissonnault LiberalMinister of Employment
Mr. Speaker, a bunch of people want to support our efforts to continue modernizing the employment insurance system. We heard that loud and clear during our summit on workforce development in the 21st century.
I understand that the Bloc Québécois wants to advance things here in the House, but will it distance itself from its Conservative friends and support us, so that we can resume the very important work of the House of Commons? That is the question of the day.
Shelby Kramp-Neuman Conservative Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON
Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the NDP-Liberals, they are not worth the cost of housing, and the majority of young Canadians are pointing to the government's failure to manage the economy as the reason their dreams of home ownership have been dashed.
The Conservatives have a plan. Scrapping the GST on new home sales would save young Canadians tens of thousands of dollars on new homes. The Conservative leader has already written the premiers asking them to match his pledge provincially.
Will the NDP-Liberals axe the federal GST on housing so more young Canadians can afford a home?
Peter Fragiskatos LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing
Mr. Speaker, I have answered the matter already. On the issue of housing, the member ought to look one seat ahead of her to the MP for Peterborough—Kawartha.
Earlier today, there was a two-hour filibuster in the House of Commons committee responsible for housing, where we could have actually talked about housing, but we had to listen to the Conservatives filibuster for two hours because they were trying to defend their colleague, who only a few days ago said that homelessness, homeless people and poverty inevitably lead to crime. They made a natural connection between the two, blaming the poor for crime in Canada.
That is unacceptable. We have got to deal with stigma.
Shelby Kramp-Neuman Conservative Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON
Mr. Speaker, let me be clear and call out the facts on the failures of the Liberals.
The Liberals' own housing adviser said it was hard to deny that the housing accelerator fund is turning out to be nothing more than a heist of tax dollars flowing from the feds to the municipalities. In contrast, the Conservative plan would apply to every single new home build, regardless if it were in downtown Toronto or Bancroft. The Conservative plan would take power from the pens of bureaucrats and give it to the hammers of builders.
Will the government endorse the Conservative plan to scrap the GST on housing? Yes or no.
Peter Fragiskatos LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing
Mr. Speaker, we have more empty slogans from the Conservative side. What is not empty and what is real is the example of the Conservative leader, who only months ago went down to encampments and filmed people in their most vulnerable states, who before that visited a home of a working-class person, a server, and called it a shack.
Is it any surprise the MP for Peterborough looks at poverty as something that is caused by those on the street, that points to the poor and makes them responsible for issues of criminality? We have to deal with stigma if we are going to deal with the homelessness crisis. They are not serious.
Frank Caputo Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC
Mr. Speaker, there was chaos, yelling, screaming, running for cover, and no, I am not talking about the last Liberal caucus meeting. I am talking about a police chase that happened in downtown Toronto. It looked like the scene from a movie. Police were chasing two people who were reportedly on bail. Rather than take accountability, the minister's response is to blame other people, blame the provinces.
When will the Prime Minister and the justice minister stand in their place and take accountability for their failed catch-and-release policy?
Bill Blair LiberalMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about accountability. There are currently 700 fewer police officers working in the city of Toronto today than when I was the police chief only nine years ago. There has been a 23% reduction in police per population in Toronto over those nine years.
How did that happen? Two consecutive Conservative mayors, under the unwatchful eye of a Conservative premier, allowed a hiring freeze and those cuts to take place. If they want to look for accountability, they need to look in the mirror.
Mona Fortier Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
Mr. Speaker, over the course of the First and Second World Wars, more than 300,000 Canadians in uniform left Halifax bound for Europe. Canada has hundreds of thousands of veterans, each with their own story. Every year, Veterans' Week is an opportunity for us, as Canadians, to reaffirm that we have the right and the duty to reflect on the sacrifices of all those who served and continue to serve.
Would the Minister of Veterans Affairs please tell the House what the Veterans' Week theme is this year?
Ginette Petitpas Taylor LiberalMinister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from Ottawa—Vanier for her important question and her hard work with veterans and their families.
This year, the Veterans' Week theme is “Canadian Armed Forces Around the World”. The theme reflects Canada's long-standing role in promoting defence and peace and in security around the world.
I encourage all Canadians across the country to attend a Legion this week to thank a veteran and also to make sure they take part in a commemorative service in their community.
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' $9-million cover-up of their luxury condo purchase in New York City is now unravelling. Newly uncovered government documents show the Prime Minister's media pal Tom Clark lied before a parliamentary committee. He had previously said he did not weigh in on the purchase, but we now know that he in fact said it required urgent replacement.
After nine years of these NDP-Liberals, they are not worth the cost, the corruption or the lies from their insiders. Will the Prime Minister fire his buddy, Tom Clark, for lying to Canadians?
Mélanie Joly LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I just went to the OGGO committee, and I answered all the members' questions for an hour. We have been talking about this issue.
First and foremost, we have had good value for money in this transaction as $7 million will be refunded. Second, all the processes were, of course, followed. Finally, we will not fall into the character assassination he is doing about an important consul. Not only that, but at the time of the U.S. election today, when all Canadians are looking south to see what is going to happen, we need to invest in the American-Canadian relationship, and that is exactly what we are doing.
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Mr. Speaker, these economic vandals bought a $9-million condo in Manhattan for the Prime Minister's buddy, and they are subsidizing his rent to the tune of $40,000 per month after doubling rents for Canadians, doubling mortgages, and presiding over a country for nine years that has homeless encampments springing up under bridges in communities from coast to coast to coast. If that is not bad enough, Canadians are lined up at food banks in record numbers as 25% of Canadians do not know where their next meal is coming from.
If they will not fire Clark for lying, will they fire him for blowing $9 million?
Mélanie Joly LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, apparently Mr. Clark was good enough for the Conservatives when he was moderating their leadership race, but that is another issue.
What I want to say today is, as Canadians are looking down south to see what is going on and to take note of the will of the American people, we will be investing in the relationship between Canada and the U.S., contrary to what the Conservatives want to do. Of course, we will not take their recommendation of having an official residence outside of Manhattan. Why is that? It is because only two countries in the world do so: Bangladesh and Afghanistan.