House of Commons Hansard #367 of the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was documents.
Liberal
The Speaker Liberal Greg Fergus
It being Wednesday, we will now have the singing of the national anthem led by the hon. member for Sarnia—Lambton.
[Members sang the national anthem]
Toronto East Seventh-day Adventist ChurchStatements by Members
November 6th, 2024 / 2:05 p.m.
Liberal
Shaun Chen Liberal Scarborough North, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the amazing 100th anniversary of the Toronto East Seventh-day Adventist Church. One of the oldest congregations in Ontario, Toronto East began as a small group gathering in a modest worship hall on Danforth Avenue. As the church grew, it moved several times to larger spaces, but it always stayed within Toronto's east end and is currently in my riding of Scarborough North.
Toronto East remains a beacon of faith, service and community, a fellowship filled with smiling faces, soulful music and spirited worship. I send my congratulations to pastors Selburn Fray and Nicholas Patrick and elders Enos Stewart and Jean Lazarus, as well as the wider congregation, on this century milestone. May Toronto East continue to inspire faith, love and hope for many more generations to come.
Blaine Calkins Conservative Red Deer—Lacombe, AB
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Robert Sopuck, a former member of Parliament for Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, but more importantly, my friend and mentor.
I had already been here four years when Bob showed up. He caught my attention immediately with his keen interest in all matters of hunting, fishing, trapping and the outdoor way of life, and we became fast friends. It was not long before we were organizing the Conservative hunting and angling caucus, wild fish and game potluck meals, and fishing on the Ottawa River on June evenings.
Bob was a fighter. He vigorously defended hunting, farming, ranching and common-sense conservation. He pushed for the recreational fisheries conservation partnerships program, which has left a lasting legacy of fisheries enhancement across Canada. He fought for us, so much so that he was named 2017 International Legislator of the Year by Safari Club International, just one of his many accolades.
I will miss Bob. I will miss the daily text messages, phone calls, emails and words of encouragement. I am sad that the trips we had planned will be left unfinished, but I will revel in the memories of the ones we took.
I hope there is a trout stream where Bob is now and that his fly rod is flexing from the tug of a beauty. I say to him, rest easy, partner.
Leah Taylor Roy Liberal Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise as the elected representative of the people of Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill.
This weekend, once again, I saw the great work being done within my riding by community organizations and individuals. I had the pleasure of participating in Yellow Brick House's 2024 Break the Silence, Step In My Shoes Walk. Together, we raised an incredible $77,000 to support women and children fleeing domestic violence. The vital funding will provide shelter and life-saving services to those in need. I give a special thank you to Lorris Herenda, the president and CEO of the organization. As we recognize November as Woman Abuse Prevention Month, I encourage everyone to continue supporting organizations such as Yellow Brick House.
On a different front, there was the retirement of a wonderful firefighter, Brad Humfryes. After decades of courageous service to our community, he has retired. His bravery and selfless commitment to our community has made a lasting mark. He and his wife, Sandra, have provided so much to our community in other ways. We wish him a well-deserved and fulfilling retirement.
Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
Mr. Speaker, today, we are saddened to learn of the passing of rocker-poet Lucien Francœur at the age of 76.
A passionate bearer of Quebec idiom and the first local poet to explore rap with Rap-à-Billy, Lucien Francœur was a leader in Quebec counter-culture in the 1970s and 1980s. He and his band, Aut'Chose, released three defining albums: Prends une chance avec moé, Une nuit comme une autre and Le cauchemar américain.
On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I want to express my deepest condolences to his family and friends, and to all those who were inspired by this visionary rebel.
I will certainly raise a glass to my dear friend Lucien on Bernard Avenue in Montreal, where we have had the pleasure of sharing a drink, or at Zaricot in Saint‑Hyacinthe, the last place I saw him in concert in 2020. Rock was in his blood, in his heart and in his mind. Goodbye, Lulu.
Peter Schiefke Liberal Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the invaluable work and achievements of the Montérégie West Community Network and to congratulate it and its team as they celebrate 25 years. Founded in 1999 as the Chateauguay Focus Group and changed to MWCN in 2016, the organization has been steadfast in organizing and supporting services to the anglophone community in Quebec.
Whether it is bringing people together over coffee or dinner, celebrating the next generation of anglophone youth through awards and scholarships, mounting important educational campaigns, or being a strong voice when it is needed most, for a quarter century, its dedication and commitment have enriched Vaudreuil—Soulanges and the entire Montérégie region.
To Pauline, Matt, Tonya, Patricia, Joanne, Elizabeth, Lorie, Clement, Bryanna, Alexa, Kim, Nora, Tina and, of course, Nadya, I send my thanks for all they do, and I congratulate the Montérégie West Community Network on 25 years of exceptional service. Here is to the next 25 years to come.
Philip Lawrence Conservative Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON
Mr. Speaker, I want to take a moment to recognize the Otonabee-South Monaghan Food Cupboard. The Food Cupboard is a small rural food bank in my riding that has seen demand increase exponentially. It had a record number of visitors in February and September of this year, and almost half of the families visiting the food bank have young children. The Food Cupboard has gone from being a helping hand to an absolute necessity for too many families in my riding.
I want to express my thanks to the Food Cupboard and make a promise to them, and all food banks across Canada, that a common-sense Conservative government would axe the carbon tax, which would lower the cost of food and dramatically reduce the number of Canadians experiencing food insecurity.
It is time for Canadians to emerge from nine years of economic malaise by voting for a Conservative government that would turn their hurt into hope and restore the promise of Canada.
Anna Gainey Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC
Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honour John Little, a pioneer of Canadian urban painting who passed away on October 28 at the age of 96.
For over 65 years, Mr. Little captured and chronicled Montreal's neighbourhoods, from Westmount to Little Burgundy and the Plateau to Mile End. His work celebrates the streetscapes and life of the city's core.
Mr. Little's gentle spirit and sense of humour endeared him to many. He was a passionate advocate for preserving Montreal's heritage, famously stating, “If we knock down all our old buildings..., we’ll become a people without a past.” His significant body of work on canvas serves as a reminder of the stories within our streets during a time of great change.
Mr. Little's legacy will inspire generations to come. His artistic genius and dedication to the soul of our city have left an indelible and unique mark on our country. May he rest in peace.
Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB
Mr. Speaker, the leader of the Conservative Party has an idea. His idea is to cut social housing programs, and one of the best examples I can cite is the housing accelerator plan.
Many Conservatives know about that plan because many of them have been advocating for it, saying that it is a good plan. However, the leader of the Conservative-Reform party has made the decision that it is not good for Canadians. How unfortunate that is. He is putting at risk about half a million homes, which is serious stuff, and the type of leadership we are getting from the Conservative right today. It is all about cuts. He does not care about what is happening in our communities. When housing is a concern, where are the Conservatives? They are cutting away, to the disservice of all Canadians.
Anna Roberts Conservative King—Vaughan, ON
Mr. Speaker, after nine years, the NDP-Liberal government is not worth the cost of housing. Young Canadians say that the current economic environment is impeding their ability to purchase homes. Our common-sense Conservative plan to axe the tax on new homes sold is being praised by Canadians from coast to coast to coast.
BILD GTA said that it applauds the Federal Conservative announcement: “This is a significant step forward in helping housing affordability.” Habitat for Humanity said that eliminating the GST would reduce costs. Tim Richter, founder and CEO of Canadian Alliance to End Homeless, stated, “This is smart.” The 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.”
Our tax cut would spark 30,000 extra homes being built every year. Only common-sense Conservatives will bring home the Canada promise.
Lisa Hepfner Liberal Hamilton Mountain, ON
Mr. Speaker, our government will always stand up for a woman's right to choose what happens to her body, which is why we have introduced new legislation to ensure that, when a woman seeks reproductive care, she is not unwittingly walking into a clinic that tries to dissuade her from options like abortion.
According to the Abortion Rights Coalition, about 157 so-called pregnancy crisis centres in Canada are actually fronts for the anti-choice movement where, women tell us, they are deceived and made to feel more shame and extra distress at pivotally difficult times in their lives. More than 90% of these anti-choice centres have enjoyed status in Canada as registered charities. Now, they must clearly and fulsomely explain to clients what services they offer or they will lose their charitable status.
Also, according to the Abortion Rights Coalition, there are no pro-choice MPs in the Conservative Party. We know one member left to sit as an independent due to the growing anti-choice caucus. When will the Conservatives stop hiding their misogynistic agenda?
John Brassard Conservative Barrie—Innisfil, ON
Mr. Speaker, there is only one person keeping the Prime Minister in power and it is the leader of the NDP. Do members remember the stunt the NDP leader pulled just before the by-election in Elmwood—Transcona when he claimed he had ripped up his coalition deal with the Liberals? Well, it was just a stunt designed to deceive voters there. He said, “the Liberals are too weak, too selfish and too beholden to corporate interests to fight for people.” Many agreed, but actions speak louder than words.
The NDP leader is the weak one because he still backs the Liberals and their costly, destructive policies. He has voted for the costly Liberal carbon tax over 24 times, pushing more than two million Canadians to food banks every month. He has voted for Liberal inflationary spending, backing waste like the Prime Minister's arrive scam. He supports hard drug legalization and soft-on-crime policies that led to a 50% increase in violent crime. He has sold out Canadians by supporting the Liberals, while supercharging crime, chaos, death and destruction in our communities.
Every day the Prime Minister remains in power is because of the NDP leader. We need a carbon tax election now.
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC
Mr. Speaker, this week, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change proved himself to be the champion of consensus. Both environmental groups and Canada's energy industry have attacked his Liberal plan to cap Canadian energy production.
He was a champion of consensus thanks to his bad decision, and now he has a duty and obligation to be the champion of transparency in the SDTC scandal. After all, that is exactly why the House is currently paralyzed. The minister still holds assets in funds managed by Cycle Capital, which is literally at the heart of this scandal. Cycle Capital, headed by a former green fund board member, has received over $10 million in public money.
We have been raising this issue for weeks in committee. Now, in response to valid questions from the Journal de Montréal, the minister's office has refused to give details of his holdings. Let us not forget that the Auditor General of Canada concluded that this green fund has paid out nearly $400 million over the past five years while disregarding ethical rules.
The minister needs to shed light on this issue.
Kody Blois Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to proudly recognize and celebrate the contribution of the Harvie family from Hants County, Nova Scotia, specifically eight brothers who served Canada during World War II. Marven, Burrell, Edmund, Victor, Garnet, Ernest, Ervin and Avard Harvie all answered the call of duty to fight for democracy and freedom. Marven and Burrell made the ultimate sacrifice and were killed in action during the campaign in Europe. It is believed the Harvie brothers represent the most siblings from one family to serve in combat during World War II from North America or anywhere in the British Commonwealth.
I want to sincerely thank the Hants North Legion, notably Jeff Thurber and others who have worked so hard to dedicate a permanent, beautiful monument to recognize the Harvie brothers and other veterans who have served Canada across the Hants North community.
The Harvie brothers represent the epitome of sacrifice. To their family and to all those who have served and continue to serve with the Canadian Armed Forces, we as a country are forever grateful.
Niki Ashton NDP Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB
Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of the work of the United Nations. Canada helped build the UN. After the horrors of World War II, we were leaders in terms of peacekeeping and leaders in supporting peace and human rights through multilateralism. In recent months, we have seen an unprecedented attack on the UN by Israel's far-right government. It has killed UN workers in Gaza, pushed to defund and then ban UNRWA, bombed 70% of UNRWA locations in Gaza, shot at UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, banned the UN Secretary-General and attacked the UN special rapporteur on Palestine.
Where is Canada to defend the UN and stand up to Israel's far-right government waging genocide? Canada is part of the problem. We must never forget the lessons of history. Canada and Canadians can and must be a voice in support of the UN and multilateralism, and take concrete action to stop genocide and stand up for peace now.
Mario Simard Bloc Jonquière, QC
Mr. Speaker, since July 2023, we have been calling on the government to take responsibility for water contaminated by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, from CFB Bagotville.
Water treatment costs have skyrocketed, and Saguenay will have to spend $7 million a year to provide residents of La Baie with drinking water until a permanent solution can be found. Quick action is imperative before these expenses turn into taxes for Saguenay residents. Municipal taxes should be used to fund city services, not to fix the federal government's mistakes. Unfortunately, the costly Conservative-Liberal coalition seems unwilling to accept its responsibility. As their reign draws to a close, the Liberals would rather drag things out and then pass the buck to the next government. The Conservative member for Chicoutimi—Le Fjord is afraid to make commitments. He is so strangely silent on this issue that residents of La Baie are thinking of putting his picture on a milk carton to track him down.
Hope, however, is on the horizon: A responsible Bloc Québécois member is going to be elected in the riding of Chicoutimi—Le Fjord.
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
Mr. Speaker, while two million Canadians visit food banks every month, the radical Liberal environment minister continues to benefit from the Liberal green slush fund, where Liberal insiders funnelled $400 million to their own companies. The Journal de Montréal reports that Cycle Capital companies received $275 million from Canadian taxpayers while their founder sat on the slush fund board.
The radical Liberal environment minister was Cycle Capital's lobbyist prior to running for office, lobbying the Liberal government 47 times, including many meetings with the Prime Minister's friend Gerry Butts. The radical environment minister disclosed that he continues to hold a financial interest in Cycle Capital while sitting in cabinet. It pays well to be a friend of the Prime Minister.
While the radical Liberal environment minister is padding his pockets as Cycle Capital vacuums up taxpayer money, Canadians can no longer afford to heat, feed and house themselves. Is the minister's financial gain the reason the NDP-Liberals will not turn over the uncensored documents to the RCMP?
Viviane LaPointe Liberal Sudbury, ON
Mr. Speaker, last week, the Conservative leader announced that he plans to cut housing projects across the country. He is proposing reckless cuts that will have a devastating impact on the progress Canada has made on housing. Even his own MPs are going behind his back to advocate for funding for their communities.
Let us be clear about what is at stake here. The Conservatives' reckless cuts to housing could put as many as 750,000 homes at risk over the next decade. Canadians cannot afford reckless Conservative cuts to housing. Conservative members need to stand up for their communities. Obviously, we need to build more homes, not fewer.
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, while Prime Minister Harper managed to get the buy America policies lifted, the Prime Minister capitulated and allowed Donald Trump to reimpose them. While Mr. Harper managed to get rid of softwood lumber tariffs, the Prime Minister again capitulated to Donald Trump, who reimposed them.
Will the Prime Minister call an election so that Canadians can elect a leader who will stand up for our jobs and bring our companies home?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, the Conservative leader is talking nonsense. We stood up for supply management. We stood up for our aluminum and steel workers. We stood up for NAFTA by improving it for people on both sides of the border.
What is more, we know full well that the Americans are concerned about national security and defence. It is that Conservative Party and that Conservative leader who sat at the cabinet table and lowered defence spending to less than 1% of the GDP. He still refuses to take national security seriously and refuses to get security clearance and protect Canadians.
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, The New York Times reported a decade ago that Canada had the richest middle class in the world and that median incomes for Canadians were higher than in the United States. How things have changed. After nine years of Liberal taxes, red tape and attacks on our energy sector, Americans make $32,000 more than Canadians, and now a newly elected American President wants to take our jobs for Americans.
We understand why Donald Trump wants to take Canadian jobs, but why does the Prime Minister want to help him?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, when we successfully renegotiated NAFTA and protected Canadian jobs, protected steelworkers and aluminum workers, protected our supply-managed sectors and agricultural workers, protected Canadians from coast to coast to coast, the leader of the Conservative Party at the time referred to our approach as dumb.
Successfully standing up for Canadians is not dumb, but what is dumb is someone refusing to get their security clearance so they can actually protect members of their caucus, protect Canadians and get the briefings necessary on national security.
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, his approach was dumb. It was dumb to let the Americans reimpose buy America rules that Harper had gotten lifted. It was dumb to let Trump impose softwood lumber tariffs that Biden has now doubled. What is dumb, dumber and dumbest of all is imposing a 61¢-a-litre carbon tax that will force our trucking companies, our factories and our mines to head south of the border into the arms of President Trump.
We know why he wants to create American jobs with Canadian money, but why does the Prime Minister want to help him?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, we stood up and protected Canadian jobs, Canadian industry and Canadian trade. We know the American government cares about creating prosperity in North America, and we are going to do it together. What the American government, and particularly this President, also cares about is defence and national security.
The leader of the Conservative Party was sitting around the cabinet table when Conservatives dropped spending on defence to below 1%, and the Americans will not understand any more than Canadians do why the Leader of the Opposition refuses to take national security seriously and refuses to get his—