The hon. member for Salaberry—Suroît.
House of Commons Hansard #388 of the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was pension.
House of Commons Hansard #388 of the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was pension.
Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Salaberry—Suroît, QC
Mr. Speaker, important votes usually take place here in the House but, today, that work is being done in the Senate.
Senators are voting on an amendment that would kneecap Bill C‑282 and prevent it from protecting supply management. Unelected representatives will vote on whether or not they should respect the will of elected officials from all parties to protect our farmers in trade agreements.
Did the Prime Minister contact each of his Senate appointments to tell them to vote on the right side, the side of democracy?
Marie-Claude Bibeau LiberalMinister of National Revenue
Mr. Speaker, I agree with my colleague. An important vote is taking place in the Senate today.
I will remind her, though, that the Senate is now made up of independent senators, thanks to the Liberal government. This is a concept that my Bloc Québécois colleagues understand very well. Conservative senators, on the other hand, have to toe the party line, and I would be very curious to know what they have been asked to do.
In any case, we made an effort. We have made a concerted effort to pass the right information on to the senators. We hope they understand how important the supply management system is for Canada and Quebec.
Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Salaberry—Suroît, QC
Mr. Speaker, I am appealing to the party leaders. Each one of them voted to protect supply management in trade agreements by passing Bill C‑282.
Today, senators will either vote to respect our will or they will vote to reverse our collective decision, in a complete break from the basic principles of democracy. The party leaders must know that the farmers in their ridings are watching them.
Will all the party leaders, starting with the Prime Minister, ask the senators to reject the amendment and pass Bill C‑282 in its entirety by Christmas?
Marie-Claude Bibeau LiberalMinister of National Revenue
Mr. Speaker, we in the Liberal Party believe in supply management and we will continue to protect it. We also committed to never giving up any share of the market ever again.
The Bloc Québécois introduced this bill, but it did not get it passed alone. We are ready, however. We really made every effort to see this bill through because it is important.
However, we must be careful: This legislation only protects our farmers as long as there is no government that might want to reverse it.
Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC
Mr. Speaker, it is imperative to preserve supply management for farmers in Quebec and across the country.
Emergency rooms are overflowing and people are unable to find a family doctor. The governments in Ottawa and Quebec City are not doing what they should. What is more, the private sector, which is expensive, is not even getting the job done. This means fewer services for Quebeckers. Let us be clear: Profit has no place in the health care system. Quebec City and Ottawa need to ensure quick and equitable access.
Why are the Liberals doing nothing to defend access to health care services for Quebeckers?
Mark Holland LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, we are there to protect our universal health care system across the country. That is why we signed a $200-billion agreement with each province and territory to improve our health care system.
It is certainly true that there are provincial and territorial responsibilities, but we are there at all times to ensure that people can obtain the care they need.
Brian Masse NDP Windsor West, ON
Mr. Speaker, last night the Prime Minister met with the premiers to discuss Trump's tariffs. Canadian workers were not consulted, yet it is their jobs that are at risk. Instead of waiting for the next threat from Trump or for premiers to run off with their own plans, why not create a Canadian plan that protects and increases our jobs?
The Conservatives parrot Trump's talking points, even after they fired 1,100 border officers when they were in power. Canada needs to turn the tables on President-elect Trump by promoting Canadian jobs and a workers' plan in manufacturing and natural resources.
The U.S. has buy America. Where is our buy Canada?
Mary Ng LiberalMinister of Export Promotion
Mr. Speaker, Canadians can count on our government to play as team Canada to defend Canada's interests. The Prime Minister met with the first ministers yesterday. I can proudly say in the House that I, along with my colleagues, have met with Canadian workers all across the country, from coast to coast to coast, to reiterate how important this trading relationship is. Workers' voices, business voices and all our voices matter in this important relationship, and we are going to keep working hard to make sure that this continues to work for Canada.
Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has lost control of spending and his cabinet. The finance minister promised to cap the deficit at an already reckless $40 billion, but now it turns out he is shoving her through her own guardrail. The fake feminist Prime Minister is setting up Canada's first female finance minister to take the hit for his reckless spending so that he can then officially bring in the unelected man who has been pulling the strings.
Why is the Prime Minister bullying the finance minister into breaking her $40-billion deficit guardrail promise and forcing her to deliver carbon tax Carney's fiscal update?
Rachel Bendayan LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives are focused on this soap-opera Parliament Hill grapevine gossip, our Liberal government has been focused on the pocketbooks of Canadians.
Inflation is way down, at 2%. The Governor of the Bank of Canada confirmed yesterday that it is going to stay at about 2% for the next few years. Interest rates are way down. We saw another jumbo rate cut yesterday, which means more money in the pockets of Canadians because they are going to be able to renegotiate their mortgage at a lower rate. We are going to be able to help all Canadians who have loans, and our small businesses and entrepreneurs are going to see costs going down.
Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Mr. Speaker, Canadians cannot afford the Prime Minister's fake feminism. He had the gall this week to say, “I want you to know that I am, and always will be, a proud feminist. You will always have an ally in me and in my government”, while working overtime behind the scenes to throw Canada's first female finance minister under the bus for his reckless spending.
Will the so-called feminist Prime Minister set aside his hypocrisy and admit that he is responsible for forcing the finance minister to break her $40-billion deficit promise?
Lisa Hepfner LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth
Mr. Speaker, I was also at the Equal Voice gala the other night and I heard the Prime Minister's speech. I heard him talk about all the tangible measures we have taken as a government to advance equal rights among genders, including a gender-neutral cabinet, $10-a-day child care and a women's entrepreneurship strategy.
I also heard the speech of the deputy leader of the Conservatives, which completely undermined the whole—
The Speaker Liberal Greg Fergus
I am having trouble hearing the hon. parliamentary secretary answer the question. Members really must not take the floor when others are speaking.
The hon. parliamentary secretary has the floor.
Lisa Hepfner Liberal Hamilton Mountain, ON
Mr. Speaker, I was also at the Equal Voice gala the other night, and I truly enjoyed the Prime Minister's speech, which listed dozens of tangible things we have done as a government to advance gender equality, including a cabinet that has equal numbers of men and women, and including $10-a-day child care, a female entrepreneurship strategy and half a billion dollars going out across the country to end gender-based violence.
Meanwhile, the deputy leader of the Conservatives, in her speech, completely undermined the whole point of Equal Voice. It is very telling what the Conservatives think about equality.
Michelle Ferreri Conservative Peterborough—Kawartha, ON
Mr. Speaker, the fake feminist Prime Minister is determined to decimate Canadians' lives by destroying the economy, and he will throw anyone under the bus to do it, including his token female finance minister. Canadians know he is weak. They know he has lost control of his cabinet and his spending.
The question is this: Will the first-ever female finance minister have the courage to stand up to the fake feminist Prime Minister and stick to her promised $40-billion deficit?
Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
Mr. Speaker, here is something tangible the Leader of the Opposition could do: In the next election, he could have more women run and get more women in the seats if he really wants to prove his credibility in terms of standing up for women.
Let me give some statistics. Currently in the House of Commons, 16.9% of the women elected sit on the Liberal benches. How many are there on the Conservative benches? There are 6%. Those are the kinds of numbers we are talking about.
Michelle Ferreri Conservative Peterborough—Kawartha, ON
Mr. Speaker, on the Conservative side of the House, women stand here because we are skilled and are allowed to use our voice. Jody Wilson-Raybould is testament to this.
There is a fake Prime Minister, but that is not the point. We are not here to talk about gender; we are here to talk about the economy, and it is destroyed under the fake feminist Prime Minister.
Again, if the finance minister is not a token, will she stand up to him and say no and that she will abide by her $40-billion deficit guardrail to help the economy get back on track and save Canadians' lives?
The Speaker Liberal Greg Fergus
I know that all members are keen to return to their constituencies for the Christmas break, but until that point, let us please treat each other with respect. That means not speaking when the Speaker is standing or when someone else has been recognized by the Speaker to take the floor.
The hon. Minister of Indigenous Services has the floor.
Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
Mr. Speaker, that woman might feel like a token, but I never do. I earned my seat in the House of Commons, and I am proud of it.
Why do the Conservatives not like numbers? It is because the numbers do not speak in their favour. There are 30% of seats that are taken by women, and fully 17% of the seats are on this side. More than half the women elected are Liberals; the other half are in the rest of the parties combined. Parties should do their job and get more women to run.
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister, who has long described himself as a feminist, starting in July and through anonymous sources, has repeatedly maligned Canada's first female finance minister by undermining her competency. This week, reports have suggested that the finance minister has been at odds with the Prime Minister, who has been bullying her to blow past her already exorbitant $40-billion deficit.
There are now female cabinet ministers defending the Prime Minister's decision to bring in an unelected man to replace her job. Why is that?
Kamal Khera LiberalMinister of Diversity
Mr. Speaker, I always find it a bit rich when Conservatives talk about feminism, when their own leader will use hashtags on his YouTube videos to attract men who hate women. It is anything but feminist when they bring forward backdoor legislation to ban abortion in this country or when they all vote against increased funding to combat gender-based violence or to support survivors. Their leader does not care about women or equality; he only cares about himself. Shame on them.
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Mr. Speaker, the fact remains that after months of reports that the Prime Minister wanted to turf Canada's first female finance minister, we find out today that he is in talks to put an unelected man riddled with conflict of interest into the role. The Globe and Mail story must have really stung for every single Liberal backbencher who has carried the water of the scandal-plagued Prime Minister for years. Why would they not be getting the job?
Does the Prime Minister really think that there is no one in the elected Liberal caucus who could be the finance minister? Is there anybody; is there no one?