Debates of Dec. 13th, 2024

Foreign Interference

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, we all know foreign interference is a very serious issue in Canada. We can think of extortion, murder and political interference, all done through foreign interference. Now we know that at the leadership convention at which the current leader of the Conservative Party was elected, there was foreign interference with respect to that leadership.

One of the Conservative leadership candidates came before committee and virtually affirmed that foreign interference was a part of the Conservative leadership convention. In fact, a current member of the Conservative Party, the member for Calgary Nose Hill, is someone who has been influenced by foreign interference.

Why do the Conservatives not recognize today that foreign interference is an issue, as they did last year when they were popping all over the place? Why does the leader of the Conservative Party not get the security clearance?

[Some hon. member]

Oh, oh!

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

Order. I know we all try our best during Statements by Members to pay attention to what is going on and keep the noise down to a minimum.

The hon. member for Elgin—Middlesex—London.

Organ Donation

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in 2023, there were 3,428 organ transplants performed in Canada, with 184 of them being heart transplants. There were 132 people awaiting a heart transplant and 13 people passed away while waiting for a donor in 2023.

The data for 2024 is not out yet, but thanks to a donor, my sister Ann will be one of this year's statistics for individuals who received a heart transplant. On January 9, the transplant team, coordinated by Grant Fisher at University Hospital, saved my sister's life.

On behalf of my family, I would like to thank the following people, who have made us all believe in miracles: the heart transplant team, with Dr. Smith, Dr. Davey and Dr. De; the fifth-floor cardiac ICU; the fourth-floor transplant ICU; physiotherapists Kristin Morris and Tracy Fuller; and social worker Heather Sadler. To the surgeon, Dr. Dave Nagpal, the team has changed our family's lives.

By August, my sister saw both her son and her daughter get married, and soon, Ann will be able to watch her granddaughter, Collins, meet her new cousin. None of this would have been possible if it was not for a donor.

To Ann's heart donor, and to their family, I thank them so much. Anyone can be a donor. Please give the gift of life.

Georgia

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the people of the country of Georgia are courageously fighting for their freedom, democracy and a European future. Tens of thousands are protesting peacefully despite facing intimidation, violence and mass arrests.

In the last two weeks, 500 individuals have been detained, with 70% reporting ill treatment, and over 80 required hospitalization, yet no accountability has been demanded from those responsible for the excessive force. The government is escalating its crackdown, targeting activists at their homes and violating their rights. The ruling Georgian Dream party is proposing amendments to Georgia's law on assemblies that would further restrict peaceful protest.

We stand in solidarity with the Georgian people in their fight for human rights and democracy. I call for the immediate release of all detained activists and accountability for abuses. As we celebrate international Human Rights Day, we applaud the courage of the Georgian people.

Gurdev Singh Gill

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am rising to reflect on the remarkable life and work of Dr. Gurdev Singh Gill. His passing was a devastating loss and my thoughts are with his wife Jasinder, his daughter Jasmine, his son Sanjy and their families.

Dr. Gill immigrated to Canada in 1949 and soon after graduated from the UBC medical program. He became the first Canadian of South Asian origin to practise medicine and was awarded the Order of B.C. He has been described as a pioneer and a role model who showed both adults and children that with passion and determination, they could achieve anything.

His advocacy for aspiring Indo-Canadian medical professionals and his efforts to improve health care access for immigrants set him apart. Dr. Gill also had a lasting impact in Punjab, India. He founded the Indo-Canadian Friendship Society of B.C., improving clean drinking water, sanitation and infrastructure for over 100,000 people in India. His legacy reminds us of the power we all have to improve the lives of those around us.

Rest in peace, Dr. Gill.

Christmas

[Rob Oliphant, Liberal, Don Valley West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as we stand on the threshold of this holy season, I want to wish all those celebrating in Don Valley West and around the world a very happy Christmas.

The promise of Christmas is that love can and will break through all of the cynicism, disappointment, pain and despair that continues to this day, long after Jesus walked the dusty roads of Palestine. Christmas did not happen just once. It happens every time someone lights a candle to make the way a little easier for another person. It happens every time someone welcomes a refugee or a broken person into their community. It happens every time we lift another person up, giving them more love, more hope and more success.

Christmas is a hard time for many. This Christmas welcome the stranger, feed the hungry, give hope to the lost. Let us make Christmas happen again.

Finance

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' elastic deficit is causing tension between the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance. Should the inflationary deficit be increased to $46 billion or $40 billion? That is the question.

The Conservative Party believes the answer is simple: Stop the planned tax hikes by axing the carbon tax, stop fuelling inflation by cutting unnecessary inflationary spending, and stop adding to the debt by implementing a dollar-for-dollar law.

Instead, The Globe and Mail reported this week that the Prime Minister was plotting his next sleight of hand by replacing the finance minister with his good friend, the unelected Mark Carney. The Prime Minister has been churning through one finance minister after another, hoping to justify his disastrous policies, but Canadians are not fooled.

We are only asking the Liberals to do one thing: just stop.

Kingston Vaccination Clinics

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in 2021, as COVID-19 cases surged in Kingston, Dr. Elaine Ma coordinated innovative drive-through vaccine clinics that were crucial for our community's health at a time of great uncertainty. Collaborating with health care professionals, Queen's University students, the public health unit and volunteers, Dr. Ma was widely recognized for her heroic efforts in vaccinating thousands of people throughout the Kingston region.

Now, years later, OHIP is demanding that Dr. Ma repay billed costs based on technicalities related to the distribution of those vaccines. OHIP has seemingly forgotten the dire and urgent circumstances of the pandemic that required innovative solutions from health care professionals like Dr. Ma.

Today, I am calling on Premier Doug Ford, his Minister of Health and OHIP to drop this nonsense claim against Dr. Ma and start acknowledging and celebrating the heroic efforts of our health care providers during and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Patricia Rose “Gail” Cyr

[Michael McLeod, Liberal, Northwest Territories, NT]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a beloved northerner and a friend who passed away last week. Patricia Rose Cyr, better known as Gail, was a former Yellowknife city councillor for a decade and worked tirelessly for the advancement of indigenous people. Gail had a passion for justice and was a strong advocate for women.

In recognition for her lifetime of dedication to helping others, she was a recipient of the Order of Canada in 2021. She leaves behind an incredible legacy.

My condolences to her family and loved ones at this difficult time. We are going to miss her.

Mahsi cho.

Finance

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the NDP-Liberal government, groceries, gas and home heating are getting more expensive, and a two-month tax trick is nothing but a lump of coal in Canadians' Christmas stockings.

As we await the fall economic statement, the finance minister has to worry about carbon tax Carney breathing down her neck as the Prime Minister tries his best to entice him to take over for her.

Liberal tensions on deficit spending are said to be causing this internal Christmas conflict, but common-sense Conservatives can offer some advice to help: just stop. Stop all planned tax hikes, especially the job-killing carbon tax hikes. Stop fuelling inflation by cutting wasteful spending and axing the sales tax on new homes. Stop adding debt by confirming that the deficit has not crashed through the $40-billion guardrail the finance minister promised.

Canadians need the reckless, wasteful and incompetent NDP-Liberal government to stop, so we can start a carbon tax election and bring the common-sense solutions Canadians need and deserve.

Holiday Greetings

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am rising in the House to announce that the Christmas spirit is alive and well in my riding of Glengarry—Prescott—Russell. From the food banks where volunteers spend countless hours ensuring that families in need have plenty to eat this Christmas, to the optimist clubs that are taking pains to make sure that kids who would otherwise go without get a Christmas present, our volunteers have their hearts in the right place.

Since this is my last chance to send out Christmas wishes from the House, I would like to wish a merry Christmas to my father Yves, my mother Nicole, my brother Mathieu and his kids and, of course, to my wife Kate and my son Léo-Xavier.

Merry Christmas to you, Mr. Speaker, to all my colleagues in this chamber and, obviously, to the staff who make us look smart.

Merry Christmas to my riding assistants Louise, Lynne and Carole, and to my parliamentary assistants in Ottawa, Trevor, Ian, Hugo and Emma. Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all my constituents. I hope everyone gets to spend time with family and friends over the holidays.

Finance

[Martin Shields, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, next week, Canadians will learn of the Liberal government's complete failure to keep the country's finances in check, just one day before the Liberals try to run and hide from a fiscal fiasco of their own making.

New reports suggest things are so bad behind closed doors that the Prime Minister is going to give the boot to yet another woman in his cabinet in his latest desperate attempt to save his own skin. This time, the finance minister will once again be blamed and take the fall for crashing Canada's economy because the Prime Minister cannot help himself, just like he did with the first female indigenous justice minister some years ago.

Before any more damage can be done, Conservatives are demanding three simple things from whoever seems to be in charge on that side: just stop. Stop all the planned Liberal tax hikes, especially the quadrupling of the carbon tax. Stop inflationary spending. Stop adding more debt to our withering economy.

If the languishing Liberal government cannot or will not listen to these simple demands, common-sense Conservatives would fix what the NDP-Liberals broke in a carbon tax election.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the NDP-Liberal government, spending has gotten so bad that even Liberals are concerned. The finance minister promised Canadians that the deficit would not be a penny over $40 billion. She promised that it would be her fiscal guardrail. When someone goes over a guardrail, they do not stop. They go right over into the abyss.

The problem is so bad that even Liberals are commenting. “I think that we do need to show fiscal restraint”, said one of them. Another Liberal said this: “I think that if we state that we have a $40 billion guardrail, we stay within those numbers”.

To save our skin from the phantom finance minister, conflict of interest carbon tax Carney, the current finance minister has begun selling furniture in order to pay the rent. Liberals just sold three billion dollars' worth of Air Canada stock in the last 48 hours. Desperate Liberals will do anything to save their sinking ship.

The solution is simple. They should just stop. Stop increasing spending, stop increasing taxes, stop increasing inflation and call a carbon tax election.

Government Priorities

[Yasir Naqvi, Liberal, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it has been one year since the Liberal government launched the Canada dental care plan. The results are nothing short of remarkable. In just 12 months, three million Canadians have been approved for coverage, and over 1.2 million people have access to affordable dental care in all our communities across Canada. That is 1.2 million brighter smiles, 1.2 million healthier families and 1.2 million reasons to celebrate.

Talking about reasons to celebrate, tomorrow we are cutting GST on all essential goods. We are talking about food, children's clothes and toys, books, beer and wine. That's cutting sales tax for two months to help Canadians.

We are just getting started. Our government will continue to stand by Canadians, breaking down barriers and ensuring access to the help they need. Let us keep the momentum going and help Canada shine brighter, one smile at a time.

Canada Post Strike

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal labour minister has intervened in the negotiation process and ordered the CUPW members back to work, similar to what the government has done in the past under the Conservatives. Not respecting the bargaining process led to this in the very first place. No one makes the decision to go on strike lightly, especially as the holidays approach. This was the result of decades of disrespect and disregard.

Postal workers are crucial for our communities, often having to work late into the night. They do more than mail delivery; they keep us connected and our streets safe. Their absence during the strike has been deeply felt by all, proving their value for our present and our future. While Canada Post CEO Doug Ettinger makes half a million dollars per year and executives earn easily over six figures, our dedicated postal workers are simply asking for a fair deal and safe working conditions.

Postal workers across Canada should know that I and New Democrats stand with them. Undermining the bargaining process comes at their expense, the public's expense and the expense of a successful future for Canada Post, which provides a key service in a functioning democracy and successful economy.

Acadian Remembrance Day

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Montarville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on this cold day, December 13, imagine being forced, at gunpoint, out of your home and onto a ship, only to realize in horror that it would become your grave at the bottom of the icy Atlantic.

That is what happened on December 13, 1758, to some 850 Acadians, 850 innocent people who evince the cruelty of the deportation of this proud people, ordered by the British Crown.

Nearly 12,000 Acadians were deported during what became euphemistically known as the Great Upheaval. Many of them died before reaching their destination, from either illness or deprivation.

On this Acadian Remembrance Day, let us honour the memory of those who were lost but, more importantly, let us underscore the failure of this intractable attempt to wipe out a people, which constitutes a crime against humanity.

The fact of the matter is that British authorities failed. The Acadian people continue to thrive, proudly and strong, on their ancestral lands, as they do in many other places, including Quebec, where my own ancestors found refuge.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

Long live Acadia.

The hon. member for Kelowna—Lake Country.

Finance

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

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are set to crash through their so-called $40-billion deficit guardrail, which will add to Canada's already sky-high debt.

Incredibly, the fake feminist Prime Minister is going to blame this on the finance minister, setting up her firing in order to replace her with conflict of interest carbon tax Carney. The finance minister admitted that deficits cause inflation and promised she would cap the deficit at $40 billion and not go a penny over. Despite this, the Prime Minister came along and is forcing her into spending more.

The fake feminist Prime Minister has been working overtime behind the scenes to fire Canada's first female finance minister and bring in his guy, carbon tax Carney, conflict of interest Carney. This is an insult, especially when he stated just a few days ago that, “I am and always will be a proud feminist”.

Canadians deserve better than that, and the incompetent Prime Minister is forcing the finance minister into blowing through an already crazy $40-billion deficit.

Taxation

[Sameer Zuberi, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative leader is very good at coming up with slogans on cutting taxes. Unfortunately, he is not very good at acting on what he says.

We would think that the Conservative caucus would be the first to support a GST tax credit, a tax credit that puts real money back into the pockets of Canadians, but it did not. The Conservative leader whipped them into voting against a tax credit for Canadians. Canadians deserve a leader that backs words with actions, not empty rhetoric and performative outrage.

The Liberal government is delivering real affordability measures for families, while the Conservatives are busy voting against solutions for Canadians. Liberals have cut taxes where it matters, whether for the middle class or small business, while the Conservatives continue cutting their credibility.

Finance

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

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Prime Minister has lost control of spending and he has lost control of his own cabinet. The outgoing finance minister promised that a massive $40-billion deficit would be her fiscal guardrail, but it looks like the Prime Minister and the incoming finance minister, carbon tax Carney, are pushing her through the guardrail and over the fiscal cliff with the rest of Canadians.

Will the Prime Minister stand up today and admit that he is having his outgoing finance minister take the fall so that he can replace her with carbon tax Carney?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are trying to distract from their voting record. In this House of Commons, when this government put forward legislation, affirmed last night by the Senate, to cut GST for families looking to buy kids' clothes, diapers and car seats; wanting to go out to a restaurant; or wanting to buy beer or cider, the Conservatives were against that. They have lots of slogans when it comes to cutting taxes, but that is all they have: empty slogans. When it comes down to it, we put a tax cut forward and they voted against it.

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

Mr. Speaker, a tiny two-month tax trick is not going to help the more than two million Canadians lined up at food banks every month, nor will pennies off Pepsi help Canadians who are going to pay $800 more for groceries in 2025. This Prime Minister is forcing his outgoing finance minister to take the fall for the effects of his inflationary spending that is pushing right past his $40-billion deficit guardrail and over the cliff. Will the Prime Minister admit that it is in fact his inflationary spending that is the cause of this massive deficit?

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

Mr. Speaker, the lowest debt and deficit in the G7 and a fifth consecutive interest rate decline are good news for business owners looking to expand. They are good news for mortgage holders looking to renew and families looking to buy a home, and there are many other examples. The Conservatives want to distract from their record. In fact, let us think about the Harper years. Stephen Harper had the worst rate of economic growth going back to R.B. Bennett in the 1930s. They are not serious about these things.

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

Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary is talking about good news like Canadians have never had it so good. We have the highest household debt, because Canadians cannot afford to pay their mortgages. They cannot afford to feed themselves. They cannot afford to heat their homes or put gas in their cars after nine years of this NDP-Liberal Prime Minister who said that the budget would balance itself, that he does not think about monetary policy and that it should be the bankers who worry about the economy. Even his caucus is calling for some fiscal sanity after nine years of his economic vandalism. When the deficit smashes through $40 billion, will the Prime Minister at least allow his caucus—