Debates of Dec. 17th, 2024

Christmas on the Hill

[Jean Yip, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last week, I was honoured to host Christmas on the Hill. We welcomed constituents with heartfelt personal reflections and joyous music from the All Nations Full Gospel Church Ottawa choir. We shared the warmth of the Christmas spirit, spoke about the importance of caring for others and celebrated the birth of Jesus. I also had the opportunity to formally introduce my motion, Motion No. 171, to designate December as Canadian Christian month.

I want to wish my fellow parliamentarians and Canadians from coast to coast, especially residents of my riding of Scarborough—Agincourt, the happiest of holidays, a happy Hanukkah, a happy Kwanzaa and a very merry Christmas.

Season's Greetings

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON]

Mr. Speaker,

T'is the week before Christmas, and all through this House
MPs dream of returning to home, hearth and spouse
Our stockings are hung by our chimneys with care
But what of the homeless? Who put them out there?
There's fingers to point and random people to blame
But, mostly, I think of one person I'd name
And that's Rideau Cottage's middle-aged Swifty
Who, through taxes, inflation and budgets unthrifty
Has crushed housing starts and caused rents to double.
Perhaps, in the end, he's one source of our trouble?
His modest proposal to ease Canada's pain
Reads like Jonathan Swift: no more tax on champagne!
But, what if instead we stopped taxing new houses
Might that build more homes for our kids and their spouses?
If housing officials weren't paid to say “No”
Would that cause the supply of housing to grow?
If that can be true, then of hope there's a token
That Canada soon will be much less broken.

Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Mr. Speaker, there is only one person keeping the Prime Minister in power and that is the leader of the NDP. The sellout leader of the NDP is not concerned about Canadians. He is concerned only with keeping the Liberals in power long enough so that he qualifies for his pension. The Liberal-NDP coalition has doubled housing prices, doubled rent and has driven up the cost of groceries, yet the NDP continues to support the carbon tax, voting for it over 24 times.

The costly coalition plans to quadruple the tax, further driving up the cost of gas, groceries and home heating. Canadians who once gave to food banks are now lining up at those same food banks to just get by. Liberal MPs and Liberal cabinet ministers have stated that they have no confidence in the Prime Minister. The Conservatives and the Bloc have no confidence in the Prime Minister. Who does? The leader of the NDP does, counting down the days to secure his pension. The NDP should grant Canadians their Christmas gift and grant us a carbon tax election.

Indigenous Affairs

[Terry Duguid, Liberal, Winnipeg South, MB]

Mr. Speaker, on November 30, our government signed the first-ever modern treaty with the Métis government, the Manitoba Métis Federation. It was a historic day of celebration, reflection and progress, a day that honoured Louis Riel and all that he fought and gave his life for. This achievement would not have been possible without the exceptional leadership of President David Chartrand, the greatest Métis leader since Riel.

Today we acknowledge the pivotal role of the Red River Métis in bringing the Province of Manitoba into Confederation. Today we recognize the rights and self-government of the Red River Métis Nation, as well as affirm our commitment to reconciliation and collaboration.

Working together, this agreement demonstrates the power of partnership, benefiting everything from housing to health care to cultural preservation. Finally, I want to acknowledge Canada's Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and the Minister of Northern Affairs, who worked tirelessly to move this treaty forward, marking a victory for the Red River Métis Nation, for Manitoba and for Canada.

Marsi.

Season's Greetings

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, as this year comes to a close, I want to take a moment and send my warmest wishes to everyone in Edmonton Strathcona and across Canada this holiday season. As we wrap up 2024, a year that was full of challenges, I want to celebrate the amazing people of Edmonton Strathcona. Our community is full of people who volunteer, who support one another, who work together to make our community stronger. Each one makes Edmonton Strathcona special, vibrant and resilient. I am so grateful for all that they do.

The holidays are a time to rest, reconnect and recharge, so whether people are celebrating with family, sharing laughter with friends, spending time with our neighbours or just taking a moment to breathe, I hope that this season brings joy, warmth and some well-deserved holiday cheer. Let us make 2025 a brighter, fairer and kinder year in our community together. From my family to theirs, I wish everyone a merry Christmas, a happy Hanukkah, a blessed Kwanza and a very happy new year. Stay warm, stay safe and we will see each other in 2025.

Darllie Pierre‑Louis

[Luc Thériault, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise today to mark the sudden passing of Darllie Pierre‑Louis, a municipal councillor for the City of Mascouche.

An entire community is mourning the loss of this kind-hearted woman who went through life with a smile on her face and an infectious joie de vivre. Darllie was committed to humanitarian causes and got involved in their work to help improve people's lives.

I got to know her when she was my student. She always remained the same—an intense person, a good listener and a natural, positive leader. She was seen as a leader in workforce reintegration and the social economy in Lanaudière. She certainly distinguished herself as the executive director of Buffet Accès Emploi.

As deeply as she cared for her community, she cared for her family even more. I offer my deepest condolences to her husband, Carlho, and her three children.

I wish Darllie a safe journey. She will never be forgotten.

Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's debt is out of control, and he set up the former finance minister to take the blame. Just last Tuesday, the fake feminist Prime Minister boasted about appointing Canada's first female finance minister. On Friday, he fired her, but first he expected her to deliver Mark Carney's fall economic statement. Why is that? It is because the old boys' club crashed through its guardrail of $40 billion, ballooning the deficit to $62 billion. This recklessness threatens our fiscal stability just as we face a possible trade war. Even the now former finance minister warned, “We need to take that threat extremely seriously. That means keeping our fiscal powder dry today, so we have the reserves we may need for a coming tariff war.” Instead, Canadians are now paying $53.7 billion to service the debt. After nine years of the Prime Minister's economic vandalism, Canadians are the ones who always have to pay the price.

Holiday Greetings

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I love this time of year. As a child, I have fond memories of tobogganing in my local park in downtown Toronto, eagerly counting down the days to Christmas. It is a magical time of year, with carolling, gift-giving and gatherings where we share food and drink with those we love. It is also time to reflect and be thankful.

I want to thank all the organizations that are on the front lines and work so hard to support our communities right across our country. I want to thank the residents of my constituency of Davenport, my team and family for their ongoing love and support. I am thankful most of all for this amazing country we are all blessed to call our home. I am thankful for our freedom, our care for each other and our hopes and dreams for our future.

I wish all my colleagues and all those in the House a merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah and happy Kwanza. I wish for peace and prosperity for all in the year to come.

The Economy

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

Mr. Speaker, what a mess. Yesterday was a gong show at the bottom of a dumpster fire, wrapped up in a cluster. The former finance minister resigned and the Prime Minister hid all day, and then he had to beg his MPs not to fire him, but the worst news, buried underneath it all, was a devastating gut punch to Canadian taxpayers: a $62-billion deficit smashing through the already insane $40-billion guardrail.

Canada is a serious G7 NATO partner, staring down the threat of 25% tariffs. We deserve a strong leader with a new mandate. Why not let Canadians decide by calling a carbon tax election?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I want to start by thanking the opposition House Leader for his heartfelt congratulations on my new role. I want to tell him and all Canadians that our government is very proud of the fall economic statement we made public yesterday. The fall economic statement speaks to growth in the Canadian economy. It speaks to supporting Canadians with serious affordability challenges. It speaks to a declining debt-to-GDP ratio, the best in the G7, and we have not finished supporting Canadians, something the Conservatives are not interested in doing.

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the new finance minister for being the fourth finance minister in a 24-hour period, but it is the same old talking points. What the Liberals did yesterday was smash through that $40-billion guardrail. What does that mean? It means Canadians have to pay back all that money with interest, and 43¢ of every dollar they earn now has to go to pay the tax burden. It means more money to bankers and bondholders. In fact, the government is now spending more on the interest on that debt than on health care, but the Prime Minister does not care. He does not worry about where the money comes from. He has never had to worry about that.

Why not let Canadians decide their future by calling a carbon tax election?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect their government to be focused on their economic concerns. They expect their government to be focused on the real threat that 25% tariffs across the board would mean to the Canadian economy. That is the work our government is doing. I can report that I had an encouraging preliminary conversation with the foreign affairs minister yesterday, with the U.S. border czar, Mr. Homan. We look forward to working with the incoming administration on border security, something the fall economic statement generously supported yesterday. This is the work Canadians expect us to be focused on and we are looking forward to doing that work.

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are so proud of that fall budget that they tabled it in the House and then ran and hid for the rest of the day. Let us recap. The Prime Minister announced $250 cheques and then had to cancel them. He announced a two-month GST tax trick that businesses say they will not implement and that the Prime Minister now says is optional. We have a broken immigration system. Parliament is seized with a $400-million corruption scandal. All the while, there are 2 million food bank visits, doubled housing costs and record-high consumer debt. The dollar is below 70¢ U.S., and the Prime Minister is raising prices by quadrupling the carbon tax.

Again, why not let Canadians decide their future by calling a carbon tax election?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, as I said a moment ago, we are proud of the fiscal and economic record of this government. This is a record of supporting Canadians through the pandemic. This is a record of investing in entrepreneurship and innovation. This is a record of providing, for example, Canadians with $10-a-day child care, historic investments that speak to not only affordability issues, but growing the economy in a sustainable way. This is work we are proud to continue to do for Canadians, and we find it unfortunate that the opposition is trying to grind the House of Commons into chaos.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has lost the confidence of his minister, his MPs and Canadians, but he keeps hanging on to power.

Together with his key economic adviser, Mark Carney, he forced the former finance minister to exceed her already out-of-control fiscal anchor of $40 billion by posting a massive $62-billion deficit. This Prime Minister has added more national debt than all other prime ministers combined. This excessive spending is contributing to inflation.

When will he call an election?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the fall economic statement was indeed tabled in the House of Commons yesterday. It is an economic statement that focuses on economic growth and the need to support Canadians during hard times, given the cost of living. That remains our government's primary objective, as it should.

This statement also shows that we are using taxpayers' money responsibly. That is exactly what we will keep doing, while keeping an eye on the support that Canadians need from their national government.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, how can we believe the new Minister of Finance when just yesterday, during an interview, he could not even put a number to the country's current debt? We have a long way to go.

The former minister of finance saw things clearly. What she said in her letter yesterday was very important:

That means keeping our fiscal powder dry today, so we have the reserves we may need for a coming tariff war. That means eschewing costly political gimmicks, which we can ill afford and which make Canadians doubt that we recognize the gravity of the moment.

That was the former finance minister's message to the Prime Minister. He never listens. He listens to no one. Let the government call an election now.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, our colleague is talking about the government's deficit. He knows full well that the net debt-to-GDP ratio is dropping. He knows that this is the best performance in the G7.

He also knows that Canadians expect their government to support them in tough economic times, whether it be with $10-a-day child care or a dental care program. The Conservatives actually voted against all of those programs.

This is an important time for us to support Canadians, and we will continue to do so responsibly, as always.

International Trade

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the new Minister of Finance, but we cannot overlook the fact that there have been a series of crises that have been plaguing this government for a long time. Now, we have a bad economic update and a ridiculous deficit. There is also the $5 billion that the government never should have given away and that, by its own admission, will be impossible to recoup. In short, we are going from crisis to crisis at a time when we should be preparing to negotiate with the United States in the context of a major diplomatic and political crisis.

How can this government still consider itself to be legitimate?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the leader of the Bloc Québécois for his congratulations.

A government is legitimate when it has the confidence of the House of Commons. That is exactly what the House gave the government several times last week. As the leader of the Bloc Québécois mentioned, our objective remains to support Canadians in tough economic times and to work with the administration of President-elect Trump, who will be inaugurated in January, to minimize or eliminate the tariff threat.

We will strengthen our borders and ensure we have the means to protect our economy.

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government does not enjoy the confidence of the House, it enjoys the weakness of the NDP.

That being said, if the government claims to have the legitimacy to negotiate on the country's behalf through a potentially serious crisis, why would it not seek a mandate from the people, either now or in January, with this leader or another one? Then, we will see if it gets a new mandate, and if not, it will mean we have to say goodbye.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, once again, Canadians expect the federal government, in partnership with provincial governments of course, to be hard at work protecting the economy from the threat of tariffs.

This is precisely the work we have been doing since the dinner we had in Florida with President-elect Trump. I can inform our colleagues that I have had quite encouraging exchanges with the incoming commerce secretary, Mr. Lutnick. As I said yesterday, we spoke to Mr. Homan, who is the border czar. I am encouraged by their openness and it is a job we are going to continue doing.

Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, people are right to be angry. We have a Prime Minister who is more interested in protecting his own job than he is in protecting Canadians against a threat—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I will ask the hon. members, in particular the hon. member for Miramichi—Grand Lake and the member for Dufferin—Caledon, please, to not raise their voices.

I will invite the hon. member for Burnaby South to start his question again.

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, people are right to be angry. They have a Prime Minister who is more interested in protecting his own job than defending Canadians against Trump. We have a Prime Minister who has failed to defend workers from the rich CEOs the Conservatives love and who continue to rip off Canadians and drive up the cost of food and homes. The Prime Minister has failed. For New Democrats, it is always workers first and not CEOs, the CEOs the Conservatives want to defend.

Will the Prime Minister acknowledge he has failed? He has to quit.