Debates of Dec. 2nd, 2024

Health

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, those agreements, which were $200 billion over 10 years, absolutely did come with common indicators and shared priorities. In fact, we just saw CIHI's report showing in data, for the first time in Canadian history, where we are. That data shows us that nearly every jurisdiction across the country has more doctors and nurses, that surgical wait times are back to where they were before the pandemic and that we are making really important progress.

It is essential that provinces step up and do their part, but we are making really important progress in our health system.

Public Safety

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, border officers want to do their part in protecting Canada, but they need more tools to help stop the flow of toxic drugs, stolen cars and guns. The Conservative leader fired over 1,100 border officers when he was in cabinet, including sniffer dog handlers and frontline staff, and the Liberals never rehired them. New Democrats have been calling on the government for years to invest more in CBSA frontline workers.

Will the Liberals stop letting people down, rehire the officers the Conservatives fired and give them the tools they need to do their job?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I share my colleague from Windsor West's support for the extraordinary women and men who work for the Canada Border Services Agency. Like him, I had an opportunity to meet many of these women and men who serve in protecting the security of our country and do very important work.

I was glad the member highlighted the draconian cuts that the previous Conservative government made to the Canada Border Services Agency. I am happy to tell him that we have reversed those cuts and have hired considerably more border services officers. The good news is that we are going to continue to do more as well.

Taxation

[Majid Jowhari, Liberal, Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative leader has built his reputation on bashing taxes, yet when the government puts forward a tax break that would benefit all Canadians, he says no.

Would the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development explain why this GST tax break is so important for Canadians and why the Conservative leader and his party would vote against a tax break that helps everyday people?

[Jenna Sudds, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, this tax break is exactly the kind of relief that Canadians need right now. The Conservative leader contends to be a champion of taxpayers, but when given the opportunity to axe a tax, he will not do it. Conservative MPs are turning their backs on Canadians. While they may prefer slogans to solutions, on this side we will continue to deliver for Canadians.

The Economy

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the Liberal-NDP government, Canadians are worse off. The U.S. GDP is up 2.8%, while the Canadian GDP is only up 1%. The Canadian GDP per capita is down 0.4%. This is the sixth consecutive quarter in which the Canadian GDP has been down. The Prime Minister does not have a plan, so will he step aside for a prime minister who does?

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I think the member is misreading the numbers. Statistics Canada just revealed that it needed to revise the GDP numbers upward for the last three years. Canada is expected to have the highest GDP growth in all of the G7 next year.

I think the Conservatives are trying to change the channel. Just a few days ago, they opposed a tax break. They opposed cutting the GST from everyday goods for Canadians, and they do not know how to explain it.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years, Canada faces yet another threat to its economy. The U.S. has threatened a 25% tariff on all goods exported from Canada. The greedy government has increased taxes with the carbon tax, the housing tax and capital gains tax. This is not just bad vibes. Will the Prime Minister admit that it is not bad vibes, but bad policies, that force Canadians to suffer?

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Export Promotion]

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, the Prime Minister led a Canadian delegation to Florida to meet with President-elect Trump. They had a productive discussion on border and economic security, including the impacts the tariffs would have on both Canadian and American consumers.

In 2018, it was this government that renegotiated NAFTA, which led to a record trade of $1.3 trillion just last year. As we have done through three American administrations, we will continue to stand up for Canadian workers and Canadian businesses.

Forestry Industry

[Richard Martel, Conservative, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this morning we learned of yet another sawmill that is about to close. It is Rapides-des-Joachims' turn, in Pontiac, to pay the price for the Liberal government's weakness. Ten per cent of the population of the village has just found out that they are about to lose their jobs. The economic impact will be devastating. The community could easily become a ghost town, like Sacré-Coeur after the caribou order.

The Prime Minister always finds a way to abandon the forestry sector. When will there be an election?

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Export Promotion]

Mr. Speaker, the softwood lumber industry is very important to our government. We know it represents thousands of jobs, from British Columbia to Quebec and down to eastern Canada.

We will always stand up for Canadian softwood lumber. We stood up for Canada when the U.S. imposed aluminum and steel tariffs on us. What did the Conservatives do? They asked us to capitulate and back down. We have a proven track record to negotiate good trade deals. We will always stand up for lumber workers.

[Richard Martel, Conservative, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, 23 workers are being laid off, but how many more indirect jobs are also on the chopping block in a village of 188 residents? The prospect of the village becoming a ghost town is real, all because of the Liberal government's failure to secure a softwood lumber agreement. This is the fourth Quebec sawmill in just a few months to announce its closure.

Our workers need a strong leader. When will an election be called to elect the Conservative leader as our prime minister?

[Diane Lebouthillier, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, we are extremely disappointed that the U.S. Department of Commerce has significantly increased its unfair and unjustified duties on softwood lumber from Canada. These unfair and unfounded U.S. duties on softwood lumber unjustifiably harm consumers and producers on both sides of the border. Canadian workers are being punished by unfair duties, and American companies that rely on Canadian softwood lumber will bear the burden of these duties.

It is in the best interests of both Canada and the United States to find a lasting solution.

Public Safety

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last week, I introduced a bill on behalf of the Bloc Québécois, and, if it passes, it will really help fight organized crime.

Not only does our bill establish a list of criminal organizations, but it also hits them where it hurts by making their members prove that their assets are not proceeds of crime. It reverses the burden of proof. It sends a clear message to criminals.

Will the government put our bill on the agenda and start getting serious about fighting organized crime?

[Arif Virani, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question because it addresses a very serious situation.

Organized crime has gone up here in Canada. What we are aiming for and targeting with our policies is a way to deal with the situation. We made changes in budget 2024 and last year's economic statement to target finances associated with organized crime.

We have also made an effort to address auto theft directly. After we invested in our borders and in fighting organized crime, the beautiful province of Quebec saw a 41% drop in vehicle theft.

Those are the Liberals' results.

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the gang wars are in our streets. Gangs are taking hits out on journalists, killing innocent people by burning down businesses and shooting at each other in broad daylight. They are even killing each other in the federal prisons.

What is the government doing? Where is the government? It is doing nothing. It is nowhere to be seen.

The Liberals could send a strong message to the criminals by putting our bill on the agenda. While they think about it, gangs continue to call the shots and wage war on our streets.

When will the government take the fight against organized crime seriously?

[Arif Virani, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, when we have conferences with all of our counterparts, especially Minister Bonnardel and Minister Jolin-Barrette, we talk about organized crime all the time.

We are focused on making investments. We have invested $132 million to address weapons and the gangs that target Quebec. We also made a $42-million investment in the building safer communities fund.

Through these investments, we have made efforts that have yielded results, namely a drop in organized criminal activity, such as car theft.

Labour

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I agree with the NDP leader, who said the Liberal government will always step in to make sure unions have no power. The minister's section 107 referrals took away workers' rights to strike. As a result of this, Conservatives believe that the Liberal government has lost the confidence of the House of Commons.

This puts the NDP and the NDP leader in a tough spot. Will the NDP leader support his own words and support workers or continue to prop up the NDP-Liberal government? Will the government throw its coalition buddy a line and call a carbon tax election?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Minister of Labour and Seniors]

Mr. Speaker, we would think this was not from the party that supported the anti-union, oppressive Bill C-377 and Bill C-525. We would think this was not from the party who has in its own policy handbook the fact that it will be bringing in right-to-work, Alabama-style legislation to the House. We would think this was not the party that refused to debate that very motion this morning in the House of Commons.

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the minister's defence of his decision to take away a worker's right to strike is to talk about some things from a few years ago. Unions have unilaterally condemned section 107 referrals. The NDP leader said that he intervened to take away unions' power. That is true. He took away the Teamsters' right to strike. He took away the ILWU 514's right to strike, but when Unifor 1541 asked him to intervene to prevent union busting, the minister disappeared.

However, the leader of the NDP has a choice to make. Will New Democrats keep propping up these guys that make these anti-worker decisions, or will they stand with his words and vote—

[The Speaker, Greg Fergus]

I am going to ask all members, please, to remind themselves to keep their voices down so that those who participate using translation can hear the interpretation.

The hon. Minister of Labour and Seniors.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Minister of Labour and Seniors]

Mr. Speaker, we would think that was not the party that opposed 10 sick days for employees in federally regulated industries. We would think that was a party that did not have right-to-work, Mississippi-style legislation in its policy platform. We would think that was not the party whose very leader decried the involvement of unions in procurement and other processes. The current Conservative Party is anti-worker. The Conservatives have proven it on every single occasion that they are able to. We will always stand up for workers in this country.

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today, the truth will be revealed. The Conservatives have put forward a non-confidence motion using the quote from the NDP leader where he said the Prime Minister is greedy and anti-worker. What will it be?

Will the leader of the NDP sell out Canadians yet again, or has the Prime Minister made another backroom deal that puts both their lust for power over the rights of Canadians?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Minister of Labour and Seniors]

Mr. Speaker, I guess that member is back from announcing the housing projects in her riding, which she voted against in the House of Commons. It is a joke. It is a sick joke to watch these Conservatives line up behind this leader and his fake, false bravado, putting motions on the floor of the House. Then, when we ask them to debate those very motions, what do they say? They say no. They refuse to debate their own motion. The Conservatives will not debate help for Canadians. They will not debate tax cuts. They will not debate any support for Canadians in the House of Commons. This is a sick joke.

Small Business

[Brenda Shanahan, Liberal, Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the global pandemic was hard for retailers, restaurants, the hospitality industry and the tourism industry. Our government took action to help these businesses during that difficult time with programs like the the Canada emergency business account. Now, my constituents want to know what we are doing to help them now that the economy has begun to improve.

Can the Minister of Environment and Climate Change tell us more about the government's plan?