Debates of Dec. 5th, 2024

The Economy

[Stephen Ellis, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Mr. Speaker, as we approach Christmas, there is no joy. A recent study shows that more than 21% of Nova Scotia households were food insecure in 2022, which is a 17% year-over-year increase, and about one-fifth of the people who are food insecure seek help through services like food banks. As a result, food bank use in Nova Scotia has skyrocketed. Food bank leaders say, “It's a perfect storm between the rising cost of living, unaffordable housing and inadequate income”.

Will the Prime Minister call a carbon tax election today so that Nova Scotians can feed themselves with dignity?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Housing]

Mr. Speaker, food insecurity is a very serious issue, including in my home province of Nova Scotia, but it is hard to take seriously that question from Conservative Party members when they are literally opposing a tax cut on food. This holiday season, we are putting a GST holiday in place to reduce the cost of the food people buy, including when they eat at restaurants and products that are not exempt at grocery stores.

I hope the hon. member will put his money where his mouth is and, for once, support a measure that is going to deliver meaningful financial relief to families in need.

[Stephen Ellis, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I suggest that the member opposite go to the grocery store again because grocery essentials are already GST exempt and the temporary tax trickery on foods such as sugary and salty foods, coated-candy popcorn, beer and ready-to-drink alcoholic drinks are certainly not going to help food insecurity on behalf of any Canadians. We continue to see that accessing food banks has increased 73%, and now more than a million Ontarians are visiting food banks, which is six times the population of Prince Edward Island.

Canadians need relief. Will Liberals have a carbon tax election now?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Housing]

Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely clear that my hon. colleague was not listening to the answer to his first question before he delivered his second. I said specifically that we are exempting the tax on food that is not already exempted from the GST, including food that people may purchase at a restaurant.

What is interesting is that Conservatives are opposed not just to the tax cut on holiday gifts, toys for kids, clothing for kids, diapers, car seats and food, they opposed the measures we put in place to reduce the cost of living when we cut taxes for the middle class and when we stopped sending child care cheques to millionaires so we can put more money in the pockets of nine out of 10 Canadian families.

Conservatives just do not care about people. It is all politics.

[Warren Steinley, Conservative, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

Obviously, Mr. Speaker, the minister has not been to a grocery store in a while.

The NDP-Liberals driving up the carbon tax will cost people in Saskatchewan $2,000 a year. The latest food price report shows that Canadians are being forced to buy less nutritious food because of the higher prices. This is Canada under the Prime Minister. To make matters worse, the average family will spend an additional $800 on groceries next year.

Will the NDP-Liberals finally do the right thing and call a carbon tax election so that Canadians can decide between their plan to tax everything and the Conservatives' plan to axe the carbon tax on everything for everyone?

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

Mr. Speaker, this feigned sympathy and these crocodile tears on behalf of the Conservatives are fooling no Canadian. When the Conservatives had the opportunity to support measures that would help Canadians, measures like cutting their taxes, they opposed them. When we proposed a school food program that is going to help feed thousands of children across the country in their schools, they opposed it. Every time we try to help Canadians, Conservatives stand up and oppose that help.

Let us be clear. The Conservative leader does not have the interests of Canadians at heart.

Health

[Bonita Zarrillo, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, parents are struggling to get their children the health care they need. Five million Canadians do not have a family doctor. They are relying on emergency rooms to get care, and ER visits are even higher for kids. A new report shows that one in seven ER visits could have been treated in primary care. Liberals and Conservatives before them cut health care transfers and it has led to this crisis.

Why are the Liberals doing so little for Canadians to get the care they need?

[Yasir Naqvi, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve good public health care across the country. That is why we, as a government, support a publicly funded health care system. That is why we are making unprecedented investments in our health care system, $290 billion over 10 years, across the country, to every province and territory, with the sole purpose of ensuring that primary health care is available to all Canadians across this country.

We urge our provinces to take action to make sure that there are more doctors and nurses available in all those communities by using the federal dollars that have been transferred to them.

Taxation

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, everyone across Canada is feeling the high cost of living, and that is especially true for people living in the remote communities on Haida Gwaii, who are isolated from the mainland by a seven-hour ferry ride. There is a tax deduction that is meant to help people in remote communities afford the high cost of living, but 30 years ago, it was a Liberal government that cut Haida Gwaii's access in half. They have been fighting to get it back ever since.

Will the Liberal government do the right thing and restore the full northern residents tax deduction for the good people of Haida Gwaii?

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Minister of Northern Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, we have been working since day one on affordability issues for all people of the north and isolated communities. We have brought in a tax cut for groceries, for diapers and for essential items last week. The Conservatives voted against it. We brought in a national school food program. The Conservatives voted against it. There is more to do but we will get it done with partners.

Justice

[Tim Louis, Liberal, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the government announced its intention to split the online harms act into two parts, to move quickly, to act now and to advance child protection measures. We have lost too much time because of Conservative stalling tactics. I find it unconscionable that the Conservatives are opposed to forcing the removal of child sexual abuse material from the Internet.

Can the Minister of Justice explain why the updated Bill C-63 is essential for the safety of Canadians, especially our kids?

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

Mr. Speaker, I will do everything in my power to protect children. That is what splitting this bill is about.

At committee this morning, Carol Todd, the mother of Amanda, said, “I have waited 12 years for this, because on day one of Amanda's death, I knew that things needed to change in terms of law, legislation and online safety. I can't bring my child back, but we can certainly keep other children safe.”

Parents need our help. Children need our help. Bill C-63 is about protecting kids and saving lives. Every party in this chamber has a vested interest in doing just that. Will everyone find the courage to back this bill?

Public Safety

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Mr. Speaker, last week, the people of Toronto were shocked to see a man attempt a violent carjacking, shooting up cars all over the 401. It is not just Toronto. Gun violence is up 116% under the Liberal government. In fact, it is the ninth consecutive year that gun violence has increased in this country.

What are the Liberals doing today? They are making another announcement, but not targeting the criminals on the 401. No, they are targeting turkey hunters and sport shooters and trained, tested and vetted law-abiding Canadians.

When are they going to realize that gun violence is only going to stop when they go after the criminals responsible for gun violence?

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, it is quite shameful that on the anniversary of one of the largest mass shootings targeting women in this country, the Conservatives seem to be more concerned about keeping guns on the street that are designed for the battlefield.

We are not going after hunters or sport shooters. What we are doing is protecting our communities. In particular, we are protecting women, who are disproportionately victims of gun violence. While Conservatives work for the gun lobby, we serve Canadians in keeping them safe.

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government has no credibility when it comes to protecting women. In the nine years the Liberals have been in power, sexual assaults have increased 75%. Ninety-four municipalities and the Province of Nova Scotia have declared intimate partner violence an epidemic.

In Canada, one woman in Peel region is strangled to death every single day and violent abusers of women are getting let out on bail easier than ever because of the Liberal Bill C-75. There is only one party in this place that is going to protect women from the monsters who abuse them and put criminals of gun violence behind bars, and that is the Conservative Party.

When will we get an election?

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

Mr. Speaker, our track record on protecting people from violence, on guns—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

Order, please.

Colleagues, I cannot even hear the answer. Please, I am going to ask for colleagues to restrain themselves while we hear the answer.

The hon. Minister of Justice and Attorney General, from the top, please.

[Arif Virani, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Mr. Speaker, our track record on protecting women from violence, from violent firearms, speaks for itself, with respect to assault rifles and with respect to handguns. What I find actually quite appalling is that party's ability to stand up and talk about what women want in this chamber. Today, Barbie Lavers, at the justice committee, said, on Bill C-63, “We must work together as communities, families and governments to reduce the online abuse of our children.... Social media platforms must be held accountable. They must...keep our children safe. Children like our Harry are dying.”

Her son is dead because of online safety issues that party opposes. That is unconscionable.

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Mr. Speaker, at the status of women committee, we hear from abused woman after abused woman who have been hurt and their lives endangered because of Bill C-75. Their abusers are getting out on bail easier than ever before.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I am sorry, but I am having some difficulty hearing the hon. member.

The hon. member for Kildonan—St. Paul, from the top, please.

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the statistics on women speak for themselves. There is a 75% increase in sexual assaults. That is a 75% increase since the Liberals have been in power. Sexual violations against children are up 120%. Why is this? We have heard, at the status of women committee, over and over from abused women that it is Bill C-75. These monsters are getting out on bail and killing women. That is on the Liberal government, no matter what its members say. Their announcement today will not protect a single woman in this country.

When are they going to call an election so that Conservatives can get in power and do something about this?

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

Mr. Speaker, we are listening to women and we are listening to mothers. The Canadian Centre for Child Protection put out a promotional video about our work to combat online harms. It had the mother of Rehtaeh Parsons, the mother of Amanda Todd and the mother of Harry Burke, whom I just quoted. All three of these women share one thing in common. They desperately want this Parliament to keep Canadian children safe. We have a proposal to do exactly that, by taking child pornography and child sex abuse material off the Internet. Surely, for the love of God, 338 people can agree on that priority.

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

Mr. Speaker, we are ending the days of action to end violence against women on a very bad note.

In May 2020, this government unilaterally banned the use of firearms legally obtained by law-abiding citizens. In November 2022, with the support of the Bloc Québécois, the government banned hunting rifles. While the government is attacking honest citizens, armed violence has increased by 116% in nine years. Illegal guns are crossing the border unimpeded, criminals are using them with impunity and women are paying the price.

Will the government leave hunters and sports shooters alone and go after the criminals?