Debates of Feb. 28th, 2024

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, that is not the way the system has worked since he took office eight years ago.

According to the RCMP commissioner, not only did he refuse to be questioned in the SNC-Lavalin criminal investigation and in the Aga Khan billionaire island investigation, but he blocked key cabinet documents from being included in those investigations.

We now know that an app that was supposed to cost $80,000 went up to $60 million after the NDP helpfully voted for those extra funds. We do not know who criminally benefited from that, so once again, will the Prime Minister waive cabinet confidentiality and turn over all the documents, yes or no?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition is digging into the past to try to bring up things that were settled many years ago.

If he really wants to talk about the past, he should talk about the fact that the Conservative leader was at Transport Canada, working hand in hand with the minister, as the founders of the company involved in ArriveCAN were getting millions of dollars in contracts from the department he was working for.

We are taking seriously any concerns around procurement. The authorities are looking into it. There will be consequences for anyone who took advantage of our COVID protection efforts to get rich.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, that answer proves again that he is not worth the cost or the corruption.

We know that after eight years of the Prime Minister, the cost of everything has gone up, in part because he has given away money for nothing.

Arrive scam, an app that was supposed to cost $80,000, was actually $60 million at least, and counting, because the Auditor General said she does not have the documentation to do the full calculation today.

We have a common-sense Conservative motion that requires the Prime Minister to release the full cost of the app and recover the money for Canadians within the next hundred days. Will he vote for that common-sense motion, yes or no?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition is choosing to fling mud at a question that I have said is unacceptable. The authorities are looking into it.

He does not want to talk about the housing investments that we are making across the country. He does not want to talk about the fact that he voted against dental care that seniors are going to be benefiting from as of May. He does not want to talk about child care. He does not want to talk about Ukraine. He does not want to talk about all the things where Conservatives are out of line with Canadians.

We are going to continue focusing on the things that matter to Canadians, every single day.

Pharmacare

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

Mr. Speaker, the government and the NDP want to bring in a pharmacare plan that does absolutely nothing for Quebec, since we already have such a plan, which was actually the inspiration for their program. I have no problem with this, as long as Quebec has the right to opt out with full financial compensation and no strings attached.

The member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, a member of that alliance, says that Quebec can opt out. The minister says it is not all that clear-cut.

The Prime Minister must know the answer. Which is it?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that too many Canadians across the country are still being forced to make impossible choices between paying for groceries or paying for the medication they need.

We are here to make sure that people everywhere can pay for their medication. We will work with the provinces, including Quebec, to make sure that Canadians have the coverage they need.

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

Mr. Speaker, I agree that there are likely many Canadians who do not have this service, but Quebeckers do. That is why Quebeckers are talking about the right to opt out with compensation.

Should the NDP and the Liberals not have made sure that they were on the same page? Before deciding whether to go into a tango or a nice slow dance, maybe partners should renew their vows by being clear with each other.

Can the Prime Minister, in one of his oh-so-clear answers, tell me whether Quebec has a right to opt out, yes or no, as my friend from Richmond—Arthabaska would say?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, across the country, including in Quebec, people are dealing with inadequate prescription drug coverage. That is why we are there to work hand in hand with the provinces and ensure that people can pay for their drugs from coast to coast to coast.

We are always there to work constructively with the provinces to ensure that there is support and coverage for all Canadians.

Health

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, New Democrats have long said that corporate greed is driving up the cost of living. It is also hurting our health care system.

Galen Weston's Shoppers Drug Mart, which the corporate-controlled Conservatives love, is now ripping off our health care system. That means more money in the pockets of Galen Weston and less money for frontline health care workers.

Why does the Prime Minister continue to let Galen Weston get richer while Canadians cannot get the health care that they need?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I will let the Leader of the Opposition answer why he has a high-profile lobbyist for Galen Weston sitting in his caucus meetings.

We are focused on creating more competition for lower prices, more choice, and more innovative products and services for Canadians. Our government recently passed new legislation that empowers the Competition Bureau to hold grocers accountable and prioritize consumers' interests.

The fall economic statement would also crack down on predatory pricing, and I urge all parties to vote in favour.

The Environment

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians do not have to choose between parties that are both controlled by corporations.

The Prime Minister allocated over $4 billion to the Northvolt plant, a project that poses serious environmental risks and that will not generate any economic spinoffs until 2037.

Before he committed to spending so much money, did the Prime Minister conduct environmental assessments or did he just listen to the CEOs?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, this is the largest private investment in the history of Quebec. We are talking about a company that is creating not just jobs but also the products of the future.

We do need to continue to fight climate change and protect our environment. We are doing that hand in hand with the Government of Quebec and companies like Northvolt. We are building careers, building a future, and fighting climate change at the same time.

I would expect the NDP to understand that fighting climate change and building a strong economy go hand in hand.

Carbon Pricing

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, common-sense Conservatives want to axe the tax. The Prime Minister wants to hike the tax. First of all, he wants to quadruple it between now and 2030, and on April 1 he plans to hike it by 23% with the support of the NDP. The tax hike will be bigger than increases in the rebate, and therefore the average families in all the provinces will be bigger net losers under the tax than they were before.

With Canadians unable to eat, to heat, and to house themselves, will the Prime Minister cancel his plan to hike the tax on April 1?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I do believe this might be one of the first times the Leader of the Opposition has ever recognized that there is a Canada carbon rebate that he would cancel: cheques that he would prevent being delivered to Canadians right across the country.

Eight out of 10 Canadian households get more money than they pay in carbon pricing in the provinces in which it applies. In Alberta it is $1,800 a year to a family of four. It is $1,200 a year in Manitoba, and even in Ontario it is $1,120 to a family of four. That is money in their pockets that he wants to take—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

The hon. Leader of the Opposition.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, I am glad he mentioned his phony rebates, because $1,800 in Alberta is the rebate. That is what he said; we heard him. Here is the gross cost: $2,943. Therefore he is going to take away $2,943 but give back $1,800 and then ask them to be thankful for it.

Is that not just proof that the carbon tax is just like him: not worth the cost?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer himself recognized that the $1,800 in rebate that we are sending, for example to a family of four in Alberta, is more than that family of four pays in the price on pollution. That is the calculation that is done right across the country that shows that eight out of 10 families are better off with the Canada carbon rebate than what they pay in the price on pollution in areas in which it is brought in.

We are both fighting climate change and delivering more money to households across the country, money that he wants to take away.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer's report is in my hands. The information is on page 3 of “A Distributional Analysis of the Federal Fuel Charge under the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan”. Google it. Look it up. It is on the Parliamentary Budget Officer's website. Members do not have to believe me, and they certainly do not want to believe him; they can go look for themselves. The average Ontario family will pay $1,674 in carbon taxes next year. That is $630 more than they get back in the rebate.

Why does the Prime Minister not google it, look up the report, check the facts and axe the tax?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the first conclusion of the Parliamentary Budget Officer is, in the math, on the face of it, that eight out of 10 families get more back on the price on pollution through the Canada carbon rebate.

The reality is that if one wants to talk about longer-term and broader economic consequences of a price on pollution, they have to talk about the cost of inaction and about the benefits of investing and innovating in carbon reduction technologies. That is the full picture that the Leader of the Opposition does not want to look at because he does not think one can build a strong economy and fight climate change at the same time.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is doing neither at the same time. I should catch what he said: “on the face of it”, the carbon tax is terrific.

While the Parliamentary Budget Officer actually did the calculation of the full fiscal and economic cost for the average family, he found that every family in the middle class is worse off under the carbon tax. For example, in Ontario, the net cost for the average family, above and beyond rebates, is $627 this year.

How are they going to pay for that—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

The right hon. Prime Minister.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, families in Ontario are going to be getting a Canada carbon rebate worth $1,120 this year for a family of four. A family in Nova Scotia will get $824, and a family in Saskatchewan will get $1,500 this coming year. That is more, for eight out of 10 families, than the price on pollution actually is.

We are fighting climate change. We are innovating and creating the jobs of tomorrow. We are putting more money in the pockets of Canadians through cheques that the Leader of the Opposition would take away.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, here is a very simple way to measure it up, from the Parliamentary Budget Officer's report: The total gross cost of the carbon tax in Ontario is $1,674 for the coming year.

How much is the rebate?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, with record-setting wildfires last year, with floods, with climate—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!