Debates of Feb. 9th, 2024

World Interfaith Harmony Week

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, today I wish all Maronites around the world happy Saint Maroun Feast Day.

I also acknowledge World Interfaith Harmony Week, which spreads the message of unity and goodwill in the world's churches, mosques, synagogues, temples and other places of worship.

I am blessed to represent a riding with incredible diversity, and I cherish the close connections I have with our many different faith communities.

I offer my best wishes for the celebrations of our patron saint that are taking place at Our Lady of Lebanon in my riding, at the cathedral in Montreal, at Saint Charbel Parish in Ottawa and all over the world.

I also offer my best to the Ummah Mosque in Halifax on its multicultural festival today.

We know that interfaith dialogue has the power to promote greater harmony in Canada. That is why our government is funding grassroots initiatives that bring ethnic, cultural and religious communities together to learn from each other and strengthen our national fabric.

Let us always embrace the richness of our differences.

Yukon Athletes

[Brendan Hanley, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

Mr. Speaker, just this week, Sonjaa Schmidt won gold at the world under-23 cross-country ski championships in Slovenia, the first Canadian woman to bring home the gold at this event.

Our small territory continues to punch way above its weight in cross-country ski racing. Thanks to the amazing snow and trails and the excellent coaching, Yukoners regularly reach Canada's national team, even with just 0.1% of Canada's population.

Recent champions like Derek Deuling, Sasha Masson, Emily and Graham Nishikawa, Dahria Beatty and Knute Johnsgaard add to the legacy of such stars as Lucy Steele and the Firth sisters from Old Crow.

Here is another one. At the recent 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, 15-year-old Yukoner Minty Bradford also competed for Team Canada, with impressive results.

Speaking of impressive, I hope all these athletes have a good time, and I wish good luck to all the curlers, biathletes, those in the Dene games and more who are heading to Mat-Su, Alaska in March as Yukon's team in the Arctic Winter Games. They include my son Finnian in, yes, cross-country skiing.

Go, team Yukon, go.

Lunar New Year

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, xin nián kuài lè. Tomorrow marks the official start of the lunar new year, the most important festival in Chinese and other Asian cultures.

We kicked things off last weekend in Calgary's Chinatown, where I will be celebrating again tomorrow with my friends. For the next weeks, we will be entertained by the drums beating during the lion dance and swirling dragons weaving among us, which is fitting this year as we are celebrating the year of the dragon.

Dragons are much more auspicious creatures in the Chinese zodiac than they represent in western culture. The dragon symbolizes power, nobility, honour, luck and success. This year's dragon, the wood dragon, stands out as the most creative and visionary. It is a year for people to pursue their dreams and be compassionate to their friends.

To all my friends in Calgary's Chinese and East Asian communities, I say “gung hei fat choy” and “gong xi fa cai”.

I offer them my best wishes for a new year filled with love, peace and prosperity.

Youth Sport Charity

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, KidSport is a national charity that provides funding so that all kids in Canada can play their favourite sports.

I am so proud that KidSport received over $4.4 million through the government's community sport for all initiative back in 2022. It has been almost two years, so I have some updates.

With that support from the government, KidSport helped over 27,000 kids across Canada participate in sports but also opened new community chapters, so that funding has created a legacy for years to come. One of those new chapters is in Halton Region, so more kids from Milton, Oakville, Burlington and Halton Hills will have access to affordable sport.

Sport, physical activity and recreation keep us physically healthy and mentally strong and bring our communities together, but sport also boosts our economy, creates jobs and decreases health care costs. Actually, physical inactivity costs Canadians almost $7 billion every year. That is $175 for each Canadian. Therefore, it literally pays to be active.

I want to send a huge high-five out to our partners at KidSport and thank all the coaches, volunteers, donors, fundraisers, parents and athletes who bring sport to life in our communities from coast to coast to coast.

I thank KidSport.

Carbon Tax

[Gerald Soroka, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this NDP-Liberal government, Canadians face a cost of living crisis, made worse by the April 1 carbon tax hike.

Liberal-appointed senators gutted Bill C-234, stopping carbon tax carve-outs for farmers.

Canadians face higher prices, because when one taxes the farmer who grows the food and the trucker who ships the food, Canadians pay more for the food.

The Liberal plan to quadruple the carbon tax from 14¢ to 61¢ a litre is outrageous. By increasing this tax, the Liberals are contributing to the hardship of over two million Canadians relying on food banks. By pressuring senators to oppose carbon tax carve-outs, this Prime Minister is not worth the cost.

Conservatives demand that Bill C-234 be passed in its original form, to help farmers and families. Our common-sense plan is to axe the tax.

Bill C-372

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, this week, the member for Timmins—James Bay revealed the depths of his diabolical penchant for thought control and his yearning for totalitarian power when he tabled his laughable yet chillingly Orwellian bill that would actually put people in jail for saying things he does not like.

Canadian fossil fuels could displace dirty coal, lift people out of poverty, defund Putin's war machine, provide good jobs and generate taxes to pay for health care, but under paragraph 8(b) of this bill, those very words would become a crime. The penalty under clause 19 would be two years in prison and a $500,000 fine.

When socialists do not like the facts, they criminalize debate. After eight years, Canadians are tired of being told what to think and what to say. They are tired of being insulted.

I will keep telling the truth, even if the member for Timmins—James Bay and his Liberal-NDP friends think I belong in jail.

Conservative Party of Canada

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, reducing and stabilizing grocery prices has been a priority for this Prime Minister and this government. The same cannot be said about the Conservative Party. Let me explain why.

A Globe and Mail report says, “Harper’s enforcer: Meet Jenni Byrne, the most powerful woman in Ottawa”. Jenni Byrne was also the campaign manager for not one but two national elections. How about the current leadership? She is one of the reasons why the current leader is the leader of the Conservative Party. She sits on the current leader's inner circle. She attends the Conservative caucus meetings. Why is that a problem? She makes money from Loblaws. She is an advocate for Loblaws.

How is it that the Conservative Party cannot understand what a conflict is? When will it stand up with Canadians and demonstrate some genuine concern about the price of groceries?

Teck Resources

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the federal government has recently announced plans for several major electric vehicle battery plants backed by billions of dollars in investments. Canada has the critical minerals, cobalt, nickel, lithium, to make these batteries, but a big link in future supply chains is missing.

That link is the battery recycling sector that can provide a steady supply of critical minerals as demand for them rises. Teck Resources has a large smelter in Trail, B.C. It is uniquely positioned to become one of the largest recyclers of EV batteries in North America. It has the industrial site, a talented workforce, a ready supply of clean hydro power, expertise in refining and access to its own existing supply chains. Trail already has a network of other battery recycling facilities.

Teck has a proposal for a bold project to build the largest EV battery recycling facility in North America and I urge the federal government to support Teck in this important initiative.

Jacques Duval

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Jacques Duval, founder of The Car Guide, former race car driver and gifted communicator, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 89.

Throughout his long career, he staunchly defended the French language, something the auto sector badly needed. He is the reason why in today's Quebec we commonly speak of “pare-chocs” and “pare-brise” instead of bumpers and windshields. Also, he was not shy about calling out car manufacturers when they disrespected the French language.

The Car Guide, the work of a man who never gave up racing and who knew the Circuit Mont Tremblant race course like the back of his hand, was often the first must-read of many young people who read it cover-to-cover.

In a world that often resists change, Jacques Duval fully embraced the electric transition of recent years and helped write car guides focusing on these greener vehicles.

On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I offer his family and friends our sincere condolences.

ArriveCAN App Investigation

[Eric Duncan, Conservative, Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON]

Mr. Speaker, all eyes will be on the Auditor General's ArriveCAN report on Monday, which is expected to expose the Prime Minister and the Liberals for corruption and incompetence yet again. Shamefully, the NDP and Liberals continue to shut down and cover up investigations into this $54-million boondoggle.

Here is what we know so far: 76% of contracts on ArriveCAN did no work whatsoever; $11 million went to a two-person IT company that did nothing; the RCMP is now investigating ArriveCAN contracts; and government officials are accused of destroying documents. Even worse is when their own officials blew the whistle about this corruption around ArriveCAN, they were suddenly suspended without pay.

As the NDP and Liberals trip over each other to try to cover up the ArriveCAN scandal, Conservatives will get to the bottom of the Auditor General's report and make sure this corruption is fully exposed to Canadians.

Black History Month

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

Mr. Speaker, February is Black History Month.

All year round, but in this month in particular, we highlight the contributions of Black Canadians and Black excellence. In Pierrefonds—Dollard, we have a number of luminaries. Joan Lee is the president of the West Island Black Community Association. Through her leadership, WIBCA continues to be at the forefront of serving the needs of Black West Islanders.

I would also like to acknowledge the work of Asmick Jean-Jacques, the director of La Corde youth centre.

The centre helps build strong and stable young people to build Canada's tomorrow.

Errol Johnson is a long-standing member of our community.

He is the deputy mayor of Dollard-des-Ormeaux and has been a city councillor for over 30 years.

He is the co-founder of the West Island Blues Festival and raises funds for non-profits.

There are so many others, like Malik Shaheed and Akilah Newton, who deserve to be mentioned. They have done excellent work. We salute them and we thank them for their service.

Public Safety

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

Mr. Speaker, after eight years, the Prime Minister is not worth the cost or the crime, and now extortion is the latest crime wave plaguing our communities. When common-sense Conservatives were in office, we toughened penalties for dangerous and repeat offenders and, as a result, the crime rate went down. It turns out that when thugs fear getting caught, they commit fewer crimes. Extortion is up all across the country, thanks to easier penalties and easier bail. Will the government finally admit the mistake of its previous crime legislation and adopt common-sense Conservative policies to keep criminals off the street?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, it is no surprise that the Conservatives do not want to talk about the economy this morning because we have had a blockbuster of good news. The job numbers released today by Statistics Canada show that Canada gained 37,000 new jobs in January. Unemployment is down to 5.7%. Wages have increased by 5.3% in January; among women, 6.2%. We are bringing home big paycheques for Canadians, who are all at work.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is no wonder the Liberals do not want to talk about crime because our communities across the country are becoming less safe. It is a direct result of Liberal legislation that reduced penalties. The Liberals' Bill C-5 actually eliminated a mandatory jail sentence for people who commit extortion. As a result, extortion is up dramatically. It is up 366% in B.C. People are now losing their property and their money because gangsters are extorting them in Canada. After eight years of this Prime Minister, when will he put an end to his soft-on-crime approach?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, there is so much good news that I feel compelled to repeat it. Here is the good news for Canadians. There were 37,000 new jobs in January. This means a total of 345,000 more jobs than last year. The unemployment rate is down to 5.7%. Wages rose by 5.3% in January, and women saw a 6.2% wage increase.

We are bringing home big paycheques for more people working in Canada.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I would just like to remind all members that, as some previous Speakers have put it, this is question period and not necessarily answer period.

The hon. member for Regina—Qu'Appelle.

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

Mr. Speaker, this is a slap in the face to every single victim of violent and dangerous crime in this country. The Liberals are running around telling Canadians that they have never had it so good; meanwhile, business owners and families are being extorted in Canada. A developed G7 country now sees extortion rates as high as 218% up nationally and a 262% increase in Ontario. All the Liberals can do is get up and tell Canadians how good they have had it. When will the Liberals put the rights of victims and honest Canadians first, and put dangerous criminals behind bars where they belong?

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

Mr. Speaker, far too many Canadians have been experiencing this situation. It is precisely why the RCMP is seized with this issue and working directly with local police. This is something we are seeing operating with organized crime. However, what we also know is that the Conservatives' tough talk on crime does not actually create the solutions and the results. We saw that as the Conservatives cut funding to the RCMP to do this very work to crack down on organized crime, but we are going to be there for Canadians.

Housing

[Richard Lehoux, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this government, housing prices and rent have doubled. According to Cathy Fecteau, the director of Fondation Au Bercail in Saint‑Georges, the number of homeless people has also doubled.

Everything has doubled under this Prime Minister, who is not worth the cost. This housing is temporary. Normally, residents can stay there for 30 days, but because of the current difficulties, some of them have been there for 70 days.

Why does the Prime Minister not build more housing instead of building more bureaucracy?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for raising an important question. This is good for the people of Beauce who are watching us today because, for once, they have a government that takes housing seriously.

The agreement that we are negotiating with the provinces will make it possible to build more housing. However, as my colleague said today, we have good economic news that is going to help Canadians across the country.

There is one thing that we have not yet mentioned, and that is that Canada is ranked, not second or third, but first for its battery supply chain. We are investing in Quebeckers, in Canadians and in the future of the country.

[Richard Lehoux, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, that answer proves just how out of touch and asleep at the switch this government is.

It needs to get out of the way so municipalities can build affordable housing, just as Victoriaville, Saguenay and Trois-Rivières have done. The community organization Le Bercail has also had to close its shelter in a neighbouring riding because of the lack of housing and resources. As a result, this community is facing a surge in homelessness.

When will the government help our rural communities build affordable housing?

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives want to talk about housing, but they would not even be able to build a bird house.

They come to Quebec to yell at our mayors and insult them, whether in Montreal, Quebec City or elsewhere. Meanwhile, we have signed an historic agreement with Quebec where each stakeholder is putting in $900 million. That is $1.8 billion to accelerate construction and eliminate red tape, and not just in Montreal, Quebec City or Trois-Rivières, but throughout Quebec.

That is collaboration.

News Media Industry

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Salaberry—Suroît, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the media crisis has once again swept away a part of our news media and a part of our democracy.

Bell is laying off 4,800 employees. This comes on the heels of more than 500 job cuts at Quebecor and 600 at CBC/Radio-Canada. The entire industry has been imploding for years with no meaningful response by the federal government.

Bill C‑11 is having no apparent impact because the CRTC is making zero progress on the regulatory framework. Bill C‑18 is all well and good, and we will happily accept Google's millions, but the job cuts continue.

When is the government going to take action?

[Pascale St-Onge, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my Bloc Québécois colleague that we have been taking action since we came to power in 2015, with the full co-operation of the Bloc Québécois on a host of files.

Earlier on, she mentioned the Broadcasting Act, which we struggled to pass for three years while the Conservatives opposed it at every turn. The same can be said of the Online News Act. The Conservatives filibuster endlessly while we try to help the media.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Salaberry—Suroît, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Ottawa needs to do something while there are still jobs to be saved.

An emergency fund is needed to prevent further cuts. A payroll tax credit is needed for electronic media. A tax credit is needed for advertisers in traditional media. What is needed is an increase in federal advertising investments in traditional media along with a decrease in Liberal investments in Meta.

What we need most of all is a minister who takes action instead of just blaming the Conservatives. When will she take action?