Debates of April 19th, 2024

Finance

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation]

Madam Speaker, while we work hard every day to deliver for Canadians, Conservatives pretend to care. They have already said they will vote against the budget this year.

How cruel and heartless do they have to be to vote against feeding hungry kids or giving seniors the dental coverage they need to get their teeth fixed or supporting people with disabilities with hundreds of dollars, tax-free, more per month or building more child care spaces so parents can get back to work or providing insulin to people living with diabetes? They cannot vote against those things if they actually care. Conservatives do not care.

Oil and Gas Industry

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

Madam Speaker, the Liberals should never have bought the Trans Mountain pipeline. It threatens our climate and our coasts. Canadian taxpayers are now on the hook for the government's irresponsible spending to the tune of $35 billion. Liberals ignored the calls from environmentalists and coastal indigenous nations, instead choosing to be in the pocket of big oil and gas.

Why does the government keep backing big polluters when it knows this pipeline is an environmental and economic disaster?

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing]

Madam Speaker, if Canada is to succeed, we know we have to get our resources to market. That is why the TMX pipeline is so important.

The member knows, or ought to know, that the government does not intend to be the long-term owner of the project. A divestment process will be initiated once the project is more advanced, de-risked and, essentially, when consultations with indigenous peoples are completed. This is the vision that we have always laid out, and it is one that we will stick to.

Housing

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, in their budget on Thursday, the Liberals made a lot of announcements on housing, but they did not make the $600-million investment in the territories that Nunavut, Northwest Territories and the Yukon have been desperately asking for. When I go home, I am told more heartbreaking stories of crumbling and overcrowded homes.

Why will the minister not listen to the territorial premiers and give them the funding they need to address the housing crisis?

[Yvonne Jones, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Northern Affairs and to the Minister of National Defence (Northern Defence)]

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for her question. She has been a strong advocate on housing across the Arctic and northern regions.

We are the first government, ever, in history to have direct agreements with indigenous governments to address their housing needs. We have invested billions of dollars, over $3 billion in fact, in housing across the territories, in a number of ways, to help increase the housing and to ensure that people have housing that is affordable to them.

Emergency Preparedness

[Francis Scarpaleggia, Liberal, Lac-Saint-Louis, QC]

Madam Speaker, climate change means more flooding events of increasing intensity and severity. Homeowners in areas prone to flooding, like those in parts of Pierrefonds, in my riding, who were hit by flooding in 2017 and in 2019, worry about the rising cost of flood insurance, and that is if they are lucky enough to remain eligible for flood insurance coverage.

Can the Minister of Emergency Preparedness tell the House how this week's budget is coming to the aid of climate-vulnerable homeowners?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada]

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the member for his very strong advocacy on flood protection.

We know of the devastating impacts that climate change is having on Canadians. Insurance companies are paying out billions of dollars, and those costs are being passed on to Canadians, making it even more expensive to own homes. With budget 2024, we are increasing our investments on a a national, low-cost, flood insurance program. Over the next year, we will work with the provinces and territories to put this program in place.

We will be there for Canadians when climate change impacts their lives.

Public Services and Procurement

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Madam Speaker, this week, the RCMP raided the home of the Prime Minister's top arrive scammer Kristian Firth. The raid is connected to a proposal that Firth's GC Strategies sent to the Deputy Prime Minister and her former chief of staff Jeremy Broadhurst.

What communications did the Deputy Prime Minister and her office have with GC Strategies regarding a proposal that has led to an RCMP raid?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Madam Speaker, just because my colleague on the other side of the aisle repeats something does not necessarily attach it to the facts. The facts in this case are well known.

One thing he said that is entirely factual is that the RCMP is looking into this matter. That is why I would urge people to be careful before they invent and ascribe things to what is an ongoing police investigation. Our government has said that people have a responsibility to be judicious with taxpayers' money, and those who are not will face the consequences.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Madam Speaker, the two-person, basement company, GC Strategies received more than $100 million from the Liberal-NDP government, including $20 million for nothing on arrive scam. We know of a link between GC Strategies and the Deputy Prime Minister and her office regarding a proposal that has led to an RCMP raid.

Has the Deputy Prime Minister been contacted by the RCMP, and will she fully co-operate with the police investigation?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Madam Speaker, again, my friend on the other side simply asserts a series of things that he knows very well are not accurate and attempts to connect a series of dots that simply cannot be connected. He should stick to the basic facts.

The RCMP, following information that was given to it by the Canada Border Services Agency, has decided to look into a series of allegations. It obviously takes its work very seriously, and we should allow Canada's national police force to do its work and to not simply make up stuff in the House of Commons besides the work it is doing.

[Michael Kram, Conservative, Regina—Wascana, SK]

Madam Speaker, after nine years of the Liberal-NDP government, the Prime Minister is just not worth the cost or the corruption.

The ArriveCAN app was originally supposed to cost $80,000, only to skyrocket to $60 million, triggering an RCMP investigation. The contractor admitted to the House that he does not feel ashamed, and the Liberals have not even asked him to repay the money.

When will the Prime Minister get Canadians their money back?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Madam Speaker, I had a chance earlier in today's question period to answer that question, and I am happy to do it again.

Our government has worked with the Auditor General's Office and with parliamentary committees. There is an internal investigation being conducted by the Border Services Agency. All these investigations will, unlike some of our friends on the other side, establish the facts of what happened.

Anybody who has misused taxpayers' money will be required to repay it, and anybody who has misused taxpayers' money will face the consequences. That is why we are pleased that the RCMP is looking into this matter.

[Michael Kram, Conservative, Regina—Wascana, SK]

Madam Speaker, this app went live four years ago in the early days of the pandemic, and it has been the subject of questioning and scrutiny ever since.

While Canadians were losing their businesses and being told by the Prime Minister that we were all in this together, insiders at GC Strategies were milking taxpayers for millions of dollars.

When will the Prime Minister get taxpayers their money back on the arrive scam?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Madam Speaker, we have said, continually, and we will say it again, if people have misused taxpayers' money or have misappropriated public funds, of course efforts will be undertaken to recuperate that money. That is what a responsible government does. However, a responsible government allows the internal reviews and audits, which are under way, to determine exactly what money might be subject to the reimbursement and what the appropriate process is to have that money reimbursed. At the same time, the RCMP is also looking into this matter.

Oil and Gas Industry

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

Madam Speaker, on Thursday morning, gas prices jumped by 15¢ a litre in one fell swoop. That is highway robbery.

The carbon tax is not the culprit. It does not apply in Quebec. It did not even budge Thursday morning. No, the blame lies at the feet of greedy oil and gas companies getting ready for summer by bleeding everyone dry. Those same oil and gas companies, Suncor and CNRL, earned $8 billion in profits last year.

The Liberals, however, are subsidizing oil and gas companies to the tune of $83 billion over 10 years, in addition to having bought them a $34‑billion pipeline.

Is it not time to cut them off?

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and to the Minister of Official Languages]

Madam Speaker, the oil and gas sector must pay its fair share. The sector is making record profits and needs to invest in reducing emissions. We have eliminated inefficient fossil fuel subsidies and are asking the wealthiest 1.1% to pay a little more.

The Conservatives oppose our cap on oil and gas emissions. The Conservatives take their orders from the oil and gas sector.

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

Madam Speaker, one of these days, the government will need to explain what an efficient oil subsidy is.

It is funny, though. The carbon tax, which does not apply in Quebec, has a 0.15% impact on inflation, and yet the Conservatives get all worked up about it every day in Parliament. Meanwhile, when the price of gas goes up by 15¢ a litre, we do not hear a peep from them.

There is a code of silence when oil companies pick taxpayers' pockets, just as there is a code of silence when we ask the government to stop subsidizing oil companies.

Does the government think it is okay to subsidize companies to the hilt, only for them to turn around and raise prices to make more and more profit?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Madam Speaker, I am so pleased to hear the Bloc Québécois say something that is completely true: The federal carbon tax does not apply in Quebec. The Bloc Québécois should talk to the Conservatives about this, because the Conservatives cannot seem to get that through their heads.

On this side of the House, we agree that all sectors of the economy must reduce their emissions. That includes oil and gas companies. We are doing the work to make sure that happens.

Public Services and Procurement

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Madam Speaker, at a time when Canadians are struggling to put food on the table, the Prime Minister's ArriveCAN app has made multimillionaires out of the owners of GC Strategies. This week, Canadians could have finally had some answers about ArriveCAN, but the Prime Minister chose to demand silence on the issue and ignore Canadians' questions. We are talking about $60 million taken away from Canadians and put into the pockets of multimillionaires.

Will the Prime Minister give Canadians back the money they lost with ArriveCAN?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Madam Speaker, my hon. colleague knows very well that the idea that the government has not been transparent is untrue. I know he wants to repeat that, but he knows very well that it not the case.

We have worked with parliamentary committees. We have worked with the Auditor General. We completely agree with the idea that all those who have obtained taxpayers' money in an inappropriate way should be required to pay it back. Of course, as my colleague well knows, the RCMP is also investigating this situation.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Madam Speaker, Canadians work all the time, with nothing to show for their labour and efforts, while the consultants and contractors involved in the ArriveCAN disaster got $60 million from the Prime Minister. That $60 million comes from Canadian taxpayers. It is their money and it was wasted. It was a gift that was handed over in return for no work. Canadians have one simple question, and it demands a simple answer.

When are taxpayers going to get their money back?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Madam Speaker, allow me to repeat what I said in English a moment ago: My colleague knows that an internal investigation is being conducted by the Canada Border Services Agency. Its purpose is precisely to determine the amounts of money that may have been misused. We have to wait for the facts before demanding repayments. We fully understand and share Canadians' concern about the importance of treating taxpayers' money properly. That is exactly what is going to happen.

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

Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister's arrive scam app was supposed to cost $80,000. The Prime Minister chose the app, mandated its use and, along with the NDP, voted for $60 million to fund it. Shady contractors got rich without doing any IT work, while the app itself failed and erroneously sent tens of thousands of Canadians into quarantine. The RCMP is knocking. The main contractors got $20 million.

When will the Prime Minister get Canadians their money back?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Madam Speaker, the same question begets the same answer. We have said from the beginning that the government has welcomed the scrutiny of parliamentary committees. We have worked with the Auditor General and have implemented her recommendations. My colleague, the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, has changed the way that these contracts are awarded and the oversight provisions.

We will continue to do what is necessary to ensure taxpayers' money is well spent, and we will continue to obviously hold those to account who do not follow the rules.