Debates of April 19th, 2024

Veterans Affairs

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Madam Speaker, our veterans and their families have sacrificed so much for our country. We have a solemn and sacred duty to support our veterans, who have served courageously and honourably. We know how hard it can be for a veteran transitioning to civilian life to find a doctor. When veterans were active members in the Canadian Armed Forces, they received health care directly from the forces.

Can the Minister of Veterans Affairs tell us how she will help veterans and their families access these services?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence]

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my friend and colleague for her important question and for her hard work on behalf of veterans in her community.

Budget 2024 increases our support for veterans and their families. Telemedicine services are available across the country for veterans and their families. That is one of the important measures for veterans in this new budget. The pilot project has been successful, and we know that expanding the telemedicine program will help improve access to health care during their transition period. Our government will always be there to support our veterans and their families.

Public Safety

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

Madam Speaker, after nine years of the NDP-Liberal government, Canada has entered uncharted territory. The government has made Canada a candy store for car thieves, and under its watch, organized crime has made Canada a key exporter of deadly fentanyl.

Canadians, and now the whole world, know that the Prime Minister is not worth the cost. The NDP-Liberal government must take responsibility for this failure, which has brought crime, chaos and corruption not only to Canadian streets, but also to the streets of the whole world.

Is there a Liberal Party leadership candidate who can rise and tell us who has been running this place for the past nine years so that we can hold them to account?

[James Maloney, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Madam Speaker, fearmongering does nothing to encourage Canadians to have more confidence in our justice system. We have one of the safest countries in the entire world.

We had an auto summit just a few short months ago, where all of the different parties came together. Since that time, we have seen an increase in the measures taken by police and other authorities across the country, including the federal government. Car theft is going down and the recovery of stolen cars is going up. These measures continue to work, and we will continue to work with other levels of government and other necessary authorities.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Madam Speaker, this Liberal government has been in power for nine years. We already know, but it bears repeating: It is not worth the cost.

In Montreal, it is the wild west. Criminals do not respect authority. On Wednesday, car thieves, behind the wheel of their stolen car, crashed into highway patrol. Is that normal in a civilized country like Canada? Will the Prime Minister of the Liberal-Bloc coalition end his soft-on-crime policies and throw repeat car thieves in jail?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Madam Speaker, there was a lot of good news in the budget, as the House knows. Some of the good news is that the government and my colleague the Minister of Justice are committed to making changes to the Criminal Code, specifically to target those who steal cars, as my colleague described so well.

We are having meetings and discussions with our key partners to prevent car theft. We will continue to do whatever is necessary in this case.

Health

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Madam Speaker, since 2016, over 40,000 Canadians have died from overdoses. Over a billion dollars has been spent, with zero results. B.C.'s deputy commissioner of the RCMP has confirmed that organized crime is indeed trafficking safe supply. It is going straight from the pharmacy to the hands of criminals, unleashing crime, chaos and disorder in our communities.

After nine years of the Prime Minister and his NDP servants, Canadians are finding out they are not worth the cost. When will the minister of safe supply take responsibility for her failed drug policies and put an end to taxpayer-funded drug policies?

[Élisabeth Brière, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families]

Madam Speaker, we need all partners working together to address the illegal toxic drug supply in our communities. We have and we will continue to support provinces and territories, so that they can deliver the full suite of resources that are needed. Our government will use every tool at our disposal to end this national public health crisis.

Foreign Affairs

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Madam Speaker, Canada's support for Ukraine has been unwavering. Unlike the Conservative Party opposite, which has voted against Ukraine multiple times now, we are stepping up our support through budget 2024.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development please tell the House about the important news for Ukraine through the latest budget?

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development]

Madam Speaker, our government has been there since day one for Ukraine. Budget 2024 is yet another step in making sure that Ukraine wins in its fight against Putin's illegal invasion.

This budget includes almost $3 billion in additional financing, including for lethal and non-lethal weapons, including funding through the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for the reconstruction of Ukraine. We will also see how we can use seized Russian assets for the restoration of Ukraine. We have always been there to support Ukraine.

Indigenous Affairs

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB]

Madam Speaker, the NDP successfully fought against cuts to indigenous services, but it is clear the Liberals still do not get it. Let us look at housing and infrastructure, where the Liberals spent less than 1% of what first nations need. First nations here in Manitoba face a serious infrastructure crisis, but the government still delays helping them, preferring to pat itself on the back for just not being Conservatives.

Will the Liberals commit to partnering with Manitoba first nations to build the infrastructure they desperately need, including the airport in Wasagamack and the desperately needed east side all-weather road?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario]

Madam Speaker, I thank the member opposite for her ongoing advocacy.

Since 2015, we have increased spending on indigenous priorities by 180%. That is right. That is the abysmal state in which we received this file in 2015 from the previous Harper Conservatives, who gave zero cares about the lives of indigenous people.

In fact, budget 2024 dedicates over $9.5 billion to indigenous priorities. A full 25% of the budget goes toward indigenous priorities in this country. We will continue on the path of reconciliation together.

Oil and Gas Industry

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Madam Speaker, in the midst of a climate crisis, the oil and gas industry raked in $38 billion in pure profit in 2022 by gouging Canadians at the pumps, fuelling inflation. Despite claims of fairness in this year's budget, we learned this week that big oil's lobbyists convinced this government to shelve an excess profit tax on these record-breaking profits, which could have generated $4.2 billion to help make life more affordable for regular Canadians.

Can anyone in this government justify to Canadians what is fair about this?

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

Madam Speaker, I would remind the member of what I said earlier when the NDP posed the question on this issue.

We are eliminating inefficient fossil fuel subsidies and introducing a tax on share buybacks. In addition, there are changes to the capital gains that will benefit, on the whole, the vast majority of small businesses in this country. Decreasing the inclusion rate and increasing the lifetime capital gains exemption means that it is the largest corporations that will be asked to pay more to ensure a greater vision of fairness in the country.

Decorum in the House

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Madam Speaker, I understand that, over the constituency week, the Speaker has indicated that he is going to be reviewing some of the things that have been said in the House to further improve decorum here. I would like to contribute to the reflection that he will be doing, and I will reference Standing Order 18 specifically.

Standing Order 18 says that:

No member shall speak disrespectfully of the Sovereign, nor of any of the royal family, nor of the Governor General or the person administering the Government of Canada; nor use offensive words against either House, or against any member thereof. No member may reflect upon any vote....

My point is that, today, during question period, the member for Regina—Wascana referred to the Prime Minister as “corrupt” and to the government as “corrupt”. Although he did it today, it has been done a number of times in the House. I would say that terminology specifically goes against Standing Order 18. I would encourage the Chair, during this time of reflection over that week that he indicated he was going to do that, to consider my comment on this and to weigh into whether or not this is actually—

[Some hon. members]

Debate.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Madam Speaker, they keep yelling “debate”. This is one of the few times I am actually rising on a point of order that is actually is a point of order.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Yes, it is a point of order on information that is to be provided to the Speaker.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Madam Speaker, I would ask that you reflect on and include in your deliberations and reporting back to the House whether or not the word “corrupt” in reference to an individual or the government is appropriate.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

It is taken up.

The hon. member for Saskatoon—University on a point of order.

[Corey Tochor, Conservative, Saskatoon—University, SK]

Madam Speaker, if you ask the Ethics Commissioner about all of the infractions that the Prime Minister has been charged and convicted with on corruption, you will find the truth to be that this is a corrupt government and Prime Minister.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

That is a point of debate.

The hon. member was rising to provide a specific word to the Speaker.

The hon. member for Drummond is also rising on a point of order.

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Madam Speaker, I would like to build on what my colleague just said. I actually raised a point of order about this yesterday with the Speaker, who was in the chair at the time, to ask him to once again set out strict rules and clear guidelines for members to follow. That would help us to better understand how far we can go. Right now and for the past few months, there has been a lack of consistency in the way freedom of expression is interpreted in the House and in the way measures are applied when members cross the line or do not follow the guidelines, which, again, are not exactly clear.

I want to take this opportunity to reiterate my request that the Chair come back after the parliamentary recess with a clearer game plan, with guidelines, so that we know what the limits are and we have a better idea of what we can and cannot say.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Madam Speaker, I want to stress that the decisions that the Speaker will have to make in the next few days need to include, as the Conservatives raised yesterday, the use of false titles.

We have the Conservatives repeatedly using, during question period, false titles. They talk in English about an NDP-Liberal government, and they talk in French about a Bloc-Liberal government. This is false, and it is misleading using false titles. It is something that was very much not permitted during the Harper government in the House of Commons and should not be permitted now.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

On another point of order, the hon. member for Portage—Lisgar.