Debates of May 27th, 2024

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform the House that the group will be meeting over the coming week. That does not mean that there is no preparatory work being done. Obviously, a working group with ministers requires advance preparation, and that work is currently under way. I spoke to Minister Fréchette this morning.

I, too, am looking forward to some news because the status quo is unacceptable.

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, since 2017, Quebec has taken in over 50% of those seeking asylum in Canada, even though Quebec has 22% of the population. Let us also not forget that, for months, Canada's immigration minister denied something that was obvious. He denied that there was an imbalance. He even considered the concept of integration capacity suspect. When the immigration ministers met, he finally acknowledged that there were integration capacity issues. He saw the light. Only fools would say they get everything right.

Will the minister stop demonizing Quebec and trying to buy time, and will he finally ensure that asylum seekers are spread out among the provinces?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois is confusing capacity and willingness to integrate newcomers. What I said very clearly to my Quebec counterpart was that we would work together to distribute asylum seekers across the country. Ontario and Quebec have an excessive burden in terms of the number of asylum seekers relative to their population. We need the rest of the country to follow suit.

That is what we are going to do.

Foreign Affairs

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is difficult to find the words to describe the horror of what is going on in Rafah. Women and children were burned alive in tents. They were told they were in a safe zone, in a refugee encampment, yet they were burned alive.

What will it take for the Liberal government to send a message to Netanyahu that what has happened is inexcusable? What will it take for the government to take actions to prevent this genocide from happening?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, even in times of war, there are rules. The images coming out of Rafah are horrific and heartbreaking. Our position has been clear on Rafah. We have been repeating our position for weeks. Palestinian civilians do not have any safe space to go. The killing of innocent civilians is completely unacceptable, and the decisions of the International Court of Justice are binding.

The level of human suffering is catastrophic. That is why we need an immediate ceasefire.

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the images coming out of Rafah are horrifying. Women and children were burned alive.

What will it take for the government to send a clear message to Netanyahu that what he is doing is inexcusable? What will it take for the government to finally take action to prevent this genocide?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, even in times of war, there are rules.

The images coming out of Rafah are horrific and heartbreaking. Our position on Rafah is clear, and we have been repeating it for several weeks now.

Palestinian civilians have nowhere to go. The killing of innocent civilians is completely unacceptable. The decisions of the International Court of Justice are binding. The level of civilian suffering is catastrophic.

That is why there must be an immediate ceasefire.

Carbon Pricing

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary Forest Lawn, AB]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the Liberal-NDP Prime Minister, hunger and homelessness are up, as one in four Canadians is food insecure. It is because the carbon tax scam leaves Canadians with less money in their pockets, food in their bellies and fuel in their cars.

The Prime Minister and the carbon tax scam are not worth the cost. The Conservatives are calling for all federal fuel taxes to be axed this summer so that Canadian families can save an average of $670.

Will the road-raging finance minister stop the road-trip wrecking and implement this common-sense Conservative ask, yes or no?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the only thing the Conservatives believe in is austerity, and the only thing they know how to do is cut, cut, cut. That it is why it is no surprise that they would like to cut the carbon rebates that are putting more money back in the pockets of eight out of 10 Canadians. It is no surprise they want to cut a national school food program. It is no surprise they want to cut our national early learning and child care plan. They have no real plan, but they are letting the country burn.

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary Forest Lawn, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is no doubt that we will cut the carbon tax scam, which will leave more money in Canadians' pockets.

She wants to talk about a food program. That food program has no food in it. The only thing these guys have been feeding over the last nine years is the already obese government.

What common-sense Conservative governments are going to do is axe the tax for good. Why not just call a carbon tax election so we can show them how it is done?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, it is incredibly disappointing to see the misleading information that the hon. member puts forward. It is very clear, as 300 economists and the Parliamentary Budget Officer have said, that eight out of 10 Canadian families get more money back. Our approach is one that addresses the existential threat of climate change and does so in a manner that is affordable for Canadians. To be honest, his constituents should be asking him, and I am sure they are, why he campaigned on putting in place a price on pollution in the last election and is now taking such a hypocritical position.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I will be sure to tell the people in my community, who are suffering under the NDP-Liberal government, that a bunch of well-to-do economists and some tenured professors are saying that life has never been so good. I will make sure I tell them that.

Common-sense Conservatives have put forward a plan. We are asking the government to axe all federal taxes on gasoline from today until Labour Day, meaning that the average Ontarian could save about $600 this summer.

When will the Prime Minister adopt our common-sense plan and axe the carbon tax this summer so that families can take their kids on vacation?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, I am glad that folks in the House are finally being honest. He is saying to just ignore the facts. Ignore the facts; make it all up.

At the end of the day, eight out of 10 families get more money back. Every reputable authority says that. It is only the Conservatives, who campaigned on the basis of putting in a price on pollution, have now changed their minds and have no plan for the climate except to let the planet burn, who would take a position like that.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Mr. Speaker, food bank usage is at the highest level it has ever been, and that is because of the policies of the NDP-Liberal government. In fact, this summer, my community, which relies on tourism, is being punished because the Liberals refuse to reduce their carbon tax. Canadians can actually save money. In Ontario, approximately $600, from today until Labour Day, could be saved if the Liberals reduced the tax on all gasoline.

When will the Liberals accept this and give a break to Ontarians, who just want a vacation this summer?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, during the pandemic, the Conservatives would not have been there for small businesses and people who were suffering. The Conservatives' response to the challenges around the globe is to say to people who are suffering to pretend those issues are not happening in our country. They can help them out by taking away their rebate check. They can help by taking away dental care from a senior, or help by taking away a diabetic patient's medication.

We do not help vulnerable people in a time of global turmoil by cutting their essential supports. We help them by standing up and standing behind them, and that is what our government does every day.

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

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of this Liberal government and its out-of-control spending, Quebeckers are facing a full-blown cost of living crisis and are in desperate need of relief. That is why we are calling for the elimination of federal taxes on gas to lower prices at the pump.

We need vehicles to get around during summer vacation, but instead of supporting us, the Bloc Québécois thinks everywhere is like Plateau‑Mont‑Royal and everyone can just take the bus. Will the Prime Minister agree to our request and axe the federal gas tax for the summer?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleague to go meet with economists at Université Laval to get a grasp of the very simple fact that eight out of 10 families are getting more money back than they are paying for the price on carbon.

The reason is very simple: The proceeds from the price on carbon are returned to Canadians. Wealthier Canadians pay more. Middle-class and lower-income Canadians receive more. It is as simple as that. In other words, eight out of 10 families are receiving more money back than they are paying for the price on carbon. This is true across the country, wherever the price on carbon applies.

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

Mr. Speaker, we know that the minister often spends time at the university. He still has a job there. It looks like he is expecting to get a new job after the next election.

I would also remind the minister that no one in Quebec receives a compensation cheque. The excise tax, the GST and the 19¢-per-litre gas tax need to be axed for Quebeckers, since they do not get reimbursed for them. Will the minister agree to axe the federal taxes for the summer so that Quebeckers can go on vacation and pay 19¢ less per litre of gas?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Speaker, if my colleague does not like the economists at Université Laval, there are plenty of economists across the country he can consult. Three hundred of them signed a letter that explains to the Conservatives, who are a bit hard-headed, that eight out of 10 families get more money back from the rebate than they pay because of the price on carbon. It is not complicated: All the proceeds from the price on carbon are returned to Canadians. Wealthier Canadians pay more. Middle-class and lower-income Canadians get more back in their pockets. Plus, of course, it reduces pollution.

Climate Change

[Kristina Michaud, Bloc, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, some people think that Canada is too small to have any impact on climate change. On Thursday, Carbon Brief reminded us that it compiled data on greenhouse gas emissions dating back to 1850 to determine which countries are historically responsible for climate change.

Canada is in the top 10. It is by far the least populated country in the top 10, which means that Canada is the largest contributor to global warming per capita. Nevertheless, Canada continues to increase its oil production, particularly through the Trans Mountain pipeline. Encouraging harmful oil production means being responsible for climate change. When will the Liberals stop it?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. I would like to remind her that Climate Scorecard gave Canada a grade of 70% in 2024 for our climate change performance and that our greenhouse gas emissions dropped by over 50 million tonnes.

That is the equivalent of taking 15 million cars off our roads. We are getting there. We need to do our part in fighting climate change. Every sector of the economy and every region of the country must contribute to the fight against climate change.

[Kristina Michaud, Bloc, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, again, according to Carbon Brief, Canadians have historically been the major contributors to climate change per capita. The Canadian Press investigated the sharp rise in infectious diseases linked to climate change. It found that there has been a 1,000% increase in Lyme disease cases in Canada over the past 10 years.

Public health is even concerned that wet weather may promote the emergence of mosquitoes responsible for diseases such as Zika virus and malaria. There is a human cost to being responsible for climate change. Is it not time for Canada to finally crack down on its abusive oil and gas production?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my hon. colleague that in recent years, we implemented a clean fuel standard, which the Conservatives promised to do during the last election campaign, but they changed their minds.

We continue to move forward with carbon pricing, which the Conservatives promised to do during the last election campaign, but they changed their minds. We have put in place methane regulations and a zero-emission vehicle standard to ensure that Canada has only zero-emission vehicles by 2035.

We are taking action to fight climate change and protect Canadians.

[Kristina Michaud, Bloc, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, according to Carbon Brief, Canadians per capita are historically primarily responsible for climate change.

Quebeckers are much less responsible. While an individual Canadian emits more than 21 tonnes of greenhouse gases a year, a Quebecker emits 9.8. That is less than half. Why? It is because we do not produce dirty oil in Quebec.

However, we pay for this dirty oil when the federal government invests our money in projects such as Trans Mountain. Ottawa makes us unwilling accomplices to those who are responsible for climate change.

Why not get out of dirty oil instead of getting Quebeckers into it unwillingly?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my hon. colleague that more than half of the oil consumed in Quebec is Canadian oil and that as Quebeckers, we consume 360,000 barrels of oil every day.

Yes, our record is better than the rest of the country, but Quebec also needs to make an effort. No one is off the hook from fighting climate change. No one is better than everyone else. We must all work on fighting climate change.