Debates of May 27th, 2024

Carbon Pricing

[Tim Uppal, Conservative, Edmonton Mill Woods, AB]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years, the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister is not worth the hunger or the homelessness. The Calgary Herald reports of a single mother struggling to feed her family. Edith said, “I pay all of the important things first, mortgage, utilities, insurance, condo fees. Then feeding the kids. If I have anything left over, they can do activities”. She has resorted to feeding her family at the community kitchen.

Far too many Canadians are in this sad reality. When will the government axe the carbon tax, give Canadians a break and allow people like Edith to feed their families?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Housing]

Mr. Speaker, I take my hon. colleague's concerns as sincere, but it is ironic that he puts his question on the floor of the House of Commons just hours after a debate on his leader's bill, which proposes to cut many of the supports that will help people like Edith. The Conservatives put forward measures that are going to increase taxes on home construction. Their plan includes billions of dollars in cuts to support communities that are dealing with homelessness. They plan to cut the very funds that build affordable housing opportunities for families in need.

The government will continue to make the investments that will support vulnerable people in their time of need. I invite Conservatives to join us.

[Tim Uppal, Conservative, Edmonton Mill Woods, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is the government's failed policies that have doubled the cost of housing. We would cut the carbon tax and allow families like Edith's to afford to pay for groceries.

After nine years, the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister is not worth the hunger or the homelessness. According to the Salvation Army, 26% of Canadians are skipping or reducing their meals because they cannot afford to buy groceries, and one in four Canadians is skipping meals so they can afford for their children to have food.

The government's out-of-control spending and the carbon tax are driving Canadians into poverty. When will it cut the carbon tax and give Canadians a break?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Housing]

Mr. Speaker, it is disingenuous in the extreme for the hon. colleague to argue that the very measures that put more money in the pockets of vulnerable people are driving the concerns they are experiencing now. At the same time, he is putting forward a plan, standing behind his leader, that wants to make sure we cut programs that are building affordable housing, that cuts funding going to cities and that cuts programs supporting vulnerable families, whether they are programs to provide affordable child care, dental care or essential medicines to people in need.

It takes investments to support the vulnerable Canadians who live in our communities. We are going to make them.

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the NDP-Liberal government, Canadians are hungry and homeless. Two million Canadians are now visiting food banks each month. The Salvation Army just reported that one in four Canadians has skipped or reduced the size of at least one meal because they cannot afford to buy groceries. In Niagara Falls, Project Share served more than 13,000 people last year, or one in seven residents.

Instead of piling on more taxes and making life more expensive, when will the NDP-Liberal government axe the tax to provide the relief that struggling Canadians so badly need?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, 10 years ago, when the party opposite was in power, there were over two million more people in poverty. It is a bit difficult to take their protestations when they had the opportunity and did not talk about these issues.

There may be a senior who has had plastic plates to crush food in their mouth, but this week, will get dentures in their mouth for the first time in 41 years. My simple, direct question is this: When the Conservatives are dealing with such a senior, do they believe that senior should get dentures, and will they support making sure that she does?

Grocery Industry

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is picnic and barbecue season, and people are wondering what they will be able to buy to eat.

While Quebeckers are racking their brains, CEOs are rubbing their hands together because the money is pouring in. They are laughing all the way to the bank because they know the Liberals will not make them pay their fair share.

Forget the Conservatives. They would never dare touch their donors' profits.

Will the Liberals finally admit what everyone already knows? As long as they are in office, there will be no break for people who can no longer afford groceries.

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

Mr. Speaker, our government has an economic plan to ensure fairness for all generations. We have a plan to ensure tax fairness.

That is why our plan is asking wealthier Canadians to pay their fair share. With this revenue, our government will help Quebeckers with dental care, which will help children across the country.

Climate Change

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

Mr. Speaker, a recent report outlines the devastating impacts of the climate crisis over the next decade. We can expect ecosystems collapsing, our emergency responses overwhelmed and a scarcity of vital resources. In the face of this, the Liberals keep breaking their climate promises. In fact, they are still allowing big polluters to increase their emissions. Meanwhile, the Conservatives cannot even agree on whether climate change is real.

The Prime Minister is meeting with his Youth Council. Is he going to be honest about how he is fuelling the climate crisis and endangering their future?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to correct my hon. colleague. Since before the pandemic, our emissions have gone down in Canada, and we have one of the best performances of all G7 countries when it comes to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions since 2019.

However, I would agree with the member that more needs to be done, which is why we have put together the first-ever national adaptation strategy, working with provinces, territories, indigenous nations and municipalities to ensure that we are better prepared to help Canadians and their communities face the impacts of climate change. This is something that, unfortunately, the Conservative Party of Canada cannot even bring itself to mention.

Housing

[Michael Coteau, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, our government presented Canadians with a housing plan that will increase the housing supply across the country. A core measure of the plan is the removal of GST from new apartments, student housing and co-operatives.

Earlier today, the House debated the Conservative leader's housing plan, Bill C-356. The bill would actually put the tax back on the construction of middle-class apartments.

Can the Minister of Housing tell Canadians where the government stands on the Conservative leader's plan to reimpose a rent tax on middle-class apartments?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Housing]

Mr. Speaker, I can just imagine the setting when the leader of the Conservatives sat down with the napkin he wrote his housing plan on and thought: “What can I do to address the housing crisis? Idea one, raise taxes on home construction.”

I cannot make this stuff up, but that is not all. The Conservatives also plan to cut funding for affordable housing. They plan to cut funding for cities that build more housing, and they plan to cut the measures that are going to make it easier for people to buy their first home.

When we look at the Conservative leader's private member's bill, we will not find a housing plan; we will find a disaster.

The Economy

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years, the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister is not worth the hunger and homelessness. A recent CBC report highlighted the reality for people living in Thunder Bay. There, neighbours are having to share groceries and other essentials just to be able to get by.

Now, realizing that Canadians are struggling and that the Liberals' plan has received a failing grade from the poverty report card, will the Prime Minister finally axe the carbon tax and stop his inflationary spending to bring home lower prices for all Canadians?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Housing]

Mr. Speaker, I have a hard time accepting this question from the member, whom I respect and believe is here for the right reasons. He puts the question in a frame of homelessness, but he is willing to stand behind his leader's proposition to cut funding that serves homeless Canadians across this country.

I never hear ideas from the Conservatives about making more investments to support vulnerable people. I never hear ideas from the Conservatives that will actually result in more homes being built. It is cut, cut, cut every step of the way. They do not want to put measures in place that will help vulnerable Canadians. We absolutely will.

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the minister can try to deflect and deny as much as he wants, but the fact of the matter is that, after nine years, it is his government's policies that have caused hunger and homelessness to rise. One in four Canadians is struggling to put food on the table. People are spending over 30% of their incomes on housing alone. This is the NDP-Liberal plan in action.

How can the government possibly believe its plan is working?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Housing]

Mr. Speaker, he wants to talk about our policies on affordability. How about the Canada child benefit, which puts more money in the pockets of nine out of 10 Canadian families and stops sending child care checks to millionaires? His party voted against it. Let us look at the change that restored the age of retirement to 65 from 67. His party voted against it. Let us look at the guaranteed income supplement for low-income single seniors, which increased by up to $947. His party voted against it. Let us look at the student loan forgiveness measures for health care professionals who work in communities such as mine. His party votes against it. Every time Conservatives have a chance to help someone, they say no.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP-Liberal government is receiving a failing grade in Newfoundland and Labrador. Back home, according to Food Banks Canada in its annual poverty report card, almost half are paying more than 30% of their earnings to house themselves and 40% are worried about feeding themselves.

After nine years, the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister is not worth the hunger and the homelessness. Will he listen to the premiers who begged him to axe the tax, so people can feed and house themselves?

[Gudie Hutchings, Liberal, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, if my hon. colleague opposite really wanted to do something for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and all Atlantic Canadians, he would vote to pass the fall economic statement, because that would mean $1,430 to families of four in his riding. It would mean $2,160 to families of four in Alberta, $1,805 to families in Saskatchewan, $1,440 to families in Manitoba, $1,300 to families in Ontario and $912 to families in New Brunswick. That is how we help Canadians.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I find that a bit rich coming from my colleague from Long Range Mountains, who voted against Bill C-251, against the seal industry, against the fishing industry and against the people in her very own riding.

Back to the matter at hand, 45% of people back home have an inadequate standard of living, 35% have a severely inadequate standard of living and 26% are experiencing food insecurity.

After nine years, will the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister, who is not worth the hunger and not worth the homelessness, axe the tax and listen to the premiers back home?

[Gudie Hutchings, Liberal, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, I will tell members what we do on this side of the House. On this side of the House, we support communities and we support businesses. I would love to hear the member opposite comment on the 181 projects that ACOA has funded in his riding that supported 64 businesses and 43 not-for-profit organizations; he voted against every single one of those.

That is supporting businesses. That is supporting communities. That is what we do.

Official Languages

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Mr. Speaker, while the Liberals were making headlines with their contradictions about French, the report of the Office québécois de la langue française slipped by almost unnoticed.

However, guess which sector heads the list of workplaces where working in French is often the most difficult? It is the federal government. The federal government is the worst economic sector in Quebec when it comes to Quebeckers' right to work in their language.

Are the Liberals finally going to stop fostering the decline of French in Quebec?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, our two official languages are an asset for all Canadians. We continue to protect both official languages all the time, every month and every year.

Since 2015, our government has been committed to enhancing French and English after 10 years of underinvestment by the opposition. That is what we have done.

Let us continue to protect both official languages always.

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Mr. Speaker, according to the Office québécois de la langue française, the federal government is the worst workplace when it comes to anglicizing workers. The impacts are catastrophic.

Take Gatineau for example, where the federal government is the largest employer. Between 2016 and 2021, the proportion of people working primarily in French fell from 77% to 62%, a drop of 17% in just four years. Quebec's fourth-largest city is being anglicized at breakneck speed with the help of the Liberals.

I ask again, are the Liberals finally going to stop supporting the decline of French in Quebec?

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

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague from the Bloc Québécois forgot one thing. He failed to mention that he hates the fact that, as we speak, Quebeckers are working to help build the best country in the world, Canada, using offices on both the Quebec and Ontario sides of the river.

Quebeckers also contribute in large part to ensuring that we have a bilingual country that respects its two official languages, and they are helping maintain and grow Canada.

Finance

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years, this Liberal-Bloc Prime Minister is simply not worth the cost.

The Bloc Québécois voted in favour of $500 billion in spending because it wants to keep the Liberal government in power. Quebeckers are homeless, starving and sleeping in dumpsters, and the Bloc Québécois supports the Liberals, who are responsible for this suffering.

Will this Liberal-Bloc Prime Minister stop his reckless spending and let Quebeckers live in dignity?