Debates of May 28th, 2024

Opioids

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

Mr. Speaker, in my province of British Columbia, overdose is now the leading cause of death for children aged 10 to 18. Think about that. This would have been unimaginable nine years ago, and now it is a new norm.

After unleashing a wave of crime, chaos and death in our streets, the government's solution to the crisis is to hand out taxpayer-funded drugs like it is candy, flooding our streets with deadly opioids. The so-called safe supply is key to the NDP-Liberal drug legalization plan, but in reality, it is anything but safe. New research reveals that 100% of British Columbians surveyed—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I hate to interrupt the hon. member.

I am going to ask all members to please keep their comments. Statements by members are important.

I am going to ask the hon. member for Cariboo—Prince George to start his statement from the top.

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

Mr. Speaker, in my province of British Columbia, overdose is now the leading cause of death for children aged 10 to 18. Let us think about that. This would have been unimaginable nine years ago, and now it is the new norm.

After unleashing a wave of crime, chaos and death in our streets, the government's solution to the crisis is to hand out taxpayer-funded drugs like they are candy, flooding our streets with deadly opioids. The so-called safe supply is key to the NDP-Liberal drug legalization plan, but in reality, it is anything but safe. New research reveals that 100% of British Columbians surveyed are opposed to so-called safe supply. Even recovered addicts called the radical drug policy a failure, saying that if they had been offered safe supply rather than treatment, they would not have been able to overcome their addictions.

If the Prime Minister refuses to put an end to his radical drug policies, he should step aside immediately and let common-sense Conservatives invest in treatment and recovery.

Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec

[Brenda Shanahan, Liberal, Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, with the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, our government is investing in our Quebec businesses.

Such investments include: in Lévis—Lotbinière, $1 million to help JL Leclerc improve its productivity and transition to a green economy; in Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, $1 million to help Plate 2000 expand by reducing its environmental impact; in the riding of my colleague from Mégantic—L'Érable, $2 million to help Fruit d'Or increase its cranberry and blueberry production; in Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, $1.5 million to Diffusion Saguenay for a new immersive production.

The Conservatives want the economic development agencies to be a thing of the past. My colleagues from Quebec should be honest with the businesses in their region and tell them that they are going to slash their investments.

Leader of the New Democratic Party

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years, the NDP-Liberal government is simply not worth the cost. The NDP leader blames everyone but himself, yet blindly supports the Prime Minister's inflationary deficits and policies that have driven up food prices for families. Canadians deserve to know the truth. Since he started holding hands with the Liberals in 2022, food prices have risen to a 40-year high. Perhaps it is because his brother's company is Metro's top lobbyist, or is it because he voted to hike carbon taxes on families, farmers and food? Either way, the NDP leader has sold out hungry families for his pension and power.

Instead of selling out Canadians, common-sense Conservatives will cut taxes, resulting in lower food prices and a stronger economy for all, not just for those who drive a BMW or wear a Rolex. It is time for real Conservative leadership that puts families first.

Housing Construction

[Richard Martel, Conservative, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in the midst of the housing crisis, Quebeckers are literally out on the street. Rents are too expensive, and there is a housing shortage.

Again today, in Le Journal de Montréal, we learn that delays in obtaining a building permit have more than doubled in downtown Montreal and the boroughs. It can take up to 20 months to obtain a building permit downtown. What citizens need is housing now, not in two years.

While Quebeckers have to choose between groceries and paying their rent, the Bloc Québécois has voted for $500 billion in budget appropriations. We are talking about centralizing spending that caused inflation and the housing crisis we are currently experiencing.

That is why my leader has tabled a common-sense plan to build housing, not bureaucracy. The Conservatives will reward cities that build 15% more housing each year, such as in my area, the Saguenay.

The vote will take place tomorrow. I am asking the Prime Minister to allow his MPs to vote freely so that Quebeckers can keep a roof over their heads.

Northern Economy

[Yvonne Jones, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

Mr. Speaker, the northern economy is growing and diversifying. Through programs like the economic development corporations, CanNor and ACOA, investing in the north is helping businesses build on the strengths of northern people and their communities.

Indigenous entrepreneurs and business owners are key drivers in the northern economy, and over half of CanNor's project funding goes to indigenous-led projects across the territories. For example, in Labrador and Nunatsiavut, we have invested over $3 million to support Inuit-led conservation and climate adaptation projects. This funding is empowering Inuit to research and to observe changes to the land, water and sea ice, as well as to create opportunities for youth in their homeland.

Those of us who live in rural communities in northern Canada know how important these programs are. Unlike the Conservatives who vote against these initiatives and programs, we continue to fund and support people—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

The hon. member for Victoria has the floor.

Disability Rights Champions

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize two disability rights champions in my community.

Lembi Buchanan has worked for over 20 years to ensure that people living with severe mental health challenges receive the supports they deserve. She has helped improve the application form for the disability tax credit to include thousands of people who were previously left behind.

Joanne Neubauer passed away this year. She worked tirelessly for nearly 50 years to establish national policies and programs that emphasize justice and self-determination. As the founder for the Action Committee of Persons with Disabilities, Joanne lived her life with true compassion. May her legacy inspire us all to continue this important work.

We need a disability benefit that will truly meet the needs of Canadians with disabilities, too many of whom are living well below the poverty line. We need legislation that removes barriers for people with disabilities. We must keep working to ensure they get the dignity and the respect they deserve.

Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse

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

Mr. Speaker, in the Laurentians, we have our very own Mike Tyson and Mohamed Ali. Her name is Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse and she is the pride of Mont-Laurier. On March 7, Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse became the WBC world champion in front of a jubilant crowd at the Casino de Montréal.

After suffering a setback at a world championship bout in 2017, Vanessa returned to training in full force. Her determination, drive and fighting spirit are an inspiration to us all.

This great heroine works at a day care by day, looking after our little ones, before transforming into a warrior at night. She is proof that when someone puts their mind to something, they can achieve their dreams, confidently and with pride.

We are all proud of Vanessa. She can rest assured that the whole of the Laurentians will be in her corner, every time.

Housing

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

Mr. Speaker, there is “not a chance” that the housing minister will reach his housing target promises. That is a direct quote from Richard Lyall, president of the Residential Construction Council of Ontario. He testified yesterday at the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities. He went on to say, “we're staring into a pit. What we're saying is that when cranes come down, they're not going back up.”

After nine years of the Liberal-NDP Prime Minister, housing costs have doubled. Yesterday's testimony from housing experts confirmed what Conservatives have been saying, which is that “first-time homebuyers are pretty much extinct”, said Lyall. He said, “We effectively tax housing like alcohol and tobacco. It's like a sin tax. It doesn't make sense”.

Clearly, there is no chance the Prime Minister can or will help Canadians. It is time for common-sense Conservative policies, where development fees are not the highest in the continent and where we restore the dream of home ownership.

Kosovo

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this week marks the 25th anniversary of the arrival of the Kosovo refugees who fled the brutal conflict there in 1999. Today, the Canada-Kosovo Parliamentary Friendship Group welcomed a delegation from Kosovo to celebrate the occasion.

Twenty-five years after their arrival, we celebrate the invaluable contributions of Kosovo Canadians to our society. They are contributing as doctors, business owners, as members of the Canadian Armed Forces, in music and as cultural leaders, as scientists and so much more.

The generosity of those Canadians who welcomed and who helped them has been returned many times over. This anniversary serves as a reminder of our shared humanity and our duty of compassion toward those seeking refuge.

We are committed to continuing to support those fleeing war and oppression and to honour the stories of courage and resilience that inspire us to be more inclusive as a society.

Housing

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the incompetence of this Prime Minister and the Liberal mayor of Montreal, who is blocking construction, has caused rents to triple in Montreal.

We learned the worst today. Under the headline “Major holdup”, La Presse reported that, “since 2019, [building] permit wait times have more than doubled.”

Why is the Prime Minister continuing to send $95 million to politicians and municipalities that are blocking construction?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservative leader's hypocrisy is on full display.

Let us talk about his housing proposal, which he has been delaying debate on for months. His proposal would not build homes fast enough, would not reach enough cities and would create unnecessary bureaucracy. The Conservative leader would also rip up the 179 housing agreements and put the GST back on apartment construction. His clear lack of ambition on housing is how we ended up here in the first place.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, everything the Prime Minister said is false.

When I was the minister responsible for housing, we built 200,000 new housing units. In Montreal, the average rent was $700 a month. Now it is $2,000. What is more, the wait time for construction permits has more than doubled.

Why does the Prime Minister not follow my common-sense plan, which involves penalizing Montreal politicians by giving that money back to Quebec municipalities that are accelerating housing construction?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative leader is preying on Canadians' genuine concerns.

When the Conservative leader was the minister responsible for housing, he withdrew the government from co-operative housing. He supported the construction of zero new apartments and he gutted affordable housing initiatives.

Today, his housing proposal continues to fall short. The Conservative leader is all about slogans, not real solutions.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, because of the incompetence of the Prime Minister and the Liberal City Hall in Toronto, rent there has more than doubled over the last nine years. What is worse is that the Prime Minister's so-called housing accelerator fund has given half a billion dollars to Toronto, and only months later, the politicians in that city hiked up homebuilding taxes by 20%. Now 30% of all homebuilding costs are government taxes alone.

Why does the Prime Minister keep sending our money to build bureaucracies that block homes?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we see the Conservative leader's hypocrisy on full display.

Let us talk about their housing proposal, which the Conservative leader has been delaying debate on for months because he knows it's not ambitious enough. His proposal will not build homes fast enough, does not reach enough cities and creates unnecessary bureaucracy. The Conservative leader would also rip up the 179 housing accelerator agreements and put the GST back on apartment construction. His clear lack of ambition on housing is partly how we ended up here in the first place.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, when I was housing minister, we built 200,000 homes in one year, rent was only $900 and mortgage payments were half of what they are today.

Fast-forward to the present, and the Prime Minister has given half a billion dollars to Toronto City Hall to jack up new taxes on homebuilding. It is no wonder. When the president of the Residential Construction Council of Ontario, Richard Lyall, was asked whether the Prime Minister would keep his promise for 3.9 million new homes by the end of the decade, he said, “Not a chance.”

Why does the Prime Minister not stop funding bureaucracy so that we can get out of the way and build homes?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, it is shameful that the Conservative leader continues to exploit the very real anxieties of Canadians.

As the Conservative leader was housing minister, let us talk about his record. He withdrew the government from co-operative housing. He supported the construction of zero new apartments. He gutted affordable housing initiatives and created new bureaucracies.

His housing proposal today continues to fall short. The Conservative leader is simply all slogans and no answers.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, my common-sense plan to build homes would reward municipalities that speed up permits and punish the politicians who get in the way. The Prime Minister's approach has not only doubled housing costs, but built up Toronto City Hall with monstrous financial transfers so that it can block construction.

There have been 50 new tent encampments added in the city of Toronto in six weeks. There are 250 tent cities in Toronto alone. Is that his plan, to block homes and put up tents?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the so-called plan that the Conservative leader has put forward on housing does absolutely nothing to address homelessness or encampments.

We are investing hundreds of millions of dollars to help municipalities across the country build more housing rapidly and create the wraparound supports necessary to support people facing homelessness. We continue to be there with the most ambitious and comprehensive housing plan this country has ever seen.

This is part of what we are doing to make up for the lost years for which he was housing minister 10 years ago, not creating housing for Canadians and not investing in our future.

Democratic Institutions

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a report on foreign interference that included the 2019 and 2021 elections reveals a serious lack of coordination and rigour. I would even venture to say that the Prime Minister's Office swept everything under the rug.

The Prime Minister probably does not know the whole story, because he himself admits that he did not read the reports. He is just not interested, and that is not leadership.

How does the Prime Minister plan to stop this kind of complicity in foreign interference, particularly from his own office?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we thank the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency for its report and its diligent work, of course.

The report made a number of recommendations, and we are currently following up on them. During the various conversations and investigations into foreign interference, a number of challenges were highlighted with respect to internal communication within our intelligence agencies. We will continue to implement the recommendations and proposals that will improve how we respond as a government to foreign interference.

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, those were not challenges; they were monumental failures resulting from ignorance and carelessness. All parties participated in creating the Hogue commission. Naturally, the commission is calling for information in order to remedy these failures, but the Prime Minister's Office literally withheld information and documents that the commission struggled mightily to obtain. The Hogue commission itself called for the documents, and now it has to make sense of all the pieces.

Will the Prime Minister promise to co-operate fully and unconditionally with the commission from now on?