House of Commons Hansard #337 of the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was conservatives.
Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipOral Questions
Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs Québec
Liberal
Marc Miller LiberalMinister of Immigration
Mr. Speaker, of course we need a plan that makes sense for all of Canada. Two provinces are contributing more than their fair share: Ontario and Quebec. The other provinces have to get on board. The federal government is offering financial and organizational incentives.
We are here to work, regardless of the efforts by certain provincial premiers to exploit this issue for their own re-election campaigns.
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about the provinces that are refusing to help Quebeckers in welcoming asylum seekers: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Alberta. What do these provinces have in common? They have Conservative premiers.
Those Conservatives are telling Quebeckers to deal with it themselves, to take care of the asylum seekers for them, while they continue to mock them. To be clear, the resettlement plan is the responsibility of the Minister of Immigration.
Would it not be helpful if the Conservative leader told his gang to stop dumping their responsibilities on Quebeckers?
Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipOral Questions
Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs Québec
Liberal
Marc Miller LiberalMinister of Immigration
Mr. Speaker, without further comment, it is certainly dangerous to see politicians scoring points on the backs of asylum seekers.
Damien Kurek Conservative Battle River—Crowfoot, AB
Mr. Speaker, taxes are up, costs are up, crime is up, and after nine years, time is up. Over the summer, I heard too many heartbreaking stories of folks struggling to get by. The NDP-Liberals' carbon tax is making life unaffordable. Now, after voting for it 24 times, the NDP is even saying that it is abandoning the carbon tax.
So, my question to the minister is simple. Will the Liberals join their coalition partners to axe the carbon tax?
Jonathan Wilkinson LiberalMinister of Energy and Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, the price on pollution and the Canada carbon rebate are an affordability measure. Eight out of 10 Canadians get more money back than they pay in the price on pollution, and the price on pollution is also an effective and efficient way to fight climate change. That is why progressives, including many who voted for the New Democratic Party in the last election, were shocked at the position that was taken by the leader of the New Democratic Party, walking away from a plan on climate change. Shame on them. They will have to explain that to their voters down the road.
Damien Kurek Conservative Battle River—Crowfoot, AB
Mr. Speaker, the PBO disputes those very things.
The carbon tax is, by design, meant to raise prices, and the consequences are devastating. Red Deer, Alberta, a city of only 100,000 people, has seen food bank usage skyrocket in recent years to 30,000, and this year, it is on track to have 40,000 individuals who need help from the food bank. That is in a city of fewer than 100,000 people.
My question is simple. Will the Liberals call a carbon tax election so that Canadians can decide to axe the tax?
Jonathan Wilkinson LiberalMinister of Energy and Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, as I said a moment ago, the Canada carbon rebate and the price on pollution are in fact an affordability measure that helps those who live on modest incomes the most. It is certainly true that 300 economists in this country have validated that to be true.
The leader of the opposition and his minions across the way can make up facts, they can talk about untruths, but at the end of the day, it is very clear that this is a progressive policy that helps us to fight climate change and address affordability concerns. I would ask the hon. member across the way to actually do his homework.
Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the NDP-Liberals, taxes are up, costs are up, crime is up, and guess what? Time is up.
This costly coalition is hurting Canadians. Over nine million Canadians do not know where their next meal is going to come from. That is a 111% increase of Canadians facing food insecurity, and quadrupling the carbon tax will only make things worse. Canadians cannot afford any more media stunts from this costly coalition. Will the Prime Minister just end the suffering and call a carbon tax election?
Jenna Sudds LiberalMinister of Families
Mr. Speaker, as we have just returned from the summer break, I would like to take a moment to talk about the programs that a Conservative government professes to want to cut. Over the summer, we have made a number of announcements on new, affordable, $10-a-day child care spots. Look at this: 600 new spots in B.C., 950 new spots in Manitoba, and here we have 5,000 new spots over the next year in Saskatchewan. What do the Conservatives say? They say, “No more affordable child care.”
Emmanuella Lambropoulos Liberal Saint-Laurent, QC
Mr. Speaker, Canadians have been expressing their concerns about auto theft over the past year and have asked for solutions.
We took their concerns to heart and we took action. We updated the Criminal Code and provided funding to law enforcement through budget 2024 and our national action plan on combatting auto theft.
Can the Minister of Justice outline some of the progress we have made in protecting communities with regard to this issue?
Arif Virani LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, in the first six months of this year, vehicle theft in Quebec decreased by 36% compared to last year.
This improvement came after we increased penalties, introduced new offences and allocated funds for border and police forces.
After the last Conservative government's budget cuts for ports, we are pleased that things are getting back to normal. We will continue to work for Quebeckers and for everyone in Canada.
Raquel Dancho Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB
Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the NDP-Liberals, taxes are up, costs are up, crime is up and time is up. Under their watch, women and children are being victimized and violated by criminals who, under Liberal policies, are being let out on bail, house arrest and parole. After nine years, the results are truly terrible. Sexual assaults, for example, are up 75% and sexual violations against children are up 120%, under their watch.
When will the Liberals put the needs of the victims first and ensure jail, not bail, for repeat violent offenders?
Arif Virani LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, we take community safety extremely seriously. It is my top priority. Since I have taken office, we have increased the penalties on people who target individuals, including people who target people's automobiles. We have funded police to the tune of $161 million to assist them in their important work. I can advise the member opposite on three important things. The people who are making decisions on bail are provincially appointed justices of the peace or provincial judges. The people who decide to appeal decisions on bail are provincial crown attorneys. As for the people who decide whether offenders have a place to go when they are denied bail, those are provincial correctional facilities. The member should talk to the provinces.
John Williamson Conservative New Brunswick Southwest, NB
Mr. Speaker, after nine years of NDP-Liberals, tax is up, costs are up, crime is up and time is up, and so are job losses because of the incompetent Liberal fisheries minister. She does not listen to Atlantic Canada's fishing communities. The industry is left in the dark. Even former DFO scientists say that she is playing politics with lives and livelihoods. In July, the fisheries minister cut the Bay of Fundy herring quota by 24%. The result was over 100 job losses.
Will she do her job and reverse the cuts—
The Speaker Liberal Greg Fergus
The hon. Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.
Diane Lebouthillier LiberalMinister of Fisheries
Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure my colleague that we are working closely with scientists.
For several years now, herring stocks have been struggling in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. To avoid a repeat of what happened with shrimp in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, we are making smart decisions, unlike the Conservatives, who would gladly scrape the sea bottom clean. That is out of the question.
We reduced herring stocks to save the regional economy.
Stephen Ellis Conservative Cumberland—Colchester, NS
Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the NDP-Liberal government, taxes are up, costs are up, fisheries crime is up and the time is up. The situation in Nova Scotia's fishing communities, which has previously been described as lawlessness, continues to deteriorate. In spite of repeated warnings, the incompetent Minister of Fisheries and Oceans refuses to do anything. There is significant concern that the situation will spiral out of control.
When will this woefully inadequate minister realize the importance of the Atlantic Canadian fishery and the very real threat to lives and livelihoods and do her job?
Diane Lebouthillier LiberalMinister of Fisheries
Mr. Speaker, I think my colleagues across the way have a very short memory. I just want to remind them what the groundfish moratorium did to our coastal communities. I want to remind them what happened with shrimp last winter and how catastrophic it was for our regions. I also want to remind them how climate change in the Gulf of St. Lawrence is affecting all fish stocks. What I am hearing from the other side is truly shameful. Then again, I am not surprised because the Conservatives do not believe in climate change.
Our decisions will always be based on science.
Kody Blois Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
Mr. Speaker, millions of Canadians tuned in to CBC and Radio-Canada to cheer on Team Canada at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris. Our athletes pushed limits, set new records, and brought us all together via the power of sport. In Kings—Hants, we are deeply proud of the Kennetcook kid, Wyatt Sanford, who won Canada's first Olympic bronze medal since 1996 when he took home the bronze. I even had the chance to spar and throw punches with him and the Prime Minister this summer.
Can the Minister of Sport let the House know how we are supporting athletes like Wyatt so they can keep representing Canada with pride and excellence?
Carla Qualtrough LiberalMinister of Sport and Physical Activity
Mr. Speaker, Canadians from coast to coast proudly celebrated the exceptional performances of Team Canada this past summer. Canadians won a record number of medals, inspired the next generation of Olympic and Paralympic athletes, and made us deeply proud.
Our government supports athletes. We increased the amounts of the athlete assistance program, which supports over 1,800 athletes monthly in 94 disciplines. Our athletes dream big and work hard, and we have got the results to prove it.
Bonita Zarrillo NDP Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC
Mr. Speaker, $200 a month is not enough to live on, yet that is what the Prime Minister has decided is enough for people with disabilities. While he caves to rich CEOs, he fails to protect the human rights of Canadians. Then there are the Conservatives, who always cut the supports people need. Both the Liberals and the Conservatives care more about their rich corporate donors than they do about Canadians.
When will the Liberals get real, increase the Canada disability benefit and respect Canadians with disabilities?
Kamal Khera LiberalMinister of Diversity
Mr. Speaker, we put forward over $6 billion to create the first ever Canada disability benefit, but we will not take any lessons from the NDP, which has started to take orders from the Conservative Party and abandoned its commitments to delivering progressive policies.
On this side of the House, we are focused on delivering this historic benefit to Canadians.
Brian Masse NDP Windsor West, ON
Mr. Speaker, the city of Windsor is tired of being abused by the Liberal government when it comes to the border. A private American billionaire now wants to run hazardous material on the Ambassador Bridge. This is bad for the environment, bad for the economy and an unnecessary risk for public safety. The Liberals tried passing the buck to the province, but Doug Ford does not care.
My community deserves answers. It deserves a government that stands up for them, not for the American billionaire who owns the bridge. Will the Liberals stop caving to the billionaires and put an end to this disaster waiting to happen?
François-Philippe Champagne LiberalMinister of Innovation
Mr. Speaker, I will tell the member what Windsor is about. Windsor is about a revival. With the investment we have brought to Windsor, Windsor will never look the same again. We have brought generational investment in this town. We have given hope to people. We are providing opportunities. We are providing training for the people. Windsor will be at the centre of the auto sector again. That is thanks to the Liberal government of today.
We should all cheer for Canadians, for Windsor and for the auto workers in this country.
The Speaker Liberal Greg Fergus
Colleagues, this brings Oral Questions to an end.
It being 3:15 p.m., pursuant to order made on Monday, September 16, I invite all hon. members to stand to observe a moment of silence in honour of our former colleague the late Hon. Chuck Strahl.
[A moment of silence observed]