Debates of Sept. 17th, 2024

Finance

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, taxes are up, costs are up, crime is up, and the pressure on the “Liberal Bloc” is up. After nine years of this Liberal government, supported by the Bloc Québécois, the consequences for Quebeckers have been disastrous.

I am talking about Moisson Haut-Saint-François, which is pleading for help. To quote from an interview on Sherbrooke radio, “small food banks are hungry”. Imagine, a food bank going hungry. It is unbelievable, but true. The fast-with-the-cash centralist “Liberal Bloc” wants to carry on.

Does the “Liberal Bloc” hear the cries for help coming from Quebeckers who want the chance to choose a common-sense Conservative government as soon as possible?

[Diane Lebouthillier, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, I would be pleased to answer an expert on austerity infrastructure and measures.

Here is what the Conservatives did to the fisheries industry in the regions. Under Harper, they cut the budget of Fisheries and Oceans Canada scientists by $80 million. They voted against investing in small craft harbours. They voted against helping families and against programs for seniors. All they have to offer Canadians is austerity.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, no sooner were we free of the NDP-Liberal coalition that resulted in the most disastrous government in history, than we were caught up in a new saga with the Bloc-Liberal coalition.

What is the point of the Bloc Québécois, when we know that it voted in favour of $500 billion in inflationary spending by this Prime Minister, who fattened up the bureaucracy in Ottawa with Quebeckers' money, adding 100,000 more public servants to the machinery of government?

The “Liberal Bloc” is just more of the same. We saw that yesterday in the byelection in Montreal. What, then, is the point of the “Liberal Bloc” and who does it serve?

[Pascale St-Onge, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague can yell as loudly as he wants, but Quebeckers remember only too well what the Conservatives did when they were in power. They made cuts to science and to programs that help families, and they cut just about everything they could, because the only thing they know how to do is austerity. They do not know how to invest in the potential of Canadians. That is exactly what they are promising to do yet again.

No, that is not true. Quebeckers want nothing to do with the Conservatives. No matter how loudly the member yells, they no longer hear him.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Greg Fergus]

I would like to remind the member for Mégantic—L'Érable that he had the opportunity to ask a question. It is important to give others a turn.

The hon. member for Lévis-Lotbinière.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois is a costly proposition to Canadian taxpayers, but especially to Quebec taxpayers. What use is the Bloc Québécois when we know that it voted for the the largest-ever expansion of the federal government, for more spending than ever, for more public servants than ever and for the most scandals ever?

Aside from keeping the Liberal government on life support for the next year, what is the “Liberal Bloc” good for?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to be back, but I am not happy to hear the Conservative voice of austerity.

People watching at home know what the Liberal Party is all about. With the Liberal Party, investments are up, jobs are up and the economy is up.

Quebeckers know that we are building the future. Whether we are talking about the automobile industry, batteries, semi-conductors or biomanufacturing, we are building the Canada of the 21st century. Quebeckers and Canadians know full well that we will always be there for them. We will stand up for them.

Indigenous Affairs

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Mr. Speaker, over the span of 19 days, seven indigenous people were killed by police. Communities are disturbed, but unfortunately these tragedies are known all too well by indigenous people. This is colonialism and systemic racism that continues to persist under consecutive governments.

First nations, Métis and Inuit have the solutions to end this violence: No more indigenous children getting a bullet instead of help.

Why will the Minister of Public Safety not act to ensure accountability and justice for these families?

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the passion from my colleague. I agree that we need to do more in the country around indigenous policing. That is why the Liberals, including myself, put forward a motion at the INAN committee in April saying we should study this. The NDP has the ability put this in the queue. They have the entire ability to put forward a unanimous motion here that asks us to address this.

I am talking about tangible solutions. I would love to see the NDP join us with those tangible solutions, study this and hear from indigenous leaders.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, Johannes Rivoire sexually abused Inuit children in Nunavut for years. Canada refused to charge him for 30 years and he died protected.

The daughter of the late Marius Tungilik has asked the RCMP for his file, but it refuses to release it. The government must honour families, especially those who suffered during residential schools.

Will the Minister of Public Safety provide the documents or will they help to keep the files hidden from this family?

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, ensuring that justice is done for victims and their families is crucially important. It is something I know the minister takes incredibly seriously, and we will continue to work on this specific case with her.

When it comes to dealing with systemic racism in policing, this is a crucial issue that we are focused on addressing. It is something we have made progress on, but by no means is it complete. There is much more work to do, and we are committed to doing it.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Arielle Kayabaga, Liberal, London West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship introduced Bill C-71. As Canadians, we can never take our rights for granted. We must remain vigilant, especially when the Leader of the Opposition suggests he would use the notwithstanding clause if given the chance. Like the first generation limit introduced by the Conservatives, it is a concrete example of them taking away the rights of Canadians.

Could the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship explain to the House the importance of Bill C-71?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, what we are debating before the House is a bill that would fix the egregious breaches of the charter that the Conservatives, including the Leader of the Opposition, perpetrated on women and on children of people born abroad. This is something that we as a House need to fix. It is a charter violation. It is a particular instance of the Leader of the Opposition, supported by his previous government, in breaching charter rights.

When Canadians say there is nothing to worry about, that is not the case. There is lots to worry about with the Leader of the Opposition.

Finance

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

Mr. Speaker, what is the purpose of the “Liberal Bloc”? It serves to keep the Liberals in office.

Do people know that the Bloc voted to save the Liberals nearly 200 times? Do they know that the Bloc Québécois voted for $500 billion in spending to expand the public service by 100,000 employees? How are they paying for all of that? They are paying for it with Quebeckers' money. The Bloc needs to stop pretending that it is helping Quebeckers and support us in changing this government.

What did the Liberals promise the Bloc Québécois?

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

Mr. Speaker, we have the best public service in the world. Every time, we continue to invest in Canadians, in the most vulnerable members of our society, in families, in children and in seniors. What are the Conservatives doing? They vote against those measures every time. We are here for Canadians and to build a really strong country.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois and the Liberals are fighting the same fight to save the Liberals and keep them in office. Because of the Bloc Québécois, over the past nine years, this government has spent a record amount, failed to balance the budget, doubled the debt and hired an additional 100,000 public servants.

The Bloc Québécois is voting to waste Quebeckers' money. It is our money. The Bloc Québécois voted for the biggest expansion of the federal government in history. How did the Prime Minister manage to convince the Bloc to support his government, which is the costliest, the most disastrous and the most centralizing government in Canada's history?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Minister of Labour and Seniors]

Mr. Speaker, the hidden agenda has come to light. People are worried about tens of thousands of public service layoffs, and we just got confirmation of that from my colleague opposite. The Conservatives' hidden agenda is to lay off, to fire, tens of thousands of public servants here in the Ottawa-Gatineau area and across the country.

What are those people doing? They are helping Canadians to get dental care. They are protecting us. They are getting our infrastructure built. Our public servants work really hard. This member just gave away the Conservative Party's game.

Carbon Pricing

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the NDP-Liberal government, taxes are up, costs are up, crime is up, grocery prices are up and time is up. According to Feed Ontario, more than a million people were forced to go to food banks just to feed their family. This is a record-shattering increase of 25%. This stark reality is fuelled by the Liberal-NDP carbon tax, which is driving up grocery prices. Canadians are struggling to put food on the table. Will the Prime Minister end this suffering and call a carbon tax election?

[Jenna Sudds, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, we all suffer when we know that some of our fellow Canadians are suffering. We have made historic investments as a government, delivering programs and investing in the well-being of Canadians. However, let us not kid ourselves. Conservatives would cut these very programs that Canadians are relying on. They would cut child care. They would cut the food program for kids in schools. They would increase the retirement age. They would cut, cut, cut.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, yes, we will cut. We will cut the carbon tax. The government's own statistics show that more than nine million Canadians are suffering with food insecurity, struggling to put food on the table. After nine years, the number of Canadians who are facing food insecurity is up a staggering 111%. These are not just statistics, but millions of parents who cannot feed their kids. This is a result of the costly Liberals' carbon tax and their NDP coalition partners. They are driving up the costs on farmers, truckers and food production. Let us stick a fork in the current government and call a carbon tax election.

[Jenna Sudds, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives have just admitted they would cut the very programs that Canadian families are relying on, families who are benefiting from—

[The Speaker, Greg Fergus]

It is very difficult for me to hear the minister respond. I am going to give the minister 30 seconds to respond to the question.

[Jenna Sudds, Liberal, Kanata—Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, there we have it. Conservatives have just confirmed they will cut the programs that Canadian families are relying on, the $10-a-day child care that is saving families thousands of dollars, the national school food program that is ensuring that children are not at school hungry. We heard it here. They plan to cut the supports that Canadian families need.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the asylum seeker issue is going nowhere. The Liberals promised that Quebec would finally stop being the only one making a superhuman effort to welcome asylum seekers with dignity. They promised a fair resettlement strategy by this fall.

Fall is here, but there is still no plan. Quebec is still taking on an utterly disproportionate share of responsibility for welcoming asylum seekers, while some provinces refuse to help. Let us be clear: Quebeckers will keep doing their part, but they are getting fed up with having to do it alone. When can we expect a resettlement plan?