Debates of Sept. 18th, 2024

Carbon Pricing

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the deputy governor of the Bank of Canada said of Canada's investment problems, “In emergency, break glass”.

Canadian workers get 55¢ of investment for every dollar American workers get and only 65¢ for every dollar that an OECD worker gets. The gap between the Canadian and U.S. economy is now at a 100-year high after nine years of the NDP-Liberals.

I will ask this one last time. The Prime Minister's own documents show that his 61¢-a-litre carbon tax will blow a $40-billion hole in our economy. If that number is not right, what is the real number?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, once again we see that the Leader of the Opposition is frustrated that international economists, climate experts and academics all back our plan to both fight climate change and grow a strong economy, while he is stuck with late-night, far-right conspiracy YouTube videos.

The reality is, we are delivering concretely to build a stronger future for Canadians, to fight climate change and to grow the economy, while he is hiding his head in the sand and even refusing to admit that climate change is real.

Diversity and Inclusion

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to read a motion that was unanimously adopted by the Quebec National Assembly:

THAT the National Assembly recall that education is under the Québec government's exclusive jurisdiction; THAT it affirm that recruitment of faculty in higher education institutions should be based on excellence and competence, and definitely not on religion; THAT it reiterate that recruiting faculty on the basis of religion is not only discriminatory, but also contrary to the State's principle of secularism; ...THAT it also recall that Amira Elghawaby made insulting remarks about the Québec nation by calling it racist; THAT, lastly, the National Assembly reiterate its 31 January 2023 call for the resignation of Amira Elghawaby.

Where does the Prime Minister stand on this?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I want to be very clear. Universities must hire the best people for the jobs that need to be filled. They have a responsibility to do so. However, we also recognize that universities have policies in place to ensure that their employees reflect the diversity of the communities in which they operate.

I have every confidence in our universities, and we must always continue to guard against systemic discrimination in all institutions across this country.

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

Mr. Speaker, does it take nine years to learn not to answer questions?

The Quebec National Assembly unanimously declared that this federal employee has insulted all of us and it wants her to resign.

I am asking the Prime Minister whether he is taking Ms. Elghawaby's side against Quebec, or siding with the Quebec National Assembly. All of them are elected members of the National Assembly of Quebec, which he is not. He should make up his mind.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, to suggest in this place that a member from Quebec, elected by Quebeckers, does not represent the voice of his constituents is an insult to everyone here. The Bloc Québécois, elected to be here in Ottawa, should be ashamed for making those comments.

Carbon Pricing

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, from 2000 to 2014, Canadians attracted $30 billion to $100 billion more in American investment than the reverse. In the last nine years of the NDP-Liberal government, 450 billion more Canadian dollars were invested in the U.S. than were returned. That is Canadian money building U.S. pipelines and U.S. mines, and U.S. businesses paying American workers with Canadian money. That is the consequence of a high carbon tax and a high energy price, which drive jobs away.

When will the Prime Minister learn that his radical plan to hike the tax to 61¢ a litre will destroy our economy further?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the problem with that argument is that the Leader of the Opposition does not understand that the International Monetary Fund and others have projected Canada to have stronger growth than the United States next year, despite the fact that we have a price on pollution, or perhaps because of the fact that we have a price on pollution. It is drawing in investment from around the world in the growing sectors of the economy to ensure good jobs in mining, in environmental research and in various industries, because we know the future is greener.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, our per capita GDP is smaller than it was 10 years ago. It is perhaps the first time since the Great Depression that that has happened. The Prime Minister has had the worst economic growth since the Depression. The OECD says that Canada will have the worst economic growth this year and for the next three decades.

Our economy has dropped more per capita since before COVID than any other G7 country. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. The Prime Minister wants to quadruple the carbon tax to 61¢ a litre, which would be an economic catastrophe for this country.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, what that little performance just showed is that the Leader of the Opposition is using his brokenist argument around Canada to explain why he would cut dental programs, cut child care, step away from any climate action and withdraw support to draw in investment. That is his excuse. The problem with that argument, however, is that Canada actually has the strongest fiscal position of any of the world's advanced economies. Our choice is putting that strong fiscal position in service of investment in dental care, in child care, in pharma, in Canadians.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, there the Prime Minister goes again, telling Canadians they have never had it so good. It has never been so good for those two million people lined up at food banks and for the one million people every month who go to food banks in Ontario. There are record-smashing increases in homelessness. By his own admission, after he promised a food program that has not delivered a single meal despite millions spent on bureaucracy, one in four kids lines up at food banks.

Now here is the worst: He proposes to quadruple the carbon taxes on heat, housing, fuel and food. How much will that take from our GDP?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the problem the member has is that he cannot admit that the price on pollution puts more money back in the pockets of Canadians in the middle class and those working hard to join it. He continues to spew the line that Canada is broken, and whenever I point out that we have a strong fiscal balance sheet that we should be putting in service of programs and supports for Canadians, he says, no, we need cuts. That is not the path forward for Canada, and that is the choice Canadians get to make. Do we go with austerity and cuts to programs, or do we invest in Canadians and their future?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians who cannot eat or heat and house themselves are living in austerity now, and as to the Prime Minister's false PMO talking point about eight out of 10 Canadians being better off, it conveniently excludes the $25 billion per year in economic costs that his own government admits the carbon tax imposes on Canadians. That is why six in 10 Canadian families and 100% of the middle class are worse off with his carbon tax.

His documents show that Canadians are worse off. If he does not have confidence in his own government documents, how can this House have confidence in his government?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, millions of Canadians across the country have received the Canada carbon rebate cheques, which put more money in their pockets every three months than the the price on pollution costs them, on average. That not only allows us to fight climate change and boost our economy in strong ways that create the innovative solutions the world is going to increasingly rely on, but helps Canadians with affordability at a challenging time.

The member would eliminate those Canada carbon rebate cheques and puts forward no plan to fight climate change. That is not how we build a future for Canada.

Housing

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, under the Liberals, housing prices in Winnipeg are out of control. The average rent for a one-bedroom suite in Winnipeg has increased over 22% since last year, the largest jump in the country. Corporate landlords are buying up affordable housing and jacking up rents because they know they have the support of both the Liberals and the Conservatives. I can tell them one thing: They are not the answer to our housing crisis.

My question for the Prime Minister is this: Why is he allowing corporate landlords to price people out of their homes?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I very much look forward to working with the NDP Premier of Manitoba on a renters bill of rights. We just presented a number of measures that will directly help renters, like ensuring that rent is counted toward the calculation of credit scores so people can get a mortgage and protecting renters from landlords. We recognize, as I am sure the NDP does, that that is largely in provincial jurisdiction, but I am very glad to hear that the NDP Premier of Manitoba will be stepping up to work with the federal government on delivering for Canadians in Manitoba and indeed right across the country.

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Mr. Speaker, what is not in provincial jurisdiction is what is happening in Edmonton Griesbach. The federal government is set to bulldoze hundreds of homes in my community so that developers can get rich. These homes are on public land and are some of the last affordable units in my city due to decades of Liberal and Conservative cuts. Kim, a single mom raising a child with a disability, is scared she will be homeless.

Will the Prime Minister stop the demovictions, stop selling off land to rich developers and build homes that people can actually afford?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, our government has put forward one of the most ambitious investments in housing this country has ever seen.

We are happy to work hand in hand with the NDP to make sure that public lands get used for affordable housing. We are doing everything we can to push back against provinces that are attacking public affordability of homes. We would very much like to continue working with the NDP on this matter. However, the NDP is choosing to play politics with the Conservatives and put politics first.

We are going to continue to work to make sure that the member's residents in Edmonton Griesbach and, indeed, right across the country get better affordability and better homes because that is what this federal government is focused on, not politics.

Democratic Institutions

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice revealed that Russia is funnelling money to Conservative media figures to push its far-right propaganda. This is a clear threat to our democracy and Canada's national security, yet the leader of the Conservative Party—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I would ask all hon. members, on both sides of the House, to please not speak out of turn so that we can hear the question that is being asked.

I would invite the hon. member for Kingston and the Islands to start from the top so that the Speaker can hear the question. I would ask all other members to please hold their comments.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice revealed that Russia is funnelling money to Conservative media figures to push a far-right propaganda. This is a clear threat to our democracy and Canada's national security, yet the leader of the Conservative Party is directing his MPs to block the public safety committee's study on this real issue.

Could the Prime Minister tell the House what our government is doing to protect Canadians from this very real threat of foreign interference?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Kingston and the Islands for his advocacy on this unbelievably important issue.

It is extremely alarming that Russia is pushing its propaganda in our democracy, but it is even more appalling that it is using far-right Canadian Conservative influencers to divide Canadians. We must all stand against this.

I call on all parties, including the Conservative Party of Canada, to stand up to investigate these allegations and follow up on them. Let it get through committee.

Housing

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister, housing costs have doubled. He said he was going to create a $4-billion fund to give to cities to speed up home building. He gave Toronto city hall a half a billion. What did it do? It hiked building taxes by 42%. He gave Ottawa city hall $200 million so that it could hike taxes by 11%. He gave Mississauga city hall $113 million so it could hike taxes by 22%.

Why does the Prime Minister keep funding bloated local government gatekeepers that block housing rather than building the homes?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, let us not take any lessons from that failed Harper housing minister, who did not get anything built while he was on the job. We are going to continue to do what he did not, which is working with cities, working with provinces and territories, and working with non-profits to get homes built.