Debates of Sept. 20th, 2024

Forestry Industry

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Madam Speaker, once again, the member is asking questions to the leader of the Bloc Québécois. I do not know why she is looking at this side of the House.

In any case, she did not answer my question. Will she call her insulting Conservative leader to order? Yesterday, again, he spent the day hurling insults. Quebeckers are not like that.

Will she call her Conservative leader to order and also ask him to recognize that the Canadian dental care program, which is helping 16,452 seniors in her riding, really exists?

Seniors

[Sylvie Bérubé, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Madam Speaker, the federal government is withholding funding from organizations that support seniors. It is disgraceful that Ottawa is holding up funding for the age well at home program because of its dispute with Quebec. The Liberals know full well that they are interfering in Quebec's jurisdictions by holding seniors hostage. They know full well that Quebec has its own strategy for home support services, which was well received.

When will they stop playing politics on the backs of seniors and transfer money to Quebec?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Madam Speaker, we know how important it is to help seniors, especially after the pandemic. The good news is that 12 out of the 22 projects in Quebec have been approved. Now there are 10 left. All the Government of Quebec has to do is press the “M‑30 button” and the money will flow to the community organizations in her riding and many other ridings. Once it is done, the community organizations in Quebec that serve seniors will receive the money they need the next day.

[Sylvie Bérubé, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Madam Speaker, the Liberals know full well that they have no right to bypass the Government of Quebec or make decisions in its place. They are exploiting community organizations' anger in order to interfere in Quebec’s jurisdictions. They are making Quebec out to be the villain when Ottawa is the one holding up the funding by refusing to transfer it. This entire controversy could be settled in five minutes if the Liberals had seniors' interests at heart, but instead the deadlock has been dragging on for months.

When will the Liberals stop holding seniors hostage?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Madam Speaker, I am a bit surprised. We just heard that supporting seniors should not be the Canadian government's job and that members of the House should not be helping seniors in their ridings. All that seems rather strange and surprising to me in a discussion about helping seniors.

All members of the House have a responsibility to help seniors. In this case, it is very easy. People need to call their MNA and get them to ask the Government of Quebec to grant approval under M‑30 and deliver funds to organizations that need funding from the Canadian government.

Carbon Pricing

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

Madam Speaker, two years ago, the NDP leader sold out workers when he signed on to the costly coalition that raised taxes, increased food costs and doubled the cost of housing. Two weeks ago, he tore up the agreement, he said. However, this was just a cheap political stunt to avoid losing a safe NDP seat in a Winnipeg by-election.

After nine years of the NDP-Liberals, taxes are up, costs are up, crime is up and now time is up. Will the Prime Minister call a carbon tax election now, yes or no?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, while the Conservative Party is so focused on slogans and bumper stickers, we in government will continue to be focused on the real concerns that Canadians have, like dealing with issues of inflation, which, by the way, is at 2% today; supporting our seniors; supporting our children; looking at how we can build a stronger and healthier middle class; and building a stronger and healthier Canadian economy. That is what we are focused on, while the Conservatives are focused on idiotic ideas.

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

Madam Speaker, the Conservatives are focused on axing the tax. The Prime Minister plans to quadruple the carbon tax, which has already made life unaffordable for working Canadians, and the NDP leader agrees with him. He has already voted for the carbon tax 24 times, no matter how much it hurts working people. The NDP leader will say or do anything to save himself, proving that he is not worth the cost.

Canadians are fed up. They are ready for a common-sense Conservative government to axe the tax. Will the Prime Minister call a carbon tax election, yes or no?

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity]

Madam Speaker, the Conservatives will never let the truth or good news get in the way of their shameless exploitation of the challenges that Canadians are facing these days, and their three-word slogans are not solutions, are not policies and are childish. They are also fake news.

Inflation is down, interest rates are down and gas prices are down, and thanks to our environmental policies, emissions are down too. It is disappointing that the Conservatives' spirits are down with all this good news. It is clear that all they really want is negative news to blame us for.

Government Accountability

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

Madam Speaker, just a few short weeks ago, the NDP leader, in a desperate attempt to stave off an imminent Conservative victory in a once-safe seat, told Canadians that he would no longer support the Liberal government. Fast-forward two weeks and the great magician has performed a reappearing act, resurrecting his coalition with the Liberals. Canadians did not give the NDP-Liberal government a mandate.

Taxes are up, food is up, crime is up and now time is up. When will the Liberal government finally give Canadians a choice and call a carbon tax election?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, again, what we see is that the Conservative Party, the far-right MAGA party, is being led by a leader who does nothing but spread negative news. He goes around every region of the country saying that Canada is broken. Well, I have news for him: Canada is the best country in the world to live in and call home.

We will continue to be focused on making conditions better for all Canadians. That is something we are prepared to do, whether it is through a budgetary measure or a legislative measure, because we care about Canadians.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

Madam Speaker, the government may claim it cares about Canadians, but Canadians across this country have told us loud and clear that they do not care for the Liberal government. If it cannot even win seats in downtown Toronto and downtown Montreal, how much longer can the Liberals hold on?

Canadians did not give them a mandate for exploding food prices. They did not give them a mandate for doubling housing prices. They did not give them a mandate to triple crime rates across this country. Canadians have been clear. They do not want a tripling of the carbon tax. They do not want 61¢ a litre for the carbon tax.

When will the NDP-Liberal government finally give Canadians a choice and call a carbon tax election?

[James Maloney, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Madam Speaker, Conservative rhetoric is up, Conservative nonsense is up, rhyming is certainly up and Canadians are getting fed up. My intention is to do what I have always done: keep my head down and work on the issues with my colleagues. They can keep working on bumper-sticker slogans all day long.

The Economy

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Madam Speaker, under the Liberals, Feed Ontario has reported an eight-year high in food bank usage. The report suggests cited the lack of a social safety net as a cause for this crisis. I know the sore-losing leader of the Conservative Party is only concerned with protecting his rich friends and that people will get poorer under his watch, so my question is for the Liberals. Will they listen to award-winning economists and support my bill, Bill C-223, to put in place a framework for a guaranteed livable basic income, so people can afford to eat?

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and to the Minister of Innovation]

Madam Speaker, it is unfortunate that through some crude political calculus, the NDP has compromised a progressive agenda for Canadians and abandoned the great work that we were doing together on programs like dental care, pharmacare and a national school food program, all of which strengthen the social safety net in this country. We have offered on grocery prices, with elevated inflation, a grocery rebate; 50% reduction in child care fees; and a grocery code of conduct. We have gotten comprehensive reforms to the Competition Act in this country. These are both short-term and long-term measures that are making a difference for Canadians every single day.

Northern Affairs

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Madam Speaker, this summer barges along the Mackenzie River were cancelled due to low water levels after a prolonged drought, stranding residents without shipments of supplies. Northerners have made it very clear that they need an all-weather road along the Mackenzie to keep a lifeline to their communities. Both the Liberals and the Conservatives are ignoring these calls.

Will the Liberals fund the construction of a road connecting communities in the Sahtu, or will they keep denying northerners the infrastructure that they need?

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Minister of Northern Affairs]

Madam Speaker, we know that climate change is real. We know that in the north the climate is warming four times the rate of the rest of Canada, and that is something we need to address. We are doing it with our northern partners, including the Premier of Northwest Territories, whom I met about three weeks ago. We had great discussions on the Mackenzie highway, and that is going to come up in the future.

Veterans Affairs

[Chad Collins, Liberal, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

Madam Speaker, this week across Canada we are celebrating National Legion Week. Legions significantly contribute to the well-being of veterans and ensure that Canadians remember the sacrifices they have made. In my riding, Stoney Creek Legion Battlefield Branch 622 is led by Stewart Jones, who is a powerhouse of support for veterans. His leadership is truly inspiring, and we are deeply grateful.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs share with this House how our government has been there to support legions and their incredible community contributions?

[Randeep Sarai, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence]

Madam Speaker, there are over 1,350 Legion branches across Canada, including Whalley Legion Branch 229 in my hometown of Surrey. Their members represent one of the largest volunteer bases in this country. We set up the veteran organizations emergency support fund during the pandemic so that they could safely keep their doors open. We have been proud to support legions to improve infrastructure, make accessibility upgrades and deliver many New Horizons for Seniors projects.

I want to thank the member for highlighting the legions' impact in the community, and I hope members will join us in thanking legions for all they do to build a stronger Canada.

Carbon Pricing

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Madam Speaker, after nine years of these NDP-Liberals, taxes are up, costs are up, crime is up and time is up. Two years ago, the NDP leader sold out workers and signed a costly coalition deal with the Liberal Prime Minister. That deal hiked taxes, ballooned food costs, doubled housing prices and unleashed crime and chaos on our once-safe streets.

Will the Prime Minister finally call a carbon tax election so Canadians can choose between the costly coalition or common-sense Conservatives, who will axe the carbon tax?

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Madam Speaker, I am quite concerned about where the Conservatives are getting many of their ideas these days, because records show that the Conservative leader got his advice on how to help Canadians struggling with the cost of living from a Loblaws lobbyist. He gets his advice on Ukraine from Elon Musk and Tucker Carlson. He has courted support from misogynists and far-right hate groups, and these are the advisers that I think Canadians should be afraid of.

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Madam Speaker, it is just too bad that, for this Prime Minister, the only buddy he cares about is the one he has in the NDP and its leader, who voted 24 times to hike the carbon tax.

Over the summer, while door-knocking from Calgary to British Columbia to Ontario, everywhere I went, I clearly heard the same thing: Canadians are fed up with the skyrocketing cost of food, gas and housing. From food to housing, they are sick of paying for the NDP-Liberal coalition's failures, and Canadians deserve more.

Why will the Prime Minister and his NDP backers not let Canadians have their say in a carbon tax election right now?

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and to the Minister of Innovation]

Madam Speaker, it was interesting, this summer, to see our athletes compete at the Olympics. When our gymnasts at the Olympics stick a landing, all of us cheer. I think we should do the same this week with the Bank of Canada and the Government of Canada sticking the economic landing of inflation coming down to 2%, which is the Bank of Canada's target rate. Only the Conservative Party in this House did not cheer for Canada's economy, just like, this summer, when they could not bear it when our athletes did well at the Olympics, winning gold medals. They did not cheer. They are never cheering for Canada's success.

[Martin Shields, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Madam Speaker, after nine years of this NDP-Liberal government, taxes are up, costs are up, crime is up and time is up. The NDP leader's publicity stunt got some airtime, but when it comes to voting against the government, which he said was finished, he caves. Carbon tax already costs the trucking industry $2 billion. Now, with this quadrupling, it will be expensive for our trucking industry to survive.

Will they listen to Canadians and call a carbon tax election now so that common-sense Conservatives can axe the tax now?

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and to the Minister of Innovation]

Madam Speaker, once again, these Conservatives will never let the truth get in the way of their exploitation of the real challenges that Canadians are facing. They do not want to acknowledge the fact that, in Canada, inflation is down to the target rate of 2%. Interest rates are down, gas prices are down and emissions are down.

However, we have heard it from the Conservatives over and over again. They will never cheer for the Canadian economy. This summer, when we were all cheering on our Canadian athletes, I barely heard a squeak from the Conservative side. In fact, the Conservative leader never even tweeted once about the Paralympics. That is really disgusting. We should all be on the side of Canada.