Debates of Sept. 23rd, 2024

Foreign Affairs

[Lindsay Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Lebanese Canadians in my community and across Canada are frightened as the Lebanon region experiences unprecedented explosions and air strikes. They have been trying to rebuild Lebanon for years. They do not want a war.

This escalation means civilians, including children, seniors and people living with disabilities, vulnerable people, pay the price. My constituents are terrified for their friends and families, who are caught in the middle. The government needs to be pushing for peace so all those in the region can be safe.

Can the government tell us what exactly it is doing to de-escalate the situation and prevent a wider war?

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Consular Affairs)]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is following closely the situation between Israel and Lebanon, both because of the danger of escalation in the region and because of the high number of Canadians in Lebanon. As we have said since October, Canadians should avoid all travel to Lebanon, and Canadians in Lebanon should book a commercial flight to leave the country. No country or nation stands to gain from any further escalation.

Labour

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is allowing the rampant wage theft of truck drivers. Drivers who bring essential goods to Canadians are being taken advantage of because neither the Liberals nor the provincial Conservatives have the courage to crack down on shady bosses. Our hard-working truck drivers deserve a government that fights for them, one that ensures they get paid for their work.

When will the Liberal government finally enforce the Canada Labour Code to protect vulnerable workers and stop the brazen wage theft?

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

Mr. Speaker, of course, had it stayed on a co-operative basis with us, the NDP would know we have worked closely with workers and businesses to find an effective and fair solution to this problem. In fact, earlier this year, we changed the Canada Labour Code to stop employers from miscasting employees as independent contractors. Any employer who knowingly misclassifies an employee to avoid obligations is breaking the Canada Labour Code and will face consequences.

Dental Care

[Jean Yip, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Mr. Speaker, 750,000 Canadians have already received care through the Canadian dental care plan, and that number will keep rising. Almost 9,900 constituents in my riding of Scarborough—Agincourt have enrolled in the program. Many seniors have been able to get dental care after years of not being able to afford to.

Can the Minister of Health update this House on how the Canadian dental care plan is helping Canadians access dental care?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her relentless advocacy for oral health. The member for Scarborough—Agincourt has been such a passionate advocate for making sure that everybody in this country gets access to the oral health care they need.

When we hear that number, 750,000 people in less than five months, it is incredible, but behind that number are real lives and real stories of people who can be proud of their smiles and people who are addressing their oral cancer. I was talking to Dr. Redmond, who told me of three patients whose oral cancer was identified and caught early. Imagine what that means. This is about the kind of country we live in, making sure that everybody gets care.

Housing

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the housing crisis is not getting any better. As we speak, 1,671 Quebec families do not have a roof over their head. That number has gone up since July. Housing starts are down 13% in Quebec, and 61% of young renters are not sure they can afford their rent.

That is the reality after nine years of this Liberal government, enthusiastically supported by the Bloc Québécois. Does this government understand that repeating the same mistakes is not going to get more homes and housing built in Canada?

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing]

Mr. Speaker, with all due respect to our colleague, where is the Conservative Party's plan for housing and homelessness?

They do not have a plan. When it comes to getting people housed and making sure there are more homes, what has this government done? It has lifted the GST off the construction of apartments and taken 87,000 people off the street with wraparound supports.

The Conservatives go to encampments to make videos and use people as props. That is not what we are going to do. We are going to stand by Canadians.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I, too, have a great deal of respect for my colleague, who, like me, is very well dressed today, by the way. However, the fact is that Canadians are suffering when it comes to housing.

These people have been in office for nine years and they are still taking the exact same approach. It is not working. As far as we are concerned, one thing is clear: Our plan to build housing does not revolve around the photo ops of this government, which is being enthusiastically propped up by the Bloc Québécois. The reality is that, according to RE/MAX, 28% of Canadians are thinking of leaving the country because of the housing crisis.

Are you proud of that?

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I would like to remind all members that questions must be put to the Chair in order to maintain a certain atmosphere in the House.

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

Mr. Speaker, one, two, three, four, five, six affordable homes. That is all the Conservative leader and chief insult-hurler built across the country during his entire time as minister responsible for housing.

We spent all summer looking for those six units. We have yet to find them. In contrast, 160 affordable housing units have been built in the member's own riding in just the last few months, in collaboration with Quebec municipalities, the ones his Conservative leader calls incompetent.

Forestry Industry

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

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change has announced that he plans to wait until Christmas to impose his order. Satisfied, the Bloc Québécois quickly seized upon this announcement as a win.

Let me be clear. The “Liberal Bloc” will eventually introduce an order that will kill at least 1,400 jobs, shut down businesses and possibly wipe out communities. It is only a matter of time. We, the Conservatives, are the only ones who will cancel the order once and for all. Will the Prime Minister promise that his order will not cause the loss of a single job in our regions?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, as usual, all that the Conservatives have to offer are empty slogans.

That is why we presented a $468‑million offer the Government of Quebec so that we could work together on reaching an agreement. I wanted us to negotiate an agreement with the Government of Quebec from the start. Unfortunately, the Conservative Party has nothing to offer anyone on this issue.

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

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to this job-killing order, splitting the difference does not benefit anyone. Lives will be shattered.

For people in the forestry sector like Éric, Jean-Marc and Lise, the Girard family and the Tremblay family, the only possible positive outcome is to bring down this government before Christmas. The Bloc Québécois may have won in LaSalle—Émard—Verdun in Montreal, but it needs to listen to people in the regions.

What does the minister have to say to the at least 1,400 workers who will lose their jobs?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to the fight against climate change, which the Conservatives refuse to talk about, or the issue of air quality, water quality or conservation, the Conservatives are pretty much the only ones who do not get it.

Workers, unions, businesses, regional governments and experts all understand that there can be no future in forestry if we do not protect our forest ecosystem properly. There is no one in this country who does not understand that, except the Conservatives. We will continue to work with all stakeholders and the Quebec government to find a solution. The Conservatives can keep throwing out empty slogans.

Diversity and Inclusion

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about the Liberals' former Quebec lieutenant, who made an appearance on Quebec's most-watched Sunday program, Tout le monde en parle, yesterday. Last Thursday, when he announced that he was leaving to run for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Quebec, he was questioned about Amira Elghawaby, whose resignation the Quebec National Assembly has unanimously called for. He said, “I would have voted the same as the other members of the National Assembly”. It is funny how he never mentioned Ms. Elghawaby's resignation when he was minister.

How many other Quebec Liberals want Ms. Elghawaby to resign but do not have the courage to say so?

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

Mr. Speaker, I worked in academia in Quebec for a long time. I know how hard the university community, university administrations, faculty members and department heads work to hire people based on merit. We know that diversity makes our universities strong everywhere in Canada, including Quebec. That is why we will always work with the Government of Quebec, with all those who fight against discrimination and fighting for diversity and inclusion, so that all people, all universities and all organizations in Quebec and elsewhere make the right decisions in the right circumstances.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I do not hear heckling very often from that corner of the House. I hope this will not become a habit.

The hon. member for Drummond.

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I must admit that when the new Quebec lieutenant outdoes himself with such hollow responses, it is hard to restrain oneself. I would bet that many of them think the same way as their former Quebec lieutenant. They keep quiet, much like he did before he stepped down. That is what the Quebec members of governing parties do. They have no qualms about keeping their opinions to themselves and setting their convictions aside when it suits the party and as long as it does not affect their personal ambitions in cabinet too much.

If the Quebec Liberals truly share Quebeckers' values, then they should stand up, put their foot down and ask why Amira Elghawaby has not yet stepped aside.

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, government members from Quebec have a significant influence on the decisions made here. We represent Quebeckers just as much as my colleagues opposite. The difference is that the influence we exert on the government is real. We influence the government behind closed doors, that is true. They get all worked up in the newspaper or in the media. That may make them look good, but we get things done.

Taxation

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the NDP-Liberals, taxes are up, costs are up, crime is up and time is up.

Canadians are struggling to meet their basic needs, and the government has decided the only solution is to tax Canadians more. The new capital gains tax will add a 30% tax increase on food producers at a time when the cost of food has already skyrocketed. The last thing Canadian families need is increased financial stress because of taxes on our food supply chains.

Why is this NDP-Liberal coalition imposing this job-killing tax hike on Canadians?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, let us be very clear about the facts. In an average given year, only 40,000 individual Canadians have capital gains above $250,000. That is 0.13% of our population. We believe it makes sense for those with the broadest shoulders to support everyone else.

The Conservatives can tie themselves in knots trying to justify policies that are ultimately about austerity and cuts, cuts, cuts.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals certainly gave their uber-rich friends enough time to move their money and are about to give their best friend, carbon tax Carney, $10 billion.

Not only will this new capital gains tax increase financial stress, but it will prevent families from transferring wealth to the next generation. The Canadian dream is to build a foundation that one can pass on to one's children. The capital gains tax is now increasing the pressures on Canadians as they pass on their wealth, their businesses and their farms.

Why does this NDP-Liberal coalition want to kill the Canadian dream?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, what I want to know is why the Conservatives are so hypocritical and inconsistent. There was a Conservative who said in 2020:

...the wealthiest 1% who own the most expensive and luxurious real estate and have in their portfolios the most stocks and bonds and other financial instruments will continue to see their net worth expand, having done nothing, by the way, to deserve that expanded net worth.

Who said that? It was the current Conservative leader.