Debates of Sept. 23rd, 2024

Opioids

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Mr. Speaker, since 2016, over 47,000 Canadians have lost their lives to overdose. Overdose is the leading cause of death for children aged 10 to 18 in my province of British Columbia.

The tribal council representing 14 first nations on Vancouver Island has declared a state of emergency over the ongoing opioid and overdose crisis. Under the NDP-Liberal government in Ottawa and the NDP government in B.C., indigenous people in B.C. are dying at a rate six times higher than that of non-indigenous people. The Prime Minister and his friend, Premier Eby, have unleashed crime, chaos, drugs and disorder on our streets. Their radical experiments, such as so-called safe supply and decriminalization, have turned our once-safe communities into war zones.

Only common-sense Conservatives will end the dangerous drug experiments and bring home treatment, prevention and recovery for our loved ones. After nine years of the NDP-Liberal government, taxes are up, costs are up and crime is up; now time is up for the Prime Minister.

Bloc Québécois

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

Mr. Speaker, voting for the interests of Quebec means voting with us in favour of the Conservative Party's non-confidence motion against this government. If the Bloc Québécois truly had the fate of Quebeckers at heart, at the request of Premier Legault, it must vote with the Conservative Party and stop selling its soul.

So far, the Bloc Québécois has not made any gains for Quebec. On the woodland caribou file, the Liberals are jeopardizing 1,400 jobs with the Liberal order, and the Bloc Québécois has failed to negotiate the withdrawal of that order. The only party working to save the forestry sector is the Conservative Party. That is why the Bloc Québécois must vote with us on the non-confidence motion to save 1,400 forestry jobs throughout Quebec.

To represent Quebeckers, we must decide whether we are going to keep the Liberal government in power or not. Will the Bloc Québécois vote to axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime?

Health Care

[Terry Duguid, Liberal, Winnipeg South, MB]

Mr. Speaker, Manitobans believe in building up, not tearing down our public health care system, as the Conservatives have always done over the decades. That is why we are taking action to strengthen it for the long term.

Our government is making significant progress in dental care, with more than 62,000 Manitobans now eligible to receive care. Across the country, 750,000 Canadians have already accessed the dental care they need, relieving families of the burden of high out-of-pocket expenses. This program is already making a real difference in the lives of Canadians.

We have heard loud and clear from Manitobans that they want to see us make meaningful investments in health care, and we are doing exactly that. This is about creating a stronger, more inclusive health care system that reflects the values of Manitobans: equity, accessibility and a commitment to leaving no one behind.

Missing Children

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, there were tears of joy and relief across northern B.C. last night when news broke that six-year-old Oaklynn Schweder had been found safe.

Oaklynn was reported missing Thursday evening, and what occurred over the next 72 hours was one of the largest searches in northern B.C. history. On Saturday alone, over 800 people were out searching for her. I hope my colleagues will join me on behalf of all Canadians in thanking the RCMP, search and rescue teams from across B.C., the Canadian Rangers, Skin Tyee First Nation, Chinook Emergency Response Society, the B.C. Wildfire Service and, especially, the hundreds of everyday citizens who travelled from far and wide to be part of the search effort.

As we rejoice that young Oaklynn is back in her parents' arms, this morning, our hearts and condolences go out to the family in Shamattawa, Manitoba, who have received tragic news concerning their missing loved one. May they find strength and support in the days to come.

Carol Binet

[René Villemure, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to highlight the outstanding accomplishments of Mr. Carol Binet, who has been a shoemaker in Trois-Rivières since 1957.

Still hard at work, Mr. Binet's mastery of his craft is exceptional. His passion for shoemaking began when he was young. Over time, his shop became a true institution, serving clients from every corner of Mauricie. His business eventually expanded to include sewing and upholstery services along with a retail shoe store.

The people of Trois-Rivières feel privileged to have such a passionate, skilled craftsman as Mr. Binet in their midst. His unmatched interpersonal skills make every visit a unique and memorable experience. I recently asked him why he had not retired. He told me that if he retired, there would be no one left to make shoes. That was a good answer.

I am extremely proud to honour Carol Binet's outstanding achievements. I congratulate him not only on his career, but also for being a shining example of resilience and perseverance. I thank him for everything he has done for the people of Trois-Rivières.

Bloc Québécois

[Branden Leslie, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the NDP-Liberals, taxes are up, costs are up, crime is up and time is up. The Bloc has now officially decided to join the coalition so that it too can cause a bit of hardship for Canadians. It clearly supports skyrocketing rents, crime and chaos in our communities, and weakened wages.

Just the other day, the Premier of Quebec called on the Bloc to vote in favour of our non-confidence motion to end the tired government. I agree with him. Why does the Bloc not? Does it not shop at the same stores as the rest of us, where the carbon tax has driven up the price of everything? Can it not see the drug-fuelled crime in our streets? Maybe it is because it has the most MPs slated to benefit by getting a pension, just as the leader of the NDP will.

One thing is clear: The choice Canadians will have in the carbon tax election will be between the Liberal-NDP-Bloc coalition, which will continue to increase grocery prices, raise our rents, spend recklessly and allow crime to run rampant, and common-sense Conservatives, who will axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime.

Canadian Dental Care Plan

[George Chahal, Liberal, Calgary Skyview, AB]

Mr. Speaker, over 105,000 Albertans are now eligible for the Canadian dental care plan, and 750,000 Canadians have already received care. The numbers speak for themselves. Canadians want the CDCP. Accessing dental care should not be political. This is a historic program, and we must protect and build our public health care system so that it is well-equipped to meet the needs of Canadians today and for generations to come.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

Colleagues, the last time I was in this chair, a number of questions were not relevant to the administration of government. There were words that fell outside what is acceptable in the parliamentary system, and there was behaviour that was outside the parliamentary tradition. I will have more to say about this in the coming days, but I hope members will conduct themselves in a manner befitting of the expectations of our constituents, who have sent us here to represent them.

Carbon Pricing

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of NDP-Liberal government, taxes are up, costs are up, crime is up and time is up. Canadians are suffering. The Liberals look around the country, and they see tent cities popping up in our communities; they see millions lining up at food banks and families falling further and further into debt. What do they think is the cause of all these problems? It is that Canadians are not paying enough in taxes. That must be why they have already hiked the carbon tax five times and why they are going to hike it to 61¢ a litre.

How can making everything more expensive provide any relief for Canadians?

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

Mr. Speaker, I am glad that the Conservatives are finally talking about the economy because it gives me a chance to highlight some good economic news we have had. Last week, we learned that inflation in August was at 2%. In fact, for all of this year, inflation has been within the Bank of Canada's target range. That means interest rates are coming down. Meanwhile, wages have been outpacing inflation for 19 months in a row. However, the Conservatives do not like to talk about that, because good news for Canadians is bad news for them.

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the minister can tell all the people lining up at food banks that they have never had it so good, but she knows that prices are not coming down. She also knows that her carbon tax will not stop a single forest fire or flood; the Liberals have admitted that. Therefore, Canadians get the brutal double whammy of all the extra cost associated with natural disasters, plus the carbon tax on top of it. Now the NDP leader is trying to pull off another stunt: He is trying to fool Canadians into thinking that he has some new position on the carbon tax. In reality, he loves it. He has voted for it 24 times.

If they are so sure that Canadians love their carbon tax, why do they not take it to the Canadian people and let them decide in a carbon tax election?

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

Mr. Speaker, all the Conservatives know how to do is talk Canada down. Do members know why that is? It is because they do not want Canadians to ask themselves what the Conservatives really stand for. That is because the Conservatives have a hidden agenda. They have a hidden austerity agenda, and it is time for us to ask ourselves what they would cut. Would they cut child care? I think so. Would they cut dental care? I think so. Would they cut our housing plan? They sure would.

Housing

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are cutting back as they see their paycheques devalued and prices skyrocket, but it is not just the carbon tax that the NDP and Liberals are hiking. The new tax hikes that the government is announcing today will hit the middle class hard. In the middle of a housing crisis, they are raising taxes on carpenters and roofers. In fact, the Canadian Federation of Apartment Associations said this: “The capital gains increase will discourage the construction of new rental homes for Canadians.”

Why is the government's response to the housing crisis to punish the people who actually build the homes?

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

Mr. Speaker, I am really glad to hear the Conservatives talk about housing because, last week, we made a very important announcement on housing. Last week, we announced that amortizations for first-time homebuyers and everyone buying new builds will be extended to 30 years. That is going to help young Canadians make the dream of home ownership a reality, and it will get more homes built faster. I am shocked that the Conservatives are opposed to this essential measure.

The Economy

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

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of this Liberal Prime Minister, who has been put on life support this week thanks to the Bloc Québécois, more and more Quebec students are going hungry. According to the Fédération étudiante collégiale du Québec, students are broke and struggling to feed themselves. According to statistics, more than 80,000 students have used food banks, which is four times more than 10 years ago.

Instead of continuing to starve students, will the Prime Minister and his Quebec lieutenant from the Bloc allow Quebeckers to go to the polls right away to vote in a common-sense government?

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

Mr. Speaker, that is utter nonsense.

The member opposite is talking about how hard it is for people to feed their kids, how too many kids are going to school hungry in the morning and yet, last week, his Conservative leader said it would merely feed bureaucracy to support community organizations, including those in my colleague's riding, that help kids go to school in the morning on a full stomach.

Does he see that as nonsense or common sense?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would invite the Liberals to face the facts. This Liberal government's track record should be making the Bloc members run the other way.

Over the past nine years, the cost of housing and food have doubled. We are paying $1 billion in interest on the debt every week because of the $500 billion in inflationary spending that the Bloc Québécois supported. Everyone is paying and the Bloc Québécois is grandstanding.

Does the Prime Minister, who is supported by the Bloc Québécois, understand that enough is enough and that we can no longer afford his incompetence?

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

Mr. Speaker, incompetence is talking about how children are going to school hungry in the morning and then preventing the Canadian government, the NDP and the Bloc Québécois from supporting those children.

Is my colleague open to coming with me to Moisson Québec and the Granit food bank in his riding to explain to them why it is bureaucratic to help children learn better at school and get to school in the morning with full bellies?

Seniors

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have a choice to make. They can correct an injustice to seniors by increasing old age security for seniors aged 65 to 74, or they can be responsible for triggering an election. It is as simple as that.

All retirees deserve support to cope with the rising cost of living. This government is in no position to say that it cannot afford it. I would remind the House that it gave $83 billion in tax credits to oil and gas companies in addition to a nice $34-billion pipeline.

Today, the Liberals have to choose. Will it be seniors or an election?

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

Mr. Speaker, this government has always chosen seniors.

Unfortunately for them, that is not the case for our friends opposite. Why? They voted against lowering the retirement age from 67 to 65. Furthermore, when we decided to support the poorest seniors and those most in need in Quebec by increasing the guaranteed income supplement, what did our friends in the Bloc Québécois do? They voted against it. How about dental care? They also voted against dental care.

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I know that the oil and gas companies received $83 billion in tax credits and a $34‑billion pipeline as a bonus. In the meantime, people 65 to 74 are being denied 10% of their pension.

That is a lot of generosity toward the oil companies out west, especially when they then turn around and tell Quebec seniors that there is no money to help them. Clearly, the multi-billion dollar oil companies are a priority to the Liberals.

Our priority is seniors. It is high time that the Liberals cleaned house in their priorities. Are they going to improve pensions for seniors or trigger an election?

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

Mr. Speaker, I know that my colleague likes to be precise, but we have never cut help for seniors. All we have done, despite the opposition of our friends across the way, including the Bloc Québécois, is increase support for Quebec and Canadian seniors.

The Bloc Québécois has always voted against that support. I invite my colleague to correct the record. We have never cut funding from Quebec or Canadian seniors.

Health

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is $100 for a doctor's appointment. For-profit corporations such as Loblaw are forcing patients to pay to see a doctor. The Conservatives love this because their chief strategist, Jenni Byrne, also doubles as a chief lobbyist for Loblaw. The Liberals promised a crackdown and that turned out to be a letdown.

Why does the Liberal government continue to let big corporations rip off Canadians and not defend our health care system?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP had a choice to continue working on pharmacare, dental and our health system or to cave to a bully. Here are the facts: if NDP members cannot stand up to the Conservative leader, how are they going to stand up for Canadians?

The reality is that Liberals are going to keep fighting to improve our health care system and work on the basis of collaboration. We are not going to cave to the bullying of the Conservatives across the way. We are going to make sure that every Canadian gets dental care and pharmacare, and yes, that we revolutionize primary care.

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have caved again and again to the big corporations that are ripping off Canadians, and they have not stood up to the Conservatives.

In Quebec, the Confédération des syndicats nationaux, or CSN, is saying that no one should profit from illness. We know that the Conservatives want CEOs to get richer on the backs of the sick, but it is very disappointing to see that attitude from the Liberals. They promised to stop the privatization of health care. They failed.

Is it because they are too weak to stop the Conservatives or too beholden to the CEOs?