Debates of Sept. 24th, 2024

Carbon Pricing

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the Liberal-NDP government, we know that it is just not worth the cost, and the evidence is everywhere we look.

In Ontario, for the first time ever, over a million people visited a food bank in just one year. That is thanks to the radical Liberal-NDP carbon tax. Ontario families say that they just cannot keep up with the mountain of debt and the taxes that the Prime Minister has poured all over them.

Why will the government not call a carbon tax election and let Canadians decide?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to read an extract from a report that came out today from the Insurance Bureau of Canada. It states, “Summer of 2024...ranks as the most-destructive season in Canadian history for insured losses due to severe weather. In only two months, July and August, this summer eclipsed the worst year on record and has pushed the 2024 year-to-date tally to over $7.7 billion” in severe natural catastrophes.

What is the answer from the Leader of the Opposition? Let the planet burn. We will not take that on this side of the House.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I thought the carbon tax was supposed to fix all that.

The Liberals will not call a carbon tax election because they know exactly what Canadians will say. The year 2023 was the eighth consecutive year that food bank usage rose. By some great coincidence, it was also the eighth consecutive year of the Liberal government.

How many more people need to visit or need to be forced to a food bank before the environment minister admits that taxes are up, that costs are up, that crime is up and that his time is up?

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

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the Conservative Party and its leader are not there to protect Canadians. They are there to protect the interests of their friends, like oil executives who attended a special event for the Leader of the Opposition. I can assure everyone that oil executives do not come to my fundraiser.

However, what the Conservatives want to do is take away something. In his riding of Carleton, 58,000 people are receiving the Canada carbon rebate. In Thornhill, more than 60,000 people are receiving more money than what they pay in carbon pricing. We are helping with affordability and we are helping to fight climate change.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

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

According to the Liberal-NDP government's own statistics, the number of Canadians suffering with food insecurity is up 111%. That is a quarter of Canadians who do not know where their next meal is coming from. However, there is a solution: Axe the carbon tax and give Canadians the relief they need.

The Liberals know that 70% of Canadians want to axe the tax. Will they listen to Canadians tomorrow and call a carbon tax election?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, it would be great in the House if the official opposition actually worked with facts. The vast majority of Canadians get more money back. We have a climate plan that is working, fighting the existential threat of climate change, but it is also creating economic opportunity and prosperity for the future.

We have seen over 100 clean growth projects and $60 billion of investment. It is the $12 billion Dow invested in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. It is the Jansen potash mine. It is the Sayona lithium plant in Quebec. It is a plan that is working. The Conservatives have no plan for the future on the environment and no plan on the economy.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, here is what their plan is doing. The Liberal-NDP carbon tax is driving up costs on farmers, on truckers, on food manufacturers and prices at the grocery store, and Canadians cannot afford to put food on the table. According to Food Banks Alberta, use is up 73%, and 40% of those are children. Meanwhile, the Liberal-NDP government says that Canadians have never had it so good, while food banks are struggling just to meet demand.

If the Liberal-NDP government thinks that its carbon tax is so great, will it call a carbon tax election tomorrow and let Canadians decide?

[Élisabeth Brière, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, we understand that children are the ones suffering from food insecurity in these tough times, and that is why we introduced the school food program. This program will help feed 400,000 more children than are currently being fed. We are working with the provinces and territories to implement this program, which will really help children.

The Economy

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

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is a bad government for Quebec. After nine years, the “Liberal Bloc” has doubled the cost of housing, caused the worst inflation in 40 years, forced students to live in their parents' basements, pushed Quebec to the breaking point on immigration, voted 188 times to save the Prime Minister and voted for $500 billion in inflationary spending.

Tomorrow, will the Prime Minister and his lieutenant from Beloeil—Chambly allow Quebeckers to choose a common-sense government in an election?

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

Mr. Speaker, I am so happy to answer a question about inflation. The good news is that in August, inflation fell to 2%. Inflation has been within the Bank of Canada's target range all year. As a result, the bank started lowering the key interest rate. That is good news for Canadians. All the Conservatives have to offer are ulterior motives and austerity. They want to cut, cut, cut.

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

Mr. Speaker, taxes, inflation and grocery prices are what we are going to cut.

The leader of the “Liberal Bloc” struck a very different tone today compared to what he said after the finance minister's most recent bad Liberal budget. Here is what the leader of the Bloc Québécois said about the Prime Minister: “I believe he has his hand in Quebeckers' pockets. ...He is blatantly abusing his spending power. ...he is racking up an appalling deficit that Quebeckers will be paying off for a long time to come”.

Why is the “Liberal Bloc” continuing to allow this Prime Minister to pick the pockets of Quebeckers? Will the Prime Minister and his lieutenant from Beloeil—Chambly allow Quebeckers to choose their government, a common-sense government, tomorrow?

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

Mr. Speaker, I am always confident that Quebeckers understand what does and does not make sense. What they just heard makes no sense.

We have been there for Quebec as a government. We have made exemplary investments in aerospace, record investments in aluminum, investments in the automotive sector and investments in digital technology. We are fighting to create jobs at home. We are fighting to build the industry of tomorrow. We are fighting to build the Quebec and Canada of tomorrow. That is what Quebeckers expect.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

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

Mr. Speaker, all that for this.

For a year now, Quebec has been demanding a fair distribution of asylum seekers among the provinces. Today, the Minister of Immigration announced that this was not going to happen and that his task force is disbanding. There will be no distribution, except with the two voluntary provinces, Newfoundland and Labrador and Manitoba. I want to thank both these provinces for understanding that forcing Quebec to take in asylum seekers from across Canada is creating a humanitarian crisis. Their efforts are appreciated, but they are not enough.

How can the minister accept such a colossal failure?

[Paul Chiang, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I stand with the member opposite to help asylum seekers and put a roof over their heads. I understand the issue in Quebec. We are there for Quebeckers and we are going to help them fix this problem.

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

Mr. Speaker, together, Newfoundland and Labrador and Manitoba represent 5% of the Canadian population. If they do their part, Quebec will still only be relieved of 5% of the burden of welcoming asylum seekers. Neither Quebeckers nor asylum seekers will notice a difference in the availability of services. Every province must be involved. Quebeckers should not have to look after all of Canada's asylum seekers on behalf of Canadians.

What is the minister going to do to stop Canada from dumping its responsibilities in Quebec's backyard?

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

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that immigration and citizenship are federal responsibilities, and we work with the provinces and territories. If citizenship were under provincial jurisdiction, that would be a different story, but Canada is still a country.

The good news is that we are working very closely and effectively with the Quebec government on numerous immigration and asylum seeker issues, and things are going very well. Obviously, when things are going well and getting better, that is not so good for the Bloc Québécois.

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about the four Conservative provinces that refuse to help Quebec. These Conservatives, who have never done their part, refuse to take in a single extra person; meanwhile, Quebec is welcoming half of Canada's asylum seekers. Has anyone ever heard the federal Conservatives ask their buddies to help Quebeckers? We certainly have not.

Does the minister think that the federal Conservatives should spend more time here in the House telling their buddies to help out with asylum seekers and less time in Florida creationist churches speaking out against abortion?

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

Once again, let me remind members that questions must pertain to the federal administration.

I see that the minister is rising to answer that question. I therefore recognize the hon. Minister of Public Services and Procurement.

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

Mr. Speaker, while there is, indeed, much to say about the Conservatives' hidden agenda, I will leave it to the Conservatives to talk about their increasingly not-so-hidden hidden agenda.

We will talk about something more relevant to members from Quebec, at least in the context of the question, and that is the relationship with the Government of Quebec. Over the past few weeks, we have made three almost consecutive collaborative immigration announcements about temporary foreign workers twice, and about international students several other times. This collaborative work will only get better as long as we work together.

Housing

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, under the NDP-Liberals, taxes are up, costs are up, crime is up and time is up. It is reported that a mother living in a homeless encampment in London, Ontario, said, “I'm a mom of three and I'm homeless. I just want to get inside, into a warm place before winter, so I can get my kids back with me where they belong.” Tomorrow, on behalf of all Canadians, there is a chance to break down this costly government, so we can build the homes they need.

Will the NDP-Liberal government let Canadians decide on a carbon tax election?

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I would like to remind the member from Timmins—James Bay, and all members, to only take the floor when recognized by the Chair.

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.

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

Mr. Speaker, whether it is my community of London, Ontario, or any Canadian community, where homelessness exists, it is unacceptable. It is a tragic situation. Encampments should not exist. When the Conservatives stand up and raise these points, they do a good thing. What is not good is that they do not have a plan. It is all a sideshow. It is an act on the other side. They do not care about people who are on the street. If they did, they would have something to say on the matter of homelessness. Instead, they use people who are homeless as props here in the House of Commons. Conservative members will film them in encampments and post on social media, but they have no plan. They do not care.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the NDP-Liberal government, homelessness is up and tent encampments are up. In fact, homelessness is up 38% in Canada. There are now 1,400 tent encampments in Ontario alone. Liberal photo ops will not build the 5.8 million homes that are needed to restore housing affordability in Canada. Tomorrow, there is a chance to break down the costly government on behalf of all Canadians, so we can build the homes they need.

Will the NDP-Liberal government let Canadians decide on a carbon tax election?

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

Mr. Speaker, I work with that member on the House of Commons committee responsible for housing. I know she is sincere when she raises these points, but the member's party has no plan. In fact, every single member on the opposite side said no when they had a chance to vote in favour of measures to confront the challenge of homelessness and the crisis that we see on our streets. They said no to more supports for communities. They said no to more supports for not-for-profits. There have been 87,000 people taken off the street as a result of investments we have made. We have more to do, and we will do it.

Taxation

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years under the NDP-Liberals, taxes are up, costs are up, crime is up and, yes, now their time is up. The capital gains tax is yet another job-killing tax on small businesses. Liberals will say it only applies to the top 0.13%, but the finance minister will not say that it will not apply to the bottom 99.87%. Tomorrow, the NDP and Bloc have a chance to bring down the costly government by voting for our Conservative non-confidence motion.

Will the NDP and Bloc finally let Canadians decide in a carbon tax election?