House of Commons Hansard #36 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was victims.
This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
Ukrainian Heritage Month Act First reading of Bill S-210. The bill declares September as Ukrainian Heritage Month across Canada annually, recognizing the contributions of Ukrainian Canadians and the importance of preserving their heritage, especially given Russia's actions in Ukraine. 200 words.
Military Justice Modernization Act Second reading of Bill C-11. The bill C-11] modernizes the military justice system by [transferring jurisdiction for sexual offences committed in Canada from military to civilian courts. Members support the principle but debate its effectiveness. Concerns include 10 years of government inaction, potential political interference, civilian court capacity, and different treatment for overseas cases. Parties seek further study on cultural change, victim support, and implementation details. 22300 words, 3 hours.
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, one day after the Prime Minister's visit to the White House, the U.S. commerce secretary has announced that there will be no relief on tariffs for finished automobiles in Canada. This is after 700 Oshawa GM workers lost their jobs and GM sent $4 billion to the U.S.—
Automotive IndustryOral Questions
The Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia
I apologize for interrupting the hon. Leader of the Opposition, but apparently the interpretation is not working.
It is working now.
The hon. Leader of the Opposition, from the top.
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Battle River—Crowfoot, AB
Mr. Speaker, one day after the Prime Minister went to the White House, promising that he would fight for Canadian workers, we learn from the U.S. commerce secretary that there will be no relief for Canadian finished automobiles. This is after 700 Oshawa GM workers lost their jobs, with $4 billion of GM money going to the U.S.; 900 CAMI workers in Ingersoll lost their jobs, with those jobs going to the U.S.; and 150 workers at Stellantis were sent home, while $8 billion of Stellantis money goes to the U.S.
The Prime Minister failed to stand up for auto workers yesterday. Will he do so now?
Anita Anand LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report that the Prime Minister and the president had a very productive discussion yesterday on steel, on aluminum and on energy for the benefit of the Canadian economy. On auto, I remind my colleague of the president's words: “we want Canada to do well making cars, so...we'll get there.”
I encourage the Leader of the Opposition to take a look at Ford Canada in my riding of Oakville and to realize that on this side of the House, we are building—
Automotive IndustryOral Questions
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister refused to stand up for our auto workers, and today he refuses to stand up for our auto workers. How can he sit right there while the U.S. commerce secretary just came out and said the 25% tariffs will stay in place?
Despite the Prime Minister's concession after concession, like how he backed down on countertariffs, backed down on the DST and yesterday offered $1 trillion of Canadian investment money, still he cannot win anything for our auto workers.
What does the Prime Minister say to the thousands of auto workers who are out of work because of his weakness?
Mark Carney LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, what we have at this point with the United States for the auto sector is the lowest tariff in the world: less than 10%. That is lower than Europe's, lower than Korea's and lower than Japan's. We have the lowest tariffs, and we are still negotiating, because as the president said yesterday, “[The Prime Minister of Canada is] a tough negotiator”.
We will get a great deal for automotive.
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, give me a trillion dollars, and even I will say something nice about the Prime Minister. How much is it going to cost to pay Canadian investment dollars to flatter the Prime Minister's ego?
It would make us laugh if it did not make us cry, but how will the workers in Ingersoll, in Windsor and in Oshawa who have lost their jobs after the Prime Minister promised to protect them ever trust the Prime Minister again after he betrayed them?
Anita Anand LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, one thing that Canadians know, from Ingersoll to Windsor, Oakville and Oshawa, is that on this side of the House we will not let Canadians down. We have the strategic fund putting billions of dollars to support auto workers and the auto sector. We are supporting the agri-food business, and we will always be there for Canadian workers as well.
On this side of the House, we are about diversifying supply chains and supporting Canadians while we get the best deal possible for this country.
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, it is really pathetic that the Prime Minister will not stand up for auto workers in the House of Commons, just like he refused to stand up for them yesterday. We have thousands of auto workers who have lost their jobs since the Prime Minister promised to protect them. These families are sitting around their tables, wondering what is going to happen to them. They are among the 86,000 Canadians who have lost their jobs, leading to the second-highest unemployment of any country in the G7.
We have record lineups at food banks, and the Prime Minister is giving away $1 trillion in investment to the U.S., while people here cannot even pay their bills. Why will he not stand up now?
Anita Anand LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, we will take no lessons from the Conservatives on standing up for Canadian businesses and Canadian workers. Every opportunity they have to vote in favour of Canadians, whether it is pharmacare, whether it is dental care, whether it is the Canada child benefit, they vote against it.
On this side of the House, whether it is the auto sector, whether it is energy, whether it is steel, whether it is aluminum, we will get the best deal for this country. We will always be there for Canadians.
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, I think we are beginning to see how it is that the president has been able to bulldoze the Prime Minister. He will not even stand up when he is confronted by the Americans. Just over an hour ago, a report came out that the U.S. commerce secretary said that there will be no relief for Canadian-made automobiles going into the United States.
The Prime Minister has backed down on countertariffs, backed down on the GST and backed down on defence. Yesterday, he promised to push $1 trillion of private sector investment out of our country.
How is the Prime Minister going to look those Canadian auto workers in the eye to tell them how he got nothing for them in return?
Mark Carney LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, it is a sad day in the House when the Leader of the Opposition suggests that standing up for the defence of this country is backing down on defence, when the Leader of the Opposition suggests that spending more to defend our borders and spending to defend our fulfillment in NATO is backing down on defence.
We have the lowest tariff on auto—
Automotive IndustryOral Questions
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, at least the Prime Minister finally got up, but he did not address the question about auto workers. There are auto workers who are sitting at home right now who do not know how they are going to pay their mortgages. The Prime Minister looked them in the eye and said he was going to protect their jobs. Then he said he would put his elbows up. Then he said he would get a win by July 21. Then he said that he would have a deal. There has been no deal. There has been no win. Now, for these workers, there is no job.
Today, we learned that he is backing down again on auto tariffs. Why is it that he is selling out our auto workers at a time when they need him most?
Mark Carney LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, Japan, the European Union, the United Kingdom and every other country in the world are paying higher tariffs than Canada has gotten on automobiles. We are not done. That is why we have not signed an accord on auto. That is why we are fighting hard for our auto workers. I put the president on notice yesterday about the consequences of not having that accord.
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, the president has been warned: If he puts in another tariff, the Prime Minister is going to give him yet another $1 trillion. This is the tough negotiator we hired, the guy who broke his promise to have a deal on July 21, the guy who broke his promise to negotiate a win and who simultaneously removed the countertariffs while he was giving speeches promising to have them in place. Yesterday, he offered more concessions to the U.S. president, knowing that the tariffs that are killing our auto sector would stay in place.
Why does he always back down and give our jobs to the Americans instead of standing up for Canada?
Mark Carney LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, I think it is important for the entire House to understand that we have a strategy with the United States. That means that our auto sector is paying less than a 10% tariff, when Japan, Europe, the U.K. and the rest of the world is paying 15%, which is bigger than 10%, or higher. We are not done yet, because we refuse to sign a deal that is not bettering the interests of Canadians. That is what we are fighting for.
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, he is already signing a deal that makes us worse off because he makes concession after concession while getting nothing in return. Yesterday, he announced that his policies will drive $1 trillion of private sector money out of our country as part of the agreement that he is going to sign with the United States. That means factories and plants closing in Canada, most of all in our auto sector, which is on the verge of being wiped out after he promised to save it.
Can the Prime Minister tell me if he demanded that the president lift all tariffs on Canadian auto, yes or no?
Mark Carney LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, our agreement yesterday, between the president and myself, is to focus now on steel, aluminum and energy, which are the building blocks of our broader competitiveness, including our auto sector. Those negotiations on auto continue from a position that is the strongest in the world, as 10% is less than 15%, which is less than 25%, which is less than 50%.
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, zero is the paycheque that those workers who have lost their jobs are getting right now.
Seventh is last place in the G7 when it comes to growth or, in this case, negative growth. The Prime Minister has to get his excuses straight. He blames the tariffs for the fact that we have the second-highest unemployment in the G7 and the fastest-shrinking economy, and then he claims at the same time that the tariffs are really not so bad. Which is it?
Why is our economy so weak? Is it because of his diplomatic failings abroad or his disastrous economic policies at home?
Mark Carney LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, as I have been saying all this year, long before the Leader of the Opposition caught up, the U.S. has fundamentally changed its trading policy with everyone. It is a rupture. In that environment, Canada has the best deal. What we are doing is controlling what we can control, which is building Canada strong.
On November 4, that side of the House is going to have a chance to decide whether they are going to build alongside Canadians, a generational investment in an ambitious future for our country.
Lisa Hepfner Liberal Hamilton Mountain, ON
Mr. Speaker, hate-motivated crimes are not like other crimes. They aim to divide people, spread fear and destroy the social fabric that unites our communities. Too often, these unacceptable acts go undetected or under-reported.
Could the Minister of Justice explain how creating a specific offence for hate crimes would make it easier to identify, condemn and punish these attacks?
Sean Fraser LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Hamilton Mountain for her question and for her work on the justice file.
A hate crime is targeted not at an individual but at an entire community. With this bill, we are creating a specific offence for hate crimes. We are adding the Supreme Court of Canada's definition of “hatred” to the Criminal Code. Once passed, the law will help condemn hate, punish the perpetrators and protect our communities. Our Liberal government keeps its promises.
Hate has no place in Canada. Canadians deserve to feel safe. I sincerely hope that all parties in the House of Commons will support this very important bill.