Debates of June 17th, 2025

Automotive Industry

[Gabriel Hardy, Conservative, Montmorency—Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Speaker, back home in Montmorency—Charlevoix, we need our vehicles. We need them to take our kids to school, to take them to different sports activities, to go to work on our farms and even to explore our vast territory. We also need our ATVs and snowmobiles. Gasoline is not the only way, but it is an effective way that works everywhere.

The Liberal government is always holding families back, instead of letting them take charge of their own destiny, develop their own resources, grow our economy and, at the same time, protect the environment around the world.

Will the Prime Minister scrap his law to ban the sale of gas-powered vehicles and give Canadians freedom of choice?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, we are not banning snowmobiles and things like that. When we speak here in the House, we really have to have our facts straight. Second, the Government of Quebec has already established regulations to ensure that Quebeckers have access to zero-emission vehicles. If my colleague wants to talk to us about that, then he should look at the regulations in his own province.

What is more, Quebeckers are buying electric vehicles. In Quebec, 25% of new vehicles sold are electric.

Intergovernmental Relations

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said that he would never impose energy projects on Quebec or any province without its consent. Unfortunately, Bill C-5 states the opposite. This bill allows Ottawa to make a unilateral decision by order in council and then hold bogus consultations once the project has already been approved. The Bloc Québécois thought this must be a mistake, because that is not what the Prime Minister had promised. We are proposing an amendment in line with what the Prime Minister said. It would require him to obtain the approval of Quebec and the provinces before moving forward.

Will the Prime Minister support it?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the bill in question respects provincial jurisdictions. It respects the rights of indigenous peoples. It respects the regulatory processes that are in place, but it aims to speed them up in order to move forward with projects of national significance that will create opportunities, jobs and infrastructure across the country.

If the member does not believe me, then he can simply ask Quebec Premier François Legault, who supports the bill.

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Bill C-5 allows Ottawa to impose pipelines on Quebec, the provinces and indigenous people without their consent. Bill C-5 allows the government to breach 13 laws and to add others by order in council. Bill C-5 sets out criteria for projects of national significance, but those too can be circumvented.

This is no joke. Bill C-5 even allows ministers to circumvent Bill C-5. That is why the Bloc Québécois is proposing amendments. Without our amendments, Bill C-5 is nothing more than a licence to steamroll over Quebec. Will the Liberals support that?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, it is not just the government that supports the bill. Quebeckers do too. We just had an election where 44 Liberal members were elected across Quebec.

Why is that? It is because Quebeckers see the big picture. Quebeckers know that we need to build major projects and create good opportunities for our children and grandchildren. It allows us to dream. It allows us to build. Let us build Quebec.

Housing

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Mr. Speaker, after telling Canadians to live in shipping containers, will the housing minister go home to his $2-million penthouse in Vancouver, his 11 acres in Tofino or his $5.6-million property in Squamish?

The hypocritical minister is telling young Canadians stuck in their parents' basement that housing prices do not need to come down. Does he not see how arrogant and condescending that sounds from atop his Vancouver penthouse?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I honestly do not know where honourable colleagues across the aisle are going with the questioning. The minister is obviously in full compliance with the strictest ethics code known of in the western world. It applies to all of us; it applies to the minister. He will be in full compliance with that.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I would encourage the minister to come down from his penthouse and answer the question himself, rather than relying on the House leader. He has a $10-million real estate portfolio that includes multiple properties and a beautiful Vancouver penthouse. I am sure it is very nice. It is no wonder, then, that his first act as housing minister was to announce that he does not want housing prices to go down.

Why is the minister putting his personal portfolio ahead of his cabinet portfolio and abandoning young people who are stuck without jobs and are still living with their parents?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, it must be getting late in the month, because the level of innuendo coming from the other side of the House is, quite frankly, appalling. Obviously, the minister is in compliance with all of the disclosure obligations and is going to continue complying with the strictest ethics code in the world. At the same time, he will obviously be creating many hundreds of thousands of housing opportunities for young Canadians.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I do want to be generous today and offer the housing minister one more opportunity to respond. The issue here is that the minister, who is supposed to be solving the Liberal housing crisis, actually has a personal financial interest in seeing that crisis continue. I think to most Canadians, that would seem to be a little bit of a problem.

How can we expect the penthouse minister to actually solve the Liberal housing crisis while the same housing crisis continues to make him even richer?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Let me take one more opportunity to denounce the juvenile, amateurish invective coming from the other side of the House, which impugns the motives of upstanding people who represent themselves for public office and who work tirelessly to create opportunities for Canadians.

The minister has a large mandate. He will create hundreds of thousands of housing units for Canadians. He will continue that work, and of course he will comply with all the rules.

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as July 1 approaches, Quebeckers who are still looking for a place to live are becoming increasingly concerned. Why? Housing is too expensive.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure sees no need for prices to come down. He, of course, is a wealthy property owner, so perhaps it is in his interest to keep housing costs high. His refusal to answer the question is stirring up mistrust.

Why is the Prime Minister letting a real estate millionaire decide the future of struggling Quebec tenants?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite once served as a minister in a government. She knows full well what we are dealing with. Quite frankly, it surprises me to hear cheap shots like these in the House. She is imputing motives to ministers who are working hard, around the clock, to create housing and other opportunities on behalf of Quebeckers. This minister is working tirelessly with Quebec to create opportunities. He will comply with all the regulations.

That member knows better.

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I will tell this House what is scandalous here. We have a minister who is forcing Quebeckers, young Quebeckers, to move back into their parents' basements because they do not have a penny to pay for housing. That is what is scandalous.

He needs to stand up and tell us how he is going to solve the housing crisis, not as a millionaire, but as a member of Parliament.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, we are nearing the end of the sitting period. It has been intense, and I know there was an election.

Frankly, it is dishonourable for the member to say such things about someone who ran for public office to do good for his community and for his country. The minister is working closely with the Quebec government to create housing programs and opportunities for young Quebeckers. He will continue to do so in full compliance with the code of ethics.

That member knows better. Frankly, that is dishonourable behaviour.

Justice

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, public safety is a key priority in my community of Brampton South. Could the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada share with my community and Canadians what the government's plan is to toughen the Criminal Code to make our communities safer for everyone?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for her work advancing important criminal reforms to keep communities safe.

In the recent federal election, we were elected on a mandate to help give law enforcement the tools it needs to keep communities safe and to strengthen the Criminal Code. Specifically, we will be advancing legislative reforms to strengthen the bail system when it comes to violent crimes involving home invasion, drug trafficking and auto theft, and stiffer penalties for organized crime and violent crime.

I look forward to working with my colleague who represents the good people of Brampton South, and with members of Parliament from every community in this country, to help keep Canadians safe.

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, extortion is up 357%. Let us take, for example, the Lehmanns in Mission. Last year, they lost $300,000 to this heinous crime. While their lives were completely destabilized, the criminal never served a day in jail but got nine months of house arrest, and probation.

The Liberals rejected our common-sense extortion bill in the last Parliament, which would have reinstated mandatory minimums. Why will they not stand with Canadians and reverse their disastrous policies?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, when dangerous people commit violent crimes, it is important they face serious criminal penalties. I would point out to the hon. member that extortion is illegal in this country, and its perpetrators must be apprehended and punished in accordance with the Criminal Code. When he looks at the mandatory minimum penalties, he will see that repeat violent offences involving firearms have a mandatory minimum penalty of seven years and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. The Criminal Code is a serious document that will treat serious criminals very seriously.

I look forward to working with members of the Conservative Party to give law enforcement the tools it needs not only to punish criminals but also to prevent crime in the first place.

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, extortion is obviously illegal, but it was the minister and the Liberal government that removed the mandatory sentences for these dangerous crimes. The sad reality is that the Lehmanns will probably never get their money back, and not only were they traumatized by this crime, but they were also forced to remove the $300,000 from their business account, and now that money is subject to tax with the CRA.

When will the Liberals get serious, change the laws that protect Canadians, and put the Lehmanns, not the criminal, first?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, it is beyond reprehensible for a member of the House of Commons to suggest that one party or another puts criminals ahead of victims. We are going to advance important reforms to strengthen sentencing. We are going to take extortion seriously to ensure that people who suffer the consequences of these crimes see recourse through the criminal justice system. Importantly, it cannot only be about stiffening penalties. It also needs to be about investing in frontline officers who can help keep communities safe to prevent crime in the first place. As we advance these important reforms, I hope we can, for once, gain the support of the Conservative Party to help keep communities safe.

[Jagsharan Singh Mahal, Conservative, Edmonton Southeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, incidents of extortion are increasing at a rampant speed, and the Liberal government does not seem to be serious about it. In Edmonton, firebombs are being thrown at businesses and bullets are being fired at houses with demands for extortion money. Extortion is up by 357%. Liberals voted down the common-sense Bill C-381, which would have enforced a three-year mandatory minimum penalty, and a four-year penalty for extortion involving non-restricted firearms, which was repealed by the Liberals in Bill C-5.

Will the Liberals finally adopt the Conservative plan to crack down on violent extortion?

[Ruby Sahota, Liberal, Secretary of State (Combatting Crime)]

Mr. Speaker, we will hold extortionists accountable. Just yesterday, I was at a big announcement with Peel Regional Police. Eighteen extortionists were caught, involved in a criminal organization. This is a big accomplishment.

We are striking them where it counts. Criminals will be investigated. They will be charged. They will be sentenced. Extortion carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; a minimum sentence, when done with a firearm, of five years; and with—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Fundy Royal.