Debates of June 20th, 2025

Health

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

Mr. Speaker, our colleague evidently read the article that was on the front page of National Newswatch yesterday, but he did not read it closely. What he would have seen if he had is that the issue is squarely in the provincial jurisdiction. We know there are American doctors trying to come to Canada, who are leaving the United States. Of course our health care system is in need of more doctors, but the issue is tangled in bureaucracy in British Columbia.

If the member wants to bring matters to the House of Commons, that is fine; it is a very good issue to raise, but the issue is misplaced. It is an issue of provincial jurisdiction.

Taxation

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

Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer, who is an officer of the House of Commons and our financial watchdog, has confirmed another broken Liberal promise, this one having to do with their so-called tax cut. During the election, the Prime Minister promised people $850, but it turns out that the average Canadian will save only $90 this year. For seniors, it is $4 a month.

My question is very simple. Did the Prime Minister lie during the campaign? Is he lying now? Is it both at the same time?

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

Before I recognize the government House leader, I want to point out that the word the member used causes a commotion when it is used in the House. I would therefore ask the member to withdraw that word.

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

Mr. Speaker, I will replace that word with “misleading”.

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

Mr. Speaker, the facts are very simple. For everyone who pays income tax, 22 million Canadians, the tax rate is going down from 15% to 14%. This will save Canadian families up to $840. Those who pay income tax can save up to $840. We made that promise and we kept it—

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

The hon. member for Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis.

Finance

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

Mr. Speaker, it still seems to me that he is calling the Parliamentary Budget Officer a liar, but facts are facts. This Prime Minister's first few weeks in Parliament have been full of broken promises, particularly when it comes to spending, taxes, outside consultants, defence and even our relationship with the United States. Meanwhile, Canadians are paying 14% more for rice, 18% more for apples and 34% more for beef.

Will the Prime Minister finally table the budget that everyone is waiting for, one that will truly cut taxes and reverse this government's inflationary policies?

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

Mr. Speaker, again, 22 million Canadians, that is everyone who pays income tax, will notice that less income tax is being deducted from their paycheques as of July 1. That is a nice Canada Day gift. My colleague talks about affordability, but she opposed child care spaces, the Canada child benefit and assistance for dental care. She should focus on affordability and support us.

Government Priorities

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

Mr. Speaker, Bill C‑5 perfectly sums up the new Liberal Prime Minister's approach. He wants to force pipelines on Quebec, he wants to impose projects by order in council without going through Parliament and he wants to be able to bypass pretty much all laws, also by order in council, to help developers. He wants to do all this by imposing closure, without debate or witnesses, with the support of the Conservatives.

Meanwhile, the 44 Liberal members from Quebec have been trying to fade into the woodwork. Do they realize that they did not vote the right way?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions]

Mr. Speaker, I think it is important for my colleague to remember that we are in the midst of a tariff war and that this is an urgent matter. The member need only talk to Quebec aluminum workers. If he dares, he can also talk to people in the auto and steel industries in Ontario. In short, we need to act quickly. We need to work together to pass the bill to build big infrastructure projects. If the member is still not convinced, then he should talk to Quebec Premier François Legault, who supports the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, in four short weeks, the Liberals have shown us their true face. It is Pierre Poilievre's face in a red tie. Many Quebeckers voted Liberal to be protected from the Conservatives, and yet we are faced with a government that wants to govern by decree and impose pipelines with Bill C‑5. This government stole $814 million from Quebeckers to buy votes from Canadians. All of that was done in four weeks.

That is the Liberals' true face. Do they realize that to many Quebeckers, they are two-faced?

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

Mr. Speaker, I think that by constantly exaggerating, the members from the Bloc Québécois are going to miss Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day. The fact remains that this is a matter of urgency. We must urgently respond to the trade war started by our neighbours to the south. We must urgently respond to the Government of Quebec and other actors, including the unions and investors, to reduce the gap between Quebec and Canada and create jobs and opportunities.

Public Safety

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

Mr. Speaker, a nurse was strangled unconscious, Vancouver police officers were set on fire as they arrested a repeat offender, a Victoria paramedic was violently assaulted while attending an overdose call, a firefighter was attacked with a machete while resuscitating an overdose victim, and a Manitoba nurse was stabbed with a needle. Our first responders and health care workers are targeted, attacked and face horrific abuse on a daily basis, and they are calling for bail reform.

When will the Prime Minister end his failed drug policies and soft-on-crime laws and protect our frontline heroes?

[Vince Gasparro, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State (Combatting Crime)]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has asked about this before. The fact is that fentanyl has torn through our communities and ripped through our families. It is an incredibly serious issue, and I empathize with the people who have been lost.

The fact is, we take this incredibly seriously. We are hiring 1,000 new RCMP officers and hiring 1,000 new CBSA officers to go after the bad guys and put them away.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals failed first responders and health care workers, for 10 years, who are calling for bail reform. For 10 years, the Liberals have put criminals' rights before victims. Violent crime has surged 50% since 2015. The Liberals' reckless drug policies have turned our hospitals and our communities into war zones.

Nurses and other health care workers face horrific abuse every single shift, and first responders are assaulted and beaten while responding to calls for help. Violence is not part of their job description, and the responsibility lies squarely at the foot of the Prime Minister. He told Canadians he had a plan—

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice has the floor.

[Patricia Lattanzio, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I understand my colleague, and Canadians deserve to feel safe in their own communities, which is why we have committed to cracking down on repeat, violent offenders even further, in our platform. We will strengthen the Criminal Code and move aggressively to protect victims by making bail laws stricter for violent and organized crime, home invasion, car theft and human trafficking. We were given a strong mandate from Canadians to keep our communities safe, and that is exactly what we will do.

[Michael Kram, Conservative, Regina—Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, last week alone, the Regina Police Service responded to 54 suspected overdoses, including four fatalities. According to multiple news reports, fentanyl is suspected in most if not all of these cases. The crisis has gotten so bad that the provincial Ministry of Health has issued an overdose alert for Regina.

When will the Liberals finally crack down on organized crime and mass fentanyl production labs so we can finally get fentanyl off our streets?

[Jacques Ramsay, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, fentanyl is ravaging our communities and tearing families apart. That is a well-known fact. Bill C‑2 will step up the fight against fentanyl trafficking through important measures such as tighter controls on the chemical precursors used to manufacture fentanyl and enhanced powers for law enforcement to intercept and search shipments suspected of containing illegal drugs. We have also designated drug cartels as terrorist organizations. We will always be there to protect Canadians.

[Jonathan Rowe, Conservative, Terra Nova—The Peninsulas, NL]

Mr. Speaker, recently in my riding, friends and family of Lucas Lethbridge came together in memory of his tragic death due to overdose. I, for one, have lost more friends from addiction than from any other cause.

My question today comes directly from Lucas' father: Why does a fentanyl dealer selling cocaine secretly laced with fentanyl get to continue killing vulnerable Canadians in our communities rather than getting locked up for life?

[Vince Gasparro, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State (Combatting Crime)]

Mr. Speaker, first I want to convey my condolences to the hon. member for the people lost in his community.

As I mentioned earlier, the fact is that the global rise of fentanyl has ripped through our communities and our families, and it is completely unacceptable. We have listed seven cartels as terrorist entities under the Criminal Code. To combat it, we are hiring 1,000 new RCMP officers and 1,000 new CBSA officers to go after the bad guys and put them away.

[Jeff Kibble, Conservative, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Attorney General stated that the Liberals will bring forward multiple changes to their catch-and-release laws in the fall, effectively admitting that Bill C-75 is a failure, yet the same day, the secretary of state for combatting crime blamed the provinces for releasing violent repeat offenders.

Two years ago, my own daughter watched as her boyfriend, Johnny, was murdered in Victoria, stabbed to death by a violent repeat offender who was out on bail for attempted murder not three weeks earlier.

When will the Liberals protect Canadians like Johnny, actually take action and cancel failed Bill C-75?

[Patricia Lattanzio, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I feel for the member's opposite situation.

There are mandatory minimums when it comes to certain offences committed with firearms relating to some crimes. There is a maximum amount for a sentence for repeat offenders: seven years.

We take these issues very seriously, and we will be working towards reforms in the coming months.

Steel and Aluminum Industry

[Chi Nguyen, Liberal, Spadina—Harbourfront, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadian steel and aluminum are the best in the world, and our workers in those vital industries are second to none. However, we know that these vital sectors are facing very serious threats as a result of unjustified and illegal American tariffs.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and National Revenue update the House on how the government is supporting our world-class steel and aluminum producers during these turbulent times?

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and National Revenue and to the Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, Canadian steel and aluminum are going to help build the strongest economy in the G7. While we continue to aim for a negotiated agreement with the United States, we are taking strong action to respond to the illegal and unjustified American tariffs to protect the integrity of our sectors.

Yesterday we announced targeted measures, including adjusted countertariffs, new tariff rate quotas and a $10-billion large-enterprise tariff loan facility. These measures will help our steel and aluminum—