House of Commons Hansard #28 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was communities.
This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
Canadian Heritage Members present reports on tech giants, online harms, and media. Conservatives oppose Bills C-11 and C-18, citing censorship, and advocate for new laws to criminalize online sexual exploitation and deepfakes. 400 words.
Combatting Hate Crime Second reading of Bill C-9. The bill aims to combat hate crimes and propaganda by creating new offences for obstruction and intimidation of access to religious or cultural places, enhancing penalties for hate-motivated crimes, and criminalizing the public display of certain hate or terrorist symbols. It also codifies the definition of "hatred" and removes the Attorney General's consent for hate propaganda charges. Conservatives argue the bill is flawed and late, raising concerns about the definition of hatred and potential for private prosecutions to impact free speech. The Bloc Québécois seeks to remove the religious exemption for hate speech. 21900 words, 3 hours.
Nathalie Provost LiberalSecretary of State (Nature)
Mr. Speaker, I survived the Polytechnique femicide where 14 women lost their lives.
In 1990, the largest paper petition was tabled here in the House of Commons. It asked for the removal of assault-style firearms from our streets. This was in 1990 and, even today, more than 70% of Canadians, including rural Canadians, are in favour. This is not about going after hunters or farmers. It is about firearms that are meant to kill.
We made a promise and we will keep it. It will get done.
Patrick Bonin Bloc Repentigny, QC
Mr. Speaker, people say that when the U.S. sneezes, Canada catches a cold.
That is undoubtedly why, while Donald Trump rails against climate change at the UN General Assembly, Canada is turning into a climate change denier with Bill C‑5.
Some 250 elected municipal officials have formed a coalition to ask the Prime Minister to build the country instead of burning it. They are demanding that the government's major projects prioritize public transit, energy-efficient housing, to mention a few, but not oil and gas.
Will the government listen to the mayors or to Donald Trump?
Julie Dabrusin LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, if my colleague paid attention yesterday and previous days, he would have heard our Prime Minister at the UN talking about climate change and how Canada will continue to be a leader in the fight against climate change. We are doing a good job.
I hope that my colleague will help us.
Patrick Bonin Bloc Repentigny, QC
Mr. Speaker, the 250 municipal officials are reminding us that climate change is real. This summer alone, 95 communities experienced unsafe air quality, 54 were impacted by wildfires, 37 were forced to evacuate and 29 experienced extreme heat.
As the mayor of Montreal said, we need to develop the economy by moving away from fossil fuel development as much as possible.
Do the Liberals not understand that we need to move away from oil and gas, not promote it?
Julie Dabrusin LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, it seems that the Bloc Québécois member opposite did not listen to the right speech. If he had listened to our Prime Minister, he would have heard that we take the fight against climate change seriously.
We will continue to do good work. It is important if we are to build a strong country. We will continue to do that.
John Barlow Conservative Foothills, AB
Mr. Speaker, after 10 years of Liberal mismanagement, Canadians cannot afford to put food on the table. In August, food inflation outpaced overall inflation by 84%, and food prices have gone up another 3.5%.
It was the Prime Minister who told Canadians he would be judged by the cost of food. It is now Canadians who are paying the price for 10 years of Liberal photo ops, higher inflation and broken Canadian promises.
Is this the Canadian dream the Prime Minister promised, a country where Canadians cannot feed their families?
Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
Mr. Speaker, do members know what the best predictor of future behaviour is? It is past behaviour. That is right. Canadians have watched—
The EconomyOral Questions
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Mr. Speaker, they might not applaud so loudly after I read through the list of things these folks have voted against year after year: the school food program, child care, tax cuts, support for training, support for union investments and Canada summer jobs.
Canadians wanted a government that believes in them and invests in them, and they have that with this government.
John Barlow Conservative Foothills, AB
Mr. Speaker, let us look at the past record.
Justin Trudeau promised Canadians that he would lower food prices by Thanksgiving 2023. It never happened. The current Prime Minister told Canadians that he should be judged by the cost of food at the grocery store. Well, judgment has been rendered. Beef is up 33%, grapes are up 22%, coffee is up 24% and now we have apple farmers raising the alarm about a sharp increase in theft of their product because Canadians cannot afford the grocery store.
How many people and how many families are going to be forced to the food bank before the Prime Minister admits to Canadians that he broke his promise?
Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
Mr. Speaker, if there is a silver lining, it is that I see some promise in perhaps the member's supporting the budget that will be tabled very shortly this fall, where we will propose ambitious investments in Canadians, in Canadian families, in Canadian workplaces, in Canadian unions, in major projects and in our national defence system.
I can only hope that Conservatives have seen the light. They should stop voting against Canadian interests.
Scot Davidson Conservative New Tecumseth—Gwillimbury, ON
Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister jets around the world shaking hands with dictators and diplomats, Canadians are lining up at food banks in record numbers. He says he wants to be judged by the price of food in grocery stores, but he is too busy seeking approval at the UN to notice how much worse food insecurity is now for Canadians. Food prices have risen 50% faster in Canada than in the United States since March.
How many more families must go hungry before the Prime Minister admits he has failed?
François-Philippe Champagne LiberalMinister of Finance and National Revenue
Mr. Speaker, I have enormous respect for the member, but it seems he was missing in action this summer, because this summer, 22 million Canadians got a tax cut. He should be standing there celebrating, but instead he fought against child care, he fought against the Canadian dental care program and he voted against the school food program.
At every step of the way, the Conservatives fought against Canadians. We will stand on the side of Canadians.
Scot Davidson Conservative New Tecumseth—Gwillimbury, ON
Mr. Speaker, from what we see, the Liberal government cares more about international headlines than about bread lines that Canadians are stuck in. They are asking, “What about us?” as food insecurity reaches a crisis point across the country. In my area, Simcoe county, a third of households cannot afford to properly feed their family.
Millions of Canadians are chasing their next meal, so why is the Prime Minister more focused on chasing applause from world leaders than on the crisis right here at home?
François-Philippe Champagne LiberalMinister of Finance and National Revenue
Mr. Speaker, there might have been a new election, but it is the same old Conservatives. The same old Conservative slogans will not feed children, but what is going to help families is taking actions like cutting taxes for 22 million Canadians. Instead of fighting against child care, instead of fighting against pharmacare and instead of fighting against dental care, let Canadians see if Conservatives are going to vote for the budget, which will be generational, to build this country.
Jason Groleau Conservative Beauce, QC
Mr. Speaker, after 10 years of Liberal governance and out-of-control spending, the cost of living is skyrocketing. Our seniors are now skipping a meal a day in order to be able to afford their rent.
The Prime Minister broke his promise. He is spending more and delivering fewer results. Every month, the Moisson Beauce food bank receives 6,000 requests for assistance from people and, unfortunately, 37% of them are children. That does not make any sense.
Will this Prime Minister stop attacking Canadian families and address the real problems that the Liberals themselves created?
Mélanie Joly LiberalMinister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
Mr. Speaker, we are all gathered here together in the House of Commons to make life better for Canadians, and the goal is, of course, to be able to work together to respond to Canadians' needs.
I would like to tell my colleague that, last week, the Bank of Canada cut its key interest rate, which means that many people in Canada, including homeowners and business owners, will finally be able to get some help in making ends meet at the end of the year. What I can also say is that we cut taxes for the middle class and for first-time homebuyers.
Parm Bains Liberal Richmond East—Steveston, BC
Mr. Speaker, during the parliamentary recess weeks, I, along with my Pacific colleagues, worked actively on the mandate set out by our right hon. Prime Minister to engage with industry in all sectors to identify Canadians who want to collaborate, invest and join us in building Canada.
Can the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources please elaborate on how British Columbia is contributing to this nation-building effort and how our economic strategy ensures that the needs of everyday citizens, like affordability, job creation and regional equity, are being met through partnerships and investments?
Tim Hodgson LiberalMinister of Energy and Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, Canada is undertaking a wartime-like effort to retool our economy and advance projects of national interest, including projects in British Columbia, like the LNG Canada phase 2 and the Red Chris mine, which will generate significant benefits for first nations communities. I would also like to let the member know that under “one project, one review”, we are advancing projects like the new Ksi Lisims LNG export facility, led by the Nisga'a Nation, which will also have a pipeline associated with that project. The project will be the second-largest—
Natural ResourcesOral Questions
Lianne Rood Conservative Middlesex—London, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said that Canadians would judge him by the costs at the grocery store. Well, the Liberal record holds that food bank use is up 142% since 2015, and the Daily Bread Food Bank expects four million visits in 2025. Families are cutting meals while costs are climbing and wages stall. He promised he would bring relief, but he did not bring home the bacon, an item that is up over 20%.
Will the Prime Minister stop the bait and switch and cut costs so that Canadian families can afford to eat?
Stephanie McLean LiberalSecretary of State (Seniors)
Mr. Speaker, seniors, who built this country, should never have to choose between paying for groceries and heating their homes. That is why our government has taken action. We are cutting red tape, and we are building homes faster. We have introduced dental care, and more than two million seniors are already signed up to get benefits. We are building an economy that works for everyone.
Let us be clear, Conservatives have a record of pushing the retirement age higher, cutting benefits and leaving seniors behind. While they are voting against seniors, we are empowering older Canadians and protecting their dignity and peace of mind.
Lianne Rood Conservative Middlesex—London, ON
Mr. Speaker, Liberal promises are about as empty as Canadians' grocery carts. In Middlesex County, one in four families is food insecure, which means they have no idea where their next meal is going to come from. Food banks cannot keep their shelves stocked. At the checkout, grapes are up 22%, canned soup is up 26%, coffee is up 22% and sugar is up 20%.
The Prime Minister's policies have clearly failed. Will he back measures that actually cut costs, or will he keep feeding inflation while Canadians starve?
Anna Gainey LiberalSecretary of State (Children and Youth)
Mr. Speaker, families clearly need support to tackle food insecurity. That is why we are ensuring that more children are getting nutritious meals at school, while saving parents hundreds of dollars with the national school food program. We are putting more money in parents' pockets, tax-free, every month.
This is a program, may I remind my colleagues, that they all, on the opposite side of the House, voted against.
