House of Commons Hansard #83 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was extortion.
This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
Opposition Motion—Serious crimes and refugee claims Members debate rising extortion rates and Canada's justice and immigration systems. Conservatives propose barring non-citizens convicted of serious crimes or with active judicial proceedings from making refugee claims, ending leniency to avoid deportation, and repealing Bills C-5 and C-75, citing a "revolving door justice system." Liberals defend their "tough-on-crime" agenda, highlighting pending legislation like lawful access and bail reform, and accuse Conservatives of obstruction. The Bloc opposes the motion, raising concerns for political prisoners and potential legal challenges. 48900 words, 6 hours in 2 segments: 1 2.
Arab Heritage Month Act Second reading of Bill S-227. The bill, S-227, An Act respecting Arab Heritage Month, proposes designating April as Arab Heritage Month in Canada. Members from the Conservative, Bloc Québécois, and Liberal parties express support, highlighting the significant contributions of Arab Canadians to Canadian society, culture, and economy, and the importance of recognition, education, and belonging. The bill passed second reading and was referred to committee. 3200 words, 25 minutes.
Mark Carney LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, the question gives me an opportunity to share some information with this Parliament.
I had a conversation with the President of the United States this morning. I informed him that Canada built and paid for the Gordie Howe bridge, that we co-own it with the state of Michigan and that the bridge contains steel made by Canadian and American workers.
Yves-François Blanchet Bloc Beloeil—Chambly, QC
Mr. Speaker, it is not getting any better.
Let us say that Canada is in a good position to tell the U.S. president that we paid for the bridge and to ask him to treat us with respect. However, now we are going to pay for planes even though he is not treating us with respect and he will retain control over the planes by monitoring the flight plans.
At this point, should the government not practise the Canadian nationalism it preaches and suspend the F-35 purchase contract until trade relations return to normal?
Mark Carney LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, the situation is crystal clear. The Government of Canada is reviewing the F-35 contract. The Government of Canada, Canada, has other options. There are other options for protecting Canadians and growing our economy and our industry, especially in Quebec.
Jasraj Singh Hallan Conservative Calgary East, AB
Mr. Speaker, Liberal deficits and taxes drove up inflation and food bank usage. Canada has the highest food inflation in the entire G7, double that of the U.S. Canadians spend more on Liberal taxes than on all basic essentials combined. Consumer bankruptcies are rising, and bankruptcy proposals are at levels not seen since the 2008 financial crisis.
When will the Liberals scrap the taxes and inflationary deficits that are driving more Canadians into bankruptcy?
François-Philippe Champagne LiberalMinister of Finance and National Revenue
Mr. Speaker, we will take no lessons from the Conservatives. The first thing the government did under this Prime Minister was cut taxes for 22 million Canadians. They know it. Canadians know it. We know it. On this side of the House, we are going to build this country, we are going to empower Canadians and we will protect our sovereignty. We believe in Canada.
Jasraj Singh Hallan Conservative Calgary East, AB
Mr. Speaker, believing the Liberals are helping Canadians is as ridiculous as believing the budget will balance itself. The Prime Minister doubled Justin Trudeau's deficit, while consumer debt skyrocketed last year. Liberal deficits and taxes are forcing Canadians to borrow more, and they are racking up their credit cards just to get by. Non-mortgage debt has exploded to $675 billion. That is why Canadians are the most indebted in the entire G7.
How many more Canadians need to go broke and bankrupt before the Liberals stop driving up the cost of living?
François-Philippe Champagne LiberalMinister of Finance and National Revenue
Mr. Speaker, I have a simple answer: Move on, man, move on. Honestly, change the QP card. I can give some advice: Move on.
I have good news. I know it is only Tuesday, but Canada is forecasted to have the second-fastest growth in the G7. This is under this Prime Minister, under this government, under this team, which is building Canada like never before. We will build at scale. We will build at speed, and we will build a Canada that we can all be proud of.
Mark Strahl Conservative Chilliwack—Hope, BC
Mr. Speaker, these Liberals keep telling Canadians that they have never had it so good. Not only has food inflation doubled since the Prime Minister took office; it is now twice as high in Canada as it is in the United States. It is driving over two million people a month to food banks. I guess they should just “move on” from that.
Now we learn that more and more Canadians have been forced into bankruptcy and bankruptcy proposals. In my province of British Columbia, they are up over 10% in the last year alone. When will the government stop pushing people to the brink and cut the taxes and red tape that are pushing Canadians into bankruptcy?
Wayne Long LiberalSecretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives want to talk about taxes. We cut taxes for 22 million Canadians. We cut the GST for first-time homebuyers and the consumer carbon tax. Last week, we launched the groceries and essentials benefit, which will put up to $1,900 in the pockets of Canadians. We are focused on affordability for Canadians; they are focused on continued obstruction.
Mark Strahl Conservative Chilliwack—Hope, BC
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal plan is not working. Over two million Canadians a month are using the food bank. The cost of groceries has skyrocketed to over $340 a week for a family of four. The small minority of Canadians who get that recycled rebate he was talking about will only get $10 a week, which is not going to keep their creditors at bay.
Now bankruptcies and bankruptcy proposals are at their highest levels since the global financial crisis, so when will the Liberals finally cut taxes and red tape and stop pushing record numbers of Canadians into bankruptcy?
Wayne Long LiberalSecretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)
Mr. Speaker, this is from a member and his leader who supported giving the Canada child benefit to millionaires. They voted against the dental program, the day care program and housing, and the list goes on and on.
On this side of the House, we are going to continue to focus and deliver on affordability. That party is focused on obstruction and slogans.
Dan Albas Conservative Okanagan Lake West—South Kelowna, BC
Mr. Speaker, after 10 years of Liberal government, food inflation is double what it was when the Prime Minister took office and double that of the United States. Food bank use has more than doubled, and now bankruptcies are up, the highest they have been since the financial crisis, clocking in at a shocking 10.6% in British Columbia.
Will the government admit that its taxes and deficits are driving Canadians into food banks and into bankruptcy, or will it just claim that everything is fine, proving that it is totally out of touch with reality?
Stephanie McLean LiberalSecretary of State (Seniors)
Mr. Speaker, I will bite. Let us imagine what affordability would look like under the Conservatives in British Columbia.
They would cut the industrial carbon tax, and nothing would happen, because it does not affect the price of groceries. Then they would follow their plan to get out of the way, a.k.a. do nothing, and there would be no national school food program, no OAS for 65- to 67-year-olds, no groceries and essentials benefit.
From what I have heard, all the Conservatives would offer is thoughts and prayers. Oh, wait. No. They would also obstruct, as they currently are.
Jacob Mantle Conservative York—Durham, ON
Mr. Speaker, we saw the hubris of the finance minister in his response. We will not move on from the issues that are affecting Canadians.
He should take the advice of the Prime Minister and look inside himself. Fresh data from the superintendent of bankruptcy in this country presents a very grim truth, that bankruptcies are rising and consumer proposals are rising.
Canadians can literally no longer afford this profligate Liberal government. When will Liberals cut the taxes, get out of the way, get rid of the industrial carbon tax and the fuel standard tax, and stop obstructing our ideas?
Rechie Valdez LiberalMinister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)
Mr. Speaker, the budget will deliver generational investments for the province of Ontario, and the member, who is from Ontario, voted against these measures in our budget implementation act.
Through the Build Canada Homes program, we are creating thousands of affordable homes, including the Arbo Downsview project. Again, the member opposed 40% affordable homes being developed.
We will use Canadian steel, Canadian lumber and Canadian aluminum. We are protecting Ontario's steel industry. We are also stopping competition from foreign steel and keeping good-paying jobs in this country. That is how we build Canada strong, and we will continue to do that.
Sandra Cobena Conservative Newmarket—Aurora, ON
Mr. Speaker, consumer bankruptcies are up, to the highest level since the financial crisis. That means 141,000 Canadians are losing their homes, their savings and their sense of security. Clearly the Liberals' band-aid programs are not enough to prevent bankruptcies.
Canadians need long-term solutions that bring down the cost of food and housing. When will the Liberal government stop the inflationary deficits, scrap the taxes and remove the bureaucratic roadblocks that are making life so unaffordable?
Rechie Valdez LiberalMinister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)
Mr. Speaker, this member is also from Ontario and voted against our budget, which will make generational investments.
We are making investments in our economy. We are protecting our communities and empowering Canadians, and the members opposite continue to obstruct this progress. We are creating jobs in clean energy through the Darlington nuclear project, which is going to help support 1.2 million homes and create thousands of jobs in this country.
The Conservatives should stop opposing these measures, so they can help support Ontarians and Canadians.
Andréanne Larouche Bloc Shefford, QC
Mr. Speaker, according to the government, 85,000 seniors have been having problems getting their old age security benefits because of issues with the Cúram software. Some of them have been waiting for nine months.
Yesterday, we saw why it is taking so long. The government House leader said that the errors would be corrected. He said, and I quote, “If there are cases...[we] would have heard about them.”
His own government says there are 85,000 victims, and he is still in denial. Do members see now why nothing ever gets fixed at the federal level?
Steven MacKinnon LiberalMinister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois seems to have a problem with misquoting people today.
Obviously, we take every case seriously. To reassure Quebeckers, Canadians and everyone who receives old age security, I want to reaffirm that we have modernized the computer system. If there are mistakes, we will correct them, and obviously, we invite our colleagues from all parties to give us the names of the people and the cases we should look at to resolve the situation.
Andréanne Larouche Bloc Shefford, QC
Mr. Speaker, according to the government's own estimates, 85,000 pensioners have been affected by the issues with Cúram. That is 85,000 people who have been affected by a software with cost overruns of close to $5 billion. If this were happening in Quebec, there would have been a public inquiry a long time ago. However, the government House leader thinks that everything is fine and dandy. He is basically patting himself on the back because, if 85,000 pensioners are having issues, that means that all of the others are doing fine.
How out of touch does the government have to be to think that causing problems for 85,000 people is no big deal?
Stephanie McLean LiberalSecretary of State (Seniors)
Mr. Speaker, we are modernizing a very old system. Doing nothing would have jeopardized the payments of millions of seniors. The backlog cases are complex. They are currently being dealt with, and retroactive payments are guaranteed.
Again, I invite the member opposite to give me the names of the individuals and we will help them.
Tim Uppal Conservative Edmonton Gateway, AB
Mr. Speaker, extortion is out of control in this country. Small business owners are being threatened, firebombed and shot at. They are living in fear, and many are contemplating leaving this country, yet the Liberal government refuses to take this crisis seriously. Some of these criminals, who should be deported, are now exploiting the refugee system with false claims in order to stay in Canada.
We tried to close these loopholes, but the Liberals continue to obstruct. Will the government support our motion to protect Canadians from dangerous non-citizens by closing this loophole and finally ending these bogus refugee claims?
Ruby Sahota LiberalSecretary of State (Combatting Crime)
Mr. Speaker, we are very concerned about this issue and therefore doing everything possible by bringing legislation that will tighten bail and impose stricter sentences. The one bill that is missing is Bill C-2, which we tabled in the House back in June. If the Conservatives were serious about solving the problem, rather than doing this window covering they have brought with this motion, which essentially is moot because Bill C-12 already does everything they are asking for, they would approve lawful access and consent today to moving that bill forward. Will they allow the vote, pass the bill and catch the criminals?
Tim Uppal Conservative Edmonton Gateway, AB
Mr. Speaker, for 10 years we have heard the Liberals make excuses and blame others while Canadians continue to live in fear as criminals threaten their families, businesses and communities. Serious non-citizen offenders are exploiting loopholes in the refugee system to stay in the country, leaving Canadians vulnerable.
Will the Liberals finally work with us to pass this motion to ban these non-citizen criminals from making false refugee claims and ensure Canadians are protected from dangerous offenders who should be deported?
Ruby Sahota LiberalSecretary of State (Combatting Crime)
Mr. Speaker, here we have yet another Conservative who probably needs to remove his fingers from his ears, because we have already solved this problem. Under Bill C-12, essentially all of these criminals would not be allowed to apply for asylum. Even in the cases we heard in B.C., where they have applied for asylum, they would not have been able to had the Conservatives not obstructed and had they passed C-2 when we tabled it. Because they obstructed it, they have been able to make those claims. However, there is good news, because it is in the Senate, and once it is passed, those claims and those cases will be cancelled.