House of Commons Hansard #96 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was bureaucracy.
This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
Build Canada Homes Act Second reading of Bill C-20. The bill, Bill C-20, establishes Build Canada Homes as a Crown corporation intended to address the housing crisis by increasing affordable supply through land and financial partnerships. While Liberals argue the entity provides necessary operational autonomy to accelerate construction, Conservatives criticize the initiative as an expensive, inefficient bureaucracy that fails to tackle high costs and regulations. The Bloc Québécois expresses concern regarding jurisdictional overreach while urging support for the forestry industry. The motion carried on division. 17100 words, 2 hours in 2 segments: 1 2.
Protecting Canada’s Essential Infrastructure Metals Act First reading of Bill C-271. The bill proposes amendments to the Criminal Code to increase penalties for metal theft and vandalism, aiming to deter the illegal resale of critical infrastructure materials like copper and protect essential public services. 100 words.
Corrections and Conditional Release Act Second reading of Bill C-243. The bill proposes amending the Corrections and Conditional Release Act to require parole reviews for murderers to occur at statutory intervals rather than allowing annual applications after an initial denial. Conservative members view this change as a necessary step to prevent the recurring trauma of victims' families, while the Bloc Québécois opposes the bill, citing concerns regarding Parole Board discretion and potential unintended consequences. 6300 words, 40 minutes.
Kevin Waugh Conservative Saskatoon South, SK
Mr. Speaker, Canada has the worst food inflation and the only shrinking economy in the G7, and rising unemployment rates now. Canadians are facing a serious cost of living crisis. Grocery prices are skyrocketing. Paycheques are spread so thin right now that they do not cover the cost of basic necessities.
Canadians deserve an economy where hard work pays off. When will the Liberals take responsibility for their punishing taxes and their policies?
The EconomyOral Questions
Saint John—Kennebecasis New Brunswick
Liberal
Wayne Long LiberalSecretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)
Mr. Speaker, we are going to continue to fight for Canadians like Paul Britt, Steve McQueen, Pat Allen, Gordon Vail, and Canadians from coast to coast to coast.
On this side of the House, we are going to focus on building the strongest economy in the G7. We have one of the fastest-growing economies in the G7, the best net debt-to-GDP in the G7, and one of the best credit ratings in the world. Wages are outpacing inflation.
Canadians made a choice. They elected a leader with strong economic and business credentials versus a Conservative leader who has never worked one day in the economy.
Philip Earle Liberal Labrador, NL
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that building a stronger economy means opening new markets and bringing investment home. From advancing major projects to attracting billions in investment and creating new demand for Canadian manufacturing, international trade is creating real opportunities for workers here at home, including opportunities in our aviation, aerospace and defence sectors, and Canada's seafood sector.
Can the Minister of International Trade update the House on how our government's work abroad is delivering investments and jobs for Canadians?
Maninder Sidhu LiberalMinister of International Trade
Mr. Speaker, the people of Labrador have sent a strong champion here to Ottawa, and together we are unlocking new global opportunities.
In China, we achieved tariff relief on crab and lobster, welcomed by harvesters across Newfoundland and Labrador.
In Australia, the Prime Minister secured a $10-billion commitment to build Canada.
In the Gulf, VistaJet ordered 40 Canadian-made airplanes worth over $1 billion.
Together, these wins are unlocking opportunities and jobs in construction, aerospace, fisheries, seafood and more. This is how we build Canada strong.
Shannon Stubbs Conservative Lakeland, AB
Mr. Speaker, the energy minister said, “A crisis is a terrible thing to waste”.
It takes 20 years to get a mine built in Canada, while the U.S. approves mines on federal lands in 28 days under emergency crisis rules. Canada sends rare earths to Beijing, which controls 90% of world refining and processing, while Bill C-69 blocks the Ring of Fire with endless regional assessments. It sounds like a waste of a crisis to me.
When will the Prime Minister approve the Ring of Fire permits so the private sector can build mines here at home?
Claude Guay LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, I sit on the natural resources committee with the hon. member. She knows too well how complicated it is to do a project like the Ring of Fire, which is actually multiple projects. We are working with the Government of Ontario. We have already started to work with them on the road to access the Ring of Fire, because it requires major infrastructure to get to the Ring of Fire. She should understand that.
Shannon Stubbs Conservative Lakeland, AB
Mr. Speaker, four years after the Liberals' fake critical minerals strategy, not one inch of road exists to the Ring of Fire. There is nothing on the two first nations-led roads to get it done. Liberals let both foes and allies into Canada's backyard while they drag timelines the rest of the world rejects. The Ring of Fire would connect globally strategic minerals to first nations, manufacturers, Canadians and our allies. It has always been true, but with new global conflicts, the world needs Canada's minerals.
For the love of God, when will the Liberals unlock the Ring of Fire for affordability, sovereignty, security and self-reliance before it is too late?
Claude Guay LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, I found it very interesting that the member talks about benefits for the first nations when what the Conservatives would like us to do is bulldoze and ignore the constitutional rights of the first nations. I do not understand what they are saying. Should we help them, or follow the rules?
Natural ResourcesOral Questions
The Deputy Speaker Tom Kmiec
Order. The member got a question. The member got a response.
The member for Regina—Wascana.
Michael Kram Conservative Regina—Wascana, SK
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Natural Resources promised that Canada would “do its part” to help release oil reserves in order to stabilize the market, but Canada does not have a strategic oil reserve, in part because of Liberal energy policies that have kept Canadian oil and gas in the ground. Conservatives have proposed a strategic oil stockpile that would allow us to fuel our friends abroad, power paycheques at home and diversify our trade.
Will the Liberals adopt our plan so we can be stronger at home while building unbreakable leverage abroad?
Claude Guay LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, let me explain something to the member opposite. A strategic reserve is for importing countries. We an exporting country. Guess what. We have centuries' worth of reserve in this country.
Michael Kram Conservative Regina—Wascana, SK
Mr. Speaker, we should be extracting those reserves out of the ground and exporting them to the rest of the world. Unfortunately, the Liberals have killed the northern gateway pipeline, the Keystone XL pipeline, the energy east pipeline, all of which could be exporting Canadian oil at $100 a barrel to the rest of the world.
How much higher does the price have to go before the Liberals flip-flop again and admit that there is a business case for exporting Canadian oil and gas to the world?
Maninder Sidhu LiberalMinister of International Trade
Mr. Speaker, Canadian energy is bringing the world to our doorstep. The LNG Canada project alone is linking Canadian natural gas to major energy markets in Asia: to Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, China and more. These partnerships show that Canada's energy is respected and it creates good jobs here at home. That is exactly what we are doing to get more energy to new export markets around the world.
Burton Bailey Conservative Red Deer, AB
Mr. Speaker, Canada should be standing ready to provide our energy both within our borders and to global allies, but a decade of Liberals' “leave it in the ground” policies have hampered our energy industry, divided our country and left Canada as the only G7 country without a strategic oil stockpile. Conservatives have a plan for a strategic energy and mineral reserve to control the distribution of our resources around the world.
Will the Liberals adopt our Conservative plan so we can be stronger at home and build unbreakable leverage abroad?
Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, let us get a reality check. The Conservative plan, when the member's leader was in government, did not construct even one inch of pipeline to the tidewaters. That is the truth, and they want us to follow the—
Natural ResourcesOral Questions
The Deputy Speaker Tom Kmiec
Order, order. I cannot hear the parliamentary secretary.
I will let the parliamentary secretary restart from the beginning so I can hear the response, and then we will continue.
Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB
Mr. Speaker, this is the reality, the facts. We cannot change history. Not one inch of pipeline to tidewater was constructed while the Conservatives and the leader of the Conservative Party were in government. Contrast that to the current government, where there are record amounts of oil and gas being exported. We can look at LNG alone.
This is a government that realizes the potential of the Prairies, unlike the Alberta MPs, who stand up and do nothing. They do not even listen to Danielle Smith. Shame on you.
Natural ResourcesOral Questions
The Deputy Speaker Tom Kmiec
I would remind the parliamentary secretary to not speak directly to members but through Speaker.
The hon. member for Dufferin—Caledon.
Kyle Seeback Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Mr. Speaker, remember the sponsorship scandal? It was a bunch of Liberals running around with money in brown envelopes, handing it out to other Liberal insiders.
Well, the Trudeau Liberals said, “That's too complicated. We have to get the money, then we have to get the envelopes, then we have to run around and hand it out.” Therefore they created the green slush fund and appointed the people to run it, and the people who ran it gave the money to their own companies. However, they got caught, so the so-called new Liberals came up with a new plan: to give loans well below market rate to Liberal-controlled companies to pad their profits.
No matter how many Liberal governments there are, why is it the same corruption?
Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, it is amazing how the Conservative Party is so focused on character assassination. That is fine. It can be concerned with that.
We, the government and the Prime Minister, are concerned with what is happening in Canada. That is why the Prime Minister is going out and bringing in billions of dollars in investment. That is why export opportunities are being created. That is why there is billions of dollars' worth of development by the government, by the Prime Minister, because we care about what is happening across Canada.
Kyle Seeback Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Mr. Speaker, we care what happens in Canada as well. We want development. We just do not want corrupt Liberal development, because no matter which government it is, the Liberals find a way to engage in corrupt practices. Under the Chrétien Liberals, it was the sponsorship scandal, handing out money in envelopes. Under the Trudeau Liberals, it was creating a fund run by Liberals who gave the money to their own companies. Now the Liberals have said, “We found a new plan.” The so-called new government has a new plan, and this is to give subprime loans to Liberals to pad their profits.
Why is every new Liberal government corrupt?
Jennifer McKelvie LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure
Mr. Speaker, Canadians want action, not political games, and that is what our government is delivering. We are creating hundreds of local jobs, supporting communities and building energy projects and infrastructure projects from coast to coast to coast that power homes and grow our economy.
The Conservatives opposite can keep talking on that side of the House, but we are about action.
Gabriel Hardy Conservative Montmorency—Charlevoix, QC
Mr. Speaker, at a time when families are struggling to pay their bills, oddly enough, the Liberals are able to find tens and hundreds of millions of dollars to help their well-connected friends.
There is nothing confusing about that. Anyone who wants to be successful in Canada today has to be a Brookfield shareholder or has to have Liberal friends in the federal Parliament. The Liberals gave a $206-million loan to well-connected friends for a wind turbine project in Nova Scotia. However, another project was launched around the same time, and that one was funded by the private sector.
Why is it with the Liberals that their friends get the deals but Canadians have to foot the bill?