House of Commons Hansard #125 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was recession.
Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 2 Second reading of Bill C-31. 17400 words, 2 hours in 2 segments: 1 2.
Relieving Grieving Parents of an Administrative Burden Act (Evan's Law) Report stage of Bill C-222. 9000 words, 1 hour.
Carlos Leitão Liberal Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC
Mr. Speaker, I will say it again: Canada is not in a recession. Statistics Canada has never said that we are in a recession. The financial markets will determine that. There is no cause for alarm.
However, our economy is under threat. Our economy is directly affected by the tariffs. We are the only G7 country that borders the United States, and we are heavily dependent on trade with the United States. That is our problem, and we have a plan to address it.
Jason Groleau Conservative Beauce, QC
Mr. Speaker, we learned this morning that Canada is the only G7 country currently in a recession. Despite this, in Nova Scotia, the provincial government leased a plot of land to a private company with close ties to the Liberals for $13,500 a year.
That company then turned around and sublet the same land to the Liberal federal government for $20 million a year. It went from $13,500 to $20 million. What is more, the government has leased it for 10 years. That is $200 million down the drain.
Could the Liberals possibly stop wasting Canadians' money?
Sherry Romanado LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, establishing sovereign space launch capabilities in Canada will generate billions of dollars in investment, create well-paying jobs, strengthen Canada's sovereignty, reduce our dependence on the United States, and support a commercial space launch and re-entry sector. This could represent as much as $40 billion.
That is what we are investing in. These are essential capabilities that protect Canada and generate significant economic benefits for Canadians.
Bruce Fanjoy Liberal Carleton, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Victoria Cross is the highest military honour Canada awards for acts of extraordinary valour. It was created in 1993, yet has never been awarded. Constituents in my riding are calling for an independent review of military decorations from the Afghanistan mission. The time for action is now.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence inform this House how the government is committed to a fair and transparent process to honour the valour of our veterans?
Sherry Romanado LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, honouring bravery and sacrifice in service to Canada is among our government's most solemn responsibilities. We are profoundly grateful to all those who have served and who continue to serve our country.
Military honours, including Canada's Victoria Cross, are subject to a thorough and rigorous review process by the Canadian Armed Forces. I can confirm that the government agrees to the establishment of an independent military honours review board to review Afghanistan veteran cases where new evidence may suggest that the criteria for the Victoria Cross may have been met.
I look forward to providing further updates to this House in due course.
Melissa Lantsman Conservative Thornhill, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government spent years ignoring and enabling anti-Semitism in Canada. We are now watching the consequences unfold in real time. In a single week in the country, effigies of Jews were hung in Montreal in the streets, while genocidal slogans were chanted. Government-funded organizations openly discussed a Jew-free Canada. Posters of a missing 14-year-old girl were torn down because she was Jewish. That is in just one week in Canada.
Will any member on that side of the House get up and admit that we are in a full-blown crisis?
Anthony Housefather LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience
Mr. Speaker, I agree with the member. There is a crisis of anti-Semitism in Canada. That is why the government denounced, through the Minister of Public Safety, what happened in Montreal last weekend. That is why we put forward the combatting hate act to listen to the demands that the Jewish community has been making for the last three years. That is why we augmented funding for Jewish community security across the country. The Prime Minister and every single member of this caucus is committed to the safety of Jewish communities across the country.
Melissa Lantsman Conservative Thornhill, ON
Mr. Speaker, we all know the laws exist. The member opposite knows full well that Bill C-9 and anything he mentioned would not have stopped a single thing that happened in the streets. We already know the Prime Minister will not act because he has not acted. In fact, he did not say a thing last week. More effigies will be hung, more firebombs will be thrown into synagogues and more Liberal MPs will pose for pictures with those who glorify terrorism. The question is not whether the government will finally call this a crisis. We know they will not.
The question is how much more needs to happen in order for anybody to do anything.
Anthony Housefather LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience
Mr. Speaker, in December 2024, the justice committee, of which I was a part, put out a report. It recommended to governments across the country, the federal government, provincial governments, municipal governments, and police and universities what we thought they should do in this circumstance. We need to show leadership. The Prime Minister will show leadership and has shown leadership on this issue. It is unacceptable that the Jewish community of Canada does not feel as safe as it used to feel. Jewish schools should not have to have guards in front of them. We will work incessantly to make sure every level of government in the country works with us to solve the crisis of anti-Semitism.
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes, ON
Mr. Speaker, in a September letter to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance said that he would be in a conflict of interest if he participated in discussions, decisions, debates or votes related to Alto. We now know he went on to do those things anyway.
What we have learned this week is that the minister's department hired an executive from Alto to write his budget speech and budget presentation.
Why?
Steven MacKinnon LiberalMinister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, Alto is a nation-transforming project. We are pleased and proud to support it. Conservatives should be ashamed of their opposition to this nation-building project.
With respect to how the conduct of the finance minister and the government is going, I will respond to my friend, the Death Valley well driller over there. The minister has put in place a rigid and approved set of measures from the Commissioner of Ethics and he will always act with integrity.
Rail TransportationOral Questions
The Deputy Speaker Tom Kmiec
I am going to remind the hon. government House leader not to describe members in that particular way. It has been done in the House before. It has led to disorder in the House. I would ask the government House leader to help the Speaker out and make sure that we can end question period on a high note.
The hon. member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes.
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes, ON
Mr. Speaker, as a surprise to no one, the government House leader is lowering the decorum in the House at the same time that he is also unleashing devastation on communities across Ontario and Quebec, as well as the expropriation of farms, homes, businesses and the destruction of environmentally sensitive land like the Frontenac Arch Biosphere, with a program that will cost more than $90 billion, while they let atrophy Canadian infrastructure and services like Via Rail, which services the same communities that Alto will pass by while destroying.
Why will they not invest in Canada instead of destroying it?
Steven MacKinnon LiberalMinister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, Via Rail will always be a prominent feature of our transportation network. Via Rail will continue to be a source of pride and, obviously, utility for Canadians. I will note that this is the first time, I think, in the history of the chamber that we have heard the Conservatives utter the word “biosphere”.
I can assure him that the environment, farms and agriculture will be treated with the utmost sensitivity as we build this very popular, very important high-speed rail project in Canada.
Branden Leslie Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
Mr. Speaker, despite strange denials from the Liberals, the breaking news this morning is that, thanks to the Liberal Prime Minister, Canada is the only G7 country in a recession. Due to decisions like spending $200 million on a small concrete pad and a gravel road, it is all starting to make sense.
What are taxpayers getting? Insiders getting rich and the potential to maybe launch rockets in the future, but only if taxpayers continue to hand money over, hand over fist. What is worse is the private company that owns it has yet to put a single rocket into space and has lost $7 million in two years.
I am no rocket scientist, but it is clear someone is getting rich. The question is, who is it?
Sherry Romanado LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, establishing Canadian sovereignty of space launch capabilities is essential for us, not only in terms of our defence capabilities, but also in terms of our ability to detect wildfires and atmospheric issues. This is incredibly important for Canada.
The premier of Nova Scotia is in support. The industry is in support. This is going to generate billions of dollars in economic returns and create jobs. I do not understand why the Conservatives are against innovation.
Branden Leslie Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB
Mr. Speaker, immediately after the Liberals funnelled $20 million to Maritime Launch Services for no work to a nearly bankrupt company, the board chair sold previously worthless shares and pocketed $1.8 million.
That is what we are against: insiders getting rich while taxpayers get fleeced. No wonder Canada is the only G7 nation in a recession. The Liberal Prime Minister has led us straight there. The Liberals are willing to burn $200 million, or over $50,000 a day, on a concrete pad, a gravel road, a hope and a dream.
Will the Liberals finally come back to Earth and stop wasting taxpayers' money?
Sherry Romanado LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, as someone who has the Canadian Space Agency in Longueuil, I do not understand why the member opposite is not supporting space domain awareness. This is incredibly important. Our job is to make sure that our forces are ready and resilient when operating in the space domain.
We are standing up 3 Canadian Space Division, which will ensure space domain awareness, defend and protect our satellites, and deliver space power in support of military operations. This will allow Canada to have sovereignty in terms of our ability to launch satellites into space. Our allies are asking for this. I do not understand what the problem is.
Fred Davies Conservative Niagara South, ON
Mr. Speaker, last night, the Minister of Immigration tried to dodge a very simple question. When asked whether taxpayer dollars are being used to buy hotels for asylum claimants, she attempted to rebrand them as “reception centres”. Canadians know the facts. Municipalities like Ottawa and Pickering have already used millions of dollars in public funds to purchase hotels to house asylum claimants. Changing the label does not change the reality.
With Canada now the only G7 country in a recession, will the minister stop hiding behind bureaucratic language and finally confirm the Liberals are funding municipalities to purchase hotels for asylum claimants?
Peter Fragiskatos LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration
Mr. Speaker, there is a pattern here with the Conservative questions on immigration. I have great respect for that member. We work together on the immigration committee. However, instead of putting meaningful reform forward that is constitutional, they go back to refugees constantly. That is not an illegitimate issue, but the way they frame it rings familiar. It is right-wing populism. He knows, because we have heard about it at committee, that there is no merit to those points. We are working with communities on long-term housing solutions for everyone.
Fred Davies Conservative Niagara South, ON
Mr. Speaker, with Canada now the only G7 country in a recession, Canadians cannot understand why the government continues wasting millions of dollars through government programs that fund municipalities to buy hotels for asylum claimants. A hotel does not stop being a hotel because the Liberals rename it a “reception centre”. Canadians are tired of political spin and word games, as families struggle with rising costs and economic uncertainty.
Will the minister stop misleading Canadians and answer a question directly? Is the Liberal government funding municipalities to buy hotels for asylum claimants?
Peter Fragiskatos LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration
Mr. Speaker, the member knows, because he works on the House of Commons committee responsible for immigration, that for some time now, hotels have not been used to resettle refugee claimants. We are certainly working with municipalities to assist in a variety of ways. We know that the global displacement crisis that has been in effect since 2015 has certainly created challenges for Canada and other democracies.
We are there for municipalities in response. We will continue to do that. I look forward to the report on the matter that is upcoming in committee as well.
Burton Bailey Conservative Red Deer, AB
Mr. Speaker, 74,000 rejected asylum claimants still in Canada whom the government refuses to deport are under the bloated interim federal health program. The Liberals rejected them for a reason. While Canada is the only G7 country in a recession, these fraudsters still get taxpayer-funded health care, such as physio and counselling, but Canadians do not. End the handouts, and the fraudsters will go.
When will the Liberal government cut the supplementary health care handout for fake refugee fugitives and finally deport them?
Peter Fragiskatos LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration
Mr. Speaker, that was almost on cue. I guess the member did not have time to revise the question. There the Conservatives go again about refugee claimants. The members knows or should know that the interim federal health program has been in existence since the 1950s, supported by successive Conservative and Liberal governments.
Let us also continue with the facts. Refugee claimants comprise less than 1% of the total population. That program, the interim federal health program, makes up less than 0.2% of the total health care spending in Canada.
We have an obligation to respond in a compassionate way and also in a responsible way.
Tatiana Auguste Liberal Terrebonne, QC
Mr. Speaker, we know that a strong and autonomous steel and aluminum industry is key to Canada's security and prosperity. However, our metal processing businesses in Quebec are facing unjustified tariffs imposed by our neighbours to the south. Our government recently announced $1.5 billion in regional tariff relief, which will help support manufacturers of metal products and invest in Canadian workers.
Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry tell the House how our government is supporting manufacturers?