Blake Desjarlais

[Economic and Fiscal Update Implementation Act, 2021, February 3rd, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague from Winnipeg Centre and I share a lot in common, particularly with my district in Edmonton Griesbach, one of the hardest hit communities of poverty. My colleagues and I know the importance of ending poverty, and the Liberal legislation does not go nearly far enough in fixing the poverty issues.

Would the member agree that ensuring a guaranteed livable basic income is truly the appropriate response to ending poverty in Canada?

[Economic and Fiscal Update Implementation Act, 2021, February 3rd, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I want to talk specifically about housing. In his statement, the hon. member made mention of the importance of making generational investments. I took a good review of Bill C-8, and there are many deficiencies. One of the biggest deficiencies I noticed, which I would like the hon. member to comment on in particular, is the fact that there is no mention of the anti-flipping tax. We know that flipping properties and injecting wealth into these properties to increase their value is creating more barriers for people to participate and purchase housing, which is a serious problem that is driving the cost of housing up and limiting the market.

Will the member comment on why the anti-house-flipping tax is not in this bill?

[Economic and Fiscal Update Implementation Act, 2021, February 2nd, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague from the Conservative bench.

Many aspects of the bill, particularly the sections related to housing and pandemic relief for schools, are in fact good measures. However, what I am concerned about is where the government has not put the resources.

There are many things in the bill that, of course, have some good aspects to it, but there are many that do not. One of the biggest aspects that I believe is missing, and that I hope the member can comment on, is related to making sure that there is support and resources for enforcement to ensure that our health care providers across the country are truly protected, and also to ensure that we provide the resources, as the member from the Bloc just mentioned, for more support for the provinces.

[Economic and Fiscal Update Implementation Act, 2021, February 2nd, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, according to a City of Edmonton report released in 2019, there were 2,800 folks living in poverty and without a home in my city of Edmonton. One of the Bloc members mentioned some of the program deficits from 1994 related to the implementation of social housing. Recently, I spoke with members in my community, like Judith from the Bear Clan Patrol, who knows from working directly on the ground that this number is about 3,200 people today. Social housing is a key part of the solution: more units, more housing.

Would the member agree that the housing crisis cannot be fixed merely by a 1% tax that does not address things like a flipping tax or looking at how housing auctions are done? Would the member agree that we need to build more units now?

[Black History Month, February 1st, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, every February people from across Turtle Island participate in Black History Month. It is a time to recognize and honour the history and legacy of Black Canadians, but it is also a time for us to unite and recommit to fighting against anti-Black racism in this place and across Canada.

Black Canadians continue to face overt barriers and life-threatening discrimination, particularly by the police. Just recently, Moses Erhirhie, a Black Canadian, died following an interaction with York police on January 21, just weeks ago. Erhirhie's family says that since the shooting they have been left almost entirely in the dark. No one should have to lose their life to police without an answer. We remember Moses.

This Black History Month, let us recognize the great progress we have made, but also the tremendous work that remains.

[Questions Passed as Orders for Return, January 31st, 2022]

With regard to the government’s operation of call centres: (a) what are the details of each call centre operated by or on behalf of the government, including (i) the department or program, as applicable, for which it provides services, (ii) the purpose, (iii) the location, (iv) whether it operates wholly or in part with remote staff; (b) for each call centre in (a), is it wholly or in part the object of a tender or contract for third-party provision of services, and, if so, what are the details of the contracts, including the (i) name of the vendor, (ii) value of the contract, (iii) term of the contract; and (c) for each call centre in (b), was a business case for contracting out carried out, and, if so, what were the justifications for contracting out?

[Indigenous Affairs, December 16th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

There have been consultations with the other parties, and I hope that if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent for the following important motion: That the House call upon the government to use all available tools to fight against Islamophobia, starting with the designation of a special envoy to monitor and combat Islamophobia.

[Diversity and Inclusion, December 16th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, four years ago, the federal government promised funding for the LGBTQ community capacity fund to help make up for decades of systemic discrimination, but it will run out of funding this March. The government cannot expect to repair harm and discrimination with only one round of grants. It must keep its promise.

Will the Liberals give the 2SLGBTQI community the long-term stable financial support we need?

[Criminal Code, December 14th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for delineating between what should continue to have mandatory minimum sentencing and what should not. I would like to hear an explanation on why it is important that we tackle and address the mandatory minimum sentencing for drug offences.

In my community of Edmonton Griesbach, for example, we know how far that kind of policy would go to help marginalized people, particularly indigenous and Black community members in my riding, in getting the access to rehabilitation services that are so desperately needed. Would the member elaborate on how that kind of process would be beneficial for his community as well?

[Regional Economic Development, December 14th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, within the most recent supplementary estimates, the Liberal government has allocated no money to the regional economic development agency that supports small businesses, arts, tourism and community organizations in Alberta and the Prairies. This is outrageous at a time when the omicron variant is surging and Alberta's economy is suffering. The Prime Minister said he would have Canadians' backs, but clearly that is not the case.

Will the Liberals immediately reverse this unfair decision and make sure all Canadians are supported through another long winter of COVID?