Taylor Bachrach

[Committees of the House, December 12th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I do not believe it is consistent with the Standing Orders to suggest that a member said something that the member did not say. I did not say—

[Committees of the House, December 12th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I share my Bloc colleague's frustration with the member's attempt to distract from the issue at hand. Any attempt to suggest that there are more important things we should be talking about in the House of Commons this morning is a direct disservice to the senior women who have been denied survivor benefits for so many years, many of whom are living in poverty.

I was so moved by my colleague from North Island—Powell River's excellent speech regarding the issue, and the dedication she has shown, yet I read the government's official response to the report, and what I read is an excuse and I read tacit support for a policy that is fundamentally unjust.

Therefore I would ask the member for a very direct yes or no answer to this question: Does he or does he not support recommendation 9, “That the Government of Canada repeal the ‘marriage after 60’ clause in both the Canadian Forces Superannuation Act and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superannuation Act”?

[Air Transportation, December 10th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, in January, Air Canada will become the latest big airline to charge junk fees for basic services like checked baggage. What is the minister's reaction to this? She is taking a page from the industry minister's playbook and is going to sit down with the CEOs and ask very nicely if they would please change their ways. It did not work for grocery prices and it is not going to work for these airlines' junk fees.

It turns out, the minister has the regulatory power she needs to stand up for Canadians who are tired of being gouged. Will she use it?

[Taxation, December 6th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, it is disappointing that at a time when so many families are struggling to afford the basic essentials, the Conservatives are voting against a GST tax cut, at Christmas no less.

The Liberals' classic half measure not only does not put enough money back in people's pockets but also requires small businesses to change their prices twice in two months at the busiest time of year.

Why will the Liberals not vote for our plan, expand the GST tax cut, make it permanent, put more money back in people's pockets and give small businesses a break?

[Taxation, December 5th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, everyone across Canada is feeling the high cost of living, and that is especially true for people living in the remote communities on Haida Gwaii, who are isolated from the mainland by a seven-hour ferry ride. There is a tax deduction that is meant to help people in remote communities afford the high cost of living, but 30 years ago, it was a Liberal government that cut Haida Gwaii's access in half. They have been fighting to get it back ever since.

Will the Liberal government do the right thing and restore the full northern residents tax deduction for the good people of Haida Gwaii?

[Committees of the House, December 5th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I would ask, as the Conservative MPs flee the chamber during this discussion about reproductive rights, that they be as quiet as possible so we can hear our hon. colleague make her speech.

[Privilege, December 2nd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I was troubled to read some remarks that the hon. member's leader made a few days back when he called municipal politicians “incompetent, greedy [and] money-hungry”.

I was thinking about all of the municipal councils in the wonderful region that I represent, in places like Fort St. James, Fraser Lake, Burns Lake and Masset, small communities where people put their names forward in local elections and work for almost no money so that they can better their community. These are some of the most community-minded, selfless individuals in our country.

I wonder if the member could comment on the local governments and the local elected officials in his riding, and whether he feels, like his leader does, that they are “incompetent, greedy [and[ money-hungry”.

[Persons with Disabilities, November 28th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, here is the latest horrifying story involving the airlines' mistreatment of people with disabilities. Air Canada failed to secure a brain cancer patient in a wheelchair. She fell out and was left bleeding and bruised. We are talking about a failure to protect people's safety and dignity. We are talking about a failure to uphold their basic human rights and yet despite dozens of stories like these, people with disabilities have seen zero action from the government.

Either the Liberals do not think things in the air sector have gotten bad enough yet to act or they simply do not care. Which one is it?

[U.S. Tariffs on Canadian Products, November 26th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, the United States under President-elect Trump is likely to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, as it did in his first term. This is something that will have severe implications for trade.

My question for the member is this: Does he feel Canada should maintain its commitment to the Paris Agreement, particularly in light of the fact that other markets, such as the European Union, are increasingly considering climate commitments as part of their trade relations.

[U.S. Tariffs on Canadian Products, November 26th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, my colleague is a fellow British Columbian, and I know he understands the very desperate state of British Columbia's forest industry. The region I represent has lost numerous sawmills over the past several years. Across British Columbia there have been many more. The current softwood lumber dispute with the United States is a worrisome contributing factor to the downfall of the forest industry.

When the softwood lumber agreement and the softwood lumber dispute are raised in the House, often we hear platitudes and rhetoric along the lines of taking the issue very seriously and working in a concerted manner. We rarely hear unique and new strategies for actually addressing and resolving the dispute with the Americans.

What ideas does the Liberal government have for resolving the dispute? We hear that it is a priority for it, yet we do not see very much progress in terms of resolving it. What ideas and strategies can be brought to the fore?