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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 22

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 2, 2022 02:00PM
  • Feb/2/22 3:02:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, everyone is fed up with COVID-19. Those most fed up certainly are not the ones honking their horns outside, but rather the health care workers who have been struggling for two years. Unfortunately, health care workers are not getting any attention or support from the Prime Minister. At a time when health care systems everywhere are crumbling, the Prime Minister needs to do his part to rebuild them. He must contribute to hiring more staff, increasing the capacity to provide care and improving the quality of care. Contributing means increasing health transfers. Does the Prime Minister understand this?
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  • Feb/2/22 3:02:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, since the beginning of the pandemic, not only have we transferred $43 billion per year to provincial health systems, but we have also invested an additional $63 billion in health care to help Canadians and health systems get through this pandemic. We have demonstrated that we are there to help Canadians, just as we promised. In fact, $8 out of every $10 spent to help Canadians during the pandemic has come from the federal government, not provincial governments. We will continue—
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  • Feb/2/22 3:03:32 p.m.
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The hon. member for Jonquière.
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  • Feb/2/22 3:03:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what reassuring words. The $63 billion the Prime Minister is talking about is for emergency measures. That money will not go to health care. We knew that the health care system was underfunded before the pandemic, and it will be underfunded afterwards. That is why Quebec and all the provinces are calling for an increase in health transfers to rebuild the health care system. I say to the Prime Minister: This will be the big issue for 2022. Will he step up?
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  • Feb/2/22 3:04:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the answer is yes. Last year, I promised that we would be there to increase health transfers. What can we do to deliver the best health care systems and results for Canadians? That is part of the discussions we are currently having with the provinces, but we will indeed be there, as we have been throughout the pandemic to ensure high-quality health care for all Canadians across the country.
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  • Feb/2/22 3:04:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have been battling the pandemic for almost two years. Yesterday, I asked the Minister of Finance how parents were supposed to pay for groceries with inflation rocketing to a 30-year high. The only answer I was given was the following: Inflation is higher in other countries. That does not put food on the table for Canadian families. I will try again today with the Prime Minister. Everything is getting more expensive. How poor will he let Canadians become?
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  • Feb/2/22 3:05:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, from the start of the pandemic, we made a simple promise to Canadians, a promise we first made in 2015, that we will be there for them and support them in trying times. That is what we did during the pandemic, even though the Conservative Party told us that we were doing too much for families. We will continue to be there. The initiative to create more day care spots in Quebec and make day care more affordable in the rest of the country will play a huge role in families' lives. Unfortunately, the Conservative Party is against this initiative.
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  • Feb/2/22 3:05:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when shoppers see that the cost of chicken and other meats, the cost of all items, has gone up by 5.7%, they are not wondering where the money is coming from or who did what. They are wondering how they will pay for it at the register. Will they be forced to put some items back because the total is more than they can afford? This is what families are worried about. Demand at food banks has increased by 10% to 15%, and we are talking about demand from working people, not from the homeless. I have to wonder just how poor the government is prepared to let Canadians get.
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  • Feb/2/22 3:06:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, from the beginning of the pandemic, we have recognized that the best thing we can do for Canadians is to support them, which is exactly what we have done. This includes not only dealing with the health crisis and saving lives, but also ensuring that the economy recovers quickly during and after the pandemic. That is what we have done, and we are now seeing an extremely strong economic recovery. Canada has recovered more jobs than other countries, including the United States. We will continue to be there to help families, including during the cost-of-living and affordability crisis. We will—
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  • Feb/2/22 3:07:25 p.m.
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The hon. member for Mégantic—L'Érable.
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  • Feb/2/22 3:07:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the only ones benefiting from runaway inflation are governments. If everything costs more, then people pay more taxes. That is the reality. If the economy is doing so well, as the Prime Minister just said, why are fathers and mothers unable to make ends meet? Why do they have to make tough choices when it comes to feeding their families? What we want to know is this: When will the Prime Minister do something? When will he realize that inflation is hurting families? Will it be when inflation reaches 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 11%—
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  • Feb/2/22 3:08:05 p.m.
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The right hon. Prime Minister.
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  • Feb/2/22 3:08:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, once again, we see that the Conservative Party is having a hard time understanding the reality facing Canadians. We are in the midst of a global pandemic, which is having a huge impact on the cost of living, supply chains and, yes, inflation. The best way to address inflation is to minimize or put an end to the pandemic. The best way to do that is through vaccination and public health measures. If the Conservative Party cannot even convince its own members to get vaccinated, then—
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  • Feb/2/22 3:08:52 p.m.
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The hon. member for Pontiac.
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  • Feb/2/22 3:08:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, suicide is the ninth leading cause of death in Canada and the second leading cause of death among youth aged 15 to 34. The suicide rate among indigenous peoples is even higher. It is an especially serious issue for the Algonquins of Barriere Lake in the northern part of my riding. This is Quebec's 32nd suicide prevention week. The theme is “Talking about suicide saves lives”. Does the Prime Minister—
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  • Feb/2/22 3:09:40 p.m.
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The right hon. Prime Minister.
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  • Feb/2/22 3:09:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Pontiac for her question and her hard work. Our thoughts are with the loved ones of those we have lost to suicide and with those who are grappling with suicidal thoughts. I encourage all Canadians who need help to download the Wellness Together app, which is available 24/7. We have also pledged to fully fund and implement a national suicide prevention hotline. Nobody should be embarrassed to ask for help.
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  • Feb/2/22 3:10:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Russia is threatening to further invade Ukraine and has amassed over 100,000 troops on its borders. While the world is watching, hoping Canada would do more and stand up and do the right thing, the Prime Minister sent his foreign affairs minister and defence minister to Kyiv empty-handed. Half measures are not going to get this job done. We know that President Putin is provoked by weakness, the very weakness the Prime Minister is demonstrating. When will the Prime Minister actually stand with Ukraine and send it the lethal defensive weapons it has asked for?
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  • Feb/2/22 3:10:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I know the member for Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman has a strong Ukrainian community in his riding and I am glad he continues to stand with us for Ukraine. However, I will highlight that if he had actually spoken with Ukrainian officials and leaders, he would know that their number one ask was for $120 million as a sovereign loan for economic supports, which we delivered in days, and an extension of Operation Unifier to make sure that Ukrainians themselves have all the necessary training and abilities to defend their territory, as we know they will. Canada stands in solidarity with Ukraine, and we will continue to—
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  • Feb/2/22 3:11:40 p.m.
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The hon. member for Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman.
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