44th Parl. 1st Sess.
March 22, 2022 10:00AM
- Mar/22/22 2:15:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to recite a few lines from Gatien Lapointe's poem called Ode to the St. Lawrence:
A big river flows through my countryThat shapes the mountains' days...I say what grows and flourishes in my countryI heard the river's deep song...In this, the most beautiful place in the world
From the Great Lakes to the ocean, the river defines Quebec, while its tributaries unite our lands, but who protects the river against pollution, unfavourable projects and those who think only of economic interests?
The United Nations has called for the rights of nature to be recognized. That is why, on this World Water Day, I am announcing plans to introduce a bill to grant the St. Lawrence River legal personhood. In collaboration with first nations, a committee will be struck to defend the river and look after its interests and its health.
Nature also has rights. Let us give the river the means to protect itself. It is in everyone's interest.
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- Mar/22/22 2:16:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge the 60th anniversary of the Saint-Eustache hospital, which is located in the heart of my riding, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles.
On March 9, 1962, this institution opened its doors. At the time it was called the Deux-Montagnes General Hospital. Over six decades and through multiple expansions, its dedicated and skilled staff have welcomed more than 300,000 people from the Lower Laurentians. This hospital has not only witnessed the changes in my region since the Quiet Revolution, but also played a key role in its development.
The population of the Lower Laurentians has nearly doubled in 30 years. Today, and for a while now, the hospital's funding needs remain critical. That is why Ottawa must immediately increase health transfers from 22% to 35%, as the Bloc Québécois, the National Assembly of Quebec and all the provinces have been calling for.
Until then, I want to express my gratitude to the hospital's staff and say how much I admire them. Thank you and happy anniversary.
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- Mar/22/22 2:17:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I believe another Liberal scandal is on the horizon. Canadians certainly did not vote for a Liberal-NDP coalition government in the last election.
We all know that the Liberals want to give the NDP some goodies so that they can manipulate Parliament. Now we see the Prime Minister making backroom deals with a third party at the expense of Parliament and Canadians.
There is no denying that the NDP has the upper hand over the Liberal government and will control the government as it pleases. We will definitely not stand idly by and watch in silence as the Liberals and the NDP spend money like there is no tomorrow. That is certainly not what transparency means, and it certainly does not reflect democracy as we know it in Canada. In the face of what appears to be a secret conspiracy, we have reason to be very concerned and to wonder what the Prime Minister and the NDP will try to sneak into the next four budgets.
This is really very worrying. It is a new scandal.
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- Mar/22/22 2:19:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today is World Water Day. Canada is incredibly blessed with 20% of the world's fresh water, but this precious resource is increasingly under threat from pollution and climate change. Climate change has increased the frequency and severity of droughts, wildfires and floods, as we saw across the country in 2021.
The climate crisis is the water crisis. That is why our government will implement an emissions reduction plan to reduce greenhouse gases by 40% to 45% by 2030, and introduce a national adaptation strategy by the end of 2022. That is why our government is creating a new Canada water agency, implementing a renewed freshwater action plan and modernizing the Canada Water Act, all in order to better protect and manage fresh water in our country.
With these important measures, I am hopeful that we will be able to make every day water day in Canada.
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- Mar/22/22 2:20:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians woke up this morning and were shocked to learn they have a new NDP-Liberal government that is planning to spend and tax unlike anything we have seen before. Now things are starting to make sense. Now we understand why the NDP has been so eager to prop up the Liberals and their unethical behaviour. It is because they have been cooking up a secret backroom deal.
My question for the leader of the new NDP-Liberal party is this. When did he start these secret talks with his new deputy prime minister, the member for Burnaby South? Was it before, during or just after the last election?
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- Mar/22/22 2:21:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what this agreement means is that in this time of uncertainty and pressure on Canadians, we will have predictability and an ability to focus on delivering the things that Canadians asked us all for collectively in the last election: more investments in housing, better supports for families, help with the cost of living, growth for Canadians, increases in the fight against climate change and support on reconciliation. The toxicity and polarization that we have seen in Parliament in the past is now an opportunity for us to deliver for Canadians, and that is what we shall do.
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- Mar/22/22 2:21:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians are already suffering because of massive inflation that is caused by the out-of-control spending of the old Liberal government. Now Canadian are going to be living with a new NDP-Liberal government and the price tag has just skyrocketed. The NDP-Liberal government's initial platform will cost over $200 billion and that is just the tip of the iceberg.
Can the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister tell Canadians how much this backroom deal is going to cost them?
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- Mar/22/22 2:22:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we made a commitment in the last election to invest in housing, to invest in support for families, to invest in child care, to grow the economy, to fight the pandemic and to move forward on fighting climate change. These are all things that we continue to be focused on. What we are going to see is an ability to work across party lines to reduce the toxic partisanship that we have seen in the past in the House and actually move forward on delivering concretely for Canadians. That is what Canadians want. That is what we are going to deliver.
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- Mar/22/22 2:23:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have seen an attack from the left on Canada's oil and gas sector, our agricultural sector and fisheries, all huge job creators, and now that extreme left-wing agenda has been baked into this secret backroom deal. The NDP-Liberal platform will double down and intensify the attack on Canadian natural resources and jobs.
Canadians deserve to know: How many more jobs are going to be lost specifically in our natural resources because of the NDP-Liberal government and the backroom deal?
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- Mar/22/22 2:23:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians saw what aggressive partisanship and toxicity in this place have led to. It is a slowed down agenda delivery for Canadians. What we have been able to do, in moving forward during this pandemic and seeing Canadians come together, is what we are going to continue to do moving forward: deliver on the things that we stood up for in the last election and deliver for Canadians on the things they need to grow the economy and create good jobs for everyone, while fully continuing to respect Parliament.
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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- Mar/22/22 2:24:18 p.m.
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I am going to take a moment here and remind folks that there has been a great listening of the questions, and I am hoping there is going to be a good listening of the answers so we can make sure that we understand where everybody stands on this issue. I am hearing lots of shots coming from over here, so I want to be sure that we actually hear the answers the Prime Minister is trying to give us.
The hon. leader of the official opposition.
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- Mar/22/22 2:24:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, make no mistake that this backroom deal disrespects Parliament and disrespects every single Canadian voter. Gas prices right now are shockingly high and are going up, unfairly punishing Canadians and families, but today the Conservatives have proposed a reasonable and positive solution to save Canadians money at the gas pumps. The Conservatives are consistently conservative and we always want to lower taxes for all Canadians.
Will the NDP-Liberal government tell the House if it supports our motion, or will its first act as a coalition government be to continue punishing Canadians with high taxes at the gas pumps?
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- Mar/22/22 2:25:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the leader of the official opposition needs to be careful when she is talking about supporting democracy and not spreading misinformation and disinformation at the same time.
Canadians returned this Parliament in a minority situation in the last election because they expected parties to work together collaboratively to deliver for Canadians. That is exactly what we are doing as we reach out across party lines to work together on the things we agree upon. There will be plenty of room for robust, informed debate in the areas in which we disagree. That is how Parliament should work, and we will continue to stand up for democracy.
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- Mar/22/22 2:26:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am not sure to whom I should address my question today.
The new NDP-Liberal government has not held a leadership race. Clearly, however, the government's new agenda is largely inspired by the NDP's last election platform, with more spending, more taxes, more intrusions on provincial areas of jurisdiction, and less and less respect for Parliament.
To help us out, will the Prime Minister make room for the leader of the NDP to sit beside him, and will he officially appoint him deputy prime minister, replacing the Minister of Finance?
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- Mar/22/22 2:26:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this agreement is an opportunity to work collaboratively on the things we agree on, while continuing to disagree on the things we disagree on.
This will allow the House to work more constructively. That means taking action on the priorities all members of the House share, whether it is growing the economy, helping the most vulnerable or fighting climate change. These are the priorities Canadians care about, and we will be able to work together constructively.
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- Mar/22/22 2:27:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, now that the NDP and the Liberals have gotten hitched, could the Prime Minister send the Green members over to this side of the House and put all the Liberals on the correct side so they can all sit together?
I gather that the basis for this agreement is interference in the jurisdictions of Quebec and the provinces in the areas of health, dental and drug insurance. Is it not true that the purpose of this agreement is to enable this newly wedded government to tread on Quebec's areas of jurisdiction once and for all?
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- Mar/22/22 2:28:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we had this debate during the last election.
In our government and in the Liberal Party, we have always emphasized that we firmly believe that the federal government has a responsibility to ensure that the quality of the health care and services provided across the country is the best possible for all Canadians.
We will always work with the provinces and respect them, but we will ensure that all Canadians across the country receive quality care. That is what people expect.
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- Mar/22/22 2:28:49 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the NDP is staunchly opposed to Quebec's state secularism law. The Liberal Party is staunchly opposed to Quebec's state secularism law. There is even a Conservative Party leadership candidate who has become staunchly opposed to Quebec's state secularism law.
Will this marriage also involve attacking Quebec's state secularism law once and for all using the money and resources at the Canadian government's disposal?
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- Mar/22/22 2:29:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians across the country, including Quebeckers, expect a federal government to always be there to defend the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and to defend the fundamental rights of all Canadians.
That is what we will always do. We will always be there to ensure that everyone's rights are respected.
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- Mar/22/22 2:29:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, oil and gas companies, as well as big box stores, have made record profits while families are struggling to put food on the table and fill up their tanks. We know that these companies have made record profits. We have a chance to do something about that later on today when we can vote to tax their excess profits and reinvest it into people.
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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