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Ms. Arielle Kayabaga (London West, Lib.)

Mar/23/22 2:13:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, access to quality and affordable housing helps to create a stable environment for children by reducing frequent family moves, affecting the stability and well-being of families. I am proud to see the many investments happening across the country to continue to address housing needs. I want to highlight a good story in my riding of London West, where a recent opening took place of 61 housing units that were built. Thanks to a $7.5-million investment from the Government of Canada's rapid housing initiative, in partnership with the St. Leonard's Community Services, the units will house families and youth who were either experiencing homelessness or were in shelters, indigenous peoples, individuals coming from domestic abuse, as well as individuals who have been in an emergency shelter or in winter response sites. The rapid housing initiative and its quest is to help communities in London and across Canada. It is building back better by creating more jobs in the construction and housing sectors, which grows the middle class and gets closer to eliminating chronic homelessness in Canada.

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Mr. Dave Epp (Chatham-Kent—Leamington, CPC)

Mar/23/22 2:14:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in many ways Ukraine is us and we are Ukraine. Canada has the largest Ukrainian community outside of Ukraine and Russia. We are one in our opposition to illegal invasions. We are one in our shared value that democracy and freedom best serve a country's citizens. We should not describe what is happening there as a war, because a war implies two aggressors. Russia alone has illegally invaded Ukraine and in so doing, jeopardized Ukraine's ability to produce food and Russia's ability to export food because of sanctions that have been rightfully imposed. As someone very familiar with agriculture and agri-food, I can say that the agricultural communities of Ukraine and Russia and their systems account for 30% of the world's exports of wheat, 17% of the corn, 32% of the barley and 75% of the sunflower cooking oil. If we lose Ukraine, we lose one of our best chances to preserve world order against an escalating torrent of destructive madness. Slava Ukraini.

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Mrs. Rosemarie Falk (Battlefords—Lloydminster, CPC)

Mar/23/22 2:15:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians are being hit with the highest inflation rate in a generation and costs are skyrocketing. Wages are not keeping up and it is getting harder and harder to make ends meet. From affecting the cost of gas, groceries and everything else, the scheduled carbon tax increase on April 1 will only exacerbate this problem. The affordability crisis in this country is being fuelled by the Liberal government and now, with the NDP sharing the reins, it will lead to even higher taxes, more debt and less accountability. Canadians are being pushed to the brink and they need some relief. From cancelling the carbon tax increase to scrapping it entirely or providing a GST holiday on gasoline and diesel, there are common-sense solutions that can help Canadians today. The NDP-Liberal government needs to leave money where it belongs, and that is in the pockets of hard-working Canadians.

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Mr. Adam van Koeverden (Milton, Lib.)

Mar/23/22 2:16:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand in the House today to acknowledge the extraordinary resilience and positivity of my neighbour in Milton, Erin Wrigglesworth. Erin is 42, a wife to Eric and a mother to two awesome kids. She is an awesome school teacher, a very competitive runner and a friend. In December of 2020, she was diagnosed with breast cancer that has spread rapidly and has been deemed incurable. After receiving this devastating news, Erin did what she always does. She fought. She continues to undergo intense treatment at Princess Margaret hospital, and the Erin's Army GoFundMe has raised close to $25,000. She has pledged that any money that is left over once she is healthy and cured will be donated to cancer research. This is a reminder that even in the face of unimaginable heartbreak, there remains great power and hope. That bravery can inspire us all. My thoughts continue to be with Erin and her family and friends. I want her to know that her heroic example, while incredibly difficult, has inspired so many. All of my neighbours in Milton and so many more across this country are with her. We are proud soldiers in Erin's Army. To Erin, I say keep fighting.

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Ms. Lindsay Mathyssen (London—Fanshawe, NDP)

Mar/23/22 2:18:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, women in London and across Canada continue to face an increase in gender-based violence. Pleas from women's organizations have gone unanswered and they have been told to wait for a national action plan that is now six years overdue. The crisis is now. In London we have an amazing resource to support women called Anova. It provides shelter, support, counselling and resources for abused women. It has said that because of the lack of beds, it had to turn away women almost 1,800 times last year, while it also saw an increase of over 53% in incidents of gender-based violence. The federal government needs to establish sustainable annual core funding, it needs to establish survivor-centred changes to the justice system, and it needs to invest in long-term housing for women fleeing violence. We must face gender-based violence head-on, but these amazing women's organizations on the front line cannot do it alone. They need the government to reject austerity measures, move beyond planning and finally deliver action and the dollars they need to save lives.

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Mr. Xavier Barsalou-Duval (Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, BQ)

Mar/23/22 2:19:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, actor Yves Trudel of Varennes passed away on March 11. Many Quebeckers knew him for his role as Méo. His friends and family knew him as an honest, learned and sensitive man. His drama students say that his teaching really touched their lives. An inveterate jokester, Yves never missed an opportunity to get people out of their comfort zone and test their perspicacity. His interpretation of Bob Gratton's scapegoat brother-in-law touched Quebeckers and made them laugh to the point where the image of the clumsy mechanic sporting his well-known Ski-Doo toque with a cigar dangling from his mouth is now embedded in Quebec's collective psyche. This character, however, was about more than jokes and caricature. We must remember that, first and foremost, his purpose was to illustrate the Quebec condition so that we would understand the importance of fighting for our identity, culture and national emancipation. Thank you to patriot Yves Trudel. Thank you for Méo, and thank you for Quebec.

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Mr. Warren Steinley (Regina—Lewvan, CPC)

Mar/23/22 2:20:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, a majority mandate is won by criss-crossing the country, listening to Canadians and earning their trust at the polls. People in Regina—Lewvan are in disbelief that the Prime Minister has created his own majority mandate in the shadowy back rooms of Ottawa. Canadians are upset and sending a clear message that they did not vote for an NDP-Liberal government. Now that the ink is dry on the official agreement, the NDP can stop pretending this dangerous coalition has not existed for years. People want answers. The Prime Minister needs to come clean on how much this majority will cost Canadians. How much did it cost for the member for Burnaby South to once again sell out his party's principles? This NDP-Liberal government will be the most reckless and expensive in our country's history. People in Regina—Lewvan are already paying too much for everyday essentials such as food and fuel, and with the Prime Minister's deceptive deal, that pain is only going to get worse for Canadians.

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Mrs. Sherry Romanado (Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne, Lib.)

Mar/23/22 2:21:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is difficult for us all to watch the horrific scenes coming out of Ukraine. I know this is especially true for our Canadian Armed Forces members and their families. As the mother of a son who served on Operation Unifier in Ukraine, I know first‑hand the incredible role that our Canadian Armed Forces have played in helping the Ukrainian security forces prepare for this moment, as they fight to defend their country. Canadians are at once horrified by the senseless violence taking place in Ukraine and inspired by the determination of the Ukrainian army and the Ukrainian people. Canada stands with the people of Ukraine and their courageous president as they defend their country, and it will continue to be there for them. I thank the members of the Canadian Armed Forces.

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Hon. Candice Bergen (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Mar/23/22 2:22:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Canadians were shocked to find out that they are now being governed by an NDP-Liberal coalition government: an alliance of high-tax, high-spend and extreme ideology proponents. What Canadians do not know are the details of the agreement. We did see a press release yesterday, but that was all. I am wondering, is there a signed agreement between the—

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The Deputy Speaker

Mar/23/22 2:23:07 p.m.
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I am sorry to interrupt the Leader of the Opposition, but the interpretation does not seem to be working. I will speak in English. Hopefully the translation will get moving. Is the translation happening at the same time? I will have the Leader of the Official Opposition start her question again.

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Hon. Candice Bergen

Mar/23/22 2:23:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday, as I was saying, Canadians were shocked to find out that they are being governed by an NDP-Liberal coalition government: an alliance of high-tax, high-spend and extreme ideology proponents. What Canadians do not know are the details of this agreement. We saw a press release yesterday, but no actual details. Is there a signed agreement between the Liberals and the NDP and will they make it public, yes or no?

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Hon. Mark Holland (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Mar/23/22 2:24:12 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it was clear in the last election what Canadians wanted as a priority: action on growing the economy, expanding the middle class and making sure that people can join it, ensuring affordable child care and expanding health care services. All of these things are at the core of what, when we came to power six months ago, we said we wanted to work with other parties on. I know, because I was there, that when the Conservatives were in a minority government, they did not work with other parties. It is an unusual concept for them, but there is the opportunity that they have today to work collaboratively in Parliament to get things done. That is our objective.

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Hon. Candice Bergen (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Mar/23/22 2:24:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there is a signed agreement somewhere that they are hiding. Part of the deal struck by the Liberals and NDP creates a new executive committee of the government. This secret committee is made up of NDP and Liberal members, and it excludes the opposition. That is an executive committee of government. Who is on that executive committee and, again, will the Liberals and the NDP make this agreement public for Canadians and for the House?

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Hon. Mark Holland (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Mar/23/22 2:25:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there is every opportunity for us to all work together. I think that is exactly the spirit that was expected after the last election. Canadians wanted to see stability. They wanted to see results. They wanted to see us focus on getting things done. As the member will well know, we continue to have work together on a great number of issues, and that opportunity will continue in the future. What this means is that Parliament can have stability. Yes, we have differences. Some of those differences are very big, but that does not mean that we should put our partisan differences in front of getting the business of the nation done. That is what this deal is about.

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Hon. Candice Bergen (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Mar/23/22 2:26:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, high-tax, high-spend and higher costs for everything is all that this NDP-Liberal government will be delivering for Canadians. This backroom secret deal will cost Canadians an additional $200 billion, and that is not even counting the April 1 tax hike that is coming. Risky social experiments are not what Canadians need. They need their rent paid. They need food in their fridges. They need gas in their tanks. Will the Prime Minister tell Canadians how much this nightmare of a socialist secret deal will cost Canadians?

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Hon. Mark Holland (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Mar/23/22 2:26:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I was there for three minority governments with Stephen Harper, and what we saw was a complete railroading of the opposition and no interest in working with other parties. Not only that, but over that period of time we also saw the most stagnant, dead economic growth that the country had seen historically. What we see now is Canada leading in economic growth, leading in job creation and leading in climate action. What we are focused on is working with any party that is willing to work with us to get the business of the nation done. I would suggest to the Conservatives that there is an opportunity to break from their usual mould, which is attack, attack, attack—

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The Deputy Speaker

Mar/23/22 2:27:26 p.m.
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The hon. member for Mégantic—L'Érable.

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Mr. Luc Berthold (Mégantic—L'Érable, CPC)

Mar/23/22 2:27:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this NDP-Liberal Prime Minister has repeatedly demonstrated his lack of respect for Parliament. We are learning that, behind closed doors, he has created secret parallel committees to manage budgets, House and committee business, and even bills. These secret committees will have the authority to decide how to tax Canadians, how to spend, how to run deficits and how to impose decisions on the provinces. Will the NDP–Liberal Prime Minister and his coalition Deputy Prime Minister come clean on this deal? Furthermore, who sits on these infamous secret committees?

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Hon. Dominic LeBlanc (Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.)

Mar/23/22 2:28:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is a little rich to hear the Conservatives talk about disrespecting Parliament. They wrote the book on how to trash House of Commons committees when they were in government. We have been very clear. Canadians elected a minority Parliament, which means that members of Parliament are going to work together. I know that offends Conservatives, but that is exactly what we are doing, for the benefit of Canadians.

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Mr. Luc Berthold (Mégantic—L'Érable, CPC)

Mar/23/22 2:28:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let us talk about the last election. Ninety per cent of Quebeckers rejected the NDP and its $200-billion spending plan in the last election. The ink is not yet dry on the agreement, but already the Premier of Quebec is saying the new NDP-Liberal government will meet with stiff opposition. How can the Quebec members of the NDP-Liberal government support an agreement like this knowing it will infringe on Quebec's jurisdiction?

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