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Mar/28/22 1:40:59 p.m.
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We did get a little off-base in our timing here of what questions and answers really should have been. I want to make sure. There are a lot of interruptions here. Let us try to keep things to something sensible, and have good questions and good answers as we have all around. Continuing debate, the hon. member for North Okanagan—Shuswap.

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Mr. Mel Arnold (North Okanagan—Shuswap, CPC)

Mar/28/22 1:41:18 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-8

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise today representing the people of North Okanagan—Shuswap as I speak to Bill C-8, An Act to implement certain provisions of the economic and fiscal update tabled in Parliament on December 14, 2021 and other measures. That was three and a half months ago, and 21 months after the first COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. Much has changed in the past months since this bill was introduced. When I look at sections of this bill, I cannot help but question why the government has been so slow to respond to the pandemic and provide Canadians, and provincial and territorial governments, with the support they need. In part 1 of this bill, we see one section proposing the introduction of a new, refundable tax credit for eligible businesses to claim ventilation expenses incurred to improve air quality. Why did it take 21 months for the government to offer this support to Canadians and workers? Part 2 of this bill proposes to implement a 1% tax on the value of vacant or unused residential properties directly or indirectly owned by non-resident Canadians. Part 4 of this bill authorizes payments to be made out of the consolidated revenue fund for the purposes of supporting ventilation improvement projects in schools. I hope we can all support measures to protect students, teachers and school staff, but again, why did it take 21 months for the government to propose this measure? Part 5 of the bill authorizes payments for the purposes of supporting COVID-19 proof of vaccination initiatives. I ask everyone not to worry. I believe that within this too little, too late bill, there may be a timely response in part 6, as it authorizes the Minister of Health to make payments of up to $1.72 billion for rapid COVID-19 tests. I do not want to get too excited about this proposal. I would like to know how many rapid tests Canadians will receive for this proposed $1.72 billion, so that all members may have a sense of what the cost per unit is that the government has negotiated. We still do not know what the cost per unit is that we paid for vaccines. Perhaps someone on the government's side could provide this information in today's debate, because my constituents and I, and many other Canadians, would like to know. We are now months beyond the introduction of this bill and many more months beyond the point in time when Canadians, families, employers and schools needed timely, improved ventilation and access to rapid testing. Both as a Canadian and as a member of the House, I have to say that the government and its leader have let Canadians down. Why did the government wait until December 2021 to table these proposals? When it was apparent that the Prime Minister would not recall Parliament for some time after last year's unnecessary election, I initiated consultations with representatives of indigenous, provincial, regional and municipal governments in my riding of North Okanagan—Shuswap to receive their perspectives on the needs and priorities of the communities we represent. This bill could have helped Canadians and those communities as they worked their way through the challenges of COVID-19 had these proposals been tabled sooner. Rapid COVID-19 test kits could have helped to prevent the spread of COVID-19, especially in workplaces. Supports for improved ventilation systems could have also made workplaces safer for workers, and schools safer for students, teachers and other staff. Unfortunately, like much of the government's response to the threats facing Canadians and the global community, this bill was too little, too late. Over 18 months ago, Conservatives were calling on the government to make rapid tests available to Canadians so that family members could see aging parents in care homes. We called for more rapid tests so parents could have an alternative to keeping their children in isolation, home from school and out of other activities. People have missed work and businesses have closed because workers had to isolate, not knowing if they were positive or not. Others have lost their jobs and may not be able to return. All of this has impacted the hard-working residents who live in those communities I mentioned. The timely provision of rapid tests could have saved jobs and businesses, and here we are today debating $1.72 billion for COVID-19 tests, over a year and a half after they were needed. How many family members have suffered anxiety, stress and mental health issues because they did not have timely access to testing? This is a number we may never know, but it is safe to say it is a significant number. I believe we all hope that the people in our communities will never endure those anxieties and uncertainties again. Much of what I am speaking on today is about preventive and pre-emptive steps the government should be taking in order to avoid higher costs and to confront damages after they have been inflicted. In many of the consultations with the community leaders I mentioned, there was a common theme: the need for timely preparation for and prevention of known and likely threats and disasters, whether it be enhancing protection perimeters of communities against threats of wildfire and enhancing flood protection systems, or building more reliability into transportation and infrastructure, such as the Trans-Canada Highway from Chase, B.C., to the Alberta border. Residents and communities expect and need their federal government to be proactive and invested in prevention. Time is of the essence. As for part 2 of this bill, does anyone in the House actually believe the 1% tax on absentee foreign owners will address skyrocketing housing costs in B.C.? Since 2016, the price of an average home has ballooned from $476,000 to over $811,000 today. This increase has been propelled by more factors than foreign buyer pressure alone. The government must take the necessary steps to look at this in its entirety, and the housing crisis, and develop proposals for a holistic response to deal with it. Increasing real estate prices are part of the inflation wedge that is expanding the gap between Canadians already in the market, who have housing access, and Canadians still trying to raise a down payment while clinging to the shrinking hope of owning their own homes. I pray that it is not too late to curb the rising inflation for young people, such as my constituent Ryan, who lives in Vernon. He and his family are desperately trying to save for a down payment to purchase their own home instead of renting part of a home from their parents. Like many communities across Canada, communities in the North Okanagan—Shuswap need increased housing inventory to meet the needs of residents, especially those at low and medium income levels. When I look at this bill, I am also disappointed that the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance failed to recognize the need for enhanced mental health supports. With all of the money her government has printed and spent over the past two years, one would expect some recognition of the mental health needs of Canadians, but this bill has none. I would be remiss if I did not say that I speak today not out of personal concern for myself, but out of the concern I have for the young people of today and future generations who will be left to pay the interest on the debt the government is amassing under a short-sighted leader who only looks at today or the next election rather than at the long-term future of Canadians. I call on the government to change its ways and embrace the notion of prevention. In the months and weeks leading up to the pandemic, the government ignored warnings from the Department of National Defence and the National Research Council. Prevention can save costs. Prevention can save lives. In closing, I would like to thank the elected representatives across the North Okanagan—Shuswap, who I work with on an ongoing basis for the benefit of the constituents we represent, and the people of the North Okanagan—Shuswap.

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Mr. Kody Blois (Kings—Hants, Lib.)

Mar/28/22 1:51:16 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-8

Mr. Speaker, for Canadians watching at home, Bill C-8 was the fall economic update. We are almost through March right now. There are important measures in this legislation that matter to farmers. I know my hon. colleague has farmers in his area, in the interior of British Columbia. There are elements around rapid testing. There are a lot of different measures in this bill that matter, and it is the fall economic statement. Can the member tell the House when he expects the Conservative Party will actually stop speaking to this bill and let it be called to a vote so we can get those measures to Canadians and to his constituents accordingly?

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Mr. Mel Arnold

Mar/28/22 1:52:03 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-8

Mr. Speaker, the member asked when we will stop speaking to the bill. I would never encourage members of the House to stop speaking about a bill as significant as this, with billions in spending, no accountability and coming from a government that let the priorities pass on for months before it even introduced it. Therefore, I will take no lesson from this member about when we should and should not speak about a bill.

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Mr. Denis Trudel (Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, BQ)

Mar/28/22 1:52:46 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-8

Mr. Speaker, I must admit that I had a bit of a hard time following my colleague's speech. He is worried that the government is not taking care of the debt for future generations. I think that is important too. He talked about the housing crisis and said that the tax on unused properties in Canada is inadequate. I completely agree with him. I often hear the Conservatives criticizing what the government is doing on the housing file, but I do not hear them proposing a whole lot of solutions. In a study a month or two ago, Scotiabank, which is supposedly one of their friends, said that there is a shortage of 1.8 million housing units in Canada to address the crisis. My colleague pointed out that housing prices have doubled since the Liberals took office, but accessibility also includes the availability of more housing. What solutions does the Conservative Party propose to address this shortfall of 1.8 million housing units in Canada?

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Mr. Mel Arnold

Mar/28/22 1:53:46 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-8

Mr. Speaker, there is no question that there is a drastic shortage of affordable housing, and housing of any sort, across this country. That is because people have flocked into the housing market as an investment. They have not seen the investment in rental housing being as productive as it used to be, so we have seen a reduction in rental housing in some areas. In consultations with elected representatives in my riding of North Okanagan—Shuswap a couple of years ago, I learned it had been decades since there was a fourplex built in one community because of zoning issues. These are issues where we are all going to need to work together with all levels of government to identify what it is we can do to create more housing for Canadians. It cannot be simply government alone.

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Mr. Brian Masse (Windsor West, NDP)

Mar/28/22 1:54:54 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-8

Mr. Speaker, to follow up on that, the hypocrisy is that, in the past, governments, the Liberals and the Conservatives, talked about government getting out of the way of getting action on things, including housing and so forth. The 1% tax is not seen as sufficient, so regarding inventory, what exactly would the Conservatives be involved in? What would they encourage and what specific things would they do with respect to the private sector? I think that is important. Some of the party members are saying we have to get out of the way and others are saying we have to do more than this, so what exactly would they do more of?

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Mr. Mel Arnold

Mar/28/22 1:55:33 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-8

Mr. Speaker, obviously housing is top of mind for many members and, I think, for Canadians right across this country. Incentivizing the construction of residences, whether single-family or multi-family apartment buildings, is where the federal government can make a difference regarding that growth in new inventory that is desperately needed across the country.

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Mr. Tako Van Popta (Langley—Aldergrove, CPC)

Mar/28/22 1:56:11 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-8

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to the government's fall economic and fiscal update. To better understand the economic pressures that Canadians are facing, we need to look at the data. We have the highest rate of inflation that we have had in a generation. My children are all adults now and do not know what inflation is. It is at 5.7% at the moment, and that means that, on average, everything is going to cost every Canadian citizen almost 6% more today than it did a year ago. If we look at industry-specific statistics, it is much more challenging than that. For any young families in my riding of Langley—Aldergrove, part of metro Vancouver, who are prospective first-time buyers, the news is not good at all. Single family houses are up 42%, condos are up 39% and townhouses are up 35%. Frankly, it is becoming unrealistic for young families to even believe they are ever going to own a house. I was talking to Alison in my riding just the other day. She and her husband are both earning quite a bit of money. They have managed to save up a really good down payment. They pre-qualified for a mortgage. They are doing everything right. About a year or a year a half ago, they got into the market to bid on a townhouse. They lost out to a higher bidder. They tried again on a second townhouse. The same thing happened, and they lost out to a higher bidder. They did that 10 times in a row. The tenth time, they bid way over asking price thinking that they would for sure get it. Again, they were outbid by a higher bidder. I was talking to Alison and she asked what they were doing wrong. I said that she was not doing anything wrong and that she was doing everything right, but that there were economic forces at play that were beyond the ability of ordinary Canadians to deal with. This is what the Vancouver Sun said just this weekend about this topic: Young, educated, urban Canadians have [many reasons] to be angry...with Ottawa for the ways it has worsened the housing crisis. [The Liberal government] has three times campaigned, with apparent earnest emotion, on promises to provide affordable housing. And each time, [it] has reneged. Canadian housing is now 100 per cent more expensive than when [the Liberals] first took office in 2015. That is the legacy of the Liberal government, that housing prices have doubled in the time it has held office. One of the failed programs of the Liberal government is the first-time homebuyers incentive. That is the program that says the government would own a piece of the equity stake in the home of any first-time homebuyers who use the program. Happily, very few people have actually used the program. I was talking to a mortgage broker who works in my neighbourhood, and he explained to me why the program is a failure. It just does not work, certainly not in my riding where houses are as expensive as they are. Mortgage Professionals Canada, a very credible organization, has said this about the housing affordability crisis: “If we had historically equally considered the demand-side and supply-side policies, we probably would be in a far better position”. I would just summarize this part by saying this: Is it not a fresh idea that we are going to look at basic economic principles? That is where the government has failed.

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The Deputy Speaker

Mar/28/22 1:59:52 p.m.
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I thank the member for his intervention. There will be about six and a half minutes left when he gets back to this matter. During the last couple of Statements by Members, it has been getting pretty noisy in the chamber. I am hoping that members could keep their conversations outside in the lobbies, and as they come in, they could listen to these great statements that members are giving.

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Mr. Kevin Vuong (Spadina—Fort York, Ind.)

Mar/28/22 2:00:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, a short time ago, it was Rare Disease Day. I want to bring scleroderma, also called systemic sclerosis, to the attention of the House. This rare autoimmune disease impacts over 40,000 Canadians. One of those people was Ngoc Bé Huỳnh. She was studying to become a doctor before war broke out in her country. She evaded Communist soldiers, she fought off pirates, and she survived two years in a refugee camp before being welcomed to this country. She was grateful to be here, but it was not easy. She did not speak English or French, but her indomitable spirit was not going to let her fail. She learned English. She went to college and she retrained as an electrical assembly worker, becoming the first in her factory to be a female line worker. Ngoc Bé Huỳnh was her name. Others knew her as Belinda Vuong. I simply knew her as mom. We do not know much about scleroderma. We know it predominantly affects women and that it relentlessly attacks the body. Life expectancy is three to 15 years. My mom lived with it for over 18 years. She passed away this morning after her courageous battle. To my mom, who raised me to stand in my truth, to focus on doing right and to help as many people as I can: [Member spoke in Vietnamese]. [English] I thank my mom. I love my mom. I will miss my mom.

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Mr. Shaun Chen (Scarborough North, Lib.)

Mar/28/22 2:01:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to recognize Dennis Levesque, a proud veteran and community leader, on his well-deserved retirement. Dennis worked over the last 45 years to create meaningful change in our communities and country. After serving in the Canadian Armed Forces for 37 years as a senior officer, instructor and helicopter pilot, he was awarded two Command Commendations and retired as a lieutenant-colonel. Dennis then worked at Sts. Peter and Paul Residence in my riding of Scarborough North, where he served as chief administrative officer for eight years. Sts. Peter and Paul was founded in 1980 as a Ukrainian seniors residence that today serves a diverse community of elders. I would like to not only wish Dennis a happy and healthy retirement but also acknowledge the incredible work at Sts. Peter and Paul. Let us all continue to stand in solidarity with our Ukrainian community here in Canada and around the world. Slava Ukraini.

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Mr. Joël Godin (Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, CPC)

Mar/28/22 2:02:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in addition to having 40 of the most beautiful villages in Quebec, Cap‑Santé, the major centre of Portneuf in my riding of Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, is known for its artists, artisans, agriculture and heritage, as well as its amazing old-fashioned Christmas market. I would like to share with the House one of this municipality's recent initiatives, which is worthy of note. I am referring to the creation of the Créations d'origine cap‑santéenne, or COCS, label. I invite my colleagues to visit the COCS Facebook page, which is a place where all the city's creators can come together. Joining forces to promote their local brands and showcase products and services is an excellent way for these creators to better define their identity, local characteristics and uniqueness. It further strengthens the already close ties of this extremely talented community. I thank them for once again putting our beautiful region of Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier on the map.

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Hon. Judy A. Sgro (Humber River—Black Creek, Lib.)

Mar/28/22 2:04:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to rise in the House today in memory of a great Canadian who played a major role in fostering the beginnings of our relationship with Taiwan. Reverend George Leslie Mackay arrived in Tamsui in 1872 as a missionary, an educator and a medical practitioner. Reverend Mackay contributed greatly to education and public health in Taiwan. He founded the Oxford College, which is now known as Aletheia University, where he lectured on many subjects, including Bible studies and medicine. His work within medicine, while very basic, had major positive impacts for the people in Taiwan, so much so that even today his name is synonymous with medicine in Taiwan and many hospitals bear the name of Reverend Mackay. It has been 150 years since Reverend Mackay landed in Taiwan to begin his work, and 150 years later the relationship with Canada remains strong. In times like this, we must rally together with our friends, showing support for our democracies and common visions of peace and stability worldwide. We, as a nation, are honoured to continue this friendship sparked so long ago and will continue to nurture it and stand strong together for our people, for democracy and for peace.

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Mr. Denis Trudel (Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, BQ)

Mar/28/22 2:05:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the city of Longueuil and Quebec in general are hotbeds of exceptional talent. We witnessed that yet again in spades at yesterday's Oscars. Patrice Vermette, a resident of my riding, won the Oscar for best production design for his absolutely stunning work on Dune by Quebec's Denis Villeneuve, another awesomely talented member of Quebec's film community. This was Patrice Vermette's third Oscar nomination. From his Longueuil living room, in the midst of the pandemic, he brought his considerable talent and signature style to bear on translating Frank Herbert's epic masterwork into magnificent images. Filmmaker Denis Villeneuve has worked with Mr. Vermette for 10 years, and he describes Vermette as a rare, singular talent. I congratulate Patrice Vermette on this extraordinary accomplishment, and I thank him for putting Quebec on the map in such a dazzling way.

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Mr. Francis Drouin (Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, Lib.)

Mar/28/22 2:06:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House to celebrate the life of a man who left his mark not only on Ontario's agricultural community, but on the Franco-Ontarian community as a whole. Réjean Pommainville was a dairy producer, a passionate farmer, a champion of Franco-Ontarian culture and an advocate for his agricultural community. Réjean served on the Ontario Federation of Agriculture board of directors for nearly a decade and was involved with the federation in various capacities for over 40 years. He was also passionate about preserving cultural heritage and spent hours working on preservation at Village Gagnon and even on his own farm, where he built a general store, a small church, a saloon and, of course, a prison. Réjean brought a strong work ethic as well as a sense of humour to everything he did. I extend my deepest condolences to his wife, Barbara, his children, the Pommainville family and his friends.

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Mrs. Cheryl Gallant (Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, CPC)

Mar/28/22 2:07:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to recognize a lifetime achievement for Dr. Harry Ing, founder of Bubble Technology Industries, or BTI. His company, located in Chalk River, has been selected for induction into the prestigious U.S Space Technology Hall of Fame. BTI produces a small device for measuring neutron radiation called a bubble detector. In use for over 30 years in thousands of applications, the technology has been deployed on over two dozen space missions to assess radiation risks in space. The bubble detector is used to monitor radiation in hospitals, power plants, manufacturing facilities and nuclear submarines. It was also used to protect emergency responders after nuclear incidents at Fukushima and Chernobyl. Currently, BTI is pursuing new opportunities to search for water on the moon and to protect astronauts from radiation. Congratulations to Dr. Harry Ing, vice president Lianne Ing, head of research Dr. Martin Smith and everyone at Bubble Technology on their induction into the U.S Space Technology Hall of Fame.

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Ms. Joanne Thompson (St. John's East, Lib.)

Mar/28/22 2:08:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Master Mariners of Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador division, recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of the nautical skills competition, a fun, competitive and challenging event for the next generation of seafarers. My province and the ocean are inseparable, and with events like these, our leadership in both the marine industry and the global ocean economy is growing like never before. I am also proud to say that my family's connection to the sea runs deep, from my grandfather's schooner to my cousin's longliner. Now I am very proud of my son, Paddy, as he works toward his master mariner designation in our country's Arctic waters. I want to extend my sincere congratulations to all the master mariner student participants and to the institute's associate VP and the remarkable team. It was well done.

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Mr. Andy Fillmore (Halifax, Lib.)

Mar/28/22 2:10:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today I rise to celebrate Ben Proudfoot, a filmmaker from Halifax, who took home the Oscar for best documentary short at last night's Academy Awards. Ben's winning film The Queen of Basketball tells the often overlooked story of Lusia Harris, the only woman to be officially drafted by the NBA, the first woman inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame and the first woman to score a basket at the Olympics. In his acceptance speech last night, Ben said, “If there is anyone out there that still doubts whether there's an audience for female athletes...let this Academy Award be the answer”. Throughout his career, Ben has used film to shine a light on trail-blazing women, such as Heather Lawson, the first woman trained as a stone mason in Canada, and astronomer Jocelyn Bell Burnell for her work on the discovery of pulsars. Speaking of pulsars, today people in Ben's hometown of Halifax are over the moon with pride. I invite all members to join us in congratulating him on this remarkable achievement. I send my congratulations to Ben.

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Hon. Ed Fast (Abbotsford, CPC)

Mar/28/22 2:11:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Abbotsford has a proud tradition of agricultural excellence. With the most productive soil in Canada, my community produces much of the food that finds its way to the tables of Canadians. Abbotsford is the blueberry capital of North America, with almost a third of our cultivated land reserved for the growing of berries. Nurseries, greenhouses, dairy and poultry barns dot our landscape. In fact, we have become the breadbasket of B.C. and also claim the most farm gate sales per hectare in Canada. Our chicken and egg producers deliver a secure supply of premium, quality products to kitchen tables every day. However, our farmers are not immune to environmental challenges. This past November, we experienced a once-in-a-lifetime storm that spawned massive flooding across Abbotsford. Our farmers experienced catastrophic losses of crops and livestock. Despite these challenges, they are bouncing back. To the farmers of Abbotsford and across Canada, I give a big “thank you” for the contribution they make to a healthy and prosperous Canada.

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