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Mr. Robert Kitchen (Souris—Moose Mountain, CPC)

Mar/31/22 2:01:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, last week, members from the South Saskatchewan Ready partnership came to Ottawa regarding the phase-out of coal-fired electricity and the negative impacts it is having on rural communities. Only 3.5% of the funding given through just transition has been dedicated to economic development that would ensure SSR communities remain viable post-2030. A recent study shows that the coal transition could lead to a 67% loss in population and an 89% loss in household income, just for the Town of Coronach alone. The government implies the green jobs that are created will be in the areas where energy jobs are lost, but this is not the case. These jobs to build green infrastructure are not in rural ridings. Investing transition funding into community infrastructure will do absolutely nothing when there are no people left to use said infrastructure. Places like Coronach, Bienfait and Estevan deserve more from the government. I thank the members of SSR for their advocacy and dedication to the sustainability and future of these communities.

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Ms. Iqra Khalid (Mississauga—Erin Mills, Lib.)

Mar/31/22 2:02:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this has been an exciting week. Budget 2021 set out our plan for affordable child care for only $10 a day. On Monday, Ontario finally signed on, which means we have deals to deliver affordable child care to every province and territory. This has been a top priority in my riding of Mississauga—Erin Mills and we delivered. That was in 2021. Next week, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance will table budget 2022, and I would like to share some of my priorities. They include building even more affordable housing, addressing gender-based violence, filling labour gaps and creating more jobs across Canada, supporting small businesses, seniors and youth, and building a clean, green economy. We have a lot of work ahead and I am looking forward to our budget so that we can get to it.

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Mrs. Marilène Gill (Manicouagan, BQ)

Mar/31/22 2:03:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, ever since the birth of the Quebec nation, fishers in Charlevoix have been weir fishing for capelin. It is a tradition, not an industry. It accounts for less than 1% of the total fishery. However, this traditional fishery not only supplies our restaurants, but is also part of our history and is in the process of being recognized by UNESCO. The problem is that Fisheries and Oceans Canada off in Ottawa, which is very far from the sea, is lumping our weir fishers in with Newfoundland's commercial fishers. It is forcing them to open their season in June, just like in Newfoundland. What Fisheries and Oceans Canada does not know, being so far from the sea, is that, where we are on the St. Lawrence River, capelin are abundant in April and gone by June. This national tradition will disappear if the minister does not open the capelin season on the river on April 1. April 1 is tomorrow. The Bloc Québécois is asking the minister to intervene. The time to save the weir fishery is now.

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Mr. Stéphane Lauzon (Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation, Lib.)

Mar/31/22 2:04:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise to acknowledge the outstanding work of two cattle producers in my riding: Brylee farm in Lochaber and Guayclair farm in Brownsburg‑Chatham. They were both honoured with the Environmental Stewardship Award, Quebec chapter, in 2021 and 2022 respectively. This award is handed out each year in recognition of cattle producers' leadership in on-farm environmental management. The Guayclair and Brylee farms both received provincial recognition for their outstanding contributions. Just like last year's winner, the Brylee farm, this year, the Guayclair farm is nominated for national recognition from the Canadian Cattlemen's Association. The national winner will be announced later at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference. Congratulations to the Guayclair farm and the Brylee farm. They are solid examples of innovation and excellence in on-farm environmental management.

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Mr. Scot Davidson (York—Simcoe, CPC)

Mar/31/22 2:05:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it has been five years to the day since the Liberals cancelled the Lake Simcoe cleanup fund. The finance minister stood on the shores of the lake in 2019 and promised to bring the fund back, but it has been 1,826 days and there is still no funding to clean up and restore the lake. It is unbelievable. Finally, municipalities and organizations from around the lake are joining me and my Conservative colleagues in calling for the cleanup fund to be reinstated. Instead of more taxes in next week's budget, the government must support community-based grassroots projects that will protect the precious Lake Simcoe watershed and ecosystem. It can be tough to wade through all the broken promises and inaction by the current Liberal government on the environment, but that is why I am here in my hip waders once again calling for the Lake Simcoe clean-up fund to be included in the 2022 budget. It is time for action.

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The Deputy Speaker

Mar/31/22 2:06:55 p.m.
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I will remind people about the use of props. The hon. member for Kanata—Carleton.

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Mrs. Jenna Sudds (Kanata—Carleton, Lib.)

Mar/31/22 2:07:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in 2003, Eugene Melnyk purchased our beloved Ottawa Senators franchise. In doing so, he lifted the franchise out of possible bankruptcy. He brought jobs and economic growth to my riding of Kanata—Carleton, and he fought to keep those jobs in Kanata, despite proposals to move the franchise elsewhere. Above all, he made the Senators a beloved staple in our city. He helped cultivate a love of hockey among young and old. Eugene never wavered in his desire and commitment to bring the Stanley Cup to our nation's capital. Sadly, Eugene passed away peacefully on Monday. He will be fondly remembered by his friends, our community and Senators' fans everywhere. He leaves behind a legacy, a legacy of love for our Ottawa Senators, who our community will continue to support and cherish for years to come. The Ottawa community will miss his passion and dedication to the sport. I know the Ottawa Senators club will one day win a Stanley Cup, and I am sure that Eugene will be watching proudly from above.

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Mr. Terry Beech (Burnaby North—Seymour, Lib.)

Mar/31/22 2:08:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, before we took office in 2015, the federal government had been absent on the housing file for more than 30 years. In the last six years, our government has made safe, affordable and accessible housing a top priority. Our $72-billion housing strategy is working with the provinces and municipalities to tackle the issue of affordable housing and housing affordability. We have started to see the impact of these investments in Burnaby and North Vancouver helping build, retain or find homes for 3,900 people through programs like the federal community housing initiative, the rapid housing initiative and the co-investment fund. We have also promised to do more. This includes building more supply, treating housing like a place to live instead of an investment vehicle and finding pathways to ownership for first-time homebuyers. I am very excited to work with all members of the House to find more solutions to our housing crisis. I am also looking forward to the finance minister releasing budget 2022 on April 7, so that we can continue to deliver more affordable housing for Canadians.

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Mr. Larry Brock (Brantford—Brant, CPC)

Mar/31/22 2:09:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it gives me immense pride to announce that the City of Brantford is twinning with Kamianets-Podilskyi in Ukraine. This is a symbolic gesture that will initiate much-needed practical support for it. Since the Russian invasion, the city has been host to thousands of refugees, has helped displaced single moms with kids and the elderly who were pressured to leave their homes, and has organized efforts to provide support for the Ukrainian army. This wonderful idea was proposed by my constituent Andy Straisfeld and was unanimously supported by Mayor Kevin Davis and city council. I would like to thank Ukrainian MPs Georgiy Mazurashu and Ihor Marchuk, and the mayor of that city, Mykhailo Positko. I am also proud of the role that my team played to make this agreement a reality. I encourage my colleagues in the House to work with their municipalities and find their sister cities in Ukraine. Canada can help in so many ways. Glory to Canada. Slava Ukraini.

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Mr. Wayne Long (Saint John—Rothesay, Lib.)

Mar/31/22 2:10:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I was sent to this great place in 2015 by the people of Saint John—Rothesay not only to stand here and speak in the House, to sit on committees and vote on legislation, but to advocate and fight for federal investment in my riding. Saint John has some of the nicest waterfront in Canada, but that waterfront has been undeveloped due to federal investment. That is changing. We have invested millions of dollars in seawall restoration, millions in the Fundy Quay project, millions in Loyalist Plaza boardwalk refurbishment and over a million dollars in a container village. These projects will transform not only my city but my region through tourism and economic prosperity. My government has delivered for Saint John—Rothesay.

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Mr. Gerald Soroka (Yellowhead, CPC)

Mar/31/22 2:11:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Morgen wrote to me about his mother who just turned 86. She is still able to live in her family home, living only off the Canada pension, old age security and GIS. He said, “I know it has been tough on her to make ends meet with these high power and gas heating bills...but she is too proud to ask for financial help from the family”, so she turns the thermostat way down low in order to afford her heating bills. I have received many other emails, phone calls, Facebook posts and comments from seniors saying that they cannot afford this NDP-Liberal government any longer. Tomorrow, the carbon tax is going up again, meaning it will cost seniors more money to heat their homes or they will turn their thermostats down again, if that is even possible. Will this NDP-Liberal government stop the carbon tax increase on April 1 so seniors do not have to live in a cold home, or is their answer, “Don't worry. Summer is coming. They'll be warm soon”?

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Mr. Pat Kelly (Calgary Rocky Ridge, CPC)

Mar/31/22 2:12:40 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-266

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow the tax on beer, wine and spirits will automatically go up, thanks to this government's excise escalator. Today, I tabled Bill C-266, an act to repeal the automatic excise escalator. This punitive tax harms Canada's world-leading brewers', vintners' and distillers' ability to compete internationally and punishes Canadian consumers. Tomorrow, the cost of enjoying a beer with friends after work will go up, so will the cost of a bottle of wine for hard-working parents who want to enjoy a rare and well-earned date night. Inflation already makes these simple basic pleasures increasingly unaffordable for working Canadians. This government's deficits and carbon tax are fuelling inflation, which automatically increases its alcohol tax, which fuels inflation even further. It is time to stop this automatic annual tax increase, let our industries compete internationally, give consumers a break and support Bill C-266.

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Mr. Jaime Battiste (Sydney—Victoria, Lib.)

Mar/31/22 2:13:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today is National Indigenous Languages Day in Canada. It is time to celebrate the hundreds of indigenous languages spoken across Canada. I am proud to stand with a government committed to the preservation and restoration of indigenous languages and that appointed the first-ever indigenous language commissioner. Congratulations to Ron Ignace. This work is already being felt on the ground level in my own community. We have seen unprecedented investment into the revitalization of the Mi’kmaq through organizations like Mi'kmaw Kina'matnewey. [Member spoke in Mi'kmaq and provided the following text:] Ketu Kaqamasi Kiskuk Aq ketu teluewey, tan telji welalusik Msit wen apoqnmatmitij, tan teli lnusltik Nike aq Elmiknek. Welaliek. [Member provided the following translation:] I rise today and I want to say how much we thank all those who are helping to revitalize languages now and into the future.

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Mr. Blake Desjarlais (Edmonton Griesbach, NDP)

Mar/31/22 2:14:38 p.m.
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Uqaqtittiji, I am proud to rise in this chamber today to mark the International Transgender Day of Visibility. Trans women, especially Black trans women, have led the 2SLGBTQ movement through some of our most difficult times. They marched on the streets and demanded justice, and won our community the rights we enjoy today. Some gave their lives in this struggle. We see them just as we see all trans folks today and every day, but when I look around this chamber, I do not see a trans person in any one of these 338 chairs. This must change. As the first two-spirit person ever elected to the House, here is my message to the trans community: “We need you here. You will face many challenges taking your seat in this place, just like I do, but I know that you will overcome them. Always remember that you belong in this House just like you belong everywhere in Canada, and always remember that you are loved and you are beautiful. Never, ever let anyone tell you otherwise.” Kinanaskomtinawaw.

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Ms. Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné (Terrebonne, BQ)

Mar/31/22 2:16:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the work of the Office of the Auditor General of Canada is vital in a democracy. Its employees provide Parliament with the truth about the government's spending, probity and effectiveness. Employees in its audit services group, three-quarters of whom are women, have been without a contract since 2018. They have been working to rule since last November and are now on strike. Although the Auditor General is independent, Treasury Board makes the decisions about budgets and negotiating terms. Obviously, the President of the Treasury Board can easily live with an Office of the Auditor General that is no longer able to produce reports that embarrass the government. The men and women of the audit services group are not asking for the moon. They want a pay grid comparable to that of the federal public service. The difference of $215,000 divided between 165 employees is practically nothing. The President of the Treasury Board must take action. Negotiations are under way at this time, and this must be resolved. This is urgent.

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Mr. Michael Kram (Regina—Wascana, CPC)

Mar/31/22 2:17:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on the morning of June 6, 1944, 14,000 Canadian soldiers landed on Juno Beach in Normandy, France as part of the allied D-Day invasion to liberate Europe from the Nazis. For 340 of those soldiers, that would be the last morning of their lives. Fast forward to 2022, and today a group of French real estate developers is turning Juno Beach into a condominium complex. This is totally unacceptable. I personally visited Juno Beach several years ago and the people there have done a commendable job to preserve the area as a memorial to those soldiers who never came home. Recently, the government claimed to be good at convening and making sure that diplomacy was happening. If that really is the case, then the Prime Minister should phone the French president and do whatever is necessary to save Juno Beach.

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Mr. Yvan Baker (Etobicoke Centre, Lib.)

Mar/31/22 2:18:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today, five Ukrainian members of parliament are in Canada to ask for our help. Over a month ago, Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Ukrainian people have been severely outnumbered and outgunned, but they have shown tremendous courage in defending their freedom and their homeland. I think it is fair to say that Canadians and people around the world have been inspired by that courage. Notwithstanding that courage, the situation in Ukraine is dire. Ukrainians are fighting for their very existence. There is a massive humanitarian crisis: four million people have already left the country and nine million more are displaced in the country. This is a threat not only to Ukraine, but to global security, Europe's security and to Canada's security. Ukrainians have been fighting for their freedom, but they are also fighting for us and we need to fight for them. We have been sending weapons and humanitarian aid, and even imposing sanctions, but it will not be enough until Ukraine wins this war. To the Ukrainian MPs who are in Canada today, I say we admire their courage and the courage of the Ukrainian people. We thank them for fighting for us, and we will continue to fight for them until Ukraine is free and independent once again. Slava Ukraini.

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

Mar/31/22 2:20:12 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, the NDP-Liberal government will intentionally increase inflation in Canada by stubbornly insisting on increasing the carbon tax. That is a big deal. Everything is transported, so everything will cost more. In exactly one week, the Minister of Finance will present the first NDP‑Liberal coalition budget. There will be more spending, more interference in provincial jurisdictions and no plan to balance the budget. NDP members are clapping, but the silence on the Liberal side speaks volumes. Why are they remaining silent while Canadians are just asking for a little breathing room?

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Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

Mar/31/22 2:20:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we made a clear promise to Canadians several years ago and we are fulfilling that promise. We promised to be there to support them, and we are continuing to support them this week with important announcements on the fight against climate change and on reconciliation with indigenous peoples, as well as major announcements about $10-a-day child care within five years across the country. This will make a huge difference in Canadians' lives. On this side of the House, we continue to work for Canadians. We are staying focused on them.

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

Mar/31/22 2:21:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, the NDP Liberals will make life more expensive for all Canadians by raising the carbon tax. When this leftist government claims that the economy is doing well, it neglects to mention that these inflationary pressures are generating billions of dollars in additional revenues for the government. Next week, the government will have a choice. It can use those revenues to provide relief to Canadian families by cutting taxes or it can implement the NDP's election platform. What will the Prime Minister choose, families or his political future?

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