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Ms. Andréanne Larouche (Shefford, BQ)

Apr/5/22 2:57:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, seniors are worried. They are well aware that the Liberal-NDP pact leaves them out. That is why the FADOQ network announced its priorities today, ahead of Thursday's budget. FADOQ wants higher income for everyone aged 65 and up, a tax credit for seniors who keep working, a refundable tax credit for caregivers, and a long-term, no-strings-attached health care funding increase. Will Thursday's budget meet seniors' needs or will they be passed over just like in the NDP deal?

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Hon. Kamal Khera (Minister of Seniors, Lib.)

Apr/5/22 2:58:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, from the very beginning, our government has been there to support seniors, especially the most vulnerable. One of the very first things we did as a government was restore the age of eligibility for OAS and GIS to 65. We enhanced the GIS for the most vulnerable seniors. That has actually helped 900,000 single seniors. We of course are moving forward this year with increasing the OAS by 10% for those 75 and over. We are also making high-speed Internet more affordable for the most vulnerable seniors. On this side of the House, we are going to make sure we continue to deliver for seniors.

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Ms. Andréanne Larouche (Shefford, BQ)

Apr/5/22 2:59:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that is not enough. Seniors have been hardest hit by inflation, especially those aged 74 and under because the federal government abandoned them. The cost of living is going through the roof, but old age pensions are stagnating. Despite record-breaking food and rent costs, all the federal government can tell people aged 74 and under is to go back to work, as if they were just being lazy. That is shameful. Seniors should work because they want to, not because the federal government abandoned them and they have no other choice. When will the government increase the pension for those up to age 74?

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Hon. Kamal Khera (Minister of Seniors, Lib.)

Apr/5/22 3:00:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, from the very beginning since 2015, we have been working extremely hard to support seniors. Ensuring a safe and secure retirement is a priority for this government. We restored the OAS and GIS from age 67 to 65. We have enhanced the CPP, and Quebec followed with QPP. We have raised the GIS for 900,000 single seniors. We are investing billions in home care. We are investing billions in the connecting families initiative and in 7,000 new affordable housing units. On this side of the House we are going to continue to deliver for seniors.

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Mr. Jasraj Singh Hallan (Calgary Forest Lawn, CPC)

Apr/5/22 3:00:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, last week, I met with former Afghan interpreters on the Hill who held a hunger strike to protest the Liberals' failures in Afghanistan. They served and sacrificed for our country, but the NDP-Liberal government abandoned their families and other interpreters. They told me they feel ignored by the minister and he is being insensitive by implying that their families are security threats, even though they were screened to serve alongside our soldiers. Will the minister apologize to the thousands of Afghan interpreters and their families for implying that they are security threats?

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Hon. Sean Fraser (Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Lib.)

Apr/5/22 3:01:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let me state on the record that I have done no such thing. Those who worked alongside the Canadian Forces are heroes every bit as much as members of the Canadian Armed Forces who had a presence in Afghanistan. With respect to this specific group, we actually created a stream to resettle the extended families of previously resettled interpreters. Last week, I was on hand as we welcomed the 10,000th Afghan refugee, who has now landed in Canada. We are going to continue to do more. No matter the scale of the challenges, we are going to make good on our commitment to the individuals who want to reunite with their families here in Canada.

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Mr. Jasraj Singh Hallan (Calgary Forest Lawn, CPC)

Apr/5/22 3:01:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, another job well-filled as the minister brags about the low number of interpreters arriving. Only about 2,300 Afghan nationals who assisted our Canadian Armed Forces during the Afghan mission have actually arrived in Canada. The Afghan interpreters I spoke to have met with the minister's office 28 times. They were told over 1,000 of their family members and fellow interpreters would be in Canada by March 2022. So far, none have arrived. They are tired of the minister's politics. Will the minister do the right thing and apologize to the thousands of Afghan interpreters he has abandoned and admit to his failures?

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Hon. Sean Fraser (Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Lib.)

Apr/5/22 3:02:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I find this question ironic coming from a member of the Conservative Party, which previously tried to design a program that specifically excluded these same individuals from coming to Canada as refugees. I would remind the member again that if his electoral campaign platform is reviewed, there was no commitment to welcome Afghan refugees to Canada. We will continue to do whatever we can to get as many Afghan refugees here as quickly as possible, until we make good on our electoral commitment to welcome 40,000 Afghan refugees to Canada. This is one of the most substantial commitments of any country in the world, and we will not rest until the job is done.

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Mrs. Rachael Thomas (Lethbridge, CPC)

Apr/5/22 3:03:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I truly want to take the minister at his word. On November 10, 2021, I sent a letter to the Prime Minister pleading with him on behalf of two of my constituents. Both of them served as interpreters for NATO in Afghanistan. They came to me. They are now in Canada. They are safe, but their families have been left behind. They are asking for help. Despite the danger that is upon their families, the letter that I wrote to the Prime Minister was not returned. In fact, four months later, all I received simply a reply that he had forwarded my letter to the ministers. To this day, I have heard nothing. There is silence. I am asking the minister. I am pleading. I am not playing politics. When does he intend to help these interpreters bring their families to Canada?

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Hon. Sean Fraser (Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Lib.)

Apr/5/22 3:03:49 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I do take the hon. member at her word, but with respect, I would like to point out that the challenges facing the refugee resettlement in Afghanistan are like nothing we have ever seen. I would remind all members of this House that the Taliban, a listed terrorist entity in Canadian law, has seized control of the territory. Many of the specific individuals who we made a commitment to are still in the country. Others who made it to a third country have challenges beyond the imaginations of most people, who have never had to deal in this sphere, which we simply do not see in other refugee resettlement streams. With respect to the specific group that she is speaking to, we launched on December 9 a process to specifically bring the families of previously resettled interpreters here because we believe it is the right thing. We will not rest until we have succeeded in our mission.

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Mrs. Sophie Chatel (Pontiac, Lib.)

Apr/5/22 3:04:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians have been clear about what they want: good jobs, a healthy environment, a strong economy and a future for their children. Last week, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change released a reduction plan that outlines the next steps to continue delivering on those priorities. Can the minister tell the House about the very specific targets in his plan?

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Hon. Steven Guilbeault (Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Lib.)

Apr/5/22 3:05:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Pontiac for the question. Our plan allocates $9.2 billion in additional investments. The plan also includes an ambitious and achievable sector-by-sector approach for Canada to reach its climate target by 2030. The plan has been in development for months and reflects submissions from more than 30,000 Canadians. I want everyone to know that we have received a lot of support for this plan from various sectors across the country. The mayor of Quebec City, the mayor of Montreal, and a number of environmental groups and businesses have commended this plan. Our government is there to respond ambitiously to the climate crisis, to stimulate a clean economy, and to create sustainable jobs. We are there for Canadians.

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Mr. Pat Kelly (Calgary Rocky Ridge, CPC)

Apr/5/22 3:05:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, raising taxes on Canadians should be a test of government confidence, but the Liberal government ignored 800 years of parliamentary tradition by giving itself and future governments an automatic tax increase when it passed the excise escalator on beer, wine and spirits. Governments should have to ask Parliament every time they raise taxes. Will the government repeal the automatic tax increase and give the power to raise taxes back to Parliament where it belongs?

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Hon. Randy Boissonnault (Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, Lib.)

Apr/5/22 3:06:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in this particular case, like other taxes and benefits, the alcohol excise duty rate is automatically adjusted every year to inflation, as requested by the industry, for predictability and stability. It allows the industry to predict the prices in future years. This increase is less than one-fifth of a penny per can of beer. There are specific measures that we take into account for other alcohol substances. These industries are important for tourism, and the tax that is part of it is important for the treasury.

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Mr. Clifford Small (Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, CPC)

Apr/5/22 3:07:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my constituents and folks throughout Newfoundland and Labrador are dealing with a health care disaster. Emergency rooms in remote areas are being forced to close. Patients face long wait times just for routine surgeries and procedures. Doctors and health care professionals are at an all-time low. Twenty per cent of the population is without a family doctor. This is not the medicare system that Tommy Douglas dreamed of. Will the NDP-Liberal minister commit to predictable and stable transfer payments in Thursday's budget to fix medicare in Newfoundland and Labrador?

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Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos (Minister of Health, Lib.)

Apr/5/22 3:07:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am so glad to get this question because it points to our great collaboration with the Government of Newfoundland and the great minister of health in Newfoundland. We have worked extremely well together over the last few months. I want to congratulate Newfoundlanders, in particular, for having some of the highest vaccination rates in Canada for children and adults, including boosters. They are doing an extremely good job. We are going to keep working with them.

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Mr. Gerald Soroka (Yellowhead, CPC)

Apr/5/22 3:08:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, effective April 1, retroactive salary increases for the national police force collective agreement kicked in. This will financially affect municipalities across the country. Municipalities in my riding, such as the town of Edson, agree that increases for police officers are necessary, but the retroactive salaries will increase the town of Edson’s budget by about half a million dollars. Municipalities such as the town of Edson were not part of the negotiations, so why are the NDP-Liberals sticking them with the bill?

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Hon. Marco Mendicino (Minister of Public Safety, Lib.)

Apr/5/22 3:08:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his advocacy on behalf of his community. As he well knows, we have an arrangement through a collective bargaining process, which does address a number of issues, including retroactive pay. I want to assure my colleague that we will continue to engage his community so the RCMP can assure there is public safety in his community and right across the country.

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Mr. Ryan Turnbull (Whitby, Lib.)

Apr/5/22 3:09:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the global auto industry is undergoing a seismic shift toward zero-emission vehicles. Canada can and should be a world leader in this transformation. Canada's automotive sector plays a crucial role in our economy. It supports hundreds of thousands of well-paying jobs, including hundreds in my riding of Whitby and thousands across the Durham region. This industry is driving the development and adoption of clean technologies, which will help us rapidly decarbonize on the path to net zero. Yesterday, I was honoured to join the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry as he announced a landmark investment in General Motors. Could the minister update the House on this investment and what it means for building a sustainable economy across Canada?

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Hon. François-Philippe Champagne (Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, Lib.)

Apr/5/22 3:10:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Whitby for his advocacy for the auto sector. He did a fabulous job yesterday. Yesterday we secured a $2-billion investment by GM in its facility in Ingersoll and Oshawa, creating 2,600 new jobs in the very first full-scale commercial EV plant in Canada. It is good news for workers, good news for Ontario and good news for the Canadian auto sector.

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