44th Parl. 1st Sess.
April 25, 2022 11:00AM
- Apr/25/22 2:42:52 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, let us recap.
CN appoints a unilingual anglophone board of directors. The CEO of Air Canada is a unilingual anglophone. The Prime Minister appoints a unilingual anglophone lieutenant governor in New Brunswick. The Prime Minister appoints a governor general who does not speak French. The Prime Minister even considered taking British Colombian francophones to court last month for demanding services in French.
It is clear that the federal government is incapable of protecting the French language. Why will it not let Quebec take action with its Charter of the French Language?
93 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/25/22 2:43:31 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois is trying to make this a partisan issue. I will use a word that I do not like to use: “troublemaking”.
What CN has done is completely unacceptable. No one in the House thinks that what CN has done is a good thing. The Bloc Québécois knows it, we are saying it publicly, and the Prime Minister has said it: CN must address this issue.
The Bloc Québécois is trying to play politics with this, and that is unacceptable. This government stands up for francophones across Canada.
106 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/25/22 2:44:15 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, this morning, the governor of the Bank of Canada was very clear that inflation is no longer transitory. In fact, Mr. Macklem said, “Team Transitory has disbanded.” For months, the government has claimed that inflation was a passing global phenomenon, nothing to see. It continued to borrow and spend all the way to a skyrocketing inflation of 6.7%.
Why has the minister allowed her spending to fuel an affordability crisis, which has left millions of Canadians behind?
82 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/25/22 2:44:52 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives continue to talk down the Canadian economy, but the truth is that Canada is very well placed to weather the storms caused by COVID and by Vladimir Putin. According to the IMF, we will have the fastest growing economy in the G7 this year and next year. We have the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7, and we have recovered 115% of the jobs lost to COVID, compared to just 93% in the U.S.
81 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/25/22 2:45:29 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the governor also announced that, because of inflation, every single Canadian pays $2,000 more a year. He said Canadians should expect more interest rate increases, leaving millions of Canadians paying more on their mortgages and on their loans. When the governor was asked what this government should do to preserve Canada's fiscal position, he said not to spend too much. Is the minister listening?
Will she finally control her spending, and why has she failed to address Canada's affordability crisis?
85 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/25/22 2:46:06 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, let me remind the members opposite that S&P and Moody's have reaffirmed Canada's AAA credit rating and that we have the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7.
When it comes to making life more affordable for Canadians, our budget has done so much. We are doubling the support provided through the first-time homebuyer's tax credit. We are introducing a multi-generational home renovation tax credit. We are providing $500 payment to those facing housing affordability challenges.
86 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/25/22 2:46:45 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have had six years to fix the housing market. Instead, under their policies, house prices have doubled under their watch.
Let us go back and take a look at some of their programs. The first-time homebuyers program failed; the shared equity mortgage program failed; the housing co-investment fund failed. With new programs announced in the budget, Canadians are asking how the government will fail this time.
72 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/25/22 2:47:16 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, budget 2022 actually does four things. We are seeking to double the supply of new housing in the next decade by introducing programs such as the housing accelerator fund. We are helping first-time homebuyers with a tax-free savings account of up to $40,000, by doubling the first-time homebuyer tax credit and by extending the first-time homebuyer incentive.
In addition to that, we are tackling speculation by banning foreign ownership of Canadian residential real estate. We are building more affordable housing by investing in co-op housing, extending the first-time homebuyer incentive and extending the tax-free homebuyer savings account.
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
112 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/25/22 2:48:04 p.m.
- Watch
I am hearing the member for South Shore—St. Margarets all the way over here. I ask members to try to keep it down.
25 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/25/22 2:48:18 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the climate crisis is accelerating. Our ecosystems are in jeopardy. Our waterways, our green spaces and biodiversity are in jeopardy. A global movement for the rights of nature has arisen in response to the massive extinction of living species. It is time to change the paradigm.
That is why the NDP is proposing legal status for the St. Lawrence River and its tributaries. Will the Liberals support our proposal to give legal status to the St. Lawrence River and its watersheds so that we can better protect them?
90 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/25/22 2:48:55 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his question.
Just last week, we made a joint announcement with the Nature Conservancy of Canada about the largest private land conservation project in this country's history, which will protect an area twice the size of the island of Montreal.
We are working with our international partners to make our goal of protecting 30% of our lands and oceans by 2030 an international goal in addition to working on reducing and reversing biodiversity loss.
We will keep working on this with all interested members, parties and Canadians.
96 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/25/22 2:49:36 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the minister said he would not implement visa-free travel for people fleeing Putin's war because it would take 14 to 16 weeks, even though Ireland managed to do it within a few days.
To no one's surprise, there is now a backlog of over 100,000 Ukrainians waiting for visa approval. They are mostly women, children and seniors. When they arrive, they will need supports immediately. That means getting landed status. The government needs to stop hiding behind layers of bureaucracy.
When will the minister implement visa-free travel and provide Ukrainians with status within 90 days of arrival?
104 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/25/22 2:50:17 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, our mission at the outset of this effort was to create the fastest possible pathway for Ukrainians to get to Canada where they could benefit from the safe haven our country could offer.
I am pleased to share that, as of last week, more than 56,000 Ukrainians have already been approved to come to Canada in the first few weeks we were making approvals. This is something Canadians can be proud of. We are going to continue to do whatever we can, not only to get Ukrainians here, but also to support them once they arrive. It is the right thing to do, and I am so pleased to have the support of Canadians in every community right across this country.
124 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/25/22 2:50:59 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, over the last two years, our government has consistently heard from employers regarding their challenges with the skills and labour shortages that have affected not just their businesses but also Canada's economic growth and recovery.
In my riding of Brampton Centre, I also have a thriving population of international graduates whose temporary statuses are expiring due to processing challenges caused by the pandemic. They are eager to find a pathway to remain and work in Canada. What is the government doing to allow more of these talented workers to remain in Canada so they could contribute to Canada's economy?
103 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/25/22 2:51:44 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I point out that the member who posed the question is an absolute champion for international students, and I thank him for his advocacy on this important file.
I am pleased to share that last week I had the opportunity to make an announcement in Saint John, New Brunswick, that the federal government would be extending open work permits to those who are facing soon-to-be-expired or recently expired post-graduate work permits. In addition, because of the investments we have made to increase processing at IRCC, we have now cut the inventory of cases in the high skilled express entry categories by more than half, and we are going to be able to resume the express entry draws this July to make sure more people can come and make a difference to our economy in Canada.
141 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/25/22 2:52:28 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, Canadian housing prices have surged over the last two years. The average cost of a home in the GTA rose more than 50%. The government blames the lack of supply for the price hike and pledged to double the pace of home building over the next decade, but that plan seems to be missing from the budget. We will not see a single additional house built this year, not one.
Canadians are not giving up on their dream of home ownership, so why is the minister giving up on them?
92 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/25/22 2:53:00 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I invite the hon. member to read the entire budget, because the budget actually doubles down on so much more housing supply in Canada: 6,000 more co-op housing units, new housing—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
41 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/25/22 2:53:14 p.m.
- Watch
Order, please.
I will let the minister restart his answer.
The hon. Minister of Housing.
15 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/25/22 2:53:21 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the reason they cannot handle my answer is that we called them out on their plan—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
24 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/25/22 2:53:31 p.m.
- Watch
The hon. Minister of Housing.
5 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
