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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 101

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
September 23, 2022 10:00AM
  • Sep/23/22 11:10:44 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Sunday evening at sundown will mark Rosh Hashanah, which is the Jewish new year. It is a time of celebration and renewal as families and loved ones come together around the world to rejoice in the year ahead. On Rosh Hashanah, we are asked as a community to prepare to build a new year. The 10 days leading to Yom Kippur allow us to reflect on how we will instill the coming year with life and goodness, and to fashion a new and different year with kindness and compassion, a year that allows us to stand up for one another and to protect those who are most vulnerable among us. As we start this new season in Parliament, the spirit of Rosh Hashanah is one we can all reflect on, as members of the House, to shape a year and a country that looks out for all Canadians. From me and my family to our community in York Centre and Jewish families from coast to coast to coast, shanah tova umetukah: a sweet year to all.
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  • Sep/23/22 11:11:49 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the new Conservative leader will put people first: their retirements, their paycheques, their homes and their country. During harvest season, farmers are working hard to feed Canadian families and the world. This task is especially important at a time when there are real concerns about a global food shortage. Unfortunately, the current government seems determined to stand in the way. From a relentless carbon tax to a severe target for reducing fertilizer emissions, its actions are impacting our farmers. With rising food costs, it is clear that this hurts everyone. Another new industry report shows how the Liberals will once again fail to deliver because their fertilizer target is too unrealistic. Will the Liberals restrict fertilizer use after all, like other countries around the world are trying to do? When I have raised the issue many times in the House, they stop short from ruling it out, yet they also cannot explain what else they are going to do. One of Saskatchewan’s producers said this week, “We need to feed the world”. Another one said that its biggest threat to its operations is government policy. The government needs to leave farmers alone and let them do their jobs.
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  • Sep/23/22 11:12:58 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the new Conservative leader will put people first: their retirements, their paycheques, their homes and their country. This summer, a nurse went public at Kelowna General Hospital to say that she has never seen morale and conditions at KGH as bad as they are now. Hospitals have been at overcapacity for years. People do not have a family doctor. One in four new Canadians have named their international education not being recognized as the top barrier to employment. Conservatives will bring hope to those who are blocked from working in their professions for no reason other than that they come from another country. We will team up with provinces to guarantee that, within 60 days, immigrants applying to work in their profession will get a yes or no based on their tested abilities and get help should they need additional training. We will back up 30,000 small study loans for those needing time off work to study up to the Canadian standard. Canadians deserve better. Our health care workers need help. Enough talking. Remove the gatekeepers to get more doctors, nurses and engineers, and more inflation-proof paycheques for our brilliant and valuable immigrants.
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  • Sep/23/22 11:14:11 a.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-13 
Mr. Speaker, on September 25, the residents of Nickel Belt, in greater Sudbury, will celebrate Franco-Ontarian Day. This is a very important day, as it gives us the opportunity to celebrate and be proud of our Franco-Ontarian identity, including, for example, the fact that the Franco-Ontarian flag was raised for the first time in 1975 at the University of Sudbury. To mark the event, many students, parents and school board staff will take part in activities to highlight the importance of this day and pay tribute to the vitality of francophone culture. This is very important to us. These activities will take place at École Alliance St-Joseph in Chelmsford and at École secondaire Hanmer. As the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Official Languages, I would like to thank all the volunteers who developed the programming and who support and promote francophone culture. Through Bill C-13 our government is working to strengthen official-language minority communities.
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  • Sep/23/22 11:15:24 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it has become almost impossible for many in my riding to keep up with rising costs. Right now in Nanaimo—Ladysmith, the demand for urgent assistance for seniors at risk of homelessness is increasing at an alarming rate. The SHINE program at the Nanaimo Family Life Association sees approximately five referrals for seniors who are homeless or at immediate risk. This is per week. These referrals are only a glimpse into the hardships. Stigmatization, blame and barriers make it difficult to access help. Seniors contribute to our communities in endless ways, but instead of being treated with the respect they deserve, they are being left without the most basic necessities such as a place to call home. When will the Liberals stop propping up wealthy investors and CEOs who treat housing as a commodity? Housing is a basic human right and needs to be treated as such. Seniors deserve better.
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  • Sep/23/22 11:16:23 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have to interrupt the order of business because tomorrow, September 24, is Dodo's birthday. Yes, Dominique Michel is celebrating her 90th birthday tomorrow. I know that it is impolite to discuss a woman's age, but we are talking about Dodo, she is part of the family. It is an opportunity to tell her that we love and miss her. We have spent quite a bit of time with Dominique Michel, from music to Moi et l'autre, Denys Arcand films to Bye bye, then her final Bye bye, her final Bye bye, and her final Bye bye. Dominique Michel is simply an honorary member of every Quebec family. It is not often that the Bloc Québécois promotes TV shows in the House, but every Quebecker has a rare opportunity to celebrate with Dodo tomorrow because she will be the guest of honour on En direct de l'univers. I bet there will be quite the crowd at her party. On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, on behalf of all Quebeckers and on behalf of the House, happy birthday, Dodo. We thank you for your work and we wish you good health and a happy retirement even though we miss you. Happy 90th birthday to Dominique Michel.
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  • Sep/23/22 11:17:39 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the new Conservative leader will put people first: their retirements, their paycheques, their homes and their country. We need to restore the hope of home ownership in this country. Right now, young people and newcomers cannot get a home because local government gatekeepers block housing with heavy fees and long delays for building permits, leaving us with the fewest houses per capita of any country in the G7, even though we have the most land to build on. A Conservative government will require big cities that want federal infrastructure dollars to speed up and lower the cost of permits and to approve affordable housing near all new transit stations so that our young people do not even need to afford to buy a car. We will also sell off 15% of 37,000 underutilized federal buildings to turn them into affordable housing and use the proceeds of the sales to reduce our deficit. In other words, we will stop printing money and start building homes for our people.
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  • Sep/23/22 11:18:37 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, for the last week, Iran has descended into mourning following the death of Mahsa Amini, an innocent 22-year-old murdered while she was detained by the Iranian morality police for simply not having displayed a proper head covering. Since her death, thousands upon thousands have taken to the streets in over 25 cities scattered throughout Iran. They are demanding that women not be discriminated against and harassed, and for the fundamental rights of all citizens to be respected. In each instance, they have faced the iron fist of the Iranian government. Far too many protesters have been beaten and scores more have lost their lives, and now the Iranian government has throttled social media so it can commit more unconscionable atrocities. That is why Iranian Canadians across our country are heartbroken. Having spoken to many of them, I can say that, given that PS752 is fresh in their memories and they are now watching the savagery that is unfolding in Iran, they want action and they want that action now to demonstrate we are holding the Government of Iran to account.
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  • Sep/23/22 11:20:18 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this week, the Fraser Institute published a report showing that Canadians are spending more on taxes than on shelter, food and clothing combined. The government wants to increase taxes again even though house prices have doubled and the inflation rate for food is at a 40-year high. Will the government cancel its tax hikes on paycheques, gas, heat and food?
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  • Sep/23/22 11:21:06 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would be pleased to answer the question from the new leader of the Conservative Party. However, I would like to begin by saying that our thoughts are with Atlantic Canadians as they face Hurricane Fiona. Our government is there for them and ready to help. Our message to our fellow Canadians in Atlantic Canada is to be safe and follow the advice of local authorities. We stand with you.
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  • Sep/23/22 11:21:35 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we, as the official opposition, join the government in offering our thoughts and prayers to anyone affected by this crisis, and we offer our full collaboration with the government to help in any way we can to serve the people who are affected. This week, the Fraser Institute published a report showing that Canadians are spending more on taxes than on food, clothing and shelter combined. Now, with 40-year highs in inflation and house prices having doubled, Canadians cannot afford to pay any more. Will the government cancel its planned tax increases on paycheques, gas, heat and groceries?
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  • Sep/23/22 11:22:31 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our hearts are with Atlantic Canadians today as Hurricane Fiona is about to make landfall. To those on the ground: Stay safe, listen to first responders and follow the advice of local authorities. I think I speak for all members of the House when I say that our government will be here to support them with whatever resources or assistance they require.
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  • Sep/23/22 11:22:42 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, with Canadians now spending more on taxes than on food, clothing and shelter combined, and with this coinciding with 40-year highs in inflation and 40-year highs in food price increases, with reports of students in Toronto forced to live in homeless shelters, the government's plan is to raise taxes on paycheques, gas, heat and other essentials. In fact, it wants to triple the carbon tax. Now is not the time for a tax hike. Will the government cancel these planned tax increases?
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  • Sep/23/22 11:23:19 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is incredibly unfortunate that the leader of the Conservative Party has tried to tackle inflation and tackle affordability by giving investment advice on highly speculative assets. For those Canadians who did follow the advice of the Leader of the Opposition, I am truly sorry that they lost their life savings. However, as long as he is giving that investment advice, I think Canadians should ask this: If we cannot trust him to be our stockbroker, why would we want him to be our Prime Minister?
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  • Sep/23/22 11:23:50 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, if there is one thing that everyone can agree on, it is that food is a basic necessity. Unfortunately, though, inflation is having a direct impact on food prices, which have risen by more than 11%. We must do something. The Conservatives have been calling on the Liberals to lower taxes for months now, which all of the other G7 countries have done, but the Liberals have unfortunately chosen not to. At the very least, and this really is the bare minimum, will the Liberals commit to scrap their plan to hike taxes in the coming months?
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  • Sep/23/22 11:24:24 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I completely agree. Canadians need us now. Global inflation is behind these economic uncertainties, and we need to be there to support Canadians. That is precisely why we want to double the goods and services tax credit. Will the Conservatives support this measure that will put money directly into the pockets of Canadians?
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  • Sep/23/22 11:25:00 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the riding I represent stretches from the St. Lawrence River to the American border. A very large part of it is rural. With the high cost of gas, it is very expensive for my constituents who have to drive to work, do errands or access health care. To help these people, the Prime Minister needs to do just one thing: Cancel the planned tax hike on gas and paycheques. Does he have the guts to do that?
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  • Sep/23/22 11:25:35 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday we heard the new deputy leader of the Conservatives say that she was going to support our GST credit. Another day, another flip-flop from the Conservatives, as the member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes said that he might support it as well. Perhaps these two members can try to convince the new leader of the Conservative Party to put money directly into the pockets of Canadians.
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  • Sep/23/22 11:26:11 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Quebec is taking action against climate change: 145,000 people voted in favour of striking all across Quebec to put an end to fossil fuels. Thousands of people are expected in front of Parliament this afternoon. It is the best place to protest because the federal government is the chief culprit when it comes to climate inaction. Not only is this government refusing to stop consuming fossil fuels, it is encouraging their consumption. Will the Minister of Environment and Climate Change go meet with the protesters and explain why he voted in favour of Bay du Nord?
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  • Sep/23/22 11:26:48 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for her question. I am so happy to see these demonstrations all across the country. I actually organized many such events when I was a little younger. I would like to remind my colleague that, since we came to power, fossil fuel subsidies have decreased by over $4 billion a year. We are committed to eliminating those subsidies by next year, 2023, which is two years earlier than our G20 partners. We are taking action on climate change. We are taking action on affordability.
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