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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 123

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
November 2, 2022 02:00PM
  • Nov/2/22 2:13:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals and the NDP coalition placed the financial well-being of Canadians on hold when they chose to vote against our Conservative motion to cancel the carbon tax on home heating. However, the leader of the NDP posted the following: “A cold Canadian Winter is coming. And this year, home heating costs could go up by 50 to 100% for Canadian families.” This is hypocrisy at its finest. The NDP leader collects signatures to allegedly make life more affordable for families, but votes with the Liberal government to triple taxes, including those on home heating. We said it before and I repeat it again: Canadians cannot afford the costly coalition between the Liberals and the NDP. Enough of two-faced politics. They must stop printing money while claiming to fight the cost of living crisis in this country. To keep Canadians warm this winter, the Prime Minister and his NDP caucus must commit to no new taxes and no more spending.
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  • Nov/2/22 2:15:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today I want to mark the 50th anniversary of a fixture in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve community, the Centre Communautaire culturel social et éducatif Maisonneuve, or CCSE. Since its inception, the CCSE has been involved in the cultural, social, educational and even physical development of our entire community. In its early days, it was one of the first to understand that cultural and social factors affect individual well-being. Economic challenges put recreational activities out of some people's reach. All these years, the CCSE has enriched the lives of young and old alike through activities such as dance, sports and the arts. It is there for people from early childhood through the golden years. Last week, I had the pleasure of awarding the organization a commemorative medal and certificate. I want to thank the executive director, Nadia Bourassa; Réal Ménard, former MP and chair of the board; all the volunteers; and everyone who, throughout the organization's 50-year history, has worked for the community.
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  • Nov/2/22 2:16:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when the Liberals spend, it is Canadians who pay. Hard-working Canadians pay through crushing inflation when they are buying groceries, filling up their vehicles and heating their homes. The Liberals have added more to Canada's debt in seven years than all the other governments combined in its 150 plus years of history. With all this Liberal spending, is our country further ahead? No, it is not. It seems everything the Liberals are responsible for is broken. Instead of investing, the Liberals have wasted Canadians' hard-earned dollars. For example, they spent $54 million on the ArriveCAN app, which should have cost $250,000. The next time someone goes in for an overtime shift or to work an extra shift on the weekend, or the next time someone feels like they are working seven days a week to get ahead, I want them to remember one thing: Canadians deserve better. They deserve a government that will cut government waste and respect our hard-earned taxpayer dollars.
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  • Nov/2/22 2:17:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, if the government had actually managed its accounts, maybe it would not need to triple the carbon tax on Canadian people. The NDP leader, in the government's costly coalition, is attempting to cover up the mistake he has made by supporting the government tripling the carbon tax. Now he is asking for the government to remove the GST from home heating bills. The government continues to bring Canadians to their knees as it increases taxes. The cost of living is through the roof. Credit card debt is through the roof. Mortgage interest rates and the cost of food are through the roof. This is a record-breaking government for all the wrong reasons, not to mention the $54 million the government wasted on the ArriveCAN scam. The NDP cannot do one thing and then do another. Their blatant hypocrisy is unbelievable. If they want to cut taxes, why not start with the carbon tax?
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  • Nov/2/22 2:18:12 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is often said that 50 is the new 40. However, when it comes to safe standardized breast cancer screening, starting at age 50 for Canadian women is simply too late. Current screening standards are not meeting the reality of what Canadian women need when it comes to early detection. A recent report by Statistics Canada showed that growing rates of women are facing late-stage breast cancer when screening is only accessible at 50. Numbers jump again for women who are racialized, marginalized, or from rural and remote communities. As federal members, we can be leaders in empowering women to access early detection, no matter what province there are in across the country. We all know someone, whether she is our mother, daughter, sister or aunt, who has bravely faced breast cancer head on. For me it is my constituent and friend Shira Farber. She has been an incredible advocate for our York Centre community and now she is one for women from coast to coast to coast facing breast cancer, as she battles for her own life with three children at home and an entire community behind her. I ask women across the country to stand up for women to meet standards at the age of 40 to be screened safely, for their health and for the health of all Canadian women.
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  • Nov/2/22 2:19:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls inquiry declared that Canada carried out a genocide three years ago. The lack of progress in the 231 calls for justice is beyond shocking. At a recent coalition of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls meeting, the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations acknowledged that the process needs to be indigenous-led, but he admitted that he does not know how to proceed. The coalition has been advocating for inclusion and a seat at the decision-making table from the outset. Not only have they been excluded, they have also been forced to create their own action plan without any government support or resources. Frontline workers who work closely supporting vulnerable indigenous women have also been ignored. Communication with these stakeholders ranged from non-existent to sporadic. It is time that the minister listened to these women to ensure they are included in the development and execution of the federal pathway plan. The NDP is also calling for independent oversight of government bodies and repercussions for negligence in meeting timeline and targets. Enough is enough.
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  • Nov/2/22 2:20:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Michel Lepage passed away on October 25, 2022, just before his 75th birthday. Mr. Lepage was an expert pollster who worked for the Parti Québécois for 30 years and served under five premiers from René Lévesque to Bernard Landry. He could predict the outcome of an election within a hair's breadth. Michel Lepage dedicated his entire life to Quebec's independence. He was always cheerful and never missed a gathering or an election. He was there for every battle, always present and ready to fight for the cause. When he offered to help out with my Bloc Québécois nomination, I was deeply honoured. Having Michel in my corner was a guaranteed win. He was also passionate about heritage, and it is thanks to him that many churches are still standing today. He was often more interested in financing churches than in winning elections. Michel was the kind of guy who worked behind the scenes, putting all his energy into every project without asking for anything in return. He was an outstanding activist, a pillar of advocacy. I salute my friend, who will forever live in our hearts.
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  • Nov/2/22 2:21:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, another day, another $100,000 of new debt, all on the backs of Canadians. The costly coalition has added more to Canada’s debt than every prime minister who came before him combined. The result is record-high, Liberal-made inflation and six consecutive interest rate hikes. The Conservative Leader has been warning for years that out-of-control Liberal spending would cause inflation to balloon. More Liberal spending means the Bank of Canada had to increase the money supply, meaning the printers kept rolling. This led to record Canadian credit card debt and food bank usage. The finance minister wants us to believe she has had an epiphany about spending, even getting her future predecessor from Papineau to utter the words “fiscally responsible”, but these are the arsonists who lit the inflationary fire in the first place. Tomorrow, the finance minister has an opportunity to stop her inflationary spending, stop new taxes, stop punishing Canadians and stop plans to triple the carbon tax.
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  • Nov/2/22 2:23:02 p.m.
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Mr Speaker, last weekend in Winnipeg, hundreds of delegates gathered for the meeting of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. I was pleased to host Ukraine’s ambassador to Canada, Yuliya Kovaliv, to hear her assessment of the situation, both on the ground now and looking forward to the next steps. The civilized world is using its resources, of which there must be more, to fight Putin’s aggression and prepare Ukraine for the rebuilding job, which will be necessary, we hope, very soon. Remarkably, it came to pass that the ambassador and my daughter-in-law, who was born in Ukraine, come from the same place. Across 7,000 kilometres, the ambassador and a member of my family found out they grew up within 500 metres of each other. This is not just a “small world” story. It demonstrates how families have connected through the tragedy of this brutal war. I want to reassure all members of the community, especially those living in my home province of Manitoba, that we will be unwavering in our support of Ukraine. We will prevail.
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  • Nov/2/22 2:24:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, a month ago, the Conservatives warned the Prime Minister that there was a shortage of pain medication for children. This medication is widely available in the United States, but here in Canada parents are scrambling to find it. Widely available in drugstores in the United States, pain medication for small children cannot be found here in Canada, leaving mothers and fathers scrambling to help their suffering children. The Prime Minister has had a month since we warned him about this problem. He said he would fix the supply chain issues in our medical system. Why has he not solved this problem?
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  • Nov/2/22 2:25:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have heard from parents who are struggling to get pain medication for their kids. They are heartbreaking stories, and that is why Health Canada is taking concrete action to accelerate the flow of pain medication for children. We are working closely with provinces and territories as they work to support and resupply as well. We know this is something that is part of the global disruptions we are facing because of climate change, and the pandemic has left— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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  • Nov/2/22 2:25:59 p.m.
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Order, please. We are starting off on the wrong foot. I think the hon. Leader of the Opposition wants to hear the answer. The right. hon. Prime Minister may finish off.
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  • Nov/2/22 2:26:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we recognize that the pandemic has left challenges in our supply chains around the world, which is why we are continuing to work with partners to ensure we can get the things parents need to take care of their kids.
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  • Nov/2/22 2:26:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I guess in the meantime Canadians will need to continue to drive to the United States, where these medications are widely available for parents. Back here at home, the Prime Minister's half a trillion dollars of inflationary deficits have given us a 40-year high in inflation. Now they are driving up interest rates. Inflationary taxes, including the Prime Minister and NDP's plan to triple the carbon tax, threaten to force Canadians to turn off the heat during winter. Tomorrow is the fall economic update. Will the government commit today to freezing spending and freezing taxes?
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  • Nov/2/22 2:27:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, through the difficult times of the pandemic and now as families are faced with rising prices on so many different things, we have been there to support them. As of Friday, the cheques will start rolling out to 11 million households for a doubling of the GST rebate, which is going to help people in meaningful ways. We are also moving forward on rental supports, as well as dental supports for children across the country. Unfortunately, the Conservatives, despite their supposed preoccupation with the cost of living for Canadians, are opposing our support for families who need dental care for their kids and our support for low-income renters.
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  • Nov/2/22 2:27:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's $500-billion inflationary deficits and his coalition with the NDP have increased the cost of things we buy and the interest rates we pay. Now the Prime Minister wants to triple the taxes on heating, groceries and fuel to make the situation even worse. Tomorrow, the government is presenting its economic update. We have a very clear demand or we will vote against this update. Will the government freeze spending and freeze taxes?
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  • Nov/2/22 2:28:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are always preaching austerity and budget cuts to employment insurance and pensions for seniors. We will continue to be there not only to support Canadians with measures such as doubling the GST credit, help for dental care for children or help for low-income renters, measures the Conservatives oppose, but we are also there to create an economy that works for everyone, with investments in a future that is greener and more prosperous for all workers.
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  • Nov/2/22 2:29:04 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, actually, Conservatives are the only ones protecting pensions and employment insurance against the inflation that is eating up the paycheques and the benefits of Canadians. Now the finance minister is suddenly pretending to agree with me on all of this. She sent a memo, that has since been leaked, in which she says that her ministers will have to find savings to match any new spending in the fall economic update. It is not clear whether the Prime Minister got the memo. He still wants to continue to pour inflationary fuel on the fire with more spending still. Will he listen to his finance minister, who has started to listen to Conservatives, and cap spending and taxes?
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  • Nov/2/22 2:29:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, only cold-hearted Conservatives would imagine and describe sending kids to the dentist, when they otherwise cannot afford to go, as pouring fuel on inflationary fires. Only Conservative politicians would consider that giving targeted support to help low-income Canadians pay for their rent is pouring inflationary fuel on the fire. Inflation is a global phenomenon right now, and we have moved forward with targeted supports for families that will make a meaningful difference. Unfortunately, the Conservatives, for all their rhetoric, stand in opposition to help for families.
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  • Nov/2/22 2:30:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we stand in opposition to the policies that have sent 1.5 million Canadians to food banks in a single month. We oppose record credit card debt on which the Prime Minister's policies are now driving up interest rates. We oppose policies that have forced one in five families to skip meals because they cannot afford food. If we want to talk about cold-hearted, this is the guy who wants to triple the carbon tax on home heating when bills are already expected to have gone up 100%. Why will he not cancel that cold-hearted plan and cap taxes?
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