44th Parl. 1st Sess.
November 23, 2022 02:00PM
- Nov/23/22 2:17:19 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, fall harvest is in full swing in southwestern Ontario, and farmers are sharing with me their shocking natural gas and propane invoices.
Canadian farmers are faced with the financial burden of the carbon tax as they undertake necessary practices, such as drying grains, heating livestock barns and irrigating crops. One producer in my riding is paying over $11,000 in carbon tax just in one month, in October, to dry corn on their home farm. These producers are asking where the federal government thinks Canadian farmers are going to recover these dollars.
Farmers are already facing a challenging year with a tariff on fertilizer, the increased cost of inputs and production and the increase of the carbon tax on April 1. Producing food in Canada is becoming unfeasible. The carbon tax is a threat to Canada's food security and will continue to raise the cost of food for all Canadians. The government needs to give farmers relief and suspend the carbon tax.
I implore the Liberals to listen to farmers, axe the carbon tax and make Canada's food security a priority.
185 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/23/22 2:18:30 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, last week the Auditor General released a damning report on the complete failure at Indigenous Services Canada to provide the support first nations communities need to manage emergencies such as floods and wildfires.
This follows a warning from the Parliamentary Budget Officer just last May about the declining competency of ISC to manage budgets and actually meet goals. The report found that ISC provided money for coordinators without knowing what effect, if any, it would have. It spent three and a half times more responding and recovering from emergencies rather than approving some of the 112 indigenous-led projects that would help with mitigation and adaptation.
The department spent three years and $790,000 with not one emergency management agreement in place, which means there is a risk some communities might not receive the help they need during a crisis.
The department is utterly failing indigenous communities and putting lives at risk. Conservatives are focused on ending this “Ottawa knows best” approach and bringing forward policies that help make real and measurable improvements to the lives of indigenous people.
183 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/23/22 2:19:40 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the 18th Francophonie Summit in Djerba just wrapped up, but efforts to fight the decline of French here in Canada and around the world are more important than ever. Canada remains a major player and has reiterated its steadfast commitment to ongoing sustainable development in French-speaking areas. Both nationally, with Bill C‑13, and internationally, our government is still a leader in that regard. There are currently 321 million French speakers around the world. It is the fifth most commonly spoken language in the world and the fourth most common language on the Internet.
I would like to conclude by congratulating Louise Mushikiwabo on being re-elected as head of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie and on all of the organization's hard work. We reaffirm our support for her and for the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie.
145 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/23/22 2:20:41 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, defending and promoting French in Alberta are vital to my province and to my riding, Edmonton Strathcona. Sheila Risbud announced last month that she would be stepping down as president of the Association canadienne-française de l'Alberta. I want to thank Sheila for her wonderful leadership skills and her many years of commitment. She will be greatly missed. However, thanks to several brilliant and exceptional women, the defence and promotion of French are in good hands.
I want to extend a big thank you to Sheila and to all these amazing women for their hard work.
101 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/23/22 2:21:43 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to recognize that the Quebec Student Union is on the Hill today. These students have come here to share their ideas on how we can help them deal with inflation and the challenges of the post-pandemic world. On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I would like to welcome them.
We hear a lot about how inflation is affecting people on fixed incomes, but graduate students, whose livelihoods depend on scholarships, are often overlooked. In 2023 it will be 20 years since graduate research fellowships were last indexed. As a result, Canada is the only G7 country that is losing researchers because of the financial insecurity they face. Boosting research fellowships is a worthwhile investment, since it supports these researchers in inflationary times, encourages innovation and curbs the brain drain.
Ottawa has not been there to support students, and it is turning its back on the next generation of Quebec scientists. Let us work together to change that.
167 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/23/22 2:22:55 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, every day Canadians cannot help but feel like everything in this country is broken. Since the Liberals took office, we have witnessed a 32% increase in violent crime and a 92% increase in gang-related killings. Just in the last two years, hate crimes have gone up by 73%.
Not-for-profit organizations in my community are working overtime as the state of our country had 1.5 million Canadians going to a food bank. Not only has home ownership become unimaginable for many residents in my community and those across Canada, but rental costs are also soaring and are now averaging at least $2,000 a month.
Over the last seven years, everything the Prime Minister has touched breaks. As Conservatives, we will pick up the pieces the government has left behind. On this side of the House we will focus on replacing suffering with opportunity, prioritizing common sense solutions, giving Canadians back control of their lives and turning hurt into hope.
165 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/23/22 2:24:06 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, today is a special and exciting day for Canada and Canadian soccer fans throughout our nation. Canada's men's national team is playing its first World Cup match today against Belgium. When it comes to supporting our teams on the world stage, no one does it better than we Canadians.
It has been 36 years since we as a country have been able to experience this amazing moment, and I can only imagine what this means for the players who have fought and worked so hard to earn their place in the World Cup.
I want to give a special shout-out to the seven outstanding Brampton soccer players on the team: Atiba Hutchinson, Jonathan Osorio, Cyle Larin, Tajon Buchanan, Junior Hoilett, Iké Ugbo and Liam Millar. Brampton is proud to have them on the roster, representing our nation. It must be true that there is something in that Brampton water.
I am sure my fellow colleagues would love to join me in wishing the Canadian men's national team the best of luck today and through all its World Cup matches. Go, Canada, go.
189 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/23/22 2:25:48 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said, “we're seeing that countries, state actors from around the world, whether it's China or others, are continuing to play aggressive games with our institutions, with our democracies”.
What aggressive games is he referring to?
44 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/23/22 2:26:16 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, whether it is Russian disinformation concerning its role in Ukraine, Chinese interference in communities, the diaspora and the media, or the Iranian government putting pressure on Iranian Canadians, we remain vigilant in order to protect Canadians from interference from countries around the world.
45 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/23/22 2:26:49 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister met with the Chinese president, and his office said he “raised our serious concerns around interference activities in Canada.”
Was the Prime Minister ever briefed about any of these “interference activities” that the Prime Minister says went on in Canada?
49 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/23/22 2:27:11 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I am regularly briefed by intelligence officials and security experts on threats to Canada and Canadians.
Whether it be cyber-threats, whether it be interference with Canadian diaspora communities, whether it be the use of online misinformation or disinformation, there is a range of threats out there that Canadians and Canadian security agencies continue to be vigilant against.
We will always be there to protect Canadians.
68 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/23/22 2:27:42 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, what specific interference was the Prime Minister referring to when he raised his “serious concerns around interference” with the Chinese president?
25 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/23/22 2:27:54 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we have known for many years that there are consistent engagements by representatives of the Chinese government in Canadian communities and with local media, as well as reports of illicit Chinese police stations. These are all things that we continue to be concerned about, that our officials stay active on and that we will continue to be vigilant around to keep Canadians safe.
65 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/23/22 2:28:22 p.m.
- Watch
The Prime Minister continues to ignore the crisis that Canadian households are about to face with the skyrocketing home heating bills. They are expected to double in many communities. Some households will be stuck paying $5,000 to $6,000 a year, yet he wants to not just maintain but triple his carbon tax on Canadians.
He might play a game of delaying the implementation in a few provinces, but why would he not take decisive action to reverse the damage he has caused to all Canadians and all of their homes, by reversing the carbon tax on home heating altogether?
101 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/23/22 2:29:03 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the price on pollution returns more money to average families across the country than it costs them. It is a way of fighting climate change and putting more money in the pockets of Canadians.
That is what Canadians in Atlantic Canada and elsewhere across the country are going to be able to benefit from. As we step up in the fight against climate change, we will be putting more money back in the pockets of Canadians who need it.
Conservatives continue to spread misinformation and disinformation on that. We need to continue to be there for Canadians and we will.
102 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/23/22 2:29:41 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, our information comes from the man he appointed as the Parliamentary Budget Officer. That same official calculated that 60% of Canadians will pay more in carbon tax costs than they get back in any rebates. That is even higher in provinces where the federally imposed, but provincially administered, tax does not come with any rebate at all.
The Prime Minister wants to go further in increasing the cost to Canadians to drive, to eat and to heat themselves throughout the very cold winter that is just ahead.
Will he show some common sense and stop attacking the people on the ground like his minister and reverse the tax?
110 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/23/22 2:30:24 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, Canadians from coast to coast to coast, but particularly in Atlantic Canada, where they saw the devastating impact of hurricane Fiona, know that we have to continue stepping up in our fight against climate change. What we are doing and what we have been doing for years is ensuring that, while we fight climate change, we support families who actually need it.
That is why the carbon price actually returns more money to average families than they pay. That was something that was confirmed by the Parliamentary Budget Officer. We will continue to be there to support Canadians while we fight climate change, instead of peddling disinformation like the Conservatives.
112 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/23/22 2:31:07 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, when we ask the Prime Minister about China's interference in 2019 election financing, all he does is bluster. He compares us to Donald Trump, who denies the U.S. presidential results. That is nonsense.
There is one person who spoke about the legitimacy of the 2019 federal election and that is the guy who won, the Prime Minister.
Chinese interference is a very serious matter. We need to know in order to prevent it from happening again.
The Prime Minister must stop posturing. He must tell us which candidates received Chinese funding and, above all, how China went about it.
103 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/23/22 2:31:46 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the integrity of our elections has not been compromised.
In January 2019, we established a non-partisan committee to assess potential threats of election interference, and that committee clearly determined that the integrity of our elections was not compromised in 2019 or 2021.
In addition, the Chief Electoral Officer stated yesterday that there was no reason to believe that it was not a free and fair election.
Instead of making Canadians needlessly worry, we can all take comfort in the integrity of our electoral system.
88 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/23/22 2:32:26 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, it is hard to keep up with the Prime Minister's stance on Chinese interference.
In Parliament, he does not consider the issue important enough to give opposition parties serious answers, but at the G20, he was dashing through the halls to go talk to Chinese President Xi Jinping about it. Here in the House, he is not aware of anything, but at the G20, he was aware and concerned enough to discuss it with the Chinese President.
That raises a simple question.
Does the Prime Minister know all about Chinese interference and is he hiding that information from us, or did he accost Xi Jinping on the basis of a newspaper article alone?
Either the Prime Minister is not being straight with us or he is not very savvy. Which is it?
135 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
