44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 1, 2023 02:00PM
- Feb/1/23 2:23:05 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we understand how important it is for Canadians to get value for money.
I have asked the ministers involved, the President of the Treasury Board and the Minister of Public Services and Procurement to follow up on all of these contracts to make sure that all the rules have been followed and all the parameters are being met. They know they need to be open with the committees about what was done and how it was done.
80 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/23 2:24:17 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, as these contracts were, for the large part, signed and negotiated by the public service, it is important that we actually be able to have clarity on the answers, which is why I have asked the Minister of Public Services and the President of the Treasury Board to look in carefully to make sure Canadians did get value for money and that all the rules and procedures were appropriately followed. The ministers of course will be sharing that information with committees and with all parliamentarians. It is important Canadians see exactly how government is investing their money.
99 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/23 2:25:37 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, over our time in office, I have been touched by seeing how many Canadians of extraordinary backgrounds have put their hands up and offered to serve their country, to contribute to Canadian success and contribute to government. Dominic Barton has certainly served his country in many ways, including by being an outstanding ambassador to China.
In regard to contracts assigned to McKinsey by the public service, as I said, we are following up on how those contracts were chosen, allocated and fulfilled.
84 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/23 2:27:05 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, as I said, the ministers are appropriately looking into it to make sure all rules were followed.
As we move forward, we are focused on Canadians right now and the need to support Canadians who are going through a really difficult time, whether it is grocery prices, whether it is gas or whether it is paying their rents. That is why we have stepped up with direct supports for Canadians. We will continue to, and we certainly hope the Conservatives, putting aside their opposition to more support for Canadians who are renting or more support so people can send their kids to the dentist, will step up and support on child care, disability and other investments that support Canadians.
121 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/23 2:28:41 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, while the Conservative Party focuses on schoolyard taunts, we are going to stay focused on being there for Canadians.
We have stepped up with investments that have helped Canadians significantly through this difficult time. We know people are facing tough times, and that is why we continue to step up with a doubling of the GST credit over six months, with moving forward on support for low-income renters and so that all families can send their kids to the dentists.
Unfortunately and inexplicably, despite all of his rhetoric, the Leader of the Opposition stood against those last two measures.
We are hoping that they are going to see that investing in and supporting Canadians, not abandoning the middle class, is what we need from them.
128 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/23 2:29:56 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, it is very clear that we have to have some difficult conversations as a society. It is always important to have those difficult conversations, whether it is to address systemic racism across the country or to stand up for fundamental rights and freedoms. There are always difficult and important conversations that need to happen, and I think people understand that rhetoric and exaggeration on either side do not help. That is why we appointed a special representative on combatting Islamophobia, who I know will lead these conversations so that we can build bridges the right way.
98 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/23 2:31:07 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, for years, I have been expressing my concerns about the fact that some laws, including Bill 21, may violate fundamental civil liberties. I know not everyone shares that perspective, but I hope, based on the emotion shown by my hon. colleague and the wishes he has expressed, that we will be able to have the difficult but responsible conversations on these issues so that we can bring people together rater than stirring up trouble and sowing division.
80 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/23 2:32:23 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, through the depths of the pandemic, this federal government stepped up with over $72 billion in extra investments in health care across the country, on top of the $40 billion or so a year we send to the provinces for delivery of health care, to hire nurses and to ensure proper health care delivery across the country.
One of the things we saw during the pandemic was that there was a need to continue and even to increase working together to ensure that Canadians get the best possible medical services across the country.
That is why we will be sitting down with the provinces next week to talk about the future of health care services across this country.
120 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/23 2:33:36 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, when we saw the challenges Canadians were dealing with during the pandemic, the federal government stepped up with $72 billion in extra investments in health care, on top of the $40 billion we send the provinces every year for health care delivery. We know it is going to take more.
We are going to sit down with the provinces next week to talk about how to boost investment and co-operation to provide better health care to Canadians across the country, within our public system, of course.
94 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/23 2:34:52 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, that might be a little more credible coming from the Conservatives if they had not voted against benefits for low-income renters just a few months ago, and if they had not voted against extra supports so families who could not afford to send their kids to the dentist could finally send them to the dentist.
What we hear from the Conservative Party is promotion of cuts and promotion of austerity, instead of stepping up and actually investing in the support that Canadians need. We manage to deliver targeted supports in a way that maintains our strong fiscal position so that we are coming through these difficult times by leaning on each other as we always do.
119 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/23 2:36:09 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, as Conservatives continue to blame the government for everything from COVID-19 to the war on Ukraine, we are going to continue to be there to invest in Canadians and to support people through the difficult times they are going through.
That is why we have consistently stepped up to invest in Canadians, despite Conservatives screaming every day that we were doing too much for Canadians and that we were helping too much through this pandemic. The reality is that we stepped up and our economy bounced back strongly. We are going to continue to step up as Canadians face difficult times with inflation and rising interest rates. We will be there for Canadians, despite the Conservatives calling for cuts.
122 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/23 2:37:23 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, as I said, the two ministers involved are following up to make sure that Canadians got value for their money, that these contracts followed all the rules, and that they followed the parameters that are set up to ensure that contracts awarded by the public service are the right ones.
We are going to continue being transparent with the public and investing in the middle class.
Given that they oppose help for dental care and low-income renters, the question is why the Conservatives have abandoned the middle class.
92 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/23 2:38:37 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I have already answered these questions.
The reality is that Canadians are going through tough times. As the government, we are there to help Canadians. We are there to help them by doubling the GST credit for six months, by providing assistance for dental care to families that cannot afford it and by providing support to low-income renters. Unfortunately, the Conservative Party voted against these initiatives. It would rather support austerity than investments that help Canadians get through these tough times.
84 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/23 2:40:00 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I know Mr. Barton is looking forward to appearing at committee and answering any and all of those questions.
What I will highlight is that, as a government, we will continue to stay grounded in science, facts and data as we address the terrible opioid epidemic across this country. Where Conservatives dig into random conspiracy theories and ignore science and evidence on how to keep people safe through the opioid epidemic, we are going to continue to step up with a harm reduction approach, with an approach that puts science first and keeps Canadians safe through this terrible ordeal.
101 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/23 2:41:18 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, with so many conspiracy theories rattling around the Conservative caucus one can understand where the member would misunderstand me. I was referring to the approach that the Conservative leader is taking against harm reduction, against science and evidence in supporting people facing the tragedies of the opioid epidemic.
We need to put a public health lens on this. We need to be grounded in science and data as we look to care for the most vulnerable, not have a criminal approach, and not be grounded in things that sound good but actually would be harming the most vulnerable people. That is what I was calling out on the Conservative side.
112 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/23 2:42:33 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to be a member of the Liberal Party of Canada's Quebec caucus, and I can say that we are here to have difficult conversations with one another, with our colleagues and with Canadians. I know that the issue of Islamophobia is a sensitive topic all across the country. It exists everywhere, not just in Quebec. That is why we are here to dialogue with our colleagues, to talk about how we can create more harmony across the country and continue to be there for each other. I was very proud to be in Sainte‑Foy on Sunday night, and we will continue to be there for the Muslim community.
117 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/23 2:43:51 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, opposition parties have a responsibility to oppose what the government is doing. Sometimes we manage to see eye to eye, other times we are in disagreement.
On this side of the House, we know that we made the right choice in appointing Amira Elghawaby as special representative on combatting Islamophobia, and we support her in the important work she has ahead of her in the months and years to come.
72 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/23 2:45:08 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, over the past eight years, we have consistently stepped up for the middle class and people working hard to join it, with the Canada child benefit that Conservatives voted against, with child care agreements across the country that Conservatives campaigned against, with investments in rental benefits for low-income renters and with investments so that all families could take their kids to the dentist.
These are the kinds of things that we have invested in. They have not only benefited Canadians but also created a strong and growing economy. The Conservatives have had nothing to offer but a recommendation around Bitcoin.
103 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/23 2:46:33 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I have been very clear that the Liberal government is very aware of the difficult times Canadians are facing right now.
That is why we have stepped up with direct, targeted supports for people who need it and why we continue to invest in Canadians, despite Conservative politicians continuing to call on us to do less, to spend less and to support people less. That is why Conservatives voted against support for the lowest-income renters just a couple of months ago. That is why they voted against support for families who could not afford to send their kids to the dentist.
We will stay on the side of Canadians while Conservatives abandon the middle class.
118 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/23 2:47:53 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I notice that the Conservatives do not mention the pandemic when they talk about the challenges that Canadians have faced over the past few years.
Perhaps that is because, if the Conservatives had had their way, we would not have invested to support Canadians during the pandemic. Without that help, thousands of small businesses would have closed their doors, and thousands of Canadians would not have received the support they needed to get through the pandemic.
While they sowed doubt about vaccination, we made investments that helped Canadians get through the pandemic.
94 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
