SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 155

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 7, 2023 10:00AM
  • Feb/7/23 2:30:13 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, I did not hear a word about standing up to privatization. I hope that the minister is going to be able to do better after today's talks. When the Prime Minister was trying to win votes, he said he would do everything he could to defend our public health care system. Now he calls tactics like privatizing our health care “innovation”. Let me be clear. Privatization does not add workers to our public health care, it takes them away from the public system. We need investments to tackle the crisis and hire more health care workers. Will the Prime Minister send a clear message today that federal health funding cannot be used to privatize our health care system?
123 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Feb/7/23 2:30:55 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, perhaps my colleague did not hear me when I said that we will always stand up for our fundamental public universal health care. I will say it again: We will always stand up for our public universal health care. Our government remains ready to work with the provinces and territories to further discuss priorities, actions and results to improve health services for all Canadians. That includes reducing backlogs, supporting our health care workers, enhancing access to family health services, improving mental health and substance use services, and the list goes on.
93 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Feb/7/23 2:31:38 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the current Liberal Prime Minister, Canadians are suffering more than ever. His out-of-control spending fuelled a 40-year high in inflation. Rents have doubled. Home heating has doubled. Even food inflation has gone up. He pile-drove Canadians further by taking more off their paycheques and is going to take even more and cause even more suffering when he triple, triple, triples his failed carbon tax scam. Will the Prime Minister show some humility and take the tax off so that Canadians can keep the heat on?
95 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Feb/7/23 2:32:10 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, Conservative politicians are making a lot of misleading claims about the price on pollution. The facts are that 70% of gas price increase is due to crude oil prices going up, largely because of Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine. Another 25% of the price is the result of provincial taxes and refining margins— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
62 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Feb/7/23 2:32:31 p.m.
  • Watch
Order. We started off fairly well and now it seems to be going not so well. I am just going to ask everyone to listen to the questions and listen to the responses, so that we can all hear together. The hon. minister, from the top, please.
47 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Feb/7/23 2:32:56 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Conservative politicians are making a lot of misleading claims about the price on pollution. The facts are that about 70% of gas price increase is due to crude oil prices going up, largely because of Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine, and another 25% of the price is the result of provincial taxes and refining margins that have gone up by 113% in the last two years. That means that 95% of the gas price has nothing to do with the price on pollution. The price on pollution puts more money back in the pockets of eight out of 10 Canadians and it remains one of the best ways to fight climate change.
116 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Feb/7/23 2:33:34 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, maybe they should start taxing the hot air coming out of the minister's mouth. Canadians are watching the hypocrisy of the Liberal government taking more under its failed carbon tax scam while emissions go up because it has missed every climate change target it has set. Liberal inflation is driving up food prices and this failed carbon tax is contributing to one in five Canadians skipping meals. Will the Liberals finally show some humility and take off the tax so that Canadians can keep the heat on, or do they think there is no business case for struggling Canadians to eat and heat their homes?
108 words
All Topics
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Feb/7/23 2:34:12 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, according to British Columbia's auditor general, on 2021 disaster costs, the atmospheric rivers in British Columbia cost the province $5 billion in damages. That is more than the 19 previous years combined. According to a study by MacEwan University, the total cost of the Fort McMurray forest fires is above $10 billion, with $4 billion of damage to homes and businesses and $1.7 billion in loss of production to oil sands. Climate change is real, no matter what the—
84 words
All Topics
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Feb/7/23 2:34:51 p.m.
  • Watch
The hon. member for Lethbridge.
5 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Feb/7/23 2:34:54 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Prime Minister's carbon tax, Canadians continue to struggle. They continue to struggle to be able to heat their homes, to be able to feed their families, to be able to commute to work. After eight years, things are not looking better. Recently, a 70-year-old woman came into my office with her heating bill in her hand and tears down her face because she cannot afford it. She has turned her thermostat down to 17°C. It is -36°C outside. My question is very simple: Why will the government not show a little compassion and take the tax off so that Canadians can keep the heat on?
119 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Feb/7/23 2:35:34 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, we all know times are tough for Canadians, but I want to remind the House of the 105 homes in my riding that do not need to be heated anymore because they were destroyed by hurricane Fiona; 105 families no longer have a home. If anyone wants to talk about why we need to address climate change, come visit the southwest coast of Newfoundland.
66 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Feb/7/23 2:35:59 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, that is the answer of a government that is entirely out of touch with the needs of Canadians and the pain they are truly feeling in this country right now. Another constituent of mine came in and joked that to get from A to B in Canada, B now stands for “broke”. What he was talking about was the need to be able just to get to work and the skyrocketing cost that has ensued there, as well as the need to feed the family and heat the home. These costs have gone up because of the Prime Minister's carbon tax. Once again, when will the Prime Minister finally wake up to the reality that is out there, that Canadians are truly experiencing pain, and when will the Prime Minister decide to keep the heat on by taking the tax off?
146 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Feb/7/23 2:36:44 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadians are struggling, and that is why we continue to advance programs that put more money in their pockets. I have spent seven years in this chamber watching the Conservatives use the families that might be in need as an excuse to do nothing on climate change because they do not see that climate change is costing families dearly. They should come to my community. They will see houses that have been swept into the ocean. They will see farms with silos that have been torn apart. They will see farmers who are out hundreds of thousands of dollars because of the impact of hurricane Fiona on their crops. We have designed a program that puts more money in the pockets of eight out of 10 Canadian families and reduces pollution. I hope they get behind it instead of—
145 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Feb/7/23 2:37:22 p.m.
  • Watch
The hon. member for Mégantic—L'Érable.
11 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Feb/7/23 2:37:25 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, the government has been in office for eight years. However, after those eight years, it seems that the Prime Minister has learned nothing. Interest rates are driving up the cost of mortgages. Young families are paying up to $600 more a month for housing. The cost of groceries is going up every week. Everything costs more: heating, eating and housing. After eight years in government, the only solution the Prime Minister has come up with is to triple the carbon tax. Why does the Prime Minister want to line his own pockets at taxpayers' expense?
97 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Feb/7/23 2:37:58 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, not only do the Conservatives never come up with solutions to help Canadians deal with the hardships they are facing because of higher interest rates, but they also have no solutions to help Canadians fight climate change and deal with its impacts. That is irresponsible, but, more than that, it shows that the Conservatives are incompetent when it comes to helping Canadians face the challenges ahead of us.
70 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Feb/7/23 2:38:30 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this government, the effects of its incompetence on the daily lives of every Canadian family are plain to see. Fully 22% of Canadians do not have enough money to deal with the worst cost-of-living crisis in 40 years, and 28% of women cannot make ends meet. When we talk about an incompetent government, this is what we are talking about. This is what Canadians are so concerned about. According to the Liberals, everything is fine, and it is everyone else's fault that everything is broken in this country. Why do they insist on emptying Canadians' pockets with the carbon tax instead of helping them by cancelling it?
119 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Feb/7/23 2:39:15 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleagues on the other side, the Conservative Party, of a few facts. First of all, carbon pricing was implemented in 2019. It has not been eight years; it has only been three years since this pricing was put in place. Second, it does not apply in Quebec, because the Quebec government's cap-and-trade system applies in Quebec. My colleague from Quebec is completely wrong on this issue. Third, we give more money back to eight out of 10 Canadians than we take in through carbon pricing.
99 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Feb/7/23 2:39:49 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, are you tired of the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple? Pollution, crime and city noise getting you down? You need the all-inclusive Roxham tour. Hop on a free bus to Plattsburgh, where a taxi will take you to fabulous Roxham Road. Once you are on the other side, take advantage of free housing, welfare, health care and education for your kids. The all-inclusive Roxham tour is just waiting for you. Is the Minister of Immigration not tired of being laughed at? When will he suspend the safe third country agreement?
96 words
All Topics
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Feb/7/23 2:40:24 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, this is no laughing matter. Debates in the House of Commons should be taken seriously. Our government collaborated with the Province of Quebec. It participated in talks to modernize the agreement with the United States and come up with a permanent solution. My friend is trying to pick a fight, but what I have to offer is a solution.
61 words
All Topics
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border