44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 8, 2023 02:00PM
- Feb/8/23 2:10:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Liberal Prime Minister, Canadians can barely afford to feed themselves, with food inflation over 10%.
After eight years of the Liberal Prime Minister, Canadians can barely afford to fill up their gas tanks to go to work because of the punishing impact of the carbon tax.
After eight years of the Prime Minister, Canadians cannot even afford their own homes with mortgage payments and rent doubling.
After eight years of the Liberal Prime Minister, Canadians are struggling just to survive, with inflation at record 40-year highs.
After eight years, Canadians cannot afford the Prime Minister. Canadians need and deserve a prime minister who will put the people first, fight the affordability crisis and give people control of their lives back.
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- Feb/8/23 2:11:40 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday was Ski Day on the Hill. It was perfect timing, as this week is Winter Health and Fitness Week. Cross-country skiers from as far as Salmon Arm, senators, fellow members, and even some Ukrainian newcomers strapped on our cross-country ski gear and raced laps around the west lawn.
I send a big thanks to groomer Dave of the Kichi Sibi trail for setting things up and making sure we had a smooth run. I especially thank my friend Marty Deacon from the other House, and fellow Olympian Sue Holloway. She is actually an Olympian in my two favourite sports: She is a cross-country skier and a medallist in kayaking.
Physical activity is absolutely essential for our physical and mental health, and for the strength of our communities. According to Ella from Nakkertok, whom I tried but failed to keep up to yesterday on my skis, sport helps her deal with stress and teaches her to overcome challenges and set goals.
These young people told me about how their physical and mental health are connected, and that the sense of teamwork and belonging they get is so important. They reminded me that despite it being hard to get up sometimes when it is early or get outside when it is cold in the winter, I have never regretted a bit of exercise.
Let us listen to the kids, get outside this winter and stay active. Here, in this place, let us remember that quality sport and recreation programs require investments in infrastructure and programming, and that investments in sport and play are investments in our collective health, just as important as investments in health care.
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- Feb/8/23 2:12:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight long years of the Liberal government, Canadians are realizing that elections have consequences and that they have walked to the far side of a disappointing decision.
After eight years, Canadians have seen their paycheques dwindle so that even the most basic necessities are out of reach. After eight years, seniors, especially those on fixed incomes, are having to choose between eating and heating. Conservatives would keep the heat on and take the tax off.
After eight years, food prices are at all-time highs, forcing families to make impossible choices. This has led to over 1.5 million Canadians visiting their local food banks in just one month.
After eight years, young people are seeing the dream of home ownership evaporate due to the government's runaway spending, which is causing sky-high inflation and ever-rising interest rates. After eight years, our farmers, transporters and small business owners have all experienced the devastating consequences of soaring input costs.
After eight years, Canadians are desperately needing their hopes restored and wanting back the country they know and love.
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- Feb/8/23 2:14:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the job-killing carbon tax is a tax plan, and after eight years it is making everything more expensive.
After eight years of a Liberal anti-energy agenda, Canadians have been deprived of economic prosperity, and the livelihoods of millions of workers in the energy, manufacturing and transportation sectors are on the unjust transition chopping block.
After eight years, Canadians are struggling to cope with 40-year highs in inflation, and 1.5 million Canadians visited a food bank in a single month. Heating one's home in the winter is not a luxury, yet after eight years of the Liberals in charge, Canadians are being forced to choose between heating or eating. After eight years, Canadians are out of money and cannot afford to eat, heat or house themselves.
Canada's Conservatives are ready to turn the hurt into hope and help families get ahead, not just get by. We will clean up this disaster and ensure that Canadians can get their heat on by turning the carbon tax off.
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- Feb/8/23 2:15:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as we continue to honour the legacies of Black Canadians, “Ours to tell” is the theme encouraging us to look within our own villages to find Black Canadian trailblazers in our ridings and celebrate them.
Many of us know a lot of first, second and third Black Canadians in many fields, but to quote Ben Okri:
There is no exhaustion where there is muchTo be hoped for, much to work towards,And where the dreams and sufferingsOf our ancestorsHave not been realizedOr redeemed.
I know that history is there to be made in the future, and I look forward to the day when we will celebrate the stories of the 20th, 30th, and 50th in their fields.
I welcome and look to our many stakeholders from across the country who are joining us in today's celebration. I thank them for being their ancestors' wildest dreams and for keeping the light in our communities.
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- Feb/8/23 2:16:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to take an opportunity to thank Canada's international development sector for its fantastic work, particularly its efforts to build a better world for women and girls.
As we know, women and girls are particularly vulnerable to humanitarian crises, climate change and conflict, and while Canadian organizations continue to play a vital role around the world, the federal government has not lived up to its obligations.
Canada must be ambitious. The government must commit to strategic, predictable and significant increases in funding and remove barriers that prevent Canadian organizations from doing their vitally important work, barriers such as what we are seeing in Afghanistan, where we have no carve-out for humanitarian organizations.
Finally, Canada needs to ensure that we have a strong public foreign policy, a feminist foreign policy that puts women and girls at the forefront of all of Canada's foreign policy decisions. Canadians are doing their part. It is time for the Canadian government to its.
I wish members a happy International Development Week.
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Mr. Speaker, in recent weeks, the Bloc Québécois travelled throughout Quebec to promote its Bill C-282, which seeks to protect supply-managed agricultural sectors by preventing future international agreements from having a negative impact on our farmers' share of the market and the income they earn from all of their hard work.
Supply management is a critical component of our regions' economies and helps feed families in Quebec and Canada. It must be protected.
Again today, many stakeholders from the agricultural community have come to Parliament Hill to show their staunch support for this bill. I want to recognize them and tell them how much I respect them.
I thank them for their work and especially for being here to remind parliamentarians of the importance of supporting this bill, which will help maintain our very effective and resilient agricultural model.
The message is clear. Parliamentarian friends, let us unite and pass Bill C-282 together.
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- Feb/8/23 2:18:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this morning in Laval, an incomprehensible and shocking event happened. A bus crashed into a day care.
Over the past few hours we unfortunately received the worst news we could get. Two children are dead and several are seriously injured.
As a mother, I can well imagine the concern, dismay and pain weighing on the hearts of the families affected by this tragedy.
There is nothing more important to us than our children, and what happened this morning is absolutely chilling. We are all in shock.
We also want to thank all the police and emergency services that came to the scene.
Personally, and on behalf of our leader and our political party, I would like to send everyone affected by this terrible tragedy our warmest thoughts and prayers.
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- Feb/8/23 2:19:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to be standing before the House as the newly elected representative of Mississauga—Lakeshore.
Our community has a rich history. We owe a debt of gratitude to the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. It is also my home, where my wife, Zenny, and I have raised our three children. We are blessed to be part of a vibrant and active community, engaged in revitalizing our waterfront and enhancing our villages. They are champions in protecting our conservation areas so future generations can thrive. I am humbled by the trust my neighbours have placed in me.
My constituents also want us to promote a prosperous Canada. My family sought freedom and opportunity in Canada years ago, and we are very grateful. Like many new Canadians, it became our duty to give back to ensure that others also reached their full potential. That means working to creating a strong economy that sustains social programs, such as universal health care, and supports businesses, which are the backbone of creating jobs.
Finally, I believe in standing up for the rights and freedoms of all Canadians. We must work together. As my father Antonio says, “There is room for everyone. There is room for everyone to compete and do business, room to learn, and more importantly, room to help each other.”
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- Feb/8/23 2:21:08 p.m.
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Following discussions among representatives of all parties in the House, I understand there is an agreement to observe a moment of silence to acknowledge the tragic event that occurred today in Laval, Quebec.
I would now invite members to rise.
[A moment of silence observed]
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- Feb/8/23 2:22:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, a bus crashed into a day care full of children. Unfortunately, we have learned that two children died and others are injured.
As a father, I can imagine the suffering of the families affected. We offer our support and our prayers to these families.
Can the Prime Minister update us on this tragic incident and tell us what the government will do to support the families and Quebeckers?
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- Feb/8/23 2:23:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague said, our hearts go out to the families affected by this senseless tragedy.
Nothing can erase the grief and the pain that these families and this community are experiencing. We will be there for them in the coming days, months and years as they endure unimaginable grief.
I also want to thank the first responders and all those who intervened to help and make the situation safe. We will continue to keep them in our thoughts and prayers.
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- Feb/8/23 2:24:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years under this Prime Minister, a study by the Bank of Canada has found that it now takes $1.7 million for someone to retire, to be able to feed themselves for the rest of their life.
After eight years, we have the highest inflation rate in a generation. With mortgage costs going up, with the cost of rent and groceries going up as a result of this Prime Minister's inflationary policies, people can no longer afford to pay their bills.
Will the Prime Minister personally take responsibility for these problems, so we can fix what he broke?
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- Feb/8/23 2:25:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we understand that many people, including seniors, are struggling, but it is not true that we have not been there for the past eight years, on the contrary.
We increased old age security by 10% for seniors aged 75 and over. We increased Canada pension plan benefits. We increased the guaranteed income supplement for single seniors. We made high-speed Internet more affordable for vulnerable seniors. We doubled the GST tax credit, which helped seniors.
We will continue to be there for seniors. We will continue to be there to support them through these difficult times. We know that is how we will get through them together.
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- Feb/8/23 2:25:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, despite those talking points, after eight years, it now costs $1.7 million for someone to retire, according to a Bank of Montreal study.
One now has to be a millionaire to be able to retire in this country. After eight years of this Prime Minister's inflationary deficits and taxes, and after eight years of doubling the cost of home heating with his carbon tax, increasing food prices by burdening our farmers and increasing the cost of everything through a half-trillion dollars of inflationary deficits, why does the Prime Minister not personally take responsibility for what he broke so that we can fix it?
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- Feb/8/23 2:26:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is ironic that the member opposite speaks about fixing things. When we took office, one of the first things we had to do was reverse the cuts that the member had voted for that would have raised the age of retirement to 67 years old instead of 65.
We continued to step up with increasing GIS by 10% for our most vulnerable single seniors and, in the years following, we have consistently been there for seniors. Conservatives continue to call for more cuts and more austerity, while we have been there to support seniors, and we will continue to be there.
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- Feb/8/23 2:27:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what the Prime Minister has done is double the rent to $2,200 a month as an average in the 10 biggest cities. He has doubled the home heating bills right across the country, and he has doubled the average mortgage payment to well over $3,000 a month. No wonder nine out of 10 young people who do not own a home believe they never will.
This is after eight years of inflationary policies that have driven up the cost of housing and driven up interest rates to pay for it. Why will the Prime Minister not admit that these things are broken after eight years of his leadership so that we can fix them?
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- Feb/8/23 2:27:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, over the past eight years we have stepped up on investing in housing. We have invested in low-income rentals, and we have made sure that seniors have extra supports so they can retire with dignity. The previous Conservative government consistently nickelled and dimed seniors and veterans and refused to support young families. These are the kinds of things we have been working on, and yes, there is more to do. This is why we were so surprised that the Conservative Party stood against extra supports for low-income renters and supporting families to send their kids to dentists when they could not afford it.
These are things we will continue to do.
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- Feb/8/23 2:28:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said he was drawing the line to ban anyone from pointing out that things are broken after eight years of his leadership. His own Parliamentary Budget Officer has crossed the line, saying, “there is a system that is broken” and “anybody who has recently applied for a passport, Employment Insurance, Old Age Security and the list goes on” probably realizes very well that the “level of service Canadians are getting is not what one would expect from a world-class public service.” There is “room for enhanced leadership”.
Will the Prime Minister call to the carpet this rogue parliamentary officer for saying that things are broken?
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- Feb/8/23 2:29:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, through a very difficult pandemic, yes, there have been challenges for service delivery. That is why this government has been stepping up. One area we are stepping up in is recognizing that our universal public health care system needs more support. That is why we are moving forward with investments worth $198 billion in additional money to support provinces and territories in delivering better health care for Canadians.
Whether it is with more access to family doctors, better mental health supports, better support for frontline health workers or better data and information to underpin our system, we are there to invest as Conservatives continue to push cuts.
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