SoVote

Mar/8/23 7:05:06 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I request a recorded division.

7 words

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Mar/8/23 7:05:07 p.m.
Watch
Re: Bill S-209

Pursuant to order made on Thursday, June 23, 2022, the division stands deferred until Wednesday, March 22, at the expiry of the time provided for Oral Questions.

27 words

All Topics

Mr. Gord Johns (Courtenay—Alberni, NDP)

Mar/8/23 7:09:02 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, it is kind of like Groundhog Day. I have come in here every week that we have sat this year to drag the government in here to talk about mental health and talk about this epidemic happening in our country. It is not often that members will hear me quote the Bible in the House of Commons, but I want to talk about “The Parable of the Unjust Judge”, also known as “The Parable of the Importunate Widow” or “The Parable of the Persistent Woman”. According to Wikipedia, it is “one of the parables of Jesus, which appears in the Gospel of Luke (18:1-8). In it, a judge who lacks compassion is repeatedly approached by a woman seeking justice. Initially rejecting her demands, he eventually honors her request so he will not be worn out by her persistence.” It is about what it takes to be persistent to get justice. Right now, we know that, in Canada, there is no parity between mental and physical health. In fact, there are a lot of people who are suffering and who are not getting the help they need. I will be back the next week the House sits to drag the government here, and I will continue to be in the House of Commons until we get parity between mental and physical health. This is timely, because I got an email from a constituent of mine. He wrote me that his son is addicted to fentanyl. He cited that he is going to have to make a decision, because it is about $300 a day for his son to be in treatment. His son wants to get help. Obviously, his family wants to support him, but the father has to make a decision on whether to sell his home and give his son a fighting chance to live, or abandon his son. We know he will have to make a difficult decision. I do not even have it in me to call him. I am hoping the minister will actually call him. It is an injustice. If his son fell, broke his back, neck or leg and was hospitalized, he would be taken care of. His father would not have to consider selling his home. He would get looked after. This is an absolute disgrace in a wealthy country like Canada. We know that countries like Britain and France are spending about 12% of their health care budgets on mental health. Canada has still failed to deliver on its mental health transfer. It is $875 million short, to date, of what it promised to spend. We still do not know the details of the bilateral agreements. I am here to talk about a couple of things. I also want to talk about the frontline health workers who are working right now. It is really important that we think about them. It is in the minister's mandate letter to look out for those mental health workers. Right now, we know many of them are underpaid. I could spend all day talking about them. They are critical in delivering mental health services to people. In fact, I was in the pool this morning and I met a woman who said that Ontario is spending about 3% on mental health. That is far shy of what my home province spends, which is about 9%. She said she is getting a 1% raise for the next four years, despite the fact that inflation is way higher. What does she get as a thanks? She gets a video from her executive director saying she has done a great job and she is appreciated. This is absolutely abominable. We need to look out for our frontline service workers. I hope we will hear some answers today about the government and its promises.

647 words

Mrs. Élisabeth Brière (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Lib.)

Mar/8/23 7:09:08 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Courtenay—Alberni for his advocacy for Canadians' mental health and for giving me the opportunity to talk about this important issue. Canadians must be able to access timely, evidence-based, culturally appropriate and trauma-informed mental health and substance use services to support their well-being. Our government believes mental health is health, and we have made mental health a key priority. We have already made unprecedented investments, including $5 billion in bilateral agreements with the provinces and territories, close to $600 million for a distinctions-based mental health strategy for indigenous peoples and $270 million to support the Wellness Together portal. In 2017, our government invested $5 billion over 10 years to improve Canadians' access to mental health services, starting with an initial transfer of $100 million, which will be increased to $600 million annually until 2027. The investment is being provided directly to provinces and territories via negotiated bilateral agreements to help them expand access to community-based mental health and addictions services for children and youth, expand integrated services for people with complex needs and spread proven models of community mental health care and culturally appropriate interventions linked to primary health services. When the pandemic hit, we launched the Wellness Together Canada portal to give Canadians online access to information on mental health issues, mental health programs, instant support via text, and even confidential counselling sessions by phone, video and text with social workers, psychologists and other professionals. We also fund the Hope for Wellness helpline, which offers crisis intervention services by telephone or chat. It is available in English, French, Cree, Ojibwa and Inuktitut. On February 7, we announced an investment of more than $198 billion over 10 years to improve health services for Canadians, including mental health services. Today, we have announced agreements in principle with nine provinces. We continue to work towards tailor-made agreements with each of these provinces to reflect the needs of patients and workers, agreements tailored to their population and geography. We believe that mental health must be an integral and integrated part of Canada's public health care system. Section 3 of the Canada Health Act references mental health. Our government is fulfilling its commitment to transfer billions of dollars over the coming years to the provinces and territories to support mental health and addiction services through a combination of both increasing the Canada health transfer and through $25 billion for 10-year FPT bilateral agreements. This will include mental health as one of four shared priorities and will further integrate mental health throughout the health care system and workforce.

448 words

Mr. Gord Johns

Mar/8/23 7:12:36 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, across the country, governments are turning to trusted community organizations to cope and to deal with services around connecting and recovery. The demands are complex and they are high. They have been exacerbated by the pandemic. These organizations are struggling with underfunding, rising costs and labour market shortages. The national organizations are looking for a “caring for carers” investment in the mental health and frontline community service workers in this budget. I hope the government would look to that as part of its recovery agenda. In that, they are looking for $100 million for evidence-based mental health supports for frontline community service workers, to expand immediate access to mental health and substance use health supports for staff, to fund research on best practices and to enhance organizational capacity building for psychologically healthy and safe workplaces. I hope the government honours that in this budget. Madam Speaker, we will probably see this when we get back, because the government has been failing on every promise it has made on mental health. Hopefully, it will deliver before then.

181 words

Mrs. Élisabeth Brière

Mar/8/23 7:13:42 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I, too, want to thank and congratulate frontline workers. I agree with my colleague that this situation is complex and critical. Our government is delivering on its commitment to transfer billions of dollars to the provinces and territories for health and mental health care over the next few years. It will do so by increasing the health transfer and providing an additional $25 billion through provincial and territorial bilateral agreements over 10 years. The new FPT bilateral agreements include an integrated inclusive approach to mental health and family health services, to the health workforce, as well as data and digital tools. These investments would support the health and mental health needs of Canadians and would require provinces and territories to produce detailed action plans. This approach is the most efficient way to integrate mental health and substance use services into the health care system, including primary care, and to ensure transparency and—

158 words

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Mar/8/23 7:14:49 p.m.
Watch

The hon. member for North Okanagan—Shuswap.

8 words

Mr. Mel Arnold (North Okanagan—Shuswap, CPC)

Mar/8/23 7:14:52 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, it is always an honour to rise in this House as the representative of North Okanagan—Shuswap. It is such an honour to have this opportunity to circle back to a question that I did not consider got an adequate answer when asked the first time and seek a response that would give hope to seniors, those struggling under the inflationary policies of the government. On February 16 of this year, I put the following question through the Speaker: ...after eight years of the Liberal Prime Minister's inflationary policies, seniors cannot afford food. Barry told me that 40 out of 120 attendees at the mission he works at were seniors. People who used to donate to food banks are having to go to one because they cannot afford groceries. Will the Prime Minister take responsibility for seniors going without food, or will the Liberals get out of the way so the Conservatives can fix what they have broken and restore seniors' dignity? The response to the question was shameful, claiming that the government has been there for seniors. The way the government has been there for seniors has been to allow its out-of-control spending to contribute to inflation rates that we have not seen in 40 years. Food prices are climbing so fast that so many seniors are going to food banks because they cannot afford groceries. Another example of how the government has not been there for seniors came to light last week for me while talking to a restaurateur at home in the Shuswap. While talking to this restaurateur, I asked if she had been affected by rising food prices. The owner took a step back and gave me a look. She did not have to say anything. I knew what the answer was. She went on to tell me how she had built a lunchtime clientele from scratch by building the business for seniors. She built that business around seniors who often preferred a meal out at lunchtime so they did not have to drive at night or it was better for their digestive system than eating at night. She told me that lunchtime seniors clientele was drying up because of increasing food costs and because of the costs that she had to pass on to customers, prices like a case of cauliflower that used to cost her business $35 to $40 per case now costing $130 to $140, prices like green beans being $8 per pound, and these are wholesale prices. We are seeing even higher prices on grocery store shelves. For the government to say it has been there for seniors is truly shameful. What we have seen in the past eight years from the Prime Minister is that the price of a home has doubled and average rent prices soared above $2,000 in our 10 biggest cities. Nearly half of all Canadians with variable mortgages will no longer be able to afford those mortgages in nine months. Canadians are grappling with 40-year-high inflation. A quarter of Canadians cannot cover an unexpected cost of $500. Will the Prime Minister take responsibility for seniors going without food, or will the Liberals get out of the way so the Conservatives can fix what they have broken and restore seniors' dignity?

552 words

Mr. Mark Gerretsen (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons (Senate), Lib.)

Mar/8/23 7:18:39 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I really enjoy this new line from Conservatives asking Liberals to get out of the way so they can do the job. It is as though they have completely given up on the democratic process, and they realize that they are never going to get elected to the position, so they are just asking the government to step aside and attacking it that way. Nonetheless, it is quite rich for the member to go on at great length about the fact that this government has not been there for seniors when I will read for members a number of the things, which have been repeated so many times in the House, that we have done. In advance of that, I remind those people who are watching that Conservatives voted against every single one of these initiatives that we brought forward. Therefore, to suggest that the government has not been there, but somehow Conservatives have had the backs of seniors is a no. Conservatives had much more interest in playing politics around these issues than in providing anything of substance. However, the member is right that the rising grocery costs are a problem and inflation is a worry on everybody's mind. While we know that inflation is a global issue, making sure that Canadians can make ends meet is a priority. In this context, the Government of Canada has stepped in. We have ramped up supports for seniors. In fact, we made history last July with the new permanent 10% increase to the OAS pension, the first in 50 years for seniors over the age of 75. Thanks to the increase, full pensioners will get more than $800 extra over the first year. That will go a long way toward groceries. What is more, eligible seniors have not had to fill out any forms or take any action to receive the increase. They are automatically receiving it. Because all OAS benefits are indexed quarterly, they maintain their value over time as prices increase. This new historic measure is just one of the ways that we have seniors' backs. Since 2015, as I alluded a few moments ago, we have provided a number of measures. Allow me to reiterate what those are. We increased the guaranteed income supplement for nearly one million low-income single seniors. We have restored the age of eligibility for GIS and OAS from 67. Members might remember that the member's previous government increased the qualifying age. Imagine paying into these programs over one's entire working career and planning on retiring at age 65, and then suddenly, just before they get to the finish line, the government of the day says it was going to move it to age 67. Well, we restored it to 65. We also enhanced the Canada pension plan. We reduced income taxes through increases to the basic personal amount. During the pandemic, we provided seniors with one-time payments to help with extra costs. Finally, budget 2022 committed an extra $500 to the Canada housing benefit and doubled the GST credit for six months. As the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance said on February 13: Thanks to measures put in place by our government, hundreds of thousands of seniors have been lifted out of poverty, as have hundreds of thousands of Canadian children. We have done that while maintaining Canada's AAA credit rating and having the lowest debt and the lowest deficit in the G7.

580 words

Mr. Mel Arnold

Mar/8/23 7:22:12 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, again we have a non-answer from the Liberal government. The Liberals claim to be helping. One-time payments will be swallowed up with half a month's rent because rent has gone up to $2,000 in 10 of our major cities. Grocery costs are rising 10%, and I do not believe that is an accurate number. I just spoke about a case of cauliflower for a restaurant going from $35 to $40 to $140 per case. Those one-time payments the parliamentary secretary talks about are going nowhere, and they are not helping seniors. The government continues to fail.

103 words

Mr. Mark Gerretsen

Mar/8/23 7:23:01 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I will admit that, from time to time, I rise in the House and some of the words that come out of my mouth might not be to their satisfaction in answering the question asked by a member opposite. However, I would encourage this member to review my answer because I gave a very thorough one. These are not one-time payments. We restored the age of eligibility for GIS and OAS from 67 to 65. We enhanced the Canada pension plan. We reduced income taxes. Yes, during the pandemic there was a one-time payment, but we did so many other things. For him to cherry-pick that one data point and not listen to my complete answer is very telling of where the Conservatives are on this issue.

132 words

Mr. Kyle Seeback (Dufferin—Caledon, CPC)

Mar/8/23 7:23:52 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, the carbon tax is an absolute failure. We have to measure it by two metrics, and the first metric is whether it reduced carbon emissions. On that metric, it is absolutely clear it is a failure, because carbon emissions have gone up under the Liberal government every single year. That is strike one. The next thing is whether it is supposed to give more money back to Canadian families. The PBO report is unequivocal on this. When we factor in the cost of the carbon tax to the Canadian economy, most Canadian families actually end up behind on the carbon tax. If we factor in things like the cost of the carbon tax on farm families, we have an absolute and unmitigated disaster. The carbon tax is a complete failure, and the Liberal government's plan is to increase it. It is not stopping climate change, it is not reducing emissions and it is financially hurting Canadians, and the government's decision is to increase it. Why is that relevant? I will give three statistics. In my hometown of Orangeville, the number of seniors using the Orangeville Food Bank is up 415% since the government took over. That is the number of seniors who say, after eight years of the Liberal government, they cannot afford to feed themselves and now have to go to the food bank to help themselves out. Twenty-five per cent of Canadian families are saying that if they get a $500 expense, they cannot pay it. Think about that. That is one-quarter of Canadian families. What is going to happen? The carbon tax is going to go up, and it is going to make things even worse. Forty-five per cent of Canadian families are within $200 of not making ends meet. This is after eight years of a Liberal government. This is the wonderful world the Liberals have created. They are going to say they have put in place programs, and they are going to list them off. They will say, “We did this to OAS. We did this to GIS. We did this; we did that.” Well, despite all that, the trail toward poverty for Canadians continues, so everything the Liberals are doing is not working. What will make this worse is increasing the carbon tax yet again. What does that mean? It means farmers will pay a higher carbon tax. It means food coming from farms will cost more. The tractor that ploughs the field will have a carbon tax. The truck that picks up the food from the farm to take it to the processing centre will have a carbon tax. Taking the food from the processing centre to the grocery store will have a carbon tax. Heating the grocery store will have a carbon tax. The multiplier effect of the increase to the carbon tax is going to make things even worse for Canadian families. What the Liberals are doing is not working. Their programs are not stopping Canadians from not being able to make ends meet. Will the Liberals finally see the light? Will they finally say they are going to cut the carbon tax so Canadians can pay their bills?

537 words

Mrs. Élisabeth Brière (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Lib.)

Mar/8/23 7:27:24 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, allow me to show my colleague that our actions are working and helping Canadians. First, since it is International Women's Day, I want to recognize the achievements of Canadian women and reaffirm our government's commitment to eliminating systemic barriers so as to advance gender equality in Canada and around the world. Our government is taking meaningful action to support women, and we can see the results. Our Canada-wide early learning and child care system is a good example. It is already delivering $10-a-day child care in nearly half of Canadian provinces and territories and has reduced fees by at least 50% in all other jurisdictions, with work on track to reaching $10 a day across the country in just three years. In addition, last year, labour force participation for working-age women in Canada reached a record high of 85%. This is something we can all be proud of. That said, we understand that high inflation, a global phenomenon, is hurting Canadian families. Many Canadians are struggling to make ends meet. They have to make choices at the grocery store. They are struggling to pay rent or fill up their car. Fortunately, inflation is gradually decreasing, and the OECD predicts that it will return to its target level by the end of 2024. Inflation in Canada, which was 8.1% in June 2022, is now only 5.9%. Although this rate is still high, it is lower than what we see in many comparable economies. For example, inflation is 8.6% in the eurozone and 10.1% in the U.K. There is also some good economic news. For example, more Canadians than ever are working. With 150,000 new jobs created in January, our 5% unemployment rate is now close to historical lows. There are 800,000 more Canadians working today than before COVID hit. That is 126% of COVID-19 job losses recovered, compared to 112% in the U.S. Canada had the strongest economic growth, since the fourth quarter of 2021, in the G7. However, we understand that many Canadian families, including seniors, still need help to make ends meet. To make life more affordable for millions of Canadians, we budgeted up to $12.1 billion for new inflation relief measures, many of which will continue in 2023. For example, our government moved forward with a permanent 10% increase to old age security for seniors 75 and over, which increased benefits for more than three million seniors and provides more than $800 in the first year to full pensioners. We also provided a $500 payment to low-income renters who are struggling with the cost of housing. Now that we have doubled the GST credit, a family of four that is struggling to pay its bills will receive up to $1,401. Furthermore, benefits like the Canada child benefit, the GST credit, the Canada pension plan, old age security and the guaranteed income supplement are indexed to inflation. I also want to talk about the price on pollution. Pollution is having an unprecedented impact on Canadians across the country, and something must be done about it. It is an economic necessity. Our pollution pricing system is driving the development of new technologies and services. We see it every day in this country. I would like to remind my colleague that our pollution pricing system is putting money back in the pockets of Canadian households and provinces where the federal fuel charge applies. In 2022-23, through climate action incentive payments, a family of four will receive $745 in—

602 words

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Mar/8/23 7:31:44 p.m.
Watch

The hon. member for Dufferin—Caledon.

7 words

Mr. Kyle Seeback

Mar/8/23 7:31:46 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I am sure that, with regard to the 415% increase in seniors using the food bank, those folks are going to be very happy to hear about the Liberal child care program. Speaking of that program, most Canadian families cannot access it because there are just not that many spaces. As for the other programs she has talked about, I said that those have already been announced and yet 25% of Canadian families are unable to meet a $500 expense and 45% of Canadians are $200 away from not being able to make ends meet, despite all of these programs. When will they get it through their heads? It is not working. The programs are not actually stopping any of this. What is actually causing it is the carbon tax, which is running up the price of everything. Cut the carbon tax and groceries will be affordable, heating one's home will be affordable and people will actually be able to make ends meet. Do not talk about a program that has actually done nothing.

177 words

Mrs. Élisabeth Brière

Mar/8/23 7:32:50 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, we are putting money back into Canadians' pockets with the price on pollution. We are getting women back into the workforce with $10 child care. This helps them make ends meet. We are also putting money back into Canadians' pockets with increases to the various benefits that I mentioned. As we gear up for the 2023 budget, Canadians can rest assured that our government will continue to position Canada for success while ensuring that the most vulnerable receive the support they need, keeping our finances on a sustainable long-term path and protecting our environment.

97 words

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Mar/8/23 7:33:27 p.m.
Watch

The motion that the House do now adjourn is deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1). (The House adjourned at 7:33 p.m.)

39 words

SoVote

House Hansard - 166