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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 169

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
March 20, 2023 11:00AM
  • Mar/20/23 3:03:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, we will not deny the municipalities of Quebec or the Government of Quebec federal funding for projects as important as the public transit projects my colleague talked about. For example, look at the blue line in Montreal or the tramway in Quebec City. These are essential projects that I address in my discussions with the mayor of Quebec City and the mayor of Longueuil. We have always said that we would be there with the Government of Quebec to support important projects for the economic and environmental future of Quebec and Canada. I am confident that we will conclude this important agreement in the next few days.
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  • Mar/20/23 3:04:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Liberal Prime Minister, Canadians can hardly afford to eat, drive or heat their homes. Anne from Thorhild told me her gas bill was over $1,000, and a quarter of that was carbon tax. She said, “Last winter, with the horrid cold snap, I still didn't have bills this high.” She said, “the carbon tax is brutal.” The carbon tax has hiked the cost of everything, and the Liberals are just going to make it worse. Therefore, when will they take responsibility for the pain they have caused and axe the tax or get out of the way, so Conservatives can fix what they broke?
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  • Mar/20/23 3:05:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I have said in the House many times, affordability is obviously a critically important issue for all members of the House. This government has put in place a range of measures to address affordability concerns, including the fact that the price on pollution actually results in eight out of 10 families getting more money back than they pay. It is an affordability measure in and of itself. However, climate change is real, whether my colleagues across the aisle admit it or not. It is something we must address for the future of our children. We must do so in a manner that will build good jobs and economic opportunities in every province and territory, and that is exactly what we are doing.
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  • Mar/20/23 3:05:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Prime Minister, Canadians can no longer afford to eat, heat or house themselves. When the Liberals triple the carbon tax, the folks I know, having to choose between heating and eating, seniors like Sheila, Neil and Marshall, worry that surviving the next carbon increase on April 1 will be impossible for them to manage. Seniors are currently forced to use their overdrafts to cover their expenses. When will the Prime Minister exercise compassion and clear the path so the Conservatives can fix this disaster the Liberals have created?
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  • Mar/20/23 3:06:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, for the last seven and a half years, we have been there supporting seniors and Canadians every single step of the way. You do not have to take my word for it, Mr. Speaker. The Conservative member herself was highlighting in committee how poverty rates for seniors had dramatically decreased since we took office, and she is right. It is because, unlike them, we decided to invest in them by ensuring we are investing and increasing their guaranteed income supplement and by increasing their old security pension for them. Unlike the Conservatives, we are going to continue to make sure Canadians, including seniors, are supported now and into the future.
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  • Mar/20/23 3:07:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years, Canadian farmers have clearly had enough of the Liberal Prime Minister. In a recent survey, they were asked how many felt the Liberals were doing a good job supporting Canadian agriculture. How many Canadian farmers said yes? Two per cent. I wonder why. Maybe it is the punishing carbon tax that is going up yet again on April 1. According to the Canadian food price index, when the Liberal-NDP coalition triples the carbon tax, an average Canadian farm will pay $150,000 a year in carbon taxes alone. Why is the Prime Minister so determined to tax Canadian farm families into the ground?
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  • Mar/20/23 3:07:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, our government has given farmers more support than any other government. When the Conservatives were in power, they made cuts to risk management programs and slashed investment in research and innovation. We need research and innovation to be able to improve yields and reduce emissions, while also increasing production. The world relies on Canada to ensure food security. We had the largest budget in Canadian history, at $4 billion. We are here for farmers.
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  • Mar/20/23 3:08:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the French language is one of our country's treasures. It is the key to understanding the rich and diverse communities found throughout the world and here in Canada. French is spoken from Whitehorse to Laval, from Gaspé to Isle Madame, off Cape Breton in Nova Scotia. Could the Minister of Official Languages tell the House about the measures our government is taking to protect French across the country?
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  • Mar/20/23 3:09:10 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-13 
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my friend and colleague from Laval—Les Îles for his important question and his hard work. Our French language is invaluable, and it is at risk. That is why we are the first government to recognize the decline of the French language and also the first government to say that we will do everything we can to protect and promote French across the country. With Bill C-13 and our next action plan for official languages, we will contribute our fair share to the all-out effort to protect and promote French across the country. I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy International Day of La Francophonie.
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  • Mar/20/23 3:09:49 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Liberal Prime Minister, violent repeat offenders continue to get bail and are released into our communities. In Ajax, Ontario, a soccer star was stabbed to death, and his alleged murderer has been released on bail. This suspect was previously arrested and charged with violent crimes just one month before stabbing this soccer player. Canada has become a place where violent repeat offenders charged with second degree murder are getting out on bail into our communities. When will the Prime Minister take responsibility for this reckless bail system so we can fix what he broke?
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  • Mar/20/23 3:10:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve to be and feel safe. We all have a role to play in protecting communities. The laws on bail are clear. If an accused poses a risk to public safety, he or she should be denied bail. Federal, provincial and territorial leaders met last week, including with the Minister of Justice, on the issue of bail and have come forward with a communiqué. We hope to continue to work with our provincial and territorial partners in order to ensure our communities are safe.
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  • Mar/20/23 3:10:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there it is. The government's solution is just more meetings, more talk and no action. Meanwhile, Canadians are being murdered. The Liberals have had eight years to take action and they have only made it worse. We have seen a 32% rise in violent crimes under their watch, a doubling of gang murders, and headline after headline of violent repeat offenders getting out on bail only to hurt more innocent Canadians. Our bail system is broken. How can Canadians possibly trust that the Liberal government is going to fix it when it is the one that broke it?
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  • Mar/20/23 3:11:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago, the ministers of justice from the provinces as well as the federal government got together and brought forward some very important ideas on reforming the bail system. It is very clear that our communities need to be safe. There is a right to bail enshrined in our Constitution. The ministers of justice came together with a program that will allow us to ensure that our communities remain safe, while at the same time ensuring the right to bail.
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  • Mar/20/23 3:12:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, over the past few days, violent tragic events have cost the lives of several Quebeckers. This is all part of a larger pattern. In fact, since the Prime Minister has been in power, crime has increased by 32%. Our streets are becoming more unsafe all the time, yet the government is reducing sentences and allowing criminals to serve their sentence at home. When will the government take the situation seriously, protect victims and impose harsh sentences for violent crimes?
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  • Mar/20/23 3:12:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is the Conservative Party that is getting in our way when it comes to our country's national security. We introduced a bill to improve security across the country. The Conservatives have already made it clear that they want nothing to do with it. There have already been several murders this year, including one in Montreal last night. We need to tighten gun control across the country. I hope the Conservatives will help us.
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  • Mar/20/23 3:13:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, climate science must be at the heart of our decision-making process to fight climate change. The latest UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change scientific report adds to our global knowledge and understanding, and shows the indisputable fact that humanity continues to warm our planet to dangerous levels. The science is clear that only urgent and sustained emissions reductions will limit the warming of our planet. Can the Minister of Environment and Climate Change inform the House on Canada's progress on achieving our net-zero targets?
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  • Mar/20/23 3:13:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for her advocacy on this very important issue. Yes, today, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued another stark warning. We collectively need to act to fight climate change, something the official opposition does not seem to have understood over the last 30 years. It wants to make pollution free again in Canada. It has no idea whatsoever what needs to be done to fight climate change and to adapt to the reality of climate change. In 2021 alone, there was $17 billion in climate impacts to Canadians. That is what climate change means to Canada.
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  • Mar/20/23 3:14:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, caregivers are at a breaking point as the Liberal government fails to solve the health care crisis. This is putting increased pressure on families to care for their loved ones. The important job of caring for parents, grandparents and children is most often left up to women, and this work is unpaid. The government can support caregivers by immediately making the Canada caregiver credit a refundable tax benefit to put money back into the pockets of people. Why is the government delaying this benefit for those who care for their loved ones?
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  • Mar/20/23 3:15:12 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are obviously very mindful of the incredible challenges that patients and workers face in these very difficult times. That is why, just six weeks ago, the Prime Minister announced a historic investment of almost $200 billion in addition to the current level of the CHT, in addition to the value of the tax point. Those dollars obviously matter very much, but more importantly, they matter because they are going to lead to significant positive outcomes for workers and patients in the years to come.
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  • Mar/20/23 3:15:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, public transit is in crisis. Municipalities like mine are being forced to raise fares while in some cases simultaneously cutting service due to a lack of investment from higher orders of government. Groups across the country, from Environmental Defence to the Canadian Urban Transit Association, are sounding the alarm, warning that transit systems are at risk of falling into a death spiral without critical operational support. Will the minister ensure not only capital funding in budget 2023, but also the critical operating support being called for across the country?
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