44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 17, 2023 02:00PM
- May/17/23 2:49:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, once again, the Deputy Prime Minister refuses to answer a very simple question. Every Canadian with a mortgage has to know how much interest they are paying on their debt.
Let us now consider how realistic her budget is, because it included $60 billion in new spending. That is a recipe for creating and fuelling inflation. However, just a few months ago, she said that we must not pour fuel on the fire of inflation.
Does the Deputy Prime Minister agree with what she said last November, or, once again, does she not know the answer?
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- May/17/23 2:50:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am obviously interested in my colleagues' financial arguments.
I find it astounding that they are blaming inflation on Canada's low- and middle-income taxpayers. The Canadian government is helping them, but blaming them for today's inflation is rather cruel.
I would ask my colleague to tell us what he would say to the 400 children in his riding who received the dental benefit in recent months. Does he believe we should take it away from them?
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- May/17/23 2:51:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Public Safety has issued a new directive to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, or CSIS, a directive that was so important that it had to be made public. It says, and I quote: “CSIS will seek, wherever possible...to ensure that parliamentarians are informed of threats...directed at them”.
What does that mean? Should the directive not be telling CSIS that it always has to inform parliamentarians of any threat?
What does “wherever possible” mean? Whose discretion is it up to? Are we talking about CSIS, the minister, or maybe my brother-in-law Luc? Who?
Quite frankly, this directive is causing more confusion and concern than it is providing reassurance. Will the minister explain it clearly?
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- May/17/23 2:51:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the hon. member's question because it is important that all MPs are aware of any threats that are made against any of us because a threat against one is a threat against us all.
We know that the hon. member for Wellington—Halton Hills was subjected to threats, and he was not aware of them. That is why the minister did give a directive to CSIS to ensure that all parliamentarians of the House are informed of any threats whatsoever.
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- May/17/23 2:52:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have been calling for an independent commission of public inquiry for months. From threats against MPs to funding for the Trudeau Foundation, everything we are hearing justifies a serious inquiry. The government is telling us that it is taking action. How?
With these new directives, CSIS will seek, whenever possible, to ensure, in a timely manner, that parliamentarians are perhaps informed of any threats, if necessary. Wow. I feel so reassured.
Does the minister honestly believe that these directives are going to solve the problem of foreign interference?
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- May/17/23 2:53:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague knows full well that these directives are part of our government's ongoing efforts to counter foreign interference. We have said so publicly. The Prime Minister said so last week, and the Minister of Public Safety said it again this week. Threats or interference involving members or parliamentarians are completely unacceptable.
We have taken the necessary measures to ensure that the professional intelligence agencies take the matter in hand, work with members and resolve the situation appropriately.
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- May/17/23 2:53:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Conservatives warned that the costly coalition’s carbon tax would make everything more expensive, and today, Canadians cannot afford the basics. They have to choose between heating, eating and housing. Glen from Athabasca says that his heating bill was double what it was last year, and a quarter of it was carbon tax.
The Liberal's April carbon tax hike has already added 14¢ a litre to gas and spiked inflation. After eight years, the truth is that the Liberals are out of touch and Canadians are out of money. Why will the costly coalition not axe the costly carbon tax?
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- May/17/23 2:54:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are in mid-May and already we are seeing record forest fires in northern Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. I have talked to people in Calgary who say that they cannot breathe because of the forest fires in northern Alberta.
Our plan to fight climate change is working. We have reduced carbon pollution by 50 million tonnes. What is the answer of the Conservative Party? It is to make pollution free again, making climate change and forest fires worse. That is not how we will do it on this side of the House.
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- May/17/23 2:54:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, of course the carbon tax has not reduced emissions, and 80% of Canadians pay more than they will ever get back. However, the Liberals did admit that their carbon tax is meant to make driving more expensive. They plan to triple those costs. What are they going to do? They are going to kick Canadians while they are down and add a second carbon tax. Together, those taxes will cost struggling Canadians 60¢ a litre more at the pumps.
Do the costly coalition partisan hacks even know or care how much more gas, groceries and home heating are going to cost struggling Canadians under their carbon tax? Do they really think Canadians can afford thousands more?
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- May/17/23 2:55:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, allow me to read from the Conservative platform in the last election.
On page 79, in the section called “Low Carbon Fuel Standard”, it states, “We’ll finalize and improve the Clean Fuel Regulations to reduce carbon emissions from every litre of gasoline (and other liquid fuels) we burn, turning them into a true Low Carbon Fuel Standard.”
The difference between the Conservative Party and us is that they are all talk and we are all about action.
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- May/17/23 2:56:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberal-NDP carbon tax coalition is making life unaffordable for Canadians. What the Liberals do not understand is that there are very real and painful consequences when they hike the carbon tax. When they triple the carbon tax, the price of fuel per litre goes up 41¢, the cost of food goes up 34%, and the average a Canadian farm family pays in carbon taxes is $150,000 a year.
If that sounds bad, we have not seen anything yet. The Prime Minister is going to add a second carbon tax on Canadians, this time with no rebate. How much is this new carbon tax scam going to cost Canadians?
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- May/17/23 2:56:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as the member for Foothills surely knows, Albertans are getting back more than $1,000. That goes directly into the pockets of Alberta families.
I was in Edmonton and Calgary recently and met a great, young woman whose name is Kayla. She teaches people how to weld. She told me that we need a plan, an economic plan, for the green economy. She understands that is where her job is going to be and where the jobs of the apprentices she is training are going to be. Albertans get that. It is only the Conservatives who do not.
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- May/17/23 2:57:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the NDP-Liberal carbon tax coalition is forcing Canadians to make a choice between food on the table or a roof over their head. The carbon tax punishes families, farmers and small businesses who are all struggling to make ends meet, and for what?
The Liberals have not met a single emissions target they have set. Instead of admitting their carbon tax scam is a failure, they are doubling down with a second carbon tax, this time with no rebates. How much are gas and groceries going to cost Canadian families when they implement their new carbon tax scam?
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- May/17/23 2:58:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our farmers are the first to be affected by climate change. They are heavily involved in the fight against climate change and in reducing emissions.
Our programs for helping them apply best practices and learn new technologies, and for investing in research and inovation, are oversubscribed. We are being flooded with applications. This demonstrates the level of interest.
We will continue working hard to reduce our emissions and fight climate change.
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- May/17/23 2:58:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the federal watchdog for housing rights has called for an investigation into the government's failure to prevent and eliminate homelessness among women and gender-diverse people across Canada. Those who are especially at risk are indigenous women and two-spirit people. Instead of addressing it, the Liberals refuse to reverse their cut of $150 million to women's shelters, while barely releasing any of the funds they first announced in 2020 for shelters and transitional housing.
When will the government stop with the empty promises and deal with this housing crisis with the urgency it requires?
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- May/17/23 2:59:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I disagree with the hon. member. We have gone from just over $2 billion in funding for Reaching Home, Canada's homelessness strategy, to almost $4 billion. That is a doubling of the funding going to over 5,000 different projects to help divert tens of thousands of Canadians from homelessness to permanent housing solutions, as well as transitional homes.
We have also introduced the rapid housing initiative, which is having tremendous success on the ground.
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- May/17/23 3:00:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, WestJet pilots could be on strike as soon as this Friday if they do not reach a deal with the airline. They are seeking fair pay, better conditions and more job security.
In 2012, when Air Canada pilots voted to strike, the Conservative government of the day was quick to force them back to work. Will the minister stand today to commit to respecting the collective bargaining rights of these pilots, or does he intend to follow the example set by the Conservatives?
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- May/17/23 3:00:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, right now the Minister of Labour is on the ground in Toronto to make sure the parties reach a fair agreement, one that works for everyone. Our federal mediators are very good at what they do. Last year, they resolved 93% of federal disputes without any work stoppages. We are focused on the bargaining table because that is where the best deals are always reached.
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- May/17/23 3:01:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the rising cost of food affects Canadians, small businesses and families who are trying to put a nutritious meal on the table in my riding and across the country.
Last week, with the passage of Bill C-46, came the creation of the new one-time grocery rebate that will deliver targeted inflation relief for over 11 million low- and moderate-income Canadians and families who need it most.
Can the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance tell this House when Canadians can expect this timely grocery rebate?
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- May/17/23 3:01:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to do so, and I would like to start by thanking the hon. member for Guelph for his advocacy on behalf of his constituents and all Canadians.
The one-time grocery rebate will deliver targeted inflation relief to 11 million low- and medium-income Canadians and families who need it most. That is going to be up to an extra $467 for eligible couples with two children, and people will get that support on July 5 of this year.
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