44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 17, 2023 02:00PM
- May/17/23 3:09:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when someone regularly attends the court of King Charles III, they could feel underdressed. That is surely why our last two governors general billed taxpayers—wait for it—more than $100,000 for clothing. That is $100,000 in clothing and shoes. It might be more because they have a clothing allowance of $130,000 per term.
Governors general have the right to dress as they wish, but given how much money they make, could they not pay for their own clothing?
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- May/17/23 3:09:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we know very well that many Canadians are having trouble making ends meet at this time.
People expect us to manage their money with transparency. That obviously includes members and senators, the government and the Governor General.
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Mr. Speaker, when he starts talking about his interest in improving public safety, the Prime Minister will say anything. His actions tell a different story, though.
To start with, he passed Bill C-75, which makes it easier for violent criminals to obtain bail. After that, he passed Bill C‑5 to get rid of mandatory jail sentences for serious crimes. Now he has a bail reform bill, which was tabled yesterday, that is so weak that even the person charged with murdering police officer Greg Pierzchala would still have gotten bail.
Can the Prime Minister admit to his mistakes and simply repeal the law arising from Bill C‑75?
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Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have tabled a bill in the House yesterday to strengthen our bail system. It targets repeat violent offenders and offences involving weapons. This is exactly what the provinces and police associations asked for.
Police associations across Canada have publicly endorsed the steps we took yesterday. Several provinces will do likewise.
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Mr. Speaker, the only bail reform in Bill C-48 is in its name. Violent repeat offenders could still count on the Liberal government for its catch-and-release system to get them back out on the street, sometimes within hours of their arrest.
This bill does not substantially improve public safety. In fact, the man who killed Constable Pierzchala would still have been out on release even if this legislation had been in place.
When will the Liberals finally do what they have been asked and end catch-and-release?
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Mr. Speaker, allow me to quote the Canadian Police Association.
...we appreciate that [ministers] have worked collaboratively with stakeholders and introduced this common-sense legislation that responds to the concerns that our members have raised.
Police, provinces and territories seem to agree about the common-sense nature of our approach. We have the support of police associations, we have the support of provinces. This would go a long way towards making our bail system not only stronger but fairer.
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Mr. Speaker, doing the bare minimum, tokenism is not enough.
It is not enough in light of the challenges that our police face. It is not enough when 13 premiers unanimously call for fundamental change to Canada's broken bail system. Under this legislation, repeat violent criminals charged with weapons trafficking, attempted murder and robbery are all still eligible for bail under this Liberal catch-and-release program.
When will the Liberal government do what has been asked of it, protect Canadians, make our streets safer, and end catch-and-release?
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Mr. Speaker, this bill did exactly what the premiers asked for in their letter to the Prime Minister and more. We went further by working with the provincial justice ministers and ministers of public safety.
Here is what the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police have said:
We are convinced that the legislative changes put forth in Bill C-48 will go a long way to help eliminate the preventable harm and senseless tragedies attributable to violent and repeat offenders across Canada.
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Mr. Speaker, the people in my riding of Châteauguay—Lacolle are concerned. Gun violence is a scourge that continues to raise concerns for people. Firearms are used in far too many violent crimes. They make our communities less safe.
I know that, like me, the Minister of Canadian Heritage shares these concerns. Can he tell us what message the Government of Canada has for Canadians who are worried about this situation?
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question and for all of the work that she does in her community. Like the residents of Châteauguay—Lacolle, the people in my riding of Honoré-Mercier are too often faced with gun violence.
I am proud to be able to tell them that we are taking action with Bill C-21. It is no secret that we would have liked to go even further, but even the strictest bill is no good if we cannot pass it. Bill C-21 may not be perfect, but it will make our communities a lot safer. What is clear is that the only way to keep assault weapons out of our communities is to have a Liberal government.
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- May/17/23 3:15:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on the same day day we learned that the price of the average home shot up again, the Minister of Housing would not answer simple questions about the housing crisis.
We asked why rent had doubled over the last eight years. We asked why home prices have doubled over the last eight years. We asked him why his own officials have said that they could see a 32% decline in housing starts this year. He told us we were playing games.
How can the minister stand in this House and, continually, in the midst of a housing crisis, tell Canadians they have never had it so good?
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- May/17/23 3:15:36 p.m.
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Mr. speaker, it is really hard to take the party opposite seriously on housing. In their previous election platform, Conservatives did not even have the words “affordable housing” in their platform.
Now they have released a so-called plan that does not have the word “homelessness”. There is no plan for women's housing. There is no plan for northern housing. There is no plan for rapid housing. There is no plan for co-op housing. There is no plan for helping first-time homebuyers. There is no plan for helping renters. There is no plan for seniors' housing. There is no plan for accessible housing. There is absolutely no plan on that side of the house.
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- May/17/23 3:16:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, with this Prime Minister everything already costs more and now inflation is taking off again. Some experts are even saying that the Bank of Canada might increase interest rates yet again. It was in all the media. That is not reassuring for Canadians. This Prime Minister is at it again. He is proposing other inflationary policies like his carbon tax.
When will he abandon his disastrous plans for Canadians?
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- May/17/23 3:16:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I have already pointed out several times in the House, Quebec has a carbon pricing system called cap and trade and it is different than Canada's system.
I would be pleased to explain to my colleague opposite how the Quebec system works. My office would gladly arrange a briefing on this issue.
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- May/17/23 3:17:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the government has driven up the cost of food production by charging our farmers the carbon tax and the 35% tariff on fertilizer.
Our family farms are stretched thin. The minister continues to suggest to farmers that they go further in debt and says that the carbon tax does not affect Quebec. I can also show the Minister of Environment and Climate Change bills that clearly show that is not true, not to mention the shipping of goods between the provinces. The government needs to understand the harm it is causing to farmers and Canadian families.
When will it finally cut the carbon tax?
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- May/17/23 3:17:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as my colleague the Minister of Environment and Climate Change said, Quebec has its own system. The price on pollution imposed by the federal government does not apply to Quebec.
Unlike the Conservatives, who cut risk management and research and innovation programs when they were in power, we are making investments. We are supporting our farmers so that they can adopt good environmental practices and have access to new technologies. We have increased the sustainable Canadian agricultural partnership by 25%.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians across the country deserve to feel safe from gun violence and crime. In my riding of Mississauga—Lakeshore, I have heard from constituents who do worry about the safety of their loved ones. They worry about gang violence, carjacking and organized crime.
Can the minister please update this House on the action this government is taking to make our neighbourhood safer for everyone?
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Mississauga—Lakeshore for his hard work.
We have promised Canadians we would crack down on gun violence. Assault-style firearms have no place in our communities. That is why we are pushing forward with smart policy to get these weapons off our streets, investing in our borders to stop illegal smuggling and investing nearly $400 million to support law enforcement and address guns and gangs.
Yesterday, I introduced a bill that would make it harder to get bail after committing a crime involving a firearm.
What do the Conservatives do? They vote against these measures and they filibuster. We have a plan. They have a record of slashing police budgets and stalling.
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- May/17/23 3:19:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today is the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, a day when we commit to fighting discrimination in all its forms.
Sadly, queer communities across Turtle Island and the world are increasingly under threat. Lives are at stake here. The #Act4QueerSafety campaign and others have put forward concrete proposals for more funding to combat hate. Additionally, the Dignity Network has long called for a special rapporteur to ensure that 2SLGBTQ rights at home and abroad are protected.
When will the government go beyond words, start acting and implement the calls to action?
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- May/17/23 3:20:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, every Canadian deserves to feel safe and supported, no matter where they are or whom they love. Homophobia, transphobia, transmisogyny, biphobia and all forms of violence and racism have no place in Canada or in the world. We know that a disproportionate amount of hate is directed at 2SLGBTQI+ communities, and that is why 75% of the 2SLGBTQI+ action plan investments go directly to the critical lifelines supporting these communities. Our government will continue to support them and reaffirm their right to be true and—
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