44th Parl. 1st Sess.
October 27, 2023 10:00AM
- Oct/27/23 11:14:12 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the world has been horrified and heartbroken by the violence in Israel and Palestine. New Democrats condemn the brutal attack on Israel by Hamas and we call for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, the protection of all civilians and immediate humanitarian aid to Gaza.
We are also profoundly concerned about what is happening in Canada. We have seen a sharp increase of hate against Jewish and Muslim Canadians since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out. Toronto police have reported an over 130% rise in hate-related calls. The National Council for Canadian Muslims has seen a 1,300% increase in Islamophobic incidents across the country.
We have seen a 400% increase in anti-Semitic incidents of hate since last year.
New Democrats condemn all forms of hate and discrimination, especially anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. All levels of government need to provide strong leadership to ensure public safety in our communities, including places of worship and schools. Together, let us take a stand against all forms of hate.
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- Oct/27/23 11:15:24 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about a young athlete from my riding who recently took part in the World Rowing Sprint Finals, which were held in Barletta, Italy, earlier this month.
Ella-Rose Duval developed an interest in rowing in 2020 while watching the Tokyo Olympic Games. Just two years later, she competed in the Canada Games and then qualified for the World Games, but this time in coastal rowing. At this rate, I would be willing to bet that she will fulfill one of her dreams, which is to compete in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, where this discipline will be included for the first time.
At just 17 years old, Ella-Rose Duval also impresses academically. At the top of not only her class but her entire school, she maintains an overall average of no less than 98%. She has also been awarded the Governor General’s Academic Medal at the bronze level, and the Quebec Lieutenant Governor's Youth Medal, also at the bronze level, in recognition of her volunteer work.
I would like to sincerely congratulate Ella-Rose and wish her continued success.
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- Oct/27/23 11:16:28 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, under the NDP-Liberal government, a generation of young Canadians are giving up on home ownership. It used to be that if someone had a full-time job and saved their money, they could buy a home, start a family and eventually pay their house off.
How can a young Canadian save for a down payment when they are paying $2,500 a month for rent? How can they qualify for a mortgage when the payment is $4,000 a month? It now takes a worker most of their working life just to save enough for a down payment, but then they still would not even qualify for the mortgage.
The government's inflationary deficits have triggered an inflation crisis and the highest interest rates in decades. Those who already own a home do not know what they are going to do or how they are going to make their mortgage payments after the next renewal. Those who do not own a home are forced to pay ever-increasing rent.
The Prime Minister has killed the middle-class dream of home ownership. That is his legacy after eight years. The Prime Minister is not worth the cost.
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- Oct/27/23 11:17:33 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are coming to the end of Women's History Month. I would like to take the opportunity to highlight a woman in my riding of Hamilton Mountain who has dedicated her career to improving the lives of her tiny charges, their families and our entire community.
Ala Mohamed is the manager of child care at YWCA Hamilton. She recently received the Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Early Childhood Education for her commitment to building strong, inclusive communities. Ala's leadership creates safe spaces for all children and satisfies the unique needs of children from newcomer families.
I know Ala to be a fierce advocate for families in Hamilton. She was among the many families in Hamilton Mountain who celebrated when our government introduced an affordable plan for child care. She has witnessed the tremendous impacts this plan is having on children and their parents, who now have more options in the workforce.
Congratulations to Ala. She is a true gift to the Hamilton community.
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- Oct/27/23 11:18:45 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, with plummeting polls in Atlantic Canada, the Prime Minister is panicked, desperate and making it up as he goes along.
Only a year ago, Liberal MPs voted against a Conservative motion to axe the carbon tax from home heating. What a difference a year makes. I know my farmers in Alberta are sure wondering what it would take for them to get some relief from the Prime Minister's carbon tax.
Yesterday, the Prime Minister admitted that his carbon tax is unaffordable. How much worse do the polls have to get for the Prime Minister to axe his carbon tax for all Canadians?
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- Oct/27/23 11:19:18 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when we came into power in 2015, projected emissions growth, pollution levels, in Canada was going to increase to 80 million tonnes by 2030.
We brought this, more than 80 millions tonnes, down, and since then we have reduced it by another 50 million tonnes. That is more than 100 million tonnes of pollution that Canada will not have to endure because of us, despite the Conservative Party of Canada.
We are only getting started. We have a plan to fight climate change and help Canadians with affordability. We will keep going.
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- Oct/27/23 11:19:56 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister presses pause on his carbon tax in Atlantic Canada, the Liberals are blocking a Conservative bill that would exempt the carbon tax from on-farm fuels, making food more affordable. I guess the desperate pleas of Canadian farmers do not have the same weight as the Prime Minister's plummeting polls in Atlantic Canada.
Let us be clear. Putting a pause is only a move of desperation for the Prime Minister, who would double down, as the minister just said, on his pledge to quadruple the carbon tax. Again, the Prime Minister has admitted his carbon tax is unaffordable.
When will he axe his carbon tax for all Canadians?
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Mr. Speaker, as my father used to say, when someone points a finger, there are always three fingers pointing back at them.
When it came time to decrease funding to farmers, the Leader of the Opposition sat on his hands at the cabinet table. When it came time to increase funding to farmers, all Conservative MPs sat on their hands. On Bill C-234, if it was so important for the Leader of the Opposition, he should not have sat on his hands but worked a little harder.
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- Oct/27/23 11:21:06 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals do not care about food costs or affordability.
Canadians are struggling to put food on the table after eight years of the Liberal-NDP government. Almost two million Canadians accessed a food bank in March. That is up 79% from March 2019. A third of those people using food banks are children. Almost 20% of Canadian families are food insecure.
A Prime Minister who is in desperation mode is not worth the cost. Again, the Prime Minister has admitted his carbon tax is unaffordable. When will he axe that tax for all Canadians, so they can afford to put food on the table?
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- Oct/27/23 11:21:49 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we know that right now many Canadian families are struggling with increased costs.
Last night I was speaking with Fay, who shared with me that he came to Canada with his family five years ago from Syria. He shared the impact that the Canada child benefit had on his family. It enabled them to ensure that they could buy food and the things that their children needed. This is one story of the 3.5 million Canadian families that receive this benefit each and every month.
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- Oct/27/23 11:22:32 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am going to tell the story of 870,000 Quebeckers who, each month, have to use food banks because they are hungry.
That is one in 10 Quebeckers, 30% more in one year, 73% more than in 2019. Worse yet, 70% of food banks have been short on supplies.
The “Liberal Bloc” wants to radically increase the carbon taxes that, as we know, will continue to increase the cost of everything.
When will the Prime Minister cancel the second carbon tax of 20¢ a litre that he imposed on the backs of Quebeckers?
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- Oct/27/23 11:23:13 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for the question.
It is clear that we are working very hard right now to stabilize the price of groceries for Canadians across the country, the Canada child benefit continues to put money in the pockets of Canadians and Quebeckers every year, and the carbon tax does not apply to Quebec, as the member knows full well.
We are here to support Quebeckers and Canadians and we will continue to do this work.
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- Oct/27/23 11:23:46 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are asleep at the wheel. We saw this all too clearly yesterday in an article in the Journal de Montréal, under the headline “872,000 Quebeckers are using food banks every month: a national embarrassment”. That is what eight years under the Liberals looks like.
The article states that “the face of poverty is changing: it includes families, workers, sometimes even unionized workers, women, newcomers, university students...”
After his dizzying free fall in yesterday's polls, did the Prime Minister panic and forget about Quebec? Will he cancel the second carbon tax that he forced on all Quebeckers, yes or no?
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- Oct/27/23 11:24:28 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, once again, on this side of the House we recognize that many Canadian families are facing challenges. Just last week, I had the opportunity to visit Eden Food for Change in the riding of Mississauga—Erin Mills, and that organization helps to feed individuals each and every day. Through the community services recovery fund, we have put $400 million into community organizations to help address these problems.
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- Oct/27/23 11:25:08 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Radio-Canada has revealed that the Liberals are considering reviewing immigration thresholds for 2026 because of the housing crisis.
The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship has even confirmed that he plans to say more on November 1. However, Ottawa is still reviewing its thresholds without talking to Quebec and the provinces, despite the fact that Quebec and the provinces are the ones responsible for health care, education, French language learning, infrastructure, and more. The provinces alone know what their capacity is to successfully welcome immigrants.
Will the government commit to consulting them and adjusting its thresholds based on their capacity to accommodate immigrants?
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- Oct/27/23 11:25:47 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite well knows, Quebec sets its own immigration targets. It can select the francophone newcomers who will build the homes and infrastructure they need, and who will fill essential jobs in the health care sector.
We always respect Quebec's jurisdiction in immigration, but it is also important to recognize that newcomers are undeniably part of the solution.
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- Oct/27/23 11:26:16 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is odd. Yesterday, when the Bloc Québécois said that we needed to review immigration levels, the Liberals accused the Bloc of being against immigration, but when the Liberals are the ones reviewing those levels, like they are currently doing, then that absolutely does not mean they are against immigration. When they do it, then it is okay, but when someone else does it, it is bad.
On Tuesday, on the Bloc Québécois's initiative, we will discuss immigration targets. I wonder if we will be able to have an intelligent debate without the Liberals suggesting that everyone except them is intolerant.
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- Oct/27/23 11:26:53 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois is asking us to be there for immigrants in Quebec. We are very pleased to be part of the solution. Quebec has the exclusive power to select the majority of immigrants who arrive in the province. As set out in the Canada-Quebec accord, Quebec also receives financial compensation from the federal government for its assistance.
We respect Quebec's jurisdiction on immigration. We are working very well with the Government of Quebec. The Government of Quebec is a good partner.
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- Oct/27/23 11:27:34 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are seeing a housing crisis across the country, and Halifax is seeing one of the worst in Canada. People are forced to live in parks and in their cars. Women fleeing violence have nowhere to go when they stay at a shelter, and students cannot find a home they can afford. Liberals and Conservatives point fingers, but between them, those two parties have lost over a million affordable homes over the last 17 years.
When will the Liberals finally build the homes people desperately need so no one has to sleep on the streets in Halifax?
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- Oct/27/23 11:28:11 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there are 70,000 new units for individuals who have experienced homelessness, and 122,000 people who were close to being homeless are not homeless because of the national housing strategy. That applies to what I just said before on homelessness. The member rightly brings up the plight and position of women who experience homelessness. Over 400 units of shelter were either renovated or constructed through the government's investments. We have more to do. It is not an acceptable situation, but we will get it done.
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