44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 14, 2023 10:00AM
- Dec/14/23 2:42:08 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we know that the minister is talking to Quebec about the $460‑million reimbursement for asylum seekers. We would remind her that the money available to the government does not belong to the government. It is the taxpayers' money, including Quebec taxpayers. The difference is that when the federal government is paying, Quebeckers pay their fair share. However, when Quebec is paying, Quebeckers pay the whole bill. We provide 100% of the services and we pay 100% of the bill. The federal government does not provide services and does not pay a cent. Everyone understands that is not fair.
Will the Minister of Finance reimburse Quebec?
109 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 2:42:44 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, again, the Minister of Immigration is in talks with Quebec's minister and I am confident an agreement will be reached. We contribute quite significantly, to the tune of $700 million every year for welcoming immigrants in Quebec. We have transferred $450 million over the past few years to house refugees. For the refugees and asylum seekers, we also provide temporary medical coverage, we are processing files more quickly, we are resettling asylum seekers and we are making it easier to apply for work permits. Yes, we are doing our part.
95 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 2:43:20 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we have here a difference of opinion. Quebeckers are welcoming half of all the asylum seekers who come to Canada. That is a lot more than our share. Quebeckers are paying 100% of that bill. That is also a lot more than our fair share. It is basically five times too much. We will continue to do our part and be welcoming, but we are not going to go along with being the only ones doing their part, the only ones being welcoming.
Will the Minister of Finance pay back the $460 million she owes Quebeckers?
99 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 2:43:54 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I repeat that I am quite confident that our government and the Government of Quebec will reach an agreement. It is true that Quebeckers have been very welcoming. We have worked together. To date, we have transferred $450 million to house asylum seekers. We are covering the cost of temporary health coverage. We are expediting the processing of files. We are ensuring that work permits are issued quickly so that these people can support themselves. I am very confident that we will reach an agreement.
88 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 2:44:31 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this Liberal-NDP government, farmers are struggling under the weight of this punishing carbon tax.
Karen, a chicken farmer from Norfolk, pays $350 every month in carbon taxes. When the Liberals quadruple the carbon taxes, she will be paying $1,400 a month. Will the Prime Minister tell farmers like Karen how she is going to pay for the carbon tax hike? Should she charge Canadians more for food or should she produce less so that Canadians will be forced to import food from polluting foreign farms?
93 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 2:45:06 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, again, it is a bit rich to hear Conservatives talk about support for farmers when they voted against support for farmers just last week.
As we support farmers in the transition so that they can reduce their dependency on fossil fuels, they can become more competitive in Canada and around the world. What are the Conservatives doing? They are voting against it. They say they are in favour of farmers but, unfortunately, their record speaks the opposite.
79 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 2:45:34 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the carbon taxes have very serious consequences. Karen deserves answers about how she is going to pay that $1,400 a month in carbon taxes. The Prime Minister said that farmers are working hard to protect the environment, but instead of rewarding them, the Liberal-NDP government is taxing them into the ground.
Does the Prime Minister expect farmers like Karen to charge more or should she produce less so that Canadians will be forced to import food from polluting foreign farms?
84 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 2:46:12 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, of course, we know that the Conservatives voted against farmers. They voted against taking action on climate change. They also voted against dental care. That means nine million people who they do not want to have access to dental care. We are talking about hundreds of thousands of seniors who they are saying are not going to be able to get dentures replaced if they were in government. They are talking about more than a million kids who they would say no to, that those kids cannot get critical dental care because they want to vote against it.
Their real agenda is cuts. When one looks through their slogans, that is all that is there.
117 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 2:46:55 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, what we did was vote non-confidence in the government as it needs to be replaced.
After eight years of the NDP-Liberal government, Canadians from coast to coast are desperate for relief. A potato farming couple from Grand-Sault have seen their freight costs of oil rise over $300,000 a year, due to the implementation of the carbon tax. Now, these Liberals plan to quadruple it, which would cost them $1.2 million more in freight charges alone a year. How will the Prime Minister advise them to pay for this additional $1.2 million? Will it be by raising prices on Canadians or should this farmer cut back on production so that Canadians are forced to import food from polluting foreign nations?
127 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 2:47:41 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I think the rest of us, at least on this side of the House, can see what is happening here. Those were not votes against government programs. Those were all just non-confidence votes. “We did not mean any of that.”
They think that what they just did there is all they have to do. What we do here is vote on the things. They voted against all the things. We have taped them all and we will be using them in ads, in answers to questions, talking to our constituents on each and every one of them. We will—
105 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 2:48:57 p.m.
- Watch
The hon. member for New Westminster—Burnaby.
8 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 2:49:00 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, thanks to the NDP, a public inquiry has been called by the government into serious allegations of foreign interference. The inquiry needs to investigate the Indian government, which allegedly ran a global assassination program that targeted and murdered a Canadian on Canadian soil. Other deeply concerning allegations have come up as well.
Does the minister agree with the NDP that the public inquiry should also investigate interference from the Modi government, including in the recent Conservative leadership campaign?
80 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 2:49:37 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister told this House, this is an extremely serious matter. The safety of Canadians and the integrity of our rule of law is of fundamental importance. Law enforcement, including the RCMP and intelligence agencies, continue to investigate, in close collaboration with their U.S. counterparts. We expect the Government of India to cooperate fully with this investigation.
As it is an active investigation, we will not comment further.
73 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 2:50:07 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, this morning, the environment minister told our committee that “we need to pick up the pace” when it comes to fighting climate change. Notably, this is from the minister who is responsible for the pace in fighting climate change.
At COP28, the world called for a rapid move away from fossil fuels, yet, here at home, fossil fuel emissions are rising, the industry is expanding and this minister's key policy of the emissions cap will not come into effect until 2026. That is far too slow. Everyone knows it.
What will the minister do to pick up the pace?
104 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 2:50:47 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, it is refreshing to have a question on the reality and the importance of climate change in this House. In fact, we are picking up the pace. When we came into power, in 2015, emissions were going through the roof and now we have been able to reduce emissions levels by 7% below the 2005 level. That is like removing more than 20 million cars, in terms of climate change pollution, from our roads. We know we have more to do and that is why, in the last year alone, we have introduced six new pieces of regulation to ensure that Canada reaches its target in 2030.
109 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 2:51:25 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, indigenous people living in urban, rural and northern areas face unique challenges accessing adequate housing and do not qualify for support that is provided to indigenous people living on reserve. Through budgets 2022 and 2023, the government has committed to the codevelopment of a dedicated urban, rural and northern indigenous housing strategy to address these gaps.
Just last week, the House considered funding for this strategy. That is something that the Conservative leader voted to cut. Can the Minister of Indigenous Services tell us how this funding will be used to address the housing challenges facing indigenous people in urban, rural and northern areas?
106 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 2:52:22 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, last week, it was shameful to see the Conservative Party members get up, all night long, to vote against all of the things that indigenous people need, such as health care, education and housing. While the Conservatives play games with people's lives, on this side we are hard at work. That is why it was so exciting to announce the next steps toward rolling out a historic $4.3 billion toward “by indigenous, for indigenous” housing. That is what working for Canadians looks like.
89 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 2:52:42 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, Haass Acres has been operating as a family farm since 1930. The family farms about 2,000 acres, and this year they will pay $10,000 in carbon tax, which will quadruple to $40,000. That may not seem like a lot to the Prime Minister and his trust fund, but it is a lot to the Haass family.
Will the Prime Minister call Brian Haass? Will he explain to him how he expects him to pay this extra $40,000? Should he raise prices on Canadians, or should he cut production so that Canadians are forced to import food from foreign polluting farms?
106 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 2:53:21 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, just a few days ago, Conservative members voted against the interests of farmers. Just a few days ago, they also voted against measures to promote women's participation in the economy, against free menstrual products, against funding for sexual misconduct investigations and against subsidizing child care. What do the Conservatives have against measures that support women?
58 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/14/23 2:53:50 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, that is classic Liberal deflection. When the Liberals are down, they will deflect at every fact they can.
These are the facts: Under the Prime Minister, housing prices have doubled. Under the Prime Minister, food bank usage is the highest in history. On the OECD, we rank 35 out of 38 in teen mental health. There is suicide.
Who feeds families? Farmers do. Who are the Liberals cutting? They are cutting out farmers. Will the Liberals axe the tax and make life affordable? The jig is up. Everybody knows the Liberals are not telling the truth.
98 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
