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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 268

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 14, 2023 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 268 - Dec/14/23
Hon. Arif Virani (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Lib.)
  • Dec/14/23 2:56:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when it comes to food security, we always have to remember that the breadbasket of the world is a country called Ukraine. I am going to use the name of that country deliberately because, when one cannot— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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The Deputy Speaker
  • Dec/14/23 2:56:45 p.m.
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Order, please. The hon. member for Salaberry—Suroît on a point of order. There seems to be an issue with the interpretation.
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Mrs. Claude DeBellefeuille
  • Dec/14/23 2:57:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this is too much. When interpreters tell us three times that it is too noisy to interpret and they are getting hurt, it is time to stop. It is our last day. Let us be adults.
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The Deputy Speaker
  • Dec/14/23 2:57:38 p.m.
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I would remind the members that we are almost done. Let us try to keep the temperature down so we can get through this. Interpretation is a challenge on occasions when there is a lot of noise in the chamber. The hon. Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
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Hon. Arif Virani
  • Dec/14/23 2:58:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I use the term “Ukraine” deliberately because, when somebody who aspires to lead this nation is incapable of saying the term “Ukraine” and is calling that nation, which is fighting for its very existence, a faraway foreign land, I find that not just disrespectful to our ally, but immoral. We, on this side of the House, will stand by Ukraine.
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Mr. Damien Kurek (Battle River—Crowfoot, CPC)
  • Dec/14/23 2:58:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, how embarrassing. This week, Liberals abandoned Israel at the United Nations, and the member should know that it is Canadian detonators that are ending up in the fields of Ukrainian farmers. They should be absolutely embarrassed and ashamed of themselves for abandoning the farmers of Ukraine. When it comes to the cost that Canadian farmers are paying for the carbon tax, here is the reality. For Darren, he has to recoup $120,000 somehow. This is an uncomfortable question because high prices are a feature, not a flaw, of the carbon tax. How do Liberals expect Darren to pay the bills?
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Mr. Maninder Sidhu (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development, Lib.)
  • Dec/14/23 2:59:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the member mentioned Ukraine. It was shameful to see Conservative MPs attempt, not once, but five times, to silence the MP for Etobicoke Centre when he pointed out the Conservative voting record against supporting Ukraine. Former Conservative cabinet minister Peter Kent— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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The Deputy Speaker
  • Dec/14/23 2:59:34 p.m.
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Order. We are almost at three o'clock, and the more we attack one another, the louder it is going to get in here. I would suggest that everybody bring it down a notch. Christmas is coming. The hon. parliamentary secretary.
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Mr. Maninder Sidhu
  • Dec/14/23 2:59:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, former Conservative cabinet minister Peter Kent put it this way, “When partisan politics trumps principled unity and support for a valiant democracy.” He was referring to the Conservative record of voting against Ukraine and free trade. No amount of doublespeak or MP talking points will change that.
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Mr. Yves Perron (Berthier—Maskinongé, BQ)
  • Dec/14/23 3:00:20 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, 2023 has been an extremely difficult year for farmers: rising interest rates, rising input prices, floods, droughts. It is one thing after another. Meanwhile, the federal government is abandoning them. Ottawa's investments in agriculture do not even amount to 5% of agricultural production value. That is four times less than in Europe. The government must immediately set up an emergency fund for struggling farmers. We have been saying this for months. Canada also needs to claw its way up from the bottom of the world's agricultural investment rankings. When is this government going to support our farmers?
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Hon. Lawrence MacAulay (Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lib.)
  • Dec/14/23 3:01:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I did meet with my hon. colleague yesterday, and I fully understand the concern he has. The program is under what we call the business risk management program, which is put together by the federal government, the provincial government and the territories. The guidelines have been put in place. As I said yesterday to my hon. colleague, anything I can do to help the farmers in Quebec, I will do, but there are guidelines to follow.
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Mr. Yves Perron (Berthier—Maskinongé, BQ)
  • Dec/14/23 3:01:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, 2023 was a terrible year for our farmers. Fortunately, there is an easy way to make sure that 2024 is better. The federal government can push back the January 18 loan forgiveness repayment deadline for the emergency account. That is an easy way to prevent farms from going bankrupt. It is an easy measure that will provide much relief to farmers who are working like mad, but are still walking a tightrope. Could we please get some good news before the holidays? Will the government push back the January 18 deadline?
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Hon. Marie-Claude Bibeau (Minister of National Revenue, Lib.)
  • Dec/14/23 3:02:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as far as the emergency business account is concerned, I would remind members that during COVID‑19, our government was there to support businesses with the wage subsidy, the rent subsidy and the emergency account. There are plans available for repaying the emergency account. Plan A, the business owner has the money, repays the government loan and qualifies for loan forgiveness. Plan B, the business owner takes out a commercial loan, repays the CEBA and qualifies for loan forgiveness. Plan C, the business owner stays with us for another three years and pays 5% interest.
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Mr. Jeremy Patzer (Cypress Hills—Grasslands, CPC)
  • Dec/14/23 3:02:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the NDP-Liberal government, the cost of food production is at an all-time high. The truckers who transport our grain, deliver the fertilizer and the fuel farmers need, and haul our groceries to the stores for Canadians to buy, pay the carbon tax, but pass it along to the farmer and the consumer. A trucking company in Swift Current pays $20,000 per truck, per year, in carbon tax. Once the Prime Minister quadruples its cost to $80,000, how does he expect it to pay for this? Will it be through raising prices on Canadians, or should our farmers cut back on production so we are forced to import food from polluting foreign farms?
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Hon. Arif Virani (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Lib.)
  • Dec/14/23 3:03:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the part that is quite incredible about the position taken by Conservatives under their leader's guidance is that, when they abandoned Ukraine, they were not just abandoning over one million Ukrainian Canadians here in Canada, but countless other east Europeans, thousands if not millions, who are also concerned with pushing back against Russian authoritarianism. Who am I talking about? Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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The Deputy Speaker
  • Dec/14/23 3:03:58 p.m.
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Order. I want to make sure people keep it down so the interpreters can hear what they are translating. The hon. Minister of Justice.
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Hon. Arif Virani
  • Dec/14/23 3:04:12 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, they are abandoning east European Canadians, Polish Canadians, Baltic Canadians, all of whom have a vested interest in pushing up against Russian authoritarianism under Putin. I wish Conservatives would show some support for that—
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The Deputy Speaker
  • Dec/14/23 3:04:31 p.m.
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The hon. member for Lévis—Lotbinière.
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Mr. Jacques Gourde (Lévis—Lotbinière, CPC)
  • Dec/14/23 3:04:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have been tricked. After eight years of Liberal incompetence, Canadians are drowning in debt. They have been hit hard by eight interest rate hikes over a period of 18 months. Canadians spend more than 9% of their disposable income on interest payments alone. Some gift. With debt payments rising faster than disposable income, will the costly Liberal-Bloc-NDP coalition take some pressure off interest rates by eliminating the carbon tax so as to stop ruining Canadians' lives?
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Hon. François-Philippe Champagne (Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, Lib.)
  • Dec/14/23 3:05:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we will take no lessons from the Conservatives. With Christmas just around the corner, what a gift they have given Canadians. They voted against support for the aerospace sector. They voted against support for tourism businesses. Worse still, they voted against the Plains of Abraham. How on earth are Conservative MPs from Quebec going to explain to Quebeckers why they voted against the Plains of Abraham? It is crazy. Here on this side of the House, we are going to fight for Canadians. We are going to fight for jobs. We are going to fight for growth.
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