44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 1, 2024 10:00AM
- Feb/1/24 2:28:17 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, there is a shortfall of 3.5 million housing units according to the CMHC. Meanwhile, the Liberals are increasing immigration levels again in 2024 and 2025. They refuse to spread out asylum seekers among the provinces to alleviate the burden on Quebec. As a result, a heartbroken asylum seeker anonymously told the Journal de Montréal, “I'm scared because I am with my daughter. She is only nine. I do not want to end up on the street.”
When will the Liberals realize that their irresponsible policy is affecting real people?
97 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/24 2:28:56 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, it is true that this affects real people. People should not be treated like cattle. They need to be treated with respect and compassion. It is true that we are making efforts to send asylum seekers to other provinces when they request it, but people need to be treated with respect.
That is why I announced yesterday more than $300 million to house asylum seekers. Canada is not exempt from the historic influx facing the west.
79 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/24 2:29:29 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers never get a break when it comes to buying groceries. Metro's CEO, Eric La Flèche, is telling people to brace themselves because, starting today, eating is going get even more expensive.
What is the Minister of Industry doing? He tells us to keep an eye on the flyers. Then he tells us that he wants to stabilize prices that are already too high. Now he wants another inquiry. That is classic Liberal dithering. We know what the problem is. People are getting pummelled at the cash.
When will this government stand up for people instead of millionaire bosses?
104 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/24 2:30:08 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, every day, we are going to do our work to make life more affordable for Canadians, including addressing the issue of food prices in our country.
Of course, members will recall the introduction of the grocery rebate recently, but we are also putting forward new measures to strengthen our competition laws and are launching recruitment efforts to bring more international grocery chains into Canada, which will create competition in the market place, creating better prices for families.
We are going to continue to do what we can to help people who are struggling, including implementing reforms that will help address the cost of food.
106 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/24 2:30:44 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, Manulife just cut a deal with Galen Weston that forces Canadians to fill their prescriptions at Loblaws. This robs patients of their choice of pharmacist and hurts local community pharmacies. Experts say that this will restrict Canadians' access to over 250 medications. This is not only anti-competitive, but once again shows Liberals putting corporate greed ahead of people's health, while the Conservatives say nothing.
Will the government protect patients and block this corporate collusion, as Quebec has done?
82 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/24 2:31:24 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we are deeply committed to ensuring that Canadians have access to the drugs they need for their health and well-being. We have worked hard to make hundreds of millions of dollars in savings, nearly $300 million in savings, through bulk purchasing.
We are working with provinces and territories through our bilateral agreements to continue to find ways to improve health care across the country and to ensure that Canadians have access to the health care they need.
80 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/24 2:31:50 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, after eight years, the Prime Minister is not worth the cost. The carbon tax is going to drive up food prices again on April 1, when he drives it up by 23%. What is that going to do for food prices?
The Keilstra poultry farm in Okotoks has said it is going to go from paying $180,000 this year to $480,000 when the carbon tax is fully quadrupled. These are hundreds of thousands of dollars in extra taxes that all get passed on to the shoppers in the grocery aisles, and the rebate does not cover any of it.
If the Prime Minister will not axe the tax, will he at least cancel his April 1 increase so food prices do not go up even further?
130 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/24 2:32:33 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, families in my community do raise the cost of food as a very real concern. That is why we put forward measures like the grocery rebate. That is why we are introducing new reforms that will increase competition.
If the Conservatives would like to help, there is something the opposition leader can do. He can pick up the phone. As I am sure he knows, his chief adviser, Jenni Byrne, is actually a registered lobbyist for Loblaws in Ontario.
Before the Conservatives sling arrows at this side of the House, I would invite the opposition leader to do what we all know is one of his favourite things: take a look in the mirror.
116 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/24 2:33:42 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, this from a government that literally wrote a cheque on taxpayer dollars to give Loblaws millions of dollars for new fridges.
I would like to correct the record. It is not families that are raising grocery prices in stores; it is the government with its carbon tax.
The principle of the carbon tax is to make everyday things in life more expensive and more punishing. The Prime Minister does not care because he never has to deal with those costs. He does not have to pay the carbon tax on his flights or put packages of beef back on the shelf.
Will he finally have some mercy on Canadian families and axe the tax?
116 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/24 2:34:27 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I am sure members will agree with me that it is hard to accept criticism from Conservatives when the person responsible for running their campaign is getting paid on the side to lobby to government Loblaws, the giant grocery chain, which is causing families to pay so much more for groceries than they were previously.
On this side of the House, we are going to put measures on the table that are going to help families put food on the table.
The Conservatives will align themselves with big grocery chains. We are going to do everything we can to make life more affordable.
105 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/24 2:35:06 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, today the Conservatives tabled a motion asking the NDP-Liberal carbon tax coalition to cancel its plans to increase the carbon tax on April 1.
After eight years, the Prime Minister is not worth the cost, and farmers' tax bills prove that. The numbers are staggering.
Prairie Gold Produce in southern Alberta is paying $1,500 in carbon taxes every single day. That is unsustainable. It has no option but to pass that onto consumers.
Will the Prime Minister finally axe his plan to increase the carbon tax on April 1 and make food and farming more affordable?
100 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/24 2:35:44 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the impacts of climate change on our agricultural sector are incredible, which is why we have put in place measures to help our farmers diminish their greenhouse gas emissions.
Let us talk about how much the farmers in the ridings of our colleagues have received: in the riding of the member for Carleton, $2.4 million; in the riding of the member for Dufferin—Caledon, $3.7 million; in the riding of the member for Haldimand—Norfolk, $22 million.
83 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/24 2:36:42 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the environment minister is struggling to find some positive numbers.
I will tell him the number. When the Liberals quadruple the carbon tax, it will cost Canadian farmers $1 billion a year. That does not include the GST, also $1 billion, that the Liberals are charging on top of the carbon tax. Higher carbon taxes and more GST will mean higher food costs for Canadians.
When two million Canadians rely on a food bank every single month, the Prime Minister is clearly not worth the cost. How many Canadians need to rely on a food bank before the Prime Minister cancels his plan to increase the carbon tax on April 1?
113 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/24 2:37:24 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I would suggest that Conservative members of Parliament should stop misleading Canadians.
The carbon price is a thoughtful approach that addresses climate change and affordability. Eight out of 10 Canadian families get more money back. The Leader of the Opposition's plan to address the climate issue is to take rebates—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
59 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/24 2:37:38 p.m.
- Watch
Colleagues, some members are having great difficulty hearing the response over the furor. I ask members to allow the answer to be given, so that all members can understand what is being said.
The hon. minister, from the top.
39 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/24 2:38:05 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I would just say that the Conservative Party needs to stop misleading people.
The carbon price is an appropriate and thoughtful way to address climate change in a manner that actually addresses affordability. Eight out of 10 Canadian families get more money back. The Leader of the Conservative Party's plan to address climate change is to take rebates away from Canadian families. It is to let the planet burn. It is to actually ensure that Canada's economic competitiveness will be eroded going forward. He should be ashamed of his thoughtless policy on climate change and the Canadian economy.
102 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/24 2:38:59 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, what the Liberals should be ashamed of is the fact that, after eight years of this Prime Minister, food banks are stretched to the limit because too many Canadians can no longer afford to put food on the table. Things are only going to get worse on April 1 because the Prime Minister is going to further impoverish families with a new carbon tax hike. We can also count on the Bloc Québécois to support that new tax hike because the Bloc Québécois wants to drastically increase the carbon tax.
Rather than carrying out the Bloc Québécois's political will, which will punish families, will the Prime Minister give Canadians a break instead of a bill to pay on April 1?
137 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/24 2:39:37 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, unlike the Conservatives, we are here to support the agricultural industry in the energy transition so that it can produce the food that Canadians need while reducing its greenhouse gas emissions.
In our colleague from Louis-Saint-Laurent's riding, farmers received over $5 million to help them reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and farmers in the riding of Portneuf—Jacques‑Cartier received $1.2 million. We gave farmers across the country $1.5 billion.
What has the Conservative Party done? It voted against all of these measures to support the agricultural industry.
100 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/24 2:40:16 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we will always vote against. These taxes will drive up the price of food and make it impossible for Canadians to feed themselves. They will force two million Canadians to use food banks every month. Of course we will vote against these measures.
I highly doubt the Prime Minister visited a food bank during his $84,000 one-week trip to Jamaica. Surely he has seen how many Canadians go to food banks because they can no longer afford to put food on the table.
Will the Prime Minister cut taxes so that families do not have to cut back on the amount of food they put on the table, yes or no?
115 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/24 2:40:57 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite says that he will vote against. I am going to talk about what the Conservatives voted against.
They voted against the climate action fund to support sustainable agriculture. Last month, they voted against the dairy innovation and investment fund and funding to help supply-managed dairy, poultry and egg producers. That is what they have voted against.
What do they vote for? We are not sure, but it is certainly not for farmers.
78 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
