44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 5, 2024 11:00AM
- Feb/5/24 2:03:20 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Dany Laferrière is a master of both pen and nuance, so much so that he was honoured with the Grand Prix des Ambassadeurs francophones de France in Paris on February 1. Mr. Laferrière received this prestigious literary award for his book Petit traité sur le racisme. It is about racism, a thorny and slippery subject, but one that Laferrière handles in his own inimitable way. He deploys words intuitively, evocatively and thoughtfully, asking questions, but not dictating the answers. His novels and non-fiction writing enable us to enjoy all the charm and fun of different experiences without having to endure the attendant suffering.
I saw Dany Laferrière in Paris in October. He was staying at an artists' residence, where he doled out bon mots and a stream of laughter in his honeyed accent, dazzling those who feel deeply and seek nothing more than to be a part of the crowd.
For all of these reasons, I am honoured to share the news of this prestigious award, which is an honour for Quebec and Haiti too.
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- Feb/5/24 2:04:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this past weekend I had the privilege of attending the Aurora Black Community gala to celebrate Black History Month.
This wonderful sold-out evening featured the talents and achievements of the local Black community. Our Prime Minister sent a personal message to Phiona Durrant, the indomitable president of ABC, which I had the pleasure of presenting to her.
The Hon. Jean Augustine, the force behind Black History Month was present as a guest of honour. Our Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities joined us to underscore the importance of this month.
As allies we join together in these meaningful celebrations, but we must also continue the important work alongside organizations, such as ABC, to support Black communities, combat systemic racism and ensure that every Canadian has equal opportunities to benefit from all Canada has to offer.
Our government has made significant investments to support Black communities and will continue to do so. ABC's theme this year is “forward together, forward for all”, and that is exactly what we must do: move Canada forward, together, for all.
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- Feb/5/24 2:05:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Yukon know the Prime Minister is not worth the cost.
From his NDP-Liberal government's own 2023 northern housing report, after eight years housing starts in Yukon are down 19.3%. Housing starts are down 21.2% in Northwest Territories. Fewer than 20% of families can afford to purchase a home in Nunavut, and if someone is lucky enough to have a house in Nunavut, their mortgage payment went from $2,000 a month to $3,200 a month in just one year.
Northerners have a choice in the next election: the costly coalition NDP-Liberal government and its quadrupling of the carbon tax, its northern housing crisis, its wasteful spending, its 30-year high murder rates or our common-sense plan to axe the tax, build homes, fix the budget and stop the crime.
It is time to bring it home.
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- Feb/5/24 2:06:40 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians and Liberals are very much concerned about the price of groceries, a very serious issue. It is one of the reasons we brought in the Competition Act.
Let me talk about a lady by the name of Jennie Byrne. Jennie Byrne was the leadership campaign manager for the leader of the Conservative Party. Did members know that she still is the senior adviser to the leader of the Conservative Party? She is also an active adviser to Loblaws. She is the one who is telling Loblaws, which is making billions of dollars, what it should be doing.
Not to be outdone, the deputy leader of the Conservative Party, and I cannot make this up, is the former advocate for Walmart. We can talk about conflict. How dare the Conservatives try to say that they are on the side of Canadians, when it comes to grocery prices? That is just not true.
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- Feb/5/24 2:07:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today I rise to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 251, proudly celebrated on January 27. I congratulate them. They make us proud, and we are honoured to count on the strength and service the legion offers to our constituents.
For 60 years, the members of branch 251, in the riding of Vimy, have nurtured the values of dedication, sacrifice and community spirit. In Laval, we are proud to attend the annual Armistice Day parade.
Because of their local initiatives, their caring treatment of veterans, the inspiration they provide to our cadet corps, and their role as stewards of our heritage, they are now and forever woven into the fabric of our community.
I thank them for encouraging the commemoration of our fallen heroes and for sharing the principles that bind us as Canadians.
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- Feb/5/24 2:08:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years, Canadians know the Prime Minister is not worth the cost. Rural Canadians in particular no longer have a government that works for them. No government has failed to represent rural Canadians more than the current Liberal-NDP coalition. The Prime Minister has neglected, divided and punished rural Canadians for simply living their rural way of life.
The good news is that Canadians will have a clear choice in the next election, a choice between a costly Liberal-NDP coalition that would raise their taxes, double their housing costs and allow crime and chaos in their communities, or Conservatives who would restore hope for all Canadians. The common-sense Conservative plan is straightforward: axe the carbon tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime.
Only Conservatives would help rural Canada and all Canadians.
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- Feb/5/24 2:09:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour an unsung hero of Canadian basketball.
Ben Newman, a St. Catharines businessman, staged the first ever NBA game and brought Toronto its first professional basketball team. At only 26, he went to New York to represent Canada at what was then called the Basketball Association of America. In 1946, Newman was essential in organizing the NBA's inaugural game, where the New York Knickerbockers narrowly beat the Toronto Huskies 68 to 66. At the time, The Globe and Mail said Newman was "considered one of the dominion's greatest authorities on the sport." While the Huskies only played for one season, two of their players are now honoured in the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame. In this House we know Toronto continues to excel in the NBA.
Ben Newman left a legacy of generosity and joy for his family, for St. Catharines and for all Canadian basketball fans. He is remembered by his wife Sheila, his daughter Francine and his grandson Jordon, who continue to share his story. Newman will also be on this year's ballot as a builder of the game at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Massachusetts. I hope his impact will be remembered here and throughout Canada.
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- Feb/5/24 2:10:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberal-NDP government has created a made-in-Canada housing crisis. Our country is now the least affordable housing market in the entire world, and the Prime Minister's costly policies have only made matters worse. Retirees are now living in laundry rooms, millennials are living in their parents' basements, students are living under bridges and Canadians of all ages are having to choose between paying their rent or mortgage, and putting food on the table and heating their homes.
Investing in a home of one's own is about shelter, but it is also about independence, stability and opportunities. These dreams used to be available and achievable for any Canadian, but not anymore. The Liberals have no real solutions to fix their made-in-Canada housing crisis. After eight years, the chickens have come home to roost, or at least they would if they had a home.
Conservatives will build the homes, fix the budget, axe the tax and stop the crime. Now, let us go.
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- Feb/5/24 2:12:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years, the Liberal government has allowed catch-and-release criminals to cause chaos in our streets, resulting in car theft numbers unlike anything we have ever seen in the past.
According to the Liberal government's own news release, auto thefts in Toronto are up 300% since 2015. What happened in 2015? The Liberal government happened in 2015. This auto theft crisis has happened under its watch and ports are full of stolen cars waiting to be shipped overseas while Canadians are left paying the price through increased insurance premiums.
The Liberal-NDP coalition and Prime Minister are not worth the costs. Change is needed, and only Conservatives would increase the mandatory minimum penalty for a third offence of motor vehicle theft. We would repeal the catch-and-release rules in the government's bill, Bill C-75, to ensure repeat offenders get jail and not bail.
A Conservative government would hit the brakes on car theft, protect the property of Canadians and bring home safe streets. It is just common sense.
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- Feb/5/24 2:13:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, while Loblaw profits are at an all-time high so are Canadian grocery bills, and who is working to keep it that way? The Leader of the Opposition's campaign manager and top political adviser.
Last week we learned Jenni Byrne, a senior Conservative adviser, is currently listed as an active lobbyist for Loblaw all while she participates in Conservative caucus meetings and has daily calls with the Leader of the Opposition to set strategy.
While Jenni Byrne has been profiting off the anti-competitive practices of Loblaw, the Leader of the Opposition has been profiting off her counsel on exploiting Canadians' anxieties over grocery prices. Now it all makes sense why Conservative MPs have been putting up roadblocks on legislation to combat predatory pricing and anti-competition practices.
On this side of the House, we will keep working to combat high grocery prices despite the interests of Conservative insiders.
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- Feb/5/24 2:14:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour the work of volunteer firefighters and search and rescue teams across northwest B.C. These folks give a tremendous amount of their personal time both training and responding to calls, and they do it for one reason: to protect their neighbours. It is one of the truest expressions of community there is.
I want to give a special tribute today to the volunteers of Terrace Search and Rescue, who responded to the tragic helicopter crash in our region on January 22 that claimed four lives. Their skilled response in difficult winter conditions was invaluable.
There is a small way we can recognize volunteer contributions like this, and that is by increasing the income tax deduction for fire and search and rescue volunteers from $3,000 to $10,000. I am proud to stand with my colleague, the member for Courtenay—Alberni, and our entire caucus in supporting this one important change.
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- Feb/5/24 2:15:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Under-18 Curling Championships kick off this week, and the riding of Jonquière will be represented in Ottawa by the Fortin-Lafrance team from Kénogami.
This team was named Curling Québec's team of the year for the 2021-22 season and are sure to do our region proud. This year is particularly special for the member for Lac-Saint-Jean and me, because the two teams representing Quebec in Ottawa are from our magnificent region, which just goes to show how much talent we have back home. We are so proud to see these young athletes come here to represent Quebec and showcase the next generation of athletes from Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean.
I would like to close by wishing Jolianne, Megan, Mégane, Emy and their coach Brandon the best of luck in this tournament, on behalf of myself and everyone in Jonquière. Congratulations to the team. They have our full support.
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Mr. Speaker, Bill C-234 is asking for a carbon tax carve-out for farmers. The PBO has stated that this bill will save Canadian farmers $1 billion by 2030. By fighting to keep the carbon tax on farmers, Liberals are voting to keep grocery prices high. Everyone knows that when we tax the farmer who grows the food and the trucker who ships the food, we tax the buyer who buys the food.
The Liberal government is sending two million people per month to food banks. The number of people eating at food banks in Toronto today would fill the Rogers Centre seven times. Seniors are the fastest-growing users of food banks. The Liberal environment minister admitted at committee that he called six senators and pressured them to cut the bill.
The Liberals want to continue with their plan to quadruple the carbon tax on farmers, from 14¢ to 61¢ a litre. Our Conservative amendment will reject the Senate changes and restore this bill to its original plan.
The Conservatives will axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime.
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- Feb/5/24 2:17:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, last week, we learned that the Conservatives' top adviser, Jenni Byrne, is also a lobbyist for Loblaws. Maybe this explains why Conservative MPs have been blocking legislation to deal with predatory pricing. Six leaders and counting, but it is the same old Conservative Party that promised to stand up for Canadians. In reality, they are making deals behind closed doors to help their wealthy connected friends.
We know those Conservatives love a slogan, so here is one for Canadians to remember. The Leader of the Opposition will raise grocery prices in their homes, my home. They are going to bring higher prices home.
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- Feb/5/24 2:18:26 p.m.
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- Re: Bill C-5
Mr. Speaker, it is costly to vote for the Bloc Québécois.
The Bloc Québécois voted for the Liberal legislation that came out of Bill C‑75, which allows car thieves to be released on bail the same day they are arrested. The Bloc Québécois voted for the legislation that came out of Bill C‑5, which allows car thieves to serve their sentence at home. These laws have resulted in a 100% increase in car theft in Montreal and a 300% increase in Toronto.
Will the government reverse its policies and replace them with a common-sense policy to put an end to this problem?
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- Feb/5/24 2:19:12 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this week, the Leader of the Opposition is pretending to care about auto theft. Last week, he was pretending to care about the price of groceries.
Now we find out that his campaign director is a in charge of lobbying for Loblaw behind the scenes, in the back rooms of the Conservative Party.
My question for the opposition leader is this: What did he promise his campaign director?
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- Feb/5/24 2:19:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what I promised to do was axe the tax and lower income taxes.
We are also going to reduce the cost of auto theft. Today I announced a common-sense plan to end house arrest, to end automatic parole for auto thieves and to make three-year prison sentences mandatory after three auto thefts.
Will the government stop the crime it has caused with this common-sense plan?
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- Feb/5/24 2:20:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the leader of the opposition loves to talk about clarity in the House. Well, I have some questions for him.
What did his campaign manager tell him about the cost of living and grocery prices in Canada? What kind of feedback did he promise to give his campaign manager? After all, without her he would have no career in politics. He would not be in politics, were it not for her. What did he promise her? She speaks to his caucus behind the scenes. What is she saying to Conservatives about the cost of living and grocery prices in Canada? Talk about hypocrisy.
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- Feb/5/24 2:21:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what I promised was to axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime.
The Prime Minister, with the support of the NDP, passed catch and release that allows career car thieves to be released the same day they are caught stealing cars, to have house arrest and to have shorter sentences, many of which they serve in their living rooms watching Netflix. That has led to a 100% increase in car theft in Montreal and Ottawa, and a 300% increase in Toronto.
Will the Liberals reverse these disastrous and reckless policies so we can stop the crime?
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- Feb/5/24 2:21:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, of course, this government has a comprehensive plan on auto theft. It is interesting, though, that the leader, last week, was pretending to care about food prices and about competition in the grocery sector. This week, he is pretending to care about auto theft.
We have found out that his campaign manager, the woman to whom he owes the leadership of his party, is addressing him and his caucus and advising them on food prices. What is her advice and what does he owe his campaign manager?
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