44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 27, 2024 10:00AM
- Feb/27/24 2:35:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the difference between that side of the House and this side of the House is that we do not deny the existence of climate change; we want to protect it for generations to come.
Are you going to take money away from Canadian families, Mr. Speaker, by voting against $1,200 for Ontario families, $1,800 for Alberta families and $1,200 for Manitoba families? That is taking money away from Canadians by telling them they are not going to have the rebates and voting against them. That is not common sense.
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- Feb/27/24 2:36:31 p.m.
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I encourage members on both sides of the House to allow those asking and answering questions to do so uninterrupted. It is hard for the Speaker to understand at times.
Perhaps the President of the Treasury Board was referring to the Speaker, but I will remind members that comments are made through the Speaker.
The hon. member for Thornhill has the floor.
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- Feb/27/24 2:36:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Liberal-NDP government, carbon taxes are driving up the cost of food. People are literally turning to dumpsters because they cannot afford groceries. A report from the Toronto Star says dumpster diving is a new trend. Here is what one will not read in the Star: Conservatives will axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime.
What does the Toronto Star have to write in order for the radical environment minister to show some compassion and stop the 23% April 1 tax hike for all Canadians?
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- Feb/27/24 2:37:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I said, on this side of the House, we will continue to fight climate change while putting money back into the pockets of Canadian families. As I mentioned, that means we are going to be providing rebates to Canadians, money back in their pockets, which the Conservatives are going to vote against. I ask the opposition: When are its members going to stop cutting supports to Canadians and pay attention to the most vulnerable in this country?
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- Feb/27/24 2:38:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the radical environment minister will not even get up and answer the question. He could not sell his own carbon tax, which the Prime Minister had to rebrand. How is he going to rebrand dumpster diving? This is a minister who wants to ban cars, ban roads, ban Canadian energy, ban straws and ban stoves and tell Canadians that they have it better.
We all know that, after eight years, this tired government and the environment minister are out of control. Will someone over there stand up for struggling Canadians and let him walk back his carbon tax hike, as he has to do with everything else?
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- Feb/27/24 2:39:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House we will be standing up for Canadians. Every single member on this side of the House is wanting to stand up.
While the Conservatives would like to make up a story, they can just look at our record. We have led the industrial revolution in electric cars. We have brought more investment—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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- Feb/27/24 2:39:28 p.m.
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Order. There are some members whose voices carry, and they know who they are. I would ask them to please keep their voices down and allow the hon. member to finish his answer.
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- Feb/27/24 2:40:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind members of what Canadians know: On this side of the House, we believe we can fight climate change and have a prosperous future for our children. We brought Stellantis into this country. We brought Volkswagen into this country. We brought Northvolt into this country.
We have created jobs for the next generation, fought climate change and ensured that Canada will lead in the 21st century.
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- Feb/27/24 2:41:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, while Conservatives will axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime, the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister is not worth the cost, the crime or the corruption.
One in five families is living in energy poverty, and we know that rate is even higher in rural areas, such as northern Ontario. While they laugh about it, why does the Prime Minister not finally axe his April carbon tax hike so that Canadians can afford to heat their homes?
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- Feb/27/24 2:42:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think that member of Parliament needs to be unplugged from the wall and plugged back in, but here is what I hope will happen when that reboot occurs: I hope he will get up from his place, walk down to the Leader of the Opposition and say “Pass the fall economic statement; help Canadians. Pass child care; help the moms and dads out there who are waiting for those needed supports.” He can tell that to his leader. When will that member, instead of trying to get his leader's lines right, stand up for Canadians and get them the supports that they need?
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- Feb/27/24 2:43:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, no matter how much they try to distract or deny, their plan is simply not working. The carbon tax is not an environmental plan; emissions are on the rise. More Canadians are paying more in the tax than they are getting back in rebates. One in five families is living in energy poverty, and two million Canadians are going to a food bank every single month.
How much more must Canadians struggle before the Liberals finally listen to our common-sense plan and axe the tax?
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- Feb/27/24 2:43:41 p.m.
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I think a lot of Canadians at home noticed how the hon. member for Kenora was able to ask his question relatively free from interruption.
I am going to ask the hon. minister to respond. The hon. Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
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- Feb/27/24 2:44:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, while Conservatives still debate whether climate change is real, while some of those members say that climate change is actually created by body heat from humans and others say that carbon dioxide is good for the planet, 200,000 farmers in the last decade have said that they have experienced the impacts of climate change, making food costs go up. There is no link between carbon pricing and food prices, but there is a link between climate change impacts and food prices.
What is the Conservative response? It is more climate change.
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday, members from all parties—Liberal, Conservative, NDP and Bloc—unanimously voted to do away with two classes of seniors when it comes to receiving old age security.
Members will recall that the government had decided to limit benefit increases to those aged 75 and over only. In committee, MPs from all parties voted to do away with this terrible idea. Now, the government just needs to give royal recommendation so that we can do away with these two classes of seniors.
Will the government give royal recommendation to Bill C‑319?
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- Feb/27/24 2:46:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, since 2015, we have been there for seniors. Increasing old age security was the right thing to do. They are more likely to outlive their savings, have disabilities and need health care.
We also increased the guaranteed income supplement, improved the Canada pension plan and introduced a new dental plan.
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- Feb/27/24 2:46:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when it comes to the asylum seekers file, the Minister of Immigration has some nerve. It has been since 2021 that Quebec has been calling on the federal government to reimburse the costs and ensure that asylum seekers are spread out among the provinces. It has been three years.
Today, the minister has the nerve to say that the Government of Quebec did not seem serious about sitting down to discuss this. He complains that Quebec suddenly threw out some figures at a press conference.
Does he realize that if he had been paying his debt since 2021 and negotiating instead of hiding that there would not be a problem today?
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- Feb/27/24 2:47:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think that it is fair to talk about reality. Imagine if I send someone a bill for $500, we talk and the next day I hold a press conference to double the bill without justification. That is kind of what we are dealing with here. We are responsible governments.
For my part, I talk to the people in my riding, in downtown Montreal, who are welcoming asylum seekers. They have not received one red cent from the Government of Quebec. These sums need to be justified. We are prepared to work with the Government of Quebec.
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- Feb/27/24 2:47:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the bill would not be as high if the federal government dealt with asylum claims in a timely fashion. Former Liberal minister David Heurtel reminded us of that in the Journal de Montréal. Quebec experienced the same problems in 2018 under Philippe Couillard. Even then, Quebec was already asking the federal government to reduce wait times. Something that is supposed to take a maximum of 60 days should never take a minimum of 60 months. Six years later, nothing has changed. According to the former Liberal minister, the federal government's inaction is criminal.
When will the minister finally address these criminal, inhumane and extremely costly delays?
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- Feb/27/24 2:48:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the member is partly right. It is true that there has been a historic influx of asylum seekers in Canada and that those numbers have gone up by about 50% to 60%. There is more work to be done, but it does not involve sending money to Quebec because Quebec does not spend that money on asylum seekers.
I admit that the distribution of asylum seekers must be fair, and we are working on that. For example, a lot of people move to Ontario. We are helping them, but these people have to give their consent. First and foremost, we need to treat people humanely. We are willing to do that, and I am sure that Quebec is too.
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- Feb/27/24 2:49:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, common-sense Conservatives will axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime. After eight years of the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister, he is not worth the cost, the crime or the corruption.
Today, the commissioner of the RCMP confirmed that the Liberals' scandal-plagued $60-million arrive scam app is, in fact, under RCMP investigation. We have seen the Prime Minister use the powers of the executive to try to shield himself from criminal investigations, just as he did with his trip to the Aga Khan's island and the SNC-Lavalin scandal, for both of which he was found guilty of breaking the ethics act.
Will the Prime Minister fully co-operate with the RCMP investigation?
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