44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 29, 2024 10:00AM
- Feb/29/24 2:58:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I understand that the Bloc Québécois is always trying to pick a fight.
When I spoke with Minister Dubé from Quebec, it was clear that his objective was to co-operate to find a solution. In our health care system, I think that Canadians and Quebeckers want politicians, elected members, who look for solutions, not pick a fight. That is why I am sure that we will reach an agreement with Quebec.
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Mr. Speaker, federal pharmacare is not necessarily just around the corner.
Bill C-64 talks about a principle “to consider when working towards the implementation of national universal pharmacare”. In other words, it is basically just another election promise. Frankly, the NDP got bought off cheap.
If, after discussing a principle to consider when when working towards implementation, Ottawa actually were to someday end up with pharmacare, which Quebec already has, will Quebec be able to opt out with full compensation?
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- Feb/29/24 2:59:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, this year, for the first time in the country's history, anyone with diabetes and anyone who need contraceptives will get what they need. This is such a historic announcement. It is going to make a difference for a huge number of people across the country, even in Quebec.
Yesterday, I had a good conversation with Minister Dubé about this. I am sure we can reach an agreement with Quebec as well.
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- Feb/29/24 3:00:39 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, the Liberal-NDP Prime Minister is not worth the cost, the crime or the corruption.
Never before in the history of this great nation have so many people had to resort to food banks. Thousands are now resorting to dumpster diving because they can no longer afford the cost of food.
Will the Prime Minister show some compassion and cancel the April 1 carbon tax hike?
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- Feb/29/24 3:01:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that colleague is from Ontario where I am from and the climate rebate that Ontarians will receive is over $1,100. That is for a family of four. I am not surprised, though, to hear that member and the Conservatives continue to bring up these points. They want to take money out of the pockets of Canadians.
Today, historic legislation was tabled in the House of Commons with respect to pharmacare. The Leader of the Opposition ran away when asked if he would support pharmacare. When it comes to student loans and helping students, and when it comes to EI and pensions in particular, the Conservatives are nowhere to be seen. They want to make cuts. They are a party of austerity.
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- Feb/29/24 3:01:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians are getting back far less from the government than they are paying in hard-earned taxes.
According to Second Harvest, this year will see a 30% rise in the demand for food charity in some regions. Where I live in southern Ontario, we produce food to feed the entire nation, yet so many families there still do not have enough income to cover basic food expenses.
Why will the government not do the right thing and cancel the 23% carbon tax hike on April 1 so that Canadian families can afford food again.
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- Feb/29/24 3:02:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that gloom-and-doom member who wants to take Canada out of the UN needs to know a bit of good news for a change. We have had many months of good news for Canadians. Just recently, Statistics Canada announced that in January we gained 37,000 new jobs, and there are one million more Canadians working than before the pandemic. The unemployment rate is at 5.7% and wage growth is outpacing inflation, and that is even more true for women. We would think that member would care about such things.
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- Feb/29/24 3:03:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, common-sense Conservatives would axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime, because after eight years, Canadians know that the Prime Minister is not worth the cost, crime or corruption.
Life has never been more expensive in this country. One million Canadians will be relying on food banks this year alone and still the Prime Minister is hell-bent on hiking the carbon tax by 23% on April 1.
Why will the Prime Minister not cancel his carbon tax increase and help make life more affordable for Canadians?
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- Feb/29/24 3:04:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians have had enough of the gloom and doom coming from over there. The Conservatives are deliberately ignoring the truth about how our government has supported Canadians—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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- Feb/29/24 3:04:12 p.m.
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The hon. government House leader.
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Mr. Speaker, 2.3 million Canadians have been lifted out of poverty since this government took office and started caring about Canadians by putting supports in place that those guys had spent all their time cutting. Families throughout Canada have seen their child care fees slashed, in many cases down to $10 a day, thanks to this government and Bill C-35 that we are getting ready to pass today.
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- Feb/29/24 3:05:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Black Mental Health Week begins next week. It is a time to amplify Black voices and support equity in mental health. It is time to correct the disproportionate lack of Black health researchers, so we can deliver culturally appropriate mental health solutions. It is time to act to improve the wide gap in health outcomes for many Black Canadians that is the result of historical and systemic anti-Black racism.
Can the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions tell us what her department is doing to improve access to culturally safe and informed mental health services for Black communities across the country?
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- Feb/29/24 3:06:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the member is such a tremendous advocate on so many issues that matter to Canadians. Black communities across Canada continue to experience social and economic inequities, which have persisted for far too long and have negative impacts on people's mental health. We know there is more work to do and we are committed to doing it together.
Through programs like the mental health of Black Canadians fund, we are supporting organizations to develop culturally safe, focused, knowledge-based programs with the capacity to improve the mental health of Black Canadians and meet their needs. We will keep working with the Black community across Canada.
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- Feb/29/24 3:06:50 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. Meanwhile, after eight years of the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister, Canadians know he is not worth the cost, the crime or the corruption.
Just yesterday, we learned that in the Prime Minister's $60-million arrive scam, one of the contractors who was paid millions is actually a bureaucrat for the NDP-Liberal government. That is why common-sense Conservatives passed a motion in this House, demanding that the government produce all the documents on the Prime Minister's scandal. Will he stand in this place and commit to releasing every last page?
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- Feb/29/24 3:07:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, 24 hours after we became aware that the CEO of Dalian was a DND employee, we took action. We have suspended all contracts with Dalian. We have suspended the employee and launched an investigation of how this person became an employee of DND in the first place.
We will act to ensure that we protect the integrity of our institutions and our government.
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- Feb/29/24 3:08:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let us say this a little louder for those in the back. We are looking for a commitment from the government to release every page of those documents. After eight years, it is very clear that the Liberals and their NDP-Liberal Prime Minister are not worth the corruption. This is a $60-million scandal, with people in their basements getting paid $20 million and not doing any IT work. Now we have the minister's staff getting paid millions of dollars while Canadians are lined up at food banks.
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
Mr. Michael Barrett: I will ask this loudly so that the minister can hear it: Will they commit, standing in their place, to getting Canadians money back for their corruption?
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- Feb/29/24 3:08:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I will simply remind the member opposite how quickly we acted. This information came to our attention yesterday. Since that time, we have suspended all contracts with Dalian. We have suspended the member and launched a thorough investigation to determine how this individual came to be employed.
We are—
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- Feb/29/24 3:09:09 p.m.
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I expect all colleagues to have respect for each other and to wait their turn to be recognized by the Chair. At that point, when they have the opportunity to speak, I also request that all people listen to them.
The hon. minister.
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- Feb/29/24 3:09:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I do not want to repeat what I have already said, except to remind the members of this House that, when this information came to our attention, we took immediate action. We took the steps necessary to protect Canadians' interests and to remove this individual from our employ.
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- Feb/29/24 3:09:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, common-sense Conservatives will axe the tax. We will build the homes. We will fix the budget. We will stop the crime.
After eight years, the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister is not worth the cost, crime or corruption. Yesterday we learned that yet another company received eight million tax dollars for the arrive scam. However, it gets better: This one was owned by a national defence bureaucrat. The rot continues. Yesterday, Parliament passed our motion to force the government to release all documents and to repay taxpayers.
Will the government end the cover-up and release the documents, yes or no?
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