44th Parl. 1st Sess.
March 20, 2024 02:00PM
- Mar/20/24 3:16:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition is flailing in every way he can to try to divert attention away from the fact that his members voted against a request made by President Zelenskyy himself to support a Canada-Ukraine free trade deal. The reality is that constituents across the country feel betrayed by the Conservative Party voting against Ukraine.
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- Mar/20/24 3:16:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Ukrainians asked for us to give missiles. The Conservatives support Ukraine, not giving turbines and detonators to Russia, which is what he has done.
The Prime Minister has failed Ukrainians abroad, and he has failed Canadians at home. Canadians are good and decent people. They do not have to live this way. They do not have to give up the things they used to take for granted, such as affordable food and homes, all for the incompetence and ego of one man. He is not worth the cost or the corruption.
Will he call a carbon tax election so Canadians can decide?
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- Mar/20/24 3:17:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, members can notice how desperate the Leader of the Opposition is to try to find any excuse he can to justify their voting against Ukraine. Suddenly, he is not talking about the price on pollution that Ukraine put in itself years ago. He is not using that as an excuse, even though that was all we heard as a justification for why they voted against Ukraine, voted against Ukrainian Canadians and voted against the reconstruction of Ukraine, which we are committed to through a free trade agreement.
He stood in the House and voted against Ukraine, and he is now trying to do anything he can to hide from it. He let down Ukraine, and that showed who he is.
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- Mar/20/24 3:18:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, climate change is a reality that impacts my constituents in Ottawa—Vanier. They have asked the government to reduce emissions while putting more money back in their pockets. That is why, every year, they receive $1,120 from the Canada carbon rebate.
While Conservative politicians fail to recognize that climate change is real and that there is an even greater cost of inaction, can the Prime Minister inform Canadians—
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- Mar/20/24 3:19:15 p.m.
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Order. I would ask the member for Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier to restrain himself while someone is asking a question.
The hon. member for Ottawa—Vanier.
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- Mar/20/24 3:19:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, while Conservative politicians fail to recognize that climate change is real and that there is an even greater cost of inaction, can the Prime Minister inform Canadians as to why our plan is so important?
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- Mar/20/24 3:19:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Ottawa—Vanier for her hard work. The opposition leader would take away over $1,000 from families in Ontario every year. That amount might be minimal to him when he is cashing his CCB cheque, but it is not to middle-class families.
We now know why he wants to take money away from Canadians. He is in the pocket of big business. We learned from media reports that he was partying with oil lobbyists and CEOs at private, cash-for-access fundraisers in Banff just last year. He cares about his wealthy donors getting richer. He does not care about—
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- Mar/20/24 3:20:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, families in Nanaimo—Ladysmith and across Canada should not have to worry about how to keep their kids fed while at school. A national school food program would make sure kids get the food they need to grow and learn, but the Liberals have been delaying for years. What about the Conservatives? They voted against feeding kids while putting the profits of CEOs first.
Children should not be left to go hungry. Will the Prime Minister make sure a national school food program is in the spring budget?
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- Mar/20/24 3:21:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, like all members in the House, the member is going to have to wait until April 16 to find out what is in the budget.
I can give people a preview right now. There will be support on housing. There will be help on affordability for Canadians. There will be opportunities to invest in growing the economy and creating good jobs for the future while we help Canadians through tough times right now. We are focused on young people. We are focused on seniors. We are going to keep delivering, including by working with provinces on important programs like school food programs.
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- Mar/20/24 3:21:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, thanks to the powerful advocacy of people with disabilities across the country, every MP in the House supported legislation meant to lift people with disabilities out of poverty. Nine months later, there is still no commitment from the government to fund what will be called the Canada disability benefit.
When it came to MAID legislation, this government sure moved fast to make sure that people with disabilities could die well. Will the Prime Minister show he is ready to ensure that people with disabilities live well and commit to a fully funded benefit in budget 2024?
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- Mar/20/24 3:22:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the member is better than the question he just asked. He knows that it is really important to be there both to protect people when they are most vulnerable and to support their wishes. That is something that is foundational in Canada.
In regard to people living with disabilities, we have invested more in people with disabilities over the past eight years than ever before, and there is more to do.
We were very, very pleased to move forward on the Canada disability benefit, and we will have more to say in the coming months.
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- Mar/20/24 3:23:47 p.m.
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The hon. member for Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier wishes to raise a question of privilege, but the House decided to proceed directly to the vote. After the vote, we will continue with questions of privilege.
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- Mar/20/24 3:24:52 p.m.
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It being 3:23 p.m., the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion to concur in the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Science and Research.
Call in the members.
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- Mar/20/24 3:38:07 p.m.
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I declare the motion carried.
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- Mar/20/24 3:38:49 p.m.
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The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion of the member for Regina—Qu'Appelle relating to the business of supply.
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- Mar/20/24 3:50:04 p.m.
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I declare the motion lost.
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- Mar/20/24 4:02:11 p.m.
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I declare the motion carried.
Accordingly, the bill stands referred to the Standing Committee on Finance.
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- Mar/20/24 4:03:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I had difficulties with the app. I am hoping there will be unanimous consent to have my vote counted in favour.
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- Mar/20/24 4:03:28 p.m.
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Is it agreed?
Some hon. members: Agreed.
The Speaker: I wish to inform the House that because of the deferred recorded divisions, Government Orders will be extended by 36 minutes.
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- Mar/20/24 4:03:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I wish to raise a question of privilege.
On this International Day of La Francophonie, the fact that our institution behaved this way is a bit of an embarrassment.
I rise today on a question of privilege concerning the Liberal government's chaotic attempt to amend the New Democratic Party's opposition motion, moved on Monday. On Monday evening, with one minute left to debate the NDP opposition motion, the Liberal government House leader proposed a long, complex and unilingual amendment. As we know, extensive procedural arguments followed. However, given that the amendment was available in English only, francophone members could not fully participate in the debate.
Furthermore, translation delays prevented members from considering the amendment in French until immediately before the vote. In my opinion, the government's conduct obstructed the ability of francophone members to take part in House business. I consider this obstruction serious enough to constitute a breach of privilege.
House of Commons Procedure and Practice, third edition, states the following at page 111:
A Member may also be obstructed or interfered with in the performance of his or her parliamentary functions by non-physical means. In ruling on such matters, the Speaker examines the effect the incident or event had on the Member's ability to fulfill his or her parliamentary responsibilities. If, in the Speaker's view, the Member was not obstructed in the performance of his or her parliamentary duties and functions, then a prima facie breach of privilege cannot be found.
It is impossible to codify all incidents which might be interpreted as matters of obstruction, interference, molestation or intimidation and, as such, constitute prima facie cases of privilege.
We have an absolute constitutional right to use either official language in parliamentary proceedings. However, the actions of the Liberal House leader—a member from Quebec no less—on Monday night diminished the ability of francophone members to participate in very important procedural deliberations in the House. The hon. member for Gatineau treated francophone members of this place like second-class members.
I would also refer the Speaker to Standing Order 65, which reads as follows:
All motions shall be in writing, and seconded, before being debated or put from the chair. When a motion is seconded, it shall be read in English and in French by the Speaker, if he or she be familiar with both languages; if not, the Speaker shall read the motion in one language and direct the clerk of the table to read it in the other, before debate.
Unfortunately, neither the Speaker nor the clerk was able to read the amendment in French because it did not exist in French. It is shameful, it is shocking, and frankly, for an officially bilingual country, it is embarrassing. For those who do not know, the use of both official languages, French and English, in Canada and more specifically here in the House of Commons, has been required under the Constitution since Confederation.
If the Chair agrees that there is a prima facie question of privilege, I am ready to move the appropriate motion. I thank the Chair for his attention.
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