44th Parl. 1st Sess.
April 8, 2024 11:00AM
- Apr/8/24 2:16:58 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I want to offer our condolences to the family and friends of Jacob Flickinger, who died on April 1 in Gaza.
An aid worker for the World Central Kitchen, Mr. Flickinger grew up in Saint‑Georges, in Beauce, before moving to Stoneham and heading to the United States, where he lived with his wife and their one-year old baby.
He went to Gaza to help. Like thousands of aid workers, he risked his own life to go to Gaza to spread a bit of hope in a territory that has been devastated since the beginning of the conflict with Israel. In war time, often when the worst atrocities are committed, we must remember those who are ready to sacrifice their lives in the name of humanity and fraternity.
I thank Mr. Flickinger for his self-sacrifice and his generosity. May world leaders learn from his courage and his conviction and finally find a solution to this unending and intolerable conflict.
176 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/8/24 2:17:56 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the costly and punishing carbon tax is hurting Canadians. Families are being forced to choose between filling up their tanks, heating their homes or feeding their families. Not only have Conservatives given this NDP-Liberal government several different opportunities to spike the hike and axe the carbon tax, but seven out of 10 provincial premiers, municipalities across the country and millions of Canadians have also came out in opposition to the April 1 hike. However, what was the Prime Minister's response? It was to let them eat cake.
Last week's 23% hike on gas, heat and groceries is another hit to Canadians who cannot afford it. Today, in Lloydminster and provincial border communities across the country, Canadians are protesting this devastating carbon tax. The Prime Minister cannot keep ignoring the pain and the suffering that this ineffective and costly carbon tax is causing them because, in the next election, Canadians will not let him.
158 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/8/24 2:19:18 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, seniors in my riding can count on Chebucto Links for help putting healthy food on their kitchen tables. Every two weeks, its team delivers 10-pound produce bundles directly to seniors' doors for just $5. With new support from the United Way, those bundles are now completely free, and double the number of seniors will receive them. This is great news for residents of Fairview and Clayton Park, and it has been made possible by the vision of the United Way and the selfless efforts of the volunteers at Chebucto Links.
Fighting food insecurity and supporting seniors are critical priorities. That is why our dental care plan is being rolled out to older Canadians now and why we are launching a national school food program. When we tackle issues alongside community organizations, big things get done. I thank Rachel and her entire team.
145 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/8/24 2:20:04 p.m.
- Watch
I have the honour to inform the House that the Clerk of the House has received from the Chief Electoral Officer a certificate of the election and return of Mr. Jivani, member for the electoral district of Durham.
38 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/8/24 2:22:06 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, while the common-sense Conservatives want to axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime, the Prime Minister is not worth the cost.
When it comes to inflation, after eight years, the Prime Minister is like a pyromaniac firefighter who is spraying gas instead of water on the inflationary fire. Does the Prime Minister realize that his billions of dollars in spending are putting the heat and the costs on taxpayers?
78 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/8/24 2:22:46 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, if the Conservatives want to talk about the economy, I am more than happy to do so.
I can say that 1.2 million more Canadians have a roof over their head today than before the pandemic, and 2.3 million Canadians have been lifted out of poverty since we took office. We will continue to invest in Canadians, rather than cut programs like the Conservatives would do.
72 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/8/24 2:23:12 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, while the common-sense Conservatives want to fix the budget to bring down inflation and interest rates, the Prime Minister is not worth the cost of mortgages.
According to Scotiabank's chief economist, this Prime Minister's inflationary deficits are increasing interest rates by 2% and preventing the Bank of Canada from lowering them. Canadians could lose their homes because of big multi-billion dollar announcements of inflationary spending. Will the Prime Minister acknowledge that this spending and these mortgages are not worth the cost?
87 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/8/24 2:24:26 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we are going to invest in Canadians. That is why we are going to help every generation move forward, especially young Canadians, by building more homes faster and by making life more affordable.
This Conservative leader does not understand affordability, does not understand housing, does not understand the economy and does not understand the environment. Everyone deserves a fair chance to succeed. We are putting fairness front and centre.
71 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/8/24 2:24:30 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we do have a common-sense Conservative plan to axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime while the Prime Minister is not worth the cost after eight years.
On inflation, with all of his multi-billion dollar announcements, he is like the pyromaniac pretending to be a fireman, except the hose is spraying gas on the inflationary fire, rather than water. According to Scotiabank's chief economist, the inflationary deficits are driving up mortgage payments.
Does the Prime Minister not realize that all of his spending is putting the heat and the costs on our homeowners?
104 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/8/24 2:25:08 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the government has a plan for an affordable and prosperous future. We have a plan that is focused on ensuring that we are building more homes faster, making life more affordable and growing an economy that works for all Canadians. The Conservative leader has no plan for affordability other than a bunch of tag lines. He has no plan for addressing the environment. He has no plan for the economy.
We believe in ensuring that Canadians have a fair chance to succeed, and we are acting on that.
90 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/8/24 2:25:39 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, our plan is to axe the tax and cap the spending to bring down inflation and interest rates. We will have a carbon tax election, and people will choose whether they want to quadruple the tax to 61¢ with the NDP and the Prime Minister, or axe the tax under my common-sense leadership. In the meantime, people cannot afford to eat.
Will the Prime Minister show a little bit of compassion and accept my common-sense demand to axe the tax on farmers and food?
89 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/8/24 2:26:13 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, it is laughable when I hear the Conservative leader talk about affordability. He mentioned in a previous question some concerns he has around our housing policy. His plan to build more homes is to cut investments in homebuilding and to raise taxes on those who are building homes. When it comes to actually changing the ways cities build homes, his deputy leader held a press conference to explicitly declare that the Conservatives were siding with the NIMBYs when it comes to zoning reform.
We are going to do what is necessary to put money on the table to build more affordable housing, create market conditions to get more homes built and change the way that cities build homes so we can solve the housing crisis.
127 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/8/24 2:26:49 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the minister caused the housing crisis. Under his role as housing minister, the amount of a paycheque necessary to make payments on an average mortgage has gone up to a record-smashing 64% from 38%. He is the only one, along with the Prime Minister, who wants to raise taxes on homebuilding with a massive carbon tax on the building materials that go into assembling homes.
Will the Prime Minister, instead of hiking the tax, accept my common-sense demand to axe the tax on farmers, food and houses at the same time?
95 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/8/24 2:27:30 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, it is interesting because he has actually put his plan on the record. His plan includes putting the GST back on apartment construction for hundreds of thousands of middle-class homes in this country.
He has one of the worst records of anyone in the past decade when it comes to getting homes built, from when he had the position responsible for housing in Parliament. While he was minister, they built exactly zero new apartments, zero co-operative units and only six affordable housing units across the entire country.
We are helping get hundreds of thousands of homes built in this country, and we will do what it takes to solve the crisis once and for all.
119 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/8/24 2:28:10 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, after pharmacare, dental care and medical assistance in dying, we thought that the federal government was done interfering in areas under Quebec's jurisdiction, but that is not the case. The Liberals have announced that, now, they also want to tell Quebeckers how to build housing.
We are talking about the same government that lost control of immigration, that caused the ArriveCAN scandal, that cannot pay its own employees through Phoenix, that caused an unforgettable passport crisis and that cannot manage its own borders. Imagine. This same government wants to tell the provinces and Quebec how to do things.
Seriously, are the Liberals not even a little bit embarrassed about this?
113 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/8/24 2:28:53 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, is the Bloc Québécois against investing in housing in Quebec, against investing in our child care centres and against making sure that young children in Quebec are going to school with full bellies instead of empty ones? If so, then they can do like the Conservatives and vote against our proposals.
In any case, the Bloc Québécois and the Conservatives have become one and the same today. They have become the “Conservative Bloc”.
85 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/8/24 2:29:18 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister had the nerve to add that, if the provinces do not want to accept his conditions, “they don't have to take our [federal] money”. That is called blackmail.
It is not federal money; there is no such thing as federal money. It is Quebeckers' money.
This government is incapable of doing its own job, and it has no right to deny Quebeckers their share of the money they pay in taxes.
The Prime Minister does not have the right to hold Quebeckers' tax money hostage. Will he smarten up or will he pay the political price?
104 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/8/24 2:29:58 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois is not the Government of Quebec. We talk to the Government of Quebec.
Quebec's minister responsible for Canadian relations said this week that he believes we can work out win-win agreements. That is what he thinks, that is what the Government of Quebec thinks, and that is what we think. It is a win for Quebec and a win for Quebeckers. It is just not a win for the Bloc Québécois.
Again, let them do as their Conservative friends, cousins and brothers are doing. They are now one and the same. They are the Conservative Bloc.
111 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/8/24 2:30:36 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, do we know how much money the Conservatives gave away to big corporations when they were in power? They gave away $60 billion in free money. Imagine what we could have done with $60 billion. Instead of giving it as corporate handouts, we could have built a million affordable homes.
The Liberals love to criticize the Conservatives, but they have maintained those same corporate handouts.
Will they stop the free ride for CEOs? Will they stop the $60 billion in Conservative corporate handouts, start investing to build homes that people can afford and start building a life that people can afford?
103 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/8/24 2:31:19 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, fairness is extremely important for Canadians. It is important that we are building a society that is socially just, that is prosperous and that is environmentally sustainable. Our budget is going to focus on building more homes faster, making life more affordable for Canadians and growing an economy for the future. We are very proud of the work we are doing. We are certainly ensuring that fairness informs everything that we do.
74 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
