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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 296

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
April 9, 2024 10:00AM
  • Apr/9/24 2:38:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what Canadians will see today is one thing they will not hear from the Conservatives: the cost of inaction, the cost of forest fires, the cost of flooding in our country, the cost of drought. When each of the Conservatives is standing up, they are telling Canadians they have no plan to fight climate change. On this side of the House, we recognize, like all Canadians, that we need to act to save the planet, and we need to act on climate change. That is why we are going to invest in Canadians. That is why we are going to continue to invest to make sure we have a planet to leave for our children.
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  • Apr/9/24 2:38:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this government, housing in Canada is in very bad shape. Rents have doubled and mortgages have doubled. What is this government doing? It has a policy of photo ops. Every announcement comes with a photo op. Yesterday, they really outdid themselves. Yesterday, the Prime Minister did a photo op while perched on the roof. Unfortunately, a photo op on a roof does not put a roof over Canadians' heads. What is the government's plan for helping Canadians who are currently grappling with a housing crisis the likes of which has never been seen in our country's history?
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  • Apr/9/24 2:39:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as we said yesterday, there are two clear figures: six and 8,000. During his time as housing minister, the Conservative leader created six new affordable housing units across the entire country. In contrast, just a few weeks ago, in the riding of my colleague from Louis-Saint-Laurent, we announced a project called Le Central, which alone has created 42 new affordable housing units. That means that in his riding alone, which he does not seem to know about, we have created seven times as many affordable housing units as his Conservative leader did during his entire tenure as housing minister.
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  • Apr/9/24 2:40:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I can tell the member and minister from Quebec City that I am well aware of what is happening in my riding and that, yes, people are struggling right now. Yes, inflation directly affects them. Yes, this government keeps spending recklessly without any control. That is fuelling inflation. When the government does not control its spending, it fuels inflation. The member and minister is also a seasoned academic. When he goes back to his university, how will explain to his future students that a budget can balance itself, as the Prime Minister claims?
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  • Apr/9/24 2:41:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have two things that I would like to say to my colleague, whom I greatly respect. First, austerity is not a solution to Canada's economic problems in 2024. Second, in academia, as well as in human and political relations, relationships are based on respect. I would invite the member to meet with the City of Quebec's administration and personally apologize for the insulting remarks he made about Quebec's municipalities by saying they were incompetent. Is there anyone more incompetent than the person who created only six affordable housing units during his entire term in office as housing minister in 2014?
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  • Apr/9/24 2:41:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, another day, another example of interference. Today, it is the mental health of students that the Liberals want to manage. The same government that, let me remind the House, cannot even pay its own public servants with Phoenix, the same government that could not print passports, the same government that lost control of the border and exacerbated the housing crisis now wants to manage the care provided to young people in distress. Is that reassuring? I do not feel reassured. Since the federal government has no expertise in mental health care, since it does not have any clinics or psychologists, let us be serious. Will the government transfer the money to Quebec?
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  • Apr/9/24 2:42:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when we invest in housing, the Bloc Québécois and the Conservatives complain. When we invest in a program to ensure that our kids do not go to school hungry, the Bloc Québécois and the Conservatives complain. When we invest in our seniors, the Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois complain. These two parties are like two peas in a blue pod. At the end of the day, we are dealing with a grumpy smurf and a grouchy smurf.
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  • Apr/9/24 2:43:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this jokey smurf simply wants to remind the minister that the federal government has managed to collaborate sensibly in the past. Let us not forget that it copied our child care system to offer something similar to Canadians. Since this falls under Quebec's jurisdiction, the feds simply gave us our funding with no strings attached. Everyone was happy. Why would it be any different with mental health, with the pharmacare we have been managing for 27 years, with the housing tribunal we have been managing for 44 years or with the dental coverage we have been managing for 50 years? Why not just transfer the money to Quebec?
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  • Apr/9/24 2:43:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois is never happy. We invest in housing; they are unhappy, they complain. We invest in children; they are unhappy, they complain. We invest in food programs; they are unhappy, they complain. The Bloc Québécois is completely losing its identity. In fact, the Bloc members are being eclipsed by the Conservatives.
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  • Apr/9/24 2:44:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, while the Liberals try to govern Quebec, there is no one governing at the federal level. There is no one coming up with a real transition plan for the fisheries. There is no one tabling an overhaul of employment insurance. We found out this morning that the federal government is $14 billion behind on the climate investments it promised. The government is so busy interfering in everyone else's business that it is forgetting to take care of major issues that fall directly under its responsibility. Since there is no shortage of work to be done at the federal level, why are the Liberals not taking care of it?
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  • Apr/9/24 2:45:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as my colleague knows, I was involved for a long time in environmental organizations fighting climate change. At the time, we all dreamed of a federal government that would invest billions of dollars in the fight against climate change. It never happened until we came along. Back then, the investments amounted to a few hundred million dollars. Now our government has committed more than $100 billion to the fight against climate change. That is an absolute record in our country. We are transforming the economy and jobs for decades to come and fighting climate change.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Liberal-NDP government, the Prime Minister is just not worth the cost. The Prime Minister raised his carbon tax 23% last week, driving up the cost of gas and groceries. Fortunately, Conservative Bill C-234 would exempt farmers' grain drying and barn heating from the carbon tax so food remains affordable. Will the Prime Minister lower costs on farmers and make food cheaper by passing Bill C-234 in its original form?
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  • Apr/9/24 2:46:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, again, it is important to ensure we are dealing with the facts. Ninety-seven per cent of on-farm fuels are exempt from the price on pollution, and there is a rebate to address farmers' and farm incomes on a go-forward basis. In Canada, eight out of 10 Canadian families get more money back. In fact, Professor Dolter at the University of Regina, whom the hon. member might want to go talk to, called out the Conservatives last week for misinformation. When the Conservative leader's ally, Scott Moe, appeared before committee on the carbon price, journalists called his appearance a “parade of nonsense” and “completely dishonest”. Conservative slogans and misinformation do not help Canadians with—
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  • Apr/9/24 2:47:02 p.m.
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The hon. member for Regina—Wascana.
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  • Apr/9/24 2:47:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is clear that the Prime Minister is not going to back down from his carbon tax obsession. It is clear that he is going to continue to raise the carbon tax on gas, groceries and home heating and make life even more expensive for Canadians. Since the Prime Minister refuses to call a carbon tax election, will he at least meet with the premiers and listen to their plans to make life more affordable?
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  • Apr/9/24 2:47:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows full well, provinces and territories can put in place their own price on pollution. That is what British Columbia has done. That is what Quebec has done. Those provinces are actually committed to fighting climate change, but the hon. member comes from a province that has no climate plan and no climate targets. The premier admits the price on pollution is the most cost-effective way to reduce emissions, yet he does nothing. That is a shame.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the NDP-Liberal government, Canadians are tapped out. April 1 saw Canadians hit with a 23% carbon tax increase by these Liberals. As a farmer, I know the first-hand true impact of a carbon tax bill on farm operations. The Prime Minister is not worth the cost. It is time to axe the tax on farmers and food and pass Bill C-234. Will the Prime Minister lower costs on farmers and make food cheaper by passing Bill C-234 in its original form?
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  • Apr/9/24 2:48:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is important to remind my colleague that, as a farmer, I am fully aware that farmers are on the front line of climate change. It is important to realize that farmers are devastated by massive storms. In the Prairies, straw is worth $300 a bale. That is crazy. We have a plan to address climate change and we have a Canada carbon rebate that puts more money in eight out of 10 Canadians' pockets. We are addressing climate change and making sure polluters pay.
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Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister tweets out sunny ways from his rooftop, food banks in Simcoe County are reporting a 100% increase in use. Last week at the Angus Food Bank, director Heather Morgan told me that active soldiers from Base Borden are regular visitors. Let that sink in. Meanwhile, Liberals hike the carbon tax by 23% and continue to delay the common-sense bill, Bill C-234. Will the Prime Minister pass Bill C-234 in its original form, axe the tax on farmers and make food more affordable for all Canadians?
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  • Apr/9/24 2:50:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the whole structure of the price on pollution, as the hon. member knows, is done in a manner that creates an incentive to reduce carbon emissions but does so in a manner that is affordable for Canadians. Eight out of 10 Canadians get more money back. It works in direct proportion to income so that those who live on modest incomes are the best off with respect to carbon pricing. Climate change is real, whether the Conservatives like to understand that or not. Their premiers, Scott Moe and Danielle Smith, have both admitted that carbon pricing is the most effective and efficient way to reduce emissions. Get with the program.
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