44th Parl. 1st Sess.
April 10, 2024 02:00PM
- Apr/10/24 2:14:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years, northern Canadians cannot afford the Prime Minister anymore. Housing starts are at historic lows, according to a recent RBC report, and the trend is only going to get worse under the NDP-Liberals.
Nunavut is deep in this housing crisis, with over 3,000 homes desperately needed, and the number is climbing, with little being done by the Prime Minister. The NDP-Liberal Prime Minister has no plan to fix the housing crisis, according to his own housing department CEO. Making life far worse is the Liberal carbon tax being applied to farmers. A package of hotdogs in Nunavut is $19. One gallon of ice cream is $29, and one kilogram of bacon is $42.
Canadians are tired of being told they are better off under the Prime Minister, because it simply is not true. When will the Prime Minister make life better in the north, axe the tax on farmers and build the homes?
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- Apr/10/24 2:15:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Liberal-NDP Prime Minister, Canadians require 64% of their pre-tax income to afford housing, if they can even find housing. Michelle from Kawartha Lakes found work in Toronto but is couch surfing because she, like nine in 10 Canadians in this country, believes she will never own a home.
We are a G7 country, and it costs over $1,900 for a one-bedroom apartment. Rent has doubled. Mortgage defaults are on the rise. Housing starts are down. Tent cities across this country look like scenes from the Great Depression, and the Prime Minister has the audacity to say that he is doing a great job. He is a failure. His solution is to increase the carbon tax by 23%, which will drive up housing prices even more.
Canadians know better, and so do Conservatives. We will incentivize municipalities to build houses people can afford, and we will axe the tax to make the materials needed to build houses affordably. We will bring it home.
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- Apr/10/24 2:16:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today I congratulate the community at Bessborough Drive Elementary and Middle School on its 100th anniversary. With its opening in December 1923, Bessborough became the first public school in Leaside, and even served as the community’s town hall.
For a century, Bessborough public school has been a place of academic excellence, committed to nurturing the minds of generations past, present and future. Through my regular conversations with students, parents and faculty, it is abundantly clear that Bessborough is more than an institution. It holds a special place in the hearts of many, with a legacy of familial ties spanning generations, from grandparents and parents to today’s students, all proudly waving the Bessborough flag.
On this great occasion, I extend my deep appreciation to the dedicated faculty, volunteers and students who have contributed to the enduring legacy of Bessborough public school. May this milestone inspire continued excellence for generations to come.
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- Apr/10/24 2:17:54 p.m.
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[Member spoke in Inuktitut, interpreted as follows:]
Mr. Speaker, I do not always have celebratory statements in this place, but although many people are still struggling, there are some things worth sharing.
Nunavut reached a milestone because Tagak Curley's vision became a reality. I thank him for retaining Inuit laws, values and principles taught to him by our ancestors. I thank him for helping to modernize Inuit society by leading the way for Inuit to govern.
Through his vision, community negotiators worked with elders and community members on what terms to include in what would later become the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. I thank the community negotiators.
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- Apr/10/24 2:19:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, to promote the French language in Quebec, we need to share it with all new Quebeckers, but, of course, learning our national language takes time. That is why I want to talk about an inspiring initiative that is being taken by the Provigo in Boucherville. The grocery store gave all of its new employees who are learning French a button that says “I am learning French. Thank you for speaking slowly”. What an extraordinary way to encourage employees as they learn and to encourage customers to take part in this learning process by being understanding, patient and kind.
On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I want to thank the owner of Provigo, Mona Turbide, and the person in charge of the French language training, Martine Coulombe. I also want to commend the workers who are learning French for their perseverance. I hope that this initiative will snowball and be implemented all over Quebec.
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- Apr/10/24 2:20:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadian families and business owners are paying the price with an NDP-Liberal government that is addicted to debt and deficits. Record-high deficits and carbon taxes driving up inflation are increasing the costs on everything, including the necessities of life. Interest rate increases fuelled by NDP-Liberal spending and increased debt are punishing Canadian families and business owners. We are just now starting to see the full impact that increases on mortgage rates are having on mortgage renewals, and it is a crisis.
No prime minister has added more to the national debt than the current Prime Minister. Through it all, he has been aided and abetted by his NDP coalition partners. Anyone who has any sense at all knows that one does not put more fuel on an already out-of-control debt-and-deficit fire. It is time for a return to fiscal common sense in this country that sees a government cap spending to bring down interest rates and inflation with a dollar-for-dollar rule that finds a dollar in savings for every new dollar spent.
Common-sense Conservatives will not support the budget unless it axes the tax, builds homes not photo ops, and caps spending.
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- Apr/10/24 2:21:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, April is Sikh Heritage Month, and no matter where we go in Canada, we will find an immense amount of pride in Sikh heritage and its many contributions in every aspect of our society. It is a great pleasure for me to be able to stand in my place to recognize the month as a significant time for us to appreciate, love and better understand Sikhism and how it contributes to the very fabric of Canadian society.
I would encourage members to visit a gurdwara, talk to members of our Punjabi heritage community and get a better understanding of how Sikhism affects our Canadian heritage. It is something all of us should embrace no matter what our faith is, so let us encourage our constituents to get a better understanding of Sikhism.
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- Apr/10/24 2:22:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this Prime Minister's incompetence is not worth the cost. His actions and overspending at the federal level have made a mess of inflation, interest rates, the military, immigration and the list goes on. Instead of cleaning up his own mess at the federal level, he is creating other problems with costly announcements and meddling in provincial jurisdictions.
Why is the Prime Minister imposing his incompetence on Quebec's jurisdictions?
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- Apr/10/24 2:23:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is quite amusing to hear the word “incompetence” coming from the Conservative leader. When he was the minister responsible for housing, he created six affordable housing units across the country during his entire mandate.
A few weeks ago, he accused Quebec municipalities of being incompetent. On March 15, alongside Quebec City leadership, we announced 324 affordable housing units.
Who is incompetent, the Conservative leader with his six units or Quebec municipalities with hundreds of affordable housing units?
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- Apr/10/24 2:23:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when I was minister, the cost of housing was half of what it is today, and hundreds of thousands of housing units were being built with low interest rates. Today we learned that the Bank of Canada will not be lowering interest rates. Why is that? The Bank of Canada Governor said that if the government spends too much, the bank will be forced to keep interest rates high, which will force people into bankruptcy.
Will the Prime Minister accept my common-sense plan to fix the budget with a dollar-for-dollar rule to bring down interest rates?
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- Apr/10/24 2:24:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservative leader spoke a moment ago about the Government of Quebec. I was speaking about the municipalities. With the leadership of the Quebec government, we signed an agreement to build 8,000 affordable housing units in the coming months. During his term as minister responsible for housing, the Conservative leader created six affordable housing units, and yet he called Quebec’s municipalities, including Quebec City, incompetent.
When will he agree to come with me and meet Quebec City municipal officials to apologize in person?
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- Apr/10/24 2:25:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I will never apologize for keeping housing costs low when I was the minister of housing, but if someone was hoping for some interest rate relief today, as a mortgage holder or as someone with a small business loan or a line of credit, they got some bad news: The Prime Minister is not worth the cost. Rates are staying high long because, as the Governor of the Bank of Canada said, if government spending grows, then interest rates will have to stay high to combat the resulting inflation.
Why will the Prime Minister not accept my common-sense plan to fix the budget with a dollar-for-dollar law to bring down rates?
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- Apr/10/24 2:25:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is possible to be prudent fiscally and have strong social programs as well. That is exactly what the government does with its AAA credit rating, the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7 and historically low unemployment.
At the same time, we have a national school food program on the table of $1 billion and supports for child care and early learning, as well as for renters and homeowners. That is what we do on this side of the House. Every day is a great day to fight for Canadians.
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- Apr/10/24 2:26:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, every day is not a great day when someone is living in a tent city or has had their mortgage double, or when they are part of a family for whom one in four children cannot get enough food, and the Liberals put forward a food program that does not have any food.
Instead, what they have done is doubled the national debt and driven up interest rates. Today we learned that the Bank of Canada is unable to bring rates down because the Prime Minister continues to make massive multi-billion-dollar inflationary spending.
Why will the Prime Minister not follow my common-sense plan to bring down the deficit and the rates?
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- Apr/10/24 2:27:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, wages are growing faster than inflation. Under the Conservatives, poverty was at 14.5%. When we replaced the Conservatives, we brought it down to 7.4%. We will continue to invest in Canadians with the supports for affordable housing, for renters and for early learning and child care, and because of our work, we will make life fairer for Canadians, unlike the Conservative leader, who is here for himself.
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- Apr/10/24 2:27:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are finding out today from the Bank of Canada that the Prime Minister is not worth the cost.
In September, the bank governor said that if government spending were to grow, then interest rates would have to stay high. That was echoed by the former bank governor and incoming Liberal leader, Mark Carney, who indicated that he does not expect rates to fall quickly, and that it is partly because of a lack of fiscal discipline.
If the Prime Minister will not listen to me, why will he not listen to his successor and understand that he is not worth the cost of high interest rates?
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- Apr/10/24 2:28:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we will take no lessons from the Conservatives—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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- Apr/10/24 2:28:36 p.m.
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Order.
The hon. Minister for Innovation.
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- Apr/10/24 2:29:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I hope that the Conservatives will listen this time, because Canadians are watching at home.
We will take no lessons from the Conservatives. On this side of the House, we have a plan to build more houses. We have a plan to build more prosperity in this country. We have a plan to create more jobs. On the other side, they have slogans. Canadians are smart. They understand that slogans do not build homes. They understand that slogans do not create jobs. They understand that slogans do not create prosperity.
Every day is a good day to fight for Canadians, and that is what we are going to do.
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- Apr/10/24 2:30:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, for the past three weeks the Prime Minister has made pre-budget announcements in Quebec’s areas of jurisdiction, but not today. No, today, he is at the Foreign Interference Commission. That means he does not have time for domestic interference. Health, schools, housing, dental care, early childhood centres, it is not the Bloc Québécois that fancies itself as the Government of Quebec, it is the Liberals.
Ottawa may well have the money, but Quebec has the expertise. If the Liberals want to help in an area under Quebec’s jurisdiction, they should increase the transfers. What are they waiting for?
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