44th Parl. 1st Sess.
April 30, 2024 10:00AM
- Apr/30/24 2:54:38 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Madawaska—Restigouche for his question.
I was at Canada's Building Trades Unions' conference yesterday to talk to people about how we are going to address the housing crisis in Canada. Budget 2024 provides tens of millions of dollars to support training and apprenticeships for workers from coast to coast to coast to build homes for Canadians for decades to come. Skilled trades will be the driving force behind this effort. We are going to make sure they have everything they need to get the job done.
99 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/30/24 2:55:18 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, La Presse recently alerted us to the fact that the Canada Border Services Agency has an obsolete and surplus goods program. Basically, it is a program to give money to merchants who throw away their excess merchandise. We are talking about non-perishable goods.
For example, let us imagine that I have a store that sells jeans. I import a new style, and I end up with unsold jeans that are out of fashion. I have two choices: Either I throw them in the garbage and Ottawa refunds me the duties, or I donate them to charity and I do not get a cent. It is a recipe for waste.
Who in Ottawa thinks this is a good idea?
122 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/30/24 2:55:58 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.
I was not aware of the facts of a particular case. If he is asking if we are in favour of that kind of waste, I think I share his opinion. The answer, of course, is no.
I would be happy to talk to the Canada Border Services Agency to see if it is possible to find an alternative.
69 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/30/24 2:56:29 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the average calibre of the questions has certainly improved drastically today, but the average calibre of the answers has not.
The Canada Border Services Agency refunded businesses over $20 million to have them scrap their goods after taking pains to render them unusable, at a time when food banks are swamped with demand because times are tough.
Ottawa is funding waste at the expense of social solidarity. It makes no sense. Will the Minister of Public Safety review this misguided program, which penalizes generosity and encourages waste?
90 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/30/24 2:57:03 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we absolutely will review the facts that my hon. colleague has presented. Obviously, I share his concern over this situation.
As I said, I will be pleased to follow up with the Canada Border Services Agency. I look forward to it.
43 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/30/24 2:57:27 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, April is Cancer Awareness Month. Though the month is ending, the need for cancer awareness and education continues.
According to the Canadian Cancer Society, two out of five Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes. In 2023 alone, an estimated 239,000 Canadians were newly diagnosed with cancer.
Could the Minister of Health update the House on what our government is doing to support Canadians impacted by cancer?
72 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/30/24 2:57:59 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Scarborough—Agincourt for her continued advocacy.
She knows all too well, as do I and every member of the House, that so few of us get to make it through life without being touched by cancer. It is imperative that we do all that we can.
I want to take a moment to recognize the Canadian Cancer Society, Breast Cancer Canada and all those who work tirelessly to advocate. Over the last five years, we have put $1 billion to work for breakthroughs in science and to improve how we prevent and treat cancer. We are taking critical action in prevention. Together, we can see an end to cancer.
119 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/30/24 2:58:46 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the community of Port Renfrew in my riding relies on recreational fishing as the major economic driver in the region, bringing in an estimated $26 million per season.
However, the Liberals plan to end that important economic pathway and are failing to provide credible data to justify the fishing closures. This move will harm the local economy and devastate the local community, including the Pacheedaht First Nation.
This is shameful. Why are the Liberals putting Port Renfrew's economy at risk with these ill-informed and punitive fishing closures?
91 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/30/24 2:59:25 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, just a couple of weeks ago, I was in B.C. talking to a lot of first nation communities on a whole host of topics that are important to them and to their communities. I know that this one is equally important in terms of recreational fishing from a food and ceremonial perspective, cultural perspective and an economic perspective. I will set some time aside to discuss the item with the member opposite very soon.
77 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/30/24 3:00:02 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, today was the final day for most Canadians to file their taxes, and thanks to NDP pressure the wealthy will be paying somewhat more. Unlike the Conservative leader who, while in government, gave $60 billion to corporations, New Democrats would rather fund key public services, like dental and pharmacare.
As usual, the Liberals continue to ignore the need for serious tax fairness at a time of rampant corporate greed. We still use a system where wealthy corporations can get out of paying $30 billion in taxes in one year.
Does the government have an idea how much money the wealthiest Canadians will deprive Canada of this year?
109 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/30/24 3:00:43 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, this budget is about fairness for every generation. It is about making the essential investments in housing, in affordability, in economic growth.
We agree with the idea behind the question, that the way to finance those investments is to ask those who are doing the best in our society to contribute a little more. That is why, in the budget, we are proposing to increase the capital gains inclusion rate. We hope all members will support that.
79 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/30/24 3:01:23 p.m.
- Watch
Colleagues, this brings us to the end of the questions that were indicated by the various whips in the House. Now question period will continue on for another five minutes and we will go to other members who will rise, keeping all in proportion.
The hon. member for Kitchener Centre is rising. Unfortunately, questions from independent members are not on today's schedule.
The hon. member for Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia.
77 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/30/24 3:02:10 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the government has announced its decision to once again postpone the mandatory buy-back program for assault weapons. Since Canada Post refuses to accept the prohibited weapons, and since Ottawa has once again failed to plan this program properly, the Liberals have decided to postpone the whole thing until 2025. This means that it will likely be the Conservatives who decide the future of this program.
Why do the Liberals not take their responsibilities seriously instead of putting this in the hands of the Conservatives?
87 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/30/24 3:02:43 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I thank our colleague for the question. As she is well aware, the government fully supports a buy-back program for military-style firearms. However, I do not share her pessimism about the next federal election.
The good news is that we are already working to develop a buy-back program that will be in place this year and next. We made a commitment to buy back those firearms, and that is exactly what we are going to do.
81 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/30/24 3:03:27 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, if no assault weapon buy-back program is instituted within the next year, we will have lost a decade of work, and public safety will continue to be jeopardized for another decade. The Liberals have no right to betray their commitment at this point. They have no right to let their courage fail them. They have no right to offload the responsibility for assault weapons onto irresponsible people who want to keep them in circulation.
I am appealing to the Minister of Public Safety as a statesman: Will he take action before it is too late?
99 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/30/24 3:04:01 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat once again that we absolutely intend to keep the commitment we made to Canadians to buy back these weapons that we banned.
We will continue to work in a very specific way to ensure that the commitment we made a number of years ago to implement an effective buy-back program is kept. We are not going to stop until we finish this work.
70 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/30/24 3:04:38 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the pension advisory board for our CBSA officers has approved retirement after 25 years of service. Our men and women on the front lines of our country have been defending and enforcing the law, and ensuring trade and travel is safe and secure in our country. They have not been treated equally as other officers. Why has the President of the Treasury Board ignored this case for equality?
Will the President of the Treasury Board now act and make sure there is equality for our men and women of service protecting our front lines?
96 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/30/24 3:05:14 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, actually as a part of the conciliation process, the Government of Canada and PSAC entered into PIC hearings with the Border Services group. We are waiting for the decision of that body. We believe that all deals are best made at the table.
We look forward to reading that report and working very closely with our counterparts. We are optimistic that the PIC recommendations will provide both parties with a plan to go forward, just as past PIC processes have been able to do.
86 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/30/24 3:05:55 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, people with disabilities across the country disproportionately live in poverty. As a result of their advocacy, the government committed to a Canada disability benefit back in 2021.
After years of advocacy, what has been proposed in budget 2024 is nothing that the disability community has called for. No one called for 200 bucks a month. Using the disability tax credit, no one called for that. Waiting until July 2025, no one called for that.
Could the minister share who actually asked for what is in the proposed Canada disability benefit?
92 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/30/24 3:06:30 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Canada disability benefit is a major milestone in our unwavering commitment to creating a more inclusive and fairer Canada. Through budget 2024, we have committed over $6 billion as an initial investment for the Canada disability benefit. This is the first-ever federal benefit designed for persons with disabilities.
We recognize that there is more to do and we will be working alongside provinces and territories to first make sure that there are no clawbacks for persons with disabilities.
This is the next step in the journey for the Canada disability benefit, not the destination.
98 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
