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Mr. John Brassard (Barrie—Innisfil, CPC)

Dec/15/21 2:20:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is always an honour to rise in the chamber to thank those in Barrie—Innisfil who do so much to help others in our community. This Christmas season, I want to thank the many individuals, charities and community organizations that help those in need. It has been a tough year on local charities, so please consider them when gift-giving. Many business owners and their families in Barrie—Innisfil support these organizations, but it has been a difficult 21 months for local businesses. That is why I am asking residents to shop local and support local this Christmas. Canada's economic recovery will be led by our businesses, the people they employ, the products and services they produce in every sector and every region of our country. Business owners are our neighbours, our friends, community leaders and provide employment for millions of Canadians. Let us support business by shopping local this Christmas season. Finally, on behalf of my wife Liane, our children Jeff, Court, Matt and Mitch, and, of course, our little Miss Molly, our golden retriever, I wish everyone in Barrie—Innisfil a merry Christmas, happy holidays and a healthy, safe and prosperous new year.

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Mr. Anthony Housefather (Mount Royal, Lib.)

Dec/15/21 2:21:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Twas the last sitting week before Christmasand because of omicron, I am playing to a half-empty House.So, instead of hearing riotous laughter,I am afraid it may be quiet as a mouse.We just had an election, spending and effort galore,yet when it ended, the House of Commons was the same as before. Nobody got what they wanted. For the Liberals, hopes of a majority dashed. And for the opposition, its chance of forming government trashed.Each party wondering just what to changein order to ensure that its dreams come into range. The Conservative caucus with its leader true blue,asked to meet Santa in person to hear what he thought they should do. Unfortunately the meeting was refused due to one complication,for in-person meetings, Santa requires proof of vaccination. “I’m a very old man”, said Saint Nick “and COVID I fear, after all I was already 500 when Shakespeare wrote King Lear.” But by email to the leader, Mr. Claus made 3 points: the far right of your caucus just do not coddle; outhouse videos are nothing but twaddle; and please don’t try to be a Men’s Health Model. For the Bloc, Santa’s advice was very clear. If the party ever finds itself in dire straits,speak to the network consortium and demand more English debates. The Greens tried to reach Santa but they completely failed.As the ship carrying their leader headed North, Her entire caucus and membership bailed. For the PM, Kris Kringle gave sage counsel,“Please find someone to manage your travel, both location and date, or your government can unravel.” And finally the NDP who did not need Santa’s advice. Why try to form government when 25 seats would suffice? As we head to the new year, I wish everyone the best.Good health and happiness and let’s all come back here with zest!

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Hon. Erin O'Toole (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Dec/15/21 2:24:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians are paying more for food, more for gas and more for housing, and the Liberals either do not know or they do not really care. Housing is up 25%. At the same time, more and more Canadian families are vulnerable to interest rate hikes. The cost of living crisis is at its worst in 30 years. Why is the Prime Minister trying to fix his budget problem by creating a household budget problem for Canadians?

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Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

Dec/15/21 2:24:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday's economic and fiscal update provided Canadians with a transparent look at our finances as well as our plans to keep Canadians safe, particularly in regard to omicron, to make life more affordable and to ensure our economic recovery leaves no one behind. Thanks to the choices we made and the hard work of Canadians, Canada has recovered 106% of the jobs we lost due to the pandemic compared to 83% in the U.S. We know there are challenges ahead and the future remains uncertain, but one thing Canadians can always count on is that we will have their backs.

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Hon. Erin O'Toole (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Dec/15/21 2:25:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has their backs. In 30 years, he has given them the highest inflation rate since the Bank of Canada has been targeting inflation. Gas is up 43% alone. The Prime Minister likes to blame global supply chains. He does not seem to realize that he is responsible for road, rail and pipelines between Fort McMurray and Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. At least he would be responsible if he could ever get a pipeline built in our country. How much longer is the Prime Minister going to ignore the cost of living crisis hitting Canadian families.

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Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

Dec/15/21 2:25:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this global pandemic has been tough on individuals, but it has also been tough on economies. That is why it has led to global inflation and that is why we will continue to keep our promise of having the backs of people. That is what we indicated in the economic and fiscal update yesterday. That is what we are doing by moving forward on historic supports for Canadians, whether it is through tackling the housing crisis, moving forward on historic child care agreements with nine provinces and three territories or whether we are continuing to move forward in supporting Canadians in their day-to-day lives. We will be there for Canadians. That is what yesterday's fiscal update showed.

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Hon. Erin O'Toole (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Dec/15/21 2:26:40 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the family grocery bill is going to be $1,000 higher next year for Canadian families, for seniors on fixed income. The Prime Minister has their backs? He is failing them. If they want to dine out, it is just as bad. Even that great Newfoundland institution, Mary Brown's, is raising the price of the Big Mary Monday by 25% because of rising food costs. How many Canadian families will have to pick between heating and eating this winter because the Prime Minister does not think about monetary policy?

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Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

Dec/15/21 2:27:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, from the beginning of this pandemic, we have been focused on supporting Canadians. Even as the Conservatives kept saying that we were spending too much to support families, too much to support small businesses, too much to support Canadians through this health crisis, we knew that the smart thing to do to help fight this health crisis was to support Canadians. It was also the smart thing to do to support our economy, by investing up front and making sure that Canadians could make it through. We have come back stronger and better than before. There are many challenges. We are going to continue to stand up for the rising cost of living and support Canadians. We will be there for them.

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Hon. Erin O'Toole (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Dec/15/21 2:28:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, every bag of groceries is costing Canadians more and more. Many are checking their receipts for errors. No, there are no mistakes; it is just inflation. It is a reality that affects every Canadian family. What will it take for the Liberal government to fix this problem and help families make ends meet?

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Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

Dec/15/21 2:28:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the global inflation crisis is a direct result of the global pandemic. That is why the best thing we can do to help families get through this economic crisis is to end COVID‑19 for good. That is why we are encouraging everyone to get vaccinated and to get the third dose, to get their children vaccinated, and to be cautious about gatherings and about travelling this winter. We must continue doing what we as Canadians have been doing to stay safe. That will bring us better days ahead.

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Hon. Erin O'Toole (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Dec/15/21 2:29:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in Canada, young people have always had the opportunity to have a prosperous future, but under this government the dream of young workers becoming homeowners no longer exists. Their dreams have been crushed. Young people are worried about their future. Why is the government shattering young people's hopes of buying a starter home?

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Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

Dec/15/21 2:29:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we know what a challenge home ownership is for a growing number of Canadians, including young people. That is why we launched the first-time home buyer incentive to help first-time homebuyers pay for related costs and their mortgage. We have targeted programs to help young people and to combat this housing crisis, unlike the Conservatives, whose only plan to combat the housing crisis was to give a tax credit to large-scale landlords. That is not going to help young people, and that is why we are there for them.

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Mr. Yves-François Blanchet (Beloeil—Chambly, BQ)

Dec/15/21 2:30:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canada's ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae, stated that Bill 21 on secularism in Quebec was profoundly discriminatory. This legislation, however, was legitimately voted upon in a parliament that, like all others, is sovereign, and there is broad support for the law in Quebec. Bob Rae failed in his fundamental duty to show restraint. Will the Prime Minister recall Ambassador Rae immediately, as that is clearly what should be done?

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Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

Dec/15/21 2:30:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I have often said, I strongly disagree with Bill 21. I do not believe that in a free society someone should lose their job because of their religion. That is the position of our government and our party. We will continue to be on the side of Quebeckers who are shocked and disappointed that Fatemeh Anvari lost her job because of her religion, and we support and will follow Quebeckers who defend their rights before the courts because they believe this bill is unfair.

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Mr. Yves-François Blanchet (Beloeil—Chambly, BQ)

Dec/15/21 2:31:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have seen people who do not deserve to be in their jobs, but there they are. I will not name names. The Prime Minister is condoning a smear campaign against a law and a nation that are just as legitimate as his own pretensions. He is condoning an ambassador's decision to insult the Quebec nation as a whole. Am I to understand that he was consulted and agreed with his ambassador's statement?

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Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

Dec/15/21 2:32:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers are people who stand up for human rights, freedom of expression and gender equality. We also stand up for conscience rights. In Quebec, we stand up for freedom of religion. This is why so many Quebeckers are surprised and disappointed that young teacher Fatemeh Anvari lost her job because she is Muslim. That should not happen in Canada. This is what I have been saying for years and what we will continue to say on this side of the House.

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Mr. Jagmeet Singh (Burnaby South, NDP)

Dec/15/21 2:32:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians are deeply concerned about the omicron variant and how it is impacting them and their families. The federal government has a role to play in fighting back against this variant. We have three clear steps the federal government can take. Will it help accelerate access to a booster shot, make sure Canadians have access to free rapid testing and invest in our health care system to hire more health care workers to deal with the crisis? Will the Prime Minister commit to these three concrete steps to fight the variant?

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Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

Dec/15/21 2:33:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, faced with the rise of the omicron variant this coming holiday season, Canadians are frustrated and exhausted. We understand that. It is a real challenge to see rising cases, but Canadians know what to do. We need to keep safe, we need to keep our loved ones safe and we need to keep our public health systems from getting overwhelmed. That is why getting booster shots and getting kids vaccinated are the most important things we can do. Second is avoiding non-essential travel. We just increased our travel advisories. We are recommending that Canadians stay home at Christmas and stay safe. We will continue to be there with rapid tests and we will continue to be there to support the provinces.

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Mr. Jagmeet Singh (Burnaby South, NDP)

Dec/15/21 2:34:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is telling Canadians what they can do. I am telling the Prime Minister what he can do. We are in the midst of a crisis and we have serious concerns about the omicron variant. We are calling on the government to take three clear steps: accelerate access to booster shots, accelerate access to free rapid testing and invest more money in our health care system to hire more frontline health care workers. Will the Prime Minister take these steps to help people deal with this variant?

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Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

Dec/15/21 2:34:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are already doing the three things the NDP leader mentioned. As the holiday season approaches, we must do everything we can to keep each other safe and healthy. That means getting a booster shot as soon as possible. Canada has enough booster shots for everyone. We encourage people to get them. It also means getting our kids vaccinated. That is important in order to protect our communities. We will also be there with rapid tests. We will be there to support the health care systems. We will be there to keep Canadians healthy. We did a tremendous amount of work this year, and we are going to keep doing it.

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