44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 16, 2021 10:00AM
- Dec/16/21 2:25:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, farmers are very thankful the Liberals will take no lessons from the Conservatives when it comes to Canadian agriculture.
I spoke to P.E.I. farmers this morning and this is what one of them had to say: “With the stroke of a pen, the Liberals have destroyed everything I have worked for for six generations.” The agriculture minister is now saying this dispute will not be resolved until the new year, but CFIA is telling island farm families this half-baked ban will likely last until 2023.
How many harvests will be lost? How many businesses will be bankrupt? How many farmers will lose before the minister lifts the political ban on potato exports?
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- Dec/16/21 2:25:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let me once again say to Canadian farmers that they should not listen to the scaremongering they are hearing from Conservatives. They need to know that our government cares passionately about Canadian farmers. We know the importance of family farms to our economy.
Let me also remind Canadian farmers that our government is prepared to stand up for national interests when it comes to trade with the United States. Canadian farmers know that from the COOL dispute we had right after we were first elected in 2015.
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- Dec/16/21 2:26:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, secularism and Bill 21 are being attacked by a united front of federal officials, including elected members from all parties, starting with the Prime Minister himself. The worst part is that this united front is spreading misinformation. Let us set the record straight.
State secularism is not discriminatory. It applies to everyone. That is a fact. The teacher, Ms. Anvari, did not lose her job. She was reassigned. That is a fact. She was not reassigned because of her religion. She was reassigned because she knowingly broke the law.
When will the government stop spreading misinformation and stop Quebec-bashing?
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- Dec/16/21 2:27:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister said yesterday, we disagree with Bill 21. In our society, no one should have to change jobs because of their religion.
That is the position of our government and our party. We agree with Quebeckers who are defending their rights in court because they too think this law is unjust.
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- Dec/16/21 2:27:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there is more. It is comical.
Canadian cities have now gotten on board with the Quebec bashing. Yesterday, Brampton announced funding to challenge Bill 21. Oh, and they also called Quebeckers racist, because why not? Today, Toronto is joining in.
The worst part is that these people do not even know what they are talking about. They do not understand secularism and they do not understand Bill 21, not least because members here will not stop telling lies about it. They are grandstanding at Quebec's expense.
Will the government announce that it respects our democratic choices and will not challenge them in court?
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- Dec/16/21 2:28:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is true that I represent a Toronto riding and that I was born in Alberta.
However, I want to sincerely tell the member from the Bloc Québécois and all Quebeckers that our government is working closely with the Government of Quebec, with municipalities in Quebec and even with members of the Bloc Québécois to support all Quebeckers.
I am urging the member not to try to stir up trouble between us and Quebec.
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- Dec/16/21 2:29:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today there are more than 2,700 new COVID-19 cases in Quebec alone.
People are already gearing up for capacity limits to be introduced in stores and restaurants to limit the spread. This means that people will once again be out of work, except that, this time, there is no help for them. There is no CERB for workers and no wage subsidy for small businesses.
How can this government cut help for people when we are up against possibly the worst of the pandemic?
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- Dec/16/21 2:29:50 p.m.
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- Re: Bill C-2
Mr. Speaker, I really want to thank my colleague for his question because I truly believe that COVID-19 is the greatest challenge today.
That is why I hope that all members will support Bill C-2. This bill will create support measures for individuals and businesses in the event of another lockdown, precisely because we agree with the NDP members that these support measures are necessary.
I hope that all members will vote in favour of Bill C‑2.
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- Dec/16/21 2:30:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, COVID cases are increasing everywhere, and people are already gearing up for reduced limits to the numbers of people in stores and restaurants to limit the spread. This means people will once again be out of work, except for this time, there is nothing to help them. There is no CERB for workers and no wage subsidy for small businesses. How can the government cut help for people when we are up against possibly the worst of this pandemic?
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- Dec/16/21 2:31:04 p.m.
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- Re: Bill C-2
Mr. Speaker, I think that COVID is the greatest challenge facing Canada today. That is why I focused on it in the economic and fiscal update. I agree with him that we need to have support measures in place for people in businesses in the event of additional lockdowns. That is why I urge all members of the House to support Bill C-2. It would create precisely those tools. We need them. I really hope all members will support the bill.
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- Dec/16/21 2:31:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I guess it is throwback Thursday. The Silence of the Lambs and Beauty and the Beast were on the big screens. Brian Adams' I Do It for You topped the charts. Mushroom cuts were in vogue, and the World Wide Web was first introduced to the public.
That was the last time inflation was this high. That was 30 years ago. When will the Prime Minister realize that his disastrous policies are to blame for our record-breaking inflation?
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- Dec/16/21 2:32:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let us ignore Conservatives' scaremongering and look at the global facts. In the U.S., November inflation was 6.8%, which was an increase from October. In Germany, November inflation was 6%, which was an increase from October. In the U.K., November inflation was 5.1%, which was an increase from October. Meanwhile in Canada, inflation is lower than in all of these countries and did not increase from October to November.
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- Dec/16/21 2:32:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadian families are already stretched to the limit and struggling to make ends meet.
Despite the fact that inflation is at 4.7%, the highest level since 1991, the Prime Minister does not consider monetary policy to be a priority.
When will the Prime Minister finally put some thought into monetary policy?
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- Dec/16/21 2:33:24 p.m.
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- Re: Bill C-2
Mr. Speaker, we all agree that the cost of living is a challenge, but I do not hear many concrete solutions coming from the Conservatives.
I would therefore like to propose one. Let us support all Canadians who work in tourism, restaurants and other hard-hit businesses across the country by supporting Bill C-2.
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- Dec/16/21 2:33:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, while working Canadians struggle to make ends meet, the finance minister continues to mislead Canadians by arguing that our economy is strong. That may be the case for some, but the conversations around the kitchen tables in rural Canada tell a very different story. Bills are piling up and credit cards are maxed. “Just inflation” has Canadians at their breaking points financially and emotionally.
When will the government take bold actions to strengthen the economy and combat inflation, instead of repeating tired old talking points?
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- Dec/16/21 2:34:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our government understands that to pay the bills, the single most important thing is to have a job or to keep a business afloat. That is why, when COVID hit, we took immediate action. We have recovered every single one of the three million lost jobs and more. Fewer businesses have gone bankrupt over the past year than in the year before COVID.
Conservative austerity would have devastated the lives of millions of Canadians. We are proud to have acted decisively to save jobs and businesses. That is how to make life affordable.
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- Dec/16/21 2:35:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am not sure how that member is talking about making life affordable. Regardless, a job does not keep people from being hungry. One in eight people who visit food banks are employees. The growing cost of housing, rent and grocery prices are affecting those struggling the most to make ends meet, particularly single parents. Over 30% of visitors at food banks in Canada are children. This is wrong. This is heartbreaking, and it needs to change now.
When will the Liberals stop the “just inflation” crisis, which is hurting our most precious commodity, our children?
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- Dec/16/21 2:36:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is very difficult to take the Conservatives seriously that they care about single parents and children when they voted against the Canada child benefit, which helped lift 400,000 Canadian children out of poverty. It is hard to take them seriously when they campaigned on getting rid of the Canada early learning and child care system.
Let me tell members that we are making difference. Families right across this country are going to see a 50% reduction in fees as of January right through to the end of this year. That is going to help them with the cost of living and it is going to make sure that our kids have the very best, positive start in life.
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- Dec/16/21 2:37:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday, we gave this government an opportunity to do the right thing by Saskatchewan to remove a long-standing tax exemption in our Constitution. Rather than do the right thing and ensure that large, profitable corporations pay their share of taxes, the Liberals decided to block our attempts to stand up for Saskatchewan.
I ask the Minister of Justice this: Can we work together to ensure that the people of Saskatchewan are not left paying the bill for a sweetheart deal that was made over 150 years ago, or will the Liberals continue to ignore my province?
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- Dec/16/21 2:38:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the hon. member's concern on the issue.
We have agreed, as a government, to a take note debate on this in February. Our objection yesterday was to the fact that one does not make a constitutional amendment with a unanimous consent motion without ever having discussed it or debated it in any forum in the House. We respect Saskatchewan. We will do that take note debate, and we will act accordingly.
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