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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 21

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 1, 2022 10:00AM
  • Feb/1/22 2:55:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the minister is not entitled to his own facts. He also refused to tell Canadians whether he consulted with our allies before making the hasty decision to allow Neo Lithium to be sold to China. We assume his answer is no and that he did not consult. Our American allies, and our other allies, banned Huawei from their 5G networks long ago and cannot understand why the Liberal government continues to dither and delay. It has been three years. When will the minister stop appeasing the communist regime in Beijing and finally say no way to Huawei?
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  • Feb/1/22 2:56:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the member knows how much I appreciate him. He is a great colleague. However, I will say no to misleading Canadians when it comes to the issue of national security. I am very happy to hear him talk about our network, because Canadians at home understand that this decision will have an impact not only on this generation but also on future generations, so colleagues like him should understand that national security must come first when we make a decision like that. That is why we will make the right decision for Canadians.
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  • Feb/1/22 2:57:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canada must say no to Huawei. The Washington Post recently reported how Huawei has developed voice and facial recognition technology that helps governments track and monitor political dissidents, manage re-education camps and help retailers track shoppers. This is appalling. While Canada's most trusted allies have banned Huawei from their networks, the Liberal government refuses to do so. Again, I ask the minister when will he say no way to Huawei?
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  • Feb/1/22 2:57:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am happy that we are taking the time today in the House to talk about our infrastructure network because Canadians at home understand how important it will be for them and their futures. We know we are going to the data economy. We know what communication and networks will be important. That is why Canadians, those who are watching at home, and I know they are watching today, understand that when we make a decision like that, we need national security to come first. That is exactly what we are going to do and make the best decision in the interest of all Canadians.
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  • Feb/1/22 2:58:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are going to the data economy, but not with China. Our own intelligence agencies have long warned the Prime Minister about allowing Huawei into our 5G networks. It turns out they were right. For years, Huawei denied that it was a tool of the communist regime in Beijing. However, now we have evidence that the company is deeply implicated in designing surveillance tools to keep track of millions if not billions of people all around the world. When will the minister make a decision on Huawei, and when will he finally say no way to Huawei?
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  • Feb/1/22 2:58:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, one thing is clear: A bit of facts in the House sometimes helps for understanding. One thing I can— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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  • Feb/1/22 2:59:09 p.m.
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I am sorry, but I have to interrupt the hon. minister. I am trying to hear his answer, but I am having a hard time. I will let the hon. minister continue.
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  • Feb/1/22 2:59:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I was about to say that we are not going to take any lessons from the Conservatives when it comes to national security, and I will tell members why. We review four times more transactions, plus twice as many transactions as the Conservatives did when they were in government. Canadians know that we care when it comes to national security. We will take no compromise when it comes to national security, and we will make the best decision in the interests of all Canadians.
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  • Feb/1/22 2:59:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have been listening to the debate in the House and I find myself wondering if I am in a bad dream. Omicron is overwhelming our hospitals. Health care workers in Quebec are exhausted, and 63 Quebeckers died from COVID‑19 today, but no one is talking about funding for health care. No one is talking about how our health care system is in urgent need of reinforcements even though we all know that reinforcements have been needed since the beginning of the fifth wave. When will the federal government understand that it needs to increase health transfers?
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  • Feb/1/22 3:00:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague is absolutely right. It is important to talk about it, but action is just as important. We have been taking action since the onset of COVID‑19 by investing $63 billion in health and safety alone to help mitigate health care issues during the pandemic. In addition to that, the Canada health transfer will increase once again in a few weeks. We are doing all of this because we know we must protect our health care system and keep people healthy during the COVID‑19 pandemic.
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  • Feb/1/22 3:00:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the elephant in the room is the fact that the federal government has not taken action. Ninety per cent of Quebeckers are vaccinated, and yet they have been locked down again since Christmas. Why is that? It is because the health care system is fragile. This government has consistently refused to increase health transfers to 35%. What will it take for the government to see that the way out of this crisis is health care funding? In Quebec, when we think “lack of funding”, we think “lockdown”. What does the minister have to say to that?
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  • Feb/1/22 3:01:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague for saying the key word, because the enemy is not vaccination. The enemy is COVID-19. Canadians, and all members of the House for that matter, know and understand that we need to get vaccinated to get through this crisis. Two doses are good, but three are even better. Not only is that even better, but it is extremely vital for fighting off the omicron variant and protecting us from all sorts of other variants that could crop up in the future.
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  • Feb/1/22 3:02:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have heard over and over again here in the House that Canadians' salaries are simply not keeping up with inflation, making it harder to put food on the table and a roof over their heads. Never mind the EI premiums increasing to cover the current account deficit. My colleagues have asked this before again and again, and I will ask it again: What is the government going to do to address the inflation crisis so that Canadians stop falling behind?
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  • Feb/1/22 3:02:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians are smart, and that is why I know that Canadians, unlike the Conservatives, understand that inflation is a global phenomenon. Let me give some numbers to back that up. The latest inflation number in Canada was 4.8%. In the U.S. it was 7%; in Germany, 5.3%; and in the U.K., 5.4%. Our inflation is lower than the G7 average of 5.3%, the G20 average of 5.8% and the OECD average of 5.8%.
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  • Feb/1/22 3:03:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the percentage increases that Canadians care about are the percentage increases in their property assessments and their housing prices. The policies of the government have meant that young people cannot buy their first home, and older people and seniors are getting priced out of their homes. People are having trouble paying for food. When will the government come to realize that Canadians are struggling because of its policies and admit that it is wrong, or is this “just inflation”?
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  • Feb/1/22 3:03:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this is a party that has abandoned housing investments. They downloaded investments in affordable housing to the provinces and municipalities. They did not mention affordable housing in their platform, nor in their opposition House motion. They have absolutely no credibility on this issue. We are the party that introduced a national housing strategy. We introduced the first-time home buyer incentive. We want to move ahead with a rent-to-own program. They have absolutely no credibility on this issue and Canadians can see through their rhetoric.
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  • Feb/1/22 3:04:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the cost of living is getting worse by the day. Inflation has reached a 30-year high, grocery store shelves are empty and Canadians are understandably tired of the government's constantly moving goalposts. They are struggling to make ends meet, yet the Prime Minister decided this would be a good time to pick their pockets with a payroll tax. Will the Prime Minister commit right now to cancelling his increase to EI and CPP payroll tax?
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  • Feb/1/22 3:05:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have been hearing over and over again today, and many other days, a false narrative from the Conservatives, who seem absolutely determined to talk down Canada and the Canadian economy. The reality is that Canadians have handled COVID and the COVID recession with remarkable strength and resilience. Thanks to that resilience, 108% of jobs have been recovered. Thanks to that resilience, back in November we exceeded pre-COVID GDP. This was the deepest economic crisis since the Great Depression.
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  • Feb/1/22 3:05:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Black History Month is a time to reflect on the many contributions the Black community has made throughout history to shape Canada into the nation we are today. We must empower Black voices and Black experiences to face the challenges that prevent them from contributing fully to a diverse, prosperous and inclusive Canada. This means taking action against systemic discrimination and anti-Black racism. Could the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth update the House on the actions our government has taken to empower the Black community?
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  • Feb/1/22 3:06:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her presence as the longest serving female parliamentarian in the House. This month we take the time to honour and celebrate the Black community, and as a government we will continually work to remove systemic barriers for a more and equal society for everyone, whether that is through our commitment to Canada's anti-racism strategy, $200 million to establish the new Black-led philanthropic endowment fund or the $100-million top-up to the supporting Black Canadian communities initiative. No matter the month, every day is a day to celebrate Black excellence.
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