44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 1, 2022 10:00AM
- 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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- Feb/1/22 3:07:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, over the past several months, Russia has amassed thousands of troops and conducted provocative military activities close to Ukraine's border. As the international community continues to call on President Putin to de-escalate the situation, Canada must be crystal clear as to what specific action it will take to deter an invasion.
This is a very important question. Could the Prime Minister confirm right now that if Ukraine is invaded he will use all tools at his disposal, including Magnitsky sanctions?
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- Feb/1/22 3:07:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for this very important question because on sanctions, we are really ready to impose severe economic sanctions should Russia further invade Ukraine. We are working closely with our allies: the U.S., the EU and of course the U.K. Sanctions are most effective when we all act in lockstep. Canada is ready.
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- Feb/1/22 3:08:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, according to Canada's 2022 food price report, the overall food price increase is from 5% to 7%. It is the highest predicted increase in food prices in the last 20 years. This is becoming a concern for many constituents in my riding. The price of food in Alberta is expected to be higher than the national average in 2022.
When will the Liberal government finally admit that its policies have directly affected the two-decade high inflation rate?
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- Feb/1/22 3:08:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I have already pointed out, and as Canadians understand very well, inflation is a global phenomenon driven by global challenges, like congested supply chains and the fact that there have been very significant crop challenges around the world.
There are concrete things we can do to make life more affordable for Canadians, like building affordable housing and early learning and child care. That is why I am so astonished that the Conservative Party opposed our early learning and child care plan, which the Province of Alberta has now done a deal with us on.
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- Feb/1/22 3:09:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, seniors from across my riding have been expressing their worries about the government's disregard for their skyrocketing costs of living. With inflation being higher than ever before, those who live on fixed incomes through programs like CPP or old age security, many with no pensions, are finding it hard to make ends meet. The Liberal carbon tax only makes things worse.
In these stressful economic times, why does the Prime Minister insist on taking money from Canadians and seniors who are already struggling to pay their bills?
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- Feb/1/22 3:10:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I find it rather rich for the Conservatives to bring up seniors working past the age of retirement, because they raised the retirement age when they were in power. We reversed that and gave seniors back the benefits they are entitled to. We are gradually enhancing the CPP, including what the employers pay in, in partnership with the provinces and territories so that seniors now and into the future can have a strong, stable retirement.
Seniors know who has been and will be there for them and it is not the Conservatives.
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- Feb/1/22 3:10:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, over the past two weeks, we have stepped up the fight against COVID-19. As Canadians continue to receive their third dose of vaccine, we are starting to see delays in appointments for booster doses.
Could the Minister of Health please give the House an update on the progress that has been made with respect to booster doses and the additional measures the government is taking to ensure that all Canadians have access to a third dose?
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- Feb/1/22 3:11:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Alfred‑Pellan for his outstanding work on behalf of his constituents and for raising the issue of vaccination.
A total of 77 million doses have been administered. Almost 84% of Canadians of all ages have received a first dose, 79% have received two doses, 43% of eligible Canadians have already gotten a booster, and 53% of children aged 6 to 11 have received a first dose. We can be proud. We have been among the most vaccinated countries in the world for months. We are, of course, deeply grateful to all those who have made the right choice.
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- Feb/1/22 3:12:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, immigration processing times are long and have been long for quite some time. Families, workers and students have to put their lives on hold while waiting for an answer that never seems to come.
Too often, these people are asked to fill out a second application and pay the fees a second time because the Liberals are taking too long to get to their file. The system is broken and does not respect people.
Will the Liberals invest the necessary resources so that these people can start living with respect and dignity?
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