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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 63

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 3, 2022 10:00AM
  • May/3/22 2:42:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, three things are certain in life: death, taxes and federal government delays in bringing in temporary foreign workers. However, there is nothing more predictable. Spring arrives at about the same time every year, as does the harvest. Every time, the federal government seems surprised. Every time, farmers face the same delays. Every year, they wonder if the workers will arrive on time. Ottawa's machinery is broken. If they do not want to fix it, they should transfer the file to Quebec.
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  • May/3/22 2:43:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we know that immigration is an integral part of addressing the labour shortage. IRCC is prioritizing work permit processing for in-demand occupations in industries such as health, agriculture, food and seafood production. I would like to remind the House that in the first quarter of 2022, we processed more than 100,000 work permit applications. That is nearly double the number of work permits processed over the same period last year. We will continue to ensure that Canadian employers have access to the workers they need.
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  • May/3/22 2:44:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, if a person wants to visit Big Ben or the Queen, it's no problem. Passengers through Heathrow no longer require tests or proof of vaccination. If they want to visit the Hans Christian Andersen Museum or the Little Mermaid statue by the sea, they should feel free. There are now no travel restrictions in place for tourists visiting Denmark. If they have always dreamed of visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa or the Trevi Fountain, no health pass is needed. However, Canada is left behind in a myriad of mandates as tourist season looms. When the Prime Minister said that Canada was back, did he mean the back of the line for ending the mandates?
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  • May/3/22 2:45:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the last two years have been very difficult for Canadians. A once-in-a-hundred-years pandemic has compelled governments around the world and in Canada to put together a range of measures to protect the health and safety of their citizens. Over the last few weeks, our federal government has been adjusting these measures. We have removed predeparture tests. We have removed testing at airports. We are now continuing to adjust our measures based on the advice we receive from our public health experts.
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  • May/3/22 2:45:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, here are a couple of headlines from the past few weeks: “Italy, Greece relax COVID restrictions ahead of tourist season”; “UK Drops All COVID-19 Travel Restrictions”; “Denmark Lifts All Covid-19 Travel Restrictions”. Hungary, Iceland, Norway, Ireland, Romania and Slovenia are all open for travel ahead of summer, and the list goes on. When will Canadians have the same freedoms that so many others around the world currently enjoy? Very simply put: Does this NDP-Liberal government actually trust Canadians?
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  • May/3/22 2:46:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate very much the key word, which is “freedom”. The reason we have the freedom to relax those measures in Canada is that many Canadians, in fact, the vast majority of Canadians, have received their first, their second and, in many cases, their third dose. When we hear the opposition speak about public health measures, but badly about vaccination, we have to make a choice. We cannot have relaxation of public health measures and more freedom without vaccination as we go through COVID-19.
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  • May/3/22 2:46:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we know that our duty is to Canadians and ensuring their safety, but these mandates have gone on too long. Canadians are unable to travel to see their ill relatives or attend funerals. Constituents continue to not be able to see their mothers, fathers, siblings or grandparents who are suffering from illnesses. Canadians are looking for hope. What is the government going to do to end these mandates and reunite Canadians with their families?
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  • May/3/22 2:47:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, 135,000 is the number of lives lost in the United States because it had a lower vaccination rate than we had in Canada, and 135,000 people is about the size of any one of the ridings in our country. There were 135,000 lives lost because the other country had a lower vaccination rate. That is not only a personal but a social tragedy.
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  • May/3/22 2:48:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Argentina, Costa Rica, Denmark, Hungary, Jamaica, Thailand, Mexico, Norway and Poland are a few of the many countries that have ended all their vaccine mandates. Even citizens of Cuba, a country with an interesting connection to the Prime Minister, have more freedom to travel than Canadians. However, the Liberal government maintains one of the most restrictive vaccine regimes around the world. On what day will seven million Canadians get to fly again?
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  • May/3/22 2:48:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague never agreed with any of the public health measures we put in place. He never supported vaccine mandates— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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  • May/3/22 2:48:43 p.m.
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Order. If we let the minister answer, then members can ask another question. It is easy to get on the list. They can talk to their whips and get on the list. The hon. Minister of Transport.
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  • May/3/22 2:49:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let me just say that these measures are temporary and we will always consult our public health experts on how to proceed forward. Let me just say to my hon. Conservative colleagues that they cannot, on the one hand, agree that vaccines save lives and, on the other hand, call them vindictive measures. That does not add up. They have to tell Canadians that they believe vaccines save lives. Do they agree with that or not?
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  • May/3/22 2:50:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today, 112 organizations wrote a letter saying fossil fuel subsidies are undermining our climate goals. The government is fuelling the crisis, handing out billions of dollars to big oil and gas. Today, the minister defended his newest subsidy citing the IPCC, but the Liberals lobbied to highlight this flawed approach. Despite that, the report says carbon capture is the least effective and most expensive option. Why is the government listening to big oil instead of the science?
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  • May/3/22 2:50:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this government remains committed to the phasing out of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, but fossil fuel subsidies do not include the measures that are intended to reduce carbon emissions. If my hon. colleague would actually read the IPCC report, it talks about carbon capture and sequestration as being an enabling technology to reduce emissions around the world.
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  • May/3/22 2:51:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as Canadians get hosed at the pumps, Imperial Oil has tripled its profits. RBC says four Canadian oil giants are on track to getting $47 billion in revenue. Do we think they would spend any of that mitigating the damage they are doing to the planet? Not a chance when they can mooch off of the Liberal government, which gives them billions in subsidies. In the face of a burning planet, the government has turned itself into an open bar for the oil lobby. My question is for the carbon capture and environment minister. When is he going to do the right thing and stop giving Canadian taxpayers' money to big oil?
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  • May/3/22 2:51:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this government has an ambitious climate plan, perhaps the most detailed climate plan that exists in the world. It is focused on reducing emissions, but doing so in a manner that is going to create a good economy, a strong economy and good jobs for Canadians across the country. We are working with industry in all sectors of the economy to ensure that we do just that. That is something the NDP has never understood: a strong economy. It is important that we reduce emissions and maintain a strong economy at the same time, and that is exactly what we are doing.
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  • May/3/22 2:52:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Punjabi Canadians in my riding of Brampton North and across Canada have been advocating for a direct flight from Canada to the Indian city of Amritsar. My colleagues and I have also been raising our concerns with officials. Would the Minister of Transport please update the House as to our government's position on the issue?
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  • May/3/22 2:52:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Brampton North for her advocacy on this issue. I have been hearing from members of Punjabi Canadian communities and colleagues here in the House of Commons about their desire to see more direct flights to India, including flights to Amritsar. This afternoon I met with the Indian civil aviation minister and raised the issue of more direct flights, including flights to Amritsar. I want to thank Minister Scindia for his willingness to work together on strengthening our air transportation agreement. Our government will continue to support airlines looking to implement more direct flights to India.
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  • May/3/22 2:53:40 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, housing prices in my community have doubled since 2015. Former Conservative governments kept the housing market stable. HouseSigma, using house sales data for Weston, the housing minster's own neighbourhood, shows the price of a home in May 2007 was $233,500. In April 2015, it was $296,250, and in April 2022 it was nearly $800,000. Why is the minister failing even his own constituents, who are having to pay over half a million dollars more for a home since he was elected?
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  • May/3/22 2:54:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in budget 2022 we are investing more than ever before in the building of more affordable housing. We are doubling the number of new homes built in Canada in the next 10 years. We are introducing the tax-free first home savings account and making sure that we double the first-time homebuyers' tax credit and extend the first-time homebuyer incentive. In addition to that, we are cracking down on speculation and unfair business practices in the real estate sector while also helping first-time homebuyers.
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