44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 3, 2022 10:00AM
- May/3/22 2:58:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives continue to talk down the Canadian economy with an absolutely false economic narrative. The truth is that Canada is well placed to weather the economic storm caused by COVID and Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine. According to the IMF, we will have the fastest-growing economy in the G7 this year and next year. Just last week, S&P reaffirmed Canada's AAA credit rating, with a stable outlook. We have the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7.
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- May/3/22 2:58:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Robert Laplante testified before the Standing Committee on Official Languages and said, “There are not two majorities in Canada; there is only one, and it is an anglophone majority, a representative group of which lives in Quebec.”
The government said the same thing in its 2020 throne speech. It said, and I quote, “the situation of French is unique. There are almost 8 million Francophones in Canada within a region of over 360 million inhabitants who are almost exclusively Anglophone.”
Is that still what the Minister of Official Languages thinks?
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- May/3/22 2:59:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.
As a francophone living in an official language minority community in New Brunswick, I know first-hand how important it is to protect and promote French. That is part of my daily life.
That is why I am pleased that my government reintroduced our bill to modernize the Official Languages Act. I hope that my friend and colleague will support this bill and help us pass it as quickly as possible.
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- May/3/22 2:59:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the situation of French is unique, but not according to federal language law.
Here again I would like to quote what Robert Laplante told the committee. He said, “It is...indefensible to suggest that the situation of French in Quebec is perfectly symmetrical with that of English in Canada and, likewise, with the situation of anglophone and francophone minorities”.
Even the Prime Minister said in 2020: “[F]or Canada to be bilingual, Quebec must first and foremost be francophone.”
Is that still what the Minister of Official Languages thinks?
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- May/3/22 3:00:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I said repeatedly, protecting and promoting French are a top priority for this government and a priority for me as Minister of Official Languages. We are the first government to recognize that French is in decline in Canada including in Quebec.
Once again, that is why we are moving forward with a new version of the official languages bill. Again, I hope the opposition members will help us pass this bill as quickly as possible.
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- May/3/22 3:01:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, an avalanche of information came out today regarding the Liberal government's corrupt tax dealings with a huge multinational corporation. Documents reveal that the Minister of National Revenue gave a sweetheart tax deal to a corporation using Ireland as a tax haven, which is a breach of the CRA's own rules. Whistle-blowers in the minister's department raised alarm bells, saying the deal “undermines the...integrity of the CRA”.
Will the Minister of National Revenue tell Canadians why there is one tax code for normal Canadians and a secret tax code for friends of the Liberal government?
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- May/3/22 3:01:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the confidence of Canadians and the integrity of our tax system are at the heart of everything the agency does. Allegations of misconduct relating to transfer pricing agreements were reviewed by a third party, and no misconduct was found.
Let me be very clear: The investigation was conducted by an independent tax expert who showed that the terms of the agreement were in fact favourable to the agency and did not offer any form of preferential treatment to the taxpayers involved.
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- May/3/22 3:02:27 p.m.
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With respect, Mr. Speaker, that is not what the media are saying and that is not what is coming out from insiders in the CRA. According to the report, CRA violated its own policy and procedures to give a sweetheart deal to big business. This is in addition to not prosecuting one person for the Panama papers.
Why is the CRA aggressively pursuing hard-working Canadians while letting big business off the hook?
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- May/3/22 3:03:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I can well understand, during this Mental Health Week, how warped the thinking is on the other side of the House and that they do not understand what we mean.
I am saying that the investigation was very clear.
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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- May/3/22 3:03:14 p.m.
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Order.
Perhaps it would be appropriate for the minister to phrase her words differently.
Maybe she could apologize for that last statement. It was a little inflammatory.
The minister.
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- May/3/22 3:03:51 p.m.
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I apologize, Mr. Speaker.
Let us be very clear. The investigation was conducted by an independent tax expert. He showed that the terms of the agreement were in fact favourable to the Canada Revenue Agency and to Canadians, and did not offer any form of preferential treatment to the taxpayers involved.
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- May/3/22 3:04:20 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians are horrified to hear media reports that high-ranking Canada Revenue Agency officials are making sweetheart deals with multinational corporations so they do not pay their fair share of tax revenue. Worse yet, internal Canada Revenue Agency emails raised concerns around corruption.
Has the Minister of National Revenue met with the CRA Commissioner on this issue, and does she support the Conservatives' calls to have the commissioner appear before the finance committee?
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- May/3/22 3:04:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I cannot believe that the Conservatives still have not figured out that committees are autonomous and independent. I want to reassure my colleague opposite that the Conservatives can call their witnesses without my approval.
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- May/3/22 3:05:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we on this side of the House know that vaccines save lives.
That is why we made an announcement with Moderna last week regarding plans to build a plant in Montreal capable of producing up to 100 million vaccines. This is very promising for our biomanufacturing.
Could the Minister of Innovation comment on the importance of this partnership to the health sector and the Canadian economy?
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- May/3/22 3:05:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his excellent question.
The Prime Minister and I were in Montreal last week to mark a historic step forward in the life sciences sector, as we announced that Moderna would build its plant in Quebec.
For the past two years, we have been rebuilding the Canadian biomanufacturing sector with strategic investments. Thanks to our vision, Canada will be better prepared to deal with any future health emergency.
We are going to invent the future of vaccines right here in Canada.
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- May/3/22 3:06:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the NDP-Liberal budget proves once again that the current government is all talk and no action. Instead of a plan to protect our Arctic sovereignty and security, all we got was a reannouncement of NORAD's existing infrastructure and that the government is considering its options. Millions are promised, while billions are needed.
Our Arctic sovereignty and security cannot be protected by more Liberal empty promises. Will the minister, who continues to fail to defend our north, stand up and explain?
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- May/3/22 3:07:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canada's sovereignty in the Arctic is secure and well established. We are taking action and making landmark investments to increase our Arctic sovereignty, including conducting joint exercises in the Arctic, purchasing six Arctic offshore patrol ships and enhancing surveillance and intelligence capability in the Arctic with the procurement of 88 fighter jets.
We will remain firm and unwavering in the defence of the Arctic and of our continental security more generally.
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- May/3/22 3:07:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Baie Verte Peninsula, Fogo Island, Buchans, St. Alban's and Harbour Breton once had 25 doctors. These five communities in my riding are either without a doctor or are about to lose their last one. Some desperate communities are even asking me if it is possible to get relief from army doctors and medics.
The 7,500 health care professionals promised for rural Canada in the Liberal election platform cannot be found in the 2022 budget. Why did the Liberal government break its promise to rural Canadians?
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- May/3/22 3:08:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am very glad to receive a question from an MP from Newfoundland, with which we have a great relationship.
We are very grateful for their hard work through the last two years. We are also very grateful for the important work that they do every day to provide people in Newfoundland with primary care providers in health: family physicians. In order to reduce the backlog, a $2-billion investment that we announced just a few weeks ago will make sure that every person in that province, and in all provinces and territories, benefits from the wonderful collaboration we are having across Canada.
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- May/3/22 3:09:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the provincial governments, which are responsible for the delivery of health care, are fine with removing vaccine and mask mandates in their jurisdictions, because they know they can now manage COVID.
The federal government, however, which is not responsible for health care delivery, is still implementing punitive mandates for employees, travellers and those crossing borders. It is virtually the only government in the world that is doing this.
Why are these NDP-Liberals such “out liars”?
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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