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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 112

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
October 18, 2022 10:00AM
  • Oct/18/22 2:37:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we should have done what every G7 country has done, that is, lower taxes. Only Canada under this government has refused to lower taxes. To stand alone like that suggests that the others may be right and we are wrong. Every G7 country, even the U.S. under Biden, the Prime Minister's friend, has lowered certain taxes. This government has refused to do the same. Why is the government refusing to lower taxes, which is contributing to rising inflation?
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  • Oct/18/22 2:37:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I understand that the Conservatives want to imitate what is currently going on in England, but I am not sure that is the right path to take. Here at home, programs have been put in place to help children. I am thinking about the Canada child benefit that lifts children out of poverty. Is that what the Conservatives would cut? They should say so. Is it the guaranteed income supplement, which gives seniors a bit of a boost? Is that what they would cut? Would they cut the workers benefit? Again, it is easy to criticize, but they should have the courage to say what they would do.
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  • Oct/18/22 2:38:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, last week in Washington, the Deputy Prime Minister announced to the world Canada's new foreign policy with respect to energy. She announced that Canada will fast-track energy projects to export more oil and gas. Fast-tracking projects implies a certain number of things. She might cut the environmental assessment, forego consulting Quebec, the provinces and first nations peoples or skirt the whole issue of social acceptability. She might also do all of that simultaneously. What will it be?
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  • Oct/18/22 2:38:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our government is determined to address the global energy security crisis and the climate change crisis. To do that, we are investing in good energy projects across the country. We are working directly with the developers to ensure that they advance as quickly as possible and we are working on harmonizing the regulatory process with the provinces and territories. That said, these projects will have to comply with our climate and environmental ambitions and respect the rights of first nations.
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  • Oct/18/22 2:39:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the new policy to fast-track energy products announced by the Deputy Prime Minister has already had an impact in Canada. We learned last week that a call for tenders was issued for oil exploration in 100,000 square kilometres of ocean off the coast of Newfoundland. However, this drilling is exempt from environmental impact assessments. Is that part of Canada's new energy policy or is it Canada's same old habit of sacrificing the environment when oil is involved?
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  • Oct/18/22 2:40:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the commission that made this recommendation is an independent commission. Independence is a term that the Bloc Québécois should understand well. It is not the federal government or the Newfoundland government, it is an independent commission. This energy development project will be subject to our rigorous environmental assessment process and public consultations.
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  • Oct/18/22 2:40:36 p.m.
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However, Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Environment authorized the Bay du Nord oil project in Newfoundland, and he said that it was the last oil project that would be approved. He does have some power after all. Now, there is a new call for oil exploration off the coast of Newfoundland. This is for serious contractors only. They have to commit to spending a minimum of $10 million each on oil exploration in order to obtain the permit. These people are paying a lot of money to look for oil because they expect to find it and develop it. How many more projects like Bay du Nord does the government want to find off the coast of Newfoundland?
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  • Oct/18/22 2:41:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to talk for a moment about the green transition and the need for Canada to invest and attract private capital in this major transition. To do that, we need to build more. This is a very big challenge before us, and I think that it must truly be a national project, a project for Quebec and for Canada. In order to do that, we must work—
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  • Oct/18/22 2:42:03 p.m.
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The hon. Leader of the Opposition.
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  • Oct/18/22 2:42:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the environment minister now says that he does not like foreign oil oligarchs. Well, that is news, because I was beginning to think OPEC was going to give the Prime Minister an outstanding achievement award for all that he has done to promote foreign oil interests by blocking the 15 proposed LNG projects that existed when he came to office. He has reduced Europe to its knees and turned it to be dependent on Putin. By blocking oil production in Canada, he has prevented us from supplying ourselves and forced us to import more oil. Why will the Liberals not stop sending paycheques out and pollution up?
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  • Oct/18/22 2:42:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, certainly, Canada has worked very hard with our allies around the world to augment the production of oil and natural gas. We committed to increasing production by 300,000 barrels by the end of the day to help our allies in Europe. With respect to domestic energy security, here are the facts. When the Conservatives were in government, foreign oil imports were double what they are today. In fact, they have declined 80% from when Stephen Harper was the prime minister of Canada. The facts speak for themselves. Under this government, more Canadians are using Canadian and North American energy. The leader opposite may not like it, but a fact is a fact.
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  • Oct/18/22 2:43:32 p.m.
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Before going to the next question, and I do not want to interrupt, but I want to remind that with the shuffling and everything going around with the seats, I can hear those who are nearer to me they are pretty loud. I would ask them to tone down their outbursts. They are not constant, but they are outbursts and I ask that they just keep them down. The hon. Leader of the Opposition.
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  • Oct/18/22 2:43:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, here is a fact for us: 15 LNG projects were proposed when the Prime Minister took office. Zero are completed. Even the one that we approved in our final days in office, he has still failed to bring to completion. Now, after the Prime Minister stood in the way of LNG Quebec and east coast LNG projects, Europe is totally dependent on Putin to keep the heat on this coming winter, funding that war. What has the government contributed? It has sent Putin back his turbines to help him pump his gas. Why are the Liberals funding Putin's war instead of paycheques for Canadians?
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  • Oct/18/22 2:44:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let me just say that a fact is a fact. The projects that he is talking about were assessed under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act 2012, in which Stephen Harper took out all of the environmental protections. One of the big reasons why these projects did not proceed is because they completely gutted the environmental assessment process. We have put in place better rules to ensure that good projects are going to get built in this country, and we are certainly moving in that direction.
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  • Oct/18/22 2:45:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the winter months are coming across the country and Canadians are hesitating to turn on the heat. Why? Because they are already paying more for gas. They are already paying more for groceries, Now, thanks to the Prime Minister, they are paying more for home heating, in fact, in some cases, 300% more. Will the Prime Minister cancel his plans to triple the taxes on gas, groceries and home heating?
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  • Oct/18/22 2:45:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that those members would talk about energy poverty, because when they were in power, the first thing they did was cut energy efficiency projects for the lowest-income Canadians. Hundreds of people were laid off. That is the first thing they did when they came into power in 2006. Then what did the Conservatives do? They eliminated subsidies to help Canadians buy electric vehicles. Then what did they do? They limited support for renewable energy projects. If there is energy poverty in the country, it is because the Conservative Party was in power for 10 years.
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  • Oct/18/22 2:46:12 p.m.
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Some of the comments have not been very parliamentary. I want to remind hon. members about that. The hon. member for Edmonton Riverbend has the floor.
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  • Oct/18/22 2:46:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, under the Prime Minister, people cannot afford to heat, eat and live. Does he not realize almost half of Canadians are $200 away from insolvency? A recent report now indicates that families spend more on income taxes, at 43%, than they do on basic commodities, at 35.7%. That means that the young couple that emailed me from my riding, James and Debbie, cannot afford to put their little girl into skating. Will the Prime Minister cancel his plans to “just in” increase their taxes?
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  • Oct/18/22 2:47:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we understand Canadians are struggling with the cost of living. That is why we have a plan to double the GST tax credit. I am really glad all members of the House, including the members opposite, are supporting that plan and Canadian families will be getting nearly $500 in inflation relief soon. Now it is time to get together and support the rental payments and support dental care for kids under 12. By the way, I wish the members opposite would support, for Edmonton families, our great day care plan, which is lowering the day care cost for that family by 50% this year.
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  • Oct/18/22 2:48:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians want bold climate action and workers want to know they will have well-paying jobs for the future, but the Liberals have failed to deliver. Instead, they are giving billions of dollars to rich oil and gas companies, while workers and communities struggle. Unions, environmental organizations and workers have been calling for a clear path forward, an industrial strategy and investments in good, clean jobs. The global economy is already moving toward a clean energy future, and Canada is failing to keep up. My question is simple. Why is the Liberal government leaving Canadian workers behind?
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