SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 114 - Oct/20/22

Mrs. Brenda Shanahan (Châteauguay—Lacolle, Lib.)

Oct/20/22 2:13:17 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, this is national small and medium-sized business week, and I am proud of our government's support for innovative projects that move our economy, our community and our country forward. There is a small business in Châteauguay-Lacolle called Logiag, whose agrology and agricultural engineering experts help farmers adopt innovative, sustainable practices. With funding from the agricultural clean technology program, Logiag will participate in our greenhouse gas reduction strategy by calculating how much carbon is sequestered in farmland. That is just one example among many of our government's contribution to our SMEs. Together we will build an economy that benefits everyone.

107 words

Mr. Matthew Green (Hamilton Centre, NDP)

Oct/20/22 2:14:25 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, as a proud Hamiltonian, it is an honour to rise in the House and report that the “spirit of '46” is alive in the NDP caucus. We continue our fight for workers' rights to collectively bargain with their employers and, when necessary, withdraw their labour in order to push back against a tax on their wages, working conditions, pensions and benefits. For decades, the New Democrats have introduced anti-scab legislation in the House to ensure that during labour disputes the use of scab replacement workers does not undermine the ability of workers to negotiate fairly or hurt labour relations. Scabs prolong strikes and lockouts and give employers little incentive to reach a fair deal. In the past, Liberals and Conservatives teamed up and voted against our anti-scab legislation. Today, I am proud to also report that we have not stopped fighting for workers and have used our power in this Parliament to force the Liberals to include legislation to ban replacement workers. That includes not just strikes but lockouts as well. We will always fight for more democratic workplaces, democratic economies and to improve the material conditions of working-class people in our country.

200 words

Mr. René Villemure (Trois-Rivières, BQ)

Oct/20/22 2:15:45 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, the 38th edition of the International Poetry Festival of Trois‑Rivières came to a close just a few days ago. This year, 2022, approximately 60 poets from around the world gave more than 250 performances that were enjoyed by tens of thousands of poetry lovers. Ukraine was at the heart of this year's festival. In collaboration with the Ukrainian poet Dmytro Tchystiak, the festival wanted to give a voice to the Ukrainian people by presenting approximately 60 works by their poets. These poems were featured and translated, and then hung on the “clothesline of poetry”. I am proud of the festival's success and would like to congratulate Gaston Bellemare, its president, Maryse Baribeau, the executive director, and the entire festival team for making Trois‑Rivières the capital of poetry. The festival adds to the beauty of our world and brings elegance to its anguish, providing respite for the heart and soul.

163 words

All Topics

Mr. John Barlow (Foothills, CPC)

Oct/20/22 2:16:46 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, food prices are up 11% and Canadians are struggling to put healthy food on the table because of Liberal inflation. The Liberals could throw Canadian families a lifeline by cancelling their planned tax hikes on food, fuel and home heating. Instead, it seems the Liberals are determined to increase the cost of living with bad policies like failing to establish a Canadian vaccine bank for foot and mouth disease, putting out entire livestock industry at risk; by forcing front-of-pack labelling on manufacturers; by failing to give deemed trust to our fruit and vegetable growers; by putting a tariff on fertilizer and farms; and. now, tripling the carbon tax on farms and every aspect of our food supply chain. Grocery prices are at a 41-year high and 1.4 million Canadian kids live in households with food insecurity. Canadian families can no longer afford the Liberal government. There is hope on the horizon. A new Conservative leader, who does think about monetary policy, will end the Liberals' unjust inflation and ensure every Canadian can put affordable food on their table.

184 words

Mr. Terry Duguid (Winnipeg South, Lib.)

Oct/20/22 2:17:57 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, Don Duguid won every conceivable championship in curling, including two men’s world championships, three Canadian men’s championships and a Canadian masters championship, to name a few. He was the face and the voice of curling both in Canada and abroad for almost 40 years, and no individual has had a bigger impact on the spread of curling throughout the world. He was curling’s very first colour commentator, beginning a 29-year career with the CBC in 1972, followed by seven years at NBC covering five Olympics as well as countless Briers, Scotties and other championships. He was inducted into the Canada's Sports Hall of Fame, the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame and was the very first inductee into the World Curling Hall of Fame. He was awarded the Order of Manitoba in 2014. Today, curling great, and my father, Don Duguid received the Order of Canada from the Governor General. I want to congratulate my dad.

165 words

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Oct/20/22 2:19:38 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, this Prime Minister added $100 billion to our national debt before COVID‑19 and $500 billion to it before Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He doubled the national debt by adding more debt than all of the other Canadian prime ministers in the history of our country combined. All of that money is driving up the cost of the goods that we buy and the interest that we pay. All of a sudden, today, the Minister of Finance has done a flip-flop by recognizing that these inflationary deficits are increasing the cost of living. How can we trust the people who caused inflation to reverse it?

112 words

Ms. Rachel Bendayan (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, Lib.)

Oct/20/22 2:20:29 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, we have the lowest deficit and the lowest debt in the G7. We also introduced a budget that proposes to reduce government spending by $9 billion. We also have the highest growth in the G7. While the Conservatives are busy playing petty politics, our government brought Rio Tinto to Sorel-Tracy. Our government brought Moderna to Montreal. We are the ones who are going to ensure the long-term resilience of our economy.

76 words

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Oct/20/22 2:21:01 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, what a flip-flop. After adding $100 billion of new debt before the first case of COVID, half-a-trillion dollars of debt before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, doubling the debt, adding more debt than all other prime ministers combined, now the Prime Minister's government is saying that it is going to cut $9 billion and even bring in my “pay-as-you-go” law to find savings for every new dollar of spending. However, it now admits that deficits add fuel to the inflationary fire. Can we really trust the arsonists who lit the fire to put it out?

106 words

Hon. Mark Holland (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Oct/20/22 2:21:40 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, I would obviously pose a question. During the pandemic, what would the Conservatives have cut? What supports would they not have offered to Canadians? In what way would they have not been there when Canadians needed them the most? The second question I would ask is this. As we enter a time that is the most difficult probably that the globe has faced since the Second World War, it demands responsible leadership. Amplifying anxiety is easy; solutions are hard. Are the Conservatives going to support dental care for those who need it?

94 words

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Oct/20/22 2:22:11 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, what would we have cut? We would have cut the $54-million ArriveCAN app. We would have cut the half-billion dollars for the WE organization. We said that they should never have given wage subsidies to wealthy corporations that were capable of paying out bonuses and dividends to their executives. That is an easy question to answer. In fact, $200 billion of the $500 billion in new debt in the last two years had nothing to do with COVID at all. Inflation was already spiralling out of control well before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Liberals should stop blaming everyone else and tell us how they are going to reverse the inflation that they caused.

119 words

Hon. Mark Holland (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Oct/20/22 2:22:52 p.m.
Watch
Re: Bill C-30

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition is stating that inflation is a problem that is only faced by Canadians. He is presuming that Canadians are not watching what is happening in the rest of the world. Right now, he has an opportunity. The Conservatives reversed the decision they made on Bill C-30 to provide support for Canadians. They have another opportunity to reverse their position to ensure that low-income renters have an opportunity to get the money they need in these difficult global times. They have an opportunity to ensure that those who need dental care get it. Will they reverse their position and support us in these measures?

112 words

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Oct/20/22 2:23:37 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, it is true that dumb governments that ran massive deficits all around the world and printed money to pay for it all have inflation problems. Countries like Switzerland that have low or no deficits have low or no inflation. This was a choice. The government decided to spend a half-trillion dollars inflating the cost of living. More dollars chasing fewer goods leads always to higher prices. Now we have 40-year highs in inflation. How can we trust the very few people who caused this problem to fix it?

92 words

Hon. Mark Holland (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Oct/20/22 2:24:16 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, around the world we are dealing with unprecedented times: climate change, a war that has happened in Ukraine. We are dealing with global inflation and that demands maturity and serious answers. I would say for the member opposite that in this time, we have an opportunity not to amplify anxiety, not to make people more scared, but to provide them real solutions. It is bad enough that the Conservatives are not willing to support dental care. I am just asking, as the House leader, as somebody who is attempting to get that legislation in support of Canadians, will they at least stop opposing it so the parties that do support it can get it done?

117 words

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Oct/20/22 2:24:55 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, now the member blames the war in Ukraine for inflation, when less than 0.3% of Canada's trade is with Russia and Ukraine combined. Furthermore, the very things that the Russians and Ukrainians produce, oil and agriculture, are abundant here at home if only the government would get out of the way and let our farmers and energy workers produce them. If we cannot do that we have bigger problems still. It is time for the Liberals to actually take responsibility. A half-trillion dollars of inflationary deficits have made life more expensive and have been bone-crushing for our consumers. When will they reverse these inflationary policies?

111 words

Hon. Mark Holland (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Oct/20/22 2:25:39 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives did not support child care for those who needed it, to help cut it in half immediately and make sure that it goes to $10 a day. They did not support raising taxes on those who are earning the most so that we could give a break to those in the middle class. Here we are again with dental care, where many families are struggling because of the challenges happening across this globe, and they are not supporting that. I understand they are not supporting that, which is their partisan position, but will they at least get out of the way so that those of us who are trying to help Canadians right now can pass legislation?

121 words

Mr. Yves-François Blanchet (Beloeil—Chambly, BQ)

Oct/20/22 2:26:21 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, Quebec is currently having a debate on the oath to the King of England. It is also a debate on the general principle of the monarchy. We are told it is not a priority. What is likely a priority is challenging Quebec's secularism law. What is surely a priority is challenging a stronger Charter of the French Language. This raises a fundamental question and I would like a clear response. Who is the head of state of Canada?

81 words

Hon. David Lametti (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Lib.)

Oct/20/22 2:27:03 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, the oath is in our Constitution and it is a long-standing tradition in our parliamentary system. It is above all an oath to our institutions and our democracy, of which the sovereign is part. The Canadian courts have clearly established that it is not an oath to the person, now King Charles III, but to the state he represents.

62 words

Mr. Yves-François Blanchet (Beloeil—Chambly, BQ)

Oct/20/22 2:27:35 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, what I heard the member say is that swearing an oath to the King of England is like swearing an oath to a symbol and a democratic institution, even though the king is in fact an actual person. Now I have heard it all. This is not a trivial thing. We are in a country where no one can tell me who the head of state is. That is quite something, yet they are saying that it is normal. A democratically elected prime minister is encouraging an oath to a foreign king. I would like someone to explain that to me.

103 words

Hon. Pablo Rodriguez (Minister of Canadian Heritage, Lib.)

Oct/20/22 2:28:12 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, everyone has their own priorities. Here on the government side, we are concerned about the rising cost of living, access to decent housing for Quebeckers, access to child care for our Quebec children and housing assistance. We are there for our youth, for our workers and for our families. I do not understand the Bloc Québécois's priorities. In the beginning, the Bloc was here for their passion. Today, we are coming to realize that they are here for their pensions.

87 words

The Speaker

Oct/20/22 2:29:44 p.m.
Watch

Order. I am not sure what is going on today, but there is a lot of chatter. It is nice to see people getting along, but I want to remind people that we want to hear the questions and the responses.

41 words