44th Parl. 1st Sess.
November 17, 2022 10:00AM
- Nov/17/22 2:56:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, here is what the government should be apologizing for, and it is the wasteful spending record; $54 million on the arrive scam app; $400,000 for the Prime Minister's delegation to London, including a $6,000-a-night suite; CERB cheques to prisoners and organized crime; a $237 million contract for ventilators to a Liberal insider; and we now know it has paid more than half a billion dollars in damages for its mismanagement of the Phoenix pay system.
When will the Liberal government stop its wasteful inflationary spending?
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- Nov/17/22 2:56:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, if people actually tune into this place over a couple of months, they will realize that the economic argument the Conservatives have been making is self-defeating. On the one hand, the Conservatives say that people are in need of more help and at every opportunity they oppose measures that will give more help to people.
From the very beginning of my time in office in 2015, they have opposed measures that actually deliver cash supports to households. The Conservatives opposed the tax cut for the middle class. They opposed investments in the Canada child benefit. They are now arguing against protecting the Canada pension plan and strengthening EI.
During the pandemic, the Conservatives did not just oppose some of our measures, their new leader held a press conference to say that he would not support big fat government programs that kept my neighbours fed and a roof over their heads.
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- Nov/17/22 2:57:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is right there in the economic update. The federal government decided that Quebec municipalities may lose $2.7 billion in infrastructure funding if they do not submit their proposals in 2023 instead of 2025, as originally planned.
In a public statement today, the Union des municipalités du Québec asked the federal government to change its mind so they do not lose the infrastructure dollars they need.
Will the federal government listen to Quebec's municipalities and reinstate the 2025 deadline set out in the agreement it signed with Quebec?
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- Nov/17/22 2:58:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, several provinces and territories have successfully allocated the vast majority of their available funding, but some provinces have yet to allocate over 50% of the federal funding earmarked for their jurisdictions. Canadians from coast to coast to coast have benefited from the significant infrastructure investments that our government continues to make.
Since 2016, we have invested in over 81,000 infrastructure projects. I am happy to say that most recently we made an investment in the Burnside Transit Centre eco-rebuild project of $20.8 million in Nova Scotia.
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- Nov/17/22 2:59:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think the member opposite was reading from the wrong notes again. Maybe he did not understand that the Government of Quebec and the federal government signed an agreement stating that municipalities have until 2025 to submit proposals. We are talking $2.7 billion—
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- Nov/17/22 2:59:53 p.m.
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I will ask the member to start over. I myself had trouble hearing him, so I imagine the person who is supposed to answer did too.
I see there is also a problem with the interpretation.
Now that everything is working, I invite the hon. member for Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères to start over.
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- Nov/17/22 3:00:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I was saying that I hope the next time the member opposite will use the right talking points when answering me.
I was saying that the Quebec government cannot believe it. The government opposite has decided to rip up a signed agreement stating that cities had until 2025 to submit projects. Now, $2.7 billion is at stake. We are being told that we are in the wrong. We are in the wrong because we thought the agreement would be respected. That is rich, is it not? The Union des municipalités du Québec has just said that they will be severely penalized by this.
Will the government reconsider its position, respect our cities, stop its bullying and reinstate the 2025 deadline?
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- Nov/17/22 3:01:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this is not the first time that my colleague has used inappropriate language. I invite him to be cautious when using certain words.
We work very well with Quebec. With regard to infrastructure, we are making progress on many projects. We have made progress on day care, health, housing, high-speed Internet and the fight against homelessness. We will continue to work with Quebec. We will continue to support Quebec, no matter what the Bloc Québécois thinks. Even if he does not like it, we will continue to work with Quebec.
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- Nov/17/22 3:01:45 p.m.
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- Re: Bill C-5
Mr. Speaker, under the Liberals violent crime is up 32% and the devastating opioid crisis is claiming 21 lives per day. Despite these facts, the out-of-touch Liberals are pushing their soft-on-crime Bill C-5 through the Senate today. This bill puts drug traffickers and serious firearms offenders back on the street to continue to harm Canadians.
Will the minister take this opportunity to withdraw his soft-on-crime Bill C-5?
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- Nov/17/22 3:02:22 p.m.
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- Re: Bill C-5
Mr. Speaker, indeed, I think today will be a historic day in which we turn the page on failed Conservative so-called tough-on-crime policies that have only served to overincarcerate indigenous and Black peoples in our criminal justice system and have clogged up the criminal justice system.
We are making changes in order to focus on more serious crime in order to make sure that serious crimes get serious punishments. Bill C-5 is a first and historic step.
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- Nov/17/22 3:02:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the minister acts as if these are victimless crimes. The fact of the matter is that the communities that are being victimized by violent criminals and drug traffickers deserve justice. They deserve to feel safe. The minister ignores the fact that just two weeks ago the Supreme Court of Canada upheld the constitutionality and the appropriateness of these very penalties.
In light of that fact, and in light of the constitutionality of making sure that violent offenders and drug traffickers serve time in jail and not from the comfort of their own homes, will he withdraw this soft-on-crime bill?
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- Nov/17/22 3:03:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is indeed correct to point out that the return of conditional sentence orders is a critically important part of this bill. It will allow us not only to focus on serious sentences for people who deserve serious sentences, but also to allow flexibility for those people who do not pose a threat to public security and order. Those people can be better served, and their victims and communities can be better served, through other forms of punishment. That is what Bill C-5 will allow us to do once again.
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- Nov/17/22 3:04:19 p.m.
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- Re: Bill C-5
Mr. Speaker, in 2015, the violent crime rate in Canada was 1,070 per 100,000 inhabitants.
After seven long years under this Liberal government, the rate has increased by 32%. Things will only get worse when Bill C-5, which is backed by the NDP and even the Bloc Québécois, abolishes minimum sentences for illegally importing firearms. What message are we sending to people who live in at-risk communities? We are simply telling them good luck.
Can the Prime Minister do the right thing and scrap this bill?
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- Nov/17/22 3:04:53 p.m.
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- Re: Bill C-5
Mr. Speaker, this is indeed an historic day for Canada, because we are turning the page on the completely failed policies of the former Conservative government. These tough-on-crime policies did not work, clogged up the system and disproportionately punished indigenous and black people in the justice system.
We are putting the emphasis on serious crimes with serious sentences. We will continue to do so with this historic bill.
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Mr. Speaker, as the world gathers in Tunisia this weekend for the Sommet de la Francophonie, it is important to reflect on how our government is protecting the French language and culture here in Canada.
Since 2015, the government has been making historic investments to support official language minority communities, and it is the first government to recognize its obligation to protect and promote French across the country.
Could the Minister of Official Languages tell us how the government continues to ensure the future of the French language across Canada?
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend and colleague from Halifax West for her excellent question.
Our government understands that we have an obligation to protect and promote French across the country, including in Quebec. That is why we are increasing support for French-language education across the country and why we introduced Bill C-13. We are working to ensure that francophones in Quebec and other regions with a strong francophone presence can live, work and be served in French.
As a proud Acadian, I am very happy with the work our government is doing in that regard.
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- Nov/17/22 3:06:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canada is facing a children's medication crisis. Health Canada admitted on Tuesday that it has known about this shortage since April, yet the Liberals did nothing for months, leaving parents to struggle and kids to suffer. Our shelves are bare, despite fully stocked shelves in the U.S., Australia and other countries. The Liberals now claim that we will see help within the coming weeks, but the answer is vague.
On what date will Canadians feel relief and see these products on Canadian shelves?
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- Nov/17/22 3:07:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we share the concerns of parents and caregivers across this country, whose inability to find infant and children's acetaminophen and ibuprofen has been so difficult. This has been a really tough cold and flu season for parents and kids. I want to acknowledge that, first and foremost.
Health Canada recently approved the exceptional importation of infant and children's ibuprofen and acetaminophen to supply pediatric hospitals across Canada. Just this week, we have secured an additional foreign supply of children's acetaminophen, which will be for sale for consumers at retail stores and in community pharmacies in the coming weeks.
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- Nov/17/22 3:08:12 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Kay is 71 years old. She lives in a seniors' lodge, and the lodge just raised her rent because of inflation. Her OAS and GIS are now $100 short of what her monthly rent is. She has moved up several flights of stairs just to save $300 a month, but that deal is going to end soon. She volunteers at the lodge because she gets, as a reward, a glass of cranberry juice, which she needs for nourishment. She orders meals on wheels every second day for $6 because that is all she can afford.
When will the Liberals end their inflationary spending and cancel their cruel tax increases so Kay can once again afford to live in the country she helped build?
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- Nov/17/22 3:09:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we recognize the challenges seniors are facing, and our government has been there for them, unlike the party opposite, which has opposed every single measure we have put forward to help seniors.
We are delivering for seniors by doubling the GST credit, which will help 11 million people. We are providing rental and dental support. We permanently increased the OAS for seniors aged 75, which is $800 for a full pensioner.
On this side of the House, we will continue to deliver for seniors.
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