44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 9, 2023 10:00AM
- Feb/9/23 2:55:25 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, after eight years under this Prime Minister, nothing is too good for the Liberals' friends. While the middle class is struggling to make ends meet, big corporations are laughing all the way to the bank. Thirty-seven major corporations did not hesitate to claim billions of dollars in wage subsidies.
Do members know how they rewarded themselves? They gave themselves bonuses and dividends with Canadians' money.
Meanwhile, in our riding offices, we are getting calls from constituents who say that the CRA is breathing down their neck, when it has decided not to try to recoup the money from big corporations.
Will the Prime Minister take responsibility and reimburse Canadians?
112 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 2:56:05 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, let us be clear about the facts. The parliamentary secretary was quite right in what he said. Clearly, the CRA is still working on the wage subsidy audits. Our government implemented specific rules for recouping any misused wage subsidies, including those that were use to buy shares, pay bonuses or anything else.
We will find those who committed fraud. We will stand up for Canadians. We are there to meet Canadians' expectations. That is our job. We will do it.
82 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 2:56:40 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this government, the Liberals do not even know what is going on in their own government. The commissioner of the Canada Revenue Agency said that it was not worth trying to recover the $15 billion that was overpaid in corporate wage subsidies. It is not me saying that, it is the commissioner of the CRA. These people have been following the Prime Minister's lead for eight years.
Is the Prime Minister going to ask his Minister of National Revenue to do her job and get this money back, or is he going to ask her to step aside so we can fix his mistakes?
115 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 2:57:21 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, it has taken us seven years and a few months to undo the damage that was done by the Conservative government before us. It will take us many more years to continue to repair all the damage that the Conservatives have done to Canadians.
They claim to stand up for Canadians. We are the ones standing up for Canadians, with a strong economy. The Conservatives can complain, but we are here to deliver for Canadians.
79 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 2:57:51 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, in his state of the union address, President Joe Biden had some pretty bad news for Quebec. He announced that he will be strengthening his buy America policy by promising that all infrastructure projects will use only American materials. The first thing on his list was lumber.
Does anyone believe Ottawa is on the verge of resolving the trade dispute? President Joe Biden is not interested in respecting the agreement he signed. He came right out and said so.
When the president comes to Ottawa in March, will the Prime Minister stand up for our industries, including Quebec's forestry sector?
103 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 2:58:32 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we will always defend Canadian industries. We will always defend the softwood lumber industry and that sector.
We just met with the American president not that long ago. We agreed that Canada and the United States have an important trading relationship. We do about four billion dollars' worth of trade a day. We are the most competitive in the world and we are fighting climate change.
When the Americans do business with Canada, workers benefit because of good-paying jobs in both countries. We are fighting climate change together. We are going to keep doing that.
98 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 2:59:09 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, all of our industrial sectors are worried about American protectionism. Nowadays, if one of our businesses has, say, $50 million to invest in its own growth, it may hesitate to do so. It may wonder if it should pursue growth in Quebec or if it should focus its efforts on the United States for fear of being excluded from American contracts. President Biden's speech gives our businesses an incentive to leave.
When the Prime Minister meets with the president in March, will he stand up for Quebec's economy and remind the Americans they have to meet their obligations?
103 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 2:59:54 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure my colleague. We have always stood up for Quebec and Canadian industries, and we will continue to do so.
We believe in the importance of softwood lumber, of developing tomorrow’s economy, and of being front-runners in the electrification of transportation through the production of electric batteries.
There are a lot of great things on the horizon for Canada. As for Quebec, we are extremely well positioned. In our dealings with the Americans and the rest of the world, we will continue to defend our businesses and to take our place in tomorrow’s economy.
104 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 3:00:26 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, after eight years under this Prime Minister, unethical firms are still welcome to do business with his government.
Although deputy minister Paul Thomson stated that Canadian companies would not be eligible for federal contracts if one of its affiliates had been found guilty of a crime, he also claims that McKinsey does not meet the exclusion criteria. However, as a result of McKinsey's complicity, several thousand people died of an opioid overdose and many other lives were destroyed.
When will unethical firms be banned from doing business with the government of Canada?
95 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 3:01:02 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to remind Canadians that the previous government put in place an integrity regime, and we are following that regime to ensure that companies can do business in Canada.
We will continue to do business with companies that comply with the integrity regime.
49 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 3:01:25 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the government's inflationary spending, things are worse than ever for Canadians and they are struggling just to get by.
The government has given over $100 million to McKinsey & Company. Why does the Prime Minister not just take responsibility that McKinsey is influencing the government and stop giving money to well-connected insiders?
60 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 3:01:54 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, when the members opposite talk about the spending we did over the past couple of years, they are talking about supports that we provided to Canadians at the height of the pandemic. They are talking about the Canada emergency response benefit that helped millions of Canadians to keep afloat during a very difficult time.
We are going to continue to be there for Canadians. We are going to be there when times are tough, and we are going to be there as things continue to get better.
89 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 3:02:27 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the minister across the way would have us believe that this gross largesse for McKinsey is somehow about helping families. Let me assure the member opposite that there will be austerity for McKinsey when the Conservatives take office, and there will be support available for Canadians.
Yesterday, the President of the Treasury Board could not answer my question about whether or not McKinsey is an ethical company. This should not be a difficult question given the record. Can any minister in the government answer this simple question: Does the government believe that McKinsey is an ethical company, yes or no?
102 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 3:03:07 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the member across would know that contracts engaged by the public service are done at arm's length. I really hope the member is not saying that if the Conservatives ever had the opportunity to be in government, which I sincerely hope they do not, they would interfere in those contracts and choose politically which contracts would happen. That is what it sounded like from his question.
The reality is that contracts exist to expand the ability of the public service to do its work. Those contracts are engaged at the highest standard. Canada is known internationally for those standards, and they are done at arm's length.
110 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 3:03:46 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, since the COVID‑19 pandemic, our Canadian athletes have been asking more and more for support and resources for their mental health.
Can the Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec tell the House about the initiatives she put in place recently to help Canadian athletes?
60 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 3:04:09 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by thanking my colleague for her question and for her support on this file, which is very important for our government.
My team and I are in regular contact with athletes across the country, and one thing that keeps coming up is mental health. That is why, last December, I announced $2.4 million in funding for greater support for mental health for our Canadian athletes. They will have access to psychological help where they train, not just for performance-related issues but also for their overall well-being.
The health of Canadians also includes mental health and we do not want to leave anyone behind. That is why I am proud of my colleagues who announced $198 billion to improve health care across the country.
134 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 3:04:56 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, after eight years of radical Liberal experiments with our justice system, Canadians are less safe than ever. OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique, along with all of Canada's premiers, is sounding the alarm. Soft-on-crime Liberal bail policies mean that there are more violent repeat offenders on our streets than ever. The consequences of these Liberal policies are fatal, and Canadians will not tolerate Liberal failure.
When will the Prime Minister finally take responsibility and keep these violent thugs behind bars where they belong?
86 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 3:05:33 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve to be safe and they deserve to feel safe. The laws on bail that we currently have are clear. If one poses a threat to society, he or she should not be out on bail.
I have met with provincial counterparts and have begun the process of discussing this with them. Indeed, this morning, the Minister of Public Safety and I met with the national leadership of police associations, including Chief Carrique, in order to get their suggestions for moving forward.
We all agree that it is a complex issue. It will require a number of different responses. We are working together.
106 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 3:06:15 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, Canada has never been in worse shape. Crime is on a dramatic uptick and people are looking for ways to pay for food and housing. This government is taking advantage of its citizens. This Prime Minister has been leading our country for eight years, and we are headed straight for a wall. We need a change of direction.
What changes will the Prime Minister make to get Canada back on track?
75 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 3:06:56 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, here are the facts.
This country is the envy of the world in terms of how we have navigated the pandemic. All week long, Mr. Speaker, you have heard the Conservatives sowing fear and creating anxiety. Our job is to offer hope, to find solutions and to make plans. They have no plan. We have a plan that will meet Canadians' expectations and give them hope for the future.
73 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
