44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 14, 2023 10:00AM
- Feb/14/23 2:10:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years, the cost of food production in Canada is soaring because of the government's failed carbon tax. A family farm is now expected to pay $150,000 in carbon tax every single year. Families will pay over $16,000 a year in groceries. It is no surprise that Canadians are visiting food banks at record rates: The Prime Minister has failed the producers who put food on the table.
It does not need to be like this. Conservatives will stand up for farmers, ranchers and consumers, and we will axe the failed carbon tax.
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- Feb/14/23 2:11:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it has been eight years since the Prime Minister and Liberal Party came to power. That is eight years of fancy slogans, grand proclamations, masterful political manipulation and Liberal elites getting ahead.
However, let us talk about what Canadians are facing: out-of-control inflation and the highest costs in a generation; housing costs doubled both to own and rent; tax hikes at every turn, meaning that folks are not only paying more but also taking home less; a tax on our nation's most valuable industries, which devalues the hard work of Canadians; a nation more divided than it has ever been; and a government that cannot fulfill its basic duties while it acquires more debt than ever before.
Canadians are losing hope. They are out of money and cannot afford to eat, heat or house themselves. However, hope is on the horizon. Conservatives are ready to keep the heat on and take the tax off.
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- Feb/14/23 2:12:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to take this opportunity today, in honour of Black History Month, to highlight the important integration and inclusion work that is happening in my riding.
A little-known fact is that Châteauguay—Lacolle is home to the second largest Caribbean community in Quebec.
In recent years, we have also welcomed many families from African countries such as Cameroon, Burundi and Senegal. I salute our local grassroots groups that work together to promote the contribution of the Black community in the region. Of note is the Horizon Association; since its founding by the late Clinton Ritchie more than 30 years ago, it has raised money for the education of young people and organized events where everyone is welcome to participate, meet and connect.
I would like to acknowledge the Horizon Association's contribution.
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- Feb/14/23 2:13:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on National Have a Heart Day.
I thank the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society for providing ideas on what to do. One can visit haveaheartday.ca to see what one can do towards reconciliation.
In advance of budget 2023, I call on the government to implement call for justice 1.3, which reads:
We call upon all governments, in meeting human and Indigenous rights obligations, to pursue prioritization and resourcing of the measures required to eliminate the social, economic, cultural, and political marginalization of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people when developing budgets and determining government activities and priorities.
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- Feb/14/23 2:14:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my riding is home to the love capital of North America and, even though the municipality of Saint‑Valentin has a population of less than 500, people around the world know about it. Lovers, but also collectors from around the globe, send their letters there to get a one-of-a-kind postmark.
Saint‑Valentin has also made a name for itself by hosting a festival featuring artists, entertainment, activities for kids and local products.
That is not all. Saint‑Valentin is also the only municipality in Quebec, other than Montreal, to become sister cities with a city in Japan, Mimasaka. This partnership is celebrated regularly with manga and origami workshops, exhibits, concerts featuring traditional music and so on.
On February 2, the Japanese consul in Montreal gave Mayor Pierre Chamberland a certificate of merit from the Japanese foreign affairs minister for his excellent initiatives.
In short, for all of these reasons, I want to say that I love Saint‑Valentin.
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- Feb/14/23 2:15:47 p.m.
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I would like to remind members that their colleagues are giving their members' statements right now. It would be better if members would quietly continue their conversations elsewhere rather than shouting across the chamber at one another.
The hon. member for Barrie—Innisfil.
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- Feb/14/23 2:16:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is never the crime; it is always the cover-up. As journalists were getting wind that some random Liberal had stayed in what we now know was a $7,000-a-night, posh London hotel, the Liberals went into full panic mode. They tried to spin and twist the story in any way possible, even blacking out emails identifying who stayed in the room. Imagine that, Mr. Speaker. Does anyone remember when the Prime Minister said that this was going to be the most transparent and accountable government in history?
Many Canadians are barely able to afford food, groceries and heat; moms are going to bed worried about keeping a roof over their families' heads. While Canadians are suffering the pain of the Liberal's self-inflicted inflation and affordability crisis, I wonder who on that side thought it was okay to spend $7,000 a night on a hotel and then try to cover it up.
After eight years of scandals and ethical violations, Canadians are now seeing that this out-of-touch and entitled Prime Minister cannot be redeemed and must be replaced.
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- Feb/14/23 2:17:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today, we opened the Great Lakes summit on the Hill, welcoming the people responsible for ensuring the water that comes from our Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway system is safe to drink, can support fish stocks, is safe for families to enjoy and can sustain one of the largest trade corridors in the world.
They arrived here to celebrate a successful year of action taken to preserve the integrity of our freshwater systems, as well as to call on our government to continue the work necessary to ensure we do not allow the same destructive conditions to arise that many of us experienced in the past. We remember when our drinking water was unsafe. We remember dead fish on our beaches and the impact on our communities when our water was polluted. We remember the extraordinary reversal many dedicated people made happen through effort and good governance.
I thank all my colleagues from both sides of the floor and the border who joined us and continue to support our efforts to keep our binational fresh waters healthy and safe.
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- Feb/14/23 2:18:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, eight years of Liberal waste and corruption has driven inflation to record highs, and nowhere is this more obvious than in housing costs. In fact, after eight years of Liberal deficits driving up inflation, the average renter now pays over $2,000 a month in rent.
To a wealthy Prime Minister who brags about his vast family fortune, that might not seem like a lot of money. Maybe that is why he signed off on a $7,000-a-night hotel stay in London last fall.
Why did the Prime Minister think it was okay to bill taxpayers for a single night's hotel bill what the average renter pays in three full months?
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- Feb/14/23 2:19:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians have the right to ask themselves why it is that every time real supports for renters come to the floor of the House, the Conservatives vote against them.
They voted against the Canada housing benefit, which is delivering and investing an average of $2,500 to vulnerable renters across the country. They not only voted against the $500 one-time top-up to the Canada housing benefit, but they also played procedural games in the chamber to prevent real help for Canadian renters.
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- Feb/14/23 2:19:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this scandal stings taxpayers so much because it comes at a time when housing costs are taking more and more out of Canadian paycheques.
After eight years of Liberal deficits, interest rates have risen, meaning homeowners have to pay more to the banks in interest payments just to stay in their own homes. In fact, after eight years of the Liberal government, the average monthly mortgage cost has more than doubled and the average $600,000 mortgage sees interest costs go from $12,000 a year to over $30,000 a year.
Again, does the minister think it was a good idea for the Prime Minister to bill taxpayers for one night's hotel stay what homeowners pay in two full months on their mortgages?
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- Feb/14/23 2:20:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, does the hon. member think it was smart to vote against real help for homebuyers, the first-time homebuyer incentive, $40,000 tax-free savings account for first-time homebuyers, doubling the first-time homebuyers' tax credit, introducing a once-in-a-lifetime rent-to-own program, $200 million in supports for first-time homebuyers in terms of increasing supply, and banning foreigners from owning Canadian residential real estate?
Does the hon. member really think it was smart to vote against those supports for Canadian homebuyers?
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- Feb/14/23 2:21:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is always smart to vote against inflationary deficits that drive up the cost of living.
The Liberals have learned the wrong lesson from this hotel bill scandal. One would think that, after billing taxpayers $6,000 a night for a single room, the lesson learned would be to book a cheaper room next time. Instead, the lesson the Liberals have learned is to cover it up better.
Emails between the PM's staff reveal government officials scheming to cover up the scandal. One even suggested burying these costs in next year's public accounts. The word finally came down from the minister herself to simply stop answering questions altogether, all this at a time when Canadians are paying more just to stay in their own homes.
Why is treating taxpayers' money with respect never the lesson the Liberals learn?
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- Feb/14/23 2:22:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, last fall, Canadians mourned the death of a monarch of 70 years. We had a delegation led by our Governor General and our Prime Minister that was appropriate and was important for Canadians. It was actually essential we attend that.
While that side of the House is focusing on us, we are focusing on Canadians. We are focusing on their cost of living. We are focusing on their cost of housing. We are focusing on their cost of child care. We will continue to be focusing on Canadians while the Conservatives focus on us.
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- Feb/14/23 2:22:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we know that they think it is normal to pay $6,000 for a night at a hotel. After eight years under this Prime Minister, Canadians are worse off. Inflation is eating away at their wallets. Today we are debating a motion calling on the government to cap its spending, stop wasting resources and eliminate the taxes and deficits that are causing the cost-of-living crisis.
Will the government take the necessary fiscal and budgetary measures to get the country out of this disastrous inflationary crisis?
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- Feb/14/23 2:23:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when the people in the Conservative Party talk about spending and waste, it is important to understand what they are really talking about. They are talking about helping families in need with programs targeting the most vulnerable in our society. When we talk about providing a $500 top-up to the Canada housing benefit, it is to help people in need. When we make dental care accessible to families, it is to help those who need it most.
Instead of voting against all the measures we bring in for Canadians, the Conservatives might want to propose some solutions.
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- Feb/14/23 2:23:49 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, one solution would be not paying $6,000 for a hotel room.
After eight years of this government, food banks are facing record demand. One in four families will pay an extra $1,000 for food this year. On top of that, a majority of businesses say they will have to raise their prices. This mess is just part of this government's pattern of shortcomings, failures and other displays of incompetence.
When is it going to apologize and set things right?
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- Feb/14/23 2:24:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to point out that when our party took office in 2015, one in eight Canadians were living in poverty. Since taking office, we have lifted over 2.7 million people out of poverty.
When the Conservatives talk about cutting spending and not helping Canadians, what they are talking about is sending those people back into poverty. That is unacceptable.
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- Feb/14/23 2:24:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there is no health agreement. An agreement requires that people agree to it.
The Prime Minister imposed his offer on his counterparts. He exploited the fact that Quebec and the provinces are stretched to the limit by a health crisis, which was caused by federal underfunding that he himself is responsible for. They are so hard-pressed that they must accept the unacceptable.
The Prime Minister could have resolved the problem of chronic underfunding of health care. All he did was buy some peace, and for not a lot of money at that.
Why did he not choose to truly help care for those in need?
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- Feb/14/23 2:25:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question and his interest in this very important issue.
We are delighted with the announcement made today by the Council of the Federation, and we thank the members and the chair of the council for their very important work.
After the Prime Minister convened the meeting on health care last week, we met with the provincial and territorial premiers and the health ministers from across the country.
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