44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 15, 2023 02:00PM
- Feb/15/23 2:31:54 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.
Under our plan, the premiers of the provinces and territories must agree to three key commitments to obtain funding through tailored bilateral agreements, in addition to an immediate top-up to the Canada health transfer, or CHT.
These commitments include collecting, sharing and using vital information on health to guarantee the CHT top-up and entering into tailored bilateral agreements that strengthen the Canada Health Act.
75 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/15/23 2:32:35 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the member is quite welcome for the question, and just to show that there are no hard feelings, here is another.
We were talking about $28 billion in new money, but I want to know this. If $4.6 billion is not enough, why give only that much? If $28 billion is too much, someone needs to explain why it is too much. If it is not enough, someone needs to explain why it will remain not enough for 10 years.
Is the legacy of the fiscal imbalance that, over time, Ottawa will run surpluses and, over time, the provinces will financially suffocate?
109 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/15/23 2:33:17 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the worst thing that can happen to the Bloc Québécois is for the provinces and Quebec to agree with the federal government. That is what happened. We have an agreement with Quebec and all of the provinces to help the pediatric hospitals, to reduce waiting lists and to cut wait times for mental health services.
This is a good deal for Quebec and Quebeckers. It is bad for the Bloc Québécois.
81 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/15/23 2:33:45 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, under the government's watch, people across this country are spending money out of pocket for surgeries. It costs $30,000 for hip surgery and $70 to see a family doctor. In fact, one of the corporations making this happen, Maple, is owned by Loblaws, so Loblaws is not only ripping off Canadians when it comes to their groceries, but is also exploiting the desperation of Canadians who need to see a family doctor.
On top of all this, it is actually against the law. According to the former minister of health under the Liberal government, it is clearly against the law.
When will the government finally stop American-style health care from entering our country?
118 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/15/23 2:34:25 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we believe that all one should need to get health care is a health card, not a credit card. Canadians are proud of this system, and they should be. Our discussions with the premiers included the importance of upholding the Canada Health Act, which means making sure services are based on need and not someone's ability to pay.
We will always protect Canadians' equitable access to universal public health care services, because the role of Canada's Minister of Health is to ensure the Canada Health Act is respected.
98 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/15/23 2:34:53 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, if the government really wants to defend public health care, it should stop American-style health care from entering our country.
The facts are clear. Thousands of people are paying thousands of dollars to have operations. This is clearly against the law. Their former health minister said so herself.
The government has a choice: Will it let American-style health care continue, or will it stop it?
69 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/15/23 2:35:26 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I agree. We believe that all one should need to get health care in Canada is a health card, not a credit card.
Canadians are proud of our system, which is based on need, not ability to pay. Canadians should have access to medical services based on their need, not their ability to pay.
57 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/15/23 2:35:57 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Prime Minister, it has never been more expensive to grow or buy food.
A Saskatchewan farmer told me yesterday that his carbon tax bill just to dry his grain was $2,000 in one month. The Liberal tariff on fertilizer costs eastern Canadian farmers more than $34 million. Under the Prime Minister's watch, we have lost hundreds of farms to bankruptcy, and food prices are up 12%.
Will the Prime Minister help Canadians put food on the table and axe his farm-killing carbon tax?
93 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/15/23 2:36:29 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the House of the facts: 70% of the prices we are seeing at the pump are related to crude oil prices going up, largely because of Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
Hon. Steven Guilbeault: Mr. Speaker, I am getting there. Another 25% is a result of provincial taxes and refining margins. We recycle 100% of the revenues to Canadians, with 10% specifically to small businesses and agricultural industries in Canada.
84 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/15/23 2:37:04 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I guess the minister did not understand I was asking a question about agriculture, not about oil prices.
What the Liberals have to understand is their carbon tax has very real consequences. What it is doing is suffocating Canadian farm families and giving Canadian families sticker shock when they go to the grocery store.
It is only going to get worse. When the Liberal-NDP carbon tax coalition triples its carbon tax, a farmer will be paying $150,000 a year in carbon tax. There are consequences. The consequences are that produce is up 13%, bread is up 16% and pasta is up more than 20%.
Will the Prime Minister take responsibility for this food crisis and axe this farm-killing carbon tax?
125 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/15/23 2:37:50 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, as usual, the Conservatives are twisting the information, misquoting the research and talking about a typical farm of 5,000 or 6,000 acres, which is a—
An hon. member: Oh, oh!
Hon. Marie-Claude Bibeau: Mr. Speaker, he does not want to hear about everything we do for farmers. We are investing $1.5 billion in environmental farming.
Yesterday we announced $150 million to support the supercluster on protein. We are working with farmers for farmers.
80 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/15/23 2:38:26 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, that Liberal minister is completely out of touch with reality. The reality is that after eight years of the Prime Minister, Canadians are struggling to eat and our food sovereignty is in jeopardy.
The Liberal plan to triple the carbon tax is going to price our farm families right out of business. The carbon tax and fertilizer reductions are going to make it more difficult for Canadian farmers. The government is making it more difficult. Here is a news flash: no farms, no food.
Will the Prime Minister take responsibility for empty cupboards and empty stomachs, give Canadian farm families a break and axe the carbon tax?
109 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/15/23 2:39:05 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, once again, my Conservative colleagues missed the point that over eight out of 10 Canadian families actually get more money back than they pay in the context of the carbon tax—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
39 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/15/23 2:39:16 p.m.
- Watch
I am sorry. Members started off with a little rumbling, but now there is shouting at the top of their lungs. That is really not acceptable in the House. We can tolerate a bit, but once it starts becoming shouting, it almost becomes bullying and is like members are in a schoolyard trying to bully someone into stopping. I am going to ask everyone to take it down a notch.
We will let the hon. minister continue, please.
78 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/15/23 2:39:46 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, the Conservatives conveniently ignore that eight out of 10 Canadian families actually get more money back than they pay with respect to the price on pollution.
In the modern age, it is not a responsible position for a political party in this country to take to simply ignore the reality of climate change, which the Conservatives do, conveniently, every day in this House. To have a relevant economic plan for this country, we need to have a plan to fight climate change. That is exactly what we are doing—
96 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/15/23 2:40:14 p.m.
- Watch
The hon. member for Lambton—Kent—Middlesex.
9 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/15/23 2:40:16 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are the kings of misinformation. Farmers do not get a rebate, and the government has not even hit a single climate target.
After eight years of the Prime Minister, the carbon tax is making food too expensive for Canadians. Fertilizer restrictions are making it harder for farmers to grow food. Big grocery chains are nickel-and-diming our produce farmers with high fees while they are raking in record high profits, and the government has done nothing.
Will the Prime Minister take responsibility for his mounting failures, give Canadian farm families a break and axe the carbon tax?
102 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/15/23 2:40:52 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, today is Canada's Agriculture Day, and I am very proud of everything we have done for our farmers over the years. We have provided the most funding to this sector to support farmers, with a focus on investments in green technology. We have provided nearly half a billion dollars for green technology alone.
Yesterday we announced an additional $150 million for the protein industries supercluster. We are there for farmers. We have increased our budgets for risk management programs, because we know that our farmers are having to face extreme weather events. We also increased the budget for the Canadian agricultural partnership, something the Conservatives never did.
111 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/15/23 2:41:37 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, after eight years under this Prime Minister, Canadians can no longer afford to put food on the table, and this is a direct consequence of his government's policies. Canadian farmers are being crushed by the carbon tax. The government has also imposed a 35% tariff on fertilizer. Incidentally, Canada is the only G7 country doing this. This is further driving up the price of all food.
When will the government finally scrap these taxes so that farmers can feed our families?
84 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/15/23 2:42:14 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleague from Quebec that the price on pollution is not applied in the same way in Quebec. It is administered by Quebec.
I would also like to take this opportunity to remind all of our farmers that we have improved the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada advance payments program, which provides short-term loans of up to $1 million. The advantage of this loan is that the first $250,000 is interest free. I encourage farmers to take advantage of this interest-free loan.
93 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
