With regard to government contracts with entities prohibited from importing goods into the United States under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act in the United States: (a) since January 1, 2016, has any department, agency, Crown corporation or other government entity purchased any goods from the (i) Baoding LYSZD Trade and Business Co., Ltd., (ii) Changji Esquel Textile Co. Ltd. (and one alias: Changji Yida Textile), (iii) Hetian Haolin Hair Accessories Co. Ltd. (and two aliases: Hotan Haolin Hair Accessories; and Hollin Hair Accessories), (iv) Hetian Taida Apparel Co., Ltd (and one alias: Hetian TEDA Garment), (v) Hoshine Silicon Industry (Shanshan) Co., Ltd (including one alias: Hesheng Silicon Industry (Shanshan) Co.) and subsidiaries, (vi) Xinjiang Daqo New Energy, Co. Ltd (including three aliases: Xinjiang Great New Energy Co., Ltd.; Xinjiang Daxin Energy Co., Ltd.; and Xinjiang Daqin Energy Co., Ltd.), (vii) Xinjiang East Hope Nonferrous Metals Co. Ltd. (including one alias: Xinjiang Nonferrous), (viii) Xinjiang GCL New Energy Material Technology, Co. Ltd (including one alias: Xinjiang GCL New Energy Materials Technology Co.), (ix) Xinjiang Junggar Cotton and Linen Co., Ltd., (x) Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (including three aliases: XPCC; Xinjiang Corps; and Bingtuan) and its subordinate and affiliated entities, (xi) Aksu Huafu Textiles Co. (including two aliases: Akesu Huafu and Aksu Huafu Dyed Melange Yarn), (xii) Hefei Bitland Information Technology Co., Ltd. (including three aliases: Anhui Hefei Baolongda Information Technology; Hefei Baolongda Information Technology Co., Ltd.; and Hefei Bitland Optoelectronic Technology Co., Ltd.), (xiii) Hefei Meiling Co. Ltd. (including one alias: Hefei Meiling Group Holdings Limited), (xiv) KTK Group (including three aliases: Jiangsu Jinchuang Group; Jiangsu Jinchuang Holding Group; and KTK Holding), (xv) Lop County Hair Product Industrial Park, (xvi) Lop County Meixin Hair Products Co., Ltd., (xvii) Nanjing Synergy Textiles Co., Ltd. (including two aliases: Nanjing Xinyi Cotton Textile Printing and Dyeing; and Nanjing Xinyi Cotton Textile), (xviii) No. 4 Vocation Skills Education Training Center (VSETC), (xix) Tanyuan Technology Co. Ltd. (including five aliases: Carbon Yuan Technology; Changzhou Carbon Yuan Technology Development; Carbon Element Technology; Jiangsu Carbon Element Technology; and Tanyuan Technology Development), (xx) Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) and its subordinate and affiliated entities, (xxi) Baoding LYSZD Trade and Business Co., Ltd., (xxii) Hefei Bitland Information Technology Co. Ltd., (xxiii) Hetian Haolin Hair Accessories Co. Ltd., (xxiv) Hetian Taida Apparel Co., Ltd., (xxv) Hoshine Silicon Industry (Shanshan) Co., Ltd., and Subsidiaries, (xxvi) Xinjiang Junggar Cotton and Linen Co., Ltd., (xxvii) Lop County Hair Product Industrial Park, (xxviii) Lop County Meixin Hair Products Co., Ltd., (xxix) Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) and its subordinate and affiliated entities, (xxx) Yili Zhuowan Garment Manufacturing Co., Ltd.; and (b) if the answer to any part of (a) is affirmative, what are the details of the contract, including the (i) date, (ii) vendor, (iii) amount, (iv) description of goods or services? With regard to Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC): (a) what are the details of all funding agreements VAC has, or has had, in place with the Canadian Virtual Hospice since January 1, 2020; (b) what are the details of any projects funded, in whole, or in part, with the Canadian Virtual Hospice, including, for each, the (i) project description, (ii) purpose of the project, (iii) amount of federal contribution; and (c) has VAC sent or received any correspondence or communication to or from the Canadian Virtual Hospice related to medical assistance in dying and, if so, what are the details of such correspondence or communication, including the (i) date, (ii) title, (iii) type of communication, (iv) sender, (v) recipient, (vi) summary of contents? With regard to government contracts on professional and special services which were signed since January 1, 2016, and that have a value greater than one million dollars: what are the details of all such contracts, including (i) the contract start and end dates, (ii) the vendor, (iii), the value, (iv) the description of work completed, (v) whether the contract was sole-sourced or awarded through a competitive bidding process, (vi) the reason the work was unable to be completed using existing public service resources? With regard to contracts entered into by the government where the vendor did not meet its contractual obligations, since January 1, 2019: what are the details of all such instances, including, for each contract, the (i) date, (ii) vendor, (iii) value, (iv) description of goods or services agreed to in the contract, (v) part of the contractual obligation which the vendor did not meet, (vi) corrective action taken, (vii) amount recovered by the government, if any? With regard to the government’s contract with the Pacific Gateway Hotel in Richmond, British Columbia, for the provision of quarantine facilities and accommodations during the COVID-19 pandemic: (a) on what date was the contract signed; (b) what was the end date for the contract; (c) what was the rationale for awarding the contract; (d) how much has the government paid to date for all services provided by this site, broken down by type of cost (meals, security, etc.) and total cost per year; (e) what are the details of any other costs associated with the provision of quarantine facilities and accommodations at this site, including, for each, the (i) vendor, (ii) amount paid by the government, (iii) description of goods or services; (f) how many people elected to use this facility as a designated quarantine facility, broken down by total users per month and year; (g) is the government contractually required to continue paying for any services at this site following the end of pandemic restrictions, and, if so, what are the details, including amounts of any such required payments; and (h) has the government had to pay this site for any other cost related to the contract, such as damages, upkeep, or renovations, and, if so, what are the details, including dates and amounts of all such costs? With regard to funding applications submitted to the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, broken down by fiscal year from 2019-20 to 2021–22 and by region: (a) how many applications were submitted; (b) what proportion of applications were submitted by small businesses; and (c) what was the success rate of applications submitted by small businesses? With regard to the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund in Ontario, broken down by fiscal year since 2020-21: (a) what are the (i) names of the applicants, (ii) purpose of the projects, (iii) amounts of funding requested, (iv) amounts of funding approved, for all projects funded through the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund; (b) what percentage of projects benefited not-for-profit organizations; and (c) what percentage of projects funded were specifically designed to aid in economic recovery for individuals identifying as (i) Indigenous, (ii) LGBTQ2S+, (iii) racialized Canadians? With regard to the statement in the government response to Order Paper question Q-965 that “93.5% of Canadians have access to high-speed Internet, or are targeted to receive access through program commitments”: (a) what is the breakdown of the percentage of Canadians who (i) currently have access to high-speed internet, (ii) do not currently have access, but are targeted to received access through program commitments; and (b) what is the breakdown of (a) in (i) rural areas, (ii) northern areas, (iii) First Nation reserve areas, (iv) each province and territory? With regard to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) transferring refugees to Niagara Falls, Ontario, from the province of Quebec: (a) when was the first transfer of refugees from Quebec to Niagara Falls; (b) since the date of the first transfer, how many refugees have been transferred from Quebec to Niagara Falls in total; (c) what is the monthly breakdown of the number of refugee transfers from Quebec to Niagara Falls; (d) which hotels is the government using to lodge refugees in Niagara Falls; (e) how many hotel rooms are currently being occupied by refugees in Niagara Falls; (f) what is the capacity of each hotel room that is being occupied by refugees in Niagara Falls; (g) how many refugees are staying in each hotel room in Niagara Falls; (h) what is the average length of time IRCC expects (i) an individual refugee, (ii) a refugee family, to be lodged in a Niagara Falls hotel room; (i) for all refugees being lodged in government funded Niagara Falls hotel rooms, and without identifying names or other personal information, how many days has each refugee stayed; (j) what is the average cost per night that IRCC pays per refugee for staying in a Niagara Falls room; (k) for the night of February 1, 2023, what was the total cost IRCC paid hoteliers to house refugees located in Niagara Falls; (l) what is the average cost that IRCC pays per refugee who lives in a Niagara Falls hotel room for daily meals and refreshments; (m) for the day of February 1, 2023, what was the total cost IRCC paid hoteliers to feed refugees located in Niagara Falls; (n) what are the countries of origin for refugees who have been transferred from Quebec to Niagara Falls; (o) how many refugees come from each country of origin; (p) how many funds have been transferred by the federal government to the municipality of Niagara Falls to deal with the influx of refugees in the city; (q) how many funds have been transferred by the federal government to the Region of Niagara to deal with the influx of refugees in the region; (r) how many funds have been transferred by the federal government to local not-for-profit, charitable, and non-governmental organizations in Niagara Falls to deal with the influx of refugees in the city; (s) what are the names of the specific not-for-profit, charitable, and non-governmental organizations who have received federal government funding; (t) what is the breakdown of funding for each organization to date; (u) how many more refugees does IRCC currently plan to transfer from Quebec to Niagara Falls; (v) since the IRCC began transferring refugees to Niagara Falls from Quebec, how many refugees have moved out of government funded hotel rooms in Niagara Falls and into personal accommodations; (w) when does the federal government plan to stop paying for refugee hotel rooms in Niagara Falls; and (x) what are the terms and conditions of the financial agreement that IRCC has with each hotelier located in Niagara Falls that houses refugees and receives federal monies to provide this service? With regard to the Memorial to the Victims of Communism: (a) what specific work was done on the memorial between January 1, 2022, and February 1, 2023; (b) what is the monthly breakdown of (a); (c) is the 2023 target completion date stated in the government's response to Order Paper question Q-519 still accurate, and, if so, when in 2023 will the memorial be completed; and (d) if the 2023 target completion date has been delayed, what is the new target completion date and what is the reason for the delay? With regard to expenditures related to the government's participation in the Conference of the Parties (COP27) in Egypt, in November 2022: what is the breakdown of the $1,077,126.40 spent on hotels and other accommodations, as referenced in the government's response to Order Paper question Q-1039, including (i) what hotels were used, (ii) how much was spent at each hotel, (iii) how many rooms were rented at each hotel and for how many nights, (iv) what was the room rate, or range of room rates, paid at each hotel, (v) how many different individuals' accommodations the $1,077,126.40 covered? With regard to phone lines paid for by the government, broken down by cellular line versus traditional landline, for each part of the question: (a) how many phone lines was the government paying for as of January 1, 2023; (b) how many of the phone lines are dormant; (c) how many of the phone lines are active but have not been used or have not had any activity in the last year; (d) how many of the phone lines are considered redundant; and (e) what was the total amount spent on phone lines during the 2022 calendar year, broken down by service provider? With regard to the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB): how many government employees were fired or terminated as a result of receiving CERB payments while also being employed by the government, broken down by department, agency, or other government entity?

Madam Speaker, I ask that all remaining questions be allowed to stand at this time.

Is that agreed? Some hon. members: Agreed.

Madam Speaker, I ask that all notices of motions for the production of papers be allowed to stand at this time.

Is that agreed? Some hon. members: Agreed.

Madam Speaker, I would ask for the unanimous consent of the House to present a petition.

Does the hon. member have unanimous consent to present his petition? Some hon. members: Agreed.

moved: That, given that, (i) the Liberal government is increasing taxes on beer, wine and spirits by 6.3% on April 1, 2023, (ii) this is the largest tax increase on alcohol in the last 40 years, (iii) the heads of eight different unions representing brewery workers across the country, who are nervous about their jobs, have written to the Minister of Finance calling for a freeze to the April 1, 2023 tax increase on beer, citing "a freeze on federal beer taxes is the single most important thing you can do for our workers and their families", (iv) this tax increase will unfairly punish Canadians already struggling with increased costs due to 40-year inflation highs, and make it harder for Canadians to enjoy a drink after a long day's work, or while relaxing with friends or celebrating with their families, He said: It is great to finally get to this motion, which is very timely because in just a few days, the Liberal government, supported by its coalition partners in the NDP, is going to raise taxes on enjoying a nice drink after a long, hard day's work or when celebrating something with family or visiting with friends. All that is going to be even more expensive. I am very pleased to split my time with my hon colleague from Niagara Falls. I had a fairly lengthy speech prepared about this, but because the New Democrats, in order to cover up their shameful foot-dragging on forcing the Prime Minister's chief of staff to testify at committee in a desperate attempt to distract Canadians from what they were up to in backroom deals with their coalition partners, they have taken up a lot of time during the day. Therefore, I am actually going to cede the floor right now. I know there is normally a question and comment period. I will not be able to stay for that, so we can move right on to the speech by my hon. colleague from Niagara Falls, who represents a lot of the hard-working grape growers and vintners, to finish with his remarks.

I would like to indicate that all Conservative members will be splitting their time throughout the rest of the debate today.

Madam Speaker, I am not sure if the member was speaking on the motion or if he had a point of order. I am a little unsure, because I thought he said he was splitting his time. If he was splitting his time, I do have a question for him.

The hon. member is going to leave the chamber, so there will not be time for questions and comments. Resuming debate, the hon. member for Niagara Falls.

Madam Speaker, Canadians work hard for their paycheques, and they earn every cent of their income. That is their money to spend or save as they see fit. It is not the government's money to take through tax-and-spend inflation. At least, that is the way we Conservatives see it, which is in stark contrast to the high-tax Liberal government, which craves more and more taxes to continue feeding and fuelling its record spending. That is why today we Conservatives are calling on the Liberal government to cancel its massive 6.3% tax increase on beer, wine and spirits this April 1, to give relief to middle-class Canadians and those seeking to join them. Canadians do not want to be taxed more. They want to be taxed less. Another frustrating element to this is that the Liberal government acknowledges and knows that the finances and personal savings of Canadians are under attack, but what it fails to acknowledge or realize is that it is the very driver of this problem and a big reason why Canadians are suffering. It is the big taxer and the reason why inflation remains far above the 2% target range the Bank of Canada is trying to achieve. Even non-partisan experts have said that the government's policies have led to the inflationary problems we are facing today. Both the current and former governors of the Bank of Canada have recently spoken up. Last month, Tiff Macklem said, “inflation in Canada increasingly reflects what's happening in Canada”, and Mark Carney said, “Really [now] inflation is principally a domestic story”. Also frustrating is the fact that this escalator tax is automatically set to increase every year without Parliament getting a vote. It is undemocratic and unfair, particularly in respect to a matter of taxation. The power to stop this tax rests solely in the hands of the government, and Conservatives on this side of the aisle are demanding today that the government cancel this tax before it is hiked by 6.3% on April 1, which is just 10 days away. Locally, across Niagara, this alcohol escalator tax will punish many wineries, craft breweries and distilleries, as well as anyone who enjoys consuming these wonderfully made Canadian products while visiting Niagara, which is the number one leisure tourism destination in all of Canada. Further, what many Canadians already know is that these alcoholic beverages are already taxed at incredibly high rates. A January 2023 opinion piece, published by the St. Catharines Standard and penned by Franco Terrazzano, who is the federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, states, “Taxes already account for about half of the price of beer, 65 per cent of the price of wine and more than three-quarters of the price of spirits. You could spend about $125 if you pick up two bottles of wine, a 24-pack of beer and a 26-ounce bottle of whisky” and more than $76 of that would go to paying just the taxes. He continues, “In fact, Canadians pay so much tax that picking up a case of beer on the way to a party in Prince Edward Island would cost you more in taxes than the total retail price of a case of beer in 25 American states.” Members can think about that for a moment. Now the Liberal government is going to slap a new tax of 6.3% on top of all those taxes people are already paying for our expensive alcoholic products without any parliamentary approval. It is no wonder that, through these tax measures, the price of alcohol and meals in stores and restaurants is going up. As a result, the savings in our bank accounts are going down. This does not take into account the negative aspects these tax policies are having on those hard-working Canadians who are employed in the hospitality sector, and those who work in the wineries, distilleries and breweries throughout our country. A recent article published in the Toronto Star, by Manuela Vega, said it best when she reported, “Restaurants Canada, a national, not-for-profit association representing the country’s food service industry is calling on the federal government to freeze the duty, saying in a tweet that 'the restaurant sector cannot absorb another federal tax increase at this vulnerable time.'” Her article went on to highlight the comments from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, which indicated, “It's time to freeze alcohol taxes to protect 150k Canadian jobs connected to making and selling beer.” It is the government's job to create the conditions so businesses can flourish and generate the jobs, wealth and prosperity needed by Canadians to go about their daily lives, and to try to get ahead. Instead, after eight years of the Liberal government, Canadians pay more today for their goods and services, and they are getting less. Groceries, gas, home heating and more are getting more expensive by the day because of these reckless Liberal spending habits. There are direct consequences that come as a result of the Liberal government recklessly spending the cupboards bare. Will the government be able to live up to the expectations it set out in its new federal tourism growth strategy? The tourism minister has spent the last several months asking the industry to think big on ideas to expedite economic recovery from the devastating impacts of COVID-19. However, fear is now beginning to grow in the tourism community that the Liberal government is once again failing to understand that the industry is still in recovery mode. It appears that, once again, the Liberal government is setting itself up to over-promise and under-deliver. This is a great shame for tourism communities across the country, such as mine in Niagara, which welcomes visitors from throughout the world. What is to happen to the wine sector support program, which was put in place because of the Liberal government's ineptitude on trade policy? The two-year, $166-million program has ended. The industry has asked for it to be extended, yet there have been no updates about its renewal. Last year's budget showed that the government would raise $390 million over five years in new revenue by now applying the excise tax to 100% Canadian-made wines. Where are those funds going? After eight years of the Liberal government, Canadians' paycheques and life savings are under attack by the big, bloated and tired Liberal government, and its high taxes and reckless spending, which have only driven up inflation. After eight years of the Liberals' recklessness, Canadians have to work harder, work longer and even work multiple jobs just to take home lower earnings to get by. After eight years of this disastrous Liberal government, Canadians could be forgiven for wanting to have a drink. On April 1, it will be 6.3% more expensive. Canadians do not want another big Liberal tax. Canadians want change, and that starts with the House of Commons agreeing with our Conservative motion to cancel the Liberal government's April 1 tax increase on wine, beer and spirits.

Madam Speaker, I am glad the member is still around for my question. I would—

The hon. member knows we do not mention the presence or absence of a member in the House. The hon. parliamentary secretary.

Madam Speaker, thank you for the corrective comment. I withdraw the comment. I am really curious about something, given the Conservative appetite to ratchet up this particular issue. When was the first time the member opposite raised this issue with either the Minister of Finance, the Prime Minister or any minister of the government?

Madam Speaker, when I was elected, the first issue that I spoke to, and the first question I asked in the House of Commons, had to do with the WTO challenge that Australia brought about because of the escalator tax and its impact on the Canadian wine sector. The government failed to act. We told the government in 2017 not to act on putting forward that escalator tax. It did so, and it did so to the detriment of the Canadian wine sector. It is now paying the price.

Madam Speaker, this also affects the survival of our microbreweries. It is important to people living in Quebec as it affects the prosperity of our towns and villages. What are the members' thoughts on the survival of these microbreweries? In the context of inflation, providing direct assistance might be more impactful than cutting the excise tax, which would do very little.

Madam Speaker, speaking about breweries, for example, Canadian brewers directly employ over 20,000 Canadian workers, many in unionized positions with an average compensation nearing $40 per hour. That is according to Statistics Canada. What are we doing by putting disincentives to their products being sold and putting their jobs at jeopardy? That helps nobody. We want to create an environment that creates jobs. Why is the government continuing to tax Canadians when they need relief?

Madam Speaker, the member for Niagara Falls mentioned the wine industry and the impacts on it. Many wineries never had to pay an excise tax in Canada, but because of the actions of Australia and the WTO, Canada's government backed down and took away that exemption, and now those wineries suddenly have to pay a tax they never had a business case for. I will let the member finish on that, because I know he can speak for hours on the subject, and he has maybe a minute or so. I would ask the member to please expand on that, because it really affects the wineries in my region as well.