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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 177

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
March 31, 2023 10:00AM
  • Mar/31/23 11:13:46 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, a home is a haven where we feel safe, build memories and raise our families. It is the foundation of our lives and the place where we plan our futures, but for far too many Canadians, the dream of owning a home is completely out of reach. Even if someone works hard and does everything right, a home seems out of sight, and nine in 10 Canadians who do not own homes say they never will. In eight years under the Liberal Prime Minister, rent has doubled and mortgage payments have doubled, leaving so many to wonder how they will ever get ahead. All is not lost. Conservatives have a plan to build more homes and make housing more affordable. We will get rid of the gatekeepers preventing housing from being built, we will reverse the disastrous Liberal housing policies and we will tackle record-breaking inflation and rising interest rates. Conservatives will restore the dream that home ownership is indeed possible. It is time to get to work and bring it home.
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  • Mar/31/23 11:14:50 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, this morning, I was thrilled to attend the launch of the Hydro-Québec Science Fair finale in the Outaouais region. Over the next two days, more than 50 students from the Outaouais region will be exhibiting their science projects. It is inspiring, to say the least. This science fair would not be possible without the invaluable support of the teachers in our region's schools. I want to say a huge thank you to them for engaging our youth in science. I would also like to thank Technoscience Outaouais, an organization that is doing excellent work to promote the fields of science, technology and innovation. We have a new generation of scientists who are making their mark, and I am very proud of them. I congratulate all the exhibitors and wish them success.
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  • Mar/31/23 11:15:46 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, scandals in the sports world continue to plague our country. The scale of these abuses against athletes needs immediate attention. Athletes should have the right to participate in any sport free of maltreatment, abuse or harm. Today, I stand up for my constituents, some of whom are survivors of abuse and help shed light on the seriousness of the issue. I would like to thank Dr. Victoria Paraschak from the University of Windsor and many other advocates and sports organizations from across Canada working together to ensure the government recognizes the scope, urgency and importance of protecting our athletes from abuse in sport. They know we need a preventive approach to justice for survivors that examines these problems systematically, not on a case-by-case basis. I proudly stand, together with these leaders and survivors in sport, to request that the government call a judicial inquiry that is completely independent of sport and that outlines a clear and consistent approach that is fair and immediate for these survivors. Without this transparent mechanism available in the form of a judicial inquiry, we will continue to see complaints, maltreatment and no justice. It is time to protect our Canadian youth and athletes today.
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  • Mar/31/23 11:16:55 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I have a little boy who wakes up before sun-up, who would eat nothing but shepherd's pie, cereal and ketchup if he could, and who likes to dunk his toys in my coffee cup, to the point where I have nearly swallowed several dinosaurs. My little boy will run the equivalent of several miles through the house, just for the sheer joy of it. My little boy knows neither fear nor danger and has never told me he loves me, but he looks at me with all the love in the world in his eyes. I have a little boy who is not different; he has autism. My little boy is unique, as we all are. With every move he makes, my boy lights up every room he walks into, as every person with autism does. On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, on World Autism Awareness Day, and as we do at every opportunity, I would like to shine a spotlight on all the joy these unique persons bring to our lives.
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  • Mar/31/23 11:18:11 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, on April 1, the Liberal carbon tax will be increased to $65 a tonne. Unfortunately, that is not an April Fool's joke. This means the price of gasoline, home heating and other fuels will rise, making it even more expensive for Canadians to get to work, heat their homes or operate their businesses. Canadians already face a cost-of-living crisis and cannot afford more taxes. The Parliamentary Budget Officer reports that the carbon tax will cost the average family hundreds of dollars more than they receive back, and that is tens of thousands of dollars more for Canadian agricultural producers and small business operators. A recent survey of my constituents indicates that 78% support removing the carbon tax. Businesses are struggling with the extra burden of this tax and some are unsure if they will even be able to survive this year due to the rising costs. Overall, my constituents have no faith in the Liberal government's ability to offer hope for their financial stability or future prosperity. What Canadians need is a Conservative government that will axe the carbon tax.
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  • Mar/31/23 11:19:17 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, in the words of the newly installed Archbishop of Toronto, the Most Rev. Francis Leo, to our youth, “Do not be afraid of the world. Do not be afraid to give of your life in service for others. Do not be afraid to dream big dreams and to want to transform the world. Do not be afraid to commit to Jesus and to his Gospel. Do not be afraid to love the Church”. A week from today, Christians in Canada and around the world will observe the culmination of Lent, a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving that prepares us for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. From Good Friday to Easter Monday, family and friends will gather to reflect on the values of sacrifice, good stewardship and copious love. This is a time of renewal and hope, when we give thanks for our many blessings and recommit to being there for one another, spread kindness and, yes, indulge in delicious Easter eggs. This Easter, I am thinking of the countless Christians who are persecuted around the world because of their faith. Buona Pasqua a tutti. Happy Easter.
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  • Mar/31/23 11:20:32 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, we can imagine the conversation between the Prime Minister and the minister: “Mr. Minister, how can we avoid being found guilty of breaking ethics laws? Oh, I know, Mr. Prime Minister, I will appoint my sister-in-law as the commissioner and we can discuss each case around the supper table. That's a brilliant idea. I like appointing our family members and friends as independent officers to investigate us.” There is just one problem. Having already appointed three people who are friends and members of the family, will they run out of family members and friends for these positions?
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  • Mar/31/23 11:21:22 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, the interim Ethics Commissioner is a career public servant who has served in a senior role in the Ethics Commissioner's office for more than 10 years, beginning when the Harper government was in office.
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  • Mar/31/23 11:21:37 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, Liberals love to suck up to big, oligopolistic corporations that raise prices for consumers and make life less affordable. They get lots of support from the NDP for this corporatist agenda. Lately, the Liberals have been on a real ride. Today, they announced that they think there is too much competition in the wireless and Internet business and that they have allowed for a massive merger. When will the Liberals start standing up for consumers instead of standing up for price raising and high-cost corporate oligarchs?
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  • Mar/31/23 11:22:16 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, we will take no lessons from the Conservatives and their leader, that is for sure. We listen to Canadians, and I think they should do that more often. Canadians have told us one thing: they want lower prices. The way to have lower prices is through competition. The way to have more competition is to have a strong, fourth national player that will bring prices down. That is why the transfer of licence will go forward with 21 conditions. They have made a contract with Canadians, which is enforceable and with penalties. That is what Canadians want; they want lower prices.
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  • Mar/31/23 11:22:54 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, despite that, the Liberals' policy on energy is to deliberately raise prices. At midnight tonight, 12:01 a.m. to be precise, the carbon tax will rise on gas, heat and groceries. The Liberals originally said it would cost less, but just yesterday, a report from their own Parliamentary Budget Officer demonstrated that 80% of Canadians will pay more in tax. On average, it will be $1,500 more. Tomorrow morning, they are going to wake up to higher prices. It is April Fool's Day and the joke will be on Canadians. Why will the Liberals not cancel this tax?
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  • Mar/31/23 11:23:36 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, as much as the bench opposite would like to deny it, climate change is real. Do members know what else is real? The cheques that will arrive in people's mailboxes over the next few weeks are real. This will mean $1,000 to residents in Manitoba. Those cheques will arrive quarterly. This is going to help with affordability. This is going to help with cash flow. The Conservatives are doing nothing for affordability and they are certainly doing nothing on climate change.
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  • Mar/31/23 11:24:11 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, it has been three years since a killer went on a rampage in Nova Scotia. We now know of the incredible incompetence at the top of the RCMP that has raged on ever since the Prime Minister took office. He named an incompetent commissioner and has tried to destroy our national police force, with deadly consequences. Worse yet, the commission ignored the victims and he has done nothing to reverse the original cause of the violence in the first place. Will the Prime Minister reverse the damage he has done so Canadians can live in safety and peace?
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  • Mar/31/23 11:24:51 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, although the work of the commission has concluded, we know that the grief and loss of the families and communities will remain forever. Yesterday, we received the report from the commission. It is a road map to pursue necessary changes, whether within the RCMP or in regard to semi-automatic firearms or gender-based violence. We will work closely with all involved to pursue these reforms, because that is what Canadians expect and deserve.
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  • Mar/31/23 11:25:30 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, on Tuesday, I said there was a crisis with stabbings across the country. People are being stabbed in broad daylight. The Prime Minister stood up and said not to worry; he is going to ban hunting rifles, even though it is knives that do stabbings, not hunting rifles. It is not the Inuit hunter in Nunavut who is causing stabbings in downtown Vancouver. All of these facts angered and frustrated the Prime Minister. He became visibly upset and ran out the back door. He has not been back since. The Prime Minister was obviously frightened and concerned by that debate—
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  • Mar/31/23 11:26:04 a.m.
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The hon. Leader of the Opposition knows the rules and that we do not mention the presence or absence of members in the House.
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  • Mar/31/23 11:26:13 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, is the Prime Minister okay, and will he ever be back in the House of Commons to debate me?
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  • Mar/31/23 11:26:24 a.m.
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I asked the hon. member to be wary of the rules, and the hon. member repeated comments that he knows are against the rules. We will take one question out of the next round of Conservative questions. The hon. member for Manicouagan.
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  • Mar/31/23 11:26:50 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, the IPCC has just tabled its synthesis report on climate change, which it called a “survival guide for humanity”. Greenpeace said, “This is the final warning...for this decade [which] will have impacts for thousands of years”. However, the federal budget still provides at least $37 billion in fossil fuel subsidies. Ottawa is still trying to greenwash pollution from dirty energy. When will the federal government realize that its short-sighted budgets risk ruining the planet for thousands of years?
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  • Mar/31/23 11:27:30 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, all members of this House know that we are working very hard to reduce emissions from the oil and gas sector. We are going to be capping oil and gas emissions. We will be implementing a clean fuel standard and a clean electricity standard. We are going to be investing in carbon capture and storage. Very importantly, we are going to be eliminating fossil fuel subsidies, and we are going to be doing that two years in advance of the predicted schedule.
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