SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 183 - Apr/24/23

Mr. Dan Muys (Flamborough—Glanbrook, CPC)

Apr/24/23 2:12:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, last week, I spoke with constituents, who are rightfully worried that their summer travel plans and passports will be derailed again this year, this time because of the strike. Instead of offering a solution, what was the minister responsible for passport’s advice? Just do not apply for a passport, which is incredibly tone deaf for my constituents and all Canadians. Even worse, the minister went on to say that any primary documents submitted with a passport application, such as a birth certificate or citizenship certificate, could not be returned until after the strike. Therefore, for the many Canadians who applied for a passport in the last couple of weeks, their documents are now stuck with Service Canada until the strike ends. It takes a special type of incompetence for the Liberals to spend 50% more on bureaucracy and still end up with the biggest public service strike in 40 years.

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The Speaker

Apr/24/23 2:13:08 p.m.
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I want to remind everyone that S.O. 31s are taking place and I know we want to hear what people have to say. Hopefully it is about what is going on in their ridings and is something special to them. The hon. member for Langley—Aldergrove.

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Mr. Tako Van Popta (Langley—Aldergrove, CPC)

Apr/24/23 2:13:49 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, 150,000 public service workers are out on strike and once again Canadians are paying the price for the Prime Minister's total incompetence. He had two years to do a deal, but he dropped the ball and failed to bring it home. Instead, he is spending $20 billion a year more on federal bureaucracy, yet delivering poorer services. To top it all off, he has caused the biggest strike in a generation. That takes a special degree of incompetence. After eight years of the Prime Minister's terrible mismanagement of the economy, his inflationary spending and waste are having a devastating impact on Canadians, including public service workers. The Conservatives will bring back common sense into the budgetary process to ensure that taxpayers get value for their money, which includes an effective, efficient and motivated public service. It is time to bring it home.

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Mrs. Sherry Romanado (Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne, Lib.)

Apr/24/23 2:14:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, with National Volunteer Week recently behind us, I would like to take a moment to honour the many volunteers in my riding of Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne. Over the years, I have had the privilege of meeting many of these volunteers, who give so generously of their time, talent and energy for the sake of others. They strengthen the fabric our communities and make a huge difference in the lives of the people around them. In a world that is changing by the minute, they make a vital contribution to the well-being of our communities. We all know that times are hard. People of all ages need help, and volunteers answer the call without asking for anything in return. Their commitment benefits us all and deserves recognition and support. For that reason, I would like to express my deep gratitude to all the volunteers who contribute their skills and time for the good of their fellow citizens. To all the volunteers, thank you.

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Mr. Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway, NDP)

Apr/24/23 2:15:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the world just marked Earth Day and Canadians understand that climate change is an existential crisis. However, our actions have not met our aspirations or the urgency required. We must significantly reduce our fossil fuel usage. A clear majority of Canadians want the oil and gas sector to do its fair share. Oil and gas accounts for just 5% of our economy, yet is responsible for 26% of Canada's emissions. That is more than any other sector. To meet our targets, Canada must reduce emissions 60% below 2005 levels by 2030. Done right, this transition will lower household energy costs, create more sustainable jobs and allow us to reach our climate targets for the first time in history. To do so requires a hard legislated cap on oil and gas emissions in Canada. I urge the government to hold the oil and gas sector to these necessary and urgent targets. Our planet's health and that of all species living on it depend on it.

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Mr. Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (Lac-Saint-Jean, BQ)

Apr/24/23 2:16:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on April 21, 2004, the Bloc Québécois member for the riding of Laval Centre, Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral, moved Motion No. 380, which recognized the 1915 Armenian genocide as a crime against humanity. Twenty years earlier, as early as 1980, the government of René Levesque was one of the first to recognize the unspeakable tragedy of the massacre of 1.5 million people, or two-thirds of the Armenian population. Every year, April 24 marks the day we commemorate that genocide. Men, women and children were murdered in cold blood. It was a genocide, the crime of all crimes. Today, I stand before you to once again repeat the word “genocide”. It is a difficult word to hear, but out of a duty to remember, we must say the word for those who are still victims of genocide today, so we never forget.

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Mrs. Shelby Kramp-Neuman (Hastings—Lennox and Addington, CPC)

Apr/24/23 2:18:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as a result of the Public Service Alliance of Canada strike vote, over 700 CAF members at CFB Petawawa are left without hot water or heat because the workers manning those utilities are not considered essential. This is absurd. Supporting the men and women who keep us safe in an increasingly volatile world is among the most essential of jobs. The government needs to either declare these workers essential or end the strike as soon as possible and turn the heat and water back on at CFB Petawawa.

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Mr. Sukh Dhaliwal (Surrey—Newton, Lib.)

Apr/24/23 2:19:01 p.m.
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[Member spoke in Punjabi] [English] Mr. Speaker, this past Saturday, in my riding of Surrey—Newton, over half a million people from all backgrounds came together to celebrate the birth of Khalsa in one of the largest Khalsa Day and Vaisakhi parades in the entire world. Championed by Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar, this annual event showcased the strength and diversity of our great nation. With April being Sikh Heritage Month, I also want to recognize the contributions and accomplishments that Sikh Canadians have made to our country. I urge all members to join me in thanking the organizers and countless volunteers of the Surrey Khalsa Day Vaisakhi Parade and to thank Sikh Canadians across our country, who, over the past 125 years, have helped build Canada into the country it is today. [Member spoke in Punjabi]

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Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Apr/24/23 2:20:04 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's incompetence is off the charts. He spent an additional $20 billion on federal bureaucracy all while causing the worst public service strike in 40 years. As a result, 700 soldiers went without heat for three days. We have a minister who is telling Canadians not to submit a passport application, not to even try to get one here in Canada. How much will Canadians have to pay to end the strike that the Prime Minister caused?

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Hon. Mona Fortier (President of the Treasury Board, Lib.)

Apr/24/23 2:20:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, public servants from the PSAC provide important services to Canadians and the government values their work. We are committed to reaching agreements that are fair and reasonable for Canadians, and that is what we are doing. We will continue to do so until we reach an agreement that is fair and reasonable.

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Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Apr/24/23 2:21:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it would be one thing to increase the cost of the bureaucracy by 50%, or $20 billion a year, and it would be another to have a strike. However, to do both of those things at once takes a special, unique kind of incompetence that only the Prime Minister could pull off. The consequences are that 700 soldiers have been without heat and warm water. Canadians are now being told that they are not even to apply for passports, let alone get one, meaning that they will miss international weddings. Our veterans, our seniors, our small business owners and our taxpayers are all being ripped off. Now, how much will they have to pay to bring an end to the Prime Minister-caused strike?

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Hon. Mona Fortier (President of the Treasury Board, Lib.)

Apr/24/23 2:22:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, public servants from PSAC provide important services to Canadians and the government values their work. We are committed to reaching agreements that are fair for employees and reasonable to Canadians. There is a competitive deal on the table, but PSAC continues to insist on demands that are unaffordable and would severely impact our ability to deliver services to Canadians. Canadians can expect both parties to bargain in good faith and find compromise. That is what we are focusing on.

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Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Apr/24/23 2:22:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this Prime Minister is unaffordable. Maybe if he were not spending $21 billion on consultants every year, he would not have the biggest public service strike in modern memory. He expects us also to believe that he has no direct or indirect involvement with the Trudeau Foundation, even though its donors pay for his vacations, he chose two of its former directors to head up investigations into foreign interference, and the Trudeau Foundation received Beijing-based donations, which his brother processed. Now we have learned that the Trudeau Foundation is holding meetings in his office. Did he not know about that either?

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Hon. Mark Holland (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Apr/24/23 2:23:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the meeting that took place was between public servants in a government building. It was not with the Prime Minister. However, I could understand that the Leader of the Opposition, as usual, is looking to swing a wide stick and does not seem to care what he hits. There is a constant array of attacks and mis-characterization of information. His interest again and again is to disrupt and be partisan rather than provide productive solutions to the issues that face this country right now.

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Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Apr/24/23 2:23:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let us get this straight. The Trudeau Foundation's donors paid for the Prime Minister's vacation, but he did not know about that. The Trudeau Foundation supplied the two independent investigators to look into the interference by Beijing, and he did not know about that either. The Trudeau Foundation received donations from Beijing, organized and orchestrated by his brother, but he did not know about that. Now we know that there were meetings in the Prime Minister's office with his top officials and the Trudeau Foundation. Once again, are the Liberals really expecting Canadians to be dumb enough to believe that he did not know about that either?

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Hon. Mark Holland (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Apr/24/23 2:24:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, sometimes I stay up at night, and I wonder how the Leader of the Opposition got to the position of recommending to people to opt out of inflation by recommending cryptocurrency as a solution, and now I understand why. Listening— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

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The Speaker

Apr/24/23 2:24:52 p.m.
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I just want to wait until everybody is ready so we can get on with question period. The hon. government House leader may please proceed.

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Hon. Mark Holland

Apr/24/23 2:25:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we listen to the convoluted mess the Leader of the Opposition tossed out there, and it is completely nonsensical. I will just take one point. Yes, the Prime Minister, as I have said on many occasions, took a vacation with his family over Christmas and stayed at a friend's house. By the way, that friend has been his family friend his entire life. He had been at that residence when he was one year old. The mis-characterizations continue.

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Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Apr/24/23 2:25:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister wants Canadians to believe that the Trudeau Foundation's donors paid for his vacation, but that he did not know about it. He would have us believe that the Trudeau Foundation received donations from Beijing, organized by his brother, but that he did not know about it. Finally, he wants us to believe that the two investigators into foreign interference are from the Trudeau Foundation, but that he did not know about it. Now there were meetings that took place in the Prime Minister's office with his top officials and the Trudeau Foundation, but he did not know about them either. Does the Prime Minister really think Canadians are that dumb?

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Hon. Mark Holland (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Apr/24/23 2:26:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, clearly, the member opposite desperately wants to create a link between the Trudeau Foundation and the Prime Minister. There is no link. There has been no direct or indirect link between the foundation and the Prime Minister for over 10 years. That is clear. Unfortunately, the leader of the official opposition cares more about playing partisan games and sowing division than he does about the facts.

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