44th Parl. 1st Sess.
April 26, 2023 02:00PM
- Apr/26/23 2:20:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the housing crisis is holding Canadians hostage. Young people who dream of having their own home have been relegated to spare bedrooms and homes with roommates because of the sky-high cost of housing. In Canada’s biggest cities, like Toronto and Vancouver, an apartment can go for upwards of $1,300 a month. Even in smaller cities, like London, Halifax, Victoria and Winnipeg, a single room can cost upwards of $1,000 a month.
The Liberals say they have the backs of young people, yet they are making the situation worse. There are many things the federal government could be doing, like tying federal infrastructure funding to cities' getting approvals done faster, requiring high-density residential around transit, getting rid of empty federal buildings in favour of housing, and incentivizing the private sector to build more rentals.
If only the Liberal government understood that the housing situation in Canada is, in fact, a crisis, maybe then the young people of this country would no longer be forced to pay the high price for Liberal failures.
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- Apr/26/23 2:21:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, official languages have been a priority for our government since 2015, as evidenced by the record investments we have made. Today, my colleague, the Minister of Official Languages, announced the new action plan for official languages 2023–2028, an unprecedented investment of $4.1 billion to reverse the decline of French and support our official language minority communities through francophone immigration, the educational continuum and support for community organizations.
The voices of those communities were heard, and today we have delivered. I am proud of this plan, which will have a significant impact on the Franco-Ontarian community of Nickel Belt in Greater Sudbury. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the stakeholders across the country who work in community organizations and promote francophone culture, as well as the educational institutions in our communities across the country.
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- Apr/26/23 2:23:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, according to our intelligence services, the Beijing dictatorship gave $140,000 to the Trudeau Foundation. The purpose of this donation was to influence the Liberal leader, who is now the Prime Minister.
Alexandre Trudeau is the person who made arrangements for this donation from China. Any other person would have been called to appear here, in Parliament, to answer questions.
Will the Prime Minister support a motion to invite Alexandre Trudeau to appear before a parliamentary committee to answer questions about this donation, whose purpose was to influence the Prime Minister?
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- Apr/26/23 2:23:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I have said several times in the House, it has been 10 years since I have had any direct or indirect involvement with the foundation that bears my father's name. With respect to the committee, the hon. member knows very well that committees decide who will or will not be called to testify.
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- Apr/26/23 2:24:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is insulting Canadians' intelligence by trying to convince them he has no ties to the Trudeau Foundation, when its donors pay for his vacations and his brother facilitated a donation to the foundation from China that was intended to influence the Prime Minister.
If he truly has nothing to hide, will he support a motion to invite Alexandre Trudeau to appear before a parliamentary committee to answer questions, yes or no?
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- Apr/26/23 2:24:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have already answered that question, as everyone here knows. For 10 years, I have had no direct or indirect involvement with the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.
We might ask ourselves why the Conservatives want to keep spending their time attacking me and my family instead of talking about the budget and the challenges facing Canadians.
It is because we are here to deliver for Canadians with a grocery rebate, with help for dental care, with initiatives and programs that help Canadians immediately.
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- Apr/26/23 2:25:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what he delivered is a bureaucracy that costs $20 billion more. That is $1,300 per Canadian family in additional costs related to that spending, and they are getting fewer services. Public servants are on strike, so taxpayers cannot even get answers to their tax questions before the filing deadline on Monday.
Given that Canadian taxpayers are not getting the services they pay for, is it time for them to go on strike as well?
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- Apr/26/23 2:26:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, unlike the Conservative Party, we on this side of the House support workers and unions in the important work that they do.
We know that public servants provide important services to Canadians, and the government appreciates their work, particularly the work that they have done over the past few years, which have been difficult. That is why we are working tirelessly to come to an agreement that is fair for public servants and reasonable for taxpayers.
We will continue to ensure that everyone at the bargaining table takes the work seriously, and we will resolve this situation the right way.
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- Apr/26/23 2:26:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, all he has delivered is a bureaucracy that costs $20 billion more per year. That is $1,300 per Canadian family, a 50% increase, and for what? It is for immigration services not being delivered, for veterans who cannot get answers to their requests, and now for taxpayers who will not be able to get answers to their tax questions before the filing deadline on Monday.
Given that Canadian taxpayers are not getting the services they pay for, is it time for them to go on strike as well?
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- Apr/26/23 2:27:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we will take no lessons from the Conservative Party of Canada. Its approach on services to Canadians was to close Veterans Affairs offices; cut services to women; fight with the unions, including with legislation that was anti-union, like Bill C-525 and Bill C-377, which the member voted in favour of; or, furthermore, continue to make cuts across the board.
We have stepped up to support Canadians. Our public servants stepped up to help Canadians through the pandemic, and now we are in negotiations to make sure we get the right deal for them and the right deal for Canadians.
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- Apr/26/23 2:28:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this guy is so out of touch. Here we have 150,000 people on strike and the biggest federal strike in Canadian history. Canadians cannot get their services. Their housing costs have doubled, and crime is ravaging our streets. What is he going to do today?
Well, “Start spreading the news, [he's] leaving today. [He] wants to be a part of it, New York, New York—
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- Apr/26/23 2:28:43 p.m.
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I remind hon. members that singing is not allowed. Whether it is good or bad, it is not allowed.
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- Apr/26/23 2:28:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, these are small-time blues. They are melting away. I will make a new start of it in old New York.
I cannot sing very well, but at least I pay for my hotel rooms.
Will he pay for his hotel costs when he goes to New York tonight?
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- Apr/26/23 2:29:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, over the past number of years, we have spent time across the world promoting Canada and Canadian workers. We have been talking about the leadership on environmental responsibility, the reconciliation with indigenous—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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- Apr/26/23 2:29:33 p.m.
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I am going to have to interrupt the right hon. Prime Minister.
The Leader of the Opposition has everyone excited. I just want everybody to calm down, take a deep breath and listen to the answer.
The right hon. Prime Minister from the top, so we can all hear the answer.
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- Apr/26/23 2:29:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, over the past number of years, as Canadians know, we have been talking about what we are doing here in Canada. We have been singing the praises, quite literally, of Canadian workers, of Canadian companies and of Canadian know-how. We do this as we lead the fight against climate change, step up on indigenous reconciliation and invest in the middle class, with such measures as dental care and cuts to middle-class taxes, which the Conservatives voted against.
That has led to Volkswagen, Michelin and other companies investing in Canada because they see what we are doing. We will continue to promote Canada and Canadian workers right across the country.
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- Apr/26/23 2:30:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, please forbid members from singing.
Moving on, I have some big news: The Prime Minister has had no direct or indirect contact with the Trudeau Foundation for 10 years. Remind me not to go to his Christmas party, because I am guessing that it must be fairly tense.
We now know that five deputy ministers were recruited to go to the Prime Minister's office to talk to the Trudeau Foundation. He must have been at least a little bit curious. Ignorance is not a virtue for a prime minister. What was decided at that meeting?
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- Apr/26/23 2:31:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as we have said before in the House, neither I nor my staff were present at that meeting. It was a meeting that took place with public servants in a building where public servants work.
The member opposite may not understand that, after a decade of the Harper government, the lines were blurred between the government and the public service and the Prime Minister's Office. However, we are keeping them separate, and we will continue to do the work that Canadians expect us to do.
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- Apr/26/23 2:32:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have a Prime Minister who boasts about his ignorance. What are things coming to?
Let us say that we pretend to believe him because he is becoming more and more convincing in the role of an ignoramus. The fact that he wants to remain ignorant is another problem, as is the fact that he does not ask any questions. This just goes to show that he cannot participate in the decision on who will chair the much-needed commission of inquiry into Chinese interference in Canada.
Does the House not agree?
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- Apr/26/23 2:32:39 p.m.
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I would like to remind members that there is a fine line between insulting someone and commenting on the situation they are in. I would like members to pay attention to what they are saying.
I know that the members of the House are very competent and that they speak eloquently, so I just want to remind them not to insult people.
The right hon. Prime Minister.
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