SoVote

Jun/8/23 2:15:49 p.m.
Watch

I am going to ask the hon. member to start over once we quiet down so that everyone can hear. The hon. member for Cowichan—Malahat—Langford may start from the top.

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Mr. Alistair MacGregor

Jun/8/23 2:15:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canada is on fire. By last Sunday, more than three million hectares had already burned across the country, about 13 times the 10-year average. There are more than 400 active wildfires, most of which are deemed out of control, and thousands of people are under evacuation orders. Over the last 20 years, we have never seen such a large area burned so early in the season. My home province of B.C. has already seen fires burn an area larger than that of last year's entire fire season. It is only June. We are not even in summer yet. The signs are all there. Climate change is having a direct and brutal impact on the lives of people. The sheer scale and ferocity of the forest fires are a testament to that fact. Yesterday, I saw a headline that read, “Parliament fiddles while Canada burns”, an apt description of what we have seen from Liberals and Conservatives. As parliamentarians, we owe it to Canadians to meet this moment with the seriousness it deserves. We must do better.

183 words

Mr. Yves-François Blanchet (Beloeil—Chambly, BQ)

Jun/8/23 2:17:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I do not know what animates this moving and magnificent individual, this artist who left an indelible mark on Quebec, its history, the hearts of its people and the promises of the 1970s and beyond. Serge Fiori is extraordinary. He crafted a brand new musical universe that crossed borders and stood the test of time. His music pierced right through the skin of Quebeckers, flowed through their veins and found a place in their hearts. What I do know is that Serge Fiori, who was awarded a Quebecor prize Tuesday night at an event held at the Mount Royal Chalet, loves unreservedly, unconditionally, unboundedly. He loves so much and so well that he is like a river of emotions that overflows in the spring. He makes us want to share in one of the embraces that he so generously shares with his voice, which, even when speaking, carries a range of emotions in which people want to remain enveloped. Quebec loves the beautiful, great and eternal Serge Fiori. Fiori loves Quebec. He is so in love with Quebec that he wants, with all his oceanic heart, for it to become a nation.

194 words

Mr. Eric Duncan (Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, CPC)

Jun/8/23 2:18:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians learned yesterday of the devastating news to their household budgets. The Bank of Canada has hiked interest rates once again, which are now 19 times higher than they were just one year ago. Plain and simple, Canadians are at the most risk of any advanced economy for mortgage defaults, according to the IMF. Let us make no mistake about it. These rate hikes are caused by Liberal inflationary deficits. The finance minister admitted it just weeks ago, before adding $60 billion in new deficits instead of balancing the budget. The economics here are simple. Liberal government deficits cause inflation, which cause higher interest rates, which cause mortgage defaults. The solution is simple too. Liberals must stop the deficits, which will stop the inflation, which will stop interest rates from going up, which will stop the defaults. The Prime Minister admitted he does not spend a lot of time thinking about monetary policy, and now Canadians are paying for it. Mortgage payments are going to go up another 40%. It is time for the Liberals to smarten up and get the crisis they caused under control.

188 words

Ms. Jenna Sudds (Kanata—Carleton, Lib.)

Jun/8/23 2:19:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservative Party opposite is far too comfortable using divisive, sexist rhetoric to gain cheap political points at the expense of women. It is crass. It is gross. It is reckless. Let us not forget that the leader of the Conservative Party used misogynistic hashtags to drive alt-right traffic to his YouTube page. He could not care less that many women in this country feel unsafe online or that he has aligned himself with the very same people who perpetuate this toxic online hate. When it comes to the issues that matter most to Canadian women, such as child care, good jobs and reproductive rights, he and his handpicked Conservative candidates stand against those very ideals. It is indicative of one thing. The Conservative Party will never stand up for what matters when it matters. While the Conservatives will not, we on this side of the House will never ever back down from—

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The Speaker

Jun/8/23 2:20:34 p.m.
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It is now time for Oral Questions.

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Oral
Time

Ms. Melissa Lantsman (Thornhill, CPC)

Jun/8/23 2:20:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians learned yesterday that the Bank of Canada is raising interest rates for the ninth time since last year. This comes thanks to the Prime Minister's out-of-control spending, which is driving up the cost of the goods that we buy and the interest that we pay. Half of all mortgage holders were already struggling to make payments and that was before the bank's announcement. The Department of Finance knows this number, and the government refuses to share it. Can the finance minister tell us how much families will now pay for their mortgages because of her inflationary spending?

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Mr. Terry Beech (Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Lib.)

Jun/8/23 2:21:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when we compare ourselves to our economic peers, we have a lower deficit, a lower net debt-to-GDP ratio, the fastest-growing economic growth in the G7 and lower interest rates. That is what is allowing us to invest in things such as dental care, child care, health care, affordability, economic growth and jobs. Over 900,000 jobs have been created since the pandemic. Yes, global inflation is hard, but we will get through this by working together.

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Ms. Melissa Lantsman (Thornhill, CPC)

Jun/8/23 2:21:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals say everything is fine. They either do not know the number or they will not tell us. It is $4,000 a month for an average mortgage payment. After eight years of the Liberal government, consumer debt is the highest it has ever been. Canadians carry more debt than our entire GDP. The Prime Minister told us that interest rates would stay low. He promised that he would take on debt so Canadians did not have to. Canadians need some certainty. They need to pay their bills. How many Canadians will have to lose their homes before the Liberals notice something is wrong?

107 words

Mr. Terry Beech (Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Lib.)

Jun/8/23 2:22:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, over the last week, the Conservative Party has tried to convince Canadians that we would be better off if we did not make those investments in health care, if we did not invest in dental care, and if we reduced investments in seniors' pensions and retirement security. They want to get rid of the CBC. They do not want to attack climate change. Canada has the highest economic growth and the lowest deficit in the G7. We are able to invest in making life more affordable for Canadians. Our government is up to this challenge, and so are Canadians.

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Ms. Melissa Lantsman (Thornhill, CPC)

Jun/8/23 2:22:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is clear the Liberals do not want to talk about the economy. I understand why. We just learned that David Johnston fired the crisis communication firm he hired for strategic advice. It turns out that the same firm worked for the member for Don Valley North, who was asked to leave the caucus amid allegations of foreign interference. David Johnston exonerated that member without even talking to him. There is a conflict of interest and then there is this. What the hell is going on?

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The Speaker

Jun/8/23 2:23:29 p.m.
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Before we go to the Minister of Public Safety, I want to remind hon. members that parliamentary language is something we want to respect as much as possible. I understand we get emotional, and it sometimes slips out. The hon. minister.

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Hon. Marco Mendicino (Minister of Public Safety, Lib.)

Jun/8/23 2:23:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, at this stage, it is shocking but not surprising that the Conservatives continue to focus on Mr. Johnston, someone who was appointed by former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper, someone who did much work under the last Conservative government. Despite all of that, they would rather focus on partisan attacks than the actual hard work of fighting foreign interference together. Mr. Johnston has laid out a path forward to engage Canadians to ensure our national security establishment has all of the tools necessary to protect Canadians. Rather than continue on with these partisan attacks, the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada should take the briefing.

108 words

Mr. Gérard Deltell (Louis-Saint-Laurent, CPC)

Jun/8/23 2:24:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday evening, hundreds of thousands of families in Quebec and Canada had a very difficult conversation at the supper table. The question was this: Will we be able to keep our house? The Bank of Canada increased the policy rate for the ninth time in just under a year, which means that interest rates will rise. The government rightly pointed out that mortgage payments are going to go up by 40%. There is one thing that the government could do to reduce inflation and that is to control spending. Why does it not do that?

97 words

Ms. Rachel Bendayan (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, Lib.)

Jun/8/23 2:25:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague referred to what happened yesterday evening. While those difficult conversations were happening at the supper table, the Conservative leader was in the House, where I heard him rambling on and on for four hours. He talked about King Henry VIII and the difference between copper coins, silver coins and IPads, but I did not hear him talk about an economic plan for Canada. The Conservative leader has been on the job for 271 days and he has nothing of substance to offer Canadians.

90 words

Coins

Mr. Gérard Deltell (Louis-Saint-Laurent, CPC)

Jun/8/23 2:25:56 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, my colleague has a selective memory. The Conservative leader clearly said that there are two things the government must do. First, it should not create new taxes and, more importantly, it should have a plan to reduce spending and get to a balanced budget. Why have a balanced budget? That would honour the word of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance who said that deficits add fuel to the inflationary fire. Does the Deputy Prime Minister still agree with herself, namely that they really need to control spending and, most importantly, aim for a balanced budget for all Canadians?

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Ms. Rachel Bendayan (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, Lib.)

Jun/8/23 2:26:37 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about balance. We have struck a balance between fiscal responsibility and compassion. What the Conservatives are proposing is austerity and cuts. Our government is offering a new grocery rebate. Our government is offering subsidies for dental care. Our government is proposing a low-income workers benefit in Canada to support and help workers. The Conservatives are just not interested in helping Canadians. We are doing all of that and still have the lowest deficit in the G7.

82 words

Mr. Yves-François Blanchet (Beloeil—Chambly, BQ)

Jun/8/23 2:27:16 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, Quebec is grappling with forest fires that are causing 11 times the devastation we have seen for the last 10 years, on average. We are talking about three million hectares and it is only June. In terms of length of season, intensity and frequency, periods of drought and heat conducive to fires can be linked to climate change, while climate change can be linked to oil and gas development. Does the Prime Minister agree that fossil fuels are the reason for the fires that are devastating Quebec?

89 words

Hon. Steven Guilbeault (Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Lib.)

Jun/8/23 2:27:53 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, I thank the leader of the Bloc Québécois for his question. We agree with him. We must do more to fight climate change. There is a clear link between the forest fire season we are currently experiencing in Canada and the use of fossil fuels. We must reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. That is why we will be supporting the motion moved by the Bloc Québécois today in the House of Commons.

82 words

Mr. Yves-François Blanchet (Beloeil—Chambly, BQ)

Jun/8/23 2:28:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I feel like I have gone back in time 10 years. No serious person can deny that oil and gas are to blame for some of the terrible tragedies happening around the world, and increasingly right here, too. This obsession with oil comes at a very high price. Will the Prime Minister agree to halt all forms of funding, direct or indirect, to the oil companies and transfer the money saved to Quebec and the provinces in order to increase funding for research into mitigating the effects of climate change and the measures required to protect ourselves, particularly when it comes to municipal infrastructure?

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