44th Parl. 1st Sess.
September 18, 2023 11:00AM
- Sep/18/23 2:39:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canada has lost one million affordable housing units under the Liberals and Conservatives, and housing construction has been declining for the past five months. Removing the GST on affordable housing construction is important, but eight years too late. A lot more needs to be done.
When will the Prime Minister put a stop to the delay and announce that the federal government is going to start building affordable housing again?
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- Sep/18/23 2:39:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our focus is on making life more affordable and ensuring corporations pay their fair share.
The Minister of Innovation met today with the CEOs of the large grocery chains to reinforce the immediate need to stabilize food prices and improve competition. Indeed, we are introducing changes to competition here in Canada to address the rise in food prices, among others.
We will every day continue to build an economy that works for all Canadians.
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- Sep/18/23 2:40:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the NDP has now been in government for almost two years, during which time, by their own admission, both grocery prices and grocery profits have gone up. That is the result they get. Now they are supporting the Prime Minister's plan for a carbon tax that will rise to 61¢ a litre on the farmers who make food and the truckers who ship food. Their response to all this was to hold a big photo op today.
The Prime Minister claims food will be affordable by Thanksgiving, so by Thanksgiving, will lettuce be back down from its 94% increase because of today's meeting?
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- Sep/18/23 2:41:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this is coming from someone who advocated for crypto as advice to Canadians. I think Canadians watching at home understand not to follow his advice when it comes to groceries. The answer of Canadians is “thanks, but no thanks.”
We are going to continue to do the tough work on this side and fight for Canadians at every step of the way.
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- Sep/18/23 2:41:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is not just a single carbon tax. There is a second carbon tax that the Prime Minister wants to slap on Quebeckers. Yes, it will apply to Quebeckers—Quebec farmers and truck drivers who deliver our food. The Bloc supports that tax and wants to increase it “drastically”. This will only make food prices skyrocket.
Will the Prime Minister agree with the Bloc's request to drastically increase the carbon tax on the backs of Quebeckers?
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- Sep/18/23 2:42:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this being my first opportunity to rise since Parliament resumed, I want to offer my deepest condolences to every Canadian who has been impacted by forest fires, to the tens of thousands who have been evacuated this summer because of forest fires and floods. Thank God, tropical storm Lee did not hit as hard as it could have.
With the reality of climate change, any responsible government has to invest in climate action and support Canadians in these challenging times. That is exactly what we are doing on this side of the House.
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- Sep/18/23 2:42:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberal-Bloc carbon tax has caused food prices to soar. The cost of carrots alone has risen by 74%.
My mother always told me to eat my carrots. She said they were good for my eyes. I encourage the Bloc leader to eat more carrots to help him see the cost of his support for the Liberal-Bloc carbon tax.
The Prime Minister and his Bloc coalition are not worth the cost. Is there any hope that the Prime Minister's big meeting with grocery CEOs will eliminate this 74% price hike on carrots by Thanksgiving, yes or no?
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- Sep/18/23 2:43:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, considering the forest fire season we had, not to mention the storms and heat waves happening here in Canada and around the planet, I think some would say that all hope is lost.
However, we must fight climate change. We must create good jobs in Canada. We must help Canadians in these difficult times. That is exactly what we on this side of the House are doing.
What does the Conservative Party have to suggest? It has absolutely no suggestions to make when it comes to fighting climate change. The Conservatives want to make it free to pollute again. For a party that hopes to form government one day, that position is irresponsible.
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- Sep/18/23 2:43:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what we want is for groceries to be cheaper for everyone. Contrary to the Bloc Québécois's claims, the Liberals' carbon tax 2 applies not only to Canadians but to Quebec too.
On June 1, a motion was moved in the House:
That...the House recognize the failure of carbon tax one and call on the government to immediately cancel carbon tax two (the “Clean Fuel Regulations”).
The Bloc Québécois voted against that motion. Worse still, the Bloc members want to drastically increase the carbon tax.
Will the Prime Minister reject the Bloc's request to drastically increase the carbon tax at Quebeckers' expense?
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- Sep/18/23 2:44:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my hon. colleague that his party's most recent election platform included a proposal for a clean fuel program.
That is exactly what we introduced. The program generates thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in investment across the country. The Canola Growers Association applauded the program, which will create jobs, particularly in the agricultural sector.
What does the Conservative Party have to offer in the fight against climate change? Unfortunately, the only thing it has to offer is hot air.
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- Sep/18/23 2:45:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the thing is, the Liberals can reduce the price of food right now if they abandon their failed carbon tax. However, instead of taking any meaningful action, they are having more meaningless meetings.
The price of diesel is already up 70¢ a litre, increasing the costs on farmers to produce the food, manufacturers to process it, truckers to haul it and certainly Canadians to buy it. When the price of lettuce is up 94%, clearly the Prime Minister's NDP government is not worth the cost.
Will the Prime Minister's big meetings reduce the cost of lettuce by Thanksgiving, yes or no?
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- Sep/18/23 2:45:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, instead of talking and talking, they should look at what we have done today. This is the first time in Canadian history that the grocers have come to Ottawa. We had difficult discussions, but at the end of the day, those were discussions we needed to have in order to stabilize the price of food in Canada.
We have been very clear with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance. We are going to work with them to stabilize prices in Canada. That is what Canadians expect at home. That is what we are going to deliver.
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- Sep/18/23 2:46:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Prime Minister's NDP government, Canadians cannot afford to put food on the table, and it is getting worse. The Parliamentary Budget Officer's report on Friday stated that by 2030, Canadian farmers will pay close to $1 billion in carbon taxes alone.
Lettuce is up 94% because of these increases in carbon taxes and the costs being put on farmers, processors and truckers, and it is Canadians who are paying the price at the grocery store shelves. Now the Liberals want to quadruple that tax.
How much will Canadians pay for a head of lettuce?
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- Sep/18/23 2:46:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to read an extract from a press release from the Canola Growers Association. It says, “We’re pleased to see the CFR provides options that would minimize regulatory burden and allow canola to be used to reduce [greenhouse gas] emissions through biofuel production.” There is a “[r]ecognition of the sustainable production practices of Canadian growers that help sequester and store carbon”. Agriculturists are in favour of what we are doing to fight climate change and create a strong and vibrant Canadian economy.
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- Sep/18/23 2:47:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the climate breakdown has begun. That is the damning assessment delivered by the UN Secretary-General.
July was the hottest month on record. There have been marine heat waves with global averages of 21°C. There were so many forest fires that it seemed like everything between Ottawa and Quebec City was burning. That is huge. The situation is affecting everyone. Things are not getting any better because we are not acting responsibly.
When is the government going to take global warming seriously?
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- Sep/18/23 2:48:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for her question.
Unlike the Conservative Party of Canada, I share her concerns about global warming. I would like to remind her that, between 2019 and 2021, Canada had the best record in the G7 in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We cut our emissions by 55 million tonnes, which is 25% of our 2030 target.
However, I agree with my colleague that we need to do more, and we need to do it even faster. That is why I will be going to New York this week with the Prime Minister and several colleagues to work with all the countries in the world to speed up the fight against climate change.
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- Sep/18/23 2:48:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the government claims that fighting climate change is a priority, but that is not true. While the UN is talking about climate ambition, three ministers from this government could not wait to get to Alberta for the World Petroleum Congress.
I imagine they are going to talk about green oil, just to demonstrate how much they respect our intelligence. The sad truth is that Canada is an oil-producing country and that warming the planet pays off in this country.
When will this government start acting responsibly and take real action to fight global warming?
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- Sep/18/23 2:49:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we take climate change and the work we need to do very seriously. Regarding the World Petroleum Congress, it is true that the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources is there. He is there to tell everyone how important it is that we do everything we can to decarbonize our energy systems. We need clean energy. We know that, and we are working hard to get it.
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- Sep/18/23 2:49:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the unprecedented wildfires in Quebec, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and the Atlantic provinces are disastrous for the planet, for the people affected, for biodiversity and even for the economy.
This sort of disaster is bound to keep happening. However, there has been no conference on the wildfires or the energy transition. No, here in Canada, oil magnates are welcomed with open arms. It is completely irresponsible. How many more thousands of hectares will have to burn before the government wakes up?
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- Sep/18/23 2:50:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. That is why, when faced with the issue of climate change and the increase in natural disasters, we presented the first national climate change adaptation strategy in partnership with the provinces, territories, municipalities and indigenous peoples.
This climate change adaptation strategy was applauded by institutions such as Impact Assurance, which said that this was one of the best strategies in the world. The Insurance Bureau of Canada said the same thing. We need to be better prepared for the impacts of climate change. Unlike the Conservative Party, which still believes that climate change does not exist, we have a plan to combat and adapt to climate change.
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