SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 221 - Sep/20/23

Mr. Stephen Ellis (Cumberland—Colchester, CPC)

Sep/20/23 3:02:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, every member of the House receives emails, letters and phone calls explaining how unaffordable life has become due to the NDP-Liberal government's punishing carbon tax. After eight years of the Liberal Prime Minister, everything costs more, and inflation on basic necessities such as food continues to rise. The price of lettuce is up. The price of carrots is up, and the price of potatoes is up, all by more than 70%. Quite frankly, Canadians are fed up. Will the Liberal Prime Minister cancel his plans to increase his inflationary carbon tax?

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Hon. Sean Fraser (Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.)

Sep/20/23 3:03:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is hard to take seriously a question from the hon. member after I read a news article, just a couple of evenings ago, indicating that he and some of his Conservative colleagues went on a $45,000 trip to have $600 bottles of champagne in the United Kingdom, so they could meet with people who oppose sensible policies to put a price on pollution. The reality is that we are going to continue to put forward measures that grow the economy. I will take this moment to point out that the Conservatives, contrary to the will of the provincial Conservative government in Nova Scotia, are opposing a regulatory framework that would allow us to build offshore renewable energy. Conservatives need to get with the times. We are going to build a green economy for the future.

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Mr. Stephen Ellis (Cumberland—Colchester, CPC)

Sep/20/23 3:03:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what the Liberal government would like to do is deflect from the things that are very important to Canadians, such as their inflationary carbon tax. Even the governor of the Bank of Canada has stated clearly that, with the carbon tax announcement that has it going up, inflation increases each year. The ongoing punishment for Canadians simply trying to buy food, put a roof over their heads, for which the minister is failing again just as he did on immigration, and heat their homes, must stop. After eight years, the Liberal Prime Minister is not worth the cost. When will he cancel his plans to increase his inflationary carbon tax?

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Mr. Adam van Koeverden (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity, Lib.)

Sep/20/23 3:04:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, a serious responsible government needs to have a plan to address both affordability and climate change, but all these Conservatives have are slogans and catch phrases to stick on T-shirts and bumper stickers. Groceries are too expensive, but one of the main driving forces behind, for example, expensive lettuce in drought-prone places is climate change. While that member was hobnobbing with millionaire climate change deniers in Europe, we were here continuing to address the issues that face Canadians and playing a leadership role in addressing the threats of climate change in Canada.

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Mr. Blake Richards (Banff—Airdrie, CPC)

Sep/20/23 3:05:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, eight years of the NDP-Liberal government have depleted Canadians' savings, raised their taxes and increased the prices at their local grocery stores. Cutting his carbon tax could bring immediate relief for Canadians, but the Prime Minister refuses. Even the Bank of Canada governor is now warning that the Liberals' carbon tax increases are causing inflation. The policies of the Prime Minister are not worth the cost, and Canadians know it. Will he finally side with Canadians and cancel his inflationary carbon tax increases?

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Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson (Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Lib.)

Sep/20/23 3:05:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I have said in the House a number of times, the price on pollution was put in place in a manner where eight out of 10 families get more money back than they pay in the price on pollution. I would have to say that the hypocrisy coming from that side of the House is unbelievable. The last Conservative government, within which the Leader of the Opposition was a minister, proposed cap and trade, which is a form of pricing pollution. In the last election, the Conservative Party and everybody in this chamber ran on putting a price on pollution. Now the Conservative Party campaigns actively against a price on pollution. How can the Canadian public believe anything these people have to say?

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Mrs. Sophie Chatel (Pontiac, Lib.)

Sep/20/23 3:06:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we hear a lot about affordability these days, but we also need to build an economy that will create good jobs and a better quality of life for Canadians. The Outaouais boasts tremendous ecotourism and recreation potential. I would like to hear what the Minister of Tourism plans to do to help the Outaouais achieve its full potential.

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Hon. Soraya Martinez Ferrada (Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, Lib.)

Sep/20/23 3:07:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the member for Pontiac is quite right. Tourism is the economic engine of our regions. That is why, through Canada Economic Development, the government has allocated $700,000 in financial assistance to eight businesses in the Outaouais region to increase lodging availability, because we want people to come and stay for more than just a day. I would encourage everyone to visit the Outaouais region because there are so many recreational and tourism activities. I thank the member for Pontiac for all the work she does for the economic development of our regions.

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Mr. Scot Davidson (York—Simcoe, CPC)

Sep/20/23 3:07:40 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, new documents show the Liberals billed Canadians more than a quarter of a million dollars for a three-day cabinet meeting supposedly focused on tackling inflation. Instead of coming up with any real plans to make life more affordable, the out-of-touch Prime Minister and his cabinet spent their time eating expensive meals at high-end restaurants. Inflation is out of control, but the Liberals will not stop living large. Will the Prime Minister take the silver spoon out of his mouth, axe the carbon tax and show respect to Canadian taxpayers?

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Hon. Karina Gould (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Sep/20/23 3:08:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what the government has been focused on for the last eight years is making sure that we are advancing measures that help Canadians. We increased the Canada child benefit, and instead of sending cheques to millionaires, we made sure that the poorest and most vulnerable were getting the maximum they could have. When it comes to child care, we have cut fees in half by over 50%. When it comes to child poverty, we have lifted 450,000 children out of poverty. What the Conservatives do not understand is that we have been not only listening to Canadians, but also acting on their behalf, and we continue to work hard for Canadians every single day.

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Mrs. Rachael Thomas (Lethbridge, CPC)

Sep/20/23 3:09:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, somehow life is less affordable than it has ever been because there is this punitive thing called the carbon tax, which the Liberals have applied to every single heating bill of Canadians, every single grocery bill of Canadians and every single fuel cost that Canadians incur at the pump. Canadians are struggling to make ends meet, and the government does not care. There is a very tangible action that could be taken on behalf of Canadians, and that is to scrap the tax. When will the government find itself on side with the Canadian public and finally get rid of the punitive carbon tax?

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Hon. Karina Gould (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Sep/20/23 3:09:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is incredibly disappointing to hear from the members opposite when it comes to being there for Canadians because, over the past summer, there have been hundreds of thousands of Canadians who have been displaced from their homes due to wildfires and climate change-related disasters. In fact, an entire community in Yellowknife was evacuated because of unprecedented wildfires. The Conservatives can continue to bury their heads in the sand. We will continue to act to fight climate change because this is existential. Our job as a government is to protect Canadians, and we will continue to do that.

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Mrs. Rachael Thomas (Lethbridge, CPC)

Sep/20/23 3:10:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am glad to hear the hon. member concede that, despite the carbon tax, nothing is being accomplished in taking care of the environment and getting us to a better place. Canadians are certainly worse off. They are struggling to afford the basic necessities of life. They are going to the grocery store, literally spending hundreds of dollars and walking out with nothing more than a couple bags of groceries. That is not okay, and after eight years of the NDP-Liberal government, Canadians are fed up. They cannot afford the cost anymore. When will the government finally make the right decision, axe the tax and give Canadians hope?

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Mr. Adam van Koeverden (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity, Lib.)

Sep/20/23 3:11:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is 2023, and if one does not have a plan to address climate change, one does not have a plan for affordability or for the economy either. It is clear that every single idea the Conservatives put forth makes it clear that they are out of touch. In fact, the only recommendations those Conservatives have put forward would cut social programs. I am talking about things that actually support Canadians, such as the Canada child benefit, child care, dental care and the guaranteed income supplement. The Conservative plan to fix global inflation by cutting people's services and benefits is no plan at all. It is irresponsible, and it is risky. It would put Canadian families at risk.

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2023
Plan

Mr. Brendan Hanley (Yukon, Lib.)

Sep/20/23 3:11:40 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, small businesses are the backbone of communities across our country, making up 98% of all businesses and employing two-thirds of Canadian workers, but many Yukon business owners have reached out to me over the past few months outlining their struggles with rising costs while still trying to recover from the pandemic. Could the Minister of Small Business outline how we are continuing to support small business in Canada, including CEBA loan holders, at this time?

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Hon. Rechie Valdez (Minister of Small Business, Lib.)

Sep/20/23 3:12:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I was also a small business owner during the pandemic, and I really understand the struggles many continue to face. That is why we are offering additional flexibilities for small businesses to repay their CEBA loans, which are both balanced and fiscally responsible. This includes a full one-year extension on the repayment deadline, more flexibility on refinancing and more time to access the loan forgiveness. We will keep listening to small businesses across the country, and that includes all Canadians.

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Mr. Taylor Bachrach (Skeena—Bulkley Valley, NDP)

Sep/20/23 3:12:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, farmers in northern B.C. have been hit hard by extreme drought, another symptom of the worsening climate crisis. Hay harvests are down as much as 90%, and many farmers are struggling to feed their animals. We are seeing herds sold off, and we are seeing family farms lost. For months we have been calling on the government to provide support to source hay from other parts of Canada and the United States. Local governments and the provincial government are waiting, and farmers are waiting for the minister to finally come to the table. How long will they have to wait?

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Hon. Lawrence MacAulay (Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lib.)

Sep/20/23 3:13:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my hon. colleague's question and fully understand the stress farmers are under. As he is fully aware, his provincial government in B.C. has sent the papers to my department. We are analyzing the situation, and as soon as that is done, we will make sure the farmers are compensated. This is what the business risk management plans are for: to make sure we help farmers in difficult situations. We will continue to do so.

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Mr. Mike Morrice (Kitchener Centre, GP)

Sep/20/23 3:14:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, since last fall, I have been pressing the federal government to provide emergency support to the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, which may have to close its doors because ticket sales have not returned to prepandemic levels. I was told in question period back in February that a solution would be found. When nothing was done, two months ago, four other Waterloo region MPs and I wrote to the Prime Minister, imploring the federal government to step in with a one-time support. We have not heard back, and on Monday, the symphony cancelled its entire upcoming season. Will the federal government step in to ensure the symphony avoids insolvency?

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Hon. Pascale St-Onge (Minister of Canadian Heritage, Lib.)

Sep/20/23 3:14:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are actively in touch with the organization about its ongoing financial struggles. Recovering from the pandemic remains a challenge for performing arts organizations, which is why we took extraordinary measures to support them during the pandemic. We continue to support arts organizations through a range of programs, and we will work with the organization to see how our programs could support it.

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