44th Parl. 1st Sess.
October 20, 2023 10:00AM
- Oct/20/23 11:15:11 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I normally rise in this chamber with gratitude and vigour. However, today, the events of the last two weeks, with the attacks by Hamas and response by Israel, have me at a loss.
I represent a riding with a Jewish population that has contributed so much, including fighting in both world wars. From my work, I know the constant battle against anti-Semitism that we face and the symbols of hate that have been painted on the sidewalks, streets and even my own lawn signs.
I am blessed in the Windsor-Detroit area with having a Middle Eastern population. I have stood in solidarity with them from the original blame for the Oklahoma City bombing to 9/11 blame and the Islamophobia that still persists. I am proud to be part of a movement to always push back and speak the truth against that type of rhetoric.
My statement today to try to help end the violence in Gaza, Israel and Lebanon was crafted many times. However, despite trying, it never left me feeling anything but ill. Therefore, here I am; my only message is to find enough forgiveness and respect in humanity to end all violence. I appreciate that it is a naive message, but after 21-plus years in Parliament, I need to speak the truth: I do not have the answers, but I love my constituents of all races, ethnicities and religions. I am sorry that I do not have the solutions. I know that it is never too late to save someone who is alive. Everyone can join me, or let me join them, in solidarity for forgiveness of our failures to all the victims.
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- Oct/20/23 11:16:31 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today was the 34th Nuit des sans-abri, a homelessness awareness event that seeks to raise awareness about homelessness, poverty and social alienation. This year's theme is “no roof, no choice”. More than 60 municipalities across Quebec will host this event.
Tent parks in the four corners of Quebec; single mothers who sleep in their car with their children; seniors who, after living in a home and working their entire lives, end up on the street; young, pregnant women with no roof over their heads, including one who will end up giving birth in the streets, in the middle of downtown Gatineau: This happens in our communities, and it is in our communities that organizations have to help battered women who stay in relationships that are toxic to themselves and their children because they cannot find a place to live. It is in our communities that families have to cut back on how much food they buy and seniors have to limit their medication budget to keep a roof over their heads.
Quebec is on the brink of a major humanitarian crisis. The government has already recognized housing as a right. Now it has to ensure that this right becomes a reality for everyone.
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- Oct/20/23 11:17:40 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, the Toronto police chief has reported a 132% increase in hate crimes. We have seen horrific stories of a sign written in spray paint in Centennial Park that says “Attack the Jew” or a vandalized message in London that says “Kill all Muslims”. This is absolutely unacceptable.
We can all be revolted by the horrors of Hamas, but we should never blame our fellow citizens in Canada who are Muslim. They did not commit those atrocities.
We can debate the decisions of the Israeli government, but we have no right to insult our Jewish neighbours or attack their local synagogue.
This must be a country based on freedom, where it does not matter if one's name is Mohammed or Martin, Chang or Charles, Singh, Smith or Steinberg. We are all Canadians. We are all compatriots. Let us embrace each other with love.
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- Oct/20/23 11:19:00 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today excited to congratulate Umicore Rechargeable Battery Materials Canada. This past Monday marked its official groundbreaking for the manufacturing plant it is building in Loyalist township, located just outside my riding.
The plant will manufacture materials that are required for the production of electric vehicle batteries. In full swing, its operation has the capacity to produce enough battery materials to support the production of over 800,000 electric vehicles each year. What is more, it is designed to be nearly carbon-neutral from the start of production.
Of course, this is excellent news for our region in terms of economic development and job creation. It is also great news for Ontario and Canada, as it helps strengthen our position as a global leader in the electric vehicle and battery supply chain.
I am proud that the federal government has committed up to $551 million, through the strategic investment fund, to support this project.
I send congratulations and best wishes to Umicore, as well as thanks for choosing eastern Ontario.
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- Oct/20/23 11:20:12 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years, the Prime Minister is not worth the cost or the lack of competition.
Yesterday, the Competition Bureau reported that, now, the lack of competition is worse than it was at any time in 20 years, leading to higher prices for consumers and higher profits for corporate oligarchs. Now the Liberal government is considering allowing Canada's biggest bank to gobble up the seventh-biggest bank, to eliminate competition and force up mortgage rates on Canadians who already cannot afford to pay their bills.
Will the government side with consumers and homebuyers, instead of corporate oligarchs and big banks, and block this merger?
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- Oct/20/23 11:20:54 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as the Conservative leader recycles “common sense” cliches from decades ago as if he were an automaton from the Mike Harris era, our government has taken decisive action to help Canadians with the price of groceries by supporting more competition in the marketplace and by increasing housing supply, waiving GST on new rental construction. These are two significant measures the members opposite can support right now by supporting the government's bill on affordability, but they have stated that they will not do so.
Can someone from the opposition benches please explain to us all how voting against measures that are going to substantially help middle-class families is common sense?
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- Oct/20/23 11:21:37 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I will tell us what is not common sense: spending $8 million on a barn. We just found out that the Prime Minister's Capital Commission spent $8 million to replace a barn at Rideau Hall.
We have long said that the Prime Minister is not worth the cost after eight long years.
While Canadians cannot afford a home, how is it that the Prime Minister is spending $8 million on a barn? By the way, was it made of gold?
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- Oct/20/23 11:22:18 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, those are quite the words from the Leader of the Opposition. I remind him that, when he was responsible for housing during the Harper years, there was $300 million spent for housing, with fewer than 100 homes built. We can do the math: That is $3 million a home. That is the record of so-called fiscal responsibility on the other side.
On this side, we are getting homes built. Just this morning, the Prime Minister announced over $100 million for the City of Brampton, which is going to lead to 24,000 homes being built in the coming years. We are going to continue to work with municipalities through partnership.
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- Oct/20/23 11:23:05 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this Prime Minister, he is not worth the cost. The wasteful spending has spiralled out of control. Members will recall the $116 million spent on consultants at McKinsey, the $54 million on ArriveCAN and the $6,000 per night for a hotel room. Today we learned that the government wasted $8 million on a barn.
How can the government spend $8 million on a barn on the Governor General's property when food banks are in such desperate need? Is spending $8 million on a barn on the grounds of the Governor General's residence really the Liberals' priority?
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- Oct/20/23 11:23:54 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, obviously, we have been there for Canadians. We have invested money to support them. The Conservatives have voted against our measures several times.
When the Conservatives were in power, seven consecutive budgets produced deficits. We have the lowest deficit in the G7 and we will continue to be fiscally responsible.
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- Oct/20/23 11:24:32 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague said that her government is fiscally responsible.
After eight years of Liberal inflationary spending, Quebec's inflation is the worst in Canada. Young people are forced to live with their parents permanently because everything is too expensive. Interest rates are so high that the Liberals have robbed young people of their home ownership dreams. Over the past two years, mortgage interest has shot up by 41%. After eight years under the Liberals, rent costs have doubled.
When will the Liberals stop mortgaging the future of young people and let them achieve their dreams of home ownership?
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- Oct/20/23 11:25:14 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we currently have a bill before the House that will speed up housing construction across Canada.
In my Montreal riding, co-operatives are being built for families, seniors and young people. The Conservatives are unwilling to invest in building more housing to lower costs for Canadians. That makes no sense.
If they really care about the interests of Canadians, why are they voting against the interests of Canadians?
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- Oct/20/23 11:25:54 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, if they really wanted to pass Bill C-56, they would put it on the agenda. Since October 5, the Liberals have not called Bill C-56 for debate in the House. They should make a decision and stick with it. One would think they would have a better sense of what they want.
Meanwhile, the middle class knows what is coming. They are lining up at food banks. This morning, the newspapers were saying that food banks are desperate. In the last three years, food prices have risen by 23%.
Meanwhile, the Liberals and the Bloc Québécois want to drastically increase carbon taxes. Voting for the Bloc Québécois is costly now, and it is going to get even more costly.
Will the Liberals abandon their plan to raise carbon taxes?
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- Oct/20/23 11:26:38 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I recognize that rising costs hurt Canadians, and that is why we look across the way. We would like to see the Conservative Party stop playing games. This destructive force is constantly playing them inside the House, with the holding up of legislation. Whether it is by providing rebates of one form or another, building the Atlantic accord for Atlantic Canada or talking about green jobs for the future, we are trying to address the needs of Canadians, and the Conservative Party continues to play games inside the chamber. Shame on them.
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- Oct/20/23 11:27:20 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there is every indication that humanitarian aid could finally reach Gaza today, but let us not kid ourselves. We already know that that aid will be insufficient. We already know that only 20 trucks will be allowed to pass when the UN is saying that a minimum of 100 trucks is required every day.
As we speak, tons of humanitarian aid is sitting on the tarmac of an Egyptian airport because we are unable to send it where it needs to go. Without diplomatic pressure, that aid will still be sitting there tomorrow.
Has the Prime Minister exerted any pressure in the past 24 hours to help get this aid where it needs to go?
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- Oct/20/23 11:28:02 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we commend the decision made by Israel and Egypt to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza through the Rafah crossing. This is an important step in making sure that Palestinian civilians in Gaza get humanitarian aid, but there is still a lot of work to be done. Rapid and unimpeded access to aid is essential to meet the urgent needs of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. International law must always be followed.
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- Oct/20/23 11:28:33 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we all hope that there is a light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to this terrible war, but we can see that dark times lie ahead.
Many countries, including Canada, are calling on their citizens to flee Lebanon, and that speaks volumes. Everyone expects the conflict in Gaza to grow. By all indications, the humanitarian crisis will get worse while the humanitarian aid is already insufficient. Canada cannot accept the status quo. It must use all of its political weight.
What will the government do in the immediate term to ensure that the humanitarian aid is released?
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- Oct/20/23 11:29:10 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, alleviating human suffering is our top priority. We were the first western country to provide $10 million in humanitarian aid. We are actively using every diplomatic avenue. There is now constant communication with partners and organizations in the region.
Our immediate objective is to open humanitarian corridors to provide safety and refuge to those fleeing the war and to allow aid to enter.
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- Oct/20/23 11:29:45 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the auditor issued a damning report about processing delays in immigration. The most vulnerable are made to wait the longest due to Liberal mismanagement. Offices in sub-Saharan Africa are chronically underfunded, and they have the highest volume. Applications are untouched for up to 20 months. The average wait time for refugees is now three years. People who are being persecuted do not have three years to wait.
Will the minister take immediate action to process the unacceptable backlogs for refugees?
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- Oct/20/23 11:30:27 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this is of great concern. We all want to see immigration processes speed up. Over the last number of years, we have seen processing times improve in many different areas. Whether it is dealing with the sponsoring of parents, for example, or the sponsoring of spouses, we have seen dramatic increases.
There are areas that we do need to improve upon, and I can assure the member that we are, in fact, making progress in all different areas as much as possible
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