SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 242 - Oct/30/23

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

Oct/30/23 3:09:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, with great respect to my hon. colleague, I think he has missed the point of this program entirely. He is concerned that people will pay a higher price after the pause has ended and the price comes back into effect. If people install a heat pump, they will not pay it at all and that is the point. We are making the investments necessary so people can replace a more polluting system with a less polluting system. Since he has mentioned coal, we are working to eliminate that from the grid in Nova Scotia too, which is going to help people in both of our communities.

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Mr. Clifford Small (Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, CPC)

Oct/30/23 3:09:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, folks back home are wondering how much tax they will pay if they vote Liberal in the next election. The Liberal MP for Long Range Mountains suggested that they want to be a government that listens to the concerns of Liberal ridings. Her and her costly colleagues voted 24 times to increase the carbon tax to 61¢ per litre. After eight years, the NDP-Liberal government and the Prime Minister are not worth the cost. Will they stop the mass confusion and tell Atlantic Canadians how much carbon tax they will pay if they vote Liberal in the next election?

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Hon. Seamus O'Regan (Minister of Labour and Seniors, Lib.)

Oct/30/23 3:10:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we could say it for the fifth time and I do not think the answer would get across. The bottom line is that we on this side of the House tried to find a way to make sure that people square affordability with wanting to fight climate change. Both are very important right now. Both are very important to people in Atlantic Canada and very important in my constituency. I think we have found a way to do that.

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Mr. Churence Rogers (Bonavista—Burin—Trinity, Lib.)

Oct/30/23 3:11:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, homelessness is on the rise across the country. Sadly, this is a reality facing too many veterans, who have bravely served our country. Everyone deserves to have a safe and affordable home. It is vitally important that we do everything in our power to help our homeless veterans. Can the Minister of Veterans Affairs tell us what action the government is taking on this crucial issue?

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Hon. Ginette Petitpas Taylor (Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, Lib.)

Oct/30/23 3:11:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the health, safety and well-being of our veterans is my top priority. We take the situation very seriously. That is why our government is investing in a new program to combat homelessness when it comes to veterans. This program will provide rent supplements and support services, as well as important research to really determine the reasons why veterans are homeless. Canada's veterans have been there for our country. We have to be there for them and we will.

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Ms. Heather McPherson (Edmonton Strathcona, NDP)

Oct/30/23 3:12:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as grocery prices continue to be sky high, 1,500 students, faculty, staff and alumni are relying on the campus food bank every week at the University of Alberta. The demand has quadrupled over the past two years. The Liberals are nicely asking CEOs to lower prices, and that obviously is not working. The Conservatives are fine with those CEOs getting richer while students and workers are forced to turn to food banks. Why will the Liberals not tackle corporate greed so that students and workers can afford to eat, or does the government only believe that Canadians who vote for them deserve to eat?

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Mr. Ryan Turnbull (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, Lib.)

Oct/30/23 3:13:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we know that at a time when Canadians are struggling with affordability, food prices are too high. That is what we have heard right across this country. That is why our government called the five largest grocery chain CEOs to Ottawa and worked with them to create action plans, which they are implementing to lower and stabilize food prices for Canadians. This is important work, we are tracking their progress and we will have more to report soon.

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Mr. Alain Rayes (Richmond—Arthabaska, Ind.)

Oct/30/23 3:13:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, every time we ask questions about the Governor General's indecent expenditures, government members act outraged and offer a half-hearted denunciation, but nothing is ever done to change the culture within that institution. The Governor General spends thousands of dollars in meals, alcohol, luxury hotels, travel and cleaning services. Let us consider the fact that, over the course of a single flight, she spent close to $1,000 in lime and lemon slices. I cannot make this stuff up. I will ask the question again: Does the government intend to cut the Governor General's $33-million budget? Obviously, she does not seem to be able to manage taxpayer dollars responsibly.

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

Oct/30/23 3:14:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Governor General does important work on behalf of Canada, here at home and around the world. Obviously, we expect all public office holders to spend every dollar respectfully, carefully and conscientiously with due regard for all Canadians.

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The Speaker

Oct/30/23 3:14:54 p.m.
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This concludes question period. The hon. member for Regina—Qu'Appelle is rising on a point of order.

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Hon. Andrew Scheer

Oct/30/23 3:15:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, given the government's massive and embarrassing about-face last week, I seek unanimous consent for the following motion: That, in order to support all Canadians struggling with the cost of living, particularly with winter fast— Some hon. members: No.

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The Speaker

Oct/30/23 3:15:23 p.m.
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I hate to interrupt the hon. member, but unfortunately I am hearing noes already. If members are seeking unanimous consent, I ask that they negotiate to get unanimous consent so we can continue to use the time of the House efficiently.

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Ms. Sylvie Bérubé (Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, BQ)

Oct/30/23 3:16:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties and I believe that if you seek it you will find unanimous consent for the following motion: That the House (a) take note that 872,000 Quebecers used food aid in 2023 and that 2,000,000 Canadians, including 640,000 children, also used a food bank in March 2023 alone; (b) take note that 71% of organizations working for food security in Quebec ran out of food in 2023; and (c) call on the government to do more to fight food insecurity, while respecting the jurisdictions of Quebec and the provinces.

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The Speaker

Oct/30/23 3:16:54 p.m.
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All those opposed to the hon. member moving the motion will please say nay. It is agreed. The House has heard the terms of the motion. All those opposed to the motion will please say nay.

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Mr. Daniel Blaikie (Elmwood—Transcona, NDP)

Oct/30/23 3:17:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the rule book governing the procedures of the House is very clear in Chapter 11: ...it has always been a fundamental rule of questioning Ministers that the subject matter of the question must fall within the collective responsibility of the Government or the individual responsibility of one of its Ministers. This is the only basis upon which Ministers can be expected to answer questions. Earlier in question period, the member for Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke asked a question regarding the conduct of the member for Timmins—James Bay, who is an NDP member and not a member of the government. There are a couple of things that I think bear hearing out on this point. The first is that as per the rule that I just cited— An hon. member: Debate. Mr. Daniel Blaikie: Mr. Speaker, this is not debate. This is an issue that pertains to the rules around question period. I note that the Conservatives, not that long ago, attacked the Speaker to say that the sanctity of question period is supreme. Presumably, then, they would also be concerned with treating the rules of question period with the respect that something with that level of sanctity deserves. In fact, it was not that long ago that we had a similar question directed to the government about a position of the NDP, and you rightly ruled that nobody was to answer that question because it was not a question about a government policy. That is the issue that has to do with the rule. I think this is also the product of a long-standing phrase that has been allowed in this place that is misleading. It is misleading for anyone who understands the Westminster parliamentary democratic system. A confidence and supply agreement, or another party sometimes voting with the government, does not make a party part of a government. It is not a coalition. I submit to you, Mr. Speaker, that the casual abuse of that misleading phrase in this place is now leading to members disregarding some of our important rules about question period and leading to disorder in the House. I would beseech you to consider the use of that phrase in this House, which is false, and to perhaps come back with a decision on that.

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The Speaker

Oct/30/23 3:19:55 p.m.
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I believe I will be able to make a ruling on that immediately, but I understand that there are two other members who seek the attention of the Chair and of this House. The hon. member for Regina—Qu'Appelle.

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Regina

Hon. Andrew Scheer (Regina—Qu'Appelle, CPC)

Oct/30/23 3:20:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me say at the outset that I completely understand how devastatingly embarrassing it is for the member to be lumped in with the scandals and corruption of the Liberal government. However, that is not our problem, because it was his caucus that decided to enter into a formal agreement with the government. There are many things we could call that. One of them is a coalition. If he does not like the fact that it is a big “c” coalition, we can say that we are using the small “c” coalition term for that, but the fact of the matter is that NDP members entered into this decision. They pledged to their Liberal partners that they would prop up the government no matter what and they have been doing it. While he is hearing complaints from his constituents, I would suggest that rather than getting up in the House of Commons and raising spurious points of order, he talk to his leader and pull out of this costly coalition.

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Mr. Mark Gerretsen (Kingston and the Islands, Lib.)

Oct/30/23 3:21:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on the same point of order. While the preceding intervention had absolutely nothing to do with the point of order, mine will. I would also draw to your attention. Mr. Speaker, that during question period there was also a question that was asked of the member for Yukon who is not a member of cabinet. I support the intervention by my NDP colleague that questions are supposed to be of the government regarding government business. We are starting to see a trend away from that. I really hope you can intervene. I seek clarification on this.

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The Speaker

Oct/30/23 3:21:50 p.m.
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I thank all members for their contributions to this point of order. I would like to thank the member for Elmwood—Transcona for raising an important point and the appropriate point of order. I am going to also offer a bit of a distinction with respect to the issue raised by the member for Kingston and the Islands. To respond to the member for Elmwood—Transcona, the member for Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke raised a question that made reference to a third party. This often happens in questions, or even in answers, from hon. members. It is something I would consider fair game. In the end, when the member actually got to the point of her intervention during Oral Questions, the question she did ask was relevant to the affairs of the government. That is the reason why I let the question stand. With regard to the issue that the member for Kingston and the Islands has raised, again a fair point that a question was asked of a member who is not a member of the government, strictly speaking, nor a parliamentary secretary, a minister did stand, and I cannot remember which minister it was, in his or her place to answer that question. Therefore, if the minister chooses to respond to the question, I will let that happen. As members know, in a previous ruling from this Speaker, a question was once asked that was not on government business and no one stood to answer it. I therefore moved on to the next question. Let us continue this. This gives me a great opportunity to remind all members on all sides of the House that perhaps the most effective questions and answers are the ones that are asked directly and are responded to directly. I thank all members for their attention.

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Mr. Francis Scarpaleggia (Lac-Saint-Louis, Lib.)

Oct/30/23 3:24:12 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 10th report of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development, entitled “Support for Clean Technologies in Canada to Reduce Domestic and International Greenhouse Gas Emissions”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

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