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Mr. Gord Johns (Courtenay—Alberni, NDP)

Nov/2/23 2:14:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, tomorrow the world will observe the second International Day for Biosphere Reserves, designated by UNESCO in collaboration with the world network of biosphere reserves. On Tuesday, we had an early start, as the all-party climate caucus, in partnership with the Canadian Biosphere Reserves Association, gathered for the third annual biosphere regions day on the Hill. We celebrated the immense contribution of Canada's 19 biosphere reserves to environmental conservation and sustainability. My riding of Courtenay—Alberni is blessed with two biosphere reserves, the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust and the Mount Arrowsmith biosphere region. I know that all members who are fortunate to have a biosphere reserve in their ridings will join me in paying tribute to the important work of the biosphere region movement in our country. Biosphere reserves are of critical importance, conducting participatory research and supporting environmental, social, cultural and economic sustainability.

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Ms. Kristina Michaud (Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, BQ)

Nov/2/23 2:16:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, every year, on November 19, we celebrate Women's Entrepreneurship Day, which seeks to give women and girls the means to be active economic participants in our society. It is also an opportunity to celebrate those who have paved the way and who continue to inspire an entire generation of women. There is one woman in particular who inspires me with her resilience and dedication and I would like to pay tribute to her. My mother started a business 30 years ago when I was just a few months old. Over the years she has overcome obstacles, doubts, stress and financial pressure to build a business that reflects who she is and helps women feel good about themselves, to thrive and reach their full potential. She managed to do all of that while being an extraordinary mother and an exceptional mentor. Nothing stops her, not even retirement. Mom, thank you for pushing the glass ceiling and inspiring other women to take a leap into the world of entrepreneurship. Mom, I love you and I am proud of you.

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Mr. Ryan Williams (Bay of Quinte, CPC)

Nov/2/23 2:17:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, winter is here, and with rising costs, there is not one family that is not being left out in the cold. After eight years of the Liberal government, Canadians are struggling to heat their homes as the carbon tax is about to quadruple, costing Canadians more money they do not have. The Prime Minister knows this because he just paused the carbon tax for Atlantic Canadians, proving that he is just not worth the cost. What about the rest of Canada? What about Prince Edward County, Quinte West and Belleville? What about my wife's old riding of Thunder Bay? What about the NDP leader's Vancouver riding of Burnaby South? Do they not deserve to be treated as equal citizens? Is a Canadian not a Canadian? Our leader has introduced a motion to take off the carbon tax on all home heating in Canada this winter so Canadians can keep the heat on. On Monday, there might be the most important vote the NDP leader has ever had. Will he vote with common-sense Conservatives to keep the tax off so that Canadians can keep the heat on, or will he continue to sing along with the tone-deaf Prime Minister?

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Mr. James Maloney (Etobicoke—Lakeshore, Lib.)

Nov/2/23 2:18:27 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-57

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the House was scheduled to debate Bill C-57, the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement. Instead, the Conservative Party played procedural games by moving a concurrence motion that prevented debate on this important piece of legislation. In recent months, the leader of the Conservative Party has become silent on Ukraine. He has never advocated for military, humanitarian or economic support for Ukraine, has never called out Russia for its acts of genocide against the Ukrainian people and has never raised the issue in Parliament, except for false narratives about the war, including the statement that it does not contribute to inflation in Canada. I call on the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada to put aside the games, let us debate Bill C-57 and pass this important piece of legislation.

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Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Nov/2/23 2:19:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years, even the Liberals agree that the Prime Minister is not worth the cost. After his flip-flop on the carbon tax, his former environment minister Catherine McKenna said that the Prime Minister broke her heart. She is calling on him to flip-flop on his flip-flop. Future leader Mark Carney says that he is against the flip-flop and has the support of Gerald Butts. Now Liberal Senator Percy Downe is saying that the Prime Minister is not worth the cost and should resign. Does the Prime Minister still have the confidence of the Liberal Party?

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Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

Nov/2/23 2:20:20 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are working hard every day to deliver results for Canadians by fighting climate change, by creating supports for Canadians, by lowering the cost of living, by being there to build more housing, by being there to stand up for minorities, and by ensuring that the economy works for everyone. We will continue to be there. We will continue to do it as a team. The Liberal Party is fundamentally about helping Canadians build a better future. Instead of saying that everything is broken, we are here to work hand in hand with Canadians. We look forward to doing that every day.

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Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Nov/2/23 2:21:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, he did not say whether his party supports him or not. That is interesting. Senator Percy Downe said that this government is not serious about the economy, that it simply does not care, and that it would throw money at anything that crossed its mind. The resulting interest rate hikes, increasing cost of living and huge debt do not seem to concern it. Even the Liberals agree that this Prime Minister is not worth the cost. Is Mark Carney the only one who can save the Liberal government?

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Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

Nov/2/23 2:21:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, everyone is fully aware that we made a choice that the Conservatives disagree with. We made the choice to invest in Canadians because confident countries invest in their people. While they have been preaching austerity and cuts, we have been there to provide $10-a-day child care across the country. We have been there to provide the Canada child benefit. We have been there to invest in public transit and housing. We have been there to help our seniors and students. These are all programs that the Conservative Party voted against. They continue to vote against dental care for children. They continue to vote against helping Canadians in need. We will continue to be there for Canadians every day.

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Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Nov/2/23 2:22:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when asked why the Prime Minister paused the pain of the carbon tax for only some people, the Liberal rural affairs minister said that other people should have elected Liberal MPs if they wanted to be able to afford heating their home or feeding their kids. The Prime Minister has not denounced that viewpoint. In fact, he is doubling down on punishing people elsewhere. Liberal MPs in Sudbury, Thunder Bay, North Bay and Sault Ste. Marie have starving constituents who are worried about the heat going out as well. Will they have a free vote on my motion to keep the heat on and take the tax off for everyone this Monday?

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Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

Nov/2/23 2:23:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as a government, we are phasing out the use of coal because it is dirty and bad for the environment. We are now moving on phasing out home heating oil because it is dirtier, more expensive and is disproportionately relied upon by lower-income Canadians who do not have other choices. Over half a million Ontarians heat their homes with home heating oil. This program and this approach will not just give them a break, in working with the Government of Ontario, but will deliver heat pumps for Canadians right across the country. I invite Saskatchewan to work with us as well. We need to get Canadians off home heating oil and that is what we are going to do.

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Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Nov/2/23 2:24:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, with an answer like that he is clearly not worth the cost. The Prime Minister did not answer the question as to whether or not his MPs would have a free vote, which begs the question whether his NDP MPs will get a free vote. The Saskatchewan NDP has just voted to endorse my motion to give equal tax-free heat to all Canadians. That is the position of the NDP in B.C., Manitoba and Alberta as well. The question is whether the NDP will vote against its cash-strapped constituents in favour of the Prime Minister. Could the Prime Minister tell us if this vote is part of the coalition agreement or does the NDP have the freedom to vote for its constituents?

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Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

Nov/2/23 2:25:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition wants to talk about places across the country. Let us talk about them: 20,000 Saskatchewanians heat their homes with home heating oil, 50,000 Albertans do and about 100,000 British Columbians do. That is dirty, it is more polluting and it is more expensive, particularly for the predominantly lower-income families that rely on this. That is why we are moving forward to replace them with heat pumps. We are working with the provinces to deliver free heat pumps for lower-income families so they can save money and fight pollution at the same time. This is about helping Canadians as we fight climate change, for which the Leader of the Opposition has no plan.

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Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Nov/2/23 2:25:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this is helping the Prime Minister save his political bacon, and we know that because he has now admitted that his carbon tax is not worth the cost of oil for some people in some regions. My motion simply says that all Canadians should get the same break. After all, a Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian. Yesterday, the Prime Minister indicated that he wants to have a carbon tax election on his plan to quadruple the tax to 61¢ a litre on heat, gas and groceries. Therefore, will he confirm whether he considers my motion to keep the heat on and take the tax off a confidence vote?

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Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

Nov/2/23 2:26:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, home heating oil is dirtier, more expensive and more relied on by lower-income Canadians across the country. Across the country, 1.3 million households rely on home heating oil. That is why we are working with the provinces that want it to replace them for free with heat pumps. That is what this is about. The Leader of the Opposition is making a serious mistake if he thinks Canadians are not concerned about the environment or that Canadians do not know that protecting the environment does go hand in hand with creating good jobs and prosperity for them across the country. That is a conversation I look forward to continuing to have over the next two years with Canadians.

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

Nov/2/23 2:27:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Government of Quebec announced its immigration targets, in other words, how many people Quebec believes it will be able to integrate and teach French, and the federal government did the same. The two governments are not at all on the same page. In the meantime, however, I asked all members, including the Minister of Immigration and the Prime Minister, whether they would consult Quebec before setting the 2024 targets. The Prime Minister said yes and the Minister of Immigration said yes. Am I to understand that the targets announced yesterday are temporary and that they will speak to Quebec?

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Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

Nov/2/23 2:28:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague knows full well, for years we have been engaging with the provinces, including Quebec, to talk about immigration, their wishes, their capacity and the future of immigration across the country. Quebec, of course, sets its own immigration targets. Our immigration plan will continue to strengthen the system and extend the benefits of immigration to communities in Quebec and across the country. We also provide hundreds of millions of dollars every year to help integrate newcomers, including French integration. We will always work hand in hand with Quebec and the other provinces when it comes to immigration.

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

Nov/2/23 2:29:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that is the way it has always been, in health care too. The government claims that it has talked to the provinces, but it never really listens to them or makes any changes based on what they say. However, yesterday, the government voted and said yes. It said that it would consult Quebec before setting the immigration targets that the minister was in the process of announcing. For consistency's sake, the government ought to talk to someone in Quebec City because, if it does not, it needs to realize that Quebec will no longer be able to ensure that immigrants who settle there are taught French. In other words, the government will be reducing Quebec's weight within the Canadian federation. We will draw our own conclusions.

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Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

Nov/2/23 2:29:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I just said, every year, we provide Quebec with hundreds of millions of dollars to help teach its immigrants French. Quebec sets its immigration targets, and we will always continue to work with Quebec. We have been working with Quebec on immigration for months and years, and we will continue to do so. Yes, we supported the motion that said that we will continue to talk to Quebec and all the other provinces when establishing targets. We will continue to do that in a responsible, reasonable and ambitious manner for the future of our country.

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Mr. Peter Julian (New Westminster—Burnaby, NDP)

Nov/2/23 2:30:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the weather is getting colder. Heating costs are putting pressure on families' already tight budgets, but this government says that it is only willing to help people if they voted Liberal. That is shameful. The NDP's plan to eliminate the GST on home heating would put more money back into everyone's pockets across the country, while also protecting the environment. A few minutes ago, the Conservatives once again said no to this NDP proposal. Will the Liberals eliminate the GST on home heating to help families who are already struggling?

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Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

Nov/2/23 2:30:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I know that my hon. colleague truly cares about the environment and climate change and that he wants to help Canadians deal with the cost of living at the same time. That is why he understands that, for the more than 100,000 households in British Columbia that rely on heating oil, this is a big challenge. It is a big challenge for their wallets, as well as for the environment. We have an approach that will replace these oil furnaces in British Columbia with heat pumps, which will help families with affordability and help the planet. I look forward to continuing to work with the member.

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