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Mr. Garnett Genuis (Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, CPC)

Nov/6/23 2:00:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, all of us here have at least one cellphone, and there is a very good chance it contains component parts dug up by artisanal miners under deplorable conditions in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Artisanal mining is mining done by hand by subsistence miners. In the DRC, this often includes children and pregnant women working in tunnels that frequently collapse. In our shame regarding these abuses, but also in our insistence on having our technology, we have compounded the mistake by letting our strategic rivals dominate Congolese mining production, while still buying from them. Morality and strategic sense require us to engage with Africa's artisanal mining sector. We must work to allow adult artisanal miners to earn a living wage for their family in safer conditions, including by cutting out the many middlemen who exploit workers. The future of the world will be shaped by who controls the DRC's vast resources, and that control should not be in the hands of colonial powers, past or present, or even of local elites, but finally in the hands of the Congolese people.

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Ms. Joanne Thompson (St. John's East, Lib.)

Nov/6/23 2:01:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, “trailblazers”, “change-makers” and “visionaries” are just a few of the words to describe the participants in the Newfoundland and Labrador Construction Association's Women in Construction Forum. The NLCA knows that to literally build the future of this province we all need to be at the table or the work site and is putting in the work to ensure increased representation. The government is also committed to this through the Canadian apprenticeship strategy, which proudly aims to support a trades workforce that is skilled, inclusive, certified and productive, through funding, grants and more. I want to congratulate everyone at the Women in Construction Forum again for their great work.

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Mr. Mario Beaulieu (La Pointe-de-l'Île, BQ)

Nov/6/23 2:02:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, these are troubled times for Quebec culture, but yesterday's ADISQ gala showed just how vibrant and diverse French-language music is in Quebec. Among the winners were greats like Ginette Reno and Michel Rivard, who won an award for his show Le tour du bloc. What a great name. Félix awards were also handed out to well-versed artists such as Daniel Bélanger, Les Cowboys Fringants and Alexandra Stréliski, as well as to Innu artist Kanen and the Acadian band Salebarbes. The awards show spanned multiple genres and generations, from Ginette to Fouki. Overseeing it all was Louis-José Houde, who is bowing out of hosting duties after 18 fantastic years. Not only was it a night to honour the winners, it was also an opportunity to see Quebec's entire musical family deliver a colourful celebration. It was a reminder that, in 2023, every song sung in French and Innu is a song of resistance. Bravo to our artists, and long live Quebec culture.

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Mr. Marc Serré (Nickel Belt, Lib.)

Nov/6/23 2:03:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize Remembrance Day. On that day, we are asked to give thanks to veterans, their families and members of the Canadian Armed Forces. It is a time to honour those who gave their lives in the line of duty, who paid the ultimate price. Wars are currently raging in many parts of the world. We should be eternally grateful to those who fought for our freedom. We should also recognize and thank the soldiers and personnel on peacekeeping missions around the world. I would like to thank all the local branches of the Royal Canadian Legion, including Nickel Belt branches 564, 503, 179, 553, 225 and 336 for being pillars of the community. Please, keep our heroes in our hearts on November 11 and every day. Participate in a Remembrance Day ceremony. Lest we forget.

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Mr. Arpan Khanna (Oxford, CPC)

Nov/6/23 2:05:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the current Liberal-NDP government, Oxford families are struggling to eat, to heat their homes and to house themselves. After tanking in the polls, the Prime Minister is panicking and has admitted that his carbon tax is punishing Canadians. He decided to temporarily pause the carbon tax for some Canadians in some places. His flip-flop will leave 39 million Canadians out in the cold, but the Prime Minister does not seem to care. The polls are driving his policies, and he is focused on saving his job. His own minister admitted that Canadians get relief because they vote Liberal. The government should stop dividing Canadians and stop playing politics. It is time the Liberal member for Cambridge and those Liberal members from Kitchener and London do what is right, admit that the carbon tax is not worth the cost and vote in favour of our common-sense Conservative motion that would keep the heat on and take the tax off for all Canadians.

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Ms. Iqra Khalid (Mississauga—Erin Mills, Lib.)

Nov/6/23 2:06:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, for the last 30 days, I have been listening to and consoling residents in Mississauga—Erin Mills and across Canada for the deaths of thousands of innocent Palestinians and Israelis. I really join them in their pain, their grief and their calls to action in the chamber. Parents are having to explain to their kids why they are seeing death and horror in their social media feeds. There are children too afraid to wear religious symbols at school. There are neighbours grieving the deaths of loved ones who lived in the region, and they feel silenced from publicizing their pain. There are also faith leaders fearing for the safety of congregations and asking police to stand watch while they pray. I hear the calls from Canadians for a humanitarian ceasefire, the release of civilian hostages and a dedicated humanitarian corridor. We must work harder to achieve a just and lasting peace for all Palestinians and Israelis for the sake of humanity.

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Mr. Darren Fisher (Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, Lib.)

Nov/6/23 2:07:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this week marks National Pain Awareness Week, a time to raise awareness about chronic pain, the severe impact it has on people's lives and the resources available to support those living with pain. One in five Canadians suffers from chronic pain, a health condition with major impacts on physical and mental health. When pain goes unmanaged, it can have a significant effect on a person's everyday life, including working or going to school. It can also lead to significant health issues such as depression and higher risk of substance use. Family, friends and sometimes even health workers might not understand what someone is going through. If someone lives with pain, they should know they are not alone. This week, let us have those important conversations and raise awareness of the impact of chronic pain on friends and neighbours.

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Mr. Matt Jeneroux (Edmonton Riverbend, CPC)

Nov/6/23 2:08:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years, everything just keeps getting more expensive. Take the average rent in this country. Just one year ago, the average rent eclipsed the $2,000 mark, but now, a year later, the average rent in Canada is $2,149 a month. That is an 11% increase and the highest that rent has ever been in this country. Toronto and Vancouver still have the highest average rent, but other cities across the country are starting to feel the pain. The average rent in Calgary is now $2,181 for a two-bedroom unit. That is a 13% increase. Montreal's average one-bedroom rent is now $1,784, which is an increase of more than 14%. The current NDP-Liberal coalition just keeps raising costs on Canadians, and it is clear that the Prime Minister is just not worth the cost.

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Ms. Leah Taylor Roy (Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, Lib.)

Nov/6/23 2:09:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about an important issue that affects women and girls. It is an issue that is often shrouded in silence and shame: period poverty. It is the lack of access to sanitary products and facilities that prevent women and girls from participating in essential activities, like attending school, and has a profound impact on their futures. In Canada alone, 34% of women and girls have had to give up something else in their budget in order to afford menstrual products. Today, I would like to highlight a champion: Yanique Brandford, founder and executive director of Help A Girl Out. Her reusable pad program is relieving period poverty sustainably. HAGO works with grassroots organizations, such as Compassionate York Region in my riding, that sew these reusable pads. Yanique has incredible community support. I was recently at a fundraiser. The federal Liberal government also helps, and I am so proud of that. Period poverty is a barrier to female prosperity that needs to be addressed. I thank Yanique for tackling this global problem responsibly.

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Mr. Blaine Calkins (Red Deer—Lacombe, CPC)

Nov/6/23 2:10:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's plan to quadruple taxes on essentials is a heavy blow to Canadians, but the government has chosen to spare only 3% of Canadians, in a crass, calculated move. The Liberal temporary pause on the tax for home heating oil is a mere gimmick that will not provide relief to 97% of Canadians. Even the top-up for rural Canadians will not cover the cost of a Big Mac value meal each month. It is time to call these measures what they are: empty gestures that will not truly assist struggling families. Let us not forget that just a year ago, Liberal MPs voted to keep the tax on home heating. The rural affairs minister's response was heartless, implying that the only way to get relief from Liberal taxes is to somehow elect more Liberals. The common-sense Conservative promise is straightforward: no gimmicks and no temporary measures. Conservatives pledge to axe the inflationary carbon taxes for good and bring lower prices home to Canadians. It is time for real relief. It is time to axe the tax.

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Mr. Larry Maguire (Brandon—Souris, CPC)

Nov/6/23 2:11:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, winter is coming, and Manitobans are hot under the collar as the Prime Minister is leaving them out in the cold by ignoring their calls to scrap the tax from their home heating fuel. However, he did decide to pause the pain of 3% of families in areas where he was plummeting in the polls and where his MPs were revolting. The Liberal rural affairs minister said if people in the Prairies wanted a pause on the tax, they should have elected more Liberals. There are a few Liberal MPs in Manitoba, but not even one of them is willing to stand up for our province. Today, the MPs for Winnipeg South and Saint Boniface—Saint Vital can do the right thing and vote to scrap the carbon tax from their constituents' home heating. Instead of worrying about what the Prime Minister thinks, they should care more about the hundreds of thousands of people that each is supposed to represent. I challenge the MPs for Winnipeg South and Saint Boniface—Saint Vital to scrap the Prime Minister's poor judgment and vote this afternoon to take the carbon tax off so their constituents can keep the heat on.

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Mr. Parm Bains (Steveston—Richmond East, Lib.)

Nov/6/23 2:12:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I joined friends and colleagues from the House for a remembrance ceremony at Mount Hope Cemetery in the Waterloo region to commemorate the service of Private Buckam Singh. His grave is one of the only resting places of a Sikh Canadian soldier from World War I. In 1907, Buckam Singh Bains came to Canada at the age of 14. In 1915, he enrolled in the Canadian Expeditionary Force and served in the 20th Infantry Battalion. Buckam Singh served in the fields of Flanders and was wounded twice. After recovering in hospital, he returned to Canada where he would pass away in 1919 and where he was laid to rest with full honours. Every Remembrance Day, we should all pay our respects at cenotaphs from coast to coast to coast and commemorate those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy. It is a privilege for me to stand in the House today to recognize Private Buckam Singh Bains, a great uncle from my ancestral village of Mahilpur, Punjab; tell his story of shared heritage and patriotic duty; and unite Canadians in commemoration of courage and service that shaped the history of Canada. We will remember all of them.

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Ms. Rachel Blaney (North Island—Powell River, NDP)

Nov/6/23 2:13:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as we enter Veterans' Week, I want to take this opportunity to thank the members, past and present, for their dedicated service. We know both from history and today that the cost of conflict is far too high. All too often, we, as Canadians, think of their service during this time of year, rather than recognizing it every day. After years of working for both serving members and veterans, I understand that the dedication to service is high. Their thoughts always focus on the “us” rather than the “I”. This year, I am particularly thinking of service women and veterans who are women. I know they have served and that those realities, both past and present, are all too often left invisible. They participate in Remembrance Day services wearing their medals and civilian gear, and are asked, “Are those your father's, husband's or son's medals?” This year, let Canadians recommit to seeing veterans, all of them, and to acknowledging and appreciating their service. I thank all the women who have served or are serving. I see them. Lest we forget.

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

Nov/6/23 2:15:04 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we rarely have the opportunity in this House to call attention to good environmental news, but here is some. Washington State, in the United States, wants to join the carbon market between Quebec and California. This will go a long way toward creating the North American market that Quebec dreamed of when it created this ecological tool 10 years ago. The Canadian provinces should consider following Washington's example. Joining the Quebec and California carbon market is not only the right environmental decision, it is also why Quebec is exempted from the federal carbon tax. If the provinces are fed up with Ottawa's carbon tax, they can ditch it in a heartbeat. Even better, they can ditch it for a system that gives the public more of a break and focuses on the big polluters. I am extending the invitation once again. Instead of just whining, why not do something?

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Mr. Michael Barrett (Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, CPC)

Nov/6/23 2:16:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the NDP-Liberal government has admitted that its carbon tax makes it harder for Canadians to afford to heat their homes. The Liberals said that only people who elect Liberals will get a break. However, Canadians who cannot afford to eat or heat and house themselves know that the Prime Minister is just not worth the cost. People in Ottawa have elected seven Liberal MPs and, of course, our common-sense Conservative leader, so today the question is this: Will the Prime Minister allow his seven Liberal MPs to vote to take the tax off so that Ottawans can keep the heat on? Ottawans and all Canadians should know that under the Conservative leader and Canada's common-sense Conservatives, we will vote to axe the tax on gas, groceries and home heating because the Prime Minister is not worth the cost.

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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Winnipeg North, Lib.)

Nov/6/23 2:17:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I really enjoy the opportunity to visit gurdwaras. One of the most common words I hear at the gurdwara is seva, which means to serve, to be a volunteer. That brings me to Khalsa Aid Canada. What a wonderful organization it is. Let us think about what it says: “Recognise the whole human race as one”. Over the last weekend, in Winnipeg and across Canada in many different jurisdictions, it served groceries to international students. In Winnipeg, we have had groceries provided to the Main Street Project, the Bear Clan on Selkirk Avenue and Winnipeg Harvest. It is a wonderful way to seva. It is a community that adds so much value. If anyone wants to drop off some groceries, they should feel free to go to 1563 Logan Avenue.

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

Nov/6/23 2:18:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers have long known that this Prime Minister is not worth the cost, but the Bloc Québécois just does not get it. It seems that the Bloc Québécois wants to radically increase taxes and they even support the idea that taxes should apply differently from one region to another. Now we are learning from La Presse that the Bloc Québécois has assured Liberal ministers that it will keep the Prime Minister in power for another two years. This amounts to another costly coalition. What concessions did the Prime Minister make to the Bloc Québécois to be able to stay in power for another two years?

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Hon. Chrystia Freeland (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Lib.)

Nov/6/23 2:19:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our government was proud to follow Quebec's example when it comes to child care and early learning centres. Our government is also very proud to follow Quebec's excellent example when it comes to climate action. Quebec was the first province to put a price on pollution. We are very happy to work with all Quebeckers on environmental issues.

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

Nov/6/23 2:19:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my question was for the Prime Minister who is hiding and is not worth the cost. My question had to do with the Bloc Québécois decision to vote in favour of keeping a tax Canadians' home heating. Today we find out that the Bloc Québécois's wish to drastically increase this Prime Minister's carbon taxes was not a coincidence. The Bloc MPs gave the Prime Minister assurances that they will keep him in power in a costly coalition for two years. What concessions did the Bloc Québécois get to keep this incompetent, costly Prime Minister in power?

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Hon. Pablo Rodriguez (Minister of Transport, Lib.)

Nov/6/23 2:20:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition wants to talk about Quebec. Quebeckers have other priorities. The Leader of the Opposition wants to take Quebec backward when it comes to fighting climate change. He wants to take Quebec backward on fundamental rights, on women's rights. He wants to take Quebec backward by putting assault weapons back on the streets. It is very clear that the Conservative leader wants to bring Quebeckers and Canada back to the Stone Age.

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