44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 4, 2023 11:00AM
- Dec/4/23 2:33:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, for the fourth or fifth time, I would like to remind the Conservatives that the only senators who sit in a caucus sit in their Conservative caucus, and that the Senate is independent.
I would like to raise the fact that the Conservatives have had a really troubling trend of bullying, particularly of female senators, whenever they are not getting what they want out of the Senate. That is a real problem. That is a problem for democracy, and they should reconsider how they manage their affairs on Twitter when accusing senators of not advancing legislation at their whim and whimsy.
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- Dec/4/23 2:33:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this is coming from the guy who swore at a girl in her DMs.
After eight years, the Liberal-NDP government's empty acts of reconciliation are not worth the cost. A recent Auditor General report proved the carbon tax is an unfair burden on indigenous communities, something the Chiefs of Ontario reiterated just last week. The Liberal-NDP government still plans on quadrupling this carbon tax scam.
When will the Prime Minister finally take the carbon tax off families, farmers and first nations?
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- Dec/4/23 2:34:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, a price on pollution is an important part of addressing the climate issue in a manner that actually promotes innovation and incentives.
I will read a couple of quotes: “We recognize that the most efficient way to reduce our emissions is to use price mechanisms.” Also, “We will work with the provinces and territories...at both the national and state levels, to develop...a trade system for greenhouse gases”. Those are from the Conservative Party platforms of 2008 and 2021. My god, it is the height of hypocrisy in this chamber.
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Mr. Speaker, a common-sense Conservative bill, Bill C-234, would save farmers close to a billion dollars, but the Prime Minister, who is demanding his senators block this bill, is not worth the cost. The Kielstra farm in Okotoks paid $180,000 in carbon taxes this year. When the Prime Minister quadruples that tax, it will be $480,000, just in carbon taxes. There is no way, when two million Canadians are relying on food banks, that we can afford to not have affordable, nutritious Canadian-grown food.
Will the Prime Minister finally remove the carbon tax from families, farmers and first nations?
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- Dec/4/23 2:35:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, being a farmer, I fully understand how important it is to take care of the soil and the environment. Our party has a plan for the environment. My hon. colleague's party does not have a plan for the environment. Quite simply, with our plan, we are able to make millions of dollars in British Columbia to help farmers innovate, increase their production and make sure farmers remain on the cutting edge. We have done, and we will continue to do, just that.
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Mr. Speaker, I agree with the agriculture minister. Our plan is definitely not to bankrupt farmers and continue to make food unaffordable. Canadian farmers are struggling under punishing input costs such as the carbon tax. In fact, often the carbon tax costs them more than the natural gas they use. Bill C-234, a common-sense Conservative bill, is the solution, but the Prime Minister is blocking his senators from passing this bill in the Senate.
Will the Prime Minister follow his 2001 campaign promise to pass it forward, and let this bill pass the Senate to finally take the carbon tax off farmers, families and first nations?
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- Dec/4/23 2:36:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my hon. colleague's concern, but I think he is fully aware that the only party in the House that has any control over senators is the Conservative Party of Canada. We do not have senators in our caucus. There was some talk of harassment in the Senate. We are not involved in harassment.
What we want to do as a government is make sure farmers innovate, produce more product and be more profitable. We have done, and will continue to do, just that.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this Prime Minister, young Quebeckers between the ages of 18 and 45 are losing hope about their future. A poll cited in the Journal de Montréal found that they had not experienced inflation before the Liberals. Quebeckers aged 18 to 45 have been thrown into the deep end. In fact, 75% of them have postponed or cancelled major life events, such as building a house or having a child.
Instead of taking action now, the Liberals and Bloc Québécois voted against our motion to reduce the taxes that are increasing prices across the board.
Will the Prime Minister tell the senators he appointed to stop delaying the passage of Bill C-234 so we can reduce the cost of groceries for all Canadians?
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- Dec/4/23 2:37:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as my colleagues have already said, there is only one party in the House that controls its senators, and that is the Conservative Party.
If the Conservatives wanted to lower prices for Canadians so they would have better access to food, they would have supported the free trade agreement with Ukraine.
We can only hope that the leader of the Conservative Party lets his MPs vote independently so that prices can come down and we can support Ukraine in its fight for freedom.
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- Dec/4/23 2:38:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, while this government is trying to divert everyone's attention, here is the reality. Santa Claus received a list from a young Quebecker who was asking for a gift card so he could have a good meal this Christmas. Fifty-four per cent of young people aged 18 to 45 have seen their standard of living fall after eight years of this government's inflationary policies.
The costly Bloc-Liberal coalition does not understand that. They do not understand how desperate young Quebeckers feel. It is costly to vote for the Bloc. The Bloc Québécois wants to drastically increase the carbon tax that raises the price of everything.
Will the Prime Minister finally scrap his plan to drastically increase the carbon tax on farmers and families?
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- Dec/4/23 2:39:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have a tremendous amount of respect for my colleague opposite, but I am confused, because as a Quebecker, he knows very well that Quebec is not part of the federal pollution pricing system. I do not understand why he continues to mislead Quebeckers and Canadians.
What we can say is that, at every opportunity, the Conservatives have voted against support for Canadians. It is nice that they are now showing an interest in Canadians, but it is new for them.
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- Dec/4/23 2:39:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, asylum seekers are a federal responsibility. The federal government must reimburse Quebec for the $460 million it has spent taking in asylum seekers.
If the minister thinks that is too expensive, it is precisely because Quebec is providing more than its share. Even though our public services and community organizations are swamped, we are finding a way to open new integration classes every week. We are finding a way to help with housing. We are finding a way to help with social services. The more we find ways to help people, the more reluctant the federal government is to pay.
Will the minister finally thank Quebeckers and pay them back?
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- Dec/4/23 2:40:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank all Quebeckers and all Canadians who are contributing their fair share. As the member opposite knows, we have a special agreement with Quebec whereby we allocate more than $700 million to Quebec for integrating newcomers into French-speaking society.
I have a meeting with Minister Fréchette this Friday, and I would be happy to update her on it.
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- Dec/4/23 2:40:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in order for it to be a shared jurisdiction, the minister would first have to do something.
He is not just refusing to pay, he is also refusing to ensure that asylum seekers do not have to wait ages for work permits. He is refusing to ensure that the Immigration and Refugee Board reviews refugee claims in a timely manner. Basically, the federal government's involvement boils down to pushing asylum seekers into hardship and then penalizing the people who help them by providing them with services.
When will the minister reimburse Quebec and do his damn job?
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- Dec/4/23 2:41:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is not a damn job; it is a job that I love.
It is true that there are challenges associated with the migration flows that are affecting the entire world. Roughly 100 million people have been displaced around the world. That is a record number. Canada is also dealing with a record number of migrants.
In the past year, we have made progress and reduced the backlogs and delays. Some challenges still remain, but I think that Canada and Quebec are capable of overcoming them.
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- Dec/4/23 2:41:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Quebec is doing everything and the federal government is doing nothing. That is no way to share responsibility.
Quebeckers take in half of all asylum seekers in Canada, yet they pay 100% of the costs, instead of Canadians. The minister tells us that the government is not an ATM. I have news for him: Quebeckers are not money-printing machines either. Quebeckers will keep doing their part and more to take in asylum seekers, as long as they are not doing it alone.
The minister keeps saying that he is going to meet with his counterpart in Quebec City. May I suggest that he bring along his cheque book this week?
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- Dec/4/23 2:42:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when the Bloc Québécois is in power, it can make all the suggestions it wants. In the meantime, it will have to rely on the federal government.
Obviously, we can be a Canadian and Quebecker at the same time. I am a proud example. We already give more than $700 billion to Quebec, including for integration and francization. Yes, Quebec is doing its fair share and we have a great partnership. I think we can succeed as a country.
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- Dec/4/23 2:43:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the NDP-Liberal government's punishing policies, Canadians are hungrier than ever.
First, Canada's premiers asked for a carve-out. The Prime Minister said no. Then, farmers asked for a carve-out, and the Prime Minister said no. Now Ontario's first nation leaders are asking the federal court to exempt their communities from the federal carbon tax. Canada is unified, and one thing is clear: The Prime Minister is not worth the cost.
Will the Prime Minister finally cut the carbon tax for farmers, families and first nations?
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- Dec/4/23 2:43:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, just like every member of the House, I share the goal of ensuring the success of our Canadian farmers, and that is why the government has exempted gas and diesel for farm use from pollution pricing. We have created a rural top-up for rebates; we have doubled it. We have directly returned the proceeds collected in proportion to the amount collected. We have also returned $120 million to farmers in the last year. In addition to that, there is half a billion dollars in R and D for new technologies to make sure that grain drying is less and less emitting.
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- Dec/4/23 2:44:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is almost like the Liberals think that farmers have not had it so good and that Canadians have not had it so good, but they are struggling to put food on their tables and to afford food.
Brian, a farmer in my riding, told me he has paid over $16,000 in carbon taxes to heat his two chicken barns this year. The Prime Minister wants to quadruple the carbon tax. It is really not that difficult to understand. If it costs farmers more to grow food, it costs more to buy food. Clearly, the Prime Minister is not worth the cost.
Will the Prime Minister finally remove the carbon tax for farmers, families and first nations?
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