44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 5, 2023 10:00AM
Mr. Speaker, we have been very concerned about what is happening in our media, our art and our culture for years now.
That is why the government has taken concrete action to support media across the country, to invest in local journalism and to stand up against the web giants in favour of journalists and the work they do, which is essential to our democracy. For example, we were pleased to reach an agreement with Google regarding Bill C‑18.
We will continue to be there to support and defend journalists across the country, especially local journalists who play an essential role in our democracy.
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- Dec/5/23 2:27:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that is obviously grossly inadequate.
The government just got $100 million from Google through an agreement that we would really like to get our hands on. That is great news.
Private media already had to cut more than $100 million from their operations, however.
CBC/Radio-Canada not only wants to dip into the $100 million from Google, but it also wants to cut French-language and regional services. On top of that, it wants to hand out bonuses.
It is about time that CBC/Radio-Canada be held accountable before Parliament. Does the Prime Minister agree?
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Mr. Speaker, we have always supported CBC/Radio-Canada and the services it provides to local communities across the country.
One of the first decisions we made as a government was to cancel the Harper government's cuts to our public broadcaster. Supporting local news and journalists in this difficult juncture is exactly why we introduced Bill C‑18.
While the Leader of the Opposition rejoices as Canadian families are facing layoffs, we will continue to support local news and journalists in Canada.
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- Dec/5/23 2:28:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the out-of-touch Liberals have let the housing crisis get so bad that in Halifax this winter, a man died alone in a tent. The average rent in Halifax is now over $2,000 a month. Leaving this up to big developers will not bring down rents.
People are being renovicted. We need real action, not just words. The Liberals are running around announcing and reannouncing existing funding that will not deliver homes for another four to seven years.
Will the Prime Minister take immediate action to secure existing empty buildings to get people off the streets this winter?
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- Dec/5/23 2:29:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are continuing to reach out and work with communities, with municipalities and with provinces right across the country to deliver. We have been announcing projects completed that we started years ago. We are announcing projects that are starting today, which will be completed in the coming years.
We understand the efforts involved in solving this housing crisis. It requires us all to roll up our sleeves, which is why we put forward $4 billion in the housing accelerator to make sure that municipalities could build more homes. We are putting forward $15 billion to accelerate the construction of rental units.
We are going to continue to be there for low-income and homeless people as well.
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- Dec/5/23 2:30:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, food prices are not going down. A record number of Canadians are turning to food banks for their meals.
Before the doors open at Bridges to Hope Food Bank in St. John's, there is already a line-up waiting to collect food hampers. Meanwhile, big grocers like Sobeys, which was here yesterday, are seeing heaps of excess profit, all while offering a nickel to their employees.
The Liberals are failing to lower food prices. When are they going to crack down on the corporate greed that is driving Canadians to food banks?
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- Dec/5/23 2:30:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, more competition means more lower prices, more choice and more innovative products and services for Canadians.
Our affordability legislation will empower the Competition Bureau to hold grocers accountable and prioritize consumers' interests. The fall economic statement proposes further amendments to the Competition Act to crack down on predatory pricing to better respond to anti-competitive mergers and more.
We are ensuring that Canadians have more competitive options. We are limiting excess profits by corporations at the expense of Canadians.
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- Dec/5/23 2:31:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we just heard shocking testimony at the human resources committee from the CEO of the Central Okanagan Food Bank. He says that projections are another 100% increase in food bank demand in the next three to four months due to inflation. He has expressed how donors and volunteers are now clients.
Liberal inflationary spending and carbon tax are adding to the cost of food. After eight years, the NDP-Liberal government is just not worth the cost.
Will the Prime Minister take the tax off farmers, families and first nations, finally?
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- Dec/5/23 2:31:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we will continue to invest in strengthening social security programs like old age security, the Canada pension plan and support for families, like the Canada child benefit and $10-a-day national child care, programs that the Conservatives continue to vote against, totally lacking empathy and understanding for the struggles that Canadian families are facing.
On this side of the House, we will continue to do the hard work to ensure that we are there to support Canadian families.
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- Dec/5/23 2:32:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that answer will not satisfy all the Canadians lining up at a food bank for the first time in their lives or the food banks that are losing donors and volunteers due to Liberal inflation.
We have heard from not-for-profits how they see the rising price of gas as a barrier to volunteering and how senior volunteers are being forced back to work to afford basic necessities due to inflation. After eight years, the NDP-Liberal government is just not worth the cost.
Will the Prime Minister take the carbon tax off farmers, families and first nations, finally?
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- Dec/5/23 2:33:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is important that we focus on affordability for families. It is also important that we look at facts when it comes to the carbon price that we have put in place. It is also important to remind Conservative members that they ran on a carbon price. Carbon pricing is the most efficient and the cheapest way to lower our emissions.
With respect to food prices, particularly those facing lower income families, today, an article lists here that 94% of households with incomes below $50,000 received far more rebates, exceeding their carbon tax costs in 2023.
Lower-income folks are enjoying more rebates than carbon costs because our carbon pricing—
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- Dec/5/23 2:33:46 p.m.
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The hon. member for Haldimand—Norfolk.
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- Dec/5/23 2:33:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years, the NDP-Liberal government has made life unaffordable for Canadians in every province and territory.
Canadians are suffering under the Prime Minister's oppressive carbon tax. While he taxes, he also divides, pausing the carbon tax on home heating oil in Atlantic Canada because he wants votes, while he quadruples the tax on every other Canadian.
When will the Prime Minister finally cancel the carbon tax on families, farmers and first nations?
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- Dec/5/23 2:34:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, again, I will focus my response on an economist's response to the rhetoric in the House with respect to the carbon price. He said that if we got rid of the carbon tax and the rebate, then this would harm a much larger fraction of lower and middle-income households than it would higher-income households. Very clearly, the economist from Calgary indicates that our carbon price sends more money back to 94% of families that earn less than $50,000.
It is an affordability measure and it fights climate change.
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- Dec/5/23 2:35:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, at a time when the country is working toward reconciliation, the Liberals have saddled first nations communities with a punishing carbon tax.
First nations are so burdened by this unfair tax that they have decided to take the government to court. Canadians everywhere know that the Prime Minister is just not worth the cost.
When will the Prime Minister finally remove the carbon tax from farmers, first nations and families?
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- Dec/5/23 2:35:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, again, I will note that our carbon pricing mechanism sends more money back to lower-income families. That includes both the fiscal amount and the economic impact. Something the Conservatives love to not focus on is the impact of climate change.
Climate change impacts the price of food more than any other factor. We are also helping farmers, because farmers are the ones that know climate change is real because it impacts them first. That is what is driving up the cost of food.
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- Dec/5/23 2:36:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this Liberal government, food banks are overwhelmed with new clients.
In my riding, Accueil Saint‑Ambroise on Racine Street in Loretteville is helping 50 to 60 new families a month. Meanwhile, what is happening here in Ottawa? The Liberal government wants to impose a new carbon tax, and the Bloc Québécois is saying that we need to drastically increase that tax.
When will the Liberal Bloc realize that now is not the time to impose more taxes on people who are already struggling?
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- Dec/5/23 2:37:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we know that many families are struggling to afford groceries.
We are there to support Canadians through targeted social programs and income supplements, such as the Canada child benefit and the grocery rebate. We are also providing subsidies and support to food banks and charitable organizations.
We will continue to fight against food insecurity.
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- Dec/5/23 2:37:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I sincerely want to congratulate and thank the minister for her effort to speak French, but just because she says it in French does not mean that what she is saying makes any sense. In fact, it actually shows how costly this current Liberal government is, along with the Bloc supporting them.
I want to come back to my example of Accueil Saint-Ambroise in Loretteville. Last year, during the holidays, the organization fulfilled 176 requests. As of yesterday, how many requests has it received? It is up to 238 requests and counting.
Meanwhile, the Liberals want to invent a new tax and the Bloc wants to increase that tax. Again, my question is quite simple.
Why create new taxes when people are struggling?
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- Dec/5/23 2:38:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we witnessed an important moment when my colleague congratulated my other colleague for speaking in French. We are seeing a bit of a change in attitude within the Conservatives, but I think they need to take it a step further. Again though, I want to commend my colleague for having the courage to stand up against the tyranny of his colleagues and speak French.
On this side of the House, we will always stand up for him if he wants to speak French.
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