44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 6, 2023 02:00PM
- Dec/6/23 3:09:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, being a farmer, and meeting farmers right across the country, one of the first questions they ask me is, “How come the Conservative Party of Canada does not have a plan to deal with the environment when we look at all the fires, all the floods, all the destruction that's taking place?”
I tell them that we do have a plan. We do have a plan and an example of that plan is what we have done with the minister of agriculture from Ontario. We were able to announce a $25-million program to make sure that farmers remain on the cutting edge and that farmers are able to produce crops that are strong in areas that have more moisture. As I said, we will continue—
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- Dec/6/23 3:10:06 p.m.
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The hon. member for Edmonton West.
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- Dec/6/23 3:10:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is clear that the Prime Minister is not worth the cost. Yesterday, the Prime Minister's hand-picked senators voted to keep the carbon tax on farmers and keep food costs high. In Edmonton, the veterans food bank is pleading for donations to help our veterans. That is the legacy of the Prime Minister: food banks for veterans begging for help.
When will the Prime Minister listen to Canadians and take the carbon tax off farmers, first nations and families who are desperate to heat their homes?
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- Dec/6/23 3:10:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I said previously, being a farmer and having talked to farmers, they cannot understand how the Conservative Party of Canada would not have a plan to deal with the environment. People have been in situations such as hurricane Fiona in Atlantic Canada, which totally destroyed properties, destroyed dairy barns and killed animals. In fact, that is part of the price on food.
We have supported, and we will continue to support, farmers. For example, the hon. Minister Thompson in Ontario and I announced a $25-million program to make sure that farmers stay on the cutting edge. We have supported farmers, and we will continue to support farmers.
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- Dec/6/23 3:11:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, too often people in the Waterloo region and across Canada lose loved ones to overdoses caused by the increasingly toxic illegal drug supply. People who are struggling need all levels of government to work together, and a comprehensive and evidence-based substance use policy. We know that stigma and fear will not solve this crisis.
Could the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions inform Canadians on the harm caused by stigmatizing the toxic drug and overdose crisis?
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- Dec/6/23 3:12:04 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, common sense without science means loved ones lost. Raising stigma is killing people who need our help. I was shocked to learn that Conservatives kept interrupting experts at the health committee. If the overdose crisis were truly a priority, they would listen to experts and follow the facts.
Our evidence-based plan includes prevention, harm reduction, treatment and law enforcement. We are not pitting one pillar against another. We are using all the tools needed to save lives. Reckless and risky games stoke fear. We need to work together, fight this crisis and save lives.
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Mr. Speaker, a desperate, panicked Prime Minister spent this past weekend calling senators and pleading with them to kill Bill C-234. Yesterday, his NDP-Liberal government got its wish when the senators betrayed farmers, gutting this important bill and keeping the carbon tax. This keeps food prices high and farmers struggling.
Farmers across Canada buy the goods they need retail and sell what they produce wholesale. After eight long years, farmers know that the Prime Minister is just not worth the cost. If he will not help our farmers, when will he get out of the way so a Conservative government can?
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- Dec/6/23 3:13:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when I hear from everyday Canadians about affordability, and when I hear from people such as Lindsay in my riding and former classmates such as Stephanie, they say to me that the cost of food is going up, but they understand that it is a complex problem.
Climate change feeds into the cost of food, and things such as instability overseas in Europe and an illegal war in Ukraine affect the price of food. Ergo, we wonder about the sincerity of the party opposite when it votes against instrumental measures, such as an affordability piece of legislation or legislation that would assist Ukraine and stop that illegal war.
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Mr. Speaker, if one ate today, they can thank a farmer. If one could not afford to eat today, they can thank these Liberals.
Our farmers spend their days working hard to ensure that Canadians have enough food. The NDP-Liberal government spends its days developing new ways to tax Canadians and drive up costs.
The Conservatives proposed Bill C-234 to take the carbon tax off farmers, but this piece of work Prime Minister has pressured his appointed senators to block the bill. After eight years, will the Prime Minister finally get his hands out of the pockets of farmers, families and first nations and axe the carbon tax?
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- Dec/6/23 3:14:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think it is time that the Conservative Party stopped misleading Canadians on these issues. I certainly would invite them to read the article that the University of Calgary economist Trevor Tombe put out yesterday, which basically shows that 95% Canadians with low and moderate incomes get more money back.
Rather than talking about axing the tax, Conservatives should be talking about axing the rebate and taking money out of the pockets of hard-working Canadians.
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Mr. Speaker, farmers wanted a break on the carbon tax. Unfortunately, the Senate voted in favour of an amendment that guts Bill C-234 of all substance.
Food prices and prices overall are going to stay high even though Canadians are struggling. We certainly cannot count on the Bloc-Liberal coalition to help them.
Will the Prime Minister finally abandon his plan to increase the carbon tax on farmers and families? They cannot take it anymore.
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- Dec/6/23 3:15:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am trying to understand the Conservatives' obsession with battling the fight against climate change. I am certain they cannot even spell it, especially given that they do not acknowledge its existence. Right now, they are doing everything they can to make sure nothing is done about it.
The other day, they told us to talk to senators. Now they are telling us not to talk to senators. We do not even have any senators. This morning, when we got to our caucus meeting, there were no senators. On their side, however, there is a whole group of senators talking to them. To top it off, their senators do not even show up to vote. That is their problem. Let them deal with it.
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- Dec/6/23 3:16:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today we remember the 14 young women who were killed at École Polytechnique. On this day, we remember that we must keep working until Canada is free from gender-based violence.
Could the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth talk about the work that our government has done to guarantee that a massacre like this never happens again?
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- Dec/6/23 3:17:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the question.
Today we are taking the time to remember the mothers, sisters and daughters across the country who have lost their lives to senseless, preventable violence.
Gender-based violence must not and will not be tolerated in Canada. Our government will always fight to end violence against women. This means having firearms legislation and a national action plan to end gender-based violence.
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- Dec/6/23 3:17:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this past summer was the worst wildfire season in Canada's history. Indigenous communities are on the front lines of the climate crisis and are disproportionately paying the price, yet Liberals are investing less than a third of all emergency preparedness money in prevention, choosing to be reactive.
First nations like Bloodvein River First Nation, which has been evacuated because of wildfires, does not have a fire truck to this day. The AFN is asking for $30 billion in mitigation. The Liberals' spending on mitigation is a drop in the bucket.
Why are the Liberals pretending this reality is acceptable for first nations and indigenous communities facing the climate crisis?
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- Dec/6/23 3:18:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our nation has been dealing with significant wildfire seasons because of climate change, and it is impacting the most vulnerable, especially when it comes to our indigenous communities.
Every time I have gone to visit the disaster-affected areas, I do meet with the indigenous communities. One of the things that we are looking at is making sure that we use their knowledge, in terms of the mitigation, and making sure that we have the appropriate response force.
We are going to get this right by making sure that the indigenous have the support to actually support us in our wildfire response.
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- Dec/6/23 3:19:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Sudanese Canadians have been advocating since April for the government's definition of “immediate family member” to include siblings, parents and grandparents amidst escalating violence and reports of ethnic cleansing in Sudan. Now, Canadians with family in Gaza are living the same horror.
While I appreciate that the minister has rightfully admitted at committee that the definition “probably should be expanded”, nothing has yet changed.
When will the minister fix the definition so Sudanese and Palestinian Canadians can bring their families to safety?
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- Dec/6/23 3:19:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I cannot stress more to members of the House how difficult it is to actually get people out of Gaza, a war zone faced with a humanitarian disaster.
Our priority remains permanent residents and Canadian families. We are looking at options to expand that to make sure that people connected to Canada can be afforded a safe haven, but again, it is a work in progress. It is extremely difficult to get people out at this time, but we will continue to work hard to do so.
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- Dec/6/23 3:20:21 p.m.
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I wish to draw the attention of members to the presence in the gallery of the Hon. Nils Clarke, Minister of Highways and Public Works, and Minister of Environment of the Yukon.
Some hon. members: Hear, hear!
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- Dec/6/23 3:20:46 p.m.
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Following discussions among representatives of all parties of the House, I understand there is an agreement to observe a moment of silence.
I would now invite the House to rise and observe a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the tragic event that happened 34 years ago at École polytechnique de Montréal.
[A moment of silence observed]
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