SoVote

Dec/7/23 10:57:44 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I want to talk about the ways that the Conservative Party is offside and maybe do bit of contrast for members. If we look at the emissions graph, over the last number of years we have witnessed a shift. The curve is now starting to bend in a direction that I believe Canadians would be very supportive. Had there not been a change in government back in 2015, and under Stephen Harper's leadership, the curve would have continued up by an estimated nine points. Over the last number of years, the line has gone down by seven points under this administration. We are going in the right direction when it comes to greenhouse emissions, which is an important issue to Canadians. In real numbers, I am told it is like 53 megatonnes. For my constituents who are like me, I try to better understand what that means. That is the equivalent of 11 million cars being taken off the road. The population of Manitoba is about 1.3 million people. The population of Saskatchewan, I would guesstimate, is probably somewhere around 1.15 million. The population of the province of Alberta is well over three million, from what I can recall. We could take away every vehicle in the Prairies. Over the last number of years that is 53 megatonnes of GHG, or 11 million vehicles. To me, that speaks volumes about what the government has been able to achieve in a relatively short time span. We were able to achieve that through providing different forms of incentives and programs. I want to highlight the fact that we know Canadians want to participate. I have heard this for many years. I remember being in the Manitoba legislature and we were talking about banning plastic bags. We can look at the banning of single-use plastics, on which this government has moved forward, or our budget measures on financial incentives to support people. Our constituents would like to do more on the environmental front. We have programs like the greener homes grant. The uptake has been fantastic. A number of people in all regions of the country are participating in a program that will ultimately reduces greenhouse gas emissions, again, a budgetary measure. Another program is about electric vehicles. It is interesting when we look at the numbers. Canadians are choosing electric vehicles faster than expected, with 10% of new vehicles being ZEVs in the first half of 2023. These types of vehicles are a dependable form of transportation, with lower operating costs and reducing the environmental footprint. In its budget measures, the federal government has provided incentives. Some of the provinces have done likewise. Canadians are taking advantage of those programs. We have seen a high demand for those vehicles. I would suggest that it has been very successful. When I think of how industry has benefited, two companies that come to mind right away are Stellantis, with the benefits that are being created there, and Volkswagen. Volkswagen is a substantial investment of a private company and both federal and provincial governments. Today, we have the Conservative Party opposing the agreement that we achieved with Volkswagen, contrary to even Doug Ford, but there is a difference, I guess, as the provincial party is a little more progressive than the federal Conservative Party. However, at the end of the day, we can think of the results and the potential that is there when we get companies around the world recognizing that Canada is on the right track when it comes to dealing with emissions. Volkswagen, in many ways, is one of the leaders in the world moving forward in the electrification of vehicles. It made a decision not to go to the United States but to come to Canada and make a serious investment. Once that investment is complete, it will be the largest manufacturing processing facility in Canada and, I am told, even in North America. I think it will be something like 200 football fields. It is going to be a huge plant. We can think of the types of green jobs that are going to be there as a direct result of Volkswagen making that decision. Where is the Conservative Party? It actually opposed what the federal government has done with Volkswagen. Its members do not like the fact that the federal government made a decision to make a financial contribution, even though the Progressive Conservative provincial government of Ontario has done likewise, not to mention the community of St. Thomas itself, which has also come to the table because of infrastructure. This brings real life to an industry that has the potential to grow, and the Conservatives and the climate deniers are completely offside. It is not just the province of Ontario that would benefit. We can think of the minerals involved and the other components. It is not just Ontario or the St. Thomas community that is going to benefit from this. All of Canada, if not directly, will indirectly benefit from this, and it does not stop there. I think of Stellantis and how, in Canada, the industry of electrification of vehicles continues to grow, and those two companies are not alone. Is it any wonder that today we lead the G7 in foreign investment coming into Canada? As a political entity, the Government of Canada recognizes that green jobs are golden jobs going forward, and we need to see those types of investments. As a government, from day one, we have supported Canada's middle class and those aspiring to be a part of it. We want an economy that is going to work for everyone. As the Conservative Party's single focus seems to be on spreading misinformation, filibustering and ultimately playing a destructive force on the floor of the House of Commons, we will continue to be solely focused on having the backs of Canadians and providing the jobs that are going to be there for the future to ensure that life remains affordable and to deal with the issues that we know are important to Canadians. That means, in good part, dealing with the environment in a very real and tangible way.

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Context: House Hansard - 264 - Dec/7/23

Mr. Kevin Lamoureux

Dec/7/23 11:09:13 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, the Government of Canada, through a procurement process, awarded Boeing hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts, and that Boeing contract is going to provide hundreds of jobs for people in Winnipeg. Substantial government dollars were used to support Boeing and our having military aircraft. I have no problem with the Government of Canada supporting industries that are going to provide good, sound jobs, either directly or indirectly, whether they are directly focused in the province of Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba or any other region of the country. It is an issue of fairness, and this government has been fair with respect to this particular project. Whether it is with Volkswagen or Stellantis, unlike the Conservative Party, we see these as investments that are going to ultimately build a stronger, healthier industry and provide good, solid middle-class jobs well into the future. The difference is that we think of the future jobs for Canadians. We are not stuck in the past, and we are open to having a healthier environment.

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Context: House Hansard - 264 - Dec/7/23

Mr. Larry Maguire (Brandon—Souris, CPC)

Dec/7/23 1:14:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is a correction. We said there was no drought in Manitoba. There were small areas, but no drought in Manitoba—

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Context: House Hansard - 264 - Dec/7/23

Mr. Ted Falk (Provencher, CPC)

Dec/7/23 1:16:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I listened with great interest and humour to the member for St. Catharines, because he is certainly a good fabricator. What he needs to do is get his facts straight. Before he surmises that there was a drought in Manitoba, he should do his fact-checking instead of hypothecating about what he would have liked to happen. There was no drought in Manitoba. The farmers in my region were experiencing bumper crops. I do not know what the member was talking about. Why does the member want to increase the price of home heating? Why does he want to increase the price of food for first nations and families right across the country? Why does he want to do that to my residents of Provencher? Why does he want to make life more expensive for Canadian families?

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Context: House Hansard - 264 - Dec/7/23

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

Dec/7/23 2:47:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, a UNICEF report released this month shows the truth, which is that child poverty in Canada is down 22% under our government. However, do members know who is driving up prices? It is Vladimir Putin. He is driving up the prices of fuel and food. The member opposite has the privilege of representing a rural Manitoba constituency. It was Ukrainian Canadians who settled Canada's Prairies, and we owe it to the people of Ukraine to support them today and not betray Ukraine as the Conservatives have done.

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Context: House Hansard - 264 - Dec/7/23

Mr. Jake Stewart (Miramichi—Grand Lake, CPC)

Dec/7/23 4:50:57 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to be here today and to speak to this. While I will be sharing my views here and sharing my time with the member for Red Deer—Mountain View, I want to tell members something I heard earlier that struck me as funny. Members from the government have said that the Conservatives are taking the country back to the Stone Age. I just ate off a wooden fork. The wooden fork was created by the Byzantine Empire, by the Romans during the Roman period of the fourth century. It may have even been created much earlier, by the Greeks in the ancient world. Do members know how unpleasant that was? The thing that is interesting enough, and I know the member from Manitoba is going to love what I have to say, is that the government is putting Canadians back to the Ice Age, which came before the Stone Age, back when everything was freezing cold. That is what the Liberals have done to Canadians. In this speech today, I will cover the negative impact of the carbon tax on farmers, first nations and families. Let us start with first nations. I am proud to represent four first nations in Miramichi—Grand Lake: Metepenagiag, Eel Ground, Esgenoôpetitj and Elsipogtog. One of the proudest moments of my career was to be named the first-ever stand-alone aboriginal affairs minister for the great province of New Brunswick. It was an honour and a privilege to work with the 15 first nations chiefs, many of whom are here in Ottawa for the election of the new AFN chief. I congratulate Ms. Cindy Woodhouse on her election today. I have gotten to spend time with many indigenous leaders this week, who have told me how frustrated they are after eight years of failed Liberal policies. One of the greatest myths in our country and in our time is that the Liberal Party of Canada is a friend to indigenous peoples. I will explain that mythology to members now and to the people watching. If the Liberals cannot get adequate drinking water for indigenous peoples, then let us not call them their friends; that is a necessity of life, and they have failed at that endeavour in every single element of it. As another example, the Ontario first nations and the Attawapiskat First Nation are taking the Liberal government to court over the unfair carbon tax. They argue that the Liberal government's failed policy unjustly and disproportionately burdens their communities, which already face hardships because of a lack of basic infrastructure and severe poverty. The chiefs of Ontario and Attawapiskat have tried to engage and negotiate with the Liberal government, but to no avail. Now, unnecessarily, they must spend money on lawyers to take the Liberal government to court. These residents do not have the money to install retrofits such as heat pumps. Many first nations are remote and lack basic infrastructure, such as clean drinking water, as aforementioned; moreover, they do not have access to viable alternatives, such as cleaner-burning fuels or public transportation, as is also true of many residents in Miramichi—Grand Lake. The claim that the carbon tax is revenue neutral was always a claim about what the government would take in, not what consumers would actually be paying. The Liberal government members want people to believe they can keep increasing taxes and people will still end up with more money in their pockets; but this is not true for farmers, first nations or the families who are heating their homes in this country. I am blessed to have four children who are very active. We need all hands on deck on the weekends, taking them to events that can occur across the province. My mother assists my wife on most days when I am here; sometimes, my dad assists as well. They are both 66 years old. There was a weekend when my daughter was in Saint John for a gymnastics championship. That is a six-hour round trip from Blackville, where I reside. My son's high school hockey team won a provincial tournament played in Saint-Léonard, New Brunswick, the home of my good friend Senator Percy Mockler. It was an exciting final game, but it took an eight-hour round-trip drive. If someone lives in a rural area, such as Miramichi—Grand Lake, and they need to drive the kids to sporting, arts or cultural events, then they know the painful impact the carbon tax is having. They are paying more every single time they fill up their car or truck. Unfortunately, some children who played sports prior to the carbon tax are now not playing those sports, because the parents cannot keep up with the costs. It is very real. It is happening in my community and in first nations communities. Most people in my area have at least two vehicles; one is usually a truck. Let me be clear: They are not electric, but that is a story for another day. People are struggling. I attended the finance committee's pre-budget consultation in Fredericton not long ago, this fall. The head of the largest food bank in Fredericton told us that they saw a 35.7% increase in use last year. Across Canada, there were nearly two million food bank visits in 2023, the highest food bank use in Canadian history. Canadians are being forced to use food banks because of the Liberal government's out-of-control inflationary spending. It is driving up the cost of everything. On top of this, it is driving up the cost of food even further. Canada's Food Price Report 2023 predicts that food costs for a typical family of four will rise by $700 in 2024. This is on top of an increase of $1,065 in 2023. We can think about that. The typical family of four is going to pay $1,700 or more for groceries in just two years than they were already paying. The carbon price's negative impact on food inflation is real. Meat, vegetables and baked goods are up 5% to 7%. That is why we are calling on the Liberal government to take the tax off farmers, first nations and home heating for families. Farmers are being left out in the cold by the NDP-Liberal coalition, which is desperate to prevent them from getting a carbon tax carve-out for grain drying, barn heating and other farm operations. The Liberal carbon tax will continue to go up every year, increasing the pain felt by farmers, first nations and families. For my Miramichi—Grand Lake constituents, the upcoming choice will be clear. The NDP and Liberals take their money, tax their food, punish their work and double their housing costs. It is a choice between the costly NDP-Liberal coalition and a common-sense Conservative government that will axe the tax. It is the only choice for Canadians, for farmers, for families and for first nations. On the topic of farmers, I spent a lot of time on a file recently with the National Capital Commission. There was a group that had to tear down an old stable, and they replaced it with an $8-million barn. It was laced with the best fibre optics on Planet Earth, an elevator that goes down under the ground and solar panels. It has all these luxury features. It is a barn. Farmers right now need a carve-out on the carbon tax so they can grow us the food that we need to stay healthy in this country, and we have a government that approved a budget for a corporation to build an $8-million barn. I can tell everyone today that there is a choice. Miramichi—Grand Lake constituents have a choice too in the upcoming election, and I am proud to give it to them. The costly NDP-Liberal coalition takes Canadians' money, takes their food, taxes their food, punishes their work and doubles their housing costs. A common-sense Conservative government is the only choice, because we will bring it home and axe the tax.

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