SoVote

Ms. Heather McPherson (Edmonton Strathcona, NDP)

Dec/7/23 2:15:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am a proud Albertan. My grandfather, Bert McCoy, was a pioneer in oil and gas. My father, my brother and my husband all worked in the oil and gas sector. While I am a proud Albertan, I am very concerned about our uncertain future. Albertans need a sustainable future with a healthy environment and a diversified economy, but in order to achieve this, we need federal leadership and support, because Danielle Smith and the Conservatives are taking us backward. Alberta Conservatives have stopped renewable energy development, driving away billions in investment and thousands of good jobs. They have brought back coal, inviting foreign investments to decapitate our Rocky Mountains and poison our water. They are putting toxic tailings ponds on top of sensitive environments like the McClelland dam. Albertans deserve better. The Albertans I know, the problem solvers, the builders, the innovators and the entrepreneurs, deserve better.

150 words

Ms. Monique Pauzé (Repentigny, BQ)

Dec/7/23 2:16:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, “We are in the fight of our lives. And we are losing”. “We are experiencing a climate collapse in real time”. These strong words come from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Do his remarks seem undiplomatic? I would argue that he has the courage to speak those truths that deserve repeating on December 8, World Climate Day. Countries that are increasing their fossil fuel production have been branded dangerous nations that are throwing fuel on the fire. Canada, I would add, does the same while disguised as a firefighter. Whether we are speaking of the COP28 president or Canada's multibillion-dollar oil companies, their interests keep feeding the beast of climate change by capturing regulatory authority through their lobbying efforts, using public funds, and hypnotizing decision-makers with their greenwashing. In six years, 2030 will be here. The Secretary-General says that we can prevent our planet from crashing and burning if we act now. Yes, but now is almost over.

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Mr. Robert Kitchen (Souris—Moose Mountain, CPC)

Dec/7/23 2:17:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have a news flash: While Canadians across the country struggle to make ends meet right before Christmas, the Liberals are making it worse as food and home heating costs continue to rise. The Prime Minister's inflationary spending has caused a cost of living crisis, forcing millions of hard-working Canadians to visit food banks so they can feed their families. In fact, this is the highest level of food bank use that this country has ever seen. A new report released today shows that a family of four will pay $700 dollars more next year on groceries, with meat up 7%, vegetables up 7% and bread up 7% in price. Rising production costs have contributed to these price increases, yet the Prime Minister refuses to remove the carbon tax from farmers. This means the tax trickles down to the consumer, leaving Canadians struggling to put food on the table. The solution is simple: Take the carbon tax off farmers and families. Prices are up and taxes are up, and the Liberal Prime Minister's time is up.

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Ms. Rachel Bendayan (Outremont, Lib.)

Dec/7/23 2:18:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, like every year, yesterday, I was at the Prime Minister's side at the December 6 commemoration, surrounded by my grieving community. It has now been 34 years since the tragic loss of 14 women, 14 Polytechnique students who were full of promise and destined for bright futures. I was able to honour their memory this week by participating in the Order of the White Rose ceremony and by awarding a scholarship to a wonderful young woman who is studying engineering. This was a femicide that marked an entire generation. The unspeakable tragedy was created by a mass shooter, a madman with a semi-automatic who walked into a classroom one day. That some good could come from such evil is unthinkable, and yet, from it comes the Order of the White Rose and the leadership of the women who created a grant to support exceptional young women pursuing engineering. From it comes the PolySeSouvient organization and the leadership of the women who were there that night on December 6 and have spent their lives since then fighting for better gun control in this country.

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Ms. Melissa Lantsman (Thornhill, CPC)

Dec/7/23 2:20:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, families, farmers and first nations from across Canada are struggling because of the Prime Minister's ideological carbon tax crusade. Food bank usage is up 100%. We learned today that the average grocery bill will go up by $700 dollars next year. His senators are blocking relief for Canadians struggling to eat. First nations communities are taking him to court because of the carbon tax. Conservatives have proposed a motion to axe the tax, and we will stay here as long as it takes. Will the Liberals finally listen to Canadians and vote with us to scrap the punishing carbon tax?

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Farmers

Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson (Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Lib.)

Dec/7/23 2:20:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, a price on pollution is an important part of a climate plan, one that addresses affordability concerns. The vast majority of Canadians receive more money in the rebate than they pay in the price of pollution. The only group to benefit from the Conservative plan to end the climate program and to end the rebate would be the top 20% of earners, while almost everyone else would be poorer as a result of their plan. The Conservatives are fighting for the rich; they are not fighting for Canadians who are concerned about affordability. The carbon price is both a climate measure and an affordability measure.

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Ms. Melissa Lantsman (Thornhill, CPC)

Dec/7/23 2:21:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, those are his talking points, but I will take that as a no. Not only are they going to vote against our motion, but they are also going to quadruple the carbon tax on gas, groceries and home heating. Instead of voting to take the tax off farmers, the desperate Prime Minister spent his weekend calling Liberal senators to manipulate a vote that he had already lost in this House. Senators gutted the bill, betraying farmers, and then his caucus members lost their minds over a plan to make them work overtime unless they axe the carbon tax. Why will they not keep their hands out of everyone else's pockets and finally axe the tax so Canadians can put food on the table?

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Hon. Karina Gould (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Dec/7/23 2:22:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there is only one caucus in Parliament that is losing its mind, and it is the Conservatives, because the Conservative senators did not show up to vote on Bill C-234 in the other place. We are happy to be here as long as it takes, because we will always stand up for Canadians and we will always stand against bullies.

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Caucus

Ms. Melissa Lantsman (Thornhill, CPC)

Dec/7/23 2:22:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that is the exact opposite of what the minister said yesterday. Because of ministers like this, more Canadians than ever will use food banks, and more simply will go without any food at all. For the new year, everyone is going to spend $700 more on groceries. While the Liberals fight for a few extra days of Christmas vacation, we are going to fight for Canadians, and then we will send the Prime Minister on the permanent vacation that Canadians desperately want him to take. Why will the Liberals not axe the tax for families, for farmers and for first nations, for good?

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Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson (Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Lib.)

Dec/7/23 2:23:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, 98% of farm fuel emissions are already not impacted by the price on pollution. Farmers, though, are on the front lines of climate change. They understand the critical importance of addressing the climate issue. There are many factors that are contributing to the rise of food prices in Canada and around the world, including the war in Ukraine. While the Conservatives continue to vote against Ukraine and oppose the free trade agreement they need in their fight against Russia, we are taking action to reduce, to ensure affordability for Canadians and to support the government of Ukraine.

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Mr. Luc Berthold (Mégantic—L'Érable, CPC)

Dec/7/23 2:23:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this Prime Minister, grocery prices are skyrocketing. Canada's Food Price Report is saying that families will be paying $700 more for food next year. The price of meat, fresh vegetables and baked goods will rise by 7% again next year. The costly Bloc-Liberal coalition continues to want to drastically increase the inflationary taxes that are driving up the cost of everything. It is costly to vote for the Bloc Québécois. Will this Prime Minister reconsider his intention to drastically increase the carbon tax for farmers and families so that people no longer have to go hungry?

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Hon. Jenna Sudds (Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Lib.)

Dec/7/23 2:24:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, every day that I come into the House and take my seat, I am humbled, as I know all of my colleagues on this side of the House are, to work on behalf of Canadians. We talk about the need to support Canadians, but just yesterday, every Conservative on that side of the House voted against a national school food policy, a policy that would have given food to children so they would not be hungry at school. We will continue to do everything to support Canadian families.

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Behalf

Mr. Luc Berthold (Mégantic—L'Érable, CPC)

Dec/7/23 2:25:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what is true after eight years of this Liberal government is that children are asking for gift cards so they can eat at Christmas. That is unacceptable. After eight years of this Prime Minister, housing prices have doubled and interest rates are through the roof. Grocery prices have risen by 23% and will continue to rise next year. Will the Liberals do the right thing for once and vote to end the carbon tax so grocery prices can come down and people can have enough to eat this Christmas?

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

Dec/7/23 2:25:40 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, every Canadian and every Quebecker knows that the Conservatives do not support the less fortunate. Our government is the one supporting all Canadians, including the less fortunate. This month, UNICEF released data showing that poverty levels in Canada have decreased by 22%. The Conservatives only know how to make cuts. We are here for all Canadians, especially the less fortunate.

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Mr. Alain Therrien (La Prairie, BQ)

Dec/7/23 2:26:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers take in 48% of all the people who seek asylum in Canada. It is costing us $460 million. Quebeckers deserve to be reimbursed, not insulted. However, not only is the Minister of Immigration refusing to reimburse them, but, in committee on Tuesday, he reiterated his plan to send Quebec another bill. We provide 100% of the services and foot 100% of the bill, yet he thinks Quebeckers owe even more money. I cannot make this stuff up. The Minister of Immigration is meeting with his Quebec counterpart tomorrow. Will he check his arrogance at the door and bring his chequebook instead?

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Hon. Marc Miller (Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Lib.)

Dec/7/23 2:26:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what is arrogant is to think that a relationship is a one-way street. We have a great partnership with Quebec. I hope to meet with Quebec's representative tomorrow. Hopefully everything will be settled in the House of Commons in terms of our marathon votes. That is not related, but the fact is that we are going to meet with my counterpart from Quebec. We will have a good discussion. Hopefully, afterwards, we will have a discussion with our respective finance ministers.

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Mr. Alain Therrien (La Prairie, BQ)

Dec/7/23 2:27:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about collaboration. What is the federal government doing for asylum seekers? They are the federal government's responsibility, after all. It offers zero social services. It pays 0% of the bill, and the icing on the cake is that Ottawa's delays in issuing work permits and reviewing applications mean that Quebeckers pay even more. In short, Quebeckers provide 100% of the services, pay 100% of the bill and, because of federal incompetence, pay too much. We can do without the lessons. Tomorrow, will he tell the minister that he is reimbursing Quebeckers?

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Hon. Marc Miller (Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Lib.)

Dec/7/23 2:27:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, only the Bloc Québécois would say that $700 million a year, plus millions in social transfers in blocks with no strings attached is nothing, but let us leave it at that.

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Mr. Jagmeet Singh (Burnaby South, NDP)

Dec/7/23 2:28:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, seven million Canadians are struggling now because they have to use food banks. The price of food is going to up by $700 next year just to put food on the table. In committee this morning, the Walmart CEO said that he is not supporting a stronger Competition Bureau. Maybe that is why the Leader of the Opposition did everything he could to block the legislation. Galen Weston, as we all know, earns 431 times what his average employee makes and thinks that his $12-million bonus was reasonable. What is the Prime Minister going to do to bring down grocery prices and end the free ride for these CEOs?

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Hon. Marie-Claude Bibeau (Minister of National Revenue, Lib.)

Dec/7/23 2:29:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Bill C‑56 will enable us to further strengthen the Competition Bureau and put consumers' interests first. I hope our colleagues will support this bill, because it is important. It will help harmonize and freeze prices and bring down the prices of basic goods.

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