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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 278

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 8, 2024 10:00AM
  • Feb/8/24 2:20:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, those were the first five years we inherited from a previous soft-on-crime Liberal government. However, it is not just crime that this government's policy is making worse. On April 1, the Prime Minister is going to drive up grocery prices again with another hike to his carbon tax, and the impact from this affects Canadians every step of the way from farm to fork. Keith Warriner, a professor at the University of Guelph, said that 44% of growers are operating at a loss presently, and three-quarters have difficulty offsetting production cost increases. Instead of driving grocery prices up even higher, why does the Prime Minister not cancel his plan to hike the carbon tax?
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  • Feb/8/24 2:21:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we will take no lessons from the Conservatives who have no plan. I guess their plan is to ask Jenni. However, on this side of the House, we have a plan to stabilize prices in this country. It is called “competition”. Canadians at home understand that. The Conservatives are the only ones who are blocking further reforms that we want to put. Canadians understand that we want to stabilize prices. We want more choice, and we want more competition. On this side, we will fight for Canadians every step of the way.
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  • Feb/8/24 2:21:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, one would think they would have thrown those talking points out after this week when we learned of all the relationships between Liberal staff and Loblaws, like Brian Topp and Don Guy who both collect cheques from Loblaws. Last week, they met twice with the PM's director of policy, or like Tahiya Bakht, the in-house lobbyist at Loblaws. She used to have an office in the PMO. One could run a superstore with all the staff over there who have relationships with Loblaws. When will the Prime Minister realize that it is not Conservative volunteers driving up grocery prices? It is the carbon, stupid.
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  • Feb/8/24 2:22:18 p.m.
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Although that is a political expression known to many, I warn all MPs to stay safely on the right side of parliamentary debate. The hon. Minister of Innovation.
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  • Feb/8/24 2:23:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I will abide by your words. When the member talks about superstores, he is right, and I am happy to talk about that, because that is actually what we are trying to bring. We are trying to bring more competition. I have been in touch with foreign grocers to bring more competition, to bring more options for Canadians. People who are watching at home understand that on this side of the House, we have a plan. We are working for Canadians. On that side, they have no plan. The only plan we have seen is to ask Jenni. We will continue to work for Canadians every step of the way.
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  • Feb/8/24 2:23:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this Liberal government, the housing crisis is hitting all Canadians hard. Take Quebec City, for example. The average rent has increased by more than 19% over the past year. It will take twice as long to pay off a mortgage. They will need up to 25 years to be able to put aside the down payment to buy a house. That is the reality Canadians are facing after eight years of this Liberal government. What are the Liberals doing? They are the undisputed champions of photo ops. When will they champion real action to build houses and apartments?
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  • Feb/8/24 2:24:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, if there is one thing the Conservatives are champions at, it is insulting mayors. The last time we heard from the Conservative leader, he was insulting the mayors of Quebec City and Montreal, who are working with us to create more affordable housing. On this side of the House, we believe in having programs, building affordable housing, as well as working with the provinces and with Canada's mayors. Canadians understand that we need to work together to tackle the housing problem. That is exactly what we are going to do.
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  • Feb/8/24 2:24:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, for eight years, this government has insulted Canadians with its housing record, which is dismal right now. Even the president of CMHC acknowledges that this government has no plan to turn things around. Housing starts have dropped by 28% over the past year. That is the Liberal reality. We will take no lessons from this minister. When are they going to stop holding press conferences and photo ops? When are they going to take real action to build houses and apartments? That is what Canadians want.
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  • Feb/8/24 2:25:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have a tremendous amount of respect for my colleague from Louis-Saint-Laurent, but I do not think he has any lessons to give on videos. In the last video we saw of the Conservative leader, he was in front of the port of Montreal. He thought a video would solve the issue of auto theft. Today, we were gathered with leaders from across country to tackle this issue. We talked about intelligence, coordinated approaches and innovation. What Conservatives do not understand is that, to move this country forward, we have to work together.
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  • Feb/8/24 2:26:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Quebec is a pioneer in Canada when it comes to compassion for people who are suffering. It was the first to implement medical assistance in dying. It is only natural that it is still ahead of the curve today. Quebec is ready to authorize advance requests for persons suffering from serious, incurable neurocognitive diseases. Quebec's legislation was adopted eight months ago, and those who are suffering have waited long enough. Will the government amend the Criminal Code so that Quebec can move forward with advance requests?
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  • Feb/8/24 2:26:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I wish I could be the minister of both health and procurement. I did get to be Minister of Health. As Minister of Procurement and a minister from Quebec, I recognize, as my colleague did, the important contribution that the Government of Quebec and Quebeckers have made over the past few years to advance the discussions, reflections and actions on this very sensitive topic, on which we must all work together. That is what we are going to do. We will continue in this way with the Government of Quebec and all Quebeckers over the coming months and years.
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  • Feb/8/24 2:27:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canada can continue to think about it, but Quebec is ready. The Quebec National Assembly is unanimously calling for the federal government to amend the Criminal Code so that Quebec can move forward with advance requests. Ottawa has the moral duty to grant Quebec's unanimous request. Canadians have the right to take more time to think about this, but they do not have the right to make Quebeckers suffer needlessly for years. Will the government legislate so that Quebec can authorize advance requests?
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  • Feb/8/24 2:28:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague once again for bringing up this very sensitive issue. We know that freedom of choice, control over one's own life and the choice for a dignified death are options that Canadians already have access to. We also know that we need to work to protect the most vulnerable members of our society. We know that we need to work very closely with health care providers, develop case studies and, obviously, work on jurisdictions for issues that fall more under the Criminal Code and those that fall more under the delivery of health care.
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  • Feb/8/24 2:28:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, people are feeling the squeeze at the grocery store. Food banks have been over capacity for months. Liberal members from Montreal know this. It is happening in their ridings, just as it is in ours. Unlike the Liberals, the NDP is solution-oriented. Our bill to lower grocery prices passed yesterday, even though the Liberals voted against lowering prices for Quebeckers. The Liberals really want to keep the Sobey family and Galen Weston happy. Are the Liberals afraid of making Loblaw's boss lose money?
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  • Feb/8/24 2:29:12 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question, but I do not understand exactly where he is going with it. He should be proud and happy. We included many of the NDP leader's recommendations in our three-pronged approach to competition reform. He should be happy that we are working together to increase competition in this country. All the experts say that more choice and more competition will help stabilize prices. He should rise in the House to thank us for working together because we do so for the sake of Canadian consumers.
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  • Feb/8/24 2:29:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is that the Liberals voted no on the NDP bill to lower food prices for Canadians. They voted against giving the Competition Bureau more power to crack down on greedy grocery chains that take advantage of families. Sky-high food prices are forcing Canadians with full-time jobs to resort to food banks to feed their families. Under those out-of-touch Liberals, ultrarich CEOs win and Canadians lose. Why are the Liberals determined to keep grocery prices high for Canadians?
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  • Feb/8/24 2:30:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague should be happy, because we have listened to what the NDP have to propose. A lot of what has been proposed by the leader of the NDP has already been included in our bill to reform competition in the country. One thing we should do is work together. The bill that was presented yesterday will go to committee. We will listen to experts. We will listen to recommendations. One thing Canadians should know is that we have their back and we will fight for them to bring stabilization in grocery prices.
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  • Feb/8/24 2:30:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Liberal government's reckless policies, our country is in a place of crime and chaos. Since 2015, sexual assault cases have increased by 72%. That is a big number. The Liberal government's soft-on-crime approach is a direct attack on women and girls in our country. It is disgusting. How many more sexual assaults need to take place for the government to finally do something?
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  • Feb/8/24 2:31:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this is a serious issue that requires a serious response. It is not something that should be highlighted in a negative way in the House of Commons. The Liberal government has taken steps through Bill S-12, Bill C-3 and Bill C-51. We have taken serious measures to address sexual assault crimes, including sexual assault offenders being included on the sex offender registry.
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  • Feb/8/24 2:31:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is right that this is not something to be made light of, but that is exactly what the Liberal government's policies have done. Unfortunately, after eight years of the Liberal government, the number of sexual assault cases in the country has skyrocketed by 72%. That is a very large number, and that is many women and girls who are affected. What makes this even worse is that so many of these crimes are committed by individuals who are out on bail, who should not be. The reason they are is because of the Liberal government's soft-on-crime policies. The Liberals are putting women in danger. It is the Liberal government's decision to do that. When will the Prime Minister take it seriously and do something—
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