44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 8, 2024 10:00AM
- Feb/8/24 2:48:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. The funding that Canada is giving to civilians in Gaza has increased: just last week, $40 million more on top of the $60 million that was already there. This makes Canada a top donor for aid, helping with the crisis in Gaza. We are proud, and Canadians want us to help. Every time there is a time of emergency, we stand up and we are clear. We will always be there.
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- Feb/8/24 2:48:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, every day, the Liberals show how out of touch they are. This week alone, they voted against an NDP bill that would lower food costs for Canadians. Then, with only two weeks' notice, they scrapped the greener homes program that helps Canadians lower their heating bills, while they still give out billions of dollars to big oil and gas CEOs. Canadians want to do their part to fight the climate crisis.
Heat pumps lower costs and save lives. We need a program to make sure that every Canadian who wants one can get a heat pump. Will the Liberals do it?
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- Feb/8/24 2:49:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, one of the most amazing things we have seen is how popular the greener homes grant and the greener homes loan have been among Canadians, who are taking steps to switch the way they heat their homes and to reduce their bills at the same time.
We are working on the next steps for the greener homes program, which is actually going to make sure that the people who most need the help have access to the program. We would ask members to keep watching for the progress of this new program.
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- Feb/8/24 2:50:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 2015 to 2024 the International Decade for People of African Descent. This proclamation recognized the over 220 million people of African descent in the Americas and in Canada. The government has fully embraced the UN's proclamation by investing in and developing new programs to help support Black communities in Canada.
Can the Minister of Diversity and Inclusion please update the House on the decade as it moves closer to an end?
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- Feb/8/24 2:50:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, last night we gathered with thousands of Black trailblazers from across the country to celebrate Black History Month. It was a perfect opportunity for the Prime Minister to announce that Canada will be extending the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent until 2028. The extension builds on the $860 million the government has committed to deliver Black-made, Black-led solutions.
On this side of the House, we have always been deliberate about choices: choice to invest in Black communities, choice to call out and combat systemic racism, and a choice to celebrate Black History Month. We are going to continue to make sure we support our communities all across Canada.
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- Feb/8/24 2:51:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the NDP-Liberal government, Canadians are literally living in housing hell. Rent has doubled. Mortgage payments have doubled. The cost to buy a house has almost doubled. It takes 25 years now to save for a down payment. It is no wonder there are tent cities all across this country.
When will the Liberals realize people cannot live in an announcement, a photo op or a press release, and support our common-sense Conservative plan to get houses built?
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- Feb/8/24 2:52:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that the member contradicts himself every time he speaks. Just a few days ago, he was praising the federal government's record on housing. Today, he critiques it.
Let me offer something else regarding contradiction. He talks about the challenges of homelessness, which admittedly are unacceptable in this country, and unaffordability in housing, which is unacceptable in this country, yet he voted against every measure the government has put forward to address them.
The national housing strategy is there. It is yielding results, and it will do more. We are working with municipalities to incent changes at the local level with respect to zoning. He has voted against it and so have they.
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- Feb/8/24 2:52:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, one knows the Liberals' housing plan is an utter disaster when the only support they can find for it is to misquote a member of the opposition. That is how bad it actually is.
Here are the facts: Housing investments in December were down another 18%. There are all these fake Liberal announcements and photo ops, and guess what? Fewer houses are getting built. The Liberal Prime Minister is not worth the cost, because his announcements mean nothing.
Will the Liberals finally realize they have caused housing hell in this country, and support our common-sense Conservative plan to get houses built?
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- Feb/8/24 2:53:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, those are more slogans from the member and the party opposite.
What do we see on our side? We are putting serious measures forward to work with municipalities. Across the country, over 500 municipalities have applied for the housing accelerator fund. We have completed deals with 30 municipalities, working with mayors, not denigrating them.
What do we hear on the other side? We hear no plan at all. Conservatives want to tax homebuilding, for example. That will not lead to more homes built. What is another big idea? They want a snitch line for residents to rat on their neighbours if there are concerns around NIMBY. That is not at all how one gets change.
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- Feb/8/24 2:54:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the NDP-Liberal government, the costs of rent and mortgage payments have doubled. This was at a time when housing starts were down in 2023.
Even if the Liberals' plan were to come to fruition, CIBC has reported that the plan falls 1.5 million homes short of restoring affordability. People are in a cost of living crisis, yet the Liberal housing minister jumps from one photo op to another. No government has ever spent so much to achieve so little.
When will the government build homes, not bureaucracy?
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- Feb/8/24 2:54:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House we are taking a comprehensive approach to building more housing. That means increasing supply. We are eliminating the GST on purpose-built rentals. We have struck deals with over 30 municipalities from coast to coast in order to ensure that we are getting more supply in the system.
We will make sure we are there for vulnerable Canadians and the middle class. All the while, the Conservatives on the other side of the House vote against measures to support Canadians. That is not our approach. We will always be there for Canada.
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- Feb/8/24 2:55:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years under this government, the price of homes has doubled, rent has doubled and this government is not worth the cost. A homeless shelter, the Bercail, in Saint‑George in Beauce, says that it is overwhelmed by requests for rooms in 2024.
The government keeps abandoning Canadians when it comes to housing. It needs to get out of the way and allow the municipalities to prosper like they are in Victoriaville, Saguenay and Trois‑Rivières.
Why does the Prime Minister not build more housing instead of building more bureaucracy?
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- Feb/8/24 2:56:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to hear a question from a colleague from the greater Quebec City area.
During its 10 years in power, the Conservative government built 24,000 housing units. Over the past five years, we have built nearly 10 times as many. Over the past few months, 500,000 more have been announced.
Now, would my Conservative colleagues from the Quebec City area agree to come with me to meet the Quebec City administration, namely the mayor and the municipal councillors, and explain to them why their Conservative leader is referring to every single one of them, everyone from Quebec City, as being incompetent?
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- Feb/8/24 2:56:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, French is hanging by a thread in Canada. We saw it again in committee.
The Liberal parliamentary secretary, the Conservatives and the NDP all voted against bilingualism for the miscarriage of justice review commission. The Liberal member's pretext was that he was defending unilingual francophones. Give me a break. Francophones always lose when bilingualism takes a back seat. He added that he was defending anglophones. That I can believe.
If justice is bilingual, if Canada is bilingual, why can the minister not commit to appointing bilingual commissioners?
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- Feb/8/24 2:57:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am a very proud Franco-Albertan. We know we have standards when it comes to promoting bilingualism. This applies to the courts and everywhere else in our system.
We are also committed to protecting French in Quebec and across the country—not with one, two or three, but with $4.1 billion. We are here for bilingualism and for Canada's francophonie.
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- Feb/8/24 2:57:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, if that is true, then he will have to talk to his parliamentary secretary about it.
As I was saying, French is hanging by a thread in Canada, even in the Prime Minister's Office. Radio-Canada reported that it obtained a copy of a letter from the Privy Council indicating that it would take too long and cost too much to translate the documents produced for the Rouleau commission. Even providing a simple index would take too long and cost too much. It seems as though they just did not want to do it and that the rights of francophones are only important when respecting them is easy and does not cost anything.
Will the Prime Minister remind his own department that respect for French is mandatory?
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- Feb/8/24 2:58:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I respect my hon. colleague.
We promote bilingualism. We respect the tribunal. We respect the committee. A 2,000-page bilingual report that Canadians can read is coming.
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- Feb/8/24 2:58:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the justice minister has spent the last week arguing with Conservatives and telling Canadians that strengthening penalties for auto theft will not work.
We all know that the Prime Minister has a habit of throwing his justice ministers under the bus. Earlier today, the Prime Minister finally admitted that stronger penalties are required to tackle the auto theft crisis that he created. They cannot both be right.
Will the minister finally admit that he was wrong and Conservatives were right and commit to repealing Liberal soft-on-crime policies such as house arrest for car thieves?
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- Feb/8/24 2:59:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as we all know, auto theft is a very serious problem in Ontario, in Quebec and across the country. It requires consultation with experts to find a proper solution, not slogans or simple criticism that does not really address the problem.
Today, we had the auto summit. We brought in people from all the provinces, the police associations and different levels of government. They are going to come up with constructive solutions to address the issue.
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- Feb/8/24 3:00:04 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, an auto summit is not what Canadians are calling for. They are calling for action. Auto theft is up 300% in Toronto and 120% in New Brunswick. These are the Liberals' own numbers since they took office.
Only Conservatives will do what is necessary to stop the crime with a proven approach of jail, not bail, for repeat offenders; ending house arrest for auto theft; and bringing in mandatory penalties for repeat offenders.
The numbers are in. The facts do not lie.
Why will the minister not stand up and admit that the Liberals' soft-on-crime agenda is a failure that needs to change?
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