44th Parl. 1st Sess.
April 11, 2024 10:00AM
- Apr/11/24 2:54:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the federal government is not helping solve the housing crisis; it is simply stretching it out over time.
Ottawa could just transfer the housing money to Quebec. That would be simple enough. Instead, the Liberals have chosen to attach conditions to the infrastructure program, supposedly to force the provinces to build housing faster. As a result, not only is housing construction slowing down, Ottawa is paralyzing the construction of infrastructure such as water systems. It wants to see doorknobs first, running water later.
Does the minister realize that his plan is putting the cart before the horse?
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- Apr/11/24 2:55:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the member is correct to raise the importance of investing in drinking water infrastructure, waste water treatment and many other things. That is why, just a few days ago, we announced an investment of an additional $6 billion to support municipalities in building the infrastructure that will help us in Quebec, for one, to build the 8,000 housing units that we have already planned with the Quebec government. Its partnership and leadership are absolutely essential.
This is obviously a contrast to the six housing units the Conservative leader created when he was minister responsible for housing.
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- Apr/11/24 2:55:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have a lot of nerve. Instead of being helpful, they decided to be contemptuous and blackmail us with our own money, just like the Conservatives proposed.
Quebec's housing minister was clear this week. She said it was out of the question for Quebec to agree to any conditions to get its fair share of a community funding envelope. Quebec cities do not fall under Ottawa's jurisdiction.
Will the minister commit to guaranteeing Quebec its right to opt out with full compensation?
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- Apr/11/24 2:56:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the member is quite right to refer to the Conservative leader as an insulting leader. It is true that he insulted all Quebec municipalities, including the people of Quebec City.
It is also true that just a few weeks ago, with the leadership of Quebec City, we announced the construction of 324 affordable housing units. That number of 324 units is 54 times more than all the affordable housing created by the Conservative leader when he was housing minister.
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- Apr/11/24 2:57:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years, Canadians are struggling to make ends meet due to the Liberal-NDP's crippling carbon taxes. They are all economic pain and no environmental gain. Just last week, the Prime Minister increased the carbon tax by 23%, further driving up the cost of gas, groceries and home heating.
The least the Liberals could do is take the carbon tax off the farmers who feed us, which would in turn lower the cost of food.
Will the Prime Minister axe the tax on farmers and make food cheaper for Canadians by passing Bill C-234 in its original form?
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- Apr/11/24 2:57:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Bill C-234 was here, then it went to the Senate. Conservative senators threatened a bunch of other senators who wanted to debate the bill. The bill is now back in this House, and it is completely up to the leader—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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- Apr/11/24 2:57:53 p.m.
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Order.
The hon. government House leader.
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- Apr/11/24 2:58:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is rather impolite to interrupt the people answering questions, as the members across the way know.
Bill C-234, put very simply, can be brought to the floor of the House on the simple whim of the Leader of the Opposition. The member should actually talk to him.
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- Apr/11/24 2:58:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the NDP-Liberal government, Canadians are well versed in its corruption.
Sadly, it is worse: bombshell testimony on Beijing's interference in Canadian elections. A senior Liberal disclosed top secret information to the then-Liberal MP for Don Valley North, that he was being watched by CSIS. This was a despicable breach of national security for Liberal partisan gain, and only very high-ranking Liberals would have access to this information, a cabinet minister or a senior Liberal.
Who is the person? They must give us the Liberal name.
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- Apr/11/24 2:59:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we worked collaboratively with all of the opposition parties last summer to set up an independent judicial inquiry into foreign interference. There have been a number of weeks of public testimony, including this week.
We did not think that, in the terms of reference, we had to put a line that would say that we should have basic respect for the integrity and independence of the commission process, not to comment on every day's appearances but to let the justice do her work. We look forward to her report on this important issue.
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- Apr/11/24 2:59:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there is no decency or respect, when a senior Liberal, either a cabinet minister or a senior Liberal staffer, disclosed top secret CSIS information for Liberal gain. It is despicable. It gets worse. It compromised CSIS work and put Liberal partisan gain over national security, and the Prime Minister must have known.
When did the Prime Minister find out, and when did he call in the RCMP to investigate, or were the briefing documents just a bit too long so he did not read them?
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- Apr/11/24 3:00:20 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, again, my colleague can repeat a series of allegations. We do not think that this is particularly constructive, when a senior court of appeal justice is seized with this very matter. She is hearing evidence from witnesses, interviewing in camera all of the relevant officials, and receiving all of the most classified documents.
Why does my hon. friend not allow her to do the work and not continually repeat and interfere in the middle of her hearings?
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- Apr/11/24 3:01:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canada has been standing by Ukraine since the start of Putin's illegal invasion. We have provided military support and aid to Ukraine. We are working with our allies and our partners around the world, but we must not forget that this is not the first time Russia has been the aggressor against Ukraine.
Can the Minister of Foreign Affairs reaffirm our long-term commitment to Ukraine?
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- Apr/11/24 3:01:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for her important question. Ukraine is Europe's front line. The Ukrainians have been fighting for our freedom and, of course, for their own. We know that Putin does not have a red line. If he wins in Ukraine, he will keep going. That is why we must support Ukraine. It is about our security and global security.
That is why we concluded a new $3-billion agreement with Ukraine for its long-term security. We have stood with them from the start and we will continue to stand with them, even after Ukraine's victory.
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- Apr/11/24 3:02:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the NDP-Liberal government, we see historic levels of corruption. Conservatives have uncovered a tangled web of chaos, collusion and cover-ups in the arrive scam scandal, just the latest example of Liberal insiders' getting rich.
GC Strategies opened its doors when the current Prime Minister took office. This place will make history when it summons GC Strategies to the bar to answer our questions.
Why did the Prime Minister make these scamsters multi-millionaires?
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- Apr/11/24 3:03:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, again, our colleague's repeating something does not make it factual. She knows very well that the Auditor General has looked into these matters. We have welcomed parliamentary committee reviews. People have been available, including senior government officials, to go before a parliamentary committee—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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- Apr/11/24 3:03:23 p.m.
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I am going to ask all members to please restrain themselves. There were a couple of very loud interventions while the minister was speaking. It is hard for me to hear the answer. Sometimes it is difficult to hear the question.
I know I could identify the members, but they are hon. members. I ask them to please hold their comments back.
The hon. minister.
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- Apr/11/24 3:03:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, the Canada Border Services Agency is conducting internal reviews on the matter. The RCMP is also looking into the questions. We have said that anybody who has misused or abused taxpayers' funds will be held accountable, and we look forward to the processes' coming to their conclusion.
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- Apr/11/24 3:04:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is not worth the cost or corruption. In the past year, the government has spent over $21 billion on outside consultants. Rather than helping struggling Canadians, he is focused on making Liberal insiders richer. It is no shock that the Liberal-favoured GC Strategies, which pocketed $20 million for doing nothing on arrive scam, was founded in the same year he took office.
Will the Prime Minister commit to cutting all waste and corruption in the upcoming budget, or will he continue to make more Liberal insiders rich?
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- Apr/11/24 3:04:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as my colleague knows, the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, the President of the Treasury Board and I, as the minister responsible for the Canada Border Services Agency, have already taken steps to reduce reliance on outside consultants. We have reviewed and changed the process for approving these kinds of contracts.
We will continue to look at everything necessary to ensure that taxpayers' money is well spent. The people who are responsible for these decisions know they will be held accountable in the case of misuse or abuse.
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