44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 3, 2024 10:00AM
Mr. Speaker, I know that the member opposite feels that grocery prices are too high, and they have been, certainly. However, the CPI index has shown that food prices are stabilizing in our economy, which is good news for Canadians.
What the government is doing is proposing multiple rounds of reforms to the Competition Act. It is good to see that the NDP and other parties are starting to work with us. Earlier this week, we got Bill C-59 through the finance committee, which was great progress on reforming the competition laws.
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- May/3/24 11:52:32 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, sadly, Alberta is on track to have the most toxic drug deaths per capita in Canada by June. Clearly, Alberta's Conservative recovery-only model is tragically failing, but who has jumped on board to support it? The Conservative leader has. While he regularly meets up with far right extremist groups, he will not even meet with Moms Stop the Harm, families that have lost loved ones to the toxic drug crisis. That is the kind of guy he is.
The Liberals have let it happen by not taking a national approach to fighting the crisis. When will the Liberal government finally intervene?
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- May/3/24 11:53:22 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, too many Canadians are dying every day from the ever-challenging illegal toxic drug supply.
The opposition leader talks a big talk about investing in treatment, but when the Conservatives were last in government, they cut two-thirds of their own drug treatment fund. Will he slam the door in the face of those groups like Moms Stop the Harm that are asking for help? Will he cancel safe consumption sites, knowing that they save lives? Will he refuse to meet the moment of the situation, just use slogans and do nothing, or will he commit to harm reduction, prevention, treatment and saving lives?
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- May/3/24 11:54:02 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the other day I was thinking about why it is so important for Canada to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. It is important for the economy. Obviously, economic prosperity and ecological prosperity go hand in hand. I was looking at the national inventory report, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that we have reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
I would like to ask the environment minister what the next steps are to ensure we continue on the right track.
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- May/3/24 11:54:43 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for her question.
In fact, yesterday's report demonstrates—and this has been confirmed by the independent Canadian Climate Institute, for one—that we are on track to meet our 2026 interim targets and the 2030 goal. This will be a first in Canadian history.
Between 2019 and 2022, we reduced greenhouse gas emissions in Canada by the equivalent of 15 million vehicles taken off our roads, but we need to do more. I completely agree. That is why we are working on new regulations for a carbon-neutral electricity grid by 2035 as well as regulations for a cap on greenhouse gas emissions, which will be announced shortly.
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- May/3/24 11:55:23 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, $110 million is how much the Liberal employment minister's private company landed from the Liberal government.
The Liberal minister used his role to get meetings for his business partner with the finance minister and with the Prime Minister's office, using his position to enrich his business partner and himself. After nine years of the NDP-Liberal government, it is clear it is not worth the cost and certainly not the corruption.
How much taxpayer cash did the Liberal minister pocket on the backs of hard-working Canadians?
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- May/3/24 11:56:02 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canada, of course, has the most stringent ethics rules for parliamentarians in almost all of the world. The minister has addressed the question.
It is pretty clear that the Conservatives will do anything they can to distract from their vow to rip up the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
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- May/3/24 11:56:25 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are trying to distract and divide. A common-sense Conservative government would use the notwithstanding clause only on matters of criminal justice.
It is unconscionable that the government would allow a mass murderer like the Quebec mosque shooter to ever be released from prison. He murdered six innocent worshippers, and the only way he should have left maximum security was in a box.
Our question was about the corruption of the Liberal government and the employment minister's pocketing cash on the backs of taxpayers. Will the Liberals do the right thing and call in the RCMP?
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- May/3/24 11:57:06 a.m.
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It is very nice, Mr. Speaker, to have some clarity on that. I would remind the member that at one time in this country, reproductive rights were a criminal matter.
Could the member lay out, in very specific detail for the House, now that he is talking about the notwithstanding clause, whether he would make reproductive rights for women in this country a criminal matter once again, yes or no?
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- May/3/24 11:57:46 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, a lobbying firm owned by the business partner of the lone Alberta minister secured $110 million in federal contracts. As money went out the door, the minister was receiving payments from the very same lobbying firm. This is scandalous.
Canadians deserve to know what the minister's cut was. How much was he paid?
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- May/3/24 11:58:13 a.m.
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Canada has incredibly stringent ethics rules, Mr. Speaker, and the minister has addressed those questions.
I do not know whether the member has communicated with his hon. friend who just got up, but maybe he could answer for us specifically now which criminal matters will apply to the ripping up of Canada's fundamental rights and freedoms? I would ask him to be very specific and point us to chapter and verse. Which rights of Canadians is he vowing to rip up today?
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- May/3/24 11:58:51 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the minister is clearly in full cover-up mode, because it gets worse. The minister's business partner was lobbying the minister's own department as cheques were being cut from the lobbying firm to the minister. If that does not smell of self-dealing and corruption, I do not know what does.
Once again, how much has the minister pocketed from the lobbying firm since he was appointed to cabinet?
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- May/3/24 11:59:20 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, of course, the minister has addressed that question, but I want to return to this theme. The Conservatives—
Som hon. members: Oh, oh!
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- May/3/24 11:59:28 a.m.
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There are a number of questions to go, so I want to make sure we have order in the House.
The hon. government House leader.
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- May/3/24 11:59:46 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is pretty clear that the folks over here have not really spoken and gotten their story straight. The member is proposing to put reproductive rights back into a category of criminal behaviour. Other members will not answer which specific rights they would take away.
The member has refused to stand up to answer the question of which rights. Is it the freedom of expression? What specific rights would your leader take away as a result of his vow to tear up the Charter of Rights and Freedoms?
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- May/3/24 12:00:23 p.m.
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Members are to make sure that their questions and answers go through the Chair.
The hon. member for Terrebonne.
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- May/3/24 12:00:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, a growing number of small and medium-sized businesses, or SMEs, are warning us that the federal government is behaving like a predator when it comes to emergency business account loans. They tell us that they paid off their entire loan to the federal government, but after being just a few days late, sometimes for reasons beyond their control, the federal government is still cutting their $20,000 grant portion.
Out of sheer intransigence, the Liberals are threatening the very survival of businesses and organizations, even after they repay their loans. Why are they being so inflexible toward SMEs acting in good faith?
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- May/3/24 12:01:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for her continued advocacy for small businesses in Canada. We share that view. That is why the CEBA program supported over 900,000 small businesses through the pandemic, and we estimate that 80% of them have repaid their loans so far. As we move away from the pandemic, we are taking serious concrete action to support small businesses, both by providing funding and by cutting costs.
I am getting heckled, of course, by the Conservatives, who voted against every single measure that we have put forward since 2015 to support small businesses.
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- May/3/24 12:01:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the government is supposed to support struggling businesses, not kick them when they are down. This is a very unfortunate situation that perfectly illustrates the federal government's program management.
Once again, when people want to talk to the federal government, there is no one human on the other end of the line. There is no flexibility, no exceptions, no case-by-case consideration and no humanity.
Can the government tell us how many businesses that repaid their loans are still going to be squeezed out of another $20,000 due to sheer lack of compassion?
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- May/3/24 12:02:20 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I answered that question in the previous answer, and nearly 80% of small businesses have actually already paid back their CEBA loans. As we move forward from the pandemic, small businesses have nearly three years, until the end of 2026, to repay their CEBA loans, and they have access to a low interest rate of 5%.
Meanwhile, we are investing in communities and strengthening our economy. Budget 2024 has a number of supports for small businesses, whether it is through supporting start-ups with quantum AI.
I am looking forward to more to come to speak to—
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