SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 318

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 27, 2024 11:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 318 - May/27/24
Mr. Mark Gerretsen (Kingston and the Islands, Lib.)
  • May/27/24 8:27:17 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, I always get a kick out of listening to Conservatives say, “But Canada's emissions are just a tiny drop in the bucket globally.” The unfortunate reality for the member, is that despite the fact that maybe the claim helps him sleep at night, Canada has among the worst GHG emissions per capita. As a matter of fact, if we look at the average GHG per capita emissions in Europe, we see that Canada's are three times those. There is only one country in the entire world that has worse GHG emissions per capita than Canada, and that is Australia. What I found really interesting about the member's speech is that he talked at the beginning about how Conservatives like renewable energy, but then spent just about his entire speech talking about fossil fuel extraction. I am wondering whether the member could share with the House what his favourite type of renewable energy is.
160 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 318 - May/27/24
Mr. Mark Gerretsen (Kingston and the Islands, Lib.)
  • May/27/24 10:30:23 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, if I understand the answer to the last question, the member is saying, that because of his definition of what an investment is, things like $10-a-day child care, investing— An hon. member: Oh, oh! Mr. Mark Gerretsen: Mr. Speaker, I should not use the word, but this is what I mean. The Conservatives will be critical of my even saying that. This is the irony of where I am going with this: Any kind of expense, as it relates to a national school food program, for example, is not an investment; it is just an expenditure. That was the member's word. He said that there is an investment and there is an expenditure, and apparently we can invest only if we are investing in something that is going to build us equity. The concept of a social equity is just going to be completely foreign to him. If I understand this correctly, an investment cannot happen in people; it can happen only in a company. Is that what he just said?
177 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 318 - May/27/24
Mr. Mark Gerretsen (Kingston and the Islands, Lib.)
  • May/27/24 10:58:42 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, the difference between the Liberals and the Conservatives is when the court makes a decision, we respect that decision. Even if we do not like it or even if we do not agree with it, we respect it. We do not then turn around and say maybe we will use the notwithstanding clause in order to supersede the decision, which is exactly what the Leader of the Opposition does. The member talked earlier in his speech about the inflationary budget and all this spending was going to lead to inflation. Conservatives have been scaring the public about that since the fall. However, here we are, for the fourth month in a row, and inflation is within the Bank of Canada's targets. As a matter of fact, inflation right now is the lowest it has been in three years. Can the member explain to the House how the inflationary budgets the Conservatives mentioned never actually ended up materializing to produce inflation?
163 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 318 - May/27/24
Mr. Mark Gerretsen (Kingston and the Islands, Lib.)
  • May/27/24 11:12:30 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, I have asked the member this question a number of times, and he neglects to ever really answer it. It is about the fact that he was an MLA in British Columbia when the carbon tax was introduced, and he voted in favour of it. He is on the record having voted for it. Now, he will not answer the question. I have asked it of him many times before. What I really want to know is, is it awkward? Is it awkward to have voted in favour of it, and then to come here and pretend to be against it? Does the member sleep well at night knowing that he is such a giant hypocrite? Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
123 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 318 - May/27/24
Mr. Mark Gerretsen
  • May/27/24 11:13:20 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, I will retract “hypocrite” and replace it with ”the hypocrisy of it”. Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
23 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 318 - May/27/24
Mr. Mark Gerretsen
  • May/27/24 11:13:37 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, if you deem the name “hypocrite” to be offensive, I appreciate that, and I withdraw it, but I just want to know this: Does the hypocrisy really bother him? Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
38 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border