SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 329 - Jun/11/24

Jun/11/24 1:42:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that is a very important question. Of course Ukraine is a very important ally and partner, and Canada has committed to always being there for Ukraine through many different ways, including humanitarian support, military support, resources and, of course, trade support. The member spoke about a recent vote for the modernized Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement, which the party opposite, the Conservatives, has voted against. I am not sure why the Conservatives voted against it, when President Zelenskyy came to Canada and asked for it because it will help Ukraine rebuild. It will grow both of our economies because this is what businesses want. I have sat down with Ukrainian community leaders across Canada, from Kelowna to Calgary and Halifax, and they have all asked for this, so I am not sure why anybody would vote against this crucial support for Ukraine. I can assure members that Canada remains committed to Ukraine.

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Ms. Jennifer O'Connell (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs (Cybersecurity), Lib.)

Jun/11/24 1:43:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague comes from a riding in the GTA in Ontario, like I do. Can he possibly speak to how the investments in infrastructure in our communities are helping to support Canadians across this country, and in particular in his riding as well?

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Mr. Maninder Sidhu

Jun/11/24 1:43:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, infrastructure helps enable building communities, and infrastructure helps enable building transit capacity, so Brampton MPs have come together and advocated for many different projects, like the Riverwalk project in the downtown Brampton core that will help unlock flood lands that are prone to flooding, in order to enable the building of more housing on that land. We have unlocked more infrastructure in transit spending as well. Brampton is one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada, so we want to make sure that our constituents have transit options available. Just Friday we made an announcement of $5 million for additional buses for our residents. We will continue advocating for our residents.

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Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Jun/11/24 1:44:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is repeating the same promise he made nine years ago, when he said he could spend uncontrollably and there would be a rich guy on a hill somewhere who would pay the bill. Such was his promise of a more prosperous life for the middle class. Before we debate this repeated promise, let us first take a look at how things are going. As the Prime Minister himself admitted in a video on taxes a few weeks ago, the gap between the rich and everyone else has only grown. According to a chart created by Statistics Canada, the rich have grown twice as rich since the promise was made in 2015. How are things going for the middle class? Nine out of 10 are paying more taxes than they were before this Prime Minister took office. Middle-class young people can no longer own a home, and 76% of them believe they never will. In addition, more people are using food banks than ever before in our history. Canada has had the worst GDP growth of the G7 since 2015, and the decline continues even now. The OECD has calculated that Canada's economic growth will be the worst of nearly 40 advanced economies for this decade and for three decades to come, which means that the quality of life of Canadian youth will drop compared to youth in other countries. In addition, Canada has lost $460 billion in investments to the United States, or $11,500 per person. The Prime Minister's solution is to keep repeating the same election promises he made nine years ago and has since broken. Now he is proposing a new tax that will apply to health care, housing, farmers, and small and medium-sized businesses. A tax on doctors means even fewer doctors when there is already a doctor shortage. A tax on farmers means more expensive food. A tax on small businesses means fewer jobs and fewer opportunities for our young people. A tax on our economy will send more money to the United States and elsewhere. Billionaires will not pay the tax, because the Prime Minister gave them two months' notice so they could get their money out of the country before this tax comes into effect. Who will pay it, then? First, it will be people who are selling or transferring long-term assets on a one-time basis, like a grandmother trying to sell or gift part of her farm to her children so that they can have a home. Next, it will be the 300,000 businesses or, indirectly, their workers. It will simply lead to higher food costs and smaller paycheques, and it will make it harder to find a doctor. Raising taxes will not solve the problem. That is why the Conservatives will be voting against this tax on health care, food and housing. In my first 60 days as prime minister, I will name a task force of entrepreneurs, inventors, farmers and workers, but no lobbyists. This task force will design a tax reform for lower taxes that would, one, bring home hiring and more powerful paycheques to Canada; two, bring home fairness by reducing the share of the tax burden paid by the poor and working class while cracking down on overseas tax havens and tackling government-funded corporate welfare; and, three, bring home 20% less paperwork by simplifying the tax rules. Lower, simpler, fairer. We will make this a country where hard work is rewarded with a bigger paycheque and a bigger pension to buy affordable food, gas and homes in safe communities. That is just plain common sense. Nine years ago, the Prime Minister promised that he would spend like a drunken sailor, but that there would be a rich guy on a hill somewhere who would pay the price and the middle class would prosper. How is that promise playing out? According to his own video two weeks ago, the rich are twice as rich. Their net worth has gone from $6 trillion to $11 trillion. How is the famous middle class, which we do not hear so much about anymore? Well, 76% of people who do not own a home believe they never will. Young people who do not have help from their parents cannot own homes almost anywhere in the country today. One in five Canadians is skipping meals. In Toronto, one in 10 is going to a food bank, a city that now has 256 homeless encampments, 50 of them added in the last six weeks alone. This is the help for middle-class people and those working hard to join it. The rich have gotten richer nine years after the Prime Minister promised that higher taxes, spending and debt would make things fair. Let us look around the country today. The Prime Minister admits life sucks, in his own words. How is that fair? Now his solution is to bring in a giant job-killing tax on health care, homes, farms and small businesses. He wants to tax away doctors when we have a doctor shortage. He wants to tax home builders when we have a housing shortage. He wants to tax farmers when we have a food price crisis, and he wants to tax small businesses when our economy is already shrinking. The results of this approach have already been shown. Our economy is shrinking, and has been shrinking for two years. We have had the worst economic growth in the G7 per capita since the Prime Minister took office, and since 2019, our economy has shrunk 2% while the American economy has grown by 8%. Meanwhile, we have the worst housing price inflation in all of the G7, the second worst in the entire OECD, after the Prime Minister doubled housing costs. This is exactly the opposite of what the Prime Minister promised would happen if he brought in more taxes. Who will pay this new tax? The good news is that billionaires will not pay it. The Prime Minister has given them two full months to sell their assets and get their money out of Canada to build a business south of the border or in some faraway place. Who will be left behind to pay the bills? It will be people selling long-term assets, such as the wonderful grandmother who tried to divide up her farmland so her kids could have a small property to live on and is getting hit with a $40,000 tax bill, or the 300,000 businesses, most of them small businesses, and, indirectly, all of their workers, that will see long-term pay cuts or stalled wages as a result of their owners' inability to invest. Those people, like taxi drivers and others, who have saved up in a company, will pay higher taxes on every single new dollar they invest in our economy. Raising taxes and punishing our health care providers, home builders, small businesses and farmers will only drive wages down and the cost of living up. That is why common-sense Conservatives will do exactly the opposite. Within 60 days of becoming prime minister, my government would name a tax reform task force of entrepreneurs, inventors, farmers and workers, but no lobbyists, to design a bring-it-home tax cut that would, one, bring home production and paycheques with lower taxes on work, hiring and making stuff; two, bring home fairness by reducing the share of the tax burden paid by the poor and working class while cutting back on tax-funded corporate welfare and cracking down on overseas tax havens; and, three, bring home less paperwork by simplifying the tax rules. Conservatives will make this a country where hard work is again rewarded, where those who spend sleepless nights mortgaging their homes and wondering how they will pay the bills will be richly rewarded for their sacrifice in building the economy. It will be a country based on meritocracy not aristocracy, where people get ahead by working hard, not through having a family trust fund, like the Prime Minister. It would be a country where, if one works hard, they would earn a powerful paycheque that would buy affordable food, gas and homes in safe neighbourhoods. That future is for the common sense of the common people, united for our common home, their home, my home, our home. Let us bring it home.

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Mr. Mark Gerretsen (Kingston and the Islands, Lib.)

Jun/11/24 1:55:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we just found out moments ago that Conservatives have now decided that they will not be voting in favour of fairness for Canadians, but will, in fact, be voting today against the ways and means motion to set fairness for everybody. Can the Leader of the Opposition take the opportunity now to explain his position because he has been absolutely mute on this for the last number of weeks?

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Hon. Pierre Poilievre

Jun/11/24 1:55:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think the member has a problem with his earpiece because I just finished explaining my position. My position is that a job-killing tax on health care, homes, farms and small businesses is the last thing we need in this cost of living crisis, which the Prime Minister has caused. He wants to tax doctors away when we have a doctor shortage. He wants to tax farmers when we have a food price crisis. He wants to tax home builders when we do not have enough homes. He wants to tax small business when our economy is already falling off the cliff and having the worst growth in the G7. That is insanity. Common-sense Conservatives would bring in taxes that are lower, fairer and simpler, so that hard work would pay off with a powerful paycheque that would buy affordable food, gas and homes in safe neighbourhoods.

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Farms

Mr. Rhéal Éloi Fortin (Rivière-du-Nord, BQ)

Jun/11/24 1:56:52 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-69

Mr. Speaker, there are two things I would like to point out about Bill C-69. First, there is the much-touted open banking system provided for in division 16 of the bill, which my colleague from Joliette mentioned earlier in his speech. That is a real problem for Quebec. Should the Leader of the Opposition become prime minister, I would like to know whether he will repeal that division in order to give Quebec back its power over Caisses Desjardins and the other financial institutions currently regulated by Quebec. Second, we have been hearing the leader of the Conservative Party talk about the carbon tax problem for months now. However, Derek Evans, the executive chair of Pathways Alliance and one of the financiers who contributed to his campaign, said that the best piece of advice he would give the Leader of the Opposition is that carbon policy is going to be absolutely critical to maintain Canada's standing on the world stage. What does the leader of the Conservative Party think about Mr. Evans' advice?

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Hon. Pierre Poilievre

Jun/11/24 1:58:12 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, he sounds like another useless lobbyist saying stupid things. I do not listen to big corporate lobbyists like him. If the Bloc Québécois wants to listen to lobbyists, they are free to do so. I know that big corporations and sometimes even very big corporations have no problem forcing workers to pay more tax on their gas but, personally, I cannot do that. I work for workers and consumers. That is why we are going to axe the tax. The question points to the useless lobbyists who support the government's high-tax agenda and who always wants to raise taxes on someone else and make others pay. That is why, if one is an entrepreneur, they should fire their lobbyists and talk to the people. That is what I have been saying for years. Finally, people need to elect a Conservative government that would axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime.

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Ms. Bonita Zarrillo (Port Moody—Coquitlam, NDP)

Jun/11/24 1:59:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the member and I went to the same high school. In grade 10, the required reading was The Handmaid's Tale, which was hard to read. I will tell members what else is difficult to read, and that is what is happening in the United States and the fact that it is looking at taking away a woman's right to choose. I think about the fact that the member has been courting incels for months at a time and that the last Conservative from Port Moody—Coquitlam was an anti-abortionist. I want to know this for sure today, right now. Does the member support a woman's right to choose? Is he going to take away a woman's right to choose if Conservatives ever, and I hope it never happens, become government in this country?

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Hon. Pierre Poilievre

Jun/11/24 2:00:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, no.

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Mr. Fraser Tolmie (Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, CPC)

Jun/11/24 2:00:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on April 1, the Royal Canadian Air Force celebrated its centennial anniversary. This anniversary recognizes not only the importance of the Royal Canadian Air Force to Canada, it also recognizes all those who have served and sacrificed. Moose Jaw, home to 15 Wing, was originally part of the British Commonwealth air training plan, generally considered the greatest air crew training program of all time. This tradition continues to date through the NFTC program, and 15 Wing is also home to the Canadian Armed Forces Snowbird Air Demonstration Squadron. The Snowbirds have close ties to their local community, where the newest WHL champions, the Moose Jaw Warriors, are donning the Snowbirds logo on their jersey. The Snowbirds showcase the professionalism and dedication of the RCAF and all other branches of the Canadian Armed Forces. On behalf of all Canadians, I congratulate the RCAF on its centennial, and I invite everyone to join me for Air Force Day on the Hill, at five o'clock today, at the Sir John A. Macdonald Building.

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Mr. Chandra Arya (Nepean, Lib.)

Jun/11/24 2:02:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I had the pleasure of attending the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association Ottawa Chapter's annual event celebrating the 40th anniversary of HKCBA and Asian Heritage Month. I would like to thank Frank Eng, the president of the Ottawa Chapter, and Jesse Zhang for organizing this successful event and for inviting me. For many years, I have attended various events organized by this organization. This year's program included a workshop with Mark Kruger, who was a previous IMF representative for Canada and a senior policy director for the Bank of Canada. Participants included Sonja Chong, the national chair; Joseph Chaung, the national vice chair; Jodi Robinson, executive director, China Trade and Investment at Global Affairs Canada; several elected officials; and over 150 business professionals.

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Ms. Anju Dhillon (Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle, Lib.)

Jun/11/24 2:03:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, 40 years ago, June 1984, was seared on the Sikh psyche. The Indian army stormed the Golden Temple in Amritsar, as well as countless other gurdwaras. A religious holiday, where thousands of pilgrims would be visiting, this day was chosen to maximize damage to Sikh lives. The result of the carnage was such that the bullet-riddled bodies of pilgrims, men whose hands were still tied behind their backs, were being thrown in trucks by the hundreds to be mass cremated. This included babies and even elderly who were weak but still alive. The sacred pool had turned red with their blood. The surrounding holy buildings damaged, the marble floors cracked under the heavy army tanks. The library that contained centuries of text was burned to ashes. Over days and days, this terror was unleashed upon these innocent lives. No one could come and go. No help came. They were imprisoned and easy, vulnerable targets. There is no justification for this attack.

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Ms. Marie-Hélène Gaudreau (Laurentides—Labelle, BQ)

Jun/11/24 2:04:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Micheline Labelle was a long-time champion of the separatist cause. She passed away on April 16 at the age of 84. Friends and loved ones may pay their respects to her family on Saturday. Micheline Labelle was one of modern Quebec's great intellectuals, and her kindness and open-mindedness left an indelible mark on all who crossed her path. She obtained a Ph.D. in anthropology from the Université de Montréal. Her enduring interest in the problems of racism and discrimination led her to create an international observatory that attracted the support of partners such as the Grand Council of the Crees and the Table de concertation des organismes au service des personnes réfugiées et immigrantes, an association of organizations serving refugees and immigrants. As a professor emeritus in UQAM's sociology department, she left her mark on generations of students and was awarded the Thérèse Casgrain equality prize in 1989 for her dedication to equality. She was a lifelong advocate of secularism, and we must honour her memory by fighting that good fight.

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Mrs. Marie-France Lalonde (Orléans, Lib.)

Jun/11/24 2:05:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today is Air Force Day on Parliament Hill. It is an opportunity to highlight the incredible work of the Royal Canadian Air Force, or RCAF, as it celebrates its centennial year. For 100 years, members of the RCAF have served Canadians here at home and around the world. We thank them for their incredible dedication to Canada. RCAF aviators have participated in missions around the globe, including the Second World War, the Cold War, as well as NATO and NORAD operations. Today, our government is making the largest investment in the RCAF since the Second World War. The RCAF represents the very best of Canada, and its members can count on our unyielding support. Today and always, we thank all current and former members of the RCAF. It is because of them that the RCAF has a reputation for professionalism, dedication and excellence. Sic itur ad astra.

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Mr. Philip Lawrence (Northumberland—Peterborough South, CPC)

Jun/11/24 2:06:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canada is in trouble. The OECD calculated that Canada's economic growth will be the worst of nearly 40 advanced economies for this decade and for three decades to come. Of course, the Liberal solution to any problem is to tax and tax. The Liberals' capital gains increase is their latest tax grab. They say that it will only affect 0.13% of Canadians, but this is the same government that tells us we get back more in the carbon tax rebate than we pay in carbon tax. It is laughable. At a time when Canada desperately needs investment, growth and innovators, the government is pushing them out the door. This is not the answer. A future Conservative government will make work pay again. We will celebrate success, not demonize it. We will build a path to prosperity and eliminate those dream-crushing barriers along the way. We are on the side of hope, growth and prosperity, and the Liberals are on the side of decay, decline and poverty.

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Mr. Vance Badawey (Niagara Centre, Lib.)

Jun/11/24 2:07:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, each month a student at Notre Dame College School in Welland is awarded the “Super Locker”. This honour is awarded to students who perform simple acts of kindness at their school and throughout their community. Today, I am proud to congratulate Samantha Calderon, Dezaray St Jean, Jose Palma Alfaro, Stacey Imotsikeme, Nicole Berry, Rachel Taylor, Anasofia Gonzalez, TJ Joseph, Serena Hounslow, Ava Menary and Luca Giancola for receiving the Super Locker award this year. These remarkable students demonstrate the importance of helping each other, showing compassion and, most important, spreading kindness, inspiring others to strengthen our responsibility to our citizenship based on the values handed down to us by previous generations of Canadians. Whether it is a warm smile, small acts of generosity or a word of encouragement, we can always make a positive difference. Let us join the Fighting Irish in congratulating these students, and let us reaffirm our commitment to spreading kindness to make the world a better place.

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Mr. Darren Fisher (Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, Lib.)

Jun/11/24 2:08:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my hometown of Dartmouth rests on the shores of Halifax harbour, on beautiful Dartmouth Cove. Two years ago, a proponent applied to use Dartmouth Cove as a dump for pyritic slate from construction sites to infill nearly seven acres of this cove, a cover where important marine research and activities take place and where evidence clearly shows that fish and other species are flourishing. The local councillor made it very clear that this infill would be a moonscape, not zoned for development. Dartmouth spoke out. We continue to speak out against this infill for the sake of infill, because Dartmouth Cove is not a dump for someone's fill. Now the proponent is threatening to sue me if I speak out. I was elected to represent the people of Dartmouth—Cole Harbour to be their voice. It is my job to bring their concerns to Ottawa, to advocate, to stand up and to speak out. Dartmouth Cove is not a dumpsite for someone's fill. I will not be silenced.

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Mr. Brad Vis (Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, CPC)

Jun/11/24 2:09:47 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-208

Mr. Speaker, at a time when food insecurity is skyrocketing and millions are lining up at food banks, the government is bringing forward a punishing capital gains tax hike that would disproportionately affect family farms and small business. According to the Grain Growers of Canada, it will amount to a 30% increase on what farmers have to pay Ottawa when they pass on their family business to their son or daughter. The Conservatives have fought hard to preserve family farming, including by passing Bill C-208 in the last Parliament, but the Liberals are trying to undo it with a punishing capital gains tax hike. It is like they are trying to outlaw family businesses. If families cannot afford to farm, it will lead to more industrial farming and higher food costs. Why is the government trying to kill family farms when all they want to do is put high-quality, affordable food on our tables? How is any of this fair?

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Ms. Pam Damoff (Oakville North—Burlington, Lib.)

Jun/11/24 2:10:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, gun violence is a public health issue that includes suicide, gender-based violence and gun crime. Last Friday was National Day Against Gun Violence. In 2022, I worked with the Toronto Raptors' John Wiggins to create a day that would honour those killed by gun violence and would commit to eliminate gun violence in all its forms. Last year, the Prime Minister declared the National Day Against Gun Violence would be observed in Canada on the first Friday in June. Last year, we joined the Toronto Raptors and many community organizations that advocate for community safety and anti-gun violence. This year, I hosted a round table with Halton MPs to hear from local organizations that are doing great work with youth in our community, with funding through the building safer communities fund. I was pleased to see MPs and community organizations across the country recognize the National Day Against Gun Violence with events raising awareness on the issue.

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