44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 13, 2024 10:00AM
- Jun/13/24 2:56:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what Canadians understand, especially farmers in Quebec, is fairness.
The latest federal budget we tabled was about fairness for every generation. It will enable us to invest in the next generation, in going concerns, and in our seniors. Surprise, surprise, the Conservatives voted against tax fairness.
I know farmers have big hearts. I know farmers are thinking about future generations. I know farmers want Canada to keep getting better.
That is exactly what we are doing.
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- Jun/13/24 2:57:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, to return to the matter of Chalk River and the nuclear waste landfill site on the banks of the Ottawa River.
In late March, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories admitted to dumping toxic waters into the river.
Mr. Speaker, there is chatter coming from both sides of the House. I would ask for silence.
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- Jun/13/24 2:57:22 p.m.
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Indeed, tempers are running very hot today. I ask members who wish to have conversations to please do so outside the chamber.
I invite the hon. member for Repentigny to begin her question again.
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- Jun/13/24 2:58:00 p.m.
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Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Returning to the matter of Chalk River and the nuclear waste landfill site on the banks of the Ottawa River.
In late March, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, also called CNL, admitted to dumping toxic waters into the river. The lethality of these waters is already acute, which means that, within four days, they kill half of the fish that swim in them.
We know that many experts have warned about the risks of contamination caused by radioactive substances. Three months later, despite our questions, neither CNL nor the Department of the Environment has revealed which contaminants were involved.
Were they radioactive, yes or no?
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- Jun/13/24 2:58:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, CNL has confirmed that the waste water was unrelated to radioactive contaminants and poses no threat to the public.
We continue working to ensure that the laboratories comply with the regulations.
The waters were certainly not radioactive.
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- Jun/13/24 2:59:20 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Kebaowek First Nation, part of the Anishnabeg Nation, is a community in my riding that has made a number of demands to which the Bloc Québécois and 140 municipalities have added their voices. It is calling for a thorough investigation and compliance measures in consultation with indigenous peoples, which was not done in the Chalk River case. It is also calling for transparency.
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories knew as early as February that they were dumping toxic water, but did not report it until the end of March.
How can the federal government trust a laboratory that has problems with contaminated water and transparency to manage a nuclear waste dump on the Ottawa River, which flows right here beneath Parliament Hill?
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- Jun/13/24 3:00:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I have already said, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories has confirmed that the waste water is not linked to radioactive contaminants and poses no threat to the public.
CNL and government experts continue to monitor the Ottawa River. They are reporting that there is no obvious damage to the environment.
The health and safety of the environment and the public is our top priority.
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- Jun/13/24 3:00:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, over six million Canadians do not have access to a family doctor. According to the Commonwealth Fund, after nine years of the Liberal-NDP government, the number of Canadians without access to a regular care provider has doubled. What is the government's solution to the doctor shortage? It is to tax them out of the country. The health-care-killing tax on health care providers will force them to practise elsewhere, making the doctor shortage crisis even worse. How is that fair?
How many communities will go without doctors because doctors are leaving Canada due to the Prime Minister's new tax?
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- Jun/13/24 3:01:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that the only time the Conservatives have asked in the House about health care or a shortage of doctors is when there has been a proposal to create a more fair tax system that asked the 0.13% of people to pay a bit more. Suddenly now, the Conservatives are interested in health care.
What is not going to help? Conservative cuts will not help. The $200 billion that Liberals have invested, with 26 health agreements, in every province and every territory, is making sure we see progress every day in our health system, from dental care to pharmacare and primary care.
What is going to stop that dead in its tracks are the cuts the Conservatives want to bring. Liberals are here to make sure they do not get to do it.
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- Jun/13/24 3:02:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are scrambling, and their facts do not add up. Kneecapping our health care providers to pay for the government's credit card bill is bad fiscal policy and it is bad health care policy. The key to a sound, robust health care system is preventative medicine, ensuring that Canadians get timely access to the health care they need. This not only saves lives but also saves government money. Increasing the tax burden on doctors who carry out this work will only force doctors out of the country.
When will the pompous Prime Minister finally listen to the thousands of people on wait-lists?
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- Jun/13/24 3:02:40 p.m.
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The hon. member is a well-respected member of the House. I am just going to ask her very quickly to withdraw that one word, because it does refer to an individual member.
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- Jun/13/24 3:02:57 p.m.
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I will withdraw it, Mr. Speaker.
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- Jun/13/24 3:03:01 p.m.
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I thank the hon. member for doing so.
The hon. Minister of Health.
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- Jun/13/24 3:03:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when someone is out of arguments, they turn to insults. We are asking the 0.13% of people to pay a bit more so that we can have fairness and equity in our tax system, making sure a nurse does not pay a higher marginal rate of tax than a millionaire, which is fundamentally unfair.
Do members know what will kneecap our health care system? There have been 200,000 seniors in just six weeks who have accessed dental care, and the Conservatives want to take that away. Pharmacare is making sure that diabetes patients get the medicine they need; the Conservatives want to cut that. That will kneecap our health care system. We will not allow that to happen.
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- Jun/13/24 3:03:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that the Minister of Health does not realize that after nine years, there is a major, historic crisis caused by the lack of family doctors in Canada.
Increasing the capital gains tax will have an impact on the economy and the quality of life of Canadians. In the midst of this challenging economic chaos they have created, the Liberals decide to tax capital gains even more. Supposedly, they want to make the rich pay. This is a tax cover-up and it will have a major impact. As a result of the exodus, the list of Canadians without a doctor will grow, not shrink. In Quebec, there are already 2.3 million people without a family doctor.
What does the Minister of Health say in response—
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- Jun/13/24 3:04:28 p.m.
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The hon. Minister of Health.
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- Jun/13/24 3:04:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I can say clearly that, in a fairer and more equitable system, a nurse does not pay a higher rate of tax than someone with millions of dollars. It just makes sense.
It is absolutely undeniable that our health care system is threatened by fewer investments, which are essential to improving the quality of health care. We are absolutely going to protect our health care system. That is our goal.
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- Jun/13/24 3:05:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after a decade of chronic underfunding by the Conservatives, our government has made historic investments in housing and infrastructure for communities from coast to coast to coast.
Earlier this week, our government concluded a $2.8-billion agreement with Quebec that will help the municipalities revitalize critical infrastructure and support housing projects through the Canada community-building fund.
Can the minister explain how this funding will help communities in Quebec to build more housing more quickly?
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- Jun/13/24 3:05:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Vaudreuil—Soulanges, who understands how critical it is to invest in our community infrastructure and in housing for Quebeckers and Canadians across the country.
The recent agreement with Quebec will guarantee $2.8 billion over the next five years, including $535 million this year to help build housing and to build it more quickly.
While the opposition leader spends his time finding excuses for opposing tax fairness, we will continue to focus on delivering help so that all Canadians and their families can get ahead.
We have a plan to help build housing in Quebec. The Conservatives have a plan to insult local leaders, create conflicts and not build any housing.
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- Jun/13/24 3:06:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, last week we learned that Canadian rents are at an all-time high, averaging $2,200 a month, and it is only going to get worse. The Canadian Federation of Apartment Associations says the new Liberal capital gains tax will discourage construction of new rental homes. The NDP-Liberal government is crushing the prospect of bringing new rental units into our communities. What part of that says “generational fairness”?
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