44th Parl. 1st Sess.
September 19, 2024 10:00AM
- Sep/19/24 6:37:19 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to start out by thanking many people, specifically, Basic Income Canada, Manitoba, UBI Works and, of course, the Hon. Senator Kim Pate, whom I partnered with on the bill; she presented it on the Senate side. It is time for a guaranteed livable basic income to bring together people across Canada who are falling through the cracks.
I want to urge my colleagues to take this opportunity to make a final effort to get this passed to committee. I have heard today that it is just a framework. There are limits with PMBs. There is no budgetary allotment in it. We are not allowed to do that within the parameters of a PMB, but we are allowed to put in a framework. All together, we can get the framework to committee for further study.
I know that many people, all MPs across this Parliament, heard from their constituents over the summer that people everywhere are struggling to keep up with the rising cost of living. The people we represent need real solutions. We have income guarantees in this country: EI and GIS are income guarantees, but they are not livable.
I am not proposing anything new. All I am proposing is to make current income guarantees livable and expand them for people who are falling through the cracks. Somebody said it is not for international students. My bill very clearly states that it is for anybody over the age of 17 residing in Canada.
We know that, in recent years, policy-makers largely abandoned efforts to invest in our people and our communities, focusing instead on investing in huge corporations through subsidies and tax breaks. To those who say that, if we have a basic income, people will stop working, I say that is false. Research, time and time again, has proved that to be false. There is no evidence that a basic income discourages work. In fact, it does the exact opposite.
For example, the Canada child tax benefit is a kind of basic income in this country for families. Mothers do not work less; they actually work more. The Canada child benefit grows the economy. If we want to talk about benefits to the economy, there is two dollars for every dollar invested, and it keeps 250,000 families out of poverty and contributes 450,000 jobs to the economy. Basic income is good for the economy. The myth of the poor person trying to game the welfare system is nothing more than poor-bashing. What is far more common is the ultrawealthy gaming the system to evade paying taxes.
To those who say that, if we have a basic income, inflation will get worse, that is false. Inflation worsens when the government borrows money or increases the money supply, but this is not necessary to introduce a GLBI. Every cent needed to support a basic income is already being spent in this economy on corporate subsidies and inefficiencies in the social safety net.
To those who say a basic income is too expensive, let us start talking about the high cost of poverty, such as the fact that it costs $225,000 a year to house one woman in a federal penitentiary. Let us talk about the high cost to our health care system; poverty keeps people sick and causes a strain to our health care system. That costs a lot of money. Governments dump billions of dollars into criminalizing poverty rather than addressing its root causes.
I am asking all members of Parliament today to study this more. I am asking for members to lend their votes to get this to committee. Instead of basing decisions on false understandings of a GLBI, let us really study it. Let us at least support the bill to get it through second reading, so we can study it and make policy decisions based on facts, not assumptions.
I thank everybody who is supporting the bill. It means a lot to hundreds of thousands of people, including the many seniors who support the bill and, of course, those in the disability community, who are critically left out of the social safety net.
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- Sep/19/24 6:42:17 p.m.
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It being 6:42 p.m., the time provided for debate has expired.
Is the House ready for the question?
Some hon. members: Question.
The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes): The question is on the motion.
If a member participating in person wishes that the motion be carried or carried on division, or if a member of a recognized party participating in person wishes to request a recorded division, I would invite them to rise and indicate it to the Chair.
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- Sep/19/24 6:42:56 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to request a recorded division.
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- Sep/19/24 6:42:59 p.m.
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Pursuant to Standing Order 93, the recorded division stands deferred until Wednesday, September 25, at the expiry of the time provided for Oral Questions.
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- Sep/19/24 6:43:29 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, it is an honour to rise on behalf of the residents of Kelowna—Lake Country.
After nine years of the NDP-Liberals, housing, gas and groceries cost more, and hard-working Canadians increasingly cannot pay their bills, yet the NDP-Liberal government wants the carbon tax to continue to rise to add 61¢ per litre, driving up the cost of almost everything. When we tax those who farm, who transport, who warehouse and who retail, we tax the one who buys. Families will already be paying $700 more for food this year than in 2023.
The carbon tax has already been such a costly disaster for Canadian small businesses and for family pocketbooks that there are fewer politicians in Canada now defending it. In their latest desperate publicity stunt, both the leader of the NDP here and the NDP premier of British Columbia have tried to make Canadians believe that now, on the eve of, or with the possibility of, an election, they were opposed to the carbon taxes, which they have strongly supported their entire political careers. Who can believe their baloney? The NDP voted to defend the carbon tax 24 separate times in the House, even though 70% of Canadians wanted to cancel the increase earlier this year.
The Fraser Institute reported that a carbon tax that continues to increase to 61¢ per litre would cost the average Canadian worker $6,700 by 2030. It is estimated that it will also reduce Canada's GDP by 6.2% by 2030, resulting in 164,000 fewer jobs. The federal carbon tax will also have a negative economic impact on Canada's real gross domestic product, the GDP, of $25 billion by 2030, according to the government's own figures, numbers the government tried to hide even from the Parliamentary Budget Officer. That is just carbon tax one.
Recently, Conservatives forced the government to turn over documents on its second carbon tax, which show carbon tax two will cost the Canadian economy an additional $9 billion by 2030.
The carbon taxes are not an environmental plan, but a tax plan. Forcing carbon taxes on Canadians has not stopped a single natural disaster. Meanwhile, the NDP-Liberal government killed green energy projects, such as Sustainable Marine Canada's tidal energy project and continued to import dirty oil from foreign dictators with poor environmental standards. Canada fell to 62nd out of 67 countries on the climate change performance index.
Canadians are not going to be fooled. The phantom finance minister, carbon tax Mark Carney, may now be writing government policy from the boardroom of the Liberal Party of Canada, but it was just one year ago that he wrote that the Prime Minister was wrong even to exempt home heating fuels from the carbon tax.
Canadians face a clear choice between a continuing cost-of-living crisis with the costly coalition or a Conservative government that would axe the tax.
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- Sep/19/24 6:47:18 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, we have been here before and we have talked about this before, with the member opposite and with many other members.
The last I checked, Kelowna—Lake Country, a beautiful place, is in British Columbia. There is no federal price on pollution in British Columbia. In fact, it was a Liberal government in British Columbia that brought forward Canada's first carbon pricing system. It has been in effect for over a decade and it has been drastically reducing the emissions of British Columbia since then.
For the first time since the 1990s, Canada has our emissions under check. Just recently, yesterday in fact, the Canadian Climate Institute said that, once again, in 2023, Canada's emissions had fallen. In addition to that, they said that one of the chief reasons for that was because of carbon pricing. Whether it is on the industrial side or the consumer price, carbon pricing works.
I do not have a Nobel Prize, and last time I checked, there were no Nobel Prize winners in this House of Commons, but one person has, in fact, won a Nobel Prize for carbon pricing. He has said that Canada's carbon pricing system gets it right.
The Conservatives have been using these lines about what is up. Instead of talking about what is up right now, I would like to talk about what is down. Currently, inflation is down to the target range of 2%. Canadians are still having a difficult time financially, no mistake about that. However, when inflation comes down, that means prices are on their way down as well. With that 2% inflation rate, which is right in line with the Bank of Canada's goals, we also have seen that interest rates are down.
With inflation coming down, one of the chief causes of that is lower gas prices. Gas prices have hit lows that we have not seen since around the pandemic when they fell because people were not driving as much.
If, as the Conservatives say, carbon pricing is causing inflation, the price on pollution in Canada has gone up every year for the last four years and over the last four years, our inflation has steadily come down. Either the Conservatives cannot do math, or they think Canadians are so stupid that they cannot do math, or both. I actually would not put it past them that they might just be willing to treat Canadians with no respect and will keep using these tired tag lines instead of putting forth some actual policies that would grow our economy and reduce our emissions.
Gratefully, we are doing just that. We are following the lead of British Columbia. My colleague from Manitoba loves to heckle me, he does it all the time and it does not impact me whatsoever. Again, they are not very good arguments that he puts forward.
We have made it very clear, Canadians get more money back through the price on pollution, the Canada carbon rebate, than they pay. That is true and has been clearly stated by the PBO, by 300 economists across this country, and the Parliamentary Budget Officer. That means that low- and medium-income households benefit the most.
I know I am talking to a Conservative right now, and they do not typically care too much about low- and medium-income households, usually just focusing on corporations, millionaires and which oil and gas CEO is asking them to do one thing or another. However, we did just finish a debate on a guaranteed livable income, and things like this, the Canada carbon rebate, the Canada child benefit and the GIS mean more money in Canadians' pockets and that actually helps Canadians. What does not help Canadians is tired three-word slogans from the Conservative Party of Canada.
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- Sep/19/24 6:51:04 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, for the member to insinuate that I do not care about residents in my community who are low- or middle-income is pretty awful and pretty shameful.
This Liberal member has made the Liberal Party position very clear about the carbon tax, well, unless it is carving out exceptions due to fear of losing elections, like it did in Atlantic Canada.
Conservatives and most Canadians, including those in my community, do not want to keep paying the carbon taxes. The facts are clear that Canadians are forced to eat less, they are skipping meals and they are buying less healthy food. There is lots of information on this. There are more lineups at food banks, in the millions, just to make ends meet. Just recently, Food Banks B.C. reported that it had served 100,000 food bank users in a single month for the first time.
Canadians cannot afford to endure 12 more months of this cost of living crisis. They should be given the choice to axe the tax and have a carbon tax election.
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- Sep/19/24 6:52:11 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, it is a shame that the Conservatives keep using the words of the food banks completely out of context.
When the food banks propose these things, they also make recommendations. None of the recommendations is to use any of the tired three-word slogans or eliminate a program which is actually supporting low- and medium-income housing. The Conservatives also like to completely ignore the fact that climate change impacts poorer folks more drastically.
I want to say again, Kelowna—Lake Country is in British Columbia, which does not have a federal carbon price. If the member wants it eliminated, then she needs to talk to the Premier of British Columbia. They are working on lots and lots of different environmental protection projects out there, and I would encourage them to do that.
As I said, inflation is down, interest rates are down, gas prices are down and so are emissions. That is thanks to our sound economic policies, not thanks to tired three-word slogans.
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- Sep/19/24 6:53:10 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, on April 15 I asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs if the government could tear itself away from its NDP partner's traditional anti-Israeli ideology and take a strong stand against the Islamic regime in Iran's missile attacks against Israel and support that country's right to exist and to defend itself.
Now that the Liberals no longer enjoy the unconditional love of the NDP to remain in power, is the government finally able to formulate a balanced foreign policy that supports efforts to attain peace in the region? Is the government also able to fully condemn the actions of the Islamic regime in Iran, a rogue nation that supports terrorists and does nothing to restore the peace process? Canadians are concerned about the government's inability to combat anti-Semitism in Canada, enforce our hate laws and remove from Canada organizations like Samidoun that are linked with a listed terrorist organization.
Moreover, the government recently indicated that the Liberals are prepared to abrogate Canada's defence agreement with the U.S. by blocking the sale of Canadian arms to the U.S. that may be destined for Israel. This divergence from the existing arms agreement would not only lead to our American allies thinking Canada is no longer a reliable partner and is failing to live up to the agreement's terms; it would likely lead them to a re-evaluation of our integrated defence industries.
The government cannot have it both ways. Either it supports Israel's right to defend itself, or it does not. For eight months, the government has not issued any permits for sending weapons or weapon components to Israel to defend itself. Moreover, if Canada does block arms sales to the U.S., Canada would be in violation of the 1956 Defence Production Sharing Agreement, which is a key military trade deal between our two countries.
Most Canadians support Israel in its war against Hamas. Let us remember that Israel did not start this war. We will soon be observing the first anniversary of the horrific October 7 attack against Israel by Hamas, when over 1,200 Israelis were killed and hundreds were taken hostage; 101 remain in captivity. Let us also not forget the Islamic regime in Iran's massive missile attack on Israel or that Hezbollah has fired over 8,000 rockets at Israel since October 8.
Canadians fail to see the logic of the Liberal government. In the face of unprecedented anti-Semitic riots across Canada, with supporters of Hamas and the PFLP roaming around and spewing their hate propaganda with immunity, and with attacks launched against Israel by Hamas, the Islamic regime in Iran and its proxies, the Liberal government announces an arms embargo on Israel. What a brilliant policy initiative.
Tehran does not want peace. When it launched its missile attack against Israel, it was not to defend Hamas or to avenge the deaths of Palestinians. It was to destabilize the region and disrupt the Abraham Accords, yet no one saw the Liberal government demanding that Tehran stop supplying arms to Hamas. Canada did not come up with any arms embargo for Tehran. Instead, Canada decided to weaken Israel and its ability to defend itself. Why?
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- Sep/19/24 6:56:57 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I will start by restating, and will continually state, that Canada unequivocally condemns the attack by Iran against Israel. This attack only serves to destabilize the region and further escalate violence, which is disproportionately killing innocent people: women, children, the elderly and the disabled. This violence achieves nothing. It is completely unacceptable and it must come to an end.
Our government has been clear. Hamas is a terrorist organization. Hezbollah is a terrorist organization. The IRGC is a terrorist organization. The violence must stop.
Canada has been calling for an immediate, sustainable ceasefire for months. It cannot be one-sided. Hamas must release all hostages and lay down its arms, and humanitarian aid must urgently be increased and sustained. The pathways that assure it must be maintained as well. Rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian relief must continually be provided to civilians as long as this conflict continues. Israel must listen to the international community. The protection of civilians is paramount and a requirement under international law.
Canada will continue to push proactively to take every measure possible to ensure there is no further escalation and that we bring peace and stability back to the region. That is everyone's goal.
The minister has been in contact for many months with her counterparts in the region on this very thing, and our overriding goal is to see an end to the suffering of those caught in the middle of this conflict. Since civilians continue to bear the brunt of the unfolding tragedy, Canada's commitment to providing life-saving humanitarian aid remains unwavering.
We urge all involved parties once again to refrain from perpetuating the current destructive cycle of retaliatory violence, to lower tensions and to engage constructively toward de-escalation. No country or nation stands to gain from a further escalation in the Middle East.
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- Sep/19/24 6:59:16 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, with respect to the issue I have raised, I will re-ask my April 15 question of the Liberal government, realizing that it is no longer controlled by its NDP masters.
Will the government finally focus on the actions of the Islamic regime in Iran and its proxy Hamas and reacquaint itself with our long-standing policy in support of Israel's right to exist and defend itself? Moreover, can the government assure Canadians that the Liberals have truly abandoned their 2015 election promise to normalize relations with the Islamic regime in Iran, before the next election rolls around? Given the government's recent policy initiatives, Canadians would not know it.
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- Sep/19/24 7:00:03 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would reiterate that Canada is committed to lasting peace in the Middle East, which includes the creation of a Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel. That two-state solution needs to be a priority for anybody who is committed to lasting and sustained peace in the region. Unfortunately, I did not hear the term “two-state solution” in my colleague's speech today.
All Israelis and Palestinians have the right to live in peace and security. Canada will continue to call for a sustainable ceasefire. All hostages must be released, and Hamas must lay down its arms. We are committed to working collaboratively toward an irreversible path to achieving a two-state solution where Israelis, Palestinians and other people in the region can live securely and within internationally recognized borders. The only realistic option to achieve a just and enduring peace is just that, and Canada will continue to be there and will work with our partners and allies. Once again, the violence must stop.
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- Sep/19/24 7:01:09 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am coming here tonight in reference to a question I asked on April 10, when I was calling on the government to honour its commitments to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls to action on indigenous languages.
I would be remiss if I did not talk about a legend, Oh Ha Kuum, which references a lady of high standing. Really, it means a queen in Nuu-chah-nulth language. Last month, the Nuu-chah-nulth people lost Tuu paat mit, whose English name was Julia Lucas, and she was pre-deceased by her partner in life, Simon Lucas, who was, like her, a great leader of their people and for all indigenous people, not just Nuu-chah-nulth people, but people across British Columbia and Canada. Tuu paat mit honoured me with the name Yaac'aaqsts, which means “one who walks amongst us” and has provided me with advice and guidance over the years. I want to thank her family and her for the name. She will be greatly missed by all those who loved her and by the many in whose lives she made a difference.
Tuu paat mit was one of only a few fluent speakers of the Hesquiaht dialect of the Nuu-chah-nulth language. She began teaching in the elementary school at Hot Springs Cove 40 years ago, with very few resources and much less time. She taught the Hesquiaht language to the children with just a half hour a day allocated to cultural education. With three other fluently speaking elders, she worked in the final years of her life to mentor young apprentices to pass on the language to the next generation. Her life's work will inspire others to carry on because future generations depend on it. Tuu paat mit knew there was nothing more important to the health and social well-being of indigenous people, their families, their communities, their economies and their spirits than the survival of their language.
In follow-up to that, across British Columbia, first nations people are facing the loss of language holders such as Tuu paat mit, and there is an urgent need to invest in language revitalization before it is too late. In British Columbia, nearly two-thirds of fluent speakers are older than 65, and seven languages have only five or fewer speakers left. First nations have fought to keep their languages alive, and between 2018 and 2022, there was a 20% increase in the number of people learning their language in B.C.
While the number of language learners is growing, the number of remaining fluent speakers is falling. As I outlined when I talked about Tuu paat mit, there is grave concern that the progress made in recent years will be lost without urgent government support for indigenous language programming. However, instead of investing in language revitalization at this critical time, the federal government is cutting funding. The Liberals' new funding formula has actually led to a 60% reduction in funding for first nations language programs in British Columbia. That funding formula does not consider British Columbia in the unique context of being home to more than half of indigenous languages in Canada, and across the province, in 204 first nations, there are 36 unique languages and more than 95 dialects.
The First Peoples' Cultural Council, a first nations-led Crown corporation working to revitalize first nations languages in British Columbia, has written to the government about the funding cliff it is facing. This year's budget provided significantly less funding than in previous years, and the drop in revenue has opened the door to the loss of hundreds of jobs, service cuts and cancelled community programs. These cuts put the preservation and revitalization of first nations languages and cultural heritage at risk.
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- Sep/19/24 7:04:57 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to address the House of Commons on this important issue with my friend and colleague from British Columbia.
Our government has repeatedly committed to supporting indigenous peoples in their efforts to reclaim, revitalize, maintain and strengthen indigenous languages. We recognize the important work that has been accomplished by indigenous communities across the country since the passage of the Indigenous Languages Act, and we remain committed to working with them to continue implementing the act.
Guided by the principle of “nothing about us without us”, every aspect of the implementation of this act is carried out jointly with first nations, Inuit and Métis partners, recognizing that indigenous peoples are best positioned to lead the revitalization of their languages.
For example, our government has implemented new funding models for indigenous languages that prioritize indigenous peoples' autonomy and control over financial decisions based on their priorities. We have also introduced long-term funding agreements to support multi-year strategies. This approach respects first nations' governance structures and decision-making processes.
I recognize the unique circumstances of indigenous languages across Canada, particularly in British Columbia. Those include first nations in British Columbia. Therefore in December, the Minister of Canadian Heritage met with the First Peoples' Cultural Council in B.C. to discuss indigenous language issues.
The First Peoples Cultural Council is a long-standing partner, and its efforts serve as a model for managing Canadian Heritage's indigenous languages funding, providing support to first nations communities and organizations in developing resources and innovative approaches to advancing indigenous language preservation and revitalization. This is one of the reasons the department signed a memorandum of understanding in June 2022 with the Province of B.C. and the First Peoples Cultural Council, which establishes a framework for ongoing collaboration and commits to the parties to advance predictable and sustainable funding for the revitalization of first nations languages, cultural heritage and the arts. Under the memorandum of understanding, a five-year agreement for $103.9 million, starting in 2023-24, was signed with the First Peoples Cultural Council.
Our government recognizes that reclaiming, revitalizing, strengthening and maintaining indigenous languages requires a long-term commitment on our part. We will continue this important work in collaboration with our indigenous partners.
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- Sep/19/24 7:07:59 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am actually calling for the government to right this wrong at the earliest opportunity and commit to including adequate long-term funding for first nations language programs in British Columbia in the fall economic statement. An essential part of reconciliation is addressing the enormous harms first nations have experienced throughout their 200-year history of colonization, including the devastating loss of language and culture. The government needs to listen to what first nations need and fulfill its legal obligations with respect to language revitalization.
In the Indigenous Languages Act, the government declared it was “committed to providing adequate, sustainable and long-term funding for the reclamation, revitalization, maintenance and strengthening of Indigenous languages”. However, the current funding is not enough to maintain existing programming let alone meet the growing demand.
Will the government take its obligations seriously and commit to ensuring fair, adequate and long-term funding for indigenous language programming to benefit generations to come?
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- Sep/19/24 7:08:57 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I will reiterate that the memorandum of understanding I referenced was signed just in June 2022. In collaboration with the First Peoples Cultural Council, the government signed an unprecedented five-year funding agreement for almost $104 million, which started last calendar year, and which was signed with the First Peoples Cultural Council.
This year also marks the fifth anniversary of the royal assent of the Indigenous Languages Act. The current government has been steadfast in our commitment to work with indigenous peoples to ensure that the act's full implementation is done as quickly as possible, which is why this much work has been undertaken. However, we realize that there is more work to do, and we remain dedicated to working with indigenous peoples to support their efforts to reclaim, revitalize, strengthen and maintain indigenous languages.
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- Sep/19/24 7:09:51 p.m.
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The motion that the House do now adjourn is deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).
(The House adjourned at 7:09 p.m.)
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