OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD)

House of Commons Debates Volume 151 No. 253 1st SESSION 44th PARLIAMENT Wednesday, November 22, 2023 Speaker: The Honourable Greg Fergus HOUSE OF COMMONS CANADA (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) COMMONS DEBATES November 22, 2023 DEBATES No. 253 No. 253 N o 253 Volume 151 253 22 11 2023 2023/11/22 14:05:00 Débats de la Chambre des communes House of Commons Debates House Of Commons 1 44

The House met at 2 p.m. Prayer

Statements by Members

(1405) [ English ]

The Speaker :

It being Wednesday, we will now have the singing of the national anthem led by the hon. member for Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation . [ Members sang the national anthem ]

Statements by Members Statements by Members

[ English ] Vivian Silver

Mr. Ben Carr (Winnipeg South Centre, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, born and raised in Winnipeg, Vivian Silver left her mark on her hometown, our country and people around the world. She dedicated her life to the pursuit of peace, working tirelessly to build bridges between Israelis and Palestinians. She helped found numerous organizations for the betterment of all peoples, one of which was the Arab-Jewish Center for Empowerment, Equality and Cooperation. In recognition of all of her work, she was the co-recipient of the Victor J. Goldberg Prize for Peace in the Middle East.

She was a very busy woman doing good and she was also a wonderful mother and grandmother, said her two sons, Yonatan and Chen. Since her disappearance from her home on Kibbutz Be’eri, I had the chance to speak almost daily with Vivian's nephew, a dear childhood friend of mine in Winnipeg, and I heard first-hand the pain her family was experiencing during the madness of the past few weeks.

A close friend of Vivian said this of her recently: “I have to hope that the life she lived and what she worked for will sow the seeds of peace and that somehow it will come around as part of her legacy and as part of who she was, that it is achievable.” I hope that everyone in the House can join me in a celebration of Vivian's life and the change that she dedicated it to achieving, in order to make the world a better place. May her memory be a blessing.

Lois Fowler

Mr. Larry Maguire (Brandon—Souris, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, recently, Canada lost one of its finest, with the passing of Brandon's Lois Fowler. From being a loving mother, grandmother and wife to being a successful real estate agent, Lois is best known as one of Canada's curling greats. Lois was a four-time Manitoba provincial champion and always made us proud every time she represented us at the Scotties. She even won the provincial mixed championship, when she played on the team skipped by her son Rob. In 2015, she wore the Maple Leaf and won gold at the world senior women's curling championships, with husband Brian as coach.

Lois inspired generations of young woman to get involved in the sport and her legacy will be felt for years to come. To her husband Brian and children Rhonda and Rob, please know how much Lois meant to our province and to Canada. She was amazing in so many ways, always competitive but never fierce. She easily made lifelong friends no matter where she went. As a friend, I will miss her. May she rest in peace.

[ Translation ] Diabetes Awareness Month

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

Mr. Speaker, November is Diabetes Awareness Month. It is important to remember that one Canadian is diagnosed with diabetes every three minutes. [ English ] Yesterday, I met with Raina Smith, an extraordinary 12-year-old and leader from Orléans. Raina has lived with type 1 diabetes since she was five years old. We discussed the important role that governments can play to raise awareness to combat diabetes in Canada. Raina was telling me about the challenges she faces in school and in her daily life.

Her mom Sonia shared with me the pressure of the hardship parents sometimes face in ensuring that their kids living with T1D have access to proper equipment, to help them with this disease. I want to thank Raina for her courage, advocacy and determination. I reassured Raina of my continued support and advocacy, to combat this disease.

[ Translation ] 10th Anniversary of Femmes d’ici et d’ailleurs

Mr. Denis Trudel (Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, BQ) :

Mr. Speaker, last week, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the organization Femmes d’ici et d’ailleurs. That represents 10 years of hard work, love and dedication to the Longueuil community. We celebrated the strength and resilience of Zainab Akkaoui, the director of the organization, and all these women who have found room there to grow and thrive. Since its creation, Femmes d’ici et d’ailleurs has been a beacon of hope and support for many women from various backgrounds who have faced complex challenges related to migration, cultural diversity and the issues involved in adapting to a new environment.

This organization embodies the essential values of solidarity, inclusion and gender equality. It provides a warm welcome, a shoulder to lean on and an invaluable support network for women and their families. May this decade be just the prelude to a long series of success and achievements for a more inclusive world. I wish Femmes d’ici et d’ailleurs a very happy 10th anniversary.

Quebec's Electric and Smart Transportation Industry

Ms. Annie Koutrakis (Vimy, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, Propulsion Québec has been fast-tracking the development of Quebec's electric and smart transportation industry since 2017 to reinvent mobility with an eye to the future. I am proud that Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions is supporting projects that promote the economy of tomorrow, including funding in excess of $2.8 million to help Propulsion Québec innovate and develop the electric transportation industry. The electric manufacturing sector currently provides over 9,300 quality jobs in Quebec. Propulsion Québec is proud of its contribution to the transportation sector's decarbonization for a greener and more sustainable economy in Quebec and Canada.

[ English ] The Economy

Mr. Shuvaloy Majumdar (Calgary Heritage, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, Canadians renewing their mortgages at today's rates will see an increase from 2% to 6% or higher. The IMF warns that Canada is the most at risk among G7 countries for a mortgage default crisis. What do we get? We get $20 billion in new inflationary spending. The Liberals have decided again to spend on the backs of Canadians, keeping inflation and interest rates high. They risk a mortgage meltdown on $900 billion of mortgages renewing over the next three years.

They continue to attack $3 trillion of resources that would fuel, feed and secure the world; that would end dollars for dictators; and that would bring powerful paycheques to our people. After eight long years, when Canadians get the carbon tax election they have been longing for, common-sense Conservatives will axe the tax, balance the budget, deliver real leadership and end the NDP-Liberal gravy train.

(1410) Diabetes Awareness Month

Mr. Peter Schiefke (Vaudreuil—Soulanges, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, 968 finger pricks, 3,178 insulin injections and 256 hours of sleep lost is what nine-year-old Paloma from my community of Vaudreuil—Soulanges has already experienced since being diagnosed just 454 days ago with type 1 diabetes. People would think that would make her tired and frustrated, but not Paloma. Instead, she and her mother, Leana, have been taking action.

She walked into my office last Tuesday and shared that, because of advancements in research of type 1 diabetes, nine-year-olds like her can live fulfilling lives, experience all the joys their classmates experience and, yes, lace up and take to the ice with their fellow Storm teammates. [ Translation ] She came to ask us, as parliamentarians, to learn more about type 1 diabetes and commit to providing more support for the advanced research efforts of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. [ English ] Paloma, together, one day we will find a cure.

When we do, Paloma will have played a big role in getting us there.

Member for Cardigan

Mr. Robert Morrissey (Egmont, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to honour the Minister of Agriculture . November 21 marked the 35th anniversary of his election to the House of Commons, making him the longest-serving MP ever for Prince Edward Island. It is a great achievement. As a witness to history, the minister has seen a great deal of change and progress here in the House and in his Cardigan riding. He has had 11 straight election victories. It is a remarkable record and a real testament to the trust invested in the member by the people of Cardigan.

His love for Prince Edward Island is very well known, and his legacy in Cardigan and across the province will continue to pay dividends for many decades to come. Personally, I have learned from the minister that it is essential for public representatives to always act on the guidance of constituents, while keeping a steady eye on the future and potential opportunities. We owe a debt of gratitude to the minister's sage and adroit understanding of changing times, and his remarkable ability to positively navigate both today's and tomorrow's challenges.

I congratulate him, and his trusted partner and adviser, Frances.

The Speaker :

Just as an aside, I served the hon. member as a page when he was first elected in 1988. The hon. member for Edmonton Manning.

Lebanese Independence Day

Mr. Ziad Aboultaif (Edmonton Manning, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, today, Canadians with Lebanese ancestry are remembering our roots and celebrating our heritage. The modern Lebanese state was founded 80 years ago today. Of course, we Lebanese have been around a lot longer than 80 years. Lebanon has seen empires come and go over the past several thousand years. The first Lebanese immigrant came to Canada in 1882, seeking and finding a better life. Thousands more followed to this land of limitless opportunity. We Lebanese pride ourselves on making a positive contribution wherever we are.

Canada has benefited from the skills and energy of those Lebanese who have made this country their new home. Today, as we celebrate the birth of modern Lebanon and Lebanese Independence Day, I invite all Canadians to celebrate with us.

Sikyong of the Central Tibetan Administration

Mr. James Maloney (Etobicoke—Lakeshore, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, what a wonderful occasion it is today to welcome Sikyong Penpa Tsering of the Central Tibetan Administration to Ottawa. Elected as Sikyong in 2021, he is the voice of the Tibetan people around the world, including right here in Canada. He also served as the speaker of the Parliament of the Central Tibetan Administration. I think of the thousands of Tibetans across our communities in Canada. The vibrant culture of the Tibetan people enriches the social fabric of our country.

The Tibetan Canadian Cultural Centre is located in Etobicoke—Lakeshore, something I am very proud of, and the goals of the centre and Tibetan Buddhism in general reflect a respect for life and harmony that transcends all cultures. Non-violence and peace are universal aspirations for all humanity, and the Sikyong embodies those values. I have had the pleasure and honour of meeting him on several occasions, including today. I want to thank him for all his hard work, and I appreciate all his efforts. He has our commitment that we will stand with him and the people of Tibet.

Tashi delek .

(1415) The Economy

Mr. Kelly McCauley (Edmonton West, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, after eight long years of the NDP-Liberal government, Canadians have made it clear they cannot afford any more. However, we should not to worry: Here comes the government with its fall economic statement. Canadians everywhere were no doubt rejoicing that the same people who brought them the $54 million ArriveCAN app and the $8 million luxury barn for the Governor General were here to save the day. What did the NDP-Liberal mini-budget deliver to Canadians?

It delivered $20 billion in new inflationary spending; inflationary deficits for decades to come; a housing hell where Canadians are taking out 90-year mortgages just to be able to afford a home; and an eyewatering one-third of a trillion dollars just for interest payments, which is more than what the government is paying for health care or the military. It is clear that, after eight years of waste and incompetence, the NDP-Liberal government is not worth the cost.

[ Translation ] Carbon Tax

Mr. Richard Lehoux (Beauce, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister announced more than $20 billion in new inflationary spending that will keep inflation and interest rates at levels Canadians cannot afford. The people of Beauce are once again disappointed by this government's inability to control spending. None of the Conservatives' common-sense demands have been met, one of them being the cancellation of any further increase in the carbon tax. After eight years, it is clear that the Prime Minister is not worth the cost. Who else is not worth the cost?

I would say it is the Bloc Québécois, which continues to prop up the Liberal government by supporting drastic carbon tax hikes. I am amazed that the Bloc claims to care about Quebeckers, yet supports a second carbon tax that will raise the price of gasoline by up to 20¢ a litre. The party has been asking only for additional health transfers. Does it realize that next year, the government will spend more on servicing the debt than on health transfers? Despite it all, the Bloc-Liberal coalition continues. Neither of these parties is worth it.

It is time for them to get out of the way so common-sense Conservatives can get our country back on track.

[ English ] Lebanese Heritage Month

Ms. Lena Metlege Diab (Halifax West, Lib.) :

Mr.

Speaker, today marks a historic occasion as we proudly raise the Lebanese flag on Parliament Hill for the first time, marking the inaugural Lebanese Heritage Month in Canada. [ Member spoke in Arabic ] [ English ] This momentous event holds even greater significance, as it coincides with Lebanon's 80th Independence Day. [ Translation ] Every November, we encourage all Canadians to join us in celebrating Lebanese culture and traditions. [ English ] My special thanks go to my mother, children, grandchildren, brother, sisters and all family and friends who travelled here to share in this celebration, as well as to His Excellency Ambassador Fadi Ziadeh for the tremendous partnership he has shown leading up to today. [ Member spoke in Arabic ] [ Translation ] Long live Canada and long live Lebanon. [ Member spoke in Arabic ]

[ English ] Housing

Ms. Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East, NDP) :

Mr. Speaker, today is National Housing Day. The NDP demanded immediate action to stop housing profiteering, a non-profit acquisition fund and major funding and below-market financing for social and community housing in the fall economic statement. However, the Minister of Finance failed to deliver. Delaying the funds to the NDP's key housing measures for another two years makes the Liberals' claim that they want to see more homes built faster a joke. It undermines the Bank of Canada's view that housing investment is not inflationary spending and can even drive down the high cost of living.

The fall economic statement also offered nothing new to support women, seniors or veterans, nor to support indigenous, Inuit and Métis peoples. Canadians do not have to choose between the Liberals, who just disappoint, and the Conservatives, who think building social housing and co-ops is a Soviet-style takeover of housing. New Democrats will at least double Canada's community housing stock and put a stop to housing profiteering. It is time for Ottawa to work for everyday people and not just wealthy CEOs.

[ Translation ] Social Economy Month

Mrs. Claude DeBellefeuille (Salaberry—Suroît, BQ) :

Mr. Speaker, in Quebec, the dreary November days are chased away by a colourful celebration that speaks to all of us. November, in Quebec, is Social Economy Month. It is an opportunity to celebrate all these businesses that make up our economic fabric. Quebeckers all have their favourite not-for-profit organization. Virtually everyone is a member of a co‑op. We all know a mutual. We all have confidence in these local businesses that give meaning to the economy, either for its workers, its artisans or its consumers, and for good reason.

The social economy is having a business sense and knowing how to share one's success by not leaving anyone behind. Back home, the social economy is Valspec, Jardins de la Résistance, Cré‑Actions, Coop CSUR and its eco-local market. It is also Coup de pouce des moissons and the Lac‑Saint‑François national wildlife area. To the Bloc Québécois, the social economy is above all a source of pride. I wish everyone a good Social Economy Month.

(1420) [ English ] The Economy

Mr. Jasraj Singh Hallan (Calgary Forest Lawn, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, yesterday's false hopes update can be summed up as follows: prices up, rents up, photo ops up, taxes up and time is up. Conservatives will be voting no confidence in the Prime Minister 's fall economic statement, because he is not worth the cost. Liberal-NDP spending has caused 40-year highs in inflation and the most rapid interest rate hikes in Canadian history, putting Canadians most at risk in the G7 for a mortgage default crisis. After eight years, the only new housing measure in the update was to change the housing department's name.

Two million Canadians are going to a food bank in a single month, yet the Prime Minister still plans to quadruple his carbon tax scam on gas, groceries and home heating. A common-sense Conservative government will bring home lower prices by axing the carbon tax scam, bringing home powerful paycheques by balancing the budget so interest rates and inflation can come down, and bringing homes people can actually afford by incentivizing municipalities to build. Our common-sense Conservative leader will turn hurt into hope for all Canadians. Now let us bring it home.

Member for Cardigan

Hon. Steven MacKinnon (Gatineau, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the member for Cardigan , Frances and the entire MacAuley family. He is a man who has served his constituents and all Canadians with honour, wisdom, good humour, decency and just plain common sense. This week, he is celebrating the 35th anniversary of his first election to the House. He has won 11 consecutive elections, and it is no surprise. He was born in St. Peters Bay in Prince Edward Island, and he has never forgotten where he came from. The good people of P.E.I. clearly know this. He is an Islander to the core.

Before entering politics, he worked as a farmer and a businessman. Among his many roles in cabinet, he has served as solicitor general, minister of labour, minister of veterans affairs and, on two separate occasions, minister of agriculture. [ Translation ] I want to thank him for the many years of service he has given to Canada. [ English ] We are all fortunate that this Islander came our way 35 years ago. The Liberal Party, the House and Canada are better for it.

Oral Questions Oral Questions

[ Translation ] Public Safety

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

Mr. Speaker, we just heard media reports about a terrorist attack at the border in Niagara. Two people may have been killed and a third injured. Can the Prime Minister give us any information about this terrorist attack?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, the situation in Niagara is very serious. There was a vehicle explosion at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing. We are still talking with authorities and keeping the U.S. involved through the Canada Border Services Agency, Transport Canada and the RCMP. I was briefed by the national security and intelligence adviser and the Minister of Public Safety . All the necessary information is being gathered as we speak. We are providing the necessary support while communicating with the Americans.

I can confirm that border crossings at the Rainbow Bridge, the Whirlpool Bridge, the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge and the Peace Bridge have been closed. Additional security measures are being deployed at all our border crossings across the country. The situation is extremely serious, and we will continue working on this matter throughout the day.

(1425) [ English ]

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

Mr. Speaker, we have just heard media reports of a terrorist attack with an explosion at the Niagara crossing of the Canada-U.S. border. At least two people are dead, and one person is injured. It is the principal responsibility of the government to protect the people. Can the Prime Minister give us an update on what he knows and what action plan he will immediately implement to bring home security for our people?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, this is obviously a very serious situation in Niagara Falls. There was a vehicle explosion at the Rainbow Bridge crossing. I have been briefed by the NSIA and the Minister of Public Safety . CBSA, RCMP and Transport Canada are all fully engaged in providing the necessary support. There are a lot of questions, and we are following up to try to rapidly get as many answers as possible. We are in close contact with U.S. officials, and we will continue to work closely with them. We will continue to be engaged. We will provide updates.

The update I can give right now is that there are four border crossings that are closed: the Rainbow Bridge, Whirlpool Rapids Bridge, Lewiston-Queenston Bridge and Peace Bridge. Additional measures are being contemplated and activated at all border crossings across the country. We are taking this extraordinarily seriously. I will have to excuse myself now to go to get further updates and work on this very serious situation.

[ Translation ] Finance

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

Mr. Speaker, after all the experts warned this government that spending was driving up inflation and interest rates, the government added another $20 billion to our country's inflation. That means higher taxes, higher inflation, higher interest rates, higher rents and higher mortgage payments. Will the government finally reverse its inflationary policies so that Canadians facing record payments on their mortgages can keep their homes?

Hon. Randy Boissonnault (Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, yesterday was a good day with good news for people who want to buy a new home. The fall economic statement included measures to build thousands of homes from coast to coast to coast. We are also going to build 30,000 homes through the apartment construction loan program. There are also new measures for adoptive parents in this fall economic statement. This is good news for Canadian households and for everyone who wants an affordable life here in Canada.

[ English ]

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

Mr. Speaker, what is up? Rent is up. Rates are up. Taxes are up. Debt is up. Time is up for the current government. After eight years, it is not worth the cost and now this Prime Minister takes on another $20 billion of inflationary spending. This will bring up the interest payments on our debt to a record-smashing $51 billion a year. With two million Canadians eating at a food bank every month and many facing the loss of their home, why will the Liberals not cancel this inflationary scam and replace it with a plan to balance the budget and bring down interest rates and inflation?

Hon. Randy Boissonnault (Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, yesterday's fall economic statement demonstrates the next phase in our plan to make sure that we have an economy that works for everyone. The International Monetary Fund is predicting that Canada's growth will lead the G7 in 2024. We have the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7. While we are building housing, while we are moving on with our clean tax credits and while we are making sure that adoptive parents can have the benefits they need, do people know what is up? It is the end of support of the Conservative Party for Ukrainians in this country and in Ukraine, as the Conservatives vote against the Canada-Ukraine free trade deal. I say shame on them.

Foreign Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, actually what is up is that the Prime Minister has once again betrayed Ukraine. He betrayed Ukraine when he gave Putin that big turbine to pump his gas and fund his war. He betrayed Ukraine when he refused to sell Canadian gas to break European dependence on Putin. He betrayed Ukraine by failing to vet someone celebrated in the House who turned out to be a Nazi. He is betraying Ukraine with this terrible agreement to force a carbon tax on Ukrainians that would destroy their ability to fight a war and rebuild their economy. We would axe the tax and stand unequivocally with Ukrainians in their fight for freedom.

Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

(1430) The Speaker :

I would ask the member for St. Albert—Edmonton to please restrain himself. The hon. government House leader.

Hon. Karina Gould (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, if that were true, the members of the official opposition would have voted in favour of the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement, an agreement that I will note the Government of Ukraine asked Canada to do with them in a time of utmost need when they are facing an illegal war of aggression from Russia. Instead of supporting Ukrainians, instead of truly standing up for their fight for freedom, they voted against it on a red herring. Canadians need to ask what the Conservatives are doing. There is only one party that has betrayed Ukraine and that is the Conservatives.

[ Translation ] Finance

Mr. Yves-François Blanchet (Beloeil—Chambly, BQ) :

Mr. Speaker, I hope that things will go as smoothly as possible at the border, particularly in the current global context. That being said, yesterday, the government delivered an economic statement. Smile, good people. Bring out the marching band and have a parade. We are saved. The problem is that there is no substance to the economic statement. There is absolutely nothing in there. The Liberals are failing businesses, seniors and the homeless. Are we to understand that things are only going to get worse before they get better?

Hon. Randy Boissonnault (Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague. We are also very concerned about the situation at the border, and we will be monitoring it very closely. With regard to yesterday's fall economic statement, it is very clear that we are going to continue our partnership with the Government of Quebec, which is going to match the $900 million that we have allocated to housing. The green economy tax credits will also include biomass, which is very important for Quebec. Yesterday's economic statement is good for Quebeckers and Canadians. It is good for everyone.

Mr. Yves-François Blanchet (Beloeil—Chambly, BQ) :

Mr. Speaker, the government has been rehashing the same $900 million for two years now to try to look good. That announcement certainly predates yesterday's economic statement. That response only underscores how vacuous the economic statement is. We have a saying where I come from that goes something like this: If you cannot help, at least do no harm. The government is creating a department of housing, infrastructure and communities. It is more like the department of interference and intrusion. There is no money involved, just massive interference. If the government cannot help, will it at least stop doing harm?

Hon. Sean Fraser (Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, as the member well knows, it is a pleasure to work with Quebec. I recently signed an agreement with Minister Duranceau, my counterpart in the Government of Quebec, that provides for funding of $900 million from the federal government and the same amount from the Quebec government. The agreement aims to build an additional 23,000 housing units. It is an opportunity for us to work together. I will continue working to build housing throughout Quebec and across the country.

[ English ] Public Safety

Mr. Jagmeet Singh (Burnaby South, NDP) :

Mr. Speaker, I want to express my deep concern about the incident we just learned about at the Rainbow Bridge crossing between Canada and the United States. I want to acknowledge the work of the first responders. We also want to express our deep concern for those who, as reports have indicated, may be injured and for the potential fatalities as well. What is the update on Canada's assistance in the investigation and any other steps to support those who have been impacted?

Hon. Karina Gould (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, we are deeply concerned about what we have all learned recently happened at the Peace Bridge between Canada and the United States. As the Prime Minister mentioned, this happened very recently. He and the Minister of Public Safety are being updated as we speak. We will share information with the House, and indeed with all Canadians, as we get more information, but at this time, we want to express our deep condolences to the people and families who have lost loved ones. We will continue to be engaged in this very serious and worrisome matter.

(1435) [ Translation ] Housing

Mr. Jagmeet Singh (Burnaby South, NDP) :

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, if someone wanted to hear the Prime Minister talk about his plan to make life more affordable, they had to pay $1,700, or $850 if they were under age 35. That is $850 to hear him tell young people struggling with the cost of rent to wait another two years for affordable housing. Why does the Prime Minister think it is okay to make people wait two years for affordable housing?

[ English ]

Hon. Marci Ien (Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, I am thankful that the hon. member raised affordable housing for young people. So many young people are taking advantage of the first home savings account. Just the other day, I was talking to a young woman in my riding. She and her partner have saved, doing so with tax-free savings, and just moved into their first home. There is an uptick on this. More and more young people are able to do this, and it is changing a lot of lives.

[ Translation ] Finance

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister , who is not worth the cost after eight years, promised us that all the money he was adding to the debt would never cost anything because interest rates were low. Now we know that the amount the government is going to spend next year to cover interest on the debt has doubled to $52 billion. That is more than we spend on health care and twice as much as we spend on the military. Why is the Prime Minister taking money from soldiers and nurses and giving it to bankers?

Ms. Rachel Bendayan (Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, yesterday we tabled our fall economic statement, which shows the very solid foundations of our economy. I would like to come back to what the Conservative leader himself is proposing. The Conservatives' austerity plan does not resonate with either Quebeckers or Canadians. I would like to know why he refuses to say what he will cut. Will he cut help for seniors? Will he cut support measures for families and children? Will he cut dental care? That is what Canadians want to know.

[ English ]

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

Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister was doubling our national debt, adding more debt than all previous 22 prime ministers combined, he claimed there would be no cost because interest rates, he said, were low, but those low interest rates are gone and the debt is still here. Yesterday, we learned that interest on the debt has gone up by over 100%, to $52.4 billion. That is more than the $52.1 billion we spend on health care and double what we spend on the military. Why is the Prime Minister taking money from nurses and soldiers and giving it to bankers and bondholders?

Ms. Rachel Bendayan (Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, yesterday we tabled the fall economic update, which shows the solid foundations of our fiscal frame and shows that we were able to maintain fiscal responsibility while being compassionate and being there for Canadians. We are building more homes and we are building them faster. We are changing competition laws in order to stabilize prices in this country. What the Conservatives are proposing are cuts and austerity. They want to claw back supports to families and claw back supports to our seniors. That is not what Canadians need and that is not what Canadians deserve.

Carbon Pricing

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

Mr. Speaker, fear and falsehoods are the only things the Liberals can use to distract from their disastrous record. They are the ones clawing back from seniors and families with their quadrupling of the carbon tax. It is the first time in Canadian history we have seven million people who are skipping meals because they cannot afford to eat, and two million people, a record-smashing number, are now eating at food banks. There is a common-sense solution, which is Conservative Bill C-234 to take taxes off the farmers who feed us. Will the Prime Minister back down again, stop fighting this common-sense bill and stop taxing our farmers so that our people can afford to eat?

(1440) Hon. Seamus O'Regan (Minister of Labour and Seniors, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, we are the government that decided the retirement age should go back to the age of 65 from the age of 67, which was a decision that side of the House made when its leader was in Davos, Switzerland, but let us stay in Europe for a second to talk about the appalling decision of these so-called Conservatives to turn down a free trade agreement with a beacon of democracy such as Ukraine. What is up with that party? That is what Canadians want to know, and no one is buying this carbon tax excuse. What is up?

International Trade

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

Mr. Speaker, the pathological obsession these Liberals have with carbon taxes has now reached a level that is sick. This is how sick they are on the carbon tax. They would use Ukraine's vulnerability in the middle of the war to impose their destructive carbon tax on the people of Ukraine and make it harder for them to rebuild after the war. We already know that the Prime Minister was used as a tool for Russian propaganda when he brought a Nazi into the House of Commons. Why is he trying to damage the Ukrainian economy with a destructive carbon tax in this terrible deal?

Hon. Mary Ng (Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, the only ones who are not supporting Ukraine are the Conservatives. Let us be clear. The Canada-Ukraine free trade deal does not impose a price on pollution on Ukraine. Why is that? It is because Ukraine already has a price on pollution. It has had it since—

Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

Hon. Mary Ng: Ukraine can fight the war and fight climate change. We are here to support it because the Conservatives are not.

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

Mr. Speaker, if it were already there, they would not have needed to put it in the deal. We negotiated the free trade deal with Ukraine. We support free trade with Ukraine. We are the only party that supports a real trade agreement with Ukraine that would include supplying it with Canadian-made defence equipment, which they voted against yesterday. They voted against supplying Ukraine with clean Canadian energy that would repower their economy. Let us get this straight. They are against selling Canadian munitions to fight the Russian attackers, but they are in favour of imposing a carbon tax on Ukrainians. That is nuts.

Hon. Ahmed Hussen (Minister of International Development, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, it is bad enough that that party is the only party in the House that does not believe in climate change. It does not believe in fighting the good fight against climate change, but on top of that, when Ukrainians are dying, literally, on behalf of freedom-loving people of the world, fighting fascism, totalitarianism and an illegal invasion, at this critical moment, what have Conservatives chosen to do? They have chosen to abandon Ukrainians in their hour of need. Canadians will remember this moment, and we will never forget that shameful party.

(1445) Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, it really is a pathological obsession for a party to look at its starving people, the two million people in Canada who have to go to food banks every month and the seven million people who are hungry in Canada, and then say that the misery from its carbon tax is not enough here in Canada and that they need to export it by imposing it in a pre-existing trade agreement. When I am Prime Minister, we will have a real free trade agreement with Ukraine that would help it win and rebuild, but would have no carbon tax. We will axe the tax here and make sure anyone in the world who wants to axe the tax has the freedom to do so.

Hon. Arif Virani (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, when the vote was happening on the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement, I was sitting with the ambassador of Ukraine and Ukraine's prosecutor general. We were talking about the pressing needs of the Ukrainian people, and how we could address those pressing needs and their concerns in their hour of need. For the past 18 months, I have been pleased to say that we had a multipartisan approach to addressing Ukraine. Unfortunately, that evaporated into a puff of smoke with the very decided and methodological vote taken by the Conservatives. On this side, when we say that we stand with Ukraine, we mean it, and when we say Slava Ukraini , we mean it even more.

[ Translation ] Finance

Mr. Yves-François Blanchet (Beloeil—Chambly, BQ) :

Mr. Speaker, that is fascinating. I asked a question about yesterday's economic statement, and the answer I got had to do with an announcement that was made two years ago. That in itself is proof that there is nothing in the economic statement. Why did the government present an economic statement, then? When I was young, I was told, “if you have nothing to say, then say nothing”. We are talking about serious issues here. What is the government saying to seniors who are struggling to buy groceries and to the municipalities that are struggling to house people? Is the government saying that it is going to create another more expensive, more complicated department with a longer name?

Ms. Rachel Bendayan (Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, in the economic statement that we presented yesterday, we are investing more in housing co-operatives in Quebec and across Canada. We are doubling down on the fight against rental properties like Airbnbs, because we know that Quebec has very strong local regulations, and we want to support that. We also know that there are families that are still struggling to make ends meet. That is why we are going to amend our competition laws. That is real action.

Mr. Yves-François Blanchet (Beloeil—Chambly, BQ) :

Mr. Speaker, we did not need an economic statement to tell us this kind of information, especially considering that in 2026, when the money becomes available, there is no reason to believe that the Liberals will still be sitting on that side of the House anyway. A lot will happen between now and then, and other budgets will get made. What was the point of this whole business except to waste our time? The distress felt by people, businesses, seniors and the homeless is no less today than it was yesterday. Why waste Parliament's time?

Ms. Rachel Bendayan (Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, I think my colleague is having a hard time understanding the purpose of an economic statement. It is not a budget; it is an economic statement. We tabled it to be transparent with Canadians and to show them how far along we are with our plan. Yesterday, we also announced that we would be removing the GST from psychotherapy. We announced that we would be cracking down on international roaming fees. Our economic statement contains measures that will also help Canadians.

(1450) [ English ] Carbon Pricing

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

Mr. Speaker, we have lineups at our food banks that, if we were to put the images in black and white, we would assume they were images from the Great Depression. We have never seen two million people going to a food bank in a month. We never had seven million people eating less than is healthy, but that is the starvation we have as a result of eight years of the Prime Minister . There is a common-sense Conservative bill, Bill C-234 , that has passed through the Senate. The Prime Minister's ministers are panicking and begging senators to block it.

Will the Prime Minister tell his senators that they have go-ahead to pass this common-sense Conservative bill so that our farmers can feed our people?

Mr. Adam van Koeverden (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, we would think that after two decades in this place, the member opposite might know that the Senate is independent of this place. However, there was a time when Canadians could look to Conservatives for a little bit of leadership on fighting climate change. Brian Mulroney was—

Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

The Speaker :

Colleagues, I am having trouble hearing the hon. member. I will ask the hon. member to start again from the top so that I can hear. The hon. parliamentary secretary.

Mr. Adam van Koeverden :

Mr. Speaker, we would think that after two decades working here, having had no other job before that, I might add, the member opposite, the leader of the Conservative Party , would know that the Senate is independent of this place. There was a time when Canadians could look to the Conservatives for leadership on climate action, back when Brian Mulroney led the fight against climate change and when my neighbour, the member for Wellington—Halton Hills , staked his entire leadership campaign on a carbon price.

Now, the leader of the Conservative Party is using climate action as a wedge to justify its shameful vote against the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement. Ukraine already prices carbon, and the Conservatives are out of air.

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

Mr. Speaker, the member's comedy routine will not make up for the fact that Canadians cannot afford to feed themselves. The Prime Minister is in a bind again. He was already bullied by his Atlantic caucus into panicking and bringing in a temporary pause on home heating taxes, but only for some. Now his environment minister is threatening to resign if there are any more carbon tax carve-outs. Will the Prime Minister stop allowing himself to be bullied and threatened by his radical environment minister and axe the tax on our farmers so that Canadians can afford to eat?

Mr. Adam van Koeverden (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, the only thing radical in the House is the leader of the Conservative Party 's constant climate denial. As I just mentioned, the Conservatives are trying to use climate denial in an attempt to justify their shameful vote against the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement yesterday. However, I have news for the Conservatives, Ukraine already prices carbon, along with other European countries, such as Norway, Sweden, Great Britain, Denmark, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland. A lot of them believe in pricing carbon.

They all ran on that promise, and the member for Wellington—Halton Hills staked his entire leadership campaign on it. Conservatives need to get with the program.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal's program is hunger and homelessness for Canadians. Fortunately, we have a common-sense Conservative solution, which would take the carbon tax off of our farmers. That is the tax the Liberals want to quadruple. However, the Prime Minister is in a panic because his environment minister said, “As long as I’m the environment minister, there will be no more exemptions to carbon pricing”. In other words, if this bill passes, his Minister of Environment will resign. Why will the Prime Minister not simply accept the minister's resignation now and let the bill pass so Canadians could feed themselves?

Hon. Karina Gould (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know what it means when they hear the words “common-sense Conservatives”. It means cuts to the programs and services they rely on, which ultimately hurts Canadians. Let us put some facts on the table. Since we came into office in 2015, we have lifted 650,000 children, 2.7 million Canadians, out of poverty. Canada now ranks sixth for child poverty in the world. When the Conservatives were in office, when that leader was in office, Canada ranked 24th in the world when it came to child poverty. We continue to support Canadians. We will stay on the facts. We will not cut services like the Conservatives would.

(1455) Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, what they are doing is cutting the food budget of families by raising the tax on the farmers who feed us. Again, there is a common-sense Conservative bill that passed through the House of Commons, against the great protest of the Prime Minister , who still wants to quadruple the tax. We are simply asking him to tell his environment minister to resign and let his Liberal-appointed ministers pass the bill. What will he pick? Will he pick allowing Canadians to feed their families around the kitchen table, or will he keep his crazy environment minister around the cabinet table?

Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

The Speaker :

Order. I would like to remind all members that it is important to use language, when it is directed at a particular member, that is neither disruptive nor demeaning. I will ask the hon. minister to respond.

Hon. Karina Gould (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, I will happily tell the Leader of the Opposition what we on this side pick. We pick supporting Canadians in their time of need. We pick fighting climate change, which we know is an existential threat. We pick ensuring that we are supporting people who are seeking their freedom around the world. What we are seeing in the United States is right-wing politicians who are turning away from Ukraine and turning towards Russia. I can only assume that is what we are seeing here in Canada, right now, as the members opposite are the only ones in Canada who are not standing with Ukraine. Canada stands with Ukraine, and everyone, except the Conservative Party, does.

Housing

Mr. Jagmeet Singh (Burnaby South, NDP) :

Mr. Speaker, the fall economic statement missed the mark on addressing the housing crisis facing indigenous people. According to the last census, over 300,000 indigenous people are not living in suitable housing. Approximately the same number are living in buildings that need major repair. After eight years of Liberals, they have neglected and ignored the strife and the struggle of indigenous people and have delayed action on the housing crisis. What is the Prime Minister 's excuse?

Hon. Sean Fraser (Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, I am sincerely thankful for the NDP's concern for the well-being of indigenous people across Canada and for the recognition of the need to continue to make the investments necessary to improve the housing situation impacting communities in every part of this country. The reality, though, is that we are making historic investments in affordable housing for Canadians generally, and specifically for indigenous people across this country as well.

In previous budgets, we have put $4 billion on the table for distinctions-based funding for indigenous communities and an additional $4.3 billion to address indigenous housing needs in urban, rural and northern environments across this country. We will continue to do what is necessary to support indigenous peoples when it comes to housing.

Climate Change

Mr. Jagmeet Singh (Burnaby South, NDP) :

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised Canadians in 2021 that he would impose an emissions cap on oil and gas producers. It has been two years of delay and disappointment. Families, municipalities, small businesses and the industrial sector are investing in low-carbon solutions, but oil and gas emissions continue to rise unchecked. That does not look like climate leadership to me. Will the Prime Minister commit to releasing the oil and gas emissions cap framework with a 2030 target in line with science before COP28?

(1500) Mr. Adam van Koeverden (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, it is refreshing to talk about how we fight climate change and not whether we fight climate change, constantly debating with the Conservatives whether climate change even exists. I agree with the leader of the NDP . Establishing a cap on oil and gas emissions is one of the key commitments of the government's emissions reduction plan. Canada's oil and gas companies have proven repeatedly that they can innovate and develop new technologies and more competitive business models, and we will continue to work with them on reducing their emissions with an emissions cap.

Finance

Mr. Patrick Weiler (West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the government announced new measures that will support homeowners and the middle class, and increase housing construction, all measures the Conservatives will vote against, just as they voted against cutting taxes on the middle class and any investment in affordable housing. In fact, the Conservatives eliminated 800,000 affordable homes the last time they were in government. Canadians know that the only thing they can count on is that the Conservatives will abandon them in their time of need, just as our brave Ukrainian allies found out yesterday.

Can the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Finance please tell Canadians why the Conservative Party should instead change course and support the measures in the fall economic statement?

Ms. Rachel Bendayan (Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, we did table the fall economic statement, which is the next step in our plan to build more homes right across the country and to build them faster, to crack down on short-term rentals and Airbnbs by supporting municipalities and their own regulations, and, of course, to strengthen competition laws in this country in order to stabilize prices. That was our plan, and it took only minutes for the Conservative leader to call it “disgusting”. What is actually disgusting is that the Conservative leader refuses to tell Canadians what he is going to cut.

Automotive Industry

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

Mr. Speaker, it has come to light that the Prime Minister will spend 15 billion tax dollars, which is $1,000 for every single family in Canada, on a grant that will pay for 1,600 replacement workers to come in and displace union jobs in Windsor, in a battery plant there. The Prime Minister is desperately claiming that he had no choice in the matter. Why does he not open up the contract so all Canadians can see whether there were any guarantees that this massive $15-billion grant would actually lead to Canadian and not foreign paycheques?

Hon. Randy Boissonnault (Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, this is a little bit rich coming from a political party that not only does not stand for auto workers and does not stand for Canadian workers at all, but also has no interest in a green economic plan like we have. The Conservatives have not been with workers. They have not been with the auto sector. We are building battery plants in parts of this country. We are building a green economic plan. Let us look at the facts: One temporary foreign worker has been approved.

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

Mr. Speaker, yes, and there are 1,600. That is 1,599 more, at least, foreign replacement workers who will be coming to use the 15 billion tax dollars that the Prime Minister is making Canadians pay for a single plant. In fact, here I have an advertisement for a position as an electrode quality engineer that states that the skills required include being bilingual in English and Korean. That is true of countless of the job advertisements. Will the Prime Minister release the contract on this $15-billion deal to see whether any of the money is going to go to Canadian workers or whether it is all going to foreign replacement workers?

Hon. Randy Boissonnault (Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, the leader of the official opposition 's misinformation cannot hide the transformational nature of this investment and investments like it across the country. Let us be extremely clear and focus on the facts, which are that there are 2,500 permanent jobs in the Windsor area to operate the plant and 2,300 Canadian jobs to construct the plant. Those are the facts. He is risky and reckless, and he is just dealing in pure misinformation.

The Speaker :

I would like to remind members to use language that does not impugn the member's use of information. The hon. Leader of the Opposition.

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

Mr. Speaker, my information comes from the Windsor police, who had a visit from the South Korean ambassador to set up the arrival of 1,600 South Korean replacement workers who will displace union workers in Windsor. Unions are up in arms as the government is displacing their workers to bring in replacement workers from abroad. If anything I am saying is wrong, why does the government not just announce that it will release the contract to show any guarantees there are that the jobs will go to Canadians?

(1505) Hon. Randy Boissonnault (Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, let us look at the facts and let us look at an authority in this matter. Dave Cassidy, president of Unifor Local 444, called out the disinformation from the Conservative Party as absolutely false and baseless. There is simply no justification for what the ambassador of South Korea has suggested. Instead, the facts are that there are 2,500 Canadian jobs to operate this plant and 2,300 Canadian jobs to construct this plant. Those are the facts. Those are the investments. We are building for the future. Everything else is just risk and recklessness from the Conservatives.

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

Mr. Speaker, what is risky and reckless is to spend $15 billion, which works out to $1,000 for every family in Canada, for a project that will employ foreign replacement workers. Those workers will displace our union jobs in this country, in other words, our money for foreign workers. That is according to the police from Windsor and the local Windsor municipal government. Those are the facts, and if the Prime Minister has any other facts he would like to share, why will he not just give us the contract?

Mr. Ryan Turnbull (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, let us get real. The Conservatives have never been for workers. They do not understand that the fight against climate change creates prosperity for generations to come. These once-in-a-generation investments in a Nexstar facility are bringing 2,500 permanent jobs to Windsor, which is bringing back the auto industry. It is beyond me how the Conservatives can somehow spin this negatively—

Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

The Speaker :

I will ask all members, please, to take the floor only when they are recognized by the Speaker, so we can make sure we have order in the House. [ Translation ] The hon. member for Joliette.

Housing

Mr. Gabriel Ste-Marie (Joliette, BQ) :

Mr. Speaker, the economic update proves once again that the Prime Minister does not understand the word “emergency”. The housing crisis is an emergency. Nevertheless, not only will the new funding be inadequate, but there is not a single new measure that will take effect before 2025, in other words, after the next election. The only thing the Prime Minister is offering is money starting in 2025 if people vote in a Liberal government. When will he understand that what we need today is money for housing, not election promises?

[ English ]

Hon. Sean Fraser (Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, I disagree with my hon. colleague, and I would encourage him to read the entirety of the fall economic statement. There are a number of measures that take effect very quickly, some in the next number of weeks and some in the next number of months. He must be referring to our recapitalization, though, of certain programs that are actually helping get homes built now. We continue to have funds on the table. In fact, just last week, we landed agreements worth $4 billion that are going to see nearly 12,000 new homes constructed right across this country at prices that ordinary people can actually afford.

We are now locking in long-term investments that are going to provide certainty to builders so they can continue to build the homes that are necessary to defeat the housing crisis.

[ Translation ]

Mr. Gabriel Ste-Marie (Joliette, BQ) :

Mr. Speaker, I would encourage him to have a look at the tables that say “zero” for this year and “zero” for next year. People had better brace themselves, because this winter is going to be very long. It is going to be long for anyone who cannot find housing, because there is no new money for housing until 2025. It is going to be long for anyone who becomes part of the 5% increase in homelessness, because there is no emergency funding. It is going to be long for media workers who are faced with job losses, because there is no emergency funding for them either.

It is going to be long for our SMEs, which will not survive the winter if the deadline for repayment of the Canada emergency business account is not pushed back from January. The time to take care of these people is now. It is not in the spring, and certainly not in 2025. What is the Prime Minister waiting for?

Hon. Sean Fraser (Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, I agree with the member. Investments are necessary to address the housing crisis. On top of the new measures included in yesterday's document are other investments that our government has already announced. For example, we signed an agreement with the Province of Quebec to the tune of $1.8 billion just to support investments in affordable housing. We will continue making the investments necessary to end the housing crisis across the country.

(1510) [ English ] Carbon Pricing

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister had a chance yesterday to cancel his plan to quadruple the carbon tax. It is important to understand how much he wants to raise taxes on Canadians. He wants to raise the carbon tax to 61¢ a litre. That will raise the cost of heat and gas, and also of food, because when we tax the farmers who make the food and the truckers who ship the food, we tax all who buy the food. Will the Prime Minister finally tell us how much it will cost the average family when he quadruples the tax, and will he call an election on the carbon tax so Canadians can decide for themselves?

Mr. Adam van Koeverden (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, the agri-food sector is affected probably more than any other sector by climate change. In a year when we saw increased floods, more frequent storms, soil erosion, sporadic and unpredictable rainfall, and fires across this country that devastated rural communities, driving people out of their homes and causing destruction, it is really disappointing that the Conservatives still do not believe in climate change. All of those impacts result from climate change, and a price on pollution is working to reduce our emissions and fight the fight.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is not working. The Liberals have missed every emissions target but one in the year that the economy was entirely locked down. The Liberal government ranks 58th out of 63 in the world, and its own environment commissioner says it will not meet its emissions targets, yet the Liberals still go ahead with the carbon tax, which has proven not to work. They want to quadruple the tax, including on farmers, who have no other choice than to use traditional hydrocarbons to power their machinery, their barns and their drying. Once again, how much will the carbon tax cost the average Canadian farmer when the Prime Minister quadruples it?

Hon. Karina Gould (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, if the Conservatives were concerned about the cost of food and the cost of fuel, they would stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, because it is Russia's illegal war of aggression that is driving up global food prices and global fuel prices. However, they are ideologically committed to ignoring climate change and doing anything they could to possibly fight it, so much so that they threw Ukraine under the bus and voted against the very agreement that the Ukrainian government has asked Canada to support. Conservatives need to give their heads a shake and stand with the people who are fighting for freedom around the world.

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

Mr. Speaker, this is the minister who stood and had a photo taken with a Nazi that helped Russian propaganda all around the world. The question was about the carbon tax cost on the average Canadian farmer. I have here a power bill from Enbridge for a farm in my riding that has $11,000 in carbon taxes alone. That is today. Now the Prime Minister wants to quadruple the tax on Canadian farmers, which will drive up the cost of production, drive food growth out of this country and drive prices up for everyday Canadian families. Once again, how much will the average farmer pay in carbon taxes once the Prime Minister implements his plan to quadruple the tax?

Hon. Karina Gould (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, what is unbelievable is that the Leader of the Opposition , who claims to stand for freedom and who claims to stand for democracy, will do everything he can to ideologically oppose fighting climate change, including not standing with Ukrainians, who are facing an illegal war of aggression by Russia that is driving up food and fuel prices around the world. If he truly cared about supporting Canadian families and Canadian farmers, he would support the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement and would not abandon them in their time of need.

[ Translation ] Housing

Ms. Patricia Lattanzio (Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, in yesterday's economic statement, the government announced measures to support housing co-operatives. There are 1,130 co-ops in Quebec, representing more than 22,000 housing units. The Leader of the Opposition referred to co-ops as Soviet-style housing. That shows his contempt for this type of housing. Can the minister explain to Canadians the impact that yesterday's measures will have on housing co-ops across the country?

(1515) Hon. Randy Boissonnault (Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel for her hard work and her question. People need more housing, and co-ops are part of the solution. That is why we announced yesterday that the GST will be removed from new co-op rental housing. We also announced that we will be strengthening the co-operative housing development program. Unlike the Leader of the Opposition, who despises co-ops, we support them and the people who live in them.

Carbon Pricing

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister 's tax on the farmers who produce the food and on the truckers who transport the food is a tax on everyone who eats food. The Bloc Québécois wants to radically increase taxes on farmers. There will be more costs for farmers in Quebec. How much will the second carbon tax cost each farmer in Quebec?

[ English ]

Hon. Lawrence MacAulay (Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition and his party do not even have a climate plan. In this day and age that is certainly very reckless. Last Monday, I had the privilege of dealing with Lisa Thompson, the Minister of Agriculture for Ontario, and we announced a $25-million plan to deal with climate change and deal with innovation. I can tell the Leader of the Opposition that, one, he needs a climate plan, and two, this government will continue to support our farmers to make sure they stay on the cutting edge and become more profitable. If we do not deal with climate change, we will add to the price of food.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' idea of helping farmers is putting an $11,000 tax on one farm for one month. Now they want to quadruple the tax on Canada's farmers. That will do nothing except send food production to more polluting foreign countries and force us to burn more diesel to transport it all the way back to Canada. Why do they not bring home food production and axe the tax on farmers?

Hon. Lawrence MacAulay (Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, number one, we have a climate plan, and we will continue to deal with the climate plan. If we do not deal with climate, we will increasingly put up the price of food. We have invested in farmers right across this country. We are going to make sure farmers and ranchers stay on the cutting edge. We deal with climate change because if we do not deal with climate change, like every country in the world is, we will continue to raise prices in the world.

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

Mr. Speaker, after eight years, they still do not have a plan to fight climate change. What they have is a plan to quadruple a tax that has failed to fight climate change, giving Canada the 58th ranking out of 63 countries, missing every target but one in eight years and on track to missing their targets in 2030. They should stop distracting from the real agenda here, which is to take money away from farmers, from food and from the necessities of Canadian life. Will they, yes or no, announce their support for the Senate passing the common-sense Conservative bill, Bill C-234 , to take the tax off the farmers who feed us?

Mr. Adam van Koeverden (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, who knows a thing or two about farming and climate change? It is the farmers who work in the breadbasket of the world, Ukrainian farmers. Who asked Canadian parliamentarians to vote for the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement? Ukrainian farmers did, and so did the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and President Zelenskyy himself. Ukrainian farmers are betrayed by this federal government. They are the people who grow—

Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

(1520) Mr. Adam van Koeverden :

Mr. Speaker, Canadian farmers are betrayed by the Conservatives. My apologies for the misstep.

Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

The Speaker :

Order, please. The hon. member for Scarborough—Agincourt.

Indigenous Affairs

Ms. Jean Yip (Scarborough—Agincourt, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, economic reconciliation is a major part of the federal government's work to build a strong and sustainable economy. Yesterday, the government announced its fall economic statement. Can the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations inform the House on measures that support economic reconciliation?

Hon. Gary Anandasangaree (Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Scarborough—Agincourt for her tireless advocacy and her hard work. The number of major projects with potential for indigenous equity ownership is anticipated to grow significantly over the next decade, and we are working with indigenous partners to increase access to the affordable capital that indigenous communities will require to make these opportunities a reality. This will make projects more economically feasible for indigenous communities by decreasing the cost of capital. The indigenous loan guarantee program is a step in the right direction by the federal government on the path to economic reconciliation.

Ms. Lori Idlout (Nunavut, NDP) :

Uqaqtittiji , in the fall economic statement, the Liberals showed that they are ending critical programs and services that indigenous peoples rely on. These decisions will keep indigenous peoples in poverty. This is at a time when the first nations infrastructure gap stands at $350 billion. When will the government use the empathy it expresses and reconcile that with the funding so desperately needed to lift indigenous peoples out of poverty?

Hon. Patty Hajdu (Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, I really appreciate the advocacy of the member opposite to continue our work to close the infrastructure gap and to seek true reconciliation with indigenous people. That is a journey we have been on since 2015. In fact, services for indigenous people were flatlined for over a decade with the previous Conservative government. We have seen an increase of 168% in investments in indigenous communities, and we are not going to stop.

Emergency Preparedness

Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP) :

Mr. Speaker, imagine the horror, the nightmare of leaving home with a crying newborn in the back seat, making a way through smoke, hardly being able to see and trying to find an evacuation route from fires. This was the situation for thousands of people in the Northwest Territories this summer, yet through climate inaction and through a failure to fund essential infrastructure in the north, Canadian communities will experience this more often. When will the Prime Minister follow through on commitments for essential infrastructure, especially for evacuation and fire preparedness in our north?

Hon. Harjit S. Sajjan (President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, the devastating wildfires in the Northwest Territories caused an extremely large evacuation and impacted many homes. I visited the area. I am speaking with my counterpart on what the actual needs are. I also visited indigenous communities. Infrastructure, including roads and even telecommunications lines, is the topic we are currently discussing. We will make sure that the north gets the support it needs.

The Speaker :

That brings an end to question period. I see that there are a number of members rising on points of order. The hon. minister.

(1525) Hon. Patty Hajdu :

Mr. Speaker, during question period, I heard in one of the questions from the Leader of the Opposition his reckless use of the word “crazy” as a pejorative for one of our cabinet ministers. The use of the word “crazy” is offensive and stigmatizing and, for so many Canadians—

The Speaker :

I thank the minister for raising this issue. The Speaker already made a statement regarding this and the importance of, when we are referring to individual members, treating all members with respect and dignity. Also on a point of order, I recognize the hon. member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie.

[ Translation ]

Mr. Alexandre Boulerice :

Mr. Speaker, I seek the unanimous consent of the House to adopt the following motion, which is supported by the members for Mirabel and Louis-Saint-Laurent : Given that the construction of the Mirabel airport led to the expropriation of thousands of families in 1969; that the families who lost their home, their land and their community following this expropriation are traumatized by this unspeakable pain; and that, with the end of commercial flights, the Mirabel airport is now closed to the public; that this House officially apologize to the residents of Mirabel who were expropriated in 1969.

The Speaker :

All those opposed to the hon. member's moving the motion will please say nay.

Some hon. members: Nay.

Ms. Christine Normandin :

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. There have been discussions among the parties, and if you seek it I believe you will find unanimous consent to adopt the following motion: That the House, in view of the joint statement by the respective Premiers of Quebec and Ontario, dated November 7, 2023, regarding the federal government's public procurement of the CP‑140 Aurora replacement, call on the government to formally proceed by notice of tender before awarding any procurement contract for the new Canadian multi-mission aircraft.

The Speaker :

All those opposed to the hon. member's moving the motion will please say nay.

Some hon. members: Nay.

[ English ]

Mr. Garnett Genuis :

Mr. Speaker, just in response to the point of order from the member for Thunder Bay—Superior North , I do want to draw the attention of the House to the fact that on February 23, 2016, that member used the same word in quite the same context.

The Speaker :

That is falling into debate. I thank the member.

Ms. Leah Gazan :

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. During QP, the leader of the Conservative Party referred to the environment minister as “crazy environment minister”. We are going through a mental health crisis in this country. I would like the member for Carleton to apologize to this House and apologize to people struggling with mental health across this country.

The Speaker :

I thank the member for Winnipeg Centre for raising this point of order. The Speaker did point out, during question period, the importance of using language that is respectful with respect to individual members of this House. We are going to be moving on. On a point of order, I recognize the hon. member for Madawaska—Restigouche.

[ Translation ]

Mr. René Arseneault :

Mr. Speaker, it has become impossible to hear questions and answers here, especially the answers. The heckling always comes from the same part of the House. There is supposed to be decorum around parliamentary language.

Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

Mr. René Arseneault: Mr. Speaker, this perfectly illustrates my point. Parliamentary language has changed here. Some of our colleagues have started being rude, showing no manners, and bullying. That is heckling. I believe that, as parliamentarians, we all have the right to clearly hear what other colleagues have to say in their answers, without feeling intimidated. In due course, I would like to know the position of the House on respect for decorum and parliamentary language. Things have gotten out of control.

(1530) The Speaker :

I would like to thank the member for Madawaska—Restigouche for his intervention. As you all know, the Chair has already shared its observations and guidance on how members can behave in a more respectful manner while having passionate and focused debates here in the House. I know that today, as is often the case on Wednesdays, there are a number of members, of all political persuasions, who are a little more passionate than usual, if I may say it that way. However, I agree that it is important that we all respect each other.

When a member is speaking in the House, we must remain quiet and let the member express their thoughts. It is very important. In this particular case, the Chair did hear the member's response. However, I encourage all members to exercise a lot more discipline so that everyone can be heard here in the House of Commons.

[ English ]

Mr. Randall Garrison :

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. With respect, I think if you examine the proceedings today, you will see that the point of order raised by the member for Winnipeg Centre is about the use of the term “crazy”, referring to someone's mental health as a pejorative. It does not matter who it is applied to in this House. Her point of order was about the use of that term as a pejorative. I think you, Mr. Speaker, may have inadvertently confirmed that negative term in your ruling.

I would like the Speaker to examine those records, because I think we need to make sure that in this House, we respect all those Canadians who are struggling with mental health issues and not use mental health as a pejorative in this House.

The Speaker :

I thank the member, and I will take a closer look at the point of intervention from the member for Winnipeg Centre .

Mr. Rick Perkins :

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. As you are examining this question, I would encourage you to examine the statement by the member for Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca on June 14, 2014, using the same word.

The Speaker :

I thank all members.

Private Members' Business Private Members' Business

(1535) [ Translation ] Court Challenges Program Act

The House resumed from November 8 consideration of the motion that Bill C-316,

An Act to amend the Department of Canadian Heritage Act (Court Challenges Program) , be read the second time and referred to a committee. Bill C‑316. Second reading

The Speaker :

It being 3:28 p.m., the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at second reading stage of Bill C-316 , under Private Members' Business. Call in the members.

(1545) (The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

(Division No. 451)

YEAS Members Aldag Alghabra Ali Anand Anandasangaree Angus Arseneault Arya Ashton Atwin Bachrach Badawey Bains Baker Barron Barsalou-Duval Battiste Beaulieu Beech Bendayan Bennett Bergeron Bérubé Bibeau Bittle Blaikie Blair Blanchette-Joncas Blaney Blois Boissonnault Boulerice Bradford Brière Brunelle-Duceppe Cannings Carr Casey Chabot Chagger Chahal Champagne Champoux Chatel Chen Chiang Collins (Hamilton East—Stoney Creek) Cormier Coteau Dabrusin Damoff DeBellefeuille Desbiens Desilets Desjarlais Dhaliwal Dhillon Diab Drouin Dubourg Duclos Duguid Dzerowicz Ehsassi El-Khoury Erskine-Smith Fillmore Fisher Fonseca Fortier Fortin Fragiskatos Fraser Freeland Fry Gaheer Gainey Garon Garrison Gazan Gerretsen Gill Gould Green Guilbeault Hajdu Hanley Hardie Hepfner Holland Hughes Hussen Hutchings Iacono Idlout Ien Jaczek Johns Joly Jones Jowhari Julian Kayabaga Kelloway Khera Koutrakis Kusmierczyk Kwan Lalonde Lambropoulos Lametti Lamoureux Lapointe Larouche Lattanzio Lauzon LeBlanc Lebouthillier Lemire Lightbound Long Longfield Louis (Kitchener—Conestoga) MacAulay (Cardigan) MacDonald (Malpeque) MacGregor MacKinnon (Gatineau) Maloney Martinez Ferrada Masse Mathyssen May (Cambridge) May (Saanich—Gulf Islands) McDonald (Avalon) McGuinty McKay McKinnon (Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam) McLeod McPherson Mendès Miao Michaud Miller Morrice Morrissey Murray Naqvi Ng Noormohamed Normandin O'Connell Oliphant O'Regan Pauzé Petitpas Taylor Plamondon Powlowski Qualtrough Rayes Robillard Rodriguez Rogers Romanado Rota Sahota Sajjan Saks Samson Sarai Savard-Tremblay Scarpaleggia Schiefke Serré Sgro Shanahan Sidhu (Brampton South) Simard Sinclair-Desgagné Singh Sorbara Sousa Ste-Marie St-Onge Sudds Tassi Taylor Roy Thériault Therrien Thompson Trudeau Trudel Turnbull Valdez Van Bynen van Koeverden Vandal Vandenbeld Vignola Villemure Virani Weiler Wilkinson Yip Zahid Zarrillo Zuberi -- 206

NAYS Members Aboultaif Aitchison Albas Allison Arnold Baldinelli Barlow Barrett Berthold Bezan Block Bragdon Brassard Calkins Caputo Carrie Chambers Chong Cooper Dalton Davidson Deltell d'Entremont Doherty Dowdall Dreeshen Duncan (Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry) Ellis Epp Falk (Battlefords—Lloydminster) Falk (Provencher) Fast Ferreri Findlay Gallant Généreux Genuis Gladu Goodridge Gourde Gray Hallan Hoback Jeneroux Kelly Khanna Kitchen Kmiec Kram Kramp-Neuman Kurek Kusie Lake Lawrence Lehoux Leslie Lewis (Essex) Lewis (Haldimand—Norfolk) Liepert Lloyd Lobb Maguire Majumdar Martel Mazier McCauley (Edmonton West) McLean Melillo Moore Motz Muys Nater Patzer Paul-Hus Perkins Poilievre Redekopp Reid Richards Roberts Rood Ruff Scheer Schmale Seeback Shields Shipley Small Soroka Steinley Stewart Strahl Stubbs Thomas Tochor Tolmie Uppal Van Popta Vecchio Vidal Vien Viersen Vis Vuong Wagantall Warkentin Waugh Webber Williams Williamson Zimmer -- 111

PAIRED Members Fry Gaudreau Housefather Khalid Lantsman Mendicino Morantz Morrison Perron Rempel Garner Sarai Sheehan -- 12

The Speaker :

Motion agreed to I declare the motion carried. Accordingly, the bill stands referred to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. (Bill read the second time and referred to a committee)

The Deputy Speaker :

I wish to inform the House that, because of the deferred recorded division, Government Orders will be extended by 13 minutes.

Routine Proceedings Routine Proceedings

(1550) [ English ] Petitions Public Safety

Mr. Dan Mazier (Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to present a petition on behalf of my constituents. I rise for the 26th time on behalf of the people of Swan River, Manitoba, to present a petition on the rising rate of crime. The NDP-Liberal government has neglected Swan River and its 4,000 rural residents, who have been impacted by a wave of criminals in the community. Four individuals in Swan River were responsible for over 300 offences in just 18 months, and 53 of those were violent offences. The rural community is calling for action in the form of jail, not bail, for violent repeat offenders.

The people of Swan River demand that the Liberal government repeal its soft-on-crime policies, which directly threaten their livelihoods and their community. I support the good people of Swan River.

Pakistan

Mr. George Chahal (Calgary Skyview, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, my constituents and other Canadians have brought forward a petition regarding the people of Pakistan. Pakistani Canadians are becoming increasingly concerned about reports of political turmoil and uncertainty in Pakistan following the unjust removal of a democratically elected government and the subsequent arrests of Imran Khan and members of his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. There have been reports of abductions, enforced disappearances and torture regarding political activists, their families and other state opposition.

The petition calls upon the subcommittee on international human rights to immediately begin a study of human rights violations, particularly towards minorities and human rights groups in Pakistan; the Government of Canada to implement sanctions on corrupt Pakistani military officials who have been involved in human rights violations; the government to work with the IMF to use its influence to tie loans to the condition that free and fair elections occur; and the government to implement a foreign agent registry to protect Canadians from foreign interference.

The petitioners call for all these measures to continue until democratic institutions and human rights have been restored in Pakistan.

Old-Growth Forests

Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP) :

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise today to present a petition from citizens of Saanich—Gulf Islands and a number of others, who are very concerned about the fate of old-growth forests. This is e-petition 4277, with nearly 2,000 signatories; they are looking for action to protect old-growth forests and noting that the Species at Risk Act calls for protection of the ecosystems and habitats of species identified as threatened. The petitioners note that these species are particularly threatened by industrial logging through old-growth forests.

The petition goes into some detail about the specific types of blue-listed species that are only found in high-elevation, old-growth yellow and red cedar forests and specific types of lichen. The solution that the petitioners point to is that the Government of Canada, using the tools that exist, such as the Species at Risk Act, can move to protect rare species of lichen important to ecosystems and immediately require that British Columbia uphold and enforce protections for these species across all Crown lands.

Climate Change

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

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today. The first is from a number of Canadians who are calling to the attention of the government the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's most recent report, which has warned against repeating temperatures over the next two decades that will bring widespread devastation and extreme weather. They also bring to the government's attention that this impacts Canada today, with increased flooding, wildfires and extreme temperatures.

The petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to move forward immediately with bold emissions caps for the oil and gas sector that are comprehensive in scope and realistic in achieving the necessary targets that Canada has set to reduce emissions by 2030.

Food Security

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

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is certainly a lot closer to home. It is being presented on behalf of Collins Bay Public School in Kingston. The individuals who signed this petition are calling to the attention of the government that Canada is the only G7 country without a national school food program.

They also remind the government that the 2022 budget reaffirmed mandate letter commitments to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, directing them to work with provinces, territories, municipalities, indigenous partners and stakeholders to develop such a program. The petitioners are, therefore, calling on the government, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food to prioritize funding for a national school food program through budget 2024 for implementation in schools by fall 2024.

(1555) Electoral Reform

Mr. Mike Morrice (Kitchener Centre, GP) :

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise to present a very well-timed petition; a motion on this very issue is before the House. The petitioners make a very strong case. They note, first of all, that the record-low voter turnout in the last Ontario election of 43% demonstrates increasing voter disengagement and that distorted results from the most recent federal election illustrates the need for electoral reform.

They also note that citizen assemblies have considerable legitimacy and public trust, given that they are, by their very nature, non-partisan, truly randomly selected representative bodies of citizens with no vested interest in the outcome. The petitioners point out that citizen assemblies allow for more nuanced public deliberations than do simple yes or no referenda. They also say that citizen assemblies have been used successfully in Australia, Belgium, France, Ireland and Scotland, and the list goes on.

They say that a citizens assembly on electoral reform would give citizens a leadership role in building consensus on a specific model for electoral reform in this country, but it would need to be established as soon as possible to enable its recommendations to be adopted in advance of the next federal election.

As a result, the petitioners call on the House to establish a citizens assembly on electoral reform; to mandate that the assembly craft a specific, detailed design for an electoral system tailored to Canada's needs that would make every vote count; to complete its work within the next 12 months; and to collaborate across party lines to table and pass legislation to enact the changes recommended by the assembly in advance of the next federal election.

Human Rights

Mr. Arnold Viersen (Peace River—Westlock, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, I have a number of petitions to present today. The first petition is from Canadians across the country who are concerned about the human rights protections of people living in Turkey, Pakistan and Bahrain. The petitioners note that Turkish, Pakistani and Bahraini officials have committed gross human rights violations, including against thousands of Turks and eight Turkish Canadians. They say that Turkish officials have killed hundreds, including Gokhan Acikkollu, and wrongfully detained up to 300,000 people; they say that multiple human rights abuses are happening across Turkey.

The petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to closely monitor the human rights situation in Turkey; to sanction Turkish officials who have committed these gross violations against Canadians and killed Gokhan Acikkollu; and to call on the Turkish, Pakistani and Bahraini governments to end all human rights violations in their respective countries.

Rights of the Unborn

Mr. Arnold Viersen (Peace River—Westlock, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, the next petition I have is from Canadians from across the country who are concerned about the fact that over 300 babies die every day in this country, given the Morgentaler decision. Since then, there is no protection for preborn human life in this country. Canada is one of only two countries in the world where this is the case, with North Korea being the other one. Over 98% of these deaths could be prevented by having better laws in this country. The heartbeat of a human being starts when the baby is five weeks old. Therefore the folks who have signed this petition are calling on the Government of Canada to create and strengthen preborn human rights in this country.

Medical Assistance in Dying

Mr. Arnold Viersen (Peace River—Westlock, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, the next petition I have is from Canadians from across the country who are concerned about the comments of Louis Roy, of the Quebec college of physicians, when he recommended to a committee here in this place that euthanasia be expanded to babies from birth to one year of age. This proposal for the euthanasia of children is deeply disturbing to the Canadians who have signed this petition and they want to emphatically insist that infanticide is always wrong. The folks who have signed this petition call on the Government of Canada to block any attempt to allow for the euthanasia of children.

(1600) Charitable Organizations

Mr. Arnold Viersen (Peace River—Westlock, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, the next petition I have is from Canadians from across the country, who are concerned about certain charities being targeted based on their views and forced into a values test. The petitioners note that the Liberals have promised to deny charitable status to group with views they call dishonest. This could jeopardize the charitable status of hospitals, houses of worship, schools, homeless shelters, food banks and many other organizations. They also note that the Liberals previously used a values test to discriminate against groups applying for the Canada summer jobs grant.

The petitioners are asking the House of Commons to protect and preserve the application of charitable status rules on a politically and ideologically neutral basis, without discrimination on the basis of political or religious values, and they ask for no more imposition of a values test. They also ask for the affirmation of their freedom of expression as Canadians.

Pornography

Mr. Arnold Viersen (Peace River—Westlock, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, the next petition I have is from Canadians from across the country, including many of my own constituents, who are concerned about the consent and age verification of those depicted in pornographic material. Petitioners ask for the government to follow recommendation 2 from the 2021 Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics report on MindGeek, which required that all content-hosting platforms in Canada confirm consent and age before uploading this content. Bill C-270 , the stopping Internet sexual exploitation act, adds two offences to the Criminal Code.

The first would require age verification and consent prior to distribution. The second requires the removal of that material if consent is withdrawn. As such, the petitioners are calling on the House of Commons to quickly pass Bill C-270 , the stopping Internet sexual exploitation act.

Firearms

Mr. Arnold Viersen (Peace River—Westlock, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, the next petition I have to present is from Canadians from across the country who are concerned about the health and safety of Canadian firearms owners. The petitioners recognize the importance of owning firearms and they recognize that owning firearms is an important part of Canadian heritage. However they are concerned about the impacts to hearing loss caused by the noise levels of firearms and the need for noise reduction. These petitioners acknowledge that sound moderators are the only universally accepted health and safety device that is criminally prohibited in Canada.

Moreover, the majority of G7 countries have recognized the health and safety benefits of sound moderators and insist or allow for them to be used in hunting, sport shooting and for reducing noise pollution. The petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to allow legal firearm owners to purchase and use sound moderators for all legal hunting and sport shooting activities.

Pornography

Mr. Arnold Viersen (Peace River—Westlock, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, the last petition I have to present today comes from Canadians from across the country who are concerned around the use and consent and the age verification of those depicted in pornographic material. They are calling on the House of Commons and the Government of Canada to quickly pass Bill C-270 , the stopping Internet sexual exploitation act, which adds two offences to the Criminal Code.

Questions on the Order Paper

Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all questions be allowed to stand at this time.

The Deputy Speaker :

Is that agreed?

Some hon. members: Agreed.

Motions for Papers

Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all notices of motions for the production of papers be allowed to stand.

The Deputy Speaker :

Is that agreed?

Some hon. members: Agreed.

Request for Emergency Debate Infrastructure Gap for Indigenous Peoples S. O. 52

The Deputy Speaker :

I wish to inform the House that we have received notice of a request for an emergency debate. I will now invite the hon. member for Nunavut to rise and make a brief intervention.

Ms. Lori Idlout (Nunavut, NDP) :

Uqaqtittiji , I rise to request an emergency debate on an issue of great importance to first nations and indigenous peoples across the country. The infrastructure gap for first nations was recently revealed to be almost $350 billion. This figure does not include gaps for Inuit and Métis communities. Underfunding to indigenous peoples has resulted in a crisis. It is an emergency, as indigenous peoples all across Canada are suffering. It must be debated as such.

The infrastructure gap means indigenous peoples will continue to suffer in overcrowded, unsafe homes and they will not be able to handle emergencies such as wildfires. It means crumbling schools, and it means Jordan's principle funding that will soon run out. It means boil water advisories that persist in 28 communities. We need investments now. As parliamentarians, we have a responsibility to indigenous peoples in this country. We must come together to demand answers from the government on how it plans to bridge these gaps.

The fall economic statement ignores the years of recommendations by auditors general, parliamentary budget officers, the TRC and MMIWG, just to name a few. Billions of dollars in Indigenous Services Canada programs will sunset. These programs will not be renewed. This is funding that communities rely on and it must be renewed. Further, there are still plans to reduce departmental spending and downsize staffing by over 1,000. This will affect service delivery and add to the already unacceptable backlogs. The status quo cannot continue.

We cannot afford to wait any longer to lift indigenous communities out of the entrenched poverty the government forces them into. An emergency debate would allow parliamentarians to get answers from the Minister of Indigenous Services regarding why her department refuses to commit to ending this infrastructure gap by 2030. Mr. Speaker, I urge you to support this request for an emergency debate so we may come together as parliamentarians and demand funding that indigenous peoples desperately need.

(1605) Speaker's Ruling Speaker's Ruling

The Deputy Speaker :

I thank the hon. member for Nunavut for her intervention. However, the Speaker is not satisfied that this request meets the requirements of the Standing Orders at this time.

Government Orders Government Orders

[ English ] Canada Labour Code

Hon. Seamus O'Regan (Minister of Labour and Seniors, Lib.)

moved that Bill C-58,

an act to amend the Canada Labour Code and the Canada Industrial Relations Board Regulations, 2012 , be read the second time and referred to a committee. Bill C-58. Second reading He said: Mr. Speaker, the labour movement has been saying that replacement workers are wrong for longer than this country has existed. People in the labour movement have been telling us that replacement workers distract from the bargaining table and prolong disputes and that the use of replacement workers can poison the relationship between an employer and workers for generations after. We listened to workers and I am very proud to say that on November 9, we tabled Bill C-58 ,

an act to amend the Canada Labour Code and the Canada Industrial Relations Board Regulations, 2012. Some people have asked why now. Why should Canada ban replacement workers now? Just because it is the way things have always been done does not mean it is the way that things should be done. The option of replacement workers is something that many of us have taken for granted over our lives. However, should a worker's right to meaningfully withhold their labour be surrendered to the possibility of being replaced? Is a bargaining table where one's bargaining powers are fundamentally limited a fair bargaining table?

Are replacement workers part of how we ought to handle labour relations in the 21st century? The answer to all those questions, I would argue, is no. [ Translation ] Bill C-58 will prohibit the use of replacement workers in federally regulated workplaces. Violators will be fined $100,000 a day. [ English ] This bill is unlike others that have come before this House in years past. Unlike previous legislation to ban replacement workers, this bill was borne of tripartism.

It is the result of employers, workers and government all coming together, sitting at the same table to discuss an important issue in Canadian labour relations. [ Translation ] This legislation will improve labour relations in Canada. It will provide greater stability and certainty for all Canadians. (1610) [ English ] I personally sat in on the consultations with employers. I sat in on the consultations with labour and I sat in on consultations with employers and labour together because I knew this bill had to be forged through a true tripartite approach.

The consultations were messy at times, but they forced people to listen to one another. It was not just employers and unions sitting at two sides of a table, shouting at one another. It was employers, unions and government sitting side by side, working together to build better legislation. [ Translation ] These consultations were not easy. They were tense and sometimes difficult, but they allowed the parties to reach an agreement. [ English ] This bill's improvements to the maintenance of activities process are a direct result of that work.

A maintenance of activities agreement is how employers and unions come to agree on what work must be done during a strike or a lockout. It is a truce in the midst of a dispute to protect the health and safety of Canadians and prevent damage to property and to the environment so that there is a job site to come back to when the negotiations have inevitably concluded. In the federal sector, employees and their employers know that so much of their work impacts the health and safety of all Canadians.

We are talking about the movement of critical medical supplies across our supply chains, the sharing of emergency information through telecom services and the maintenance of sensitive transportation infrastructure. All of these services, if not supported and maintained, can harm the health and safety of Canadians. Right now, parties are not required to have a maintenance of activities agreement or even to come together to determine whether they need one. With this legislation, employers and unions will have to come together and determine what work needs to continue during a strike or lockout, if any.

We are setting clear timelines on this. After they give notice to begin bargaining, unions and employers will have 15 days to come to an agreement. If they cannot come to an agreement, the Canada Industrial Relations Board will come to one for them within 90 days. This is important.

It means more certainty and predictability in collective bargaining for businesses, for unions and for employers alike. [ Translation ] Stability and certainty are guiding everything we are doing. [ English ] We have heard from our colleagues across the aisle, some of whom have suggested we pass and bring this bill into force in the next six weeks, but when making one of the most significant changes to federal collective bargaining that Canada has ever seen, we cannot be rushed. Bill C-58 will change the bargaining table.

It will change the role of the Canada Industrial Relations Board and it will fundamentally change how labour relations operate in this country. We are asking the CIRB to resolve issues around replacement workers on new and predictable timelines, to resolve maintenance of activities disputes within 90 days if parties cannot do it in 15. So they need to staff up. They need to strengthen their processes.

They are already telling us what they need because the purpose of the CIRB's creation was to take labour disputes out of the court system, to free up the court system and allow labour disputes to be processed in reasonable order. We are building up the CIRB to stay true to that mission. It is the only way we will make this legislation work. It is a massive change and they need time.

All parties need time to prepare and adapt to their new requirements and obligations, and to formulate new strategies for the bargaining table, so that this legislation makes the positive impact that we know it can and should make for stability, for certainty. To those who have questioned if this bill will in fact result in that, who have raised concerns with these changes, I understand. As union leaders told me after we tabled this bill, in a bit more colourful language, this is a big deal.

It is disruptive; it is a change, but I can tell colleagues right now that it will bring more stability, more balance and more certainty to how we collectively bargain in this country because we are bringing the focus back to where it belongs: the table. Just look at the bill. Look at the improvements that will benefit businesses, unions, employers and the public alike. One does not have to look far to understand what it means. As we speak, workers at the Port of Quebec are on the front lines of this issue. They have been replaced and they have been on the picket line for over one year.

Those workers on the front lines every day are ongoing proof for why we need this kind of legislation because replacement workers prolong disputes. [ Translation ] Workers at the Port of Québec are facing this problem at this very moment. They have been replaced for over a year now. Replacement workers prolong disputes.

The longshore workers are on strike, as is their right, but the replacement workers have disrupted negotiations. (1615) [ English ] For 14 months, longshore workers have been on strike there, exercising their constitutional right to do so, and for 14 months, replacement workers have been operating the port. That is 14 months of earning less than their salary, with no benefits, no coverage and no work.

How quickly could this dispute have been resolved, how long could we have had a permanent and resilient agreement between the union and the employer, if replacement workers had not been an option and if the only option had been sitting down at the bargaining table to negotiate a deal that works for everyone? Long, drawn-out disputes like this can bring out the worst, because workers are left in impossible situations, choosing between standing up for their rights and putting food on the table for their family. In fact, this is why other jurisdictions have decided to bring in legislation to ban replacement workers.

When the Government of Quebec brought in its legislation to ban replacement workers in 1977, it was to stop the violent confrontations to which strikes and picket lines were leading in that province. In 1993, the Government of British Columbia passed similar legislation to address the increasingly hostile relationship between employers and the labour movement. What happened in Quebec and B.C. after that legislation was passed? There were less frequent strikes. In B.C., there was no discernible impact on the number of strikes.

Over the past close to 30 years, strike activity in the province has never gone above the 1993 numbers. In Quebec, while transitions in Quebec's economy in the 1970s did cause a brief uptick in strikes, they have declined ever since. [ Translation ] Strikes are less common in Quebec, even with its legislation banning replacement workers. [ English ] To those who still say this bill would result in more strikes, I will remind them where the state of play stands at the federal level. We are very fortunate to have the absolute best mediators at the federal labour department.

The federal mediation and conciliation service has resolved 96% of labour disputes within the last year, without a work stoppage. It is the gold standard. Ninety-six per cent of the time, most Canadians never hear about labour negotiations at federal workplaces across the country. There might be tense negotiations and they might be messy, but they are settled at the negotiating table, and that is thanks in part to our federal mediators. It is only 4% of the time that federal labour negotiations enter the public conversation.

I am often seen in the media repeating the same message I always do, which is to focus on the table. Every single time, others will be on the same evenings news I am on, repeating the same message they always do, which is to bring out back-to-work legislation and to bring out replacement workers. They ask why the feds will not step in. We have to remember that striking is a last resort for workers. Nobody wants to lose their benefits and live off strike pay. It is an anxious, uncertain time for anyone. Collective bargaining can be hard work, but it is always the answer.

Our economy depends on employers and unions staying at the table to do the work and reach the best and most resilient deals. Bill C-58 would keep parties focused on the bargaining table. That is how we find stability and certainty in our supply chains and our entire economy. Every industry and bargaining table is different, but our goal in all of them is the same: to keep parties focused at the table, create a more predictable process and remove the distractions. That is what this legislation would do for businesses, employers and unions alike.

This is not just the smart thing to do; it is also the right thing to do. It is something labour has been asking for since before we were even a country. The reactions I have heard from labour leaders over the past 13 days speaks to how much the bill really means to them. As Gil McGowan of the Alberta Federation of Labour said, “This is Canadian politics at its best.

This is Parliament working for workers.” As Bea Bruske, head of the Canadian Labour Congress said, this is a vital way to increase fairness for workers. [ Translation ] As Magali Picard of the Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec put it, this bill changes Canada's collective bargaining landscape. [ English ] As the Fish, Food & Allied Workers said in my home province of Newfoundland and Labrador, with this bill we would be doing away with “a regressive, anti-worker practice that has long eroded collective bargaining rights.” Last year, we passed a bill to give workers in federally regulated sectors 10 days of paid sick leave, because we learned a lot from COVID when it came to sick leave.

If we, as a government, were going to be asking people to stay home for two weeks when they became sick, we had to give them the ability to do so. That bill passed in the House with unanimous consent, because we all agree workers should never have to choose between getting paid and getting better. Members will recall that, at the time, workers in the United States were striking over their ask of one day of paid sick leave to stay home from work when they are sick. In Canada, workers now get 10 days, and that passed unanimously.

When the time comes, I hope every member of the House, Liberals, New Democrats, Bloc members, Greens and Conservatives, will stand up and vote to keep collective bargaining free and fair. (1620) [ Translation ] This legislation is needed to keep labour relations strong in Canada, to keep employers and unions at the bargaining table, and to ban replacement workers.

[ English ]

Mr. Rick Perkins (South Shore—St. Margarets, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, on the issue of replacement workers, as we know, it has been in the news that the ambassador from South Korea has been talking to officials in Windsor about bringing in up to 1,600 replacement workers at the Stellantis plant in Windsor. In fact, they would be taxpayer-funded foreign replacement workers. I wonder whether the minister would comment on this. Is there anything in the bill that would change the fact that the current government signed the contract that allows taxpayer-funded replacement foreign workers to come into Canada?

Hon. Seamus O'Regan :

Mr. Speaker, that is comparing apples to oranges. Once again, we see from the other side of the House some ability either to divert attention from or to completely obfuscate two absolutely separate issues. What we are talking about are replacement workers who are being used as what is otherwise known in the parlance as scabs, in federally regulated sectors during the collective bargaining process during a strike or lockdown. What the hon. member is talking about is completely and utterly different.

[ Translation ]

Mrs. Julie Vignola (Beauport—Limoilou, BQ) :

Mr. Speaker, my colleague is right when he says that Quebec's anti-scab legislation has made it possible over the past 46 years to negotiate as equals and ensure that no strikes have dragged on. He also talked about the 14-month strike at the Port of Québec. Given that it is so urgent that we pass Bill C‑58 , I would like to know why he waited 14 months to do anything and why he took action to resolve the disputes in Vancouver but not in Quebec City. Second, why wait another 18 months after the bill receives royal assent to be able to enforce the law, which will not apply in any way to longshore workers, because there is no retroactivity?

[ English ]

Hon. Seamus O'Regan :

Mr. Speaker, first, let me say that the reason we are sticking with 18 months is that it is precisely the number that was recomm