Most toxic speeches
What outcome, Mr. Speaker? The CRA took away the Islamic Society of North America's charitable organization status over a year ago. We condemned the situation. They talk and talk but have not actually done anything. Meanwhile, the Liberals are giving $25,000 to an entity that is directly or indirectly linked to terrorist activities.When will the minister cancel the cheque and take that grant away from an organization that does not reflect Canadian values?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are the ones telling untruths.This government is not telling the truth. After discrediting the United Nations it continues to undermine the findings of scientists and a number of relevant authorities, including the commissioner of the environment. Even the Parliamentary Budget Officer, an independent officer of the House of Commons, said yesterday that the Liberals' plan was insufficient to meet the Paris targets.When it comes to the environment, the Liberals are misleading Canadians.Once again, why is this Liberal government incapable of telling the truth?
Mr. Speaker, Alberta has been shown nothing but disdain from the Liberal government for the last three and a half years. The Liberals continue their assault on the energy sector. Last night they shut down debate on Bill C-69, which has devastated many of my constituents.People have lost their businesses, their jobs and their homes. They have lost hope. Some have even taken their own lives.When everyone is telling the environment minister that her plan is a disaster, she chooses to ignore this advice. Everyone has been repeating it so long and saying it so loud. Why will she not listen?
Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. Our government has put human rights, including the right of all people to freely practise their religion, at the centre of our foreign policy.We are very clear that we are living in a time when people around the world and in Canada are facing increased attacks for their religious beliefs. That is absolutely wrong. That includes Christians, it includes Muslims and it includes Jews. Our government is very clear in condemning these acts and in working to prevent them in Canada and in working to prevent them around the world.
Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate to hear that from the Liberals. This government is out of touch and has no credibility on environmental matters. What planet is it living on?The Liberals are the only ones who believe that Canada will meet its Paris targets with their plan. I invite the Liberals to come back to planet Earth and do something now to protect it.The Parliamentary Budget Officer said that Canadians will have to get poorer and pay five times more than the current carbon tax if we want to meet the Paris targets. Canadians deserve the truth.Why is the government hiding the truth?
Mr. Speaker, last night, I received more notices of job losses and mill closures in my riding in northern B.C. The Liberals' inaction on softwood and their failed policy is leading to thousands of job losses right across our province of British ColumbiaWe already have the highest gas prices in North America. Another 25¢ a litre will be the final nail in the coffin. An increase in the gas tax will only fuel more job losses for our forestry industry.These are real people and real jobs. Why do the Liberals continue to pound Canadians with a job-killing carbon tax that will not even reduce emissions?
Mr. Speaker, the Hoskins' advisory council was clear that Canadians needed public pharmacare, yet the government refuses to commit to it. People are making impossible choices when it comes to the prescription drugs they need, choices like paying their rent or filling a prescription, cutting pills to make a bottle last longer or skipping their medicine altogether. People are getting sicker and dying.A simple question deserves a clear answer from the health minister. Will the Liberals implement a universal, comprehensive, single-payer pharmacare or not?
Mr. Speaker, it has been a tough week for Alberta here in Ottawa. The Prime Minister has rammed through his anti-pipeline, anti-energy bills, Bills C-69 and C-48, and announced a carbon tax for the province of Alberta. These attacks are driving investment and opportunity out of the province.Without a hint of irony, this very morning those same Liberals announced their western Canada job strategy. It is like hiring the arsonists to rebuild the house after they lit the fire. When will the Liberals realize that the only growth strategy that will work is if they end their attack on Canada's energy sector?
Mr. Speaker, we agree that Canadians should not have to choose between putting food on their table and paying for prescription medication. That is why we are committed to ensuring that all Canadians have access to a national pharmacare program. The work has been under way for a few years. The first thing we have done is some work to lower the costs of drugs in the country. In budget 2019, we announced $35 million to ensure we would have a Canadian drug agency that would help us make this plan a reality. We are deeply committed to ensuring that all Canadians have the prescriptions they deserve.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal attack on the energy sector has crippled Alberta and is impacting B.C. After 50 years, a houseboat company in Sicamous has announced it is shutting down, affecting 150 employees. The mayor of Sicamous has blamed the downturn in the Alberta economy and the pipeline dispute for having taken a toll on the community. Today, the Liberals are announcing a western economic growth strategy, as if they have not done enough damage already. When will the Liberals end their attack on the west?
Mr. Speaker, we will take no lessons from the Conservatives when it comes to softwood lumber. Let me just point out that it was the Conservative example of accepting quotas on softwood lumber that stiffened our spines and stiffened the spines of the steel sector, in refusing to accept tariffs or quotas on steel and aluminum. The Conservatives are prepared to capitulate and accept crummy trade deals. We are not.
That is simply not true, Mr. Speaker.Half of Canadians are about $200 away from being able to pay their bills each month, yet the Liberals carbon tax will put a painful 23¢ per litre increase in the price of gasoline, and that will do nothing to help climate change.The Liberals have said they want to help the middle class, but they are punishing it and those hoping to join it. Why ?
Mr. Speaker, I am astounded to learn that the government thinks it can use article 6 of the Paris accord to earn carbon credits for exporting fracked gas to Asian markets. Does the government not realize that fracked gas has the same carbon footprint as coal?When will the government have the political courage to take responsibility for its international obligations and reduce the emissions of the oil and gas industry in Canada? When will the government ban the climate-destroying practice of gas fracking?
Mr. Speaker, this is a group that funded terrorism. Just revoke the grant.The Prime Minister put a values test on the summer jobs program targeting groups that did not agree with him. Fast forward to this week, and we find out that the government gave $25,000 to an organization that funded terrorism overseas. Now he says that he is checking to see if the organization meets the terms and conditions of the summer jobs program. I think the government is the one that needs to check its values.Again, just revoke the grant.
Mr. Speaker, we know full well that the Liberals have spent the past three years trying to convince Canadians that the Liberal carbon tax would allow them to meet the Paris targets and, more importantly, reduce greenhouse gas emissions. That is false on all counts.The Parliamentary Budget Officer confirmed yesterday that Canada would not meet its Paris targets and, worse still, that the Liberals would have to raise the Liberal carbon tax to five times what it is now in order to meet those targets.Will the Liberals be honest with Canadians and tell them exactly how much they plan to increase the tax if, heaven forbid, they are re-elected in six months?
Mr. Speaker, Conservative members should be ashamed of their climate-change-denying comments. They have chosen to broadcast false, irresponsible viewpoints, disregarding the science and not listening to the evidence once again.Our government believes that science plays a central role in building a thriving, clean economy, and we will take no lessons from the Conservatives, who for 10 years refused to take action. We are the government that has invested over $10 billion in science, and we will always support our students and researchers.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have put hundreds of thousands of Albertans out of work, with brutal consequences: rising bankruptcies, family breakdowns, substance abuse, crime, suicides and a loss of hope and dreams. That hurts all of Canada.The Liberals are ramming through laws to block oil exports and kill resource projects, and will make everything more expensive with their carbon tax. After only one hour of debate on hundreds of amendments, the Liberals forced through their no more pipelines bill, Bill C-69, even though nine provinces and all territories want major changes.Why are the Liberals so relentless in their attacks on Albertans?
Mr. Speaker, the environment minister said that she would make her Paris targets, but the PBO has confirmed that the only way the Liberals' carbon tax will work is if they charge 23¢ a litre more for gasoline. Life is already too expensive. Canadians are already struggling to pay their heating bills and buy groceries. Clearly, this punishing tax plan will severely hurt families and seniors, particularly those on fixed incomes.When will the Liberals finally admit that their carbon tax is not an environmental plan; it is a tax plan?
Mr. Speaker, I would point the hon. member to an article this past week, in which his leader refused to acknowledge the connection between severe weather events and climate change. The deputy leader of the Conservative Party tweeted out a quote to a similar effect. He has caucus colleagues who point to snowbanks in Saskatchewan in February as proof that climate change is not real. He has colleagues who do not want to abide by the Paris agreement, yet he has the audacity to criticize us on our plan to meet those targets.The fact is that we will meet our targets, because failure is not an option. This is the greatest challenge of our generation and we found a way to do it that makes it more affordable for families.
Mr. Speaker, Oshawa's port is an economic driver in my community. The Liberals ignored the GM plant closure, and now they are trying to take away our right to manage our own port. The Minister of Transport actually claimed that this is going to be good for Oshawa, but now he is trying to impose a management board that will likely have zero representation from the people of Oshawa. That is right: zero say in the management of our own port. This is what happens when they do not have any meaningful consultation.My ask is this: When will these top-down Liberals actually and finally listen to local stakeholders and commit to having local representation on this board?
Mr. Speaker, people in our north and across the country are forced to make impossible choices because of the high cost of medication.It is inconceivable that in 2019, in Canada, people have to choose between buying food and medication. Liberals have been putting pharmaceutical and insurance companies in the driver's seat, but the Hoskins advisory board is clear: Canadians need a universal, public, single-payer pharmacare.This is what the NDP has been pushing for. Enough of the half-measures and the favours to the Liberals' corporate friends. Will the Liberal government implement universal, comprehensive, public pharmacare, yes or no?
However, Mr. Speaker, he is not going to actually meet the targets.The Parliamentary Budget Officer has confirmed what the Conservatives have been saying all along; that the Liberal carbon tax is a cash grab, not a climate change plan. The Prime Minister has tried to hide the real cost of his carbon tax, but the PBO has laid out the truth. The cost of gasoline would rise by at least 25¢ per litre. When Canadians are trying to get ahead, not just get by, will the Prime Minister tell Canadians how much the full and final cost of this carbon tax will be?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister will meet with the President of the United States next week and I am certain that President Trump has no time to waste on small talk.The U.S. President also has a problem with illegal migrants at his border. He understands the situation.The Prime Minister has done nothing so far to renegotiate the safe third country agreement, but the meeting with Mr. Trump is a golden opportunity to do so.Will the Prime Minister renegotiate the safe third country agreement, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, it would be easier to take criticism from a member of a party that has actually advanced a climate plan to date. The Conservatives refuse to and they refuse to put their plan before the Parliamentary Budget Officer. If we want to see what a Conservative climate plan looks like, we should look at Doug Ford, who dismantled flood protections and showed up asking what the heck was going on. When we look at it, it will be less effective to reduce emissions and will be twice as expensive for households. I would suggest the member, instead of attacking our plan, which is credible, talk to some of his caucus colleagues, who seem not to understand that climate change is real, who say that global warming is simply body heat coming off humans, who refuse to acknowledge the signs. When we look at the IPCC or Canada's changing climate report, it is real and we have a duty to
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member represents part of the province of Alberta, which I called home for a number of years. I am pleased to share with the hon. member that the province he represents will have constituents next year receiving a climate action incentive of $888 at tax time, which is more than they will pay as a result of our plan to put a price on pollution. If he puts so much stock in the Parliamentary Budget Officer's report, I would challenge him to speak to his leader about presenting the Conservative Party platform so they can understand the cost. If he wants to look a little further, I can point him to the prior report of the PBO, which indicated that eight out of 10 families would have more money in their pockets. I do not know why this is the case, but the Conservatives seem allergic to money for
Mr. Speaker, student debt is a huge burden for so many young Canadians. Steacy from Victoria tells me there is so much interest accumulating on her student loans that she cannot pay the principal of the debt. She feels she just cannot get ahead.People like Steacy have been working for years and still cannot pay their debt. Getting an education should not mean getting an unmanageable debt.The NDP government in British Columbia has eliminated the interest on student loans. Will the government follow B.C.'s lead and eliminate the interest on Canada student loans?
Mr. Speaker, that is not a reassuring answer. The minister says that her government is doing everything in its power to lower the price of drugs. The regulations were supposed to come into effect in January, but we are still waiting. The price of drugs is still too high. Those rules would save the public $2.6 billion.If I understand correctly the underlying message of the minister's response, the government is opting to be a doormat to the pharmaceutical companies. I am therefore asking the government to confirm that it has done an about-face, that it will never adopt its regulations and we are going
Mr. Speaker, Cape Bretoners always appreciate when someone from Ontario who knows nothing about it sticks his nose in their business. There is a private airport in Port Hawkesbury. There are no scheduled flights into that airport. The project in Cabot Links has put over 700 people to work specifically there. The unemployment rate was at 25% when I was first elected in 2000 and what is going on, on the west side of the island is absolutely spectacular. For the member to jump up and and let on he knows what is going on there
Mr. Speaker, with respect, the report of the Parliamentary Budget Officer does not represent the government's agenda going into the next election. We have been very clear that when it comes to our plan to put a price on pollution, the price is going to increase to $50 a tonne until 2022, at which time the policy will be reviewed.I would be happy to speak to the hon. member's constituents, who should know by now that eight out of 10 households that the hon. member represents will be left better off as a result of our plan. If he does not want to accept my opinion on this piece, I would point him to the previous report of the same Parliamentary Budget Officer, who indicates that only the wealthiest 20% would pay more and that 80% of that member's constituents will be better off at the end of the year. I look forward to seeing him on the doorsteps campaigning on a promise to take $307 from a typical family of four in his constituency.
That is what the Liberals said in 1997, Mr. Speaker. There were 11,500 Canadians who died from opioid overdoses between 2016 and 2019. Opioid deaths have risen every year of the Liberal government's mandate. This is a true epidemic. The Liberals say that they are doing everything possible, but they are not. We need a national declaration of a public health emergency, federal funding for overdose prevention sites, more investments into treatments and an end to the cause of this carnage, which is a poisoned street supply. Why are the Liberals refusing to take these overdue measures that will save lives?
Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer has released a scathing report that the Liberals will not meet their Paris climate change targets, that is, unless they raise the price at the pump by 23¢ a litre. The Liberals have promised that they will not raise this until after the election. No kidding. They will wait until after the election when they no longer need Canadian votes, but still need their money.When will the Liberals finally come clean and tell Canadians the true cost of their carbon tax plan?
Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. Our government is absolutely committed to making sure that every Canadian has access to a national pharmacare program, and the work is absolutely under way.In budget 2019, we announced funding: $35 million for the creation of a Canadian drug agency, and also $1 billion to address the situation of rare diseases. We will continue to work with our partners on the ground, provinces and territories, indigenous leaders and the health care sector, as we want to make sure that we make pharmacare a reality for all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, drugs in Canada are more expensive than in most countries around the world. However, that situation should have changed. The Patented Medicine Prices Review Board changed its reference pricing list for setting drug prices. The new regulations were supposed to come into effect on January 1 of this year, but the government still has not passed them. That is just wrong. The government caved in to pressure from the big pharma lobby.Does the government still plan to adopt these regulations and if so, when?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians want bold action on climate change, and they know that there is no time to waste.The NDP has called on the government to invest in green jobs and green energy, but what did the Prime Minister do? He bought fridges and pipelines for his billionaire pals. Four years in power, and all we have seen from the Liberal government are more subsidies for big oil and its pipelines. This is not how we save the environment.When will the Liberals stop siding with the big polluters so we can win the fight against climate change?
Mr. Speaker, I am not sure they are going to want to hear this one.The Liberals are reportedly giving 18 million tax dollars to build an exclusive airport runway near Cabot Cliffs golf course in Cape Breton even though the Port Hawkesbury airport is only an hour away. Many in the community, including the mayor, are concerned this would bankrupt the company that runs their community airport and the small businesses that depend upon it.Instead of pandering to millionaires who, God forbid, have to drive an hour to get to the golf course after landing in their private jets, why is the Prime Minister putting this community asset at risk to accommodate his elite millionaire friends?
Mr. Speaker, I apologize on behalf of all the children and young people who show up at our border without a passport.Here are the facts. Our government managed to reduce by 45% the number of asylum seekers coming across our border irregularly. Unlike the Conservative government, the Liberal government invested to give the outstanding individuals who work for the CBSA and the RCMP the resources they need to do their job, which is to ensure that no one enters Canada without undergoing a security check or
Mr. Speaker, we unequivocally condemn violent extremism. Any kind of behaviour such as that is not tolerated. I know that my colleague across the way understands that and shares that view.ESDC is conducting a review of this matter in conjunction with Service Canada in Ontario. They have been on site. The organizations approved for funding must adhere to specific terms and conditions, and we await the outcome of that review.
Mr. Speaker, Harper's Conservatives handed out cheques to millionaires. Our government created the Canada child benefit.Harper's Conservatives gave tax credits to the rich. Our government introduced the new parental sharing benefit.The difference between these policies is clear: middle-class families receive almost $51,000 more per child under our government than under the Conservatives.Could the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development explain what our government is doing to help the middle class?
Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer proved yesterday that the Liberals' carbon tax cannot achieve what is promised unless it is twice as high as they have admitted: $50 per tonne after 2022, there will be a shortfall. We won't be able to meet the country's targets for greenhouse gas reduction. The only way to do it is to double the promised price to over $100 a tonne, which translates into an increase of 23¢ a litre for the price of gas. Will the government admit that its carbon tax, while it makes no sense, costs 23¢?
Mr. Speaker, last year, thousands of Canadian organizations offering kids summer camps and helping out seniors were ineligible for Canada summer jobs because of the Liberals' values test, but now the Liberals have decided to fund a group that has terrorist links, a group that paid $550,000 in fines and lost its charitable status from CRA. Yesterday, the minister said she would review the decision.Can the minister confirm that this group with terrorist links does not meet the Liberals values test?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' promise that the cheque was in the mail was never kept. It was not as advertised. We now know that the rebates were a third smaller and the tax will be twice as high as advertised, so smaller rebates than promised and higher taxes than admitted. These facts are now known to us. We now know that, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, for the Liberals to keep their own promises, they would have to increase the tax to a rate that would cost the average family over a thousand dollars a year in Ontario, including gas prices that are 23¢ higher.Why did they try to cover it up before the election?
Mr. Speaker, actually, the Parliamentary Budget Officer took into consideration every single policy lever that the current government is using and said that with those policies the country will miss its Paris targets by 80 million megatonnes per year, and that the only way to change that is to increase the carbon tax five times what it is now and twice what the government has admitted, at a cost of 23 painful cents more per litre for gasoline.Why were the Liberals attempting to hide this higher tax until after the election?
Mr. Speaker, once again, the hon. member is seeking to mislead Canadians in order to scare them into supporting his party. The analysis that he refers to by the Parliamentary Budget Officer presumes that no further measures will be implemented to reduce emissions over the next 11 years and does not factor in certain measures that have already been announced or are being implemented now, such as the largest investment in public transit in the history of Canada, new subsidies to make electric vehicles more affordable or advancements in innovation that will actually improve carbon sequestration technologies.If the Conservatives would be honest with themselves, they would realize that our plan is going to make life more affordable for Canadian households at the same time as we bring our emissions down.
Mr. Speaker, once again, I want to be very clear. Our government is determined to ensure that all Canadians have access to a pharmacare program. The work is in progress.In budget 2019, we announced $35 million to create a Canadian drug agency. We also want to ensure that there is money for it. We invested $1 million to address the issue of drugs for rare diseases. We will continue to work with the provinces and territories to ensure that all Canadians have access to a national pharmacare program.
Mr. Speaker, if his Prime Minister had not created the problem with his infamous tweet, far fewer people would be showing up at Roxham Road.What is more, the people who come to the United States from various countries around the world show up with a passport. People need a passport to get into the United States. Then, all of a sudden, when they get to Roxham Road, they no longer have any identification. No one can tell me that those people are not taking advantage of the system.When will the Prime Minister show some backbone, talk to Mr. Trump and resolve the problem with the safe third country agreement?
Mr. Speaker, in defence of their indefensible cuts to the Auditor General's budget, the Liberals keep relying on cuts made under the Harper government. As the one who implemented those budget reductions as the Treasury Board president, I can tell the House that I received prior written assurances from the auditor general that those budget reductions would not impact any of his operations or investigations.Why did the current government not seek similar assurances before making its cuts?
Mr. Speaker, yes, I can only imagine how that conversation went after they fired Linda Keen and after they reduced the budget for the parliamentary budget officer at the time. I imagine the conversation must have gone something like , Yes, boss. Yes, boss. We're okay with what you give us. That is really not acceptable. What is really important is that public servants, under the Harper government, felt intimidated, they felt cowed and some of them lost their jobs for having stood up to speak truth to power. We do not have to take any lessons from the Harper Conservatives about how to treat our public servants with respect.
Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives and Liberals prepare for a war of words on the carbon tax, young people are marching in the streets to demand climate action. Political will and leadership are necessary to combat climate change. Both the Conservatives and the Liberals have shown that they have neither.We in the NDP have the courage to act as well as an ambitious plan to start transitioning to green energy.Will the government commit to stop subsidizing the oil sector and start transitioning to sustainable energy?
Mr. Speaker, Dr. Hoskins' report is crystal clear: we need a universal public pharmacare program. In fact, that is something the NPD is firmly committed to bringing in.People should not have to cut up their pills to make their prescription last longer. Instead of listening to what people need, the successive Liberal and Conservative governments have consistently sided with large insurance companies.Can the Liberal government commit, as we have, to implementing a universal pharmacare program as early as next year?
Mr. Speaker, I will ask it in English this time.Based on the Quebec experience, yes, we have a cap-and-trade system in Quebec, but what are the results? There is zero reduction of emissions. This is the result when we tax people: no reduction of emissions. This is the Quebec experience. This is the truth. These are the facts. This is the science.Will the minister be clear with Canadians for once? Can the Liberals explain how much they will raise taxes?
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member across has been involved in this program for a number of years and would know how the money rolls out. There is a review. The officials are working on this review right now, and we await that review. Certainly if anything is out of the ordinary, there will be no money flowing.
Mr. Speaker, the backbone of the South Okanagan economy is threatened by federal bureaucratic barriers and red tape. There is a vital irrigation canal that is in urgent need of repair. The town of Oliver and the province of British Columbia have both made funding commitments but they have been waiting three years for the federal government to step up with its share. The system is essential for 5,000 acres of orchards and vineyards.Will the government cut through the red tape and finally get this project funded?
Mr. Speaker, I note that the hon. member's own province of Quebec has a price on pollution and our system does not apply. I would be curious if he would go out and say that the province does not have the authority to put the price on pollution that exists and is supported by members of his province.The hon. member knows that in the provinces where the federal backstop applies, eight out of 10 families are better off at the end of the year. This is not some Liberal partisan plan. We can look to last year's Nobel Prize winner in economics, who has developed this sort of approach. We can look to Mark Cameron, Stephen Harper's former director of policy, who has indicated that families will be better off. We can look to Doug Ford's chief budget adviser, who testified before the Senate in this Parliament, saying that the number one thing we can do to move toward a low-carbon economy is to put a price on pollution and
Mr. Speaker, pending the outcome of the review, there will be action taken by this government. However, I am amazed by the Conservatives' new-found interest in summer grants and summer students, because what they wanted to do when they were in power was cut the program out altogether. The member for Carleton cut $24 million from the youth employment strategy. The Conservatives are letting on now that they care about summer students. They are letting on now that they care about this program. This is a party of action, this is a government of action, and we will take the appropriate action.
Mr. Speaker, again, let me highlight that for 10 years, the Harper government failed to build a single pipeline to get our resources to non-U.S. markets. We are changing that. The ability for our energy sector to grow is very important, and we have been able to expand our global markets.Let me highlight another investment. We have invested more money in Alberta in infrastructure in the last four years than the Stephen Harper government did in 10 years.We are delivering for Albertans and we will continue to do so.
Mr. Speaker, with respect, I have a great appreciation for NDP's desire to do something about the environment. It is too bad its desire does not match its ability to think out a plan that makes sense. If we look at the Ecofiscal Commission's review of the NDP plan, it has said that NDP's measures for big emitters will actually do nothing to reduce emissions and will hurt the Canadian economy at the same time. We can tell that New Democrats lack the thoughtfulness that the climate debate demands when we look at the hon. member's question, which confuses fridges for refrigerants, which are actually one of the fastest-growing causes of climate change globally.I share the New Democrats' desire to do something about climate change, but the difference is that we have thought about how to make it happen.
Mr. Speaker, we now see Conservative MP after Conservative MP repeating false points in this chamber. It is entirely inappropriate. When it comes to the issue of affordability, I note that the Parliamentary Budget Officer previously confirmed
Mr. Speaker, to repeat an earlier answer, the analysis laid out in the report does not consider certain measures that will be implemented in the next 11 years and in fact leaves out certain measures that have already been announced, such as our investments in public transit, our subsidy for zero emissions vehicles or advancement in carbon sequestration technology.With respect to the cost of our plan to put a price on pollution, I am pleased to advise the hon. member that eight out of 10 families that live in the riding she represents will be better off. They will have already received a climate action incentive of $307 and that will climb year over year. It will be curious to see how that member campaigns in the next election with a promise to take that money from her constituents.
Mr. Speaker, I find it entertaining that the hon. member is putting so much stock in the PBO's report, when he will not even submit his own party's platform for consideration, because it is hiding the true cost to Canadians. When it comes to the size of the rebate, we have said the entire time that a typical family of four in the province of Ontario would receive a rebate of $307. That is as true today as it was when we first announced our plan.He is confusing statistics by saying that the average payout, which pertains to a family of a smaller size, is different than that for a family of four. This is simple arithmetic. I would be happy to walk him through it after question period, but I sense that after a few months he is choosing not to listen because he knows our plan is the right plan.
Mr. Speaker, I have enormous respect for the young people who are advocating for more climate action. I wish politicians of all stripes would pay heed to the message they are sending us, which is we need to take action and we need to take action now.The NDP is advocating for plans that we started implementing three years ago, not just putting a price on pollution but moving toward having 90% of our electricity generated from non-emitting resources by 2030; like making the largest investment in public transit in the history of our country; like making record investments in energy efficiency and green technology. With respect to fossil fuel subsidies, we have already phased out eight of nine that exist in the tax code.When it comes to the NDP plan to eliminate all fossil fuel subsidies immediately, it has forgotten to consider that it actually provides electricity to northern communities and other
Mr. Speaker, on occasion the truth can hurt, but it is important we say it as loud as we can no matter how many times it takes.The truth is that the Parliamentary Budget Officer has confirmed that eight out of 10 families will be better off. If the Conservatives were concerned about affordability, I am curious as to why they voted against a tax cut for nine million middle-class Canadians and voted in favour of maintaining a favourable tax system for the wealthiest 1%. When they had an opportunity to support the Canada child benefit, which put more money into the pockets of nine out of 10 families, they voted against that.
Mr. Speaker, the numbers that were announced yesterday are not just numbers; they are our brothers, sisters and neighbours. Our government is taking action. We have invested more than $350 million to ensure more treatments are available to Canadians. We have also introduced harm reduction as a key pillar to our drug strategy. Also, we have approved more than 40 supervised consumption sites. We recognize that supervised consumption sites save lives.We will continue to work with our partners on the ground to ensure we do all that we can to turn the tide on this national public health crisis.
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat once again for my colleague that we are committed to doing everything we can to lower the cost of drugs. We do hope to bring forward a national pharmacare program, so one of our priorities is lowering the cost of drugs.We have been doing our job from day one. We joined the pan-Canadian pharmaceutical alliance, bringing together all provinces and territories. We have saved millions of dollars so far. We are currently modernizing drug regulations. Once again, as I said earlier, we will be announcing changes to the regulations in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, while I understand that things do get heated in this House of Commons, the member for Cape BretonCanso, whom I have respect for, showed indignation that a member from Ontario would dare to ask a question about Cape Breton and stand up for those residents. I will remind the member as well that the minister for ACOA is from Ontario. Therefore, if the member would like to apologize to me, I will accept that.
Mr. Speaker, I find the question rich coming from a member who decided to hide the fact that the climate action incentive existed in a publication to his constituents, which was designed to tell them how they could maximize their tax refund. The fact is that families of four in Ontario received $307 this year, and that rebate will grow over time. It seems as though the Conservatives are putting their fingers in their ears, saying they do not want to hear the truth because the truth is not helpful to them. Every time they have the chance, they vote against measures that put more money in the pockets of Canadian households. We found the most effective way to reduce emissions, we found a way to make life more affordable and, every time, they seem to vote against measures that have that impact.
Mr. Speaker, next Tuesday we are expecting the final decision regarding the Trans Mountain expansion project. While we fear the Liberals will impose this pipeline on B.C., coastal communities like mine are still hopeful the Liberals will make the right decision in their interests, instead of siding with the interests of profitable big oil companies.There is still time for the Liberals to do the right thing for our air, our water and our coast. On June 18, will the government listen to the voice of coastal communities and cancel the Trans Mountain expansion project, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform my colleague that, since taking office, our priorities for connectivity have been accessibility, competition and affordability. In regions where there is lots of competition, costs have actually gone down by 32%.We have also launched a new program called connecting families, which gives low-income families access to the Internet for $10 a month. Canadians are our priority, our plan is working, and we are investing for our people.
Mr. Speaker, ScarboroughAgincourt residents are concerned that women continue to work in part-time and precarious jobs with little opportunity to advance in their careers. My constituents desire equality and economic security for all Canadians, no matter what gender.Can the hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality please share with the House some of the work that is being done to ensure that we are working to improve the economic security and prosperity of women?
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, the member for Milton was forced to delete a tweet that suggested that there is no link between climate change and extreme weather patterns, completely disregarding science that shows that climate change is real. This was so predictable, considering the 10 years of Harper Conservative cuts and the muzzling of scientists, resulting in scientists protesting the death of evidence on Parliament Hill. Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Science and Sport please explain the importance of science and evidence-based decision-making?
Mr. Speaker, while I am aware of article 6 of the Paris Agreement, given that our government was key in facilitating the negotiation of that agreement, our plan to reduce emissions is not just to displace global emissions by producing more and more oil and gas products in Canada but to actually reduce our consumption in Canada as well. We are doing so through over 50 measures, including putting a price on pollution, moving toward 90% of our electricity being generated from non-emitting resources by 2030, and making the largest investment in public transit and record investments in efficiency, green technology and others. I would be happy to walk the hon. member through it.I am curious as to what the Conservatives' plan will be, because their signal is that they are going to produce more in order to reduce our emissions, and it simply makes no sense.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are very concerned about the escalating violence against Christians in Nigeria and about the Liberal government's decision to close the office of religious freedom at a time when it was effectively working in Nigeria.The former parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs said that the office had successfully developed a community-based mechanism to help defuse tensions between different religious and ethnic groups, including Christians and Muslims. Why did the Liberal government close an office that it knew was effectively reducing violence and deaths?
Mr. Speaker, I consider the member to be a friend. If his feelings were hurt, I certainly want to apologize. He is right. The minister is from Ontario. He has done a tremendous job working with the people of Cape Breton to provide opportunities and I look forward to that relationship continuing.
Mr. Speaker, we are determined to do everything we can to lower the price of drugs. For the past two years, we have been working jointly with the pan-Canadian pharmaceutical alliance to bring together the provinces and territories on a bulk purchasing arrangement. We have saved billions of dollars so far.We are also in the process of modernizing the regulations affecting drugs and changes will be announced soon.
Mr. Speaker, in 2019, access to a cell network and high-speed Internet are essential services, but these services are getting more and more expensive and less and less reliable. Rather than stand up for the people, the Liberals and Conservatives are allowing big telecom companies to get rich and pocket billions of dollars.Can the federal government put the people's interests ahead of big telecoms' interests and make a pledge today to lower people's bills and ensure reliable service?
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for ScarboroughAgincourt for her question and for her tireless advocacy.Our government is focused on gender equality and economic security by creating the Canada child benefit, by creating 40,000 child care spaces, by supporting women in STEM and in the skilled trades and by ensuring equal pay for work of equal value.With one million jobs and historically low unemployment, Canadians see real progress towards gender equality and economic security for the women of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, in the remaining time I have, I will reiterate the point that anybody who has any equity in this conversation knows that the number one thing we can do to reduce emissions is to put a price on pollution.We have found a way to make life more affordable at the same time, by returning the rebate directly to households. This marries the theme of our government, which is to make life more affordable for those who need it. Whether with the Canada child benefit, the middle-class tax cut or the price on pollution, we are doing the right thing for our environment and making life easier for families.
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives want to make us think that they want to protect our borders and change the safe third country agreement, but their record definitely proves otherwise. The Conservatives cut $1.2 billion from the budgets of our security agencies and, what is more, during their 10 years in power they did not hold any discussions with the U.S. about changing and improving the safe third country agreement.We have already had discussions about the safe third country agreement. We have invested $1 billion to provide the resources needed to protect our borders. This has led to a 47% decrease in asylum seekers who
Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to answer the question posed by my colleague from SackvillePrestonChezzetcook.He is quite right, we were elected to grow the middle class and the economy. He is right in that our plan gives a middle-class family an average of $51,000 more per child over the course of 18 years than the Conservative plan for the wealthy did.He is right, we will continue to invest in the Canada child benefit, housing, child care services and public transit to continue to grow the middle class and the economy.
Mr. Speaker, coming from a member from Alberta, it is very interesting for him to not acknowledge the good work that is being done to support the energy sector. We are the government that is creating conditions for private sector investment to happen in the energy sector. There was a $40 billion investment in one single project, which is the largest private sector investment to happen in our history. There was a $9 billion investment in the petrochemical sector, which will create thousands of jobs for Alberta workers, something of which we are very proud.
Mr. Speaker, as the member would know, it was our government that invested in opportunities for students to gain that education.We doubled the amount of low-interest grants to all Canadians, to part-time students as well as full-time students. We have increased the amount of support in those non-repayable grants. Also, until students are making at least $25,000, they have a holiday on repayment.We are doing what has been asked of us as a government to help support student access.
Mr. Speaker, with respect, if the hon. member would listen to the details of our plan, he would realize that as the price on pollution increases approaching 2022, so does the rebate. The more time goes on, the cost is not increased, but the rebate to families increases
Mr. Speaker, I believe you will be overjoyed to find unanimous consent for the tabling of a document entitled Inventaire québécois des émissions de gaz à effet de serre en 2016 et leur évolution depuis 1990. This science-based document from Quebec's environment ministry found that, between 2014 and 2016, there was no reduction in GHG emissions.
Mr. Speaker, Bill C-69 puts in better rules that allow good projects to move forward in a way that respects the environment and allows Canadians to participate in the process.We are fixing a system that led to a number of large projects failing and being challenged in Federal Court because Stephen Harper brought in changes in 2012 that gutted environmental protections and restricted the ability of Canadians to participate in a regular process.We firmly believe that Bill C-69 would allow
Mr. Speaker, our government has announced the intent to amalgamate the Oshawa and Hamilton port authorities. Both ports play an important role in southern Ontario by linking our businesses to global markets and by providing jobs to middle-class families. The integration will also enable ongoing growth in both ports. It is anticipated that this action would unlock greater economic opportunities for working Canadians. With greater combined strength, the new port authority would be in a better position to make investments in port facilities and intermodal connections in south Ontario. Of course, we consult with our partners, we work with municipalities and we work with our partners in ports to ensure their economic success for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I have enormous respect for my colleague from South OkanaganWest Kootenay. He will be pleased to hear that we have invested already $300,000 in two projects in the town of Oliver. In October of last year we met with the outgoing mayor, Ron Hovanes, and chief of the Osoyoos first nation, Clarence Louie, a meeting which my colleague attended.The member for South OkanaganWest Kootenay is well aware that our office is continuing to engage with the new mayor and his council. We are working tirelessly to make sure that we can invest in the town of Oliver.We will continue to work, as we have done before, to make sure that the people of Oliver have what they deserve.
Mr. Speaker, we respect and appreciate a diversity of opinion among indigenous communities on energy sector development. We are listening to them carefully. We engaged with them in a very meaningful two-way conversation. We are following the direction of the Federal Court of Appeal to move forward on this project in the right way.As the hon. member knows, we are set to make a decision on this project by June 18.
Mr. Speaker, let me take this opportunity to highlight some of the investments that are happening in western Canada: a $40 billion single private sector investment in the LNG sector and a $9 billion investment in the petrochemical sector right in my home province of Alberta. We are moving forward on the Enbridge Line 3, which is almost completed on the Canadian side. We are moving forward on the Keystone XL pipeline. As well, we are moving forward in the right way and fixing the process on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
What outcome, Mr. Speaker? The CRA took away the Islamic Society of North America's charitable organization status over a year ago. We condemned the situation. They talk and talk but have not actually done anything. Meanwhile, the Liberals are giving $25,000 to an entity that is directly or indirectly linked to terrorist activities.When will the minister cancel the cheque and take that grant away from an organization that does not reflect Canadian values?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are the ones telling untruths.This government is not telling the truth. After discrediting the United Nations it continues to undermine the findings of scientists and a number of relevant authorities, including the commissioner of the environment. Even the Parliamentary Budget Officer, an independent officer of the House of Commons, said yesterday that the Liberals' plan was insufficient to meet the Paris targets.When it comes to the environment, the Liberals are misleading Canadians.Once again, why is this Liberal government incapable of telling the truth?
Mr. Speaker, Alberta has been shown nothing but disdain from the Liberal government for the last three and a half years. The Liberals continue their assault on the energy sector. Last night they shut down debate on Bill C-69, which has devastated many of my constituents.People have lost their businesses, their jobs and their homes. They have lost hope. Some have even taken their own lives.When everyone is telling the environment minister that her plan is a disaster, she chooses to ignore this advice. Everyone has been repeating it so long and saying it so loud. Why will she not listen?
Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. Our government has put human rights, including the right of all people to freely practise their religion, at the centre of our foreign policy.We are very clear that we are living in a time when people around the world and in Canada are facing increased attacks for their religious beliefs. That is absolutely wrong. That includes Christians, it includes Muslims and it includes Jews. Our government is very clear in condemning these acts and in working to prevent them in Canada and in working to prevent them around the world.
Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate to hear that from the Liberals. This government is out of touch and has no credibility on environmental matters. What planet is it living on?The Liberals are the only ones who believe that Canada will meet its Paris targets with their plan. I invite the Liberals to come back to planet Earth and do something now to protect it.The Parliamentary Budget Officer said that Canadians will have to get poorer and pay five times more than the current carbon tax if we want to meet the Paris targets. Canadians deserve the truth.Why is the government hiding the truth?
Mr. Speaker, last night, I received more notices of job losses and mill closures in my riding in northern B.C. The Liberals' inaction on softwood and their failed policy is leading to thousands of job losses right across our province of British ColumbiaWe already have the highest gas prices in North America. Another 25¢ a litre will be the final nail in the coffin. An increase in the gas tax will only fuel more job losses for our forestry industry.These are real people and real jobs. Why do the Liberals continue to pound Canadians with a job-killing carbon tax that will not even reduce emissions?
Mr. Speaker, the Hoskins' advisory council was clear that Canadians needed public pharmacare, yet the government refuses to commit to it. People are making impossible choices when it comes to the prescription drugs they need, choices like paying their rent or filling a prescription, cutting pills to make a bottle last longer or skipping their medicine altogether. People are getting sicker and dying.A simple question deserves a clear answer from the health minister. Will the Liberals implement a universal, comprehensive, single-payer pharmacare or not?
Mr. Speaker, it has been a tough week for Alberta here in Ottawa. The Prime Minister has rammed through his anti-pipeline, anti-energy bills, Bills C-69 and C-48, and announced a carbon tax for the province of Alberta. These attacks are driving investment and opportunity out of the province.Without a hint of irony, this very morning those same Liberals announced their western Canada job strategy. It is like hiring the arsonists to rebuild the house after they lit the fire. When will the Liberals realize that the only growth strategy that will work is if they end their attack on Canada's energy sector?
Mr. Speaker, we agree that Canadians should not have to choose between putting food on their table and paying for prescription medication. That is why we are committed to ensuring that all Canadians have access to a national pharmacare program. The work has been under way for a few years. The first thing we have done is some work to lower the costs of drugs in the country. In budget 2019, we announced $35 million to ensure we would have a Canadian drug agency that would help us make this plan a reality. We are deeply committed to ensuring that all Canadians have the prescriptions they deserve.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal attack on the energy sector has crippled Alberta and is impacting B.C. After 50 years, a houseboat company in Sicamous has announced it is shutting down, affecting 150 employees. The mayor of Sicamous has blamed the downturn in the Alberta economy and the pipeline dispute for having taken a toll on the community. Today, the Liberals are announcing a western economic growth strategy, as if they have not done enough damage already. When will the Liberals end their attack on the west?
Mr. Speaker, we will take no lessons from the Conservatives when it comes to softwood lumber. Let me just point out that it was the Conservative example of accepting quotas on softwood lumber that stiffened our spines and stiffened the spines of the steel sector, in refusing to accept tariffs or quotas on steel and aluminum. The Conservatives are prepared to capitulate and accept crummy trade deals. We are not.
That is simply not true, Mr. Speaker.Half of Canadians are about $200 away from being able to pay their bills each month, yet the Liberals carbon tax will put a painful 23¢ per litre increase in the price of gasoline, and that will do nothing to help climate change.The Liberals have said they want to help the middle class, but they are punishing it and those hoping to join it. Why ?
Mr. Speaker, I am astounded to learn that the government thinks it can use article 6 of the Paris accord to earn carbon credits for exporting fracked gas to Asian markets. Does the government not realize that fracked gas has the same carbon footprint as coal?When will the government have the political courage to take responsibility for its international obligations and reduce the emissions of the oil and gas industry in Canada? When will the government ban the climate-destroying practice of gas fracking?
Mr. Speaker, this is a group that funded terrorism. Just revoke the grant.The Prime Minister put a values test on the summer jobs program targeting groups that did not agree with him. Fast forward to this week, and we find out that the government gave $25,000 to an organization that funded terrorism overseas. Now he says that he is checking to see if the organization meets the terms and conditions of the summer jobs program. I think the government is the one that needs to check its values.Again, just revoke the grant.
Mr. Speaker, we know full well that the Liberals have spent the past three years trying to convince Canadians that the Liberal carbon tax would allow them to meet the Paris targets and, more importantly, reduce greenhouse gas emissions. That is false on all counts.The Parliamentary Budget Officer confirmed yesterday that Canada would not meet its Paris targets and, worse still, that the Liberals would have to raise the Liberal carbon tax to five times what it is now in order to meet those targets.Will the Liberals be honest with Canadians and tell them exactly how much they plan to increase the tax if, heaven forbid, they are re-elected in six months?
Mr. Speaker, Conservative members should be ashamed of their climate-change-denying comments. They have chosen to broadcast false, irresponsible viewpoints, disregarding the science and not listening to the evidence once again.Our government believes that science plays a central role in building a thriving, clean economy, and we will take no lessons from the Conservatives, who for 10 years refused to take action. We are the government that has invested over $10 billion in science, and we will always support our students and researchers.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have put hundreds of thousands of Albertans out of work, with brutal consequences: rising bankruptcies, family breakdowns, substance abuse, crime, suicides and a loss of hope and dreams. That hurts all of Canada.The Liberals are ramming through laws to block oil exports and kill resource projects, and will make everything more expensive with their carbon tax. After only one hour of debate on hundreds of amendments, the Liberals forced through their no more pipelines bill, Bill C-69, even though nine provinces and all territories want major changes.Why are the Liberals so relentless in their attacks on Albertans?
Mr. Speaker, the environment minister said that she would make her Paris targets, but the PBO has confirmed that the only way the Liberals' carbon tax will work is if they charge 23¢ a litre more for gasoline. Life is already too expensive. Canadians are already struggling to pay their heating bills and buy groceries. Clearly, this punishing tax plan will severely hurt families and seniors, particularly those on fixed incomes.When will the Liberals finally admit that their carbon tax is not an environmental plan; it is a tax plan?
Mr. Speaker, I would point the hon. member to an article this past week, in which his leader refused to acknowledge the connection between severe weather events and climate change. The deputy leader of the Conservative Party tweeted out a quote to a similar effect. He has caucus colleagues who point to snowbanks in Saskatchewan in February as proof that climate change is not real. He has colleagues who do not want to abide by the Paris agreement, yet he has the audacity to criticize us on our plan to meet those targets.The fact is that we will meet our targets, because failure is not an option. This is the greatest challenge of our generation and we found a way to do it that makes it more affordable for families.
Mr. Speaker, Oshawa's port is an economic driver in my community. The Liberals ignored the GM plant closure, and now they are trying to take away our right to manage our own port. The Minister of Transport actually claimed that this is going to be good for Oshawa, but now he is trying to impose a management board that will likely have zero representation from the people of Oshawa. That is right: zero say in the management of our own port. This is what happens when they do not have any meaningful consultation.My ask is this: When will these top-down Liberals actually and finally listen to local stakeholders and commit to having local representation on this board?
Mr. Speaker, people in our north and across the country are forced to make impossible choices because of the high cost of medication.It is inconceivable that in 2019, in Canada, people have to choose between buying food and medication. Liberals have been putting pharmaceutical and insurance companies in the driver's seat, but the Hoskins advisory board is clear: Canadians need a universal, public, single-payer pharmacare.This is what the NDP has been pushing for. Enough of the half-measures and the favours to the Liberals' corporate friends. Will the Liberal government implement universal, comprehensive, public pharmacare, yes or no?
However, Mr. Speaker, he is not going to actually meet the targets.The Parliamentary Budget Officer has confirmed what the Conservatives have been saying all along; that the Liberal carbon tax is a cash grab, not a climate change plan. The Prime Minister has tried to hide the real cost of his carbon tax, but the PBO has laid out the truth. The cost of gasoline would rise by at least 25¢ per litre. When Canadians are trying to get ahead, not just get by, will the Prime Minister tell Canadians how much the full and final cost of this carbon tax will be?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister will meet with the President of the United States next week and I am certain that President Trump has no time to waste on small talk.The U.S. President also has a problem with illegal migrants at his border. He understands the situation.The Prime Minister has done nothing so far to renegotiate the safe third country agreement, but the meeting with Mr. Trump is a golden opportunity to do so.Will the Prime Minister renegotiate the safe third country agreement, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, it would be easier to take criticism from a member of a party that has actually advanced a climate plan to date. The Conservatives refuse to and they refuse to put their plan before the Parliamentary Budget Officer. If we want to see what a Conservative climate plan looks like, we should look at Doug Ford, who dismantled flood protections and showed up asking what the heck was going on. When we look at it, it will be less effective to reduce emissions and will be twice as expensive for households. I would suggest the member, instead of attacking our plan, which is credible, talk to some of his caucus colleagues, who seem not to understand that climate change is real, who say that global warming is simply body heat coming off humans, who refuse to acknowledge the signs. When we look at the IPCC or Canada's changing climate report, it is real and we have a duty to
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member represents part of the province of Alberta, which I called home for a number of years. I am pleased to share with the hon. member that the province he represents will have constituents next year receiving a climate action incentive of $888 at tax time, which is more than they will pay as a result of our plan to put a price on pollution. If he puts so much stock in the Parliamentary Budget Officer's report, I would challenge him to speak to his leader about presenting the Conservative Party platform so they can understand the cost. If he wants to look a little further, I can point him to the prior report of the PBO, which indicated that eight out of 10 families would have more money in their pockets. I do not know why this is the case, but the Conservatives seem allergic to money for
Mr. Speaker, student debt is a huge burden for so many young Canadians. Steacy from Victoria tells me there is so much interest accumulating on her student loans that she cannot pay the principal of the debt. She feels she just cannot get ahead.People like Steacy have been working for years and still cannot pay their debt. Getting an education should not mean getting an unmanageable debt.The NDP government in British Columbia has eliminated the interest on student loans. Will the government follow B.C.'s lead and eliminate the interest on Canada student loans?
Mr. Speaker, that is not a reassuring answer. The minister says that her government is doing everything in its power to lower the price of drugs. The regulations were supposed to come into effect in January, but we are still waiting. The price of drugs is still too high. Those rules would save the public $2.6 billion.If I understand correctly the underlying message of the minister's response, the government is opting to be a doormat to the pharmaceutical companies. I am therefore asking the government to confirm that it has done an about-face, that it will never adopt its regulations and we are going
Mr. Speaker, Cape Bretoners always appreciate when someone from Ontario who knows nothing about it sticks his nose in their business. There is a private airport in Port Hawkesbury. There are no scheduled flights into that airport. The project in Cabot Links has put over 700 people to work specifically there. The unemployment rate was at 25% when I was first elected in 2000 and what is going on, on the west side of the island is absolutely spectacular. For the member to jump up and and let on he knows what is going on there
Mr. Speaker, with respect, the report of the Parliamentary Budget Officer does not represent the government's agenda going into the next election. We have been very clear that when it comes to our plan to put a price on pollution, the price is going to increase to $50 a tonne until 2022, at which time the policy will be reviewed.I would be happy to speak to the hon. member's constituents, who should know by now that eight out of 10 households that the hon. member represents will be left better off as a result of our plan. If he does not want to accept my opinion on this piece, I would point him to the previous report of the same Parliamentary Budget Officer, who indicates that only the wealthiest 20% would pay more and that 80% of that member's constituents will be better off at the end of the year. I look forward to seeing him on the doorsteps campaigning on a promise to take $307 from a typical family of four in his constituency.
That is what the Liberals said in 1997, Mr. Speaker. There were 11,500 Canadians who died from opioid overdoses between 2016 and 2019. Opioid deaths have risen every year of the Liberal government's mandate. This is a true epidemic. The Liberals say that they are doing everything possible, but they are not. We need a national declaration of a public health emergency, federal funding for overdose prevention sites, more investments into treatments and an end to the cause of this carnage, which is a poisoned street supply. Why are the Liberals refusing to take these overdue measures that will save lives?
Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer has released a scathing report that the Liberals will not meet their Paris climate change targets, that is, unless they raise the price at the pump by 23¢ a litre. The Liberals have promised that they will not raise this until after the election. No kidding. They will wait until after the election when they no longer need Canadian votes, but still need their money.When will the Liberals finally come clean and tell Canadians the true cost of their carbon tax plan?
Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. Our government is absolutely committed to making sure that every Canadian has access to a national pharmacare program, and the work is absolutely under way.In budget 2019, we announced funding: $35 million for the creation of a Canadian drug agency, and also $1 billion to address the situation of rare diseases. We will continue to work with our partners on the ground, provinces and territories, indigenous leaders and the health care sector, as we want to make sure that we make pharmacare a reality for all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, drugs in Canada are more expensive than in most countries around the world. However, that situation should have changed. The Patented Medicine Prices Review Board changed its reference pricing list for setting drug prices. The new regulations were supposed to come into effect on January 1 of this year, but the government still has not passed them. That is just wrong. The government caved in to pressure from the big pharma lobby.Does the government still plan to adopt these regulations and if so, when?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians want bold action on climate change, and they know that there is no time to waste.The NDP has called on the government to invest in green jobs and green energy, but what did the Prime Minister do? He bought fridges and pipelines for his billionaire pals. Four years in power, and all we have seen from the Liberal government are more subsidies for big oil and its pipelines. This is not how we save the environment.When will the Liberals stop siding with the big polluters so we can win the fight against climate change?
Mr. Speaker, I am not sure they are going to want to hear this one.The Liberals are reportedly giving 18 million tax dollars to build an exclusive airport runway near Cabot Cliffs golf course in Cape Breton even though the Port Hawkesbury airport is only an hour away. Many in the community, including the mayor, are concerned this would bankrupt the company that runs their community airport and the small businesses that depend upon it.Instead of pandering to millionaires who, God forbid, have to drive an hour to get to the golf course after landing in their private jets, why is the Prime Minister putting this community asset at risk to accommodate his elite millionaire friends?
Mr. Speaker, I apologize on behalf of all the children and young people who show up at our border without a passport.Here are the facts. Our government managed to reduce by 45% the number of asylum seekers coming across our border irregularly. Unlike the Conservative government, the Liberal government invested to give the outstanding individuals who work for the CBSA and the RCMP the resources they need to do their job, which is to ensure that no one enters Canada without undergoing a security check or
Mr. Speaker, we unequivocally condemn violent extremism. Any kind of behaviour such as that is not tolerated. I know that my colleague across the way understands that and shares that view.ESDC is conducting a review of this matter in conjunction with Service Canada in Ontario. They have been on site. The organizations approved for funding must adhere to specific terms and conditions, and we await the outcome of that review.
Mr. Speaker, Harper's Conservatives handed out cheques to millionaires. Our government created the Canada child benefit.Harper's Conservatives gave tax credits to the rich. Our government introduced the new parental sharing benefit.The difference between these policies is clear: middle-class families receive almost $51,000 more per child under our government than under the Conservatives.Could the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development explain what our government is doing to help the middle class?
Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer proved yesterday that the Liberals' carbon tax cannot achieve what is promised unless it is twice as high as they have admitted: $50 per tonne after 2022, there will be a shortfall. We won't be able to meet the country's targets for greenhouse gas reduction. The only way to do it is to double the promised price to over $100 a tonne, which translates into an increase of 23¢ a litre for the price of gas. Will the government admit that its carbon tax, while it makes no sense, costs 23¢?
Mr. Speaker, last year, thousands of Canadian organizations offering kids summer camps and helping out seniors were ineligible for Canada summer jobs because of the Liberals' values test, but now the Liberals have decided to fund a group that has terrorist links, a group that paid $550,000 in fines and lost its charitable status from CRA. Yesterday, the minister said she would review the decision.Can the minister confirm that this group with terrorist links does not meet the Liberals values test?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' promise that the cheque was in the mail was never kept. It was not as advertised. We now know that the rebates were a third smaller and the tax will be twice as high as advertised, so smaller rebates than promised and higher taxes than admitted. These facts are now known to us. We now know that, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, for the Liberals to keep their own promises, they would have to increase the tax to a rate that would cost the average family over a thousand dollars a year in Ontario, including gas prices that are 23¢ higher.Why did they try to cover it up before the election?
Mr. Speaker, actually, the Parliamentary Budget Officer took into consideration every single policy lever that the current government is using and said that with those policies the country will miss its Paris targets by 80 million megatonnes per year, and that the only way to change that is to increase the carbon tax five times what it is now and twice what the government has admitted, at a cost of 23 painful cents more per litre for gasoline.Why were the Liberals attempting to hide this higher tax until after the election?
Mr. Speaker, once again, the hon. member is seeking to mislead Canadians in order to scare them into supporting his party. The analysis that he refers to by the Parliamentary Budget Officer presumes that no further measures will be implemented to reduce emissions over the next 11 years and does not factor in certain measures that have already been announced or are being implemented now, such as the largest investment in public transit in the history of Canada, new subsidies to make electric vehicles more affordable or advancements in innovation that will actually improve carbon sequestration technologies.If the Conservatives would be honest with themselves, they would realize that our plan is going to make life more affordable for Canadian households at the same time as we bring our emissions down.
Mr. Speaker, once again, I want to be very clear. Our government is determined to ensure that all Canadians have access to a pharmacare program. The work is in progress.In budget 2019, we announced $35 million to create a Canadian drug agency. We also want to ensure that there is money for it. We invested $1 million to address the issue of drugs for rare diseases. We will continue to work with the provinces and territories to ensure that all Canadians have access to a national pharmacare program.
Mr. Speaker, if his Prime Minister had not created the problem with his infamous tweet, far fewer people would be showing up at Roxham Road.What is more, the people who come to the United States from various countries around the world show up with a passport. People need a passport to get into the United States. Then, all of a sudden, when they get to Roxham Road, they no longer have any identification. No one can tell me that those people are not taking advantage of the system.When will the Prime Minister show some backbone, talk to Mr. Trump and resolve the problem with the safe third country agreement?
Mr. Speaker, in defence of their indefensible cuts to the Auditor General's budget, the Liberals keep relying on cuts made under the Harper government. As the one who implemented those budget reductions as the Treasury Board president, I can tell the House that I received prior written assurances from the auditor general that those budget reductions would not impact any of his operations or investigations.Why did the current government not seek similar assurances before making its cuts?
Mr. Speaker, yes, I can only imagine how that conversation went after they fired Linda Keen and after they reduced the budget for the parliamentary budget officer at the time. I imagine the conversation must have gone something like , Yes, boss. Yes, boss. We're okay with what you give us. That is really not acceptable. What is really important is that public servants, under the Harper government, felt intimidated, they felt cowed and some of them lost their jobs for having stood up to speak truth to power. We do not have to take any lessons from the Harper Conservatives about how to treat our public servants with respect.
Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives and Liberals prepare for a war of words on the carbon tax, young people are marching in the streets to demand climate action. Political will and leadership are necessary to combat climate change. Both the Conservatives and the Liberals have shown that they have neither.We in the NDP have the courage to act as well as an ambitious plan to start transitioning to green energy.Will the government commit to stop subsidizing the oil sector and start transitioning to sustainable energy?
Mr. Speaker, Dr. Hoskins' report is crystal clear: we need a universal public pharmacare program. In fact, that is something the NPD is firmly committed to bringing in.People should not have to cut up their pills to make their prescription last longer. Instead of listening to what people need, the successive Liberal and Conservative governments have consistently sided with large insurance companies.Can the Liberal government commit, as we have, to implementing a universal pharmacare program as early as next year?
Mr. Speaker, I will ask it in English this time.Based on the Quebec experience, yes, we have a cap-and-trade system in Quebec, but what are the results? There is zero reduction of emissions. This is the result when we tax people: no reduction of emissions. This is the Quebec experience. This is the truth. These are the facts. This is the science.Will the minister be clear with Canadians for once? Can the Liberals explain how much they will raise taxes?
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member across has been involved in this program for a number of years and would know how the money rolls out. There is a review. The officials are working on this review right now, and we await that review. Certainly if anything is out of the ordinary, there will be no money flowing.
Mr. Speaker, the backbone of the South Okanagan economy is threatened by federal bureaucratic barriers and red tape. There is a vital irrigation canal that is in urgent need of repair. The town of Oliver and the province of British Columbia have both made funding commitments but they have been waiting three years for the federal government to step up with its share. The system is essential for 5,000 acres of orchards and vineyards.Will the government cut through the red tape and finally get this project funded?
Mr. Speaker, I note that the hon. member's own province of Quebec has a price on pollution and our system does not apply. I would be curious if he would go out and say that the province does not have the authority to put the price on pollution that exists and is supported by members of his province.The hon. member knows that in the provinces where the federal backstop applies, eight out of 10 families are better off at the end of the year. This is not some Liberal partisan plan. We can look to last year's Nobel Prize winner in economics, who has developed this sort of approach. We can look to Mark Cameron, Stephen Harper's former director of policy, who has indicated that families will be better off. We can look to Doug Ford's chief budget adviser, who testified before the Senate in this Parliament, saying that the number one thing we can do to move toward a low-carbon economy is to put a price on pollution and
Mr. Speaker, pending the outcome of the review, there will be action taken by this government. However, I am amazed by the Conservatives' new-found interest in summer grants and summer students, because what they wanted to do when they were in power was cut the program out altogether. The member for Carleton cut $24 million from the youth employment strategy. The Conservatives are letting on now that they care about summer students. They are letting on now that they care about this program. This is a party of action, this is a government of action, and we will take the appropriate action.
Mr. Speaker, again, let me highlight that for 10 years, the Harper government failed to build a single pipeline to get our resources to non-U.S. markets. We are changing that. The ability for our energy sector to grow is very important, and we have been able to expand our global markets.Let me highlight another investment. We have invested more money in Alberta in infrastructure in the last four years than the Stephen Harper government did in 10 years.We are delivering for Albertans and we will continue to do so.
Mr. Speaker, with respect, I have a great appreciation for NDP's desire to do something about the environment. It is too bad its desire does not match its ability to think out a plan that makes sense. If we look at the Ecofiscal Commission's review of the NDP plan, it has said that NDP's measures for big emitters will actually do nothing to reduce emissions and will hurt the Canadian economy at the same time. We can tell that New Democrats lack the thoughtfulness that the climate debate demands when we look at the hon. member's question, which confuses fridges for refrigerants, which are actually one of the fastest-growing causes of climate change globally.I share the New Democrats' desire to do something about climate change, but the difference is that we have thought about how to make it happen.
Mr. Speaker, we now see Conservative MP after Conservative MP repeating false points in this chamber. It is entirely inappropriate. When it comes to the issue of affordability, I note that the Parliamentary Budget Officer previously confirmed
Mr. Speaker, to repeat an earlier answer, the analysis laid out in the report does not consider certain measures that will be implemented in the next 11 years and in fact leaves out certain measures that have already been announced, such as our investments in public transit, our subsidy for zero emissions vehicles or advancement in carbon sequestration technology.With respect to the cost of our plan to put a price on pollution, I am pleased to advise the hon. member that eight out of 10 families that live in the riding she represents will be better off. They will have already received a climate action incentive of $307 and that will climb year over year. It will be curious to see how that member campaigns in the next election with a promise to take that money from her constituents.
Mr. Speaker, I find it entertaining that the hon. member is putting so much stock in the PBO's report, when he will not even submit his own party's platform for consideration, because it is hiding the true cost to Canadians. When it comes to the size of the rebate, we have said the entire time that a typical family of four in the province of Ontario would receive a rebate of $307. That is as true today as it was when we first announced our plan.He is confusing statistics by saying that the average payout, which pertains to a family of a smaller size, is different than that for a family of four. This is simple arithmetic. I would be happy to walk him through it after question period, but I sense that after a few months he is choosing not to listen because he knows our plan is the right plan.
Mr. Speaker, I have enormous respect for the young people who are advocating for more climate action. I wish politicians of all stripes would pay heed to the message they are sending us, which is we need to take action and we need to take action now.The NDP is advocating for plans that we started implementing three years ago, not just putting a price on pollution but moving toward having 90% of our electricity generated from non-emitting resources by 2030; like making the largest investment in public transit in the history of our country; like making record investments in energy efficiency and green technology. With respect to fossil fuel subsidies, we have already phased out eight of nine that exist in the tax code.When it comes to the NDP plan to eliminate all fossil fuel subsidies immediately, it has forgotten to consider that it actually provides electricity to northern communities and other
Mr. Speaker, on occasion the truth can hurt, but it is important we say it as loud as we can no matter how many times it takes.The truth is that the Parliamentary Budget Officer has confirmed that eight out of 10 families will be better off. If the Conservatives were concerned about affordability, I am curious as to why they voted against a tax cut for nine million middle-class Canadians and voted in favour of maintaining a favourable tax system for the wealthiest 1%. When they had an opportunity to support the Canada child benefit, which put more money into the pockets of nine out of 10 families, they voted against that.
Mr. Speaker, the numbers that were announced yesterday are not just numbers; they are our brothers, sisters and neighbours. Our government is taking action. We have invested more than $350 million to ensure more treatments are available to Canadians. We have also introduced harm reduction as a key pillar to our drug strategy. Also, we have approved more than 40 supervised consumption sites. We recognize that supervised consumption sites save lives.We will continue to work with our partners on the ground to ensure we do all that we can to turn the tide on this national public health crisis.
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat once again for my colleague that we are committed to doing everything we can to lower the cost of drugs. We do hope to bring forward a national pharmacare program, so one of our priorities is lowering the cost of drugs.We have been doing our job from day one. We joined the pan-Canadian pharmaceutical alliance, bringing together all provinces and territories. We have saved millions of dollars so far. We are currently modernizing drug regulations. Once again, as I said earlier, we will be announcing changes to the regulations in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, while I understand that things do get heated in this House of Commons, the member for Cape BretonCanso, whom I have respect for, showed indignation that a member from Ontario would dare to ask a question about Cape Breton and stand up for those residents. I will remind the member as well that the minister for ACOA is from Ontario. Therefore, if the member would like to apologize to me, I will accept that.
Mr. Speaker, I find the question rich coming from a member who decided to hide the fact that the climate action incentive existed in a publication to his constituents, which was designed to tell them how they could maximize their tax refund. The fact is that families of four in Ontario received $307 this year, and that rebate will grow over time. It seems as though the Conservatives are putting their fingers in their ears, saying they do not want to hear the truth because the truth is not helpful to them. Every time they have the chance, they vote against measures that put more money in the pockets of Canadian households. We found the most effective way to reduce emissions, we found a way to make life more affordable and, every time, they seem to vote against measures that have that impact.
Mr. Speaker, next Tuesday we are expecting the final decision regarding the Trans Mountain expansion project. While we fear the Liberals will impose this pipeline on B.C., coastal communities like mine are still hopeful the Liberals will make the right decision in their interests, instead of siding with the interests of profitable big oil companies.There is still time for the Liberals to do the right thing for our air, our water and our coast. On June 18, will the government listen to the voice of coastal communities and cancel the Trans Mountain expansion project, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform my colleague that, since taking office, our priorities for connectivity have been accessibility, competition and affordability. In regions where there is lots of competition, costs have actually gone down by 32%.We have also launched a new program called connecting families, which gives low-income families access to the Internet for $10 a month. Canadians are our priority, our plan is working, and we are investing for our people.
Mr. Speaker, ScarboroughAgincourt residents are concerned that women continue to work in part-time and precarious jobs with little opportunity to advance in their careers. My constituents desire equality and economic security for all Canadians, no matter what gender.Can the hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality please share with the House some of the work that is being done to ensure that we are working to improve the economic security and prosperity of women?
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, the member for Milton was forced to delete a tweet that suggested that there is no link between climate change and extreme weather patterns, completely disregarding science that shows that climate change is real. This was so predictable, considering the 10 years of Harper Conservative cuts and the muzzling of scientists, resulting in scientists protesting the death of evidence on Parliament Hill. Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Science and Sport please explain the importance of science and evidence-based decision-making?
Mr. Speaker, while I am aware of article 6 of the Paris Agreement, given that our government was key in facilitating the negotiation of that agreement, our plan to reduce emissions is not just to displace global emissions by producing more and more oil and gas products in Canada but to actually reduce our consumption in Canada as well. We are doing so through over 50 measures, including putting a price on pollution, moving toward 90% of our electricity being generated from non-emitting resources by 2030, and making the largest investment in public transit and record investments in efficiency, green technology and others. I would be happy to walk the hon. member through it.I am curious as to what the Conservatives' plan will be, because their signal is that they are going to produce more in order to reduce our emissions, and it simply makes no sense.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are very concerned about the escalating violence against Christians in Nigeria and about the Liberal government's decision to close the office of religious freedom at a time when it was effectively working in Nigeria.The former parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs said that the office had successfully developed a community-based mechanism to help defuse tensions between different religious and ethnic groups, including Christians and Muslims. Why did the Liberal government close an office that it knew was effectively reducing violence and deaths?
Mr. Speaker, I consider the member to be a friend. If his feelings were hurt, I certainly want to apologize. He is right. The minister is from Ontario. He has done a tremendous job working with the people of Cape Breton to provide opportunities and I look forward to that relationship continuing.
Mr. Speaker, we are determined to do everything we can to lower the price of drugs. For the past two years, we have been working jointly with the pan-Canadian pharmaceutical alliance to bring together the provinces and territories on a bulk purchasing arrangement. We have saved billions of dollars so far.We are also in the process of modernizing the regulations affecting drugs and changes will be announced soon.
Mr. Speaker, in 2019, access to a cell network and high-speed Internet are essential services, but these services are getting more and more expensive and less and less reliable. Rather than stand up for the people, the Liberals and Conservatives are allowing big telecom companies to get rich and pocket billions of dollars.Can the federal government put the people's interests ahead of big telecoms' interests and make a pledge today to lower people's bills and ensure reliable service?
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for ScarboroughAgincourt for her question and for her tireless advocacy.Our government is focused on gender equality and economic security by creating the Canada child benefit, by creating 40,000 child care spaces, by supporting women in STEM and in the skilled trades and by ensuring equal pay for work of equal value.With one million jobs and historically low unemployment, Canadians see real progress towards gender equality and economic security for the women of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, in the remaining time I have, I will reiterate the point that anybody who has any equity in this conversation knows that the number one thing we can do to reduce emissions is to put a price on pollution.We have found a way to make life more affordable at the same time, by returning the rebate directly to households. This marries the theme of our government, which is to make life more affordable for those who need it. Whether with the Canada child benefit, the middle-class tax cut or the price on pollution, we are doing the right thing for our environment and making life easier for families.
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives want to make us think that they want to protect our borders and change the safe third country agreement, but their record definitely proves otherwise. The Conservatives cut $1.2 billion from the budgets of our security agencies and, what is more, during their 10 years in power they did not hold any discussions with the U.S. about changing and improving the safe third country agreement.We have already had discussions about the safe third country agreement. We have invested $1 billion to provide the resources needed to protect our borders. This has led to a 47% decrease in asylum seekers who
Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to answer the question posed by my colleague from SackvillePrestonChezzetcook.He is quite right, we were elected to grow the middle class and the economy. He is right in that our plan gives a middle-class family an average of $51,000 more per child over the course of 18 years than the Conservative plan for the wealthy did.He is right, we will continue to invest in the Canada child benefit, housing, child care services and public transit to continue to grow the middle class and the economy.
Mr. Speaker, coming from a member from Alberta, it is very interesting for him to not acknowledge the good work that is being done to support the energy sector. We are the government that is creating conditions for private sector investment to happen in the energy sector. There was a $40 billion investment in one single project, which is the largest private sector investment to happen in our history. There was a $9 billion investment in the petrochemical sector, which will create thousands of jobs for Alberta workers, something of which we are very proud.
Mr. Speaker, as the member would know, it was our government that invested in opportunities for students to gain that education.We doubled the amount of low-interest grants to all Canadians, to part-time students as well as full-time students. We have increased the amount of support in those non-repayable grants. Also, until students are making at least $25,000, they have a holiday on repayment.We are doing what has been asked of us as a government to help support student access.
Mr. Speaker, with respect, if the hon. member would listen to the details of our plan, he would realize that as the price on pollution increases approaching 2022, so does the rebate. The more time goes on, the cost is not increased, but the rebate to families increases
Mr. Speaker, I believe you will be overjoyed to find unanimous consent for the tabling of a document entitled Inventaire québécois des émissions de gaz à effet de serre en 2016 et leur évolution depuis 1990. This science-based document from Quebec's environment ministry found that, between 2014 and 2016, there was no reduction in GHG emissions.
Mr. Speaker, Bill C-69 puts in better rules that allow good projects to move forward in a way that respects the environment and allows Canadians to participate in the process.We are fixing a system that led to a number of large projects failing and being challenged in Federal Court because Stephen Harper brought in changes in 2012 that gutted environmental protections and restricted the ability of Canadians to participate in a regular process.We firmly believe that Bill C-69 would allow
Mr. Speaker, our government has announced the intent to amalgamate the Oshawa and Hamilton port authorities. Both ports play an important role in southern Ontario by linking our businesses to global markets and by providing jobs to middle-class families. The integration will also enable ongoing growth in both ports. It is anticipated that this action would unlock greater economic opportunities for working Canadians. With greater combined strength, the new port authority would be in a better position to make investments in port facilities and intermodal connections in south Ontario. Of course, we consult with our partners, we work with municipalities and we work with our partners in ports to ensure their economic success for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I have enormous respect for my colleague from South OkanaganWest Kootenay. He will be pleased to hear that we have invested already $300,000 in two projects in the town of Oliver. In October of last year we met with the outgoing mayor, Ron Hovanes, and chief of the Osoyoos first nation, Clarence Louie, a meeting which my colleague attended.The member for South OkanaganWest Kootenay is well aware that our office is continuing to engage with the new mayor and his council. We are working tirelessly to make sure that we can invest in the town of Oliver.We will continue to work, as we have done before, to make sure that the people of Oliver have what they deserve.
Mr. Speaker, we respect and appreciate a diversity of opinion among indigenous communities on energy sector development. We are listening to them carefully. We engaged with them in a very meaningful two-way conversation. We are following the direction of the Federal Court of Appeal to move forward on this project in the right way.As the hon. member knows, we are set to make a decision on this project by June 18.
Mr. Speaker, let me take this opportunity to highlight some of the investments that are happening in western Canada: a $40 billion single private sector investment in the LNG sector and a $9 billion investment in the petrochemical sector right in my home province of Alberta. We are moving forward on the Enbridge Line 3, which is almost completed on the Canadian side. We are moving forward on the Keystone XL pipeline. As well, we are moving forward in the right way and fixing the process on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
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Mr. Speaker, as the member would know, it was our government that invested in opportunities for students to gain that education.We doubled the amount of low-interest grants to all Canadians, to part-time students as well as full-time students. We have increased the amount of support in those non-repayable grants. Also, until students are making at least $25,000, they have a holiday on repayment.We are doing what has been asked of us as a government to help support student access.
Mr. Speaker, we are determined to do everything we can to lower the price of drugs. For the past two years, we have been working jointly with the pan-Canadian pharmaceutical alliance to bring together the provinces and territories on a bulk purchasing arrangement. We have saved billions of dollars so far.We are also in the process of modernizing the regulations affecting drugs and changes will be announced soon.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have put hundreds of thousands of Albertans out of work, with brutal consequences: rising bankruptcies, family breakdowns, substance abuse, crime, suicides and a loss of hope and dreams. That hurts all of Canada.The Liberals are ramming through laws to block oil exports and kill resource projects, and will make everything more expensive with their carbon tax. After only one hour of debate on hundreds of amendments, the Liberals forced through their no more pipelines bill, Bill C-69, even though nine provinces and all territories want major changes.Why are the Liberals so relentless in their attacks on Albertans?
Mr. Speaker, we now see Conservative MP after Conservative MP repeating false points in this chamber. It is entirely inappropriate. When it comes to the issue of affordability, I note that the Parliamentary Budget Officer previously confirmed
Mr. Speaker, the Hoskins' advisory council was clear that Canadians needed public pharmacare, yet the government refuses to commit to it. People are making impossible choices when it comes to the prescription drugs they need, choices like paying their rent or filling a prescription, cutting pills to make a bottle last longer or skipping their medicine altogether. People are getting sicker and dying.A simple question deserves a clear answer from the health minister. Will the Liberals implement a universal, comprehensive, single-payer pharmacare or not?
That is simply not true, Mr. Speaker.Half of Canadians are about $200 away from being able to pay their bills each month, yet the Liberals carbon tax will put a painful 23¢ per litre increase in the price of gasoline, and that will do nothing to help climate change.The Liberals have said they want to help the middle class, but they are punishing it and those hoping to join it. Why ?
Mr. Speaker, people in our north and across the country are forced to make impossible choices because of the high cost of medication.It is inconceivable that in 2019, in Canada, people have to choose between buying food and medication. Liberals have been putting pharmaceutical and insurance companies in the driver's seat, but the Hoskins advisory board is clear: Canadians need a universal, public, single-payer pharmacare.This is what the NDP has been pushing for. Enough of the half-measures and the favours to the Liberals' corporate friends. Will the Liberal government implement universal, comprehensive, public pharmacare, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, the member for Milton was forced to delete a tweet that suggested that there is no link between climate change and extreme weather patterns, completely disregarding science that shows that climate change is real. This was so predictable, considering the 10 years of Harper Conservative cuts and the muzzling of scientists, resulting in scientists protesting the death of evidence on Parliament Hill. Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Science and Sport please explain the importance of science and evidence-based decision-making?
Mr. Speaker, we unequivocally condemn violent extremism. Any kind of behaviour such as that is not tolerated. I know that my colleague across the way understands that and shares that view.ESDC is conducting a review of this matter in conjunction with Service Canada in Ontario. They have been on site. The organizations approved for funding must adhere to specific terms and conditions, and we await the outcome of that review.
Mr. Speaker, it has been a tough week for Alberta here in Ottawa. The Prime Minister has rammed through his anti-pipeline, anti-energy bills, Bills C-69 and C-48, and announced a carbon tax for the province of Alberta. These attacks are driving investment and opportunity out of the province.Without a hint of irony, this very morning those same Liberals announced their western Canada job strategy. It is like hiring the arsonists to rebuild the house after they lit the fire. When will the Liberals realize that the only growth strategy that will work is if they end their attack on Canada's energy sector?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform my colleague that, since taking office, our priorities for connectivity have been accessibility, competition and affordability. In regions where there is lots of competition, costs have actually gone down by 32%.We have also launched a new program called connecting families, which gives low-income families access to the Internet for $10 a month. Canadians are our priority, our plan is working, and we are investing for our people.
Mr. Speaker, actually, the Parliamentary Budget Officer took into consideration every single policy lever that the current government is using and said that with those policies the country will miss its Paris targets by 80 million megatonnes per year, and that the only way to change that is to increase the carbon tax five times what it is now and twice what the government has admitted, at a cost of 23 painful cents more per litre for gasoline.Why were the Liberals attempting to hide this higher tax until after the election?
Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate to hear that from the Liberals. This government is out of touch and has no credibility on environmental matters. What planet is it living on?The Liberals are the only ones who believe that Canada will meet its Paris targets with their plan. I invite the Liberals to come back to planet Earth and do something now to protect it.The Parliamentary Budget Officer said that Canadians will have to get poorer and pay five times more than the current carbon tax if we want to meet the Paris targets. Canadians deserve the truth.Why is the government hiding the truth?
Mr. Speaker, we will take no lessons from the Conservatives when it comes to softwood lumber. Let me just point out that it was the Conservative example of accepting quotas on softwood lumber that stiffened our spines and stiffened the spines of the steel sector, in refusing to accept tariffs or quotas on steel and aluminum. The Conservatives are prepared to capitulate and accept crummy trade deals. We are not.
Mr. Speaker, I am astounded to learn that the government thinks it can use article 6 of the Paris accord to earn carbon credits for exporting fracked gas to Asian markets. Does the government not realize that fracked gas has the same carbon footprint as coal?When will the government have the political courage to take responsibility for its international obligations and reduce the emissions of the oil and gas industry in Canada? When will the government ban the climate-destroying practice of gas fracking?
Mr. Speaker, while I understand that things do get heated in this House of Commons, the member for Cape BretonCanso, whom I have respect for, showed indignation that a member from Ontario would dare to ask a question about Cape Breton and stand up for those residents. I will remind the member as well that the minister for ACOA is from Ontario. Therefore, if the member would like to apologize to me, I will accept that.
Mr. Speaker, I believe you will be overjoyed to find unanimous consent for the tabling of a document entitled Inventaire québécois des émissions de gaz à effet de serre en 2016 et leur évolution depuis 1990. This science-based document from Quebec's environment ministry found that, between 2014 and 2016, there was no reduction in GHG emissions.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal attack on the energy sector has crippled Alberta and is impacting B.C. After 50 years, a houseboat company in Sicamous has announced it is shutting down, affecting 150 employees. The mayor of Sicamous has blamed the downturn in the Alberta economy and the pipeline dispute for having taken a toll on the community. Today, the Liberals are announcing a western economic growth strategy, as if they have not done enough damage already. When will the Liberals end their attack on the west?
Mr. Speaker, we agree that Canadians should not have to choose between putting food on their table and paying for prescription medication. That is why we are committed to ensuring that all Canadians have access to a national pharmacare program. The work has been under way for a few years. The first thing we have done is some work to lower the costs of drugs in the country. In budget 2019, we announced $35 million to ensure we would have a Canadian drug agency that would help us make this plan a reality. We are deeply committed to ensuring that all Canadians have the prescriptions they deserve.
Mr. Speaker, I am not sure they are going to want to hear this one.The Liberals are reportedly giving 18 million tax dollars to build an exclusive airport runway near Cabot Cliffs golf course in Cape Breton even though the Port Hawkesbury airport is only an hour away. Many in the community, including the mayor, are concerned this would bankrupt the company that runs their community airport and the small businesses that depend upon it.Instead of pandering to millionaires who, God forbid, have to drive an hour to get to the golf course after landing in their private jets, why is the Prime Minister putting this community asset at risk to accommodate his elite millionaire friends?
Mr. Speaker, the backbone of the South Okanagan economy is threatened by federal bureaucratic barriers and red tape. There is a vital irrigation canal that is in urgent need of repair. The town of Oliver and the province of British Columbia have both made funding commitments but they have been waiting three years for the federal government to step up with its share. The system is essential for 5,000 acres of orchards and vineyards.Will the government cut through the red tape and finally get this project funded?
Mr. Speaker, Conservative members should be ashamed of their climate-change-denying comments. They have chosen to broadcast false, irresponsible viewpoints, disregarding the science and not listening to the evidence once again.Our government believes that science plays a central role in building a thriving, clean economy, and we will take no lessons from the Conservatives, who for 10 years refused to take action. We are the government that has invested over $10 billion in science, and we will always support our students and researchers.
Mr. Speaker, in defence of their indefensible cuts to the Auditor General's budget, the Liberals keep relying on cuts made under the Harper government. As the one who implemented those budget reductions as the Treasury Board president, I can tell the House that I received prior written assurances from the auditor general that those budget reductions would not impact any of his operations or investigations.Why did the current government not seek similar assurances before making its cuts?
Mr. Speaker, drugs in Canada are more expensive than in most countries around the world. However, that situation should have changed. The Patented Medicine Prices Review Board changed its reference pricing list for setting drug prices. The new regulations were supposed to come into effect on January 1 of this year, but the government still has not passed them. That is just wrong. The government caved in to pressure from the big pharma lobby.Does the government still plan to adopt these regulations and if so, when?
Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer has released a scathing report that the Liberals will not meet their Paris climate change targets, that is, unless they raise the price at the pump by 23¢ a litre. The Liberals have promised that they will not raise this until after the election. No kidding. They will wait until after the election when they no longer need Canadian votes, but still need their money.When will the Liberals finally come clean and tell Canadians the true cost of their carbon tax plan?
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat once again for my colleague that we are committed to doing everything we can to lower the cost of drugs. We do hope to bring forward a national pharmacare program, so one of our priorities is lowering the cost of drugs.We have been doing our job from day one. We joined the pan-Canadian pharmaceutical alliance, bringing together all provinces and territories. We have saved millions of dollars so far. We are currently modernizing drug regulations. Once again, as I said earlier, we will be announcing changes to the regulations in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives and Liberals prepare for a war of words on the carbon tax, young people are marching in the streets to demand climate action. Political will and leadership are necessary to combat climate change. Both the Conservatives and the Liberals have shown that they have neither.We in the NDP have the courage to act as well as an ambitious plan to start transitioning to green energy.Will the government commit to stop subsidizing the oil sector and start transitioning to sustainable energy?
Mr. Speaker, Dr. Hoskins' report is crystal clear: we need a universal public pharmacare program. In fact, that is something the NPD is firmly committed to bringing in.People should not have to cut up their pills to make their prescription last longer. Instead of listening to what people need, the successive Liberal and Conservative governments have consistently sided with large insurance companies.Can the Liberal government commit, as we have, to implementing a universal pharmacare program as early as next year?
Mr. Speaker, with respect, I have a great appreciation for NDP's desire to do something about the environment. It is too bad its desire does not match its ability to think out a plan that makes sense. If we look at the Ecofiscal Commission's review of the NDP plan, it has said that NDP's measures for big emitters will actually do nothing to reduce emissions and will hurt the Canadian economy at the same time. We can tell that New Democrats lack the thoughtfulness that the climate debate demands when we look at the hon. member's question, which confuses fridges for refrigerants, which are actually one of the fastest-growing causes of climate change globally.I share the New Democrats' desire to do something about climate change, but the difference is that we have thought about how to make it happen.
Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. Our government has put human rights, including the right of all people to freely practise their religion, at the centre of our foreign policy.We are very clear that we are living in a time when people around the world and in Canada are facing increased attacks for their religious beliefs. That is absolutely wrong. That includes Christians, it includes Muslims and it includes Jews. Our government is very clear in condemning these acts and in working to prevent them in Canada and in working to prevent them around the world.
Mr. Speaker, in 2019, access to a cell network and high-speed Internet are essential services, but these services are getting more and more expensive and less and less reliable. Rather than stand up for the people, the Liberals and Conservatives are allowing big telecom companies to get rich and pocket billions of dollars.Can the federal government put the people's interests ahead of big telecoms' interests and make a pledge today to lower people's bills and ensure reliable service?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister will meet with the President of the United States next week and I am certain that President Trump has no time to waste on small talk.The U.S. President also has a problem with illegal migrants at his border. He understands the situation.The Prime Minister has done nothing so far to renegotiate the safe third country agreement, but the meeting with Mr. Trump is a golden opportunity to do so.Will the Prime Minister renegotiate the safe third country agreement, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, ScarboroughAgincourt residents are concerned that women continue to work in part-time and precarious jobs with little opportunity to advance in their careers. My constituents desire equality and economic security for all Canadians, no matter what gender.Can the hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality please share with the House some of the work that is being done to ensure that we are working to improve the economic security and prosperity of women?
Mr. Speaker, I have enormous respect for the young people who are advocating for more climate action. I wish politicians of all stripes would pay heed to the message they are sending us, which is we need to take action and we need to take action now.The NDP is advocating for plans that we started implementing three years ago, not just putting a price on pollution but moving toward having 90% of our electricity generated from non-emitting resources by 2030; like making the largest investment in public transit in the history of our country; like making record investments in energy efficiency and green technology. With respect to fossil fuel subsidies, we have already phased out eight of nine that exist in the tax code.When it comes to the NDP plan to eliminate all fossil fuel subsidies immediately, it has forgotten to consider that it actually provides electricity to northern communities and other
Mr. Speaker, that is not a reassuring answer. The minister says that her government is doing everything in its power to lower the price of drugs. The regulations were supposed to come into effect in January, but we are still waiting. The price of drugs is still too high. Those rules would save the public $2.6 billion.If I understand correctly the underlying message of the minister's response, the government is opting to be a doormat to the pharmaceutical companies. I am therefore asking the government to confirm that it has done an about-face, that it will never adopt its regulations and we are going
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member across has been involved in this program for a number of years and would know how the money rolls out. There is a review. The officials are working on this review right now, and we await that review. Certainly if anything is out of the ordinary, there will be no money flowing.
Mr. Speaker, if his Prime Minister had not created the problem with his infamous tweet, far fewer people would be showing up at Roxham Road.What is more, the people who come to the United States from various countries around the world show up with a passport. People need a passport to get into the United States. Then, all of a sudden, when they get to Roxham Road, they no longer have any identification. No one can tell me that those people are not taking advantage of the system.When will the Prime Minister show some backbone, talk to Mr. Trump and resolve the problem with the safe third country agreement?
Mr. Speaker, the environment minister said that she would make her Paris targets, but the PBO has confirmed that the only way the Liberals' carbon tax will work is if they charge 23¢ a litre more for gasoline. Life is already too expensive. Canadians are already struggling to pay their heating bills and buy groceries. Clearly, this punishing tax plan will severely hurt families and seniors, particularly those on fixed incomes.When will the Liberals finally admit that their carbon tax is not an environmental plan; it is a tax plan?
Mr. Speaker, I will ask it in English this time.Based on the Quebec experience, yes, we have a cap-and-trade system in Quebec, but what are the results? There is zero reduction of emissions. This is the result when we tax people: no reduction of emissions. This is the Quebec experience. This is the truth. These are the facts. This is the science.Will the minister be clear with Canadians for once? Can the Liberals explain how much they will raise taxes?
Mr. Speaker, let me take this opportunity to highlight some of the investments that are happening in western Canada: a $40 billion single private sector investment in the LNG sector and a $9 billion investment in the petrochemical sector right in my home province of Alberta. We are moving forward on the Enbridge Line 3, which is almost completed on the Canadian side. We are moving forward on the Keystone XL pipeline. As well, we are moving forward in the right way and fixing the process on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
Mr. Speaker, Alberta has been shown nothing but disdain from the Liberal government for the last three and a half years. The Liberals continue their assault on the energy sector. Last night they shut down debate on Bill C-69, which has devastated many of my constituents.People have lost their businesses, their jobs and their homes. They have lost hope. Some have even taken their own lives.When everyone is telling the environment minister that her plan is a disaster, she chooses to ignore this advice. Everyone has been repeating it so long and saying it so loud. Why will she not listen?
Mr. Speaker, next Tuesday we are expecting the final decision regarding the Trans Mountain expansion project. While we fear the Liberals will impose this pipeline on B.C., coastal communities like mine are still hopeful the Liberals will make the right decision in their interests, instead of siding with the interests of profitable big oil companies.There is still time for the Liberals to do the right thing for our air, our water and our coast. On June 18, will the government listen to the voice of coastal communities and cancel the Trans Mountain expansion project, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, last night, I received more notices of job losses and mill closures in my riding in northern B.C. The Liberals' inaction on softwood and their failed policy is leading to thousands of job losses right across our province of British ColumbiaWe already have the highest gas prices in North America. Another 25¢ a litre will be the final nail in the coffin. An increase in the gas tax will only fuel more job losses for our forestry industry.These are real people and real jobs. Why do the Liberals continue to pound Canadians with a job-killing carbon tax that will not even reduce emissions?
However, Mr. Speaker, he is not going to actually meet the targets.The Parliamentary Budget Officer has confirmed what the Conservatives have been saying all along; that the Liberal carbon tax is a cash grab, not a climate change plan. The Prime Minister has tried to hide the real cost of his carbon tax, but the PBO has laid out the truth. The cost of gasoline would rise by at least 25¢ per litre. When Canadians are trying to get ahead, not just get by, will the Prime Minister tell Canadians how much the full and final cost of this carbon tax will be?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' promise that the cheque was in the mail was never kept. It was not as advertised. We now know that the rebates were a third smaller and the tax will be twice as high as advertised, so smaller rebates than promised and higher taxes than admitted. These facts are now known to us. We now know that, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, for the Liberals to keep their own promises, they would have to increase the tax to a rate that would cost the average family over a thousand dollars a year in Ontario, including gas prices that are 23¢ higher.Why did they try to cover it up before the election?
Mr. Speaker, it would be easier to take criticism from a member of a party that has actually advanced a climate plan to date. The Conservatives refuse to and they refuse to put their plan before the Parliamentary Budget Officer. If we want to see what a Conservative climate plan looks like, we should look at Doug Ford, who dismantled flood protections and showed up asking what the heck was going on. When we look at it, it will be less effective to reduce emissions and will be twice as expensive for households. I would suggest the member, instead of attacking our plan, which is credible, talk to some of his caucus colleagues, who seem not to understand that climate change is real, who say that global warming is simply body heat coming off humans, who refuse to acknowledge the signs. When we look at the IPCC or Canada's changing climate report, it is real and we have a duty to
Mr. Speaker, to repeat an earlier answer, the analysis laid out in the report does not consider certain measures that will be implemented in the next 11 years and in fact leaves out certain measures that have already been announced, such as our investments in public transit, our subsidy for zero emissions vehicles or advancement in carbon sequestration technology.With respect to the cost of our plan to put a price on pollution, I am pleased to advise the hon. member that eight out of 10 families that live in the riding she represents will be better off. They will have already received a climate action incentive of $307 and that will climb year over year. It will be curious to see how that member campaigns in the next election with a promise to take that money from her constituents.
Mr. Speaker, yes, I can only imagine how that conversation went after they fired Linda Keen and after they reduced the budget for the parliamentary budget officer at the time. I imagine the conversation must have gone something like , Yes, boss. Yes, boss. We're okay with what you give us. That is really not acceptable. What is really important is that public servants, under the Harper government, felt intimidated, they felt cowed and some of them lost their jobs for having stood up to speak truth to power. We do not have to take any lessons from the Harper Conservatives about how to treat our public servants with respect.
Mr. Speaker, again, let me highlight that for 10 years, the Harper government failed to build a single pipeline to get our resources to non-U.S. markets. We are changing that. The ability for our energy sector to grow is very important, and we have been able to expand our global markets.Let me highlight another investment. We have invested more money in Alberta in infrastructure in the last four years than the Stephen Harper government did in 10 years.We are delivering for Albertans and we will continue to do so.
Mr. Speaker, I would point the hon. member to an article this past week, in which his leader refused to acknowledge the connection between severe weather events and climate change. The deputy leader of the Conservative Party tweeted out a quote to a similar effect. He has caucus colleagues who point to snowbanks in Saskatchewan in February as proof that climate change is not real. He has colleagues who do not want to abide by the Paris agreement, yet he has the audacity to criticize us on our plan to meet those targets.The fact is that we will meet our targets, because failure is not an option. This is the greatest challenge of our generation and we found a way to do it that makes it more affordable for families.
Mr. Speaker, we know full well that the Liberals have spent the past three years trying to convince Canadians that the Liberal carbon tax would allow them to meet the Paris targets and, more importantly, reduce greenhouse gas emissions. That is false on all counts.The Parliamentary Budget Officer confirmed yesterday that Canada would not meet its Paris targets and, worse still, that the Liberals would have to raise the Liberal carbon tax to five times what it is now in order to meet those targets.Will the Liberals be honest with Canadians and tell them exactly how much they plan to increase the tax if, heaven forbid, they are re-elected in six months?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are very concerned about the escalating violence against Christians in Nigeria and about the Liberal government's decision to close the office of religious freedom at a time when it was effectively working in Nigeria.The former parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs said that the office had successfully developed a community-based mechanism to help defuse tensions between different religious and ethnic groups, including Christians and Muslims. Why did the Liberal government close an office that it knew was effectively reducing violence and deaths?
Mr. Speaker, once again, the hon. member is seeking to mislead Canadians in order to scare them into supporting his party. The analysis that he refers to by the Parliamentary Budget Officer presumes that no further measures will be implemented to reduce emissions over the next 11 years and does not factor in certain measures that have already been announced or are being implemented now, such as the largest investment in public transit in the history of Canada, new subsidies to make electric vehicles more affordable or advancements in innovation that will actually improve carbon sequestration technologies.If the Conservatives would be honest with themselves, they would realize that our plan is going to make life more affordable for Canadian households at the same time as we bring our emissions down.
Mr. Speaker, I find it entertaining that the hon. member is putting so much stock in the PBO's report, when he will not even submit his own party's platform for consideration, because it is hiding the true cost to Canadians. When it comes to the size of the rebate, we have said the entire time that a typical family of four in the province of Ontario would receive a rebate of $307. That is as true today as it was when we first announced our plan.He is confusing statistics by saying that the average payout, which pertains to a family of a smaller size, is different than that for a family of four. This is simple arithmetic. I would be happy to walk him through it after question period, but I sense that after a few months he is choosing not to listen because he knows our plan is the right plan.
Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer proved yesterday that the Liberals' carbon tax cannot achieve what is promised unless it is twice as high as they have admitted: $50 per tonne after 2022, there will be a shortfall. We won't be able to meet the country's targets for greenhouse gas reduction. The only way to do it is to double the promised price to over $100 a tonne, which translates into an increase of 23¢ a litre for the price of gas. Will the government admit that its carbon tax, while it makes no sense, costs 23¢?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians want bold action on climate change, and they know that there is no time to waste.The NDP has called on the government to invest in green jobs and green energy, but what did the Prime Minister do? He bought fridges and pipelines for his billionaire pals. Four years in power, and all we have seen from the Liberal government are more subsidies for big oil and its pipelines. This is not how we save the environment.When will the Liberals stop siding with the big polluters so we can win the fight against climate change?
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for ScarboroughAgincourt for her question and for her tireless advocacy.Our government is focused on gender equality and economic security by creating the Canada child benefit, by creating 40,000 child care spaces, by supporting women in STEM and in the skilled trades and by ensuring equal pay for work of equal value.With one million jobs and historically low unemployment, Canadians see real progress towards gender equality and economic security for the women of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, pending the outcome of the review, there will be action taken by this government. However, I am amazed by the Conservatives' new-found interest in summer grants and summer students, because what they wanted to do when they were in power was cut the program out altogether. The member for Carleton cut $24 million from the youth employment strategy. The Conservatives are letting on now that they care about summer students. They are letting on now that they care about this program. This is a party of action, this is a government of action, and we will take the appropriate action.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member represents part of the province of Alberta, which I called home for a number of years. I am pleased to share with the hon. member that the province he represents will have constituents next year receiving a climate action incentive of $888 at tax time, which is more than they will pay as a result of our plan to put a price on pollution. If he puts so much stock in the Parliamentary Budget Officer's report, I would challenge him to speak to his leader about presenting the Conservative Party platform so they can understand the cost. If he wants to look a little further, I can point him to the prior report of the PBO, which indicated that eight out of 10 families would have more money in their pockets. I do not know why this is the case, but the Conservatives seem allergic to money for
Mr. Speaker, while I am aware of article 6 of the Paris Agreement, given that our government was key in facilitating the negotiation of that agreement, our plan to reduce emissions is not just to displace global emissions by producing more and more oil and gas products in Canada but to actually reduce our consumption in Canada as well. We are doing so through over 50 measures, including putting a price on pollution, moving toward 90% of our electricity being generated from non-emitting resources by 2030, and making the largest investment in public transit and record investments in efficiency, green technology and others. I would be happy to walk the hon. member through it.I am curious as to what the Conservatives' plan will be, because their signal is that they are going to produce more in order to reduce our emissions, and it simply makes no sense.
Mr. Speaker, with respect, the report of the Parliamentary Budget Officer does not represent the government's agenda going into the next election. We have been very clear that when it comes to our plan to put a price on pollution, the price is going to increase to $50 a tonne until 2022, at which time the policy will be reviewed.I would be happy to speak to the hon. member's constituents, who should know by now that eight out of 10 households that the hon. member represents will be left better off as a result of our plan. If he does not want to accept my opinion on this piece, I would point him to the previous report of the same Parliamentary Budget Officer, who indicates that only the wealthiest 20% would pay more and that 80% of that member's constituents will be better off at the end of the year. I look forward to seeing him on the doorsteps campaigning on a promise to take $307 from a typical family of four in his constituency.
Mr. Speaker, Harper's Conservatives handed out cheques to millionaires. Our government created the Canada child benefit.Harper's Conservatives gave tax credits to the rich. Our government introduced the new parental sharing benefit.The difference between these policies is clear: middle-class families receive almost $51,000 more per child under our government than under the Conservatives.Could the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development explain what our government is doing to help the middle class?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are the ones telling untruths.This government is not telling the truth. After discrediting the United Nations it continues to undermine the findings of scientists and a number of relevant authorities, including the commissioner of the environment. Even the Parliamentary Budget Officer, an independent officer of the House of Commons, said yesterday that the Liberals' plan was insufficient to meet the Paris targets.When it comes to the environment, the Liberals are misleading Canadians.Once again, why is this Liberal government incapable of telling the truth?
Mr. Speaker, this is a group that funded terrorism. Just revoke the grant.The Prime Minister put a values test on the summer jobs program targeting groups that did not agree with him. Fast forward to this week, and we find out that the government gave $25,000 to an organization that funded terrorism overseas. Now he says that he is checking to see if the organization meets the terms and conditions of the summer jobs program. I think the government is the one that needs to check its values.Again, just revoke the grant.
Mr. Speaker, we respect and appreciate a diversity of opinion among indigenous communities on energy sector development. We are listening to them carefully. We engaged with them in a very meaningful two-way conversation. We are following the direction of the Federal Court of Appeal to move forward on this project in the right way.As the hon. member knows, we are set to make a decision on this project by June 18.
That is what the Liberals said in 1997, Mr. Speaker. There were 11,500 Canadians who died from opioid overdoses between 2016 and 2019. Opioid deaths have risen every year of the Liberal government's mandate. This is a true epidemic. The Liberals say that they are doing everything possible, but they are not. We need a national declaration of a public health emergency, federal funding for overdose prevention sites, more investments into treatments and an end to the cause of this carnage, which is a poisoned street supply. Why are the Liberals refusing to take these overdue measures that will save lives?
Mr. Speaker, once again, I want to be very clear. Our government is determined to ensure that all Canadians have access to a pharmacare program. The work is in progress.In budget 2019, we announced $35 million to create a Canadian drug agency. We also want to ensure that there is money for it. We invested $1 million to address the issue of drugs for rare diseases. We will continue to work with the provinces and territories to ensure that all Canadians have access to a national pharmacare program.
Mr. Speaker, student debt is a huge burden for so many young Canadians. Steacy from Victoria tells me there is so much interest accumulating on her student loans that she cannot pay the principal of the debt. She feels she just cannot get ahead.People like Steacy have been working for years and still cannot pay their debt. Getting an education should not mean getting an unmanageable debt.The NDP government in British Columbia has eliminated the interest on student loans. Will the government follow B.C.'s lead and eliminate the interest on Canada student loans?
Mr. Speaker, I note that the hon. member's own province of Quebec has a price on pollution and our system does not apply. I would be curious if he would go out and say that the province does not have the authority to put the price on pollution that exists and is supported by members of his province.The hon. member knows that in the provinces where the federal backstop applies, eight out of 10 families are better off at the end of the year. This is not some Liberal partisan plan. We can look to last year's Nobel Prize winner in economics, who has developed this sort of approach. We can look to Mark Cameron, Stephen Harper's former director of policy, who has indicated that families will be better off. We can look to Doug Ford's chief budget adviser, who testified before the Senate in this Parliament, saying that the number one thing we can do to move toward a low-carbon economy is to put a price on pollution and
What outcome, Mr. Speaker? The CRA took away the Islamic Society of North America's charitable organization status over a year ago. We condemned the situation. They talk and talk but have not actually done anything. Meanwhile, the Liberals are giving $25,000 to an entity that is directly or indirectly linked to terrorist activities.When will the minister cancel the cheque and take that grant away from an organization that does not reflect Canadian values?
Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to answer the question posed by my colleague from SackvillePrestonChezzetcook.He is quite right, we were elected to grow the middle class and the economy. He is right in that our plan gives a middle-class family an average of $51,000 more per child over the course of 18 years than the Conservative plan for the wealthy did.He is right, we will continue to invest in the Canada child benefit, housing, child care services and public transit to continue to grow the middle class and the economy.
Mr. Speaker, Bill C-69 puts in better rules that allow good projects to move forward in a way that respects the environment and allows Canadians to participate in the process.We are fixing a system that led to a number of large projects failing and being challenged in Federal Court because Stephen Harper brought in changes in 2012 that gutted environmental protections and restricted the ability of Canadians to participate in a regular process.We firmly believe that Bill C-69 would allow
Mr. Speaker, Oshawa's port is an economic driver in my community. The Liberals ignored the GM plant closure, and now they are trying to take away our right to manage our own port. The Minister of Transport actually claimed that this is going to be good for Oshawa, but now he is trying to impose a management board that will likely have zero representation from the people of Oshawa. That is right: zero say in the management of our own port. This is what happens when they do not have any meaningful consultation.My ask is this: When will these top-down Liberals actually and finally listen to local stakeholders and commit to having local representation on this board?
Mr. Speaker, with respect, if the hon. member would listen to the details of our plan, he would realize that as the price on pollution increases approaching 2022, so does the rebate. The more time goes on, the cost is not increased, but the rebate to families increases
Mr. Speaker, our government has announced the intent to amalgamate the Oshawa and Hamilton port authorities. Both ports play an important role in southern Ontario by linking our businesses to global markets and by providing jobs to middle-class families. The integration will also enable ongoing growth in both ports. It is anticipated that this action would unlock greater economic opportunities for working Canadians. With greater combined strength, the new port authority would be in a better position to make investments in port facilities and intermodal connections in south Ontario. Of course, we consult with our partners, we work with municipalities and we work with our partners in ports to ensure their economic success for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I have enormous respect for my colleague from South OkanaganWest Kootenay. He will be pleased to hear that we have invested already $300,000 in two projects in the town of Oliver. In October of last year we met with the outgoing mayor, Ron Hovanes, and chief of the Osoyoos first nation, Clarence Louie, a meeting which my colleague attended.The member for South OkanaganWest Kootenay is well aware that our office is continuing to engage with the new mayor and his council. We are working tirelessly to make sure that we can invest in the town of Oliver.We will continue to work, as we have done before, to make sure that the people of Oliver have what they deserve.
Mr. Speaker, in the remaining time I have, I will reiterate the point that anybody who has any equity in this conversation knows that the number one thing we can do to reduce emissions is to put a price on pollution.We have found a way to make life more affordable at the same time, by returning the rebate directly to households. This marries the theme of our government, which is to make life more affordable for those who need it. Whether with the Canada child benefit, the middle-class tax cut or the price on pollution, we are doing the right thing for our environment and making life easier for families.
Mr. Speaker, I consider the member to be a friend. If his feelings were hurt, I certainly want to apologize. He is right. The minister is from Ontario. He has done a tremendous job working with the people of Cape Breton to provide opportunities and I look forward to that relationship continuing.
Mr. Speaker, Cape Bretoners always appreciate when someone from Ontario who knows nothing about it sticks his nose in their business. There is a private airport in Port Hawkesbury. There are no scheduled flights into that airport. The project in Cabot Links has put over 700 people to work specifically there. The unemployment rate was at 25% when I was first elected in 2000 and what is going on, on the west side of the island is absolutely spectacular. For the member to jump up and and let on he knows what is going on there
Mr. Speaker, the numbers that were announced yesterday are not just numbers; they are our brothers, sisters and neighbours. Our government is taking action. We have invested more than $350 million to ensure more treatments are available to Canadians. We have also introduced harm reduction as a key pillar to our drug strategy. Also, we have approved more than 40 supervised consumption sites. We recognize that supervised consumption sites save lives.We will continue to work with our partners on the ground to ensure we do all that we can to turn the tide on this national public health crisis.
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives want to make us think that they want to protect our borders and change the safe third country agreement, but their record definitely proves otherwise. The Conservatives cut $1.2 billion from the budgets of our security agencies and, what is more, during their 10 years in power they did not hold any discussions with the U.S. about changing and improving the safe third country agreement.We have already had discussions about the safe third country agreement. We have invested $1 billion to provide the resources needed to protect our borders. This has led to a 47% decrease in asylum seekers who
Mr. Speaker, I apologize on behalf of all the children and young people who show up at our border without a passport.Here are the facts. Our government managed to reduce by 45% the number of asylum seekers coming across our border irregularly. Unlike the Conservative government, the Liberal government invested to give the outstanding individuals who work for the CBSA and the RCMP the resources they need to do their job, which is to ensure that no one enters Canada without undergoing a security check or
Mr. Speaker, last year, thousands of Canadian organizations offering kids summer camps and helping out seniors were ineligible for Canada summer jobs because of the Liberals' values test, but now the Liberals have decided to fund a group that has terrorist links, a group that paid $550,000 in fines and lost its charitable status from CRA. Yesterday, the minister said she would review the decision.Can the minister confirm that this group with terrorist links does not meet the Liberals values test?
Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. Our government is absolutely committed to making sure that every Canadian has access to a national pharmacare program, and the work is absolutely under way.In budget 2019, we announced funding: $35 million for the creation of a Canadian drug agency, and also $1 billion to address the situation of rare diseases. We will continue to work with our partners on the ground, provinces and territories, indigenous leaders and the health care sector, as we want to make sure that we make pharmacare a reality for all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, on occasion the truth can hurt, but it is important we say it as loud as we can no matter how many times it takes.The truth is that the Parliamentary Budget Officer has confirmed that eight out of 10 families will be better off. If the Conservatives were concerned about affordability, I am curious as to why they voted against a tax cut for nine million middle-class Canadians and voted in favour of maintaining a favourable tax system for the wealthiest 1%. When they had an opportunity to support the Canada child benefit, which put more money into the pockets of nine out of 10 families, they voted against that.
Mr. Speaker, coming from a member from Alberta, it is very interesting for him to not acknowledge the good work that is being done to support the energy sector. We are the government that is creating conditions for private sector investment to happen in the energy sector. There was a $40 billion investment in one single project, which is the largest private sector investment to happen in our history. There was a $9 billion investment in the petrochemical sector, which will create thousands of jobs for Alberta workers, something of which we are very proud.
Mr. Speaker, I find the question rich coming from a member who decided to hide the fact that the climate action incentive existed in a publication to his constituents, which was designed to tell them how they could maximize their tax refund. The fact is that families of four in Ontario received $307 this year, and that rebate will grow over time. It seems as though the Conservatives are putting their fingers in their ears, saying they do not want to hear the truth because the truth is not helpful to them. Every time they have the chance, they vote against measures that put more money in the pockets of Canadian households. We found the most effective way to reduce emissions, we found a way to make life more affordable and, every time, they seem to vote against measures that have that impact.
Mr. Speaker, as the member would know, it was our government that invested in opportunities for students to gain that education.We doubled the amount of low-interest grants to all Canadians, to part-time students as well as full-time students. We have increased the amount of support in those non-repayable grants. Also, until students are making at least $25,000, they have a holiday on repayment.We are doing what has been asked of us as a government to help support student access.
Mr. Speaker, we are determined to do everything we can to lower the price of drugs. For the past two years, we have been working jointly with the pan-Canadian pharmaceutical alliance to bring together the provinces and territories on a bulk purchasing arrangement. We have saved billions of dollars so far.We are also in the process of modernizing the regulations affecting drugs and changes will be announced soon.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have put hundreds of thousands of Albertans out of work, with brutal consequences: rising bankruptcies, family breakdowns, substance abuse, crime, suicides and a loss of hope and dreams. That hurts all of Canada.The Liberals are ramming through laws to block oil exports and kill resource projects, and will make everything more expensive with their carbon tax. After only one hour of debate on hundreds of amendments, the Liberals forced through their no more pipelines bill, Bill C-69, even though nine provinces and all territories want major changes.Why are the Liberals so relentless in their attacks on Albertans?
Mr. Speaker, we now see Conservative MP after Conservative MP repeating false points in this chamber. It is entirely inappropriate. When it comes to the issue of affordability, I note that the Parliamentary Budget Officer previously confirmed
Mr. Speaker, the Hoskins' advisory council was clear that Canadians needed public pharmacare, yet the government refuses to commit to it. People are making impossible choices when it comes to the prescription drugs they need, choices like paying their rent or filling a prescription, cutting pills to make a bottle last longer or skipping their medicine altogether. People are getting sicker and dying.A simple question deserves a clear answer from the health minister. Will the Liberals implement a universal, comprehensive, single-payer pharmacare or not?
That is simply not true, Mr. Speaker.Half of Canadians are about $200 away from being able to pay their bills each month, yet the Liberals carbon tax will put a painful 23¢ per litre increase in the price of gasoline, and that will do nothing to help climate change.The Liberals have said they want to help the middle class, but they are punishing it and those hoping to join it. Why ?
Mr. Speaker, people in our north and across the country are forced to make impossible choices because of the high cost of medication.It is inconceivable that in 2019, in Canada, people have to choose between buying food and medication. Liberals have been putting pharmaceutical and insurance companies in the driver's seat, but the Hoskins advisory board is clear: Canadians need a universal, public, single-payer pharmacare.This is what the NDP has been pushing for. Enough of the half-measures and the favours to the Liberals' corporate friends. Will the Liberal government implement universal, comprehensive, public pharmacare, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, the member for Milton was forced to delete a tweet that suggested that there is no link between climate change and extreme weather patterns, completely disregarding science that shows that climate change is real. This was so predictable, considering the 10 years of Harper Conservative cuts and the muzzling of scientists, resulting in scientists protesting the death of evidence on Parliament Hill. Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Science and Sport please explain the importance of science and evidence-based decision-making?
Mr. Speaker, we unequivocally condemn violent extremism. Any kind of behaviour such as that is not tolerated. I know that my colleague across the way understands that and shares that view.ESDC is conducting a review of this matter in conjunction with Service Canada in Ontario. They have been on site. The organizations approved for funding must adhere to specific terms and conditions, and we await the outcome of that review.
Mr. Speaker, it has been a tough week for Alberta here in Ottawa. The Prime Minister has rammed through his anti-pipeline, anti-energy bills, Bills C-69 and C-48, and announced a carbon tax for the province of Alberta. These attacks are driving investment and opportunity out of the province.Without a hint of irony, this very morning those same Liberals announced their western Canada job strategy. It is like hiring the arsonists to rebuild the house after they lit the fire. When will the Liberals realize that the only growth strategy that will work is if they end their attack on Canada's energy sector?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform my colleague that, since taking office, our priorities for connectivity have been accessibility, competition and affordability. In regions where there is lots of competition, costs have actually gone down by 32%.We have also launched a new program called connecting families, which gives low-income families access to the Internet for $10 a month. Canadians are our priority, our plan is working, and we are investing for our people.
Mr. Speaker, actually, the Parliamentary Budget Officer took into consideration every single policy lever that the current government is using and said that with those policies the country will miss its Paris targets by 80 million megatonnes per year, and that the only way to change that is to increase the carbon tax five times what it is now and twice what the government has admitted, at a cost of 23 painful cents more per litre for gasoline.Why were the Liberals attempting to hide this higher tax until after the election?
Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate to hear that from the Liberals. This government is out of touch and has no credibility on environmental matters. What planet is it living on?The Liberals are the only ones who believe that Canada will meet its Paris targets with their plan. I invite the Liberals to come back to planet Earth and do something now to protect it.The Parliamentary Budget Officer said that Canadians will have to get poorer and pay five times more than the current carbon tax if we want to meet the Paris targets. Canadians deserve the truth.Why is the government hiding the truth?
Mr. Speaker, we will take no lessons from the Conservatives when it comes to softwood lumber. Let me just point out that it was the Conservative example of accepting quotas on softwood lumber that stiffened our spines and stiffened the spines of the steel sector, in refusing to accept tariffs or quotas on steel and aluminum. The Conservatives are prepared to capitulate and accept crummy trade deals. We are not.
Mr. Speaker, I am astounded to learn that the government thinks it can use article 6 of the Paris accord to earn carbon credits for exporting fracked gas to Asian markets. Does the government not realize that fracked gas has the same carbon footprint as coal?When will the government have the political courage to take responsibility for its international obligations and reduce the emissions of the oil and gas industry in Canada? When will the government ban the climate-destroying practice of gas fracking?
Mr. Speaker, while I understand that things do get heated in this House of Commons, the member for Cape BretonCanso, whom I have respect for, showed indignation that a member from Ontario would dare to ask a question about Cape Breton and stand up for those residents. I will remind the member as well that the minister for ACOA is from Ontario. Therefore, if the member would like to apologize to me, I will accept that.
Mr. Speaker, I believe you will be overjoyed to find unanimous consent for the tabling of a document entitled Inventaire québécois des émissions de gaz à effet de serre en 2016 et leur évolution depuis 1990. This science-based document from Quebec's environment ministry found that, between 2014 and 2016, there was no reduction in GHG emissions.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal attack on the energy sector has crippled Alberta and is impacting B.C. After 50 years, a houseboat company in Sicamous has announced it is shutting down, affecting 150 employees. The mayor of Sicamous has blamed the downturn in the Alberta economy and the pipeline dispute for having taken a toll on the community. Today, the Liberals are announcing a western economic growth strategy, as if they have not done enough damage already. When will the Liberals end their attack on the west?
Mr. Speaker, we agree that Canadians should not have to choose between putting food on their table and paying for prescription medication. That is why we are committed to ensuring that all Canadians have access to a national pharmacare program. The work has been under way for a few years. The first thing we have done is some work to lower the costs of drugs in the country. In budget 2019, we announced $35 million to ensure we would have a Canadian drug agency that would help us make this plan a reality. We are deeply committed to ensuring that all Canadians have the prescriptions they deserve.
Mr. Speaker, I am not sure they are going to want to hear this one.The Liberals are reportedly giving 18 million tax dollars to build an exclusive airport runway near Cabot Cliffs golf course in Cape Breton even though the Port Hawkesbury airport is only an hour away. Many in the community, including the mayor, are concerned this would bankrupt the company that runs their community airport and the small businesses that depend upon it.Instead of pandering to millionaires who, God forbid, have to drive an hour to get to the golf course after landing in their private jets, why is the Prime Minister putting this community asset at risk to accommodate his elite millionaire friends?
Mr. Speaker, the backbone of the South Okanagan economy is threatened by federal bureaucratic barriers and red tape. There is a vital irrigation canal that is in urgent need of repair. The town of Oliver and the province of British Columbia have both made funding commitments but they have been waiting three years for the federal government to step up with its share. The system is essential for 5,000 acres of orchards and vineyards.Will the government cut through the red tape and finally get this project funded?
Mr. Speaker, Conservative members should be ashamed of their climate-change-denying comments. They have chosen to broadcast false, irresponsible viewpoints, disregarding the science and not listening to the evidence once again.Our government believes that science plays a central role in building a thriving, clean economy, and we will take no lessons from the Conservatives, who for 10 years refused to take action. We are the government that has invested over $10 billion in science, and we will always support our students and researchers.
Mr. Speaker, in defence of their indefensible cuts to the Auditor General's budget, the Liberals keep relying on cuts made under the Harper government. As the one who implemented those budget reductions as the Treasury Board president, I can tell the House that I received prior written assurances from the auditor general that those budget reductions would not impact any of his operations or investigations.Why did the current government not seek similar assurances before making its cuts?
Mr. Speaker, drugs in Canada are more expensive than in most countries around the world. However, that situation should have changed. The Patented Medicine Prices Review Board changed its reference pricing list for setting drug prices. The new regulations were supposed to come into effect on January 1 of this year, but the government still has not passed them. That is just wrong. The government caved in to pressure from the big pharma lobby.Does the government still plan to adopt these regulations and if so, when?
Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer has released a scathing report that the Liberals will not meet their Paris climate change targets, that is, unless they raise the price at the pump by 23¢ a litre. The Liberals have promised that they will not raise this until after the election. No kidding. They will wait until after the election when they no longer need Canadian votes, but still need their money.When will the Liberals finally come clean and tell Canadians the true cost of their carbon tax plan?
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat once again for my colleague that we are committed to doing everything we can to lower the cost of drugs. We do hope to bring forward a national pharmacare program, so one of our priorities is lowering the cost of drugs.We have been doing our job from day one. We joined the pan-Canadian pharmaceutical alliance, bringing together all provinces and territories. We have saved millions of dollars so far. We are currently modernizing drug regulations. Once again, as I said earlier, we will be announcing changes to the regulations in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives and Liberals prepare for a war of words on the carbon tax, young people are marching in the streets to demand climate action. Political will and leadership are necessary to combat climate change. Both the Conservatives and the Liberals have shown that they have neither.We in the NDP have the courage to act as well as an ambitious plan to start transitioning to green energy.Will the government commit to stop subsidizing the oil sector and start transitioning to sustainable energy?
Mr. Speaker, Dr. Hoskins' report is crystal clear: we need a universal public pharmacare program. In fact, that is something the NPD is firmly committed to bringing in.People should not have to cut up their pills to make their prescription last longer. Instead of listening to what people need, the successive Liberal and Conservative governments have consistently sided with large insurance companies.Can the Liberal government commit, as we have, to implementing a universal pharmacare program as early as next year?
Mr. Speaker, with respect, I have a great appreciation for NDP's desire to do something about the environment. It is too bad its desire does not match its ability to think out a plan that makes sense. If we look at the Ecofiscal Commission's review of the NDP plan, it has said that NDP's measures for big emitters will actually do nothing to reduce emissions and will hurt the Canadian economy at the same time. We can tell that New Democrats lack the thoughtfulness that the climate debate demands when we look at the hon. member's question, which confuses fridges for refrigerants, which are actually one of the fastest-growing causes of climate change globally.I share the New Democrats' desire to do something about climate change, but the difference is that we have thought about how to make it happen.
Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. Our government has put human rights, including the right of all people to freely practise their religion, at the centre of our foreign policy.We are very clear that we are living in a time when people around the world and in Canada are facing increased attacks for their religious beliefs. That is absolutely wrong. That includes Christians, it includes Muslims and it includes Jews. Our government is very clear in condemning these acts and in working to prevent them in Canada and in working to prevent them around the world.
Mr. Speaker, in 2019, access to a cell network and high-speed Internet are essential services, but these services are getting more and more expensive and less and less reliable. Rather than stand up for the people, the Liberals and Conservatives are allowing big telecom companies to get rich and pocket billions of dollars.Can the federal government put the people's interests ahead of big telecoms' interests and make a pledge today to lower people's bills and ensure reliable service?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister will meet with the President of the United States next week and I am certain that President Trump has no time to waste on small talk.The U.S. President also has a problem with illegal migrants at his border. He understands the situation.The Prime Minister has done nothing so far to renegotiate the safe third country agreement, but the meeting with Mr. Trump is a golden opportunity to do so.Will the Prime Minister renegotiate the safe third country agreement, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, ScarboroughAgincourt residents are concerned that women continue to work in part-time and precarious jobs with little opportunity to advance in their careers. My constituents desire equality and economic security for all Canadians, no matter what gender.Can the hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality please share with the House some of the work that is being done to ensure that we are working to improve the economic security and prosperity of women?
Mr. Speaker, I have enormous respect for the young people who are advocating for more climate action. I wish politicians of all stripes would pay heed to the message they are sending us, which is we need to take action and we need to take action now.The NDP is advocating for plans that we started implementing three years ago, not just putting a price on pollution but moving toward having 90% of our electricity generated from non-emitting resources by 2030; like making the largest investment in public transit in the history of our country; like making record investments in energy efficiency and green technology. With respect to fossil fuel subsidies, we have already phased out eight of nine that exist in the tax code.When it comes to the NDP plan to eliminate all fossil fuel subsidies immediately, it has forgotten to consider that it actually provides electricity to northern communities and other
Mr. Speaker, that is not a reassuring answer. The minister says that her government is doing everything in its power to lower the price of drugs. The regulations were supposed to come into effect in January, but we are still waiting. The price of drugs is still too high. Those rules would save the public $2.6 billion.If I understand correctly the underlying message of the minister's response, the government is opting to be a doormat to the pharmaceutical companies. I am therefore asking the government to confirm that it has done an about-face, that it will never adopt its regulations and we are going
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member across has been involved in this program for a number of years and would know how the money rolls out. There is a review. The officials are working on this review right now, and we await that review. Certainly if anything is out of the ordinary, there will be no money flowing.
Mr. Speaker, if his Prime Minister had not created the problem with his infamous tweet, far fewer people would be showing up at Roxham Road.What is more, the people who come to the United States from various countries around the world show up with a passport. People need a passport to get into the United States. Then, all of a sudden, when they get to Roxham Road, they no longer have any identification. No one can tell me that those people are not taking advantage of the system.When will the Prime Minister show some backbone, talk to Mr. Trump and resolve the problem with the safe third country agreement?
Mr. Speaker, the environment minister said that she would make her Paris targets, but the PBO has confirmed that the only way the Liberals' carbon tax will work is if they charge 23¢ a litre more for gasoline. Life is already too expensive. Canadians are already struggling to pay their heating bills and buy groceries. Clearly, this punishing tax plan will severely hurt families and seniors, particularly those on fixed incomes.When will the Liberals finally admit that their carbon tax is not an environmental plan; it is a tax plan?
Mr. Speaker, I will ask it in English this time.Based on the Quebec experience, yes, we have a cap-and-trade system in Quebec, but what are the results? There is zero reduction of emissions. This is the result when we tax people: no reduction of emissions. This is the Quebec experience. This is the truth. These are the facts. This is the science.Will the minister be clear with Canadians for once? Can the Liberals explain how much they will raise taxes?
Mr. Speaker, let me take this opportunity to highlight some of the investments that are happening in western Canada: a $40 billion single private sector investment in the LNG sector and a $9 billion investment in the petrochemical sector right in my home province of Alberta. We are moving forward on the Enbridge Line 3, which is almost completed on the Canadian side. We are moving forward on the Keystone XL pipeline. As well, we are moving forward in the right way and fixing the process on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
Mr. Speaker, Alberta has been shown nothing but disdain from the Liberal government for the last three and a half years. The Liberals continue their assault on the energy sector. Last night they shut down debate on Bill C-69, which has devastated many of my constituents.People have lost their businesses, their jobs and their homes. They have lost hope. Some have even taken their own lives.When everyone is telling the environment minister that her plan is a disaster, she chooses to ignore this advice. Everyone has been repeating it so long and saying it so loud. Why will she not listen?
Mr. Speaker, next Tuesday we are expecting the final decision regarding the Trans Mountain expansion project. While we fear the Liberals will impose this pipeline on B.C., coastal communities like mine are still hopeful the Liberals will make the right decision in their interests, instead of siding with the interests of profitable big oil companies.There is still time for the Liberals to do the right thing for our air, our water and our coast. On June 18, will the government listen to the voice of coastal communities and cancel the Trans Mountain expansion project, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, last night, I received more notices of job losses and mill closures in my riding in northern B.C. The Liberals' inaction on softwood and their failed policy is leading to thousands of job losses right across our province of British ColumbiaWe already have the highest gas prices in North America. Another 25¢ a litre will be the final nail in the coffin. An increase in the gas tax will only fuel more job losses for our forestry industry.These are real people and real jobs. Why do the Liberals continue to pound Canadians with a job-killing carbon tax that will not even reduce emissions?
However, Mr. Speaker, he is not going to actually meet the targets.The Parliamentary Budget Officer has confirmed what the Conservatives have been saying all along; that the Liberal carbon tax is a cash grab, not a climate change plan. The Prime Minister has tried to hide the real cost of his carbon tax, but the PBO has laid out the truth. The cost of gasoline would rise by at least 25¢ per litre. When Canadians are trying to get ahead, not just get by, will the Prime Minister tell Canadians how much the full and final cost of this carbon tax will be?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' promise that the cheque was in the mail was never kept. It was not as advertised. We now know that the rebates were a third smaller and the tax will be twice as high as advertised, so smaller rebates than promised and higher taxes than admitted. These facts are now known to us. We now know that, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, for the Liberals to keep their own promises, they would have to increase the tax to a rate that would cost the average family over a thousand dollars a year in Ontario, including gas prices that are 23¢ higher.Why did they try to cover it up before the election?
Mr. Speaker, it would be easier to take criticism from a member of a party that has actually advanced a climate plan to date. The Conservatives refuse to and they refuse to put their plan before the Parliamentary Budget Officer. If we want to see what a Conservative climate plan looks like, we should look at Doug Ford, who dismantled flood protections and showed up asking what the heck was going on. When we look at it, it will be less effective to reduce emissions and will be twice as expensive for households. I would suggest the member, instead of attacking our plan, which is credible, talk to some of his caucus colleagues, who seem not to understand that climate change is real, who say that global warming is simply body heat coming off humans, who refuse to acknowledge the signs. When we look at the IPCC or Canada's changing climate report, it is real and we have a duty to
Mr. Speaker, to repeat an earlier answer, the analysis laid out in the report does not consider certain measures that will be implemented in the next 11 years and in fact leaves out certain measures that have already been announced, such as our investments in public transit, our subsidy for zero emissions vehicles or advancement in carbon sequestration technology.With respect to the cost of our plan to put a price on pollution, I am pleased to advise the hon. member that eight out of 10 families that live in the riding she represents will be better off. They will have already received a climate action incentive of $307 and that will climb year over year. It will be curious to see how that member campaigns in the next election with a promise to take that money from her constituents.
Mr. Speaker, yes, I can only imagine how that conversation went after they fired Linda Keen and after they reduced the budget for the parliamentary budget officer at the time. I imagine the conversation must have gone something like , Yes, boss. Yes, boss. We're okay with what you give us. That is really not acceptable. What is really important is that public servants, under the Harper government, felt intimidated, they felt cowed and some of them lost their jobs for having stood up to speak truth to power. We do not have to take any lessons from the Harper Conservatives about how to treat our public servants with respect.
Mr. Speaker, again, let me highlight that for 10 years, the Harper government failed to build a single pipeline to get our resources to non-U.S. markets. We are changing that. The ability for our energy sector to grow is very important, and we have been able to expand our global markets.Let me highlight another investment. We have invested more money in Alberta in infrastructure in the last four years than the Stephen Harper government did in 10 years.We are delivering for Albertans and we will continue to do so.
Mr. Speaker, I would point the hon. member to an article this past week, in which his leader refused to acknowledge the connection between severe weather events and climate change. The deputy leader of the Conservative Party tweeted out a quote to a similar effect. He has caucus colleagues who point to snowbanks in Saskatchewan in February as proof that climate change is not real. He has colleagues who do not want to abide by the Paris agreement, yet he has the audacity to criticize us on our plan to meet those targets.The fact is that we will meet our targets, because failure is not an option. This is the greatest challenge of our generation and we found a way to do it that makes it more affordable for families.
Mr. Speaker, we know full well that the Liberals have spent the past three years trying to convince Canadians that the Liberal carbon tax would allow them to meet the Paris targets and, more importantly, reduce greenhouse gas emissions. That is false on all counts.The Parliamentary Budget Officer confirmed yesterday that Canada would not meet its Paris targets and, worse still, that the Liberals would have to raise the Liberal carbon tax to five times what it is now in order to meet those targets.Will the Liberals be honest with Canadians and tell them exactly how much they plan to increase the tax if, heaven forbid, they are re-elected in six months?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are very concerned about the escalating violence against Christians in Nigeria and about the Liberal government's decision to close the office of religious freedom at a time when it was effectively working in Nigeria.The former parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs said that the office had successfully developed a community-based mechanism to help defuse tensions between different religious and ethnic groups, including Christians and Muslims. Why did the Liberal government close an office that it knew was effectively reducing violence and deaths?
Mr. Speaker, once again, the hon. member is seeking to mislead Canadians in order to scare them into supporting his party. The analysis that he refers to by the Parliamentary Budget Officer presumes that no further measures will be implemented to reduce emissions over the next 11 years and does not factor in certain measures that have already been announced or are being implemented now, such as the largest investment in public transit in the history of Canada, new subsidies to make electric vehicles more affordable or advancements in innovation that will actually improve carbon sequestration technologies.If the Conservatives would be honest with themselves, they would realize that our plan is going to make life more affordable for Canadian households at the same time as we bring our emissions down.
Mr. Speaker, I find it entertaining that the hon. member is putting so much stock in the PBO's report, when he will not even submit his own party's platform for consideration, because it is hiding the true cost to Canadians. When it comes to the size of the rebate, we have said the entire time that a typical family of four in the province of Ontario would receive a rebate of $307. That is as true today as it was when we first announced our plan.He is confusing statistics by saying that the average payout, which pertains to a family of a smaller size, is different than that for a family of four. This is simple arithmetic. I would be happy to walk him through it after question period, but I sense that after a few months he is choosing not to listen because he knows our plan is the right plan.
Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer proved yesterday that the Liberals' carbon tax cannot achieve what is promised unless it is twice as high as they have admitted: $50 per tonne after 2022, there will be a shortfall. We won't be able to meet the country's targets for greenhouse gas reduction. The only way to do it is to double the promised price to over $100 a tonne, which translates into an increase of 23¢ a litre for the price of gas. Will the government admit that its carbon tax, while it makes no sense, costs 23¢?
Mr. Speaker, Canadians want bold action on climate change, and they know that there is no time to waste.The NDP has called on the government to invest in green jobs and green energy, but what did the Prime Minister do? He bought fridges and pipelines for his billionaire pals. Four years in power, and all we have seen from the Liberal government are more subsidies for big oil and its pipelines. This is not how we save the environment.When will the Liberals stop siding with the big polluters so we can win the fight against climate change?
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for ScarboroughAgincourt for her question and for her tireless advocacy.Our government is focused on gender equality and economic security by creating the Canada child benefit, by creating 40,000 child care spaces, by supporting women in STEM and in the skilled trades and by ensuring equal pay for work of equal value.With one million jobs and historically low unemployment, Canadians see real progress towards gender equality and economic security for the women of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, pending the outcome of the review, there will be action taken by this government. However, I am amazed by the Conservatives' new-found interest in summer grants and summer students, because what they wanted to do when they were in power was cut the program out altogether. The member for Carleton cut $24 million from the youth employment strategy. The Conservatives are letting on now that they care about summer students. They are letting on now that they care about this program. This is a party of action, this is a government of action, and we will take the appropriate action.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member represents part of the province of Alberta, which I called home for a number of years. I am pleased to share with the hon. member that the province he represents will have constituents next year receiving a climate action incentive of $888 at tax time, which is more than they will pay as a result of our plan to put a price on pollution. If he puts so much stock in the Parliamentary Budget Officer's report, I would challenge him to speak to his leader about presenting the Conservative Party platform so they can understand the cost. If he wants to look a little further, I can point him to the prior report of the PBO, which indicated that eight out of 10 families would have more money in their pockets. I do not know why this is the case, but the Conservatives seem allergic to money for
Mr. Speaker, while I am aware of article 6 of the Paris Agreement, given that our government was key in facilitating the negotiation of that agreement, our plan to reduce emissions is not just to displace global emissions by producing more and more oil and gas products in Canada but to actually reduce our consumption in Canada as well. We are doing so through over 50 measures, including putting a price on pollution, moving toward 90% of our electricity being generated from non-emitting resources by 2030, and making the largest investment in public transit and record investments in efficiency, green technology and others. I would be happy to walk the hon. member through it.I am curious as to what the Conservatives' plan will be, because their signal is that they are going to produce more in order to reduce our emissions, and it simply makes no sense.
Mr. Speaker, with respect, the report of the Parliamentary Budget Officer does not represent the government's agenda going into the next election. We have been very clear that when it comes to our plan to put a price on pollution, the price is going to increase to $50 a tonne until 2022, at which time the policy will be reviewed.I would be happy to speak to the hon. member's constituents, who should know by now that eight out of 10 households that the hon. member represents will be left better off as a result of our plan. If he does not want to accept my opinion on this piece, I would point him to the previous report of the same Parliamentary Budget Officer, who indicates that only the wealthiest 20% would pay more and that 80% of that member's constituents will be better off at the end of the year. I look forward to seeing him on the doorsteps campaigning on a promise to take $307 from a typical family of four in his constituency.
Mr. Speaker, Harper's Conservatives handed out cheques to millionaires. Our government created the Canada child benefit.Harper's Conservatives gave tax credits to the rich. Our government introduced the new parental sharing benefit.The difference between these policies is clear: middle-class families receive almost $51,000 more per child under our government than under the Conservatives.Could the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development explain what our government is doing to help the middle class?
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are the ones telling untruths.This government is not telling the truth. After discrediting the United Nations it continues to undermine the findings of scientists and a number of relevant authorities, including the commissioner of the environment. Even the Parliamentary Budget Officer, an independent officer of the House of Commons, said yesterday that the Liberals' plan was insufficient to meet the Paris targets.When it comes to the environment, the Liberals are misleading Canadians.Once again, why is this Liberal government incapable of telling the truth?
Mr. Speaker, this is a group that funded terrorism. Just revoke the grant.The Prime Minister put a values test on the summer jobs program targeting groups that did not agree with him. Fast forward to this week, and we find out that the government gave $25,000 to an organization that funded terrorism overseas. Now he says that he is checking to see if the organization meets the terms and conditions of the summer jobs program. I think the government is the one that needs to check its values.Again, just revoke the grant.
Mr. Speaker, we respect and appreciate a diversity of opinion among indigenous communities on energy sector development. We are listening to them carefully. We engaged with them in a very meaningful two-way conversation. We are following the direction of the Federal Court of Appeal to move forward on this project in the right way.As the hon. member knows, we are set to make a decision on this project by June 18.
That is what the Liberals said in 1997, Mr. Speaker. There were 11,500 Canadians who died from opioid overdoses between 2016 and 2019. Opioid deaths have risen every year of the Liberal government's mandate. This is a true epidemic. The Liberals say that they are doing everything possible, but they are not. We need a national declaration of a public health emergency, federal funding for overdose prevention sites, more investments into treatments and an end to the cause of this carnage, which is a poisoned street supply. Why are the Liberals refusing to take these overdue measures that will save lives?
Mr. Speaker, once again, I want to be very clear. Our government is determined to ensure that all Canadians have access to a pharmacare program. The work is in progress.In budget 2019, we announced $35 million to create a Canadian drug agency. We also want to ensure that there is money for it. We invested $1 million to address the issue of drugs for rare diseases. We will continue to work with the provinces and territories to ensure that all Canadians have access to a national pharmacare program.
Mr. Speaker, student debt is a huge burden for so many young Canadians. Steacy from Victoria tells me there is so much interest accumulating on her student loans that she cannot pay the principal of the debt. She feels she just cannot get ahead.People like Steacy have been working for years and still cannot pay their debt. Getting an education should not mean getting an unmanageable debt.The NDP government in British Columbia has eliminated the interest on student loans. Will the government follow B.C.'s lead and eliminate the interest on Canada student loans?
Mr. Speaker, I note that the hon. member's own province of Quebec has a price on pollution and our system does not apply. I would be curious if he would go out and say that the province does not have the authority to put the price on pollution that exists and is supported by members of his province.The hon. member knows that in the provinces where the federal backstop applies, eight out of 10 families are better off at the end of the year. This is not some Liberal partisan plan. We can look to last year's Nobel Prize winner in economics, who has developed this sort of approach. We can look to Mark Cameron, Stephen Harper's former director of policy, who has indicated that families will be better off. We can look to Doug Ford's chief budget adviser, who testified before the Senate in this Parliament, saying that the number one thing we can do to move toward a low-carbon economy is to put a price on pollution and
What outcome, Mr. Speaker? The CRA took away the Islamic Society of North America's charitable organization status over a year ago. We condemned the situation. They talk and talk but have not actually done anything. Meanwhile, the Liberals are giving $25,000 to an entity that is directly or indirectly linked to terrorist activities.When will the minister cancel the cheque and take that grant away from an organization that does not reflect Canadian values?
Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to answer the question posed by my colleague from SackvillePrestonChezzetcook.He is quite right, we were elected to grow the middle class and the economy. He is right in that our plan gives a middle-class family an average of $51,000 more per child over the course of 18 years than the Conservative plan for the wealthy did.He is right, we will continue to invest in the Canada child benefit, housing, child care services and public transit to continue to grow the middle class and the economy.
Mr. Speaker, Bill C-69 puts in better rules that allow good projects to move forward in a way that respects the environment and allows Canadians to participate in the process.We are fixing a system that led to a number of large projects failing and being challenged in Federal Court because Stephen Harper brought in changes in 2012 that gutted environmental protections and restricted the ability of Canadians to participate in a regular process.We firmly believe that Bill C-69 would allow
Mr. Speaker, Oshawa's port is an economic driver in my community. The Liberals ignored the GM plant closure, and now they are trying to take away our right to manage our own port. The Minister of Transport actually claimed that this is going to be good for Oshawa, but now he is trying to impose a management board that will likely have zero representation from the people of Oshawa. That is right: zero say in the management of our own port. This is what happens when they do not have any meaningful consultation.My ask is this: When will these top-down Liberals actually and finally listen to local stakeholders and commit to having local representation on this board?
Mr. Speaker, with respect, if the hon. member would listen to the details of our plan, he would realize that as the price on pollution increases approaching 2022, so does the rebate. The more time goes on, the cost is not increased, but the rebate to families increases
Mr. Speaker, our government has announced the intent to amalgamate the Oshawa and Hamilton port authorities. Both ports play an important role in southern Ontario by linking our businesses to global markets and by providing jobs to middle-class families. The integration will also enable ongoing growth in both ports. It is anticipated that this action would unlock greater economic opportunities for working Canadians. With greater combined strength, the new port authority would be in a better position to make investments in port facilities and intermodal connections in south Ontario. Of course, we consult with our partners, we work with municipalities and we work with our partners in ports to ensure their economic success for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I have enormous respect for my colleague from South OkanaganWest Kootenay. He will be pleased to hear that we have invested already $300,000 in two projects in the town of Oliver. In October of last year we met with the outgoing mayor, Ron Hovanes, and chief of the Osoyoos first nation, Clarence Louie, a meeting which my colleague attended.The member for South OkanaganWest Kootenay is well aware that our office is continuing to engage with the new mayor and his council. We are working tirelessly to make sure that we can invest in the town of Oliver.We will continue to work, as we have done before, to make sure that the people of Oliver have what they deserve.
Mr. Speaker, in the remaining time I have, I will reiterate the point that anybody who has any equity in this conversation knows that the number one thing we can do to reduce emissions is to put a price on pollution.We have found a way to make life more affordable at the same time, by returning the rebate directly to households. This marries the theme of our government, which is to make life more affordable for those who need it. Whether with the Canada child benefit, the middle-class tax cut or the price on pollution, we are doing the right thing for our environment and making life easier for families.
Mr. Speaker, I consider the member to be a friend. If his feelings were hurt, I certainly want to apologize. He is right. The minister is from Ontario. He has done a tremendous job working with the people of Cape Breton to provide opportunities and I look forward to that relationship continuing.
Mr. Speaker, Cape Bretoners always appreciate when someone from Ontario who knows nothing about it sticks his nose in their business. There is a private airport in Port Hawkesbury. There are no scheduled flights into that airport. The project in Cabot Links has put over 700 people to work specifically there. The unemployment rate was at 25% when I was first elected in 2000 and what is going on, on the west side of the island is absolutely spectacular. For the member to jump up and and let on he knows what is going on there
Mr. Speaker, the numbers that were announced yesterday are not just numbers; they are our brothers, sisters and neighbours. Our government is taking action. We have invested more than $350 million to ensure more treatments are available to Canadians. We have also introduced harm reduction as a key pillar to our drug strategy. Also, we have approved more than 40 supervised consumption sites. We recognize that supervised consumption sites save lives.We will continue to work with our partners on the ground to ensure we do all that we can to turn the tide on this national public health crisis.
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives want to make us think that they want to protect our borders and change the safe third country agreement, but their record definitely proves otherwise. The Conservatives cut $1.2 billion from the budgets of our security agencies and, what is more, during their 10 years in power they did not hold any discussions with the U.S. about changing and improving the safe third country agreement.We have already had discussions about the safe third country agreement. We have invested $1 billion to provide the resources needed to protect our borders. This has led to a 47% decrease in asylum seekers who
Mr. Speaker, I apologize on behalf of all the children and young people who show up at our border without a passport.Here are the facts. Our government managed to reduce by 45% the number of asylum seekers coming across our border irregularly. Unlike the Conservative government, the Liberal government invested to give the outstanding individuals who work for the CBSA and the RCMP the resources they need to do their job, which is to ensure that no one enters Canada without undergoing a security check or
Mr. Speaker, last year, thousands of Canadian organizations offering kids summer camps and helping out seniors were ineligible for Canada summer jobs because of the Liberals' values test, but now the Liberals have decided to fund a group that has terrorist links, a group that paid $550,000 in fines and lost its charitable status from CRA. Yesterday, the minister said she would review the decision.Can the minister confirm that this group with terrorist links does not meet the Liberals values test?
Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. Our government is absolutely committed to making sure that every Canadian has access to a national pharmacare program, and the work is absolutely under way.In budget 2019, we announced funding: $35 million for the creation of a Canadian drug agency, and also $1 billion to address the situation of rare diseases. We will continue to work with our partners on the ground, provinces and territories, indigenous leaders and the health care sector, as we want to make sure that we make pharmacare a reality for all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, on occasion the truth can hurt, but it is important we say it as loud as we can no matter how many times it takes.The truth is that the Parliamentary Budget Officer has confirmed that eight out of 10 families will be better off. If the Conservatives were concerned about affordability, I am curious as to why they voted against a tax cut for nine million middle-class Canadians and voted in favour of maintaining a favourable tax system for the wealthiest 1%. When they had an opportunity to support the Canada child benefit, which put more money into the pockets of nine out of 10 families, they voted against that.
Mr. Speaker, coming from a member from Alberta, it is very interesting for him to not acknowledge the good work that is being done to support the energy sector. We are the government that is creating conditions for private sector investment to happen in the energy sector. There was a $40 billion investment in one single project, which is the largest private sector investment to happen in our history. There was a $9 billion investment in the petrochemical sector, which will create thousands of jobs for Alberta workers, something of which we are very proud.
Mr. Speaker, I find the question rich coming from a member who decided to hide the fact that the climate action incentive existed in a publication to his constituents, which was designed to tell them how they could maximize their tax refund. The fact is that families of four in Ontario received $307 this year, and that rebate will grow over time. It seems as though the Conservatives are putting their fingers in their ears, saying they do not want to hear the truth because the truth is not helpful to them. Every time they have the chance, they vote against measures that put more money in the pockets of Canadian households. We found the most effective way to reduce emissions, we found a way to make life more affordable and, every time, they seem to vote against measures that have that impact.
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Mr. Speaker, I find the question rich coming from a member who decided to hide the fact that the climate action incentive existed in a publication to his constituents, which was designed to tell them how they could maximize their tax refund. The fact is that families of four in Ontario received $307 this year, and that rebate will grow over time. It seems as though the Conservatives are putting their fingers in their ears, saying they do not want to hear the truth because the truth is not helpful to them. Every time they have the chance, they vote against measures that put more money in the pockets of Canadian households. We found the most effective way to reduce emissions, we found a way to make life more affordable and, every time, they seem to vote against measures that have that impact.
Mr. Speaker, coming from a member from Alberta, it is very interesting for him to not acknowledge the good work that is being done to support the energy sector. We are the government that is creating conditions for private sector investment to happen in the energy sector. There was a $40 billion investment in one single project, which is the largest private sector investment to happen in our history. There was a $9 billion investment in the petrochemical sector, which will create thousands of jobs for Alberta workers, something of which we are very proud.
Mr. Speaker, on occasion the truth can hurt, but it is important we say it as loud as we can no matter how many times it takes.The truth is that the Parliamentary Budget Officer has confirmed that eight out of 10 families will be better off. If the Conservatives were concerned about affordability, I am curious as to why they voted against a tax cut for nine million middle-class Canadians and voted in favour of maintaining a favourable tax system for the wealthiest 1%. When they had an opportunity to support the Canada child benefit, which put more money into the pockets of nine out of 10 families, they voted against that.
Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. Our government is absolutely committed to making sure that every Canadian has access to a national pharmacare program, and the work is absolutely under way.In budget 2019, we announced funding: $35 million for the creation of a Canadian drug agency, and also $1 billion to address the situation of rare diseases. We will continue to work with our partners on the ground, provinces and territories, indigenous leaders and the health care sector, as we want to make sure that we make pharmacare a reality for all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I apologize on behalf of all the children and young people who show up at our border without a passport.Here are the facts. Our government managed to reduce by 45% the number of asylum seekers coming across our border irregularly. Unlike the Conservative government, the Liberal government invested to give the outstanding individuals who work for the CBSA and the RCMP the resources they need to do their job, which is to ensure that no one enters Canada without undergoing a security check or
Mr. Speaker, last year, thousands of Canadian organizations offering kids summer camps and helping out seniors were ineligible for Canada summer jobs because of the Liberals' values test, but now the Liberals have decided to fund a group that has terrorist links, a group that paid $550,000 in fines and lost its charitable status from CRA. Yesterday, the minister said she would review the decision.Can the minister confirm that this group with terrorist links does not meet the Liberals values test?
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives want to make us think that they want to protect our borders and change the safe third country agreement, but their record definitely proves otherwise. The Conservatives cut $1.2 billion from the budgets of our security agencies and, what is more, during their 10 years in power they did not hold any discussions with the U.S. about changing and improving the safe third country agreement.We have already had discussions about the safe third country agreement. We have invested $1 billion to provide the resources needed to protect our borders. This has led to a 47% decrease in asylum seekers who
Mr. Speaker, the numbers that were announced yesterday are not just numbers; they are our brothers, sisters and neighbours. Our government is taking action. We have invested more than $350 million to ensure more treatments are available to Canadians. We have also introduced harm reduction as a key pillar to our drug strategy. Also, we have approved more than 40 supervised consumption sites. We recognize that supervised consumption sites save lives.We will continue to work with our partners on the ground to ensure we do all that we can to turn the tide on this national public health crisis.
Mr. Speaker, Cape Bretoners always appreciate when someone from Ontario who knows nothing about it sticks his nose in their business. There is a private airport in Port Hawkesbury. There are no scheduled flights into that airport. The project in Cabot Links has put over 700 people to work specifically there. The unemployment rate was at 25% when I was first elected in 2000 and what is going on, on the west side of the island is absolutely spectacular. For the member to jump up and and let on he knows what is going on there
Mr. Speaker, I consider the member to be a friend. If his feelings were hurt, I certainly want to apologize. He is right. The minister is from Ontario. He has done a tremendous job working with the people of Cape Breton to provide opportunities and I look forward to that relationship continuing.
Mr. Speaker, in the remaining time I have, I will reiterate the point that anybody who has any equity in this conversation knows that the number one thing we can do to reduce emissions is to put a price on pollution.We have found a way to make life more affordable at the same time, by returning the rebate directly to households. This marries the theme of our government, which is to make life more affordable for those who need it. Whether with the Canada child benefit, the middle-class tax cut or the price on pollution, we are doing the right thing for our environment and making life easier for families.
Mr. Speaker, I have enormous respect for my colleague from South OkanaganWest Kootenay. He will be pleased to hear that we have invested already $300,000 in two projects in the town of Oliver. In October of last year we met with the outgoing mayor, Ron Hovanes, and chief of the Osoyoos first nation, Clarence Louie, a meeting which my colleague attended.The member for South OkanaganWest Kootenay is well aware that our office is continuing to engage with the new mayor and his council. We are working tirelessly to make sure that we can invest in the town of Oliver.We will continue to work, as we have done before, to make sure that the people of Oliver have what they deserve.
Mr. Speaker, our government has announced the intent to amalgamate the Oshawa and Hamilton port authorities. Both ports play an important role in southern Ontario by linking our businesses to global markets and by providing jobs to middle-class families. The integration will also enable ongoing growth in both ports. It is anticipated that this action would unlock greater economic opportunities for working Canadians. With greater combined strength, the new port authority would be in a better position to make investments in port facilities and intermodal connections in south Ontario. Of course, we consult with our partners, we work with municipalities and we work with our partners in ports to ensure their economic success for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, with respect, if the hon. member would listen to the details of our plan, he would realize that as the price on pollution increases approaching 2022, so does the rebate. The more time goes on, the cost is not increased, but the rebate to families increases
Mr. Speaker, Oshawa's port is an economic driver in my community. The Liberals ignored the GM plant closure, and now they are trying to take away our right to manage our own port. The Minister of Transport actually claimed that this is going to be good for Oshawa, but now he is trying to impose a management board that will likely have zero representation from the people of Oshawa. That is right: zero say in the management of our own port. This is what happens when they do not have any meaningful consultation.My ask is this: When will these top-down Liberals actually and finally listen to local stakeholders and commit to having local representation on this board?
Mr. Speaker, Bill C-69 puts in better rules that allow good projects to move forward in a way that respects the environment and allows Canadians to participate in the process.We are fixing a system that led to a number of large projects failing and being challenged in Federal Court because Stephen Harper brought in changes in 2012 that gutted environmental protections and restricted the ability of Canadians to participate in a regular process.We firmly believe that Bill C-69 would allow
Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to answer the question posed by my colleague from SackvillePrestonChezzetcook.He is quite right, we were elected to grow the middle class and the economy. He is right in that our plan gives a middle-class family an average of $51,000 more per child over the course of 18 years than the Conservative plan for the wealthy did.He is right, we will continue to invest in the Canada child benefit, housing, child care services and public transit to continue to grow the middle class and the economy.
What outcome, Mr. Speaker? The CRA took away the Islamic Society of North America's charitable organization status over a year ago. We condemned the situation. They talk and talk but have not actually done anything. Meanwhile, the Liberals are giving $25,000 to an entity that is directly or indirectly linked to terrorist activities.When will the minister cancel the cheque and take that grant away from an organization that does not reflect Canadian values?
Mr. Speaker, I note that the hon. member's own province of Quebec has a price on pollution and our system does not apply. I would be curious if he would go out and say that the province does not have the authority to put the price on pollution that exists and is supported by members of his province.The hon. member knows that in the provinces where the federal backstop applies, eight out of 10 families are better off at the end of the year. This is not some Liberal partisan plan. We can look to last year's Nobel Prize winner in economics, who has developed this sort of approach. We can look to Mark Cameron, Stephen Harper's former director of policy, who has indicated that families will be better off. We can look to Doug Ford's chief budget adviser, who testified before the Senate in this Parliament, saying that the number one thing we can do to move toward a low-carbon economy is to put a price on pollution and
Mr. Speaker, student debt is a huge burden for so many young Canadians. Steacy from Victoria tells me there is so much interest accumulating on her student loans that she cannot pay the principal of the debt. She feels she just cannot get ahead.People like Steacy have been working for years and still cannot pay their debt. Getting an education should not mean getting an unmanageable debt.The NDP government in British Columbia has eliminated the interest on student loans. Will the government follow B.C.'s lead and eliminate the interest on Canada student loans?
Mr. Speaker, once again, I want to be very clear. Our government is determined to ensure that all Canadians have access to a pharmacare program. The work is in progress.In budget 2019, we announced $35 million to create a Canadian drug agency. We also want to ensure that there is money for it. We invested $1 million to address the issue of drugs for rare diseases. We will continue to work with the provinces and territories to ensure that all Canadians have access to a national pharmacare program.
That is what the Liberals said in 1997, Mr. Speaker. There were 11,500 Canadians who died from opioid overdoses between 2016 and 2019. Opioid deaths have risen every year of the Liberal government's mandate. This is a true epidemic. The Liberals say that they are doing everything possible, but they are not. We need a national declaration of a public health emergency, federal funding for overdose prevention sites, more investments into treatments and an end to the cause of this carnage, which is a poisoned street supply. Why are the Liberals refusing to take these overdue measures that will save lives?
Mr. Speaker, we respect and appreciate a diversity of opinion among indigenous communities on energy sector development. We are listening to them carefully. We engaged with them in a very meaningful two-way conversation. We are following the direction of the Federal Court of Appeal to move forward on this project in the right way.As the hon. member knows, we are set to make a decision on this project by June 18.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are the ones telling untruths.This government is not telling the truth. After discrediting the United Nations it continues to undermine the findings of scientists and a number of relevant authorities, including the commissioner of the environment. Even the Parliamentary Budget Officer, an independent officer of the House of Commons, said yesterday that the Liberals' plan was insufficient to meet the Paris targets.When it comes to the environment, the Liberals are misleading Canadians.Once again, why is this Liberal government incapable of telling the truth?
Mr. Speaker, this is a group that funded terrorism. Just revoke the grant.The Prime Minister put a values test on the summer jobs program targeting groups that did not agree with him. Fast forward to this week, and we find out that the government gave $25,000 to an organization that funded terrorism overseas. Now he says that he is checking to see if the organization meets the terms and conditions of the summer jobs program. I think the government is the one that needs to check its values.Again, just revoke the grant.
Mr. Speaker, Harper's Conservatives handed out cheques to millionaires. Our government created the Canada child benefit.Harper's Conservatives gave tax credits to the rich. Our government introduced the new parental sharing benefit.The difference between these policies is clear: middle-class families receive almost $51,000 more per child under our government than under the Conservatives.Could the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development explain what our government is doing to help the middle class?
Mr. Speaker, with respect, the report of the Parliamentary Budget Officer does not represent the government's agenda going into the next election. We have been very clear that when it comes to our plan to put a price on pollution, the price is going to increase to $50 a tonne until 2022, at which time the policy will be reviewed.I would be happy to speak to the hon. member's constituents, who should know by now that eight out of 10 households that the hon. member represents will be left better off as a result of our plan. If he does not want to accept my opinion on this piece, I would point him to the previous report of the same Parliamentary Budget Officer, who indicates that only the wealthiest 20% would pay more and that 80% of that member's constituents will be better off at the end of the year. I look forward to seeing him on the doorsteps campaigning on a promise to take $307 from a typical family of four in his constituency.
Mr. Speaker, while I am aware of article 6 of the Paris Agreement, given that our government was key in facilitating the negotiation of that agreement, our plan to reduce emissions is not just to displace global emissions by producing more and more oil and gas products in Canada but to actually reduce our consumption in Canada as well. We are doing so through over 50 measures, including putting a price on pollution, moving toward 90% of our electricity being generated from non-emitting resources by 2030, and making the largest investment in public transit and record investments in efficiency, green technology and others. I would be happy to walk the hon. member through it.I am curious as to what the Conservatives' plan will be, because their signal is that they are going to produce more in order to reduce our emissions, and it simply makes no sense.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member represents part of the province of Alberta, which I called home for a number of years. I am pleased to share with the hon. member that the province he represents will have constituents next year receiving a climate action incentive of $888 at tax time, which is more than they will pay as a result of our plan to put a price on pollution. If he puts so much stock in the Parliamentary Budget Officer's report, I would challenge him to speak to his leader about presenting the Conservative Party platform so they can understand the cost. If he wants to look a little further, I can point him to the prior report of the PBO, which indicated that eight out of 10 families would have more money in their pockets. I do not know why this is the case, but the Conservatives seem allergic to money for
Mr. Speaker, pending the outcome of the review, there will be action taken by this government. However, I am amazed by the Conservatives' new-found interest in summer grants and summer students, because what they wanted to do when they were in power was cut the program out altogether. The member for Carleton cut $24 million from the youth employment strategy. The Conservatives are letting on now that they care about summer students. They are letting on now that they care about this program. This is a party of action, this is a government of action, and we will take the appropriate action.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for ScarboroughAgincourt for her question and for her tireless advocacy.Our government is focused on gender equality and economic security by creating the Canada child benefit, by creating 40,000 child care spaces, by supporting women in STEM and in the skilled trades and by ensuring equal pay for work of equal value.With one million jobs and historically low unemployment, Canadians see real progress towards gender equality and economic security for the women of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians want bold action on climate change, and they know that there is no time to waste.The NDP has called on the government to invest in green jobs and green energy, but what did the Prime Minister do? He bought fridges and pipelines for his billionaire pals. Four years in power, and all we have seen from the Liberal government are more subsidies for big oil and its pipelines. This is not how we save the environment.When will the Liberals stop siding with the big polluters so we can win the fight against climate change?
Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer proved yesterday that the Liberals' carbon tax cannot achieve what is promised unless it is twice as high as they have admitted: $50 per tonne after 2022, there will be a shortfall. We won't be able to meet the country's targets for greenhouse gas reduction. The only way to do it is to double the promised price to over $100 a tonne, which translates into an increase of 23¢ a litre for the price of gas. Will the government admit that its carbon tax, while it makes no sense, costs 23¢?
Mr. Speaker, I find it entertaining that the hon. member is putting so much stock in the PBO's report, when he will not even submit his own party's platform for consideration, because it is hiding the true cost to Canadians. When it comes to the size of the rebate, we have said the entire time that a typical family of four in the province of Ontario would receive a rebate of $307. That is as true today as it was when we first announced our plan.He is confusing statistics by saying that the average payout, which pertains to a family of a smaller size, is different than that for a family of four. This is simple arithmetic. I would be happy to walk him through it after question period, but I sense that after a few months he is choosing not to listen because he knows our plan is the right plan.
Mr. Speaker, once again, the hon. member is seeking to mislead Canadians in order to scare them into supporting his party. The analysis that he refers to by the Parliamentary Budget Officer presumes that no further measures will be implemented to reduce emissions over the next 11 years and does not factor in certain measures that have already been announced or are being implemented now, such as the largest investment in public transit in the history of Canada, new subsidies to make electric vehicles more affordable or advancements in innovation that will actually improve carbon sequestration technologies.If the Conservatives would be honest with themselves, they would realize that our plan is going to make life more affordable for Canadian households at the same time as we bring our emissions down.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are very concerned about the escalating violence against Christians in Nigeria and about the Liberal government's decision to close the office of religious freedom at a time when it was effectively working in Nigeria.The former parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs said that the office had successfully developed a community-based mechanism to help defuse tensions between different religious and ethnic groups, including Christians and Muslims. Why did the Liberal government close an office that it knew was effectively reducing violence and deaths?
Mr. Speaker, we know full well that the Liberals have spent the past three years trying to convince Canadians that the Liberal carbon tax would allow them to meet the Paris targets and, more importantly, reduce greenhouse gas emissions. That is false on all counts.The Parliamentary Budget Officer confirmed yesterday that Canada would not meet its Paris targets and, worse still, that the Liberals would have to raise the Liberal carbon tax to five times what it is now in order to meet those targets.Will the Liberals be honest with Canadians and tell them exactly how much they plan to increase the tax if, heaven forbid, they are re-elected in six months?
Mr. Speaker, I would point the hon. member to an article this past week, in which his leader refused to acknowledge the connection between severe weather events and climate change. The deputy leader of the Conservative Party tweeted out a quote to a similar effect. He has caucus colleagues who point to snowbanks in Saskatchewan in February as proof that climate change is not real. He has colleagues who do not want to abide by the Paris agreement, yet he has the audacity to criticize us on our plan to meet those targets.The fact is that we will meet our targets, because failure is not an option. This is the greatest challenge of our generation and we found a way to do it that makes it more affordable for families.
Mr. Speaker, again, let me highlight that for 10 years, the Harper government failed to build a single pipeline to get our resources to non-U.S. markets. We are changing that. The ability for our energy sector to grow is very important, and we have been able to expand our global markets.Let me highlight another investment. We have invested more money in Alberta in infrastructure in the last four years than the Stephen Harper government did in 10 years.We are delivering for Albertans and we will continue to do so.
Mr. Speaker, yes, I can only imagine how that conversation went after they fired Linda Keen and after they reduced the budget for the parliamentary budget officer at the time. I imagine the conversation must have gone something like , Yes, boss. Yes, boss. We're okay with what you give us. That is really not acceptable. What is really important is that public servants, under the Harper government, felt intimidated, they felt cowed and some of them lost their jobs for having stood up to speak truth to power. We do not have to take any lessons from the Harper Conservatives about how to treat our public servants with respect.
Mr. Speaker, to repeat an earlier answer, the analysis laid out in the report does not consider certain measures that will be implemented in the next 11 years and in fact leaves out certain measures that have already been announced, such as our investments in public transit, our subsidy for zero emissions vehicles or advancement in carbon sequestration technology.With respect to the cost of our plan to put a price on pollution, I am pleased to advise the hon. member that eight out of 10 families that live in the riding she represents will be better off. They will have already received a climate action incentive of $307 and that will climb year over year. It will be curious to see how that member campaigns in the next election with a promise to take that money from her constituents.
Mr. Speaker, it would be easier to take criticism from a member of a party that has actually advanced a climate plan to date. The Conservatives refuse to and they refuse to put their plan before the Parliamentary Budget Officer. If we want to see what a Conservative climate plan looks like, we should look at Doug Ford, who dismantled flood protections and showed up asking what the heck was going on. When we look at it, it will be less effective to reduce emissions and will be twice as expensive for households. I would suggest the member, instead of attacking our plan, which is credible, talk to some of his caucus colleagues, who seem not to understand that climate change is real, who say that global warming is simply body heat coming off humans, who refuse to acknowledge the signs. When we look at the IPCC or Canada's changing climate report, it is real and we have a duty to
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' promise that the cheque was in the mail was never kept. It was not as advertised. We now know that the rebates were a third smaller and the tax will be twice as high as advertised, so smaller rebates than promised and higher taxes than admitted. These facts are now known to us. We now know that, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, for the Liberals to keep their own promises, they would have to increase the tax to a rate that would cost the average family over a thousand dollars a year in Ontario, including gas prices that are 23¢ higher.Why did they try to cover it up before the election?
However, Mr. Speaker, he is not going to actually meet the targets.The Parliamentary Budget Officer has confirmed what the Conservatives have been saying all along; that the Liberal carbon tax is a cash grab, not a climate change plan. The Prime Minister has tried to hide the real cost of his carbon tax, but the PBO has laid out the truth. The cost of gasoline would rise by at least 25¢ per litre. When Canadians are trying to get ahead, not just get by, will the Prime Minister tell Canadians how much the full and final cost of this carbon tax will be?
Mr. Speaker, last night, I received more notices of job losses and mill closures in my riding in northern B.C. The Liberals' inaction on softwood and their failed policy is leading to thousands of job losses right across our province of British ColumbiaWe already have the highest gas prices in North America. Another 25¢ a litre will be the final nail in the coffin. An increase in the gas tax will only fuel more job losses for our forestry industry.These are real people and real jobs. Why do the Liberals continue to pound Canadians with a job-killing carbon tax that will not even reduce emissions?
Mr. Speaker, next Tuesday we are expecting the final decision regarding the Trans Mountain expansion project. While we fear the Liberals will impose this pipeline on B.C., coastal communities like mine are still hopeful the Liberals will make the right decision in their interests, instead of siding with the interests of profitable big oil companies.There is still time for the Liberals to do the right thing for our air, our water and our coast. On June 18, will the government listen to the voice of coastal communities and cancel the Trans Mountain expansion project, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, Alberta has been shown nothing but disdain from the Liberal government for the last three and a half years. The Liberals continue their assault on the energy sector. Last night they shut down debate on Bill C-69, which has devastated many of my constituents.People have lost their businesses, their jobs and their homes. They have lost hope. Some have even taken their own lives.When everyone is telling the environment minister that her plan is a disaster, she chooses to ignore this advice. Everyone has been repeating it so long and saying it so loud. Why will she not listen?
Mr. Speaker, I will ask it in English this time.Based on the Quebec experience, yes, we have a cap-and-trade system in Quebec, but what are the results? There is zero reduction of emissions. This is the result when we tax people: no reduction of emissions. This is the Quebec experience. This is the truth. These are the facts. This is the science.Will the minister be clear with Canadians for once? Can the Liberals explain how much they will raise taxes?
Mr. Speaker, let me take this opportunity to highlight some of the investments that are happening in western Canada: a $40 billion single private sector investment in the LNG sector and a $9 billion investment in the petrochemical sector right in my home province of Alberta. We are moving forward on the Enbridge Line 3, which is almost completed on the Canadian side. We are moving forward on the Keystone XL pipeline. As well, we are moving forward in the right way and fixing the process on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
Mr. Speaker, the environment minister said that she would make her Paris targets, but the PBO has confirmed that the only way the Liberals' carbon tax will work is if they charge 23¢ a litre more for gasoline. Life is already too expensive. Canadians are already struggling to pay their heating bills and buy groceries. Clearly, this punishing tax plan will severely hurt families and seniors, particularly those on fixed incomes.When will the Liberals finally admit that their carbon tax is not an environmental plan; it is a tax plan?
Mr. Speaker, if his Prime Minister had not created the problem with his infamous tweet, far fewer people would be showing up at Roxham Road.What is more, the people who come to the United States from various countries around the world show up with a passport. People need a passport to get into the United States. Then, all of a sudden, when they get to Roxham Road, they no longer have any identification. No one can tell me that those people are not taking advantage of the system.When will the Prime Minister show some backbone, talk to Mr. Trump and resolve the problem with the safe third country agreement?
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member across has been involved in this program for a number of years and would know how the money rolls out. There is a review. The officials are working on this review right now, and we await that review. Certainly if anything is out of the ordinary, there will be no money flowing.
Mr. Speaker, that is not a reassuring answer. The minister says that her government is doing everything in its power to lower the price of drugs. The regulations were supposed to come into effect in January, but we are still waiting. The price of drugs is still too high. Those rules would save the public $2.6 billion.If I understand correctly the underlying message of the minister's response, the government is opting to be a doormat to the pharmaceutical companies. I am therefore asking the government to confirm that it has done an about-face, that it will never adopt its regulations and we are going
Mr. Speaker, I have enormous respect for the young people who are advocating for more climate action. I wish politicians of all stripes would pay heed to the message they are sending us, which is we need to take action and we need to take action now.The NDP is advocating for plans that we started implementing three years ago, not just putting a price on pollution but moving toward having 90% of our electricity generated from non-emitting resources by 2030; like making the largest investment in public transit in the history of our country; like making record investments in energy efficiency and green technology. With respect to fossil fuel subsidies, we have already phased out eight of nine that exist in the tax code.When it comes to the NDP plan to eliminate all fossil fuel subsidies immediately, it has forgotten to consider that it actually provides electricity to northern communities and other
Mr. Speaker, ScarboroughAgincourt residents are concerned that women continue to work in part-time and precarious jobs with little opportunity to advance in their careers. My constituents desire equality and economic security for all Canadians, no matter what gender.Can the hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality please share with the House some of the work that is being done to ensure that we are working to improve the economic security and prosperity of women?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister will meet with the President of the United States next week and I am certain that President Trump has no time to waste on small talk.The U.S. President also has a problem with illegal migrants at his border. He understands the situation.The Prime Minister has done nothing so far to renegotiate the safe third country agreement, but the meeting with Mr. Trump is a golden opportunity to do so.Will the Prime Minister renegotiate the safe third country agreement, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, in 2019, access to a cell network and high-speed Internet are essential services, but these services are getting more and more expensive and less and less reliable. Rather than stand up for the people, the Liberals and Conservatives are allowing big telecom companies to get rich and pocket billions of dollars.Can the federal government put the people's interests ahead of big telecoms' interests and make a pledge today to lower people's bills and ensure reliable service?
Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. Our government has put human rights, including the right of all people to freely practise their religion, at the centre of our foreign policy.We are very clear that we are living in a time when people around the world and in Canada are facing increased attacks for their religious beliefs. That is absolutely wrong. That includes Christians, it includes Muslims and it includes Jews. Our government is very clear in condemning these acts and in working to prevent them in Canada and in working to prevent them around the world.
Mr. Speaker, with respect, I have a great appreciation for NDP's desire to do something about the environment. It is too bad its desire does not match its ability to think out a plan that makes sense. If we look at the Ecofiscal Commission's review of the NDP plan, it has said that NDP's measures for big emitters will actually do nothing to reduce emissions and will hurt the Canadian economy at the same time. We can tell that New Democrats lack the thoughtfulness that the climate debate demands when we look at the hon. member's question, which confuses fridges for refrigerants, which are actually one of the fastest-growing causes of climate change globally.I share the New Democrats' desire to do something about climate change, but the difference is that we have thought about how to make it happen.
Mr. Speaker, Dr. Hoskins' report is crystal clear: we need a universal public pharmacare program. In fact, that is something the NPD is firmly committed to bringing in.People should not have to cut up their pills to make their prescription last longer. Instead of listening to what people need, the successive Liberal and Conservative governments have consistently sided with large insurance companies.Can the Liberal government commit, as we have, to implementing a universal pharmacare program as early as next year?
Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives and Liberals prepare for a war of words on the carbon tax, young people are marching in the streets to demand climate action. Political will and leadership are necessary to combat climate change. Both the Conservatives and the Liberals have shown that they have neither.We in the NDP have the courage to act as well as an ambitious plan to start transitioning to green energy.Will the government commit to stop subsidizing the oil sector and start transitioning to sustainable energy?
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat once again for my colleague that we are committed to doing everything we can to lower the cost of drugs. We do hope to bring forward a national pharmacare program, so one of our priorities is lowering the cost of drugs.We have been doing our job from day one. We joined the pan-Canadian pharmaceutical alliance, bringing together all provinces and territories. We have saved millions of dollars so far. We are currently modernizing drug regulations. Once again, as I said earlier, we will be announcing changes to the regulations in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer has released a scathing report that the Liberals will not meet their Paris climate change targets, that is, unless they raise the price at the pump by 23¢ a litre. The Liberals have promised that they will not raise this until after the election. No kidding. They will wait until after the election when they no longer need Canadian votes, but still need their money.When will the Liberals finally come clean and tell Canadians the true cost of their carbon tax plan?
Mr. Speaker, drugs in Canada are more expensive than in most countries around the world. However, that situation should have changed. The Patented Medicine Prices Review Board changed its reference pricing list for setting drug prices. The new regulations were supposed to come into effect on January 1 of this year, but the government still has not passed them. That is just wrong. The government caved in to pressure from the big pharma lobby.Does the government still plan to adopt these regulations and if so, when?
Mr. Speaker, in defence of their indefensible cuts to the Auditor General's budget, the Liberals keep relying on cuts made under the Harper government. As the one who implemented those budget reductions as the Treasury Board president, I can tell the House that I received prior written assurances from the auditor general that those budget reductions would not impact any of his operations or investigations.Why did the current government not seek similar assurances before making its cuts?
Mr. Speaker, we agree that Canadians should not have to choose between putting food on their table and paying for prescription medication. That is why we are committed to ensuring that all Canadians have access to a national pharmacare program. The work has been under way for a few years. The first thing we have done is some work to lower the costs of drugs in the country. In budget 2019, we announced $35 million to ensure we would have a Canadian drug agency that would help us make this plan a reality. We are deeply committed to ensuring that all Canadians have the prescriptions they deserve.
Mr. Speaker, I am not sure they are going to want to hear this one.The Liberals are reportedly giving 18 million tax dollars to build an exclusive airport runway near Cabot Cliffs golf course in Cape Breton even though the Port Hawkesbury airport is only an hour away. Many in the community, including the mayor, are concerned this would bankrupt the company that runs their community airport and the small businesses that depend upon it.Instead of pandering to millionaires who, God forbid, have to drive an hour to get to the golf course after landing in their private jets, why is the Prime Minister putting this community asset at risk to accommodate his elite millionaire friends?
Mr. Speaker, the backbone of the South Okanagan economy is threatened by federal bureaucratic barriers and red tape. There is a vital irrigation canal that is in urgent need of repair. The town of Oliver and the province of British Columbia have both made funding commitments but they have been waiting three years for the federal government to step up with its share. The system is essential for 5,000 acres of orchards and vineyards.Will the government cut through the red tape and finally get this project funded?
Mr. Speaker, Conservative members should be ashamed of their climate-change-denying comments. They have chosen to broadcast false, irresponsible viewpoints, disregarding the science and not listening to the evidence once again.Our government believes that science plays a central role in building a thriving, clean economy, and we will take no lessons from the Conservatives, who for 10 years refused to take action. We are the government that has invested over $10 billion in science, and we will always support our students and researchers.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal attack on the energy sector has crippled Alberta and is impacting B.C. After 50 years, a houseboat company in Sicamous has announced it is shutting down, affecting 150 employees. The mayor of Sicamous has blamed the downturn in the Alberta economy and the pipeline dispute for having taken a toll on the community. Today, the Liberals are announcing a western economic growth strategy, as if they have not done enough damage already. When will the Liberals end their attack on the west?
Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate to hear that from the Liberals. This government is out of touch and has no credibility on environmental matters. What planet is it living on?The Liberals are the only ones who believe that Canada will meet its Paris targets with their plan. I invite the Liberals to come back to planet Earth and do something now to protect it.The Parliamentary Budget Officer said that Canadians will have to get poorer and pay five times more than the current carbon tax if we want to meet the Paris targets. Canadians deserve the truth.Why is the government hiding the truth?
Mr. Speaker, we will take no lessons from the Conservatives when it comes to softwood lumber. Let me just point out that it was the Conservative example of accepting quotas on softwood lumber that stiffened our spines and stiffened the spines of the steel sector, in refusing to accept tariffs or quotas on steel and aluminum. The Conservatives are prepared to capitulate and accept crummy trade deals. We are not.
Mr. Speaker, I am astounded to learn that the government thinks it can use article 6 of the Paris accord to earn carbon credits for exporting fracked gas to Asian markets. Does the government not realize that fracked gas has the same carbon footprint as coal?When will the government have the political courage to take responsibility for its international obligations and reduce the emissions of the oil and gas industry in Canada? When will the government ban the climate-destroying practice of gas fracking?
Mr. Speaker, while I understand that things do get heated in this House of Commons, the member for Cape BretonCanso, whom I have respect for, showed indignation that a member from Ontario would dare to ask a question about Cape Breton and stand up for those residents. I will remind the member as well that the minister for ACOA is from Ontario. Therefore, if the member would like to apologize to me, I will accept that.
Mr. Speaker, I believe you will be overjoyed to find unanimous consent for the tabling of a document entitled Inventaire québécois des émissions de gaz à effet de serre en 2016 et leur évolution depuis 1990. This science-based document from Quebec's environment ministry found that, between 2014 and 2016, there was no reduction in GHG emissions.
Mr. Speaker, actually, the Parliamentary Budget Officer took into consideration every single policy lever that the current government is using and said that with those policies the country will miss its Paris targets by 80 million megatonnes per year, and that the only way to change that is to increase the carbon tax five times what it is now and twice what the government has admitted, at a cost of 23 painful cents more per litre for gasoline.Why were the Liberals attempting to hide this higher tax until after the election?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform my colleague that, since taking office, our priorities for connectivity have been accessibility, competition and affordability. In regions where there is lots of competition, costs have actually gone down by 32%.We have also launched a new program called connecting families, which gives low-income families access to the Internet for $10 a month. Canadians are our priority, our plan is working, and we are investing for our people.
Mr. Speaker, it has been a tough week for Alberta here in Ottawa. The Prime Minister has rammed through his anti-pipeline, anti-energy bills, Bills C-69 and C-48, and announced a carbon tax for the province of Alberta. These attacks are driving investment and opportunity out of the province.Without a hint of irony, this very morning those same Liberals announced their western Canada job strategy. It is like hiring the arsonists to rebuild the house after they lit the fire. When will the Liberals realize that the only growth strategy that will work is if they end their attack on Canada's energy sector?
Mr. Speaker, we unequivocally condemn violent extremism. Any kind of behaviour such as that is not tolerated. I know that my colleague across the way understands that and shares that view.ESDC is conducting a review of this matter in conjunction with Service Canada in Ontario. They have been on site. The organizations approved for funding must adhere to specific terms and conditions, and we await the outcome of that review.
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, the member for Milton was forced to delete a tweet that suggested that there is no link between climate change and extreme weather patterns, completely disregarding science that shows that climate change is real. This was so predictable, considering the 10 years of Harper Conservative cuts and the muzzling of scientists, resulting in scientists protesting the death of evidence on Parliament Hill. Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Science and Sport please explain the importance of science and evidence-based decision-making?
Mr. Speaker, people in our north and across the country are forced to make impossible choices because of the high cost of medication.It is inconceivable that in 2019, in Canada, people have to choose between buying food and medication. Liberals have been putting pharmaceutical and insurance companies in the driver's seat, but the Hoskins advisory board is clear: Canadians need a universal, public, single-payer pharmacare.This is what the NDP has been pushing for. Enough of the half-measures and the favours to the Liberals' corporate friends. Will the Liberal government implement universal, comprehensive, public pharmacare, yes or no?
That is simply not true, Mr. Speaker.Half of Canadians are about $200 away from being able to pay their bills each month, yet the Liberals carbon tax will put a painful 23¢ per litre increase in the price of gasoline, and that will do nothing to help climate change.The Liberals have said they want to help the middle class, but they are punishing it and those hoping to join it. Why ?
Mr. Speaker, the Hoskins' advisory council was clear that Canadians needed public pharmacare, yet the government refuses to commit to it. People are making impossible choices when it comes to the prescription drugs they need, choices like paying their rent or filling a prescription, cutting pills to make a bottle last longer or skipping their medicine altogether. People are getting sicker and dying.A simple question deserves a clear answer from the health minister. Will the Liberals implement a universal, comprehensive, single-payer pharmacare or not?
Mr. Speaker, we now see Conservative MP after Conservative MP repeating false points in this chamber. It is entirely inappropriate. When it comes to the issue of affordability, I note that the Parliamentary Budget Officer previously confirmed
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have put hundreds of thousands of Albertans out of work, with brutal consequences: rising bankruptcies, family breakdowns, substance abuse, crime, suicides and a loss of hope and dreams. That hurts all of Canada.The Liberals are ramming through laws to block oil exports and kill resource projects, and will make everything more expensive with their carbon tax. After only one hour of debate on hundreds of amendments, the Liberals forced through their no more pipelines bill, Bill C-69, even though nine provinces and all territories want major changes.Why are the Liberals so relentless in their attacks on Albertans?
Mr. Speaker, we are determined to do everything we can to lower the price of drugs. For the past two years, we have been working jointly with the pan-Canadian pharmaceutical alliance to bring together the provinces and territories on a bulk purchasing arrangement. We have saved billions of dollars so far.We are also in the process of modernizing the regulations affecting drugs and changes will be announced soon.
Mr. Speaker, as the member would know, it was our government that invested in opportunities for students to gain that education.We doubled the amount of low-interest grants to all Canadians, to part-time students as well as full-time students. We have increased the amount of support in those non-repayable grants. Also, until students are making at least $25,000, they have a holiday on repayment.We are doing what has been asked of us as a government to help support student access.
Mr. Speaker, I find the question rich coming from a member who decided to hide the fact that the climate action incentive existed in a publication to his constituents, which was designed to tell them how they could maximize their tax refund. The fact is that families of four in Ontario received $307 this year, and that rebate will grow over time. It seems as though the Conservatives are putting their fingers in their ears, saying they do not want to hear the truth because the truth is not helpful to them. Every time they have the chance, they vote against measures that put more money in the pockets of Canadian households. We found the most effective way to reduce emissions, we found a way to make life more affordable and, every time, they seem to vote against measures that have that impact.
Mr. Speaker, coming from a member from Alberta, it is very interesting for him to not acknowledge the good work that is being done to support the energy sector. We are the government that is creating conditions for private sector investment to happen in the energy sector. There was a $40 billion investment in one single project, which is the largest private sector investment to happen in our history. There was a $9 billion investment in the petrochemical sector, which will create thousands of jobs for Alberta workers, something of which we are very proud.
Mr. Speaker, on occasion the truth can hurt, but it is important we say it as loud as we can no matter how many times it takes.The truth is that the Parliamentary Budget Officer has confirmed that eight out of 10 families will be better off. If the Conservatives were concerned about affordability, I am curious as to why they voted against a tax cut for nine million middle-class Canadians and voted in favour of maintaining a favourable tax system for the wealthiest 1%. When they had an opportunity to support the Canada child benefit, which put more money into the pockets of nine out of 10 families, they voted against that.
Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. Our government is absolutely committed to making sure that every Canadian has access to a national pharmacare program, and the work is absolutely under way.In budget 2019, we announced funding: $35 million for the creation of a Canadian drug agency, and also $1 billion to address the situation of rare diseases. We will continue to work with our partners on the ground, provinces and territories, indigenous leaders and the health care sector, as we want to make sure that we make pharmacare a reality for all Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, I apologize on behalf of all the children and young people who show up at our border without a passport.Here are the facts. Our government managed to reduce by 45% the number of asylum seekers coming across our border irregularly. Unlike the Conservative government, the Liberal government invested to give the outstanding individuals who work for the CBSA and the RCMP the resources they need to do their job, which is to ensure that no one enters Canada without undergoing a security check or
Mr. Speaker, last year, thousands of Canadian organizations offering kids summer camps and helping out seniors were ineligible for Canada summer jobs because of the Liberals' values test, but now the Liberals have decided to fund a group that has terrorist links, a group that paid $550,000 in fines and lost its charitable status from CRA. Yesterday, the minister said she would review the decision.Can the minister confirm that this group with terrorist links does not meet the Liberals values test?
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives want to make us think that they want to protect our borders and change the safe third country agreement, but their record definitely proves otherwise. The Conservatives cut $1.2 billion from the budgets of our security agencies and, what is more, during their 10 years in power they did not hold any discussions with the U.S. about changing and improving the safe third country agreement.We have already had discussions about the safe third country agreement. We have invested $1 billion to provide the resources needed to protect our borders. This has led to a 47% decrease in asylum seekers who
Mr. Speaker, the numbers that were announced yesterday are not just numbers; they are our brothers, sisters and neighbours. Our government is taking action. We have invested more than $350 million to ensure more treatments are available to Canadians. We have also introduced harm reduction as a key pillar to our drug strategy. Also, we have approved more than 40 supervised consumption sites. We recognize that supervised consumption sites save lives.We will continue to work with our partners on the ground to ensure we do all that we can to turn the tide on this national public health crisis.
Mr. Speaker, Cape Bretoners always appreciate when someone from Ontario who knows nothing about it sticks his nose in their business. There is a private airport in Port Hawkesbury. There are no scheduled flights into that airport. The project in Cabot Links has put over 700 people to work specifically there. The unemployment rate was at 25% when I was first elected in 2000 and what is going on, on the west side of the island is absolutely spectacular. For the member to jump up and and let on he knows what is going on there
Mr. Speaker, I consider the member to be a friend. If his feelings were hurt, I certainly want to apologize. He is right. The minister is from Ontario. He has done a tremendous job working with the people of Cape Breton to provide opportunities and I look forward to that relationship continuing.
Mr. Speaker, in the remaining time I have, I will reiterate the point that anybody who has any equity in this conversation knows that the number one thing we can do to reduce emissions is to put a price on pollution.We have found a way to make life more affordable at the same time, by returning the rebate directly to households. This marries the theme of our government, which is to make life more affordable for those who need it. Whether with the Canada child benefit, the middle-class tax cut or the price on pollution, we are doing the right thing for our environment and making life easier for families.
Mr. Speaker, I have enormous respect for my colleague from South OkanaganWest Kootenay. He will be pleased to hear that we have invested already $300,000 in two projects in the town of Oliver. In October of last year we met with the outgoing mayor, Ron Hovanes, and chief of the Osoyoos first nation, Clarence Louie, a meeting which my colleague attended.The member for South OkanaganWest Kootenay is well aware that our office is continuing to engage with the new mayor and his council. We are working tirelessly to make sure that we can invest in the town of Oliver.We will continue to work, as we have done before, to make sure that the people of Oliver have what they deserve.
Mr. Speaker, our government has announced the intent to amalgamate the Oshawa and Hamilton port authorities. Both ports play an important role in southern Ontario by linking our businesses to global markets and by providing jobs to middle-class families. The integration will also enable ongoing growth in both ports. It is anticipated that this action would unlock greater economic opportunities for working Canadians. With greater combined strength, the new port authority would be in a better position to make investments in port facilities and intermodal connections in south Ontario. Of course, we consult with our partners, we work with municipalities and we work with our partners in ports to ensure their economic success for Canadians.
Mr. Speaker, with respect, if the hon. member would listen to the details of our plan, he would realize that as the price on pollution increases approaching 2022, so does the rebate. The more time goes on, the cost is not increased, but the rebate to families increases
Mr. Speaker, Oshawa's port is an economic driver in my community. The Liberals ignored the GM plant closure, and now they are trying to take away our right to manage our own port. The Minister of Transport actually claimed that this is going to be good for Oshawa, but now he is trying to impose a management board that will likely have zero representation from the people of Oshawa. That is right: zero say in the management of our own port. This is what happens when they do not have any meaningful consultation.My ask is this: When will these top-down Liberals actually and finally listen to local stakeholders and commit to having local representation on this board?
Mr. Speaker, Bill C-69 puts in better rules that allow good projects to move forward in a way that respects the environment and allows Canadians to participate in the process.We are fixing a system that led to a number of large projects failing and being challenged in Federal Court because Stephen Harper brought in changes in 2012 that gutted environmental protections and restricted the ability of Canadians to participate in a regular process.We firmly believe that Bill C-69 would allow
Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to answer the question posed by my colleague from SackvillePrestonChezzetcook.He is quite right, we were elected to grow the middle class and the economy. He is right in that our plan gives a middle-class family an average of $51,000 more per child over the course of 18 years than the Conservative plan for the wealthy did.He is right, we will continue to invest in the Canada child benefit, housing, child care services and public transit to continue to grow the middle class and the economy.
What outcome, Mr. Speaker? The CRA took away the Islamic Society of North America's charitable organization status over a year ago. We condemned the situation. They talk and talk but have not actually done anything. Meanwhile, the Liberals are giving $25,000 to an entity that is directly or indirectly linked to terrorist activities.When will the minister cancel the cheque and take that grant away from an organization that does not reflect Canadian values?
Mr. Speaker, I note that the hon. member's own province of Quebec has a price on pollution and our system does not apply. I would be curious if he would go out and say that the province does not have the authority to put the price on pollution that exists and is supported by members of his province.The hon. member knows that in the provinces where the federal backstop applies, eight out of 10 families are better off at the end of the year. This is not some Liberal partisan plan. We can look to last year's Nobel Prize winner in economics, who has developed this sort of approach. We can look to Mark Cameron, Stephen Harper's former director of policy, who has indicated that families will be better off. We can look to Doug Ford's chief budget adviser, who testified before the Senate in this Parliament, saying that the number one thing we can do to move toward a low-carbon economy is to put a price on pollution and
Mr. Speaker, student debt is a huge burden for so many young Canadians. Steacy from Victoria tells me there is so much interest accumulating on her student loans that she cannot pay the principal of the debt. She feels she just cannot get ahead.People like Steacy have been working for years and still cannot pay their debt. Getting an education should not mean getting an unmanageable debt.The NDP government in British Columbia has eliminated the interest on student loans. Will the government follow B.C.'s lead and eliminate the interest on Canada student loans?
Mr. Speaker, once again, I want to be very clear. Our government is determined to ensure that all Canadians have access to a pharmacare program. The work is in progress.In budget 2019, we announced $35 million to create a Canadian drug agency. We also want to ensure that there is money for it. We invested $1 million to address the issue of drugs for rare diseases. We will continue to work with the provinces and territories to ensure that all Canadians have access to a national pharmacare program.
That is what the Liberals said in 1997, Mr. Speaker. There were 11,500 Canadians who died from opioid overdoses between 2016 and 2019. Opioid deaths have risen every year of the Liberal government's mandate. This is a true epidemic. The Liberals say that they are doing everything possible, but they are not. We need a national declaration of a public health emergency, federal funding for overdose prevention sites, more investments into treatments and an end to the cause of this carnage, which is a poisoned street supply. Why are the Liberals refusing to take these overdue measures that will save lives?
Mr. Speaker, we respect and appreciate a diversity of opinion among indigenous communities on energy sector development. We are listening to them carefully. We engaged with them in a very meaningful two-way conversation. We are following the direction of the Federal Court of Appeal to move forward on this project in the right way.As the hon. member knows, we are set to make a decision on this project by June 18.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are the ones telling untruths.This government is not telling the truth. After discrediting the United Nations it continues to undermine the findings of scientists and a number of relevant authorities, including the commissioner of the environment. Even the Parliamentary Budget Officer, an independent officer of the House of Commons, said yesterday that the Liberals' plan was insufficient to meet the Paris targets.When it comes to the environment, the Liberals are misleading Canadians.Once again, why is this Liberal government incapable of telling the truth?
Mr. Speaker, this is a group that funded terrorism. Just revoke the grant.The Prime Minister put a values test on the summer jobs program targeting groups that did not agree with him. Fast forward to this week, and we find out that the government gave $25,000 to an organization that funded terrorism overseas. Now he says that he is checking to see if the organization meets the terms and conditions of the summer jobs program. I think the government is the one that needs to check its values.Again, just revoke the grant.
Mr. Speaker, Harper's Conservatives handed out cheques to millionaires. Our government created the Canada child benefit.Harper's Conservatives gave tax credits to the rich. Our government introduced the new parental sharing benefit.The difference between these policies is clear: middle-class families receive almost $51,000 more per child under our government than under the Conservatives.Could the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development explain what our government is doing to help the middle class?
Mr. Speaker, with respect, the report of the Parliamentary Budget Officer does not represent the government's agenda going into the next election. We have been very clear that when it comes to our plan to put a price on pollution, the price is going to increase to $50 a tonne until 2022, at which time the policy will be reviewed.I would be happy to speak to the hon. member's constituents, who should know by now that eight out of 10 households that the hon. member represents will be left better off as a result of our plan. If he does not want to accept my opinion on this piece, I would point him to the previous report of the same Parliamentary Budget Officer, who indicates that only the wealthiest 20% would pay more and that 80% of that member's constituents will be better off at the end of the year. I look forward to seeing him on the doorsteps campaigning on a promise to take $307 from a typical family of four in his constituency.
Mr. Speaker, while I am aware of article 6 of the Paris Agreement, given that our government was key in facilitating the negotiation of that agreement, our plan to reduce emissions is not just to displace global emissions by producing more and more oil and gas products in Canada but to actually reduce our consumption in Canada as well. We are doing so through over 50 measures, including putting a price on pollution, moving toward 90% of our electricity being generated from non-emitting resources by 2030, and making the largest investment in public transit and record investments in efficiency, green technology and others. I would be happy to walk the hon. member through it.I am curious as to what the Conservatives' plan will be, because their signal is that they are going to produce more in order to reduce our emissions, and it simply makes no sense.
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member represents part of the province of Alberta, which I called home for a number of years. I am pleased to share with the hon. member that the province he represents will have constituents next year receiving a climate action incentive of $888 at tax time, which is more than they will pay as a result of our plan to put a price on pollution. If he puts so much stock in the Parliamentary Budget Officer's report, I would challenge him to speak to his leader about presenting the Conservative Party platform so they can understand the cost. If he wants to look a little further, I can point him to the prior report of the PBO, which indicated that eight out of 10 families would have more money in their pockets. I do not know why this is the case, but the Conservatives seem allergic to money for
Mr. Speaker, pending the outcome of the review, there will be action taken by this government. However, I am amazed by the Conservatives' new-found interest in summer grants and summer students, because what they wanted to do when they were in power was cut the program out altogether. The member for Carleton cut $24 million from the youth employment strategy. The Conservatives are letting on now that they care about summer students. They are letting on now that they care about this program. This is a party of action, this is a government of action, and we will take the appropriate action.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for ScarboroughAgincourt for her question and for her tireless advocacy.Our government is focused on gender equality and economic security by creating the Canada child benefit, by creating 40,000 child care spaces, by supporting women in STEM and in the skilled trades and by ensuring equal pay for work of equal value.With one million jobs and historically low unemployment, Canadians see real progress towards gender equality and economic security for the women of Canada.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians want bold action on climate change, and they know that there is no time to waste.The NDP has called on the government to invest in green jobs and green energy, but what did the Prime Minister do? He bought fridges and pipelines for his billionaire pals. Four years in power, and all we have seen from the Liberal government are more subsidies for big oil and its pipelines. This is not how we save the environment.When will the Liberals stop siding with the big polluters so we can win the fight against climate change?
Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer proved yesterday that the Liberals' carbon tax cannot achieve what is promised unless it is twice as high as they have admitted: $50 per tonne after 2022, there will be a shortfall. We won't be able to meet the country's targets for greenhouse gas reduction. The only way to do it is to double the promised price to over $100 a tonne, which translates into an increase of 23¢ a litre for the price of gas. Will the government admit that its carbon tax, while it makes no sense, costs 23¢?
Mr. Speaker, I find it entertaining that the hon. member is putting so much stock in the PBO's report, when he will not even submit his own party's platform for consideration, because it is hiding the true cost to Canadians. When it comes to the size of the rebate, we have said the entire time that a typical family of four in the province of Ontario would receive a rebate of $307. That is as true today as it was when we first announced our plan.He is confusing statistics by saying that the average payout, which pertains to a family of a smaller size, is different than that for a family of four. This is simple arithmetic. I would be happy to walk him through it after question period, but I sense that after a few months he is choosing not to listen because he knows our plan is the right plan.
Mr. Speaker, once again, the hon. member is seeking to mislead Canadians in order to scare them into supporting his party. The analysis that he refers to by the Parliamentary Budget Officer presumes that no further measures will be implemented to reduce emissions over the next 11 years and does not factor in certain measures that have already been announced or are being implemented now, such as the largest investment in public transit in the history of Canada, new subsidies to make electric vehicles more affordable or advancements in innovation that will actually improve carbon sequestration technologies.If the Conservatives would be honest with themselves, they would realize that our plan is going to make life more affordable for Canadian households at the same time as we bring our emissions down.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are very concerned about the escalating violence against Christians in Nigeria and about the Liberal government's decision to close the office of religious freedom at a time when it was effectively working in Nigeria.The former parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs said that the office had successfully developed a community-based mechanism to help defuse tensions between different religious and ethnic groups, including Christians and Muslims. Why did the Liberal government close an office that it knew was effectively reducing violence and deaths?
Mr. Speaker, we know full well that the Liberals have spent the past three years trying to convince Canadians that the Liberal carbon tax would allow them to meet the Paris targets and, more importantly, reduce greenhouse gas emissions. That is false on all counts.The Parliamentary Budget Officer confirmed yesterday that Canada would not meet its Paris targets and, worse still, that the Liberals would have to raise the Liberal carbon tax to five times what it is now in order to meet those targets.Will the Liberals be honest with Canadians and tell them exactly how much they plan to increase the tax if, heaven forbid, they are re-elected in six months?
Mr. Speaker, I would point the hon. member to an article this past week, in which his leader refused to acknowledge the connection between severe weather events and climate change. The deputy leader of the Conservative Party tweeted out a quote to a similar effect. He has caucus colleagues who point to snowbanks in Saskatchewan in February as proof that climate change is not real. He has colleagues who do not want to abide by the Paris agreement, yet he has the audacity to criticize us on our plan to meet those targets.The fact is that we will meet our targets, because failure is not an option. This is the greatest challenge of our generation and we found a way to do it that makes it more affordable for families.
Mr. Speaker, again, let me highlight that for 10 years, the Harper government failed to build a single pipeline to get our resources to non-U.S. markets. We are changing that. The ability for our energy sector to grow is very important, and we have been able to expand our global markets.Let me highlight another investment. We have invested more money in Alberta in infrastructure in the last four years than the Stephen Harper government did in 10 years.We are delivering for Albertans and we will continue to do so.
Mr. Speaker, yes, I can only imagine how that conversation went after they fired Linda Keen and after they reduced the budget for the parliamentary budget officer at the time. I imagine the conversation must have gone something like , Yes, boss. Yes, boss. We're okay with what you give us. That is really not acceptable. What is really important is that public servants, under the Harper government, felt intimidated, they felt cowed and some of them lost their jobs for having stood up to speak truth to power. We do not have to take any lessons from the Harper Conservatives about how to treat our public servants with respect.
Mr. Speaker, to repeat an earlier answer, the analysis laid out in the report does not consider certain measures that will be implemented in the next 11 years and in fact leaves out certain measures that have already been announced, such as our investments in public transit, our subsidy for zero emissions vehicles or advancement in carbon sequestration technology.With respect to the cost of our plan to put a price on pollution, I am pleased to advise the hon. member that eight out of 10 families that live in the riding she represents will be better off. They will have already received a climate action incentive of $307 and that will climb year over year. It will be curious to see how that member campaigns in the next election with a promise to take that money from her constituents.
Mr. Speaker, it would be easier to take criticism from a member of a party that has actually advanced a climate plan to date. The Conservatives refuse to and they refuse to put their plan before the Parliamentary Budget Officer. If we want to see what a Conservative climate plan looks like, we should look at Doug Ford, who dismantled flood protections and showed up asking what the heck was going on. When we look at it, it will be less effective to reduce emissions and will be twice as expensive for households. I would suggest the member, instead of attacking our plan, which is credible, talk to some of his caucus colleagues, who seem not to understand that climate change is real, who say that global warming is simply body heat coming off humans, who refuse to acknowledge the signs. When we look at the IPCC or Canada's changing climate report, it is real and we have a duty to
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' promise that the cheque was in the mail was never kept. It was not as advertised. We now know that the rebates were a third smaller and the tax will be twice as high as advertised, so smaller rebates than promised and higher taxes than admitted. These facts are now known to us. We now know that, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, for the Liberals to keep their own promises, they would have to increase the tax to a rate that would cost the average family over a thousand dollars a year in Ontario, including gas prices that are 23¢ higher.Why did they try to cover it up before the election?
However, Mr. Speaker, he is not going to actually meet the targets.The Parliamentary Budget Officer has confirmed what the Conservatives have been saying all along; that the Liberal carbon tax is a cash grab, not a climate change plan. The Prime Minister has tried to hide the real cost of his carbon tax, but the PBO has laid out the truth. The cost of gasoline would rise by at least 25¢ per litre. When Canadians are trying to get ahead, not just get by, will the Prime Minister tell Canadians how much the full and final cost of this carbon tax will be?
Mr. Speaker, last night, I received more notices of job losses and mill closures in my riding in northern B.C. The Liberals' inaction on softwood and their failed policy is leading to thousands of job losses right across our province of British ColumbiaWe already have the highest gas prices in North America. Another 25¢ a litre will be the final nail in the coffin. An increase in the gas tax will only fuel more job losses for our forestry industry.These are real people and real jobs. Why do the Liberals continue to pound Canadians with a job-killing carbon tax that will not even reduce emissions?
Mr. Speaker, next Tuesday we are expecting the final decision regarding the Trans Mountain expansion project. While we fear the Liberals will impose this pipeline on B.C., coastal communities like mine are still hopeful the Liberals will make the right decision in their interests, instead of siding with the interests of profitable big oil companies.There is still time for the Liberals to do the right thing for our air, our water and our coast. On June 18, will the government listen to the voice of coastal communities and cancel the Trans Mountain expansion project, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, Alberta has been shown nothing but disdain from the Liberal government for the last three and a half years. The Liberals continue their assault on the energy sector. Last night they shut down debate on Bill C-69, which has devastated many of my constituents.People have lost their businesses, their jobs and their homes. They have lost hope. Some have even taken their own lives.When everyone is telling the environment minister that her plan is a disaster, she chooses to ignore this advice. Everyone has been repeating it so long and saying it so loud. Why will she not listen?
Mr. Speaker, I will ask it in English this time.Based on the Quebec experience, yes, we have a cap-and-trade system in Quebec, but what are the results? There is zero reduction of emissions. This is the result when we tax people: no reduction of emissions. This is the Quebec experience. This is the truth. These are the facts. This is the science.Will the minister be clear with Canadians for once? Can the Liberals explain how much they will raise taxes?
Mr. Speaker, let me take this opportunity to highlight some of the investments that are happening in western Canada: a $40 billion single private sector investment in the LNG sector and a $9 billion investment in the petrochemical sector right in my home province of Alberta. We are moving forward on the Enbridge Line 3, which is almost completed on the Canadian side. We are moving forward on the Keystone XL pipeline. As well, we are moving forward in the right way and fixing the process on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
Mr. Speaker, the environment minister said that she would make her Paris targets, but the PBO has confirmed that the only way the Liberals' carbon tax will work is if they charge 23¢ a litre more for gasoline. Life is already too expensive. Canadians are already struggling to pay their heating bills and buy groceries. Clearly, this punishing tax plan will severely hurt families and seniors, particularly those on fixed incomes.When will the Liberals finally admit that their carbon tax is not an environmental plan; it is a tax plan?
Mr. Speaker, if his Prime Minister had not created the problem with his infamous tweet, far fewer people would be showing up at Roxham Road.What is more, the people who come to the United States from various countries around the world show up with a passport. People need a passport to get into the United States. Then, all of a sudden, when they get to Roxham Road, they no longer have any identification. No one can tell me that those people are not taking advantage of the system.When will the Prime Minister show some backbone, talk to Mr. Trump and resolve the problem with the safe third country agreement?
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member across has been involved in this program for a number of years and would know how the money rolls out. There is a review. The officials are working on this review right now, and we await that review. Certainly if anything is out of the ordinary, there will be no money flowing.
Mr. Speaker, that is not a reassuring answer. The minister says that her government is doing everything in its power to lower the price of drugs. The regulations were supposed to come into effect in January, but we are still waiting. The price of drugs is still too high. Those rules would save the public $2.6 billion.If I understand correctly the underlying message of the minister's response, the government is opting to be a doormat to the pharmaceutical companies. I am therefore asking the government to confirm that it has done an about-face, that it will never adopt its regulations and we are going
Mr. Speaker, I have enormous respect for the young people who are advocating for more climate action. I wish politicians of all stripes would pay heed to the message they are sending us, which is we need to take action and we need to take action now.The NDP is advocating for plans that we started implementing three years ago, not just putting a price on pollution but moving toward having 90% of our electricity generated from non-emitting resources by 2030; like making the largest investment in public transit in the history of our country; like making record investments in energy efficiency and green technology. With respect to fossil fuel subsidies, we have already phased out eight of nine that exist in the tax code.When it comes to the NDP plan to eliminate all fossil fuel subsidies immediately, it has forgotten to consider that it actually provides electricity to northern communities and other
Mr. Speaker, ScarboroughAgincourt residents are concerned that women continue to work in part-time and precarious jobs with little opportunity to advance in their careers. My constituents desire equality and economic security for all Canadians, no matter what gender.Can the hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality please share with the House some of the work that is being done to ensure that we are working to improve the economic security and prosperity of women?
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister will meet with the President of the United States next week and I am certain that President Trump has no time to waste on small talk.The U.S. President also has a problem with illegal migrants at his border. He understands the situation.The Prime Minister has done nothing so far to renegotiate the safe third country agreement, but the meeting with Mr. Trump is a golden opportunity to do so.Will the Prime Minister renegotiate the safe third country agreement, yes or no?
Mr. Speaker, in 2019, access to a cell network and high-speed Internet are essential services, but these services are getting more and more expensive and less and less reliable. Rather than stand up for the people, the Liberals and Conservatives are allowing big telecom companies to get rich and pocket billions of dollars.Can the federal government put the people's interests ahead of big telecoms' interests and make a pledge today to lower people's bills and ensure reliable service?
Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. Our government has put human rights, including the right of all people to freely practise their religion, at the centre of our foreign policy.We are very clear that we are living in a time when people around the world and in Canada are facing increased attacks for their religious beliefs. That is absolutely wrong. That includes Christians, it includes Muslims and it includes Jews. Our government is very clear in condemning these acts and in working to prevent them in Canada and in working to prevent them around the world.
Mr. Speaker, with respect, I have a great appreciation for NDP's desire to do something about the environment. It is too bad its desire does not match its ability to think out a plan that makes sense. If we look at the Ecofiscal Commission's review of the NDP plan, it has said that NDP's measures for big emitters will actually do nothing to reduce emissions and will hurt the Canadian economy at the same time. We can tell that New Democrats lack the thoughtfulness that the climate debate demands when we look at the hon. member's question, which confuses fridges for refrigerants, which are actually one of the fastest-growing causes of climate change globally.I share the New Democrats' desire to do something about climate change, but the difference is that we have thought about how to make it happen.
Mr. Speaker, Dr. Hoskins' report is crystal clear: we need a universal public pharmacare program. In fact, that is something the NPD is firmly committed to bringing in.People should not have to cut up their pills to make their prescription last longer. Instead of listening to what people need, the successive Liberal and Conservative governments have consistently sided with large insurance companies.Can the Liberal government commit, as we have, to implementing a universal pharmacare program as early as next year?
Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives and Liberals prepare for a war of words on the carbon tax, young people are marching in the streets to demand climate action. Political will and leadership are necessary to combat climate change. Both the Conservatives and the Liberals have shown that they have neither.We in the NDP have the courage to act as well as an ambitious plan to start transitioning to green energy.Will the government commit to stop subsidizing the oil sector and start transitioning to sustainable energy?
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat once again for my colleague that we are committed to doing everything we can to lower the cost of drugs. We do hope to bring forward a national pharmacare program, so one of our priorities is lowering the cost of drugs.We have been doing our job from day one. We joined the pan-Canadian pharmaceutical alliance, bringing together all provinces and territories. We have saved millions of dollars so far. We are currently modernizing drug regulations. Once again, as I said earlier, we will be announcing changes to the regulations in the near future.
Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer has released a scathing report that the Liberals will not meet their Paris climate change targets, that is, unless they raise the price at the pump by 23¢ a litre. The Liberals have promised that they will not raise this until after the election. No kidding. They will wait until after the election when they no longer need Canadian votes, but still need their money.When will the Liberals finally come clean and tell Canadians the true cost of their carbon tax plan?
Mr. Speaker, drugs in Canada are more expensive than in most countries around the world. However, that situation should have changed. The Patented Medicine Prices Review Board changed its reference pricing list for setting drug prices. The new regulations were supposed to come into effect on January 1 of this year, but the government still has not passed them. That is just wrong. The government caved in to pressure from the big pharma lobby.Does the government still plan to adopt these regulations and if so, when?
Mr. Speaker, in defence of their indefensible cuts to the Auditor General's budget, the Liberals keep relying on cuts made under the Harper government. As the one who implemented those budget reductions as the Treasury Board president, I can tell the House that I received prior written assurances from the auditor general that those budget reductions would not impact any of his operations or investigations.Why did the current government not seek similar assurances before making its cuts?
Mr. Speaker, we agree that Canadians should not have to choose between putting food on their table and paying for prescription medication. That is why we are committed to ensuring that all Canadians have access to a national pharmacare program. The work has been under way for a few years. The first thing we have done is some work to lower the costs of drugs in the country. In budget 2019, we announced $35 million to ensure we would have a Canadian drug agency that would help us make this plan a reality. We are deeply committed to ensuring that all Canadians have the prescriptions they deserve.
Mr. Speaker, I am not sure they are going to want to hear this one.The Liberals are reportedly giving 18 million tax dollars to build an exclusive airport runway near Cabot Cliffs golf course in Cape Breton even though the Port Hawkesbury airport is only an hour away. Many in the community, including the mayor, are concerned this would bankrupt the company that runs their community airport and the small businesses that depend upon it.Instead of pandering to millionaires who, God forbid, have to drive an hour to get to the golf course after landing in their private jets, why is the Prime Minister putting this community asset at risk to accommodate his elite millionaire friends?
Mr. Speaker, the backbone of the South Okanagan economy is threatened by federal bureaucratic barriers and red tape. There is a vital irrigation canal that is in urgent need of repair. The town of Oliver and the province of British Columbia have both made funding commitments but they have been waiting three years for the federal government to step up with its share. The system is essential for 5,000 acres of orchards and vineyards.Will the government cut through the red tape and finally get this project funded?
Mr. Speaker, Conservative members should be ashamed of their climate-change-denying comments. They have chosen to broadcast false, irresponsible viewpoints, disregarding the science and not listening to the evidence once again.Our government believes that science plays a central role in building a thriving, clean economy, and we will take no lessons from the Conservatives, who for 10 years refused to take action. We are the government that has invested over $10 billion in science, and we will always support our students and researchers.
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal attack on the energy sector has crippled Alberta and is impacting B.C. After 50 years, a houseboat company in Sicamous has announced it is shutting down, affecting 150 employees. The mayor of Sicamous has blamed the downturn in the Alberta economy and the pipeline dispute for having taken a toll on the community. Today, the Liberals are announcing a western economic growth strategy, as if they have not done enough damage already. When will the Liberals end their attack on the west?
Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate to hear that from the Liberals. This government is out of touch and has no credibility on environmental matters. What planet is it living on?The Liberals are the only ones who believe that Canada will meet its Paris targets with their plan. I invite the Liberals to come back to planet Earth and do something now to protect it.The Parliamentary Budget Officer said that Canadians will have to get poorer and pay five times more than the current carbon tax if we want to meet the Paris targets. Canadians deserve the truth.Why is the government hiding the truth?
Mr. Speaker, we will take no lessons from the Conservatives when it comes to softwood lumber. Let me just point out that it was the Conservative example of accepting quotas on softwood lumber that stiffened our spines and stiffened the spines of the steel sector, in refusing to accept tariffs or quotas on steel and aluminum. The Conservatives are prepared to capitulate and accept crummy trade deals. We are not.
Mr. Speaker, I am astounded to learn that the government thinks it can use article 6 of the Paris accord to earn carbon credits for exporting fracked gas to Asian markets. Does the government not realize that fracked gas has the same carbon footprint as coal?When will the government have the political courage to take responsibility for its international obligations and reduce the emissions of the oil and gas industry in Canada? When will the government ban the climate-destroying practice of gas fracking?
Mr. Speaker, while I understand that things do get heated in this House of Commons, the member for Cape BretonCanso, whom I have respect for, showed indignation that a member from Ontario would dare to ask a question about Cape Breton and stand up for those residents. I will remind the member as well that the minister for ACOA is from Ontario. Therefore, if the member would like to apologize to me, I will accept that.
Mr. Speaker, I believe you will be overjoyed to find unanimous consent for the tabling of a document entitled Inventaire québécois des émissions de gaz à effet de serre en 2016 et leur évolution depuis 1990. This science-based document from Quebec's environment ministry found that, between 2014 and 2016, there was no reduction in GHG emissions.
Mr. Speaker, actually, the Parliamentary Budget Officer took into consideration every single policy lever that the current government is using and said that with those policies the country will miss its Paris targets by 80 million megatonnes per year, and that the only way to change that is to increase the carbon tax five times what it is now and twice what the government has admitted, at a cost of 23 painful cents more per litre for gasoline.Why were the Liberals attempting to hide this higher tax until after the election?
Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform my colleague that, since taking office, our priorities for connectivity have been accessibility, competition and affordability. In regions where there is lots of competition, costs have actually gone down by 32%.We have also launched a new program called connecting families, which gives low-income families access to the Internet for $10 a month. Canadians are our priority, our plan is working, and we are investing for our people.
Mr. Speaker, it has been a tough week for Alberta here in Ottawa. The Prime Minister has rammed through his anti-pipeline, anti-energy bills, Bills C-69 and C-48, and announced a carbon tax for the province of Alberta. These attacks are driving investment and opportunity out of the province.Without a hint of irony, this very morning those same Liberals announced their western Canada job strategy. It is like hiring the arsonists to rebuild the house after they lit the fire. When will the Liberals realize that the only growth strategy that will work is if they end their attack on Canada's energy sector?
Mr. Speaker, we unequivocally condemn violent extremism. Any kind of behaviour such as that is not tolerated. I know that my colleague across the way understands that and shares that view.ESDC is conducting a review of this matter in conjunction with Service Canada in Ontario. They have been on site. The organizations approved for funding must adhere to specific terms and conditions, and we await the outcome of that review.
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, the member for Milton was forced to delete a tweet that suggested that there is no link between climate change and extreme weather patterns, completely disregarding science that shows that climate change is real. This was so predictable, considering the 10 years of Harper Conservative cuts and the muzzling of scientists, resulting in scientists protesting the death of evidence on Parliament Hill. Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Science and Sport please explain the importance of science and evidence-based decision-making?
Mr. Speaker, people in our north and across the country are forced to make impossible choices because of the high cost of medication.It is inconceivable that in 2019, in Canada, people have to choose between buying food and medication. Liberals have been putting pharmaceutical and insurance companies in the driver's seat, but the Hoskins advisory board is clear: Canadians need a universal, public, single-payer pharmacare.This is what the NDP has been pushing for. Enough of the half-measures and the favours to the Liberals' corporate friends. Will the Liberal government implement universal, comprehensive, public pharmacare, yes or no?
That is simply not true, Mr. Speaker.Half of Canadians are about $200 away from being able to pay their bills each month, yet the Liberals carbon tax will put a painful 23¢ per litre increase in the price of gasoline, and that will do nothing to help climate change.The Liberals have said they want to help the middle class, but they are punishing it and those hoping to join it. Why ?
Mr. Speaker, the Hoskins' advisory council was clear that Canadians needed public pharmacare, yet the government refuses to commit to it. People are making impossible choices when it comes to the prescription drugs they need, choices like paying their rent or filling a prescription, cutting pills to make a bottle last longer or skipping their medicine altogether. People are getting sicker and dying.A simple question deserves a clear answer from the health minister. Will the Liberals implement a universal, comprehensive, single-payer pharmacare or not?
Mr. Speaker, we now see Conservative MP after Conservative MP repeating false points in this chamber. It is entirely inappropriate. When it comes to the issue of affordability, I note that the Parliamentary Budget Officer previously confirmed
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have put hundreds of thousands of Albertans out of work, with brutal consequences: rising bankruptcies, family breakdowns, substance abuse, crime, suicides and a loss of hope and dreams. That hurts all of Canada.The Liberals are ramming through laws to block oil exports and kill resource projects, and will make everything more expensive with their carbon tax. After only one hour of debate on hundreds of amendments, the Liberals forced through their no more pipelines bill, Bill C-69, even though nine provinces and all territories want major changes.Why are the Liberals so relentless in their attacks on Albertans?
Mr. Speaker, we are determined to do everything we can to lower the price of drugs. For the past two years, we have been working jointly with the pan-Canadian pharmaceutical alliance to bring together the provinces and territories on a bulk purchasing arrangement. We have saved billions of dollars so far.We are also in the process of modernizing the regulations affecting drugs and changes will be announced soon.
Mr. Speaker, as the member would know, it was our government that invested in opportunities for students to gain that education.We doubled the amount of low-interest grants to all Canadians, to part-time students as well as full-time students. We have increased the amount of support in those non-repayable grants. Also, until students are making at least $25,000, they have a holiday on repayment.We are doing what has been asked of us as a government to help support student access.