OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD)

House of Commons Debates Volume 151 No. 267 1st SESSION 44th PARLIAMENT Wednesday, December 13, 2023 Speaker: The Honourable Greg Fergus HOUSE OF COMMONS CANADA (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) COMMONS DEBATES December 13, 2023 DEBATES No. 267 No. 267 N o 267 Volume 151 267 13 12 2023 2023/12/13 14:05:00 Débats de la Chambre des communes House of Commons Debates House Of Commons 1 44

The House met at 2 p.m. Prayer

Statements by Members

(1405) [ English ]

The Speaker :

It being Wednesday, we will now have the singing of the national anthem led by the hon. member for Kitchener—Conestoga . [ Members sang the national anthem ]

Statements by Members Statements by Members

[ English ] Khalsa Aid Canada

Ms. Laurel Collins (Victoria, NDP) :

Mr. Speaker, every winter Khalsa Aid Canada has its winter drive in memory of Mata Gujri. She and the younger sons, or Chote Sahibzaade, of the 10th Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh, were made to suffer the elements during winter while in captivity. In Canada, inflation and food insecurity disproportionately impact women and acutely impact our youth. One in three food bank users is a child.

This year, in Victoria, Khalsa Aid Canada provided food aid to Rainbow Kitchen, The Mustard Seed Street Church and the UVic and Royal Roads University food banks; hot meals to Our Place shelter; and tents and winter items to the Justice Van Society and the Peer2Peer project. Khalsa Aid Canada also continued to make its annual donations to youth-focused organizations, such as Threshold Housing, Out of the Rain Youth Shelter and the Foundry clinic. Women and children, especially in single-parent families, are struggling with the high cost of living. I thank Khalsa Aid Canada for all they do.

Christmas

Mr. Scott Reid (Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker,

'Tis a week before Christmas, and it's time to state That our PM is well past his best before date. After eight years of his rule, it's time to say thanks For doubling the number of folks using food banks.

After eight years, when our kids nestle snug in their beds, They're just lucky there is still a roof over their heads, For on cold winter nights, under snow and the stars, Many citizens now have to sleep in their cars.

They can protest, of course, but only in small amounts Lest, like the truckers, he freezes their bank accounts. He will accuse them of hate based on faith or on race, Which seems strange from a man caught three times wearing blackface.

He's so quick to say sorry for wrongs from long ago, But not for when he elbowed Ruth Ellen Brosseau. So let's quote back to the PM some words of his own: “Sir, enough is enough. Now, go home and stay home.”

Here is what we would like Santa's elves to administer: This Christmas, please bring us a brand new prime minister.

Canada-South Korea Relations

Mr. Ali Ehsassi (Willowdale, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, 2023 marks the 60th anniversary of Canada's diplomatic relations with the Republic of Korea. Several days ago, the Korean national assembly adopted a special resolution celebrating this significant milestone. The resolution mentioned the immense contributions of Canadian veterans to the defence of democracy during the Korean War and acknowledged the deep economic, strategic and cultural ties that bind our nations together. As such, Mr. Speaker, I rise to echo the same sentiments in this House.

Today and every day, let us honour our shared history with this cherished ally and redouble our efforts to broaden and deepen our comprehensive partnership, while celebrating the enduring friendship that has flourished between our two nations. As they say in Korean: [ Member spoke in Korean and provided the following translation :] Stronger together.

[ Translation ] Farmers in Abitibi West

Mr. Sébastien Lemire (Abitibi—Témiscamingue, BQ) :

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to welcome three farmers from my riding to Parliament Hill: Éric Lafontaine, Alexandre Bégin and Mathieu Dumont. I salute the courage of all agricultural entrepreneurs, who just experienced one of the worst years ever from a climate perspective. Abitibi West farmers lived through a crop-damaging winter freeze, historic wildfires that required livestock evacuations and a catastrophic drought.

To raise awareness among the public and elected officials about the economic and psychological impact involved, Éric, Alexandre, Mathieu and Maxime Fontaine wrote the “Red Letter”, which they will be delivering today to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food . This letter was signed by 79 farm businesses in Abitibi West, many of them now forced to sell off some of their animals because of risk management programs ill-suited to climate change. We are talking about 30% of Abitibi West herds that have already been sold or that are currently for sale on the market to allow these farm businesses to survive.

I ask the minister to be generous and to commit now to ensuring the sustainability of farm businesses and of our agricultural sector.

Food Banks in Vaudreuil—Soulanges

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my sincere gratitude to the dedicated individuals and organizations that support the Vaudreuil—Soulanges food banks. I want to thank them for their outstanding service to our community, especially during this holiday season. The holidays are a time of joy and celebration for many, but they can also be challenging for those experiencing economic hardship. It is during these difficult times that food banks in Vaudreuil—Soulanges rise to the challenge.

I want to thank the teams at L'Actuel, Source d'Entraide, Meals on Wheels, Café de la Débrouille and Moisson Sud-Ouest. (1410) [ English ] To the dedicated teams and volunteers at Le Pont Bridging, Meals on Wheels and The Dream Centre, I express my sincere gratitude on behalf of all members of our community for their tireless work in extending a helping hand to those in need. Because of them, the holidays will be a little brighter for our neighbours, families and friends. For that, on behalf of this entire House, I say thanks.

Christmas Thanks

Mr. Chris Lewis (Essex, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, as families across Canada anxiously anticipate Christmas Day, opening presents and having turkey, many families will not all be together. Doctors, nurses and caregivers in our hospitals, long-term care homes and hospices will be taking care of our loved ones. Firefighters, police officers and first responders will be keeping our streets safe. Hydro workers will be working to keep the lights on our Christmas trees bright. Snowplow operators will work day and night to keep our roads clear and safe.

Pilots, flight attendants and airport personnel will be working hard to get us to our destinations, so we can be with our families. Border security officers will work long shifts protecting our vast borders. Of course, our brave men and women in uniform, keeping Canadians safe both in Canada and around the globe, will sacrifice yet another Christmas with their families. The list goes on. This Christmas, I ask Canadians to take a moment to thank those who serve so selflessly and who will miss their Christmas Day so we can be at ours. Merry Christmas.

Jewish Students on Campus

Mr. Anthony Housefather (Mount Royal, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, the increase in anti-Jewish hate over the last two months is a danger to our country and its values, our democracy and our national security. One of the most hostile places for Jews is on campus. Last week, a U.S. House committee heard from the presidents of Harvard, MIT and Penn State. All three were asked whether a call for the genocide of Jews would violate their code of conduct. None unambiguously said yes. Today, some colleagues and I sent a letter to the 25 biggest Canadian universities asking how they are protecting their Jewish students.

One thing we asked was whether a call for the genocide of Jews would violate their policies. I have also tabled a motion with the justice committee for us to undertake a study on anti-Semitism, with a focus on universities. I hope colleagues will join me in wanting to tackle this issue quickly. The Jewish community cannot fight this alone. We need all MPs and Canadians on our side.

Holiday Greetings

Ms. Iqra Khalid (Mississauga—Erin Mills, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, as we look to the new year, I rise in the House today to wish all the residents of my community of Mississauga—Erin Mills and all Canadians a very happy holiday season. This is a time to reflect upon and reinforce Canadian values of hope, generosity and unity for everyone, especially during what can be a very difficult time for many in our communities. I also want to thank my team, who work diligently to support the residents of our riding and the work that I do on their behalf. We have worked hard this year for Canadians, and I know that we will continue to work harder for them in the new year.

I wish all the residents of my riding a very merry Christmas, happy holidays and all the very best in the new year.

Kalavryta Attack

Mr. Blake Richards (Banff—Airdrie, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, 80 years ago today, the village of Kalavryta in Greece fell victim to the cruelty of occupying German Nazi forces in World War II. On December 13, 1943, the Nazis rounded up all males over the age of 12 for execution. They locked women and children in the village's school and lit it on fire, aiming to burn them alive. The women broke down the doors to find, sadly, their husbands and sons dead and their village in ashes. The widows were left to rebuild shattered lives. They displayed immense courage and determination as they worked to provide for their families and preserve their community.

The women of Kalavryta demonstrated the power of the human spirit in adversity and testified to the indomitable strength of women. Euthymia Vaya was the last widow of the massacre. She passed away in 2008, having immigrated to Canada with her daughter Georgia. Her courage and resilience allowed her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to thrive as proud Canadians. As we reflect on this dark

chapter in history, let us honour their memory. May the victims of the massacre of Kalavryta rest in peace.

[ Translation ] Enlève ton étiquette Campaign

Mrs. Élisabeth Brière (Sherbrooke, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support the Enlève ton étiquette campaign at the Fondation du Centre jeunesse de l'Estrie. The purpose of this initiative is to raise awareness about the importance of removing the labels we put on others, especially on young people from the youth protection branch and young offenders. Our young people need to have self-confidence to achieve their goals and that is even more important if they have had a difficult start in life. By proudly wearing this ribbon, I become a goodwill ambassador and I invite people to do the same.

I met Alexandra Goulet, the foundation's new executive director. I congratulate her on this initiative. Alexandra, having herself benefited from the services of the youth protection branch, knows first‑hand the importance of destigmatizing children that have been in the system. I congratulate Alexandra and I wish this initiative continued success.

(1415) [ English ] Ukraine

Mr. Kyle Seeback (Dufferin—Caledon, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives support Ukraine. It was a Conservative government that was the first western country in the world to recognize an independent Ukraine. It was a Conservative government that negotiated the existing Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement. It was a Conservative government that commenced Operation Unifier. It was Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper who said to Vladimir Putin “get out of Ukraine.” On the other side, the Liberal government exported a gas turbine that has been used to pump Russian gas to fund Putin's war machine.

It was the Liberal government that allowed Canadian detonators to end up in Russian mines, which are being used by the Russian army in this war. It was the Liberal government that decided to not provide war risk insurance, which prevents Canadian companies from investing in Ukraine. Members should not listen to their Liberal disinformation. Conservatives unequivocally support Ukraine.

Ukraine

Mr. James Bezan (Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, the results of Operation Unifier are why Ukraine has been able to fight for the last 658 days against Russia's genocidal war. After Russia annexed Crimea and began the war in Donbas in 2014, the Liberals and NDP on multiple occasions voted against Operation Unifier, voted against Operation Reassurance, voted against the first shipments of military aid to Ukraine and voted against hundreds of millions of dollars in assistance to Ukraine. In 2016, the Liberal government's first foreign policy act was to cancel the provision of RADARSAT images for Ukraine to appease Russia.

Since 2018, Conservatives have called on Canada to send lethal defensive aid to Ukraine when it could have acted as a deterrent against Russia, but the NDP-Liberal government refused until the hot war began. Its members even called me a warmonger for it in early 2022. Conservatives negotiated the first Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement, and when we form government, we would negotiate a better one that does not include a carbon tax. Conservatives will always stand with Ukraine.

Slava Ukraini .

Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada

Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Winnipeg North, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, yet they still voted against the Ukraine-Canada trade agreement. We all remember the voting marathon last week. While the Conservative leader was wining and dining at a high-end fundraiser, his Conservative MPs here were served a cold unhappy meal. The Conservative leader may want Canadians to only order off the value menu, but we know they deserve the whole Big Mac meal. Canadians have seen the MAGA politics value menu the Conservative leader has to offer, and they are not “lovin' it”, but “lettuce” be serious. Canadians know it would be a “McNightmare” if that leader were to take charge.

Christmas

Mr. Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway, NDP) :

Mr. Speaker,

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the nation, Liberal numbers were tanking, to the PM's frustration.

The Speaker was restless, with nightmares in bed, While partisan videos danced through his head.

As secular snowflakes made their Grinch-like dissent, The Bloc says that Christmas is not a religious event.

While the two Greens tried hard to make themselves heard, If co-leaders don't work, maybe try a third.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, The Conservative leader bringing burgers, no beer.

With his little red apple, who votes through the nights, I knew in a moment, this guy really bites.

More rapid than reindeer, his chops he laid bare, Revealing his taxpayer-funded oral health care.

Public dental for all is the NPD's dream. We'd have pharmacare too if the Grits weren't so mean.

And one final wish for this season of light: Happy holidays to all, and to all a good bite.

(1420) [ Translation ] Acadian Remembrance Day

Mr. Stéphane Bergeron (Montarville, BQ) :

Mr. Speaker, Acadian Remembrance Day reminds us that, in December 1758, three ships crowded with Acadian deportees sank, causing the deaths of 850 of them. It was the deadliest

chapter of what was called the Great Upheaval, which led the Acadian population to spread across North America. For a long time in our history, and until fairly recently, the Acadian distinctiveness was intolerable to the eyes of English colonialists. They did everything in their power to try to keep Acadians in the minority or even assimilate them, but that did not work. The Acadian identity survived to restore itself into a dynamic diaspora that continues to grow and thrive.

However, the traumatic experience of those who survived those deportees lost at sea, the victims of a vile, unquestionable attempt to eradicate Acadians, will always be a painful wound. Today, Acadia remembers, and so does Quebec.

[ English ] Carbon Tax

Mrs. Shelby Kramp-Neuman (Hastings—Lennox and Addington, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this Liberal-NDP government, Canadians are financially spent. Instead of common-sense tax cuts to help struggling families, in his fall economic statement, the Prime Minister doubled down on his massive increase to the carbon tax, which is driving up the cost of groceries, heating and gas. When the wallets of Canadian families were raided bare by this government's carbon tax, it was the Conservatives who heard the calls for help. It was the Conservatives who introduced Bill C-234 to deliver carbon relief on farmers and the people they feed.

The legislation was duly passed in the House with the support of every party except the government. Then, right before Christmas, the Prime Minister called in favours from his functionaries in the other place and lobbied his Liberal-appointed and anointed senators to cut the legislation. Now that it is back in the House, our Prime Minister needs to put his zeal for carbon tax aside; listen to Canadians who feel troubled, broken and betrayed this Christmas season; rein in his ideologues in cabinet; and pass Bill C-234 .

Christmas

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

Mr. Speaker,

'Twas the week before Christmas and I must admit, Thirty hours was a long time to sit.

But Liberals prevailed on behalf of the masses, While Tories stepped back and sat on their hands.

On the other side we witness a continuing saga. Diefenbaker's party looks much more like MAGA.

I know they have been challenged by a leader's swinging door, But they think they have struck gold with leader number four.

They gave him a makeover with etiquette classes, Pumped up his chest and took off his glasses,

But no matter the issue they put on the docket, We still persevere with the Dippers in our pocket.

This marriage of convenience might seem like a rental, But because of this deal, Canadians got dental.

In that glorious moment, I looked up and saw Not a lick of support from the Bloc Québécois.

But now it is time to return to our ridings And share with our friends the best Christmas tidings.

Mr. Speaker, I know you will hate to see us go. If you think of us over Christmas, please do not send us a video.

(1425) The Speaker :

That is very good advice.

Oral Questions Oral Questions

[ Translation ] Finance

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

Mr. Speaker, after eight years, this Prime Minister is not worth the cost of the debt for Canadian families. He said that the government was going to go into debt so that Canadians would not have to. However, today, we learned that Canadian families are now spending more on interest on their own debt than ever before in the history of the country. They are spending more than what American families were during the 2008 financial crisis. Will the Prime Minister finally reverse the inflationary policies and taxes that are driving families into debt and forcing them to give more to bankers and spend less on groceries?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative leader continues to rise in the House to talk about austerity. Last week, we saw the true nature of the Conservative Party's austerity. The Conservatives voted against help for dairy, egg and poultry farmers in Quebec. They voted against funding for the Plains of Abraham. They voted against help for people in the Magdalen Islands following hurricane Fiona. What is worse, the member for Mégantic—L'Érable voted against funding for the rail bypass in Lac-Mégantic. That is truly shameful, and Quebeckers will never forget it.

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

Mr. Speaker, that is yet another example. The Prime Minister has had eight years to build that bypass, but has not even begun to do so. That is so typical of this Prime Minister, who makes announcements and spends loads of money but produces zero results. The same goes for affordability. He spent $87 billion on housing affordability, but that just doubled the cost. According to the Bank of Canada, the cost of housing is the worst it has been in 41 years. Will the Prime Minister finally reverse his inflationary policies, which have doubled the cost of housing for Canadians?

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

Mr. Speaker, while the Conservative leader was out partying last week, all Canadians got was an order of cold McNuggets. The only thing his 30-hour, $2-million tantrum achieved was show Canadians the true colours of the Conservative Party of Canada. When it was time to support our veterans, how did the Conservatives vote? They voted against it. When it was time to support our farmers, how did they vote? They voted against it. When it was time to ensure services to first nations, how did they vote? They voted against it. Everyone can see who they really are.

[ English ]

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

Mr. Speaker, for eight years, the Prime Minister and NDP-Liberal government have not been worth the cost. He said that he was taking on all this debt so that Canadians would not have to. Now we learn that Canadians are spending more on household debt interest than at any time in Canadian history, more than the American families were during the 2008 financial crisis, which almost brought down the global economy. Will the Prime Minister reverse the inflationary, high-tax policies that have indebted Canadians and driven up their interest rates?

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

Mr. Speaker, the audacity of the Conservative leader knows no bounds. Just last week, he voted against a national school food program, and now he rises to talk about affordability. Let us be clear. The Conservative leader has no long-term vision for this country, with or without the glasses. It takes more than a couple of bags of McDonald's to feed Canadians. That is why we are going to continue to step up and be there with investments for Canadians, while he talks about cuts and austerity, and then goes and votes for cuts and austerity.

Carbon Pricing

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

Mr. Speaker, Canadians cannot even afford to feed themselves a couple of bags of McDonald's after eight years of the Prime Minister taxing their food. Speaking of food, do members know the only problem with his school food framework? It does not fund any food. It funds politicians to talk with bureaucrats who talk with lobbyists about establishing a conversation towards consulting. It funds bureaucracy and not families. Speaking of one way he can make food more affordable for everyone, including our kids, will he pass Bill C-234 , the common-sense Conservative bill to take the tax off?

(1430) Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, once again, we have seen exactly why, whatever his justifications, they have chosen to vote against initiatives to help Canadians. Whether it was dental supports for the hundreds of thousands of kids that we have already brought in, or more supports for seniors, they chose to vote against them months ago. They are continuing to step up to vote against the programs that matter. While they seem to not care about climate change, and want to sit back and watch the world burn, they are going to watch Canadians' food sources burn as well.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is the Prime Minister who is burning a hole in the pockets of Canadians. We voted against his plan to quadruple the carbon tax, a tax on heat, gas and groceries. When I raised the issue of the cost of $100,000 for one farm in my riding, which will rise to $400,000, I asked the Prime Minister if he would call the family and tell them how they are going to pay the tax. He said he would reach out to them and have a conversation about how they are going to pay a $400,000 carbon tax bill. Can the Prime Minister tell the House what he told that family about how they are going to come up with 400 grand in more taxes?

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

Mr. Speaker, we recognize that the price on pollution is a key part of actually making things more affordable for the long term for Canadians by pushing and encouraging innovation. Indeed, our departments reached out to the farm family of the very successful large mushroom farm in the member opposite's riding to talk about the programs we have that can move them off their dependence on fossil fuels. We know there is work to do and we know there are investments to make, but that is how we fight climate change and build a better future. We have a plan to fight climate change. Conservatives have no plan because they do not even recognize that climate change is real.

[ Translation ] Diversity and Inclusion

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday at the UN, Canada voted in favour of a ceasefire in Gaza. I wholeheartedly commend the Canadian government's wisdom in choosing to join a major international movement. That said, an important nuance needs to be made. This is not a rejection of Israel's right to defend itself. This is not an endorsement of Hamas, but an indignant response to the loss of human life. To foster peace here at home as well, can the Prime Minister ensure that legislation will be amended to criminalize hate speech and incitement to violence, even under the guise of religion?

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

Mr. Speaker, the impact of the crisis, the war and the violence in the Middle East is being felt around the world, particularly in Canada, a country whose strength lies in the diversity of its people from different backgrounds, who are now grappling with anguish, anger and fear, all at the same time. That is why we are working so hard to fight anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. We are doing everything we can to bring people together during these difficult times, so that people remember who we are and our values as Canadians.

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

Mr. Speaker, my call to the Prime Minister is this: Let us end 2023 with dignity. If everyone here in the House were to unanimously vote for peace, including peace in our own streets, and if everyone were to eliminate hate speech under the guise of religion, then everyone would win. Our streets would be safer, and we would all have a clearer conscience. Will the Prime Minister accept my suggestion?

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

Mr. Speaker, I commend and thank the leader of the Bloc Québécois for his approach and his desire to see less violence and division in our country. That is a desire that we all share and that we will continue to work on. However, we recognize that this is a delicate and difficult situation, particularly when it raises issues of freedom of speech and freedom of conscience. Unfortunately, there is no simple solution. The only thing we can do is to work hard and make an effort to bring people together. That is exactly what we are going to do.

(1435) Housing

Mr. Peter Julian (New Westminster—Burnaby, NDP) :

Mr. Speaker, the number of forced evictions reported in Quebec continues to rise at an alarming rate. Where are these people going to live? Over two million affordable housing units have been lost because of the Liberals and the Conservatives. Just last week, the Conservatives voted to scrap all funding for social and affordable housing. The government says it wants to draw inspiration from certain measures Canada took in wartime. Where has this war effort to fight the housing crisis been over the past eight years?

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

Mr. Speaker, when we said that we would use every tool at our disposal to make housing more affordable, we meant it. This week, Minister Fraser announced that we will be bringing back a concept established in wartime and holding consultations to create a home design catalogue that will speed up home construction. This initiative is one of our bold, innovative ideas to modernize and accelerate home construction in Canada. It is another example of how the federal government can take the lead to ensure that all Canadians have a place to call home.

The Speaker :

Before we continue with oral question period, I would like to remind the Prime Minister and members that they must not refer to other members by their family name. They must use their title or the name of their riding. [ English ] The hon. member for Vancouver East.

Ms. Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East, NDP) :

Mr. Speaker, people in Halifax are having to live in fishing tents this winter because of the lack of affordable homes. Just last week, the cut-and-gut Conservatives voted no to funding community housing, and the out-of-touch Liberals keep delaying critical funding to build affordable homes. The housing minister says he wants to draw inspiration from what Canada did in wartime to fix the housing crisis. A catalogue is not going to cut it. Part of the effort involves a national rent control initiative. Will the Prime Minister bring forward rent control to curb sky-high rent?

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

Mr. Speaker, we have shown a consistent willingness and desire to work with the provinces in areas of their jurisdiction, in co-operative ways, and we are going to continue to, including on the issue of rent control. However, there is not just one way to approach the housing crisis; it is something we are doing on many fronts. It is not just the catalogue; indeed, we are building more apartments and co-ops by removing the GST on construction, and we are eliminating barriers to get more homes built faster by working directly with cities.

We are helping Canadians save up for a home with the first home savings account. I know there is more to do, and we are going to continue to work with all governments to take bold action to tackle housing affordability.

Carbon Pricing

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister did not answer my question about the Carleton Mushroom Farms, which faces a $400,000 carbon tax bill when the Prime Minister is done quadrupling the tax. When we spoke about this on November 29, he said that he looked forward to hearing about the sustainable practices that the farm has put in place. I can tell him that I helped the farm actually get natural gas in order to power some of its operations, which is a lower-emitting form of energy. However, they are still going to face a massive tax increase. How would the Prime Minister advise the farm to pay it: by raising prices on Canadians or by shutting down production and bringing in more foreign food?

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

Mr. Speaker, for farms across this country that are shifting towards natural gas and lower-emitting ways of heating and using their various machinery, we have put in place significant programs to help them with that. That is something we are going to continue to do, because it is part of our plan to both fight climate change and build a net-zero economy of the future. We have a plan. The Conservative Party of Canada has no plan to fight climate change. Indeed, it thinks we should be backing off on all the things we are doing instead of continuing to fight climate change and grow a strong economy.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is backing off the things he is doing. Ironically, he is the one who brought in a temporary pause because his caucus was revolting regarding home heating oil. However, my question was about the Medeiros's Carleton Mushroom Farms. The Prime Minister claims he has government programs to help farmers use more natural gas, at the same time as he is quadrupling the tax on natural gas, which is perhaps the reason why Canada ranks 58th out of 64 when it comes to climate index performance. The Prime Minister does not have a climate plan; he has a tax plan. How will the Prime Minister advise the Medeiros farm to pay the $400,000 bill he is sending it?

(1440) Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, we recognize that climate change is a reality. We recognize that we need to help families and businesses across this country reduce their emissions and continue to prosper and grow in a world where the cost of inaction on climate change is increasingly exponentially. That is why we have put in place programs to support farms, programs to support Canadians and, indeed, to get off home heating oil, for example, and transition to heat pumps. These are things that we are doing as part of our plan. The Conservatives have no plan.

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

Mr. Speaker, our plan is to bring home production, back to Canadian farms. The Prime Minister 's plan raises the carbon tax on a greenhouse in my riding, which means that its produce is more expensive in the village of Manotick than a Mexican tomato is in the village of Manotick, sending a price signal for consumers to buy the tomato that had to be transported by truck and train, burning fossil fuels, right across the continent. Why does the Prime Minister not axe the tax so we can bring down the cost of farm production and bring home more clean, green Canadian produce?

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

Mr. Speaker, the price on pollution is simple: Activities that cause pollution cost a bit more. However, most Canadians get more money back than what they pay, with cheques being sent to Canadians every few months. Big industry pays more than the regular Canadian pays because industry pollutes more, and, as a result, industries have an incentive to reduce their pollution. The ideologically driven MAGA Conservatives are calling for pollution to be free again and for the government to take those regular cheques to Canadians away from them.

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

Mr. Speaker, everything the Prime Minister just said is factually wrong. First, industry does not pay the carbon tax; it has a carbon tax carve-out. As for his claim that people get more back in rebates, the Carleton Mushroom Farms owner will pay $100,000 this year, rising to $400,000 over the carbon tax increase the Prime Minister proposes, and he is sending them tiny rebate cheques to their household mailbox. Is the Prime Minister committing today that he is going to send a $400,000 rebate to this family farm?

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

Mr. Speaker, we are there to support families, but multi-million-dollar farms that are successful will continue to be encouraged to look for ways to use their machinery and to heat their produce in ways that are lower emitting. That is what fighting climate change is all about. It is encouraging successful farms, like the Medeiros family farm, to continue to be successful but to do so in ways that reduce their emissions. We know it cannot ever be free to pollute again, despite what the Conservative Party wants.

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

Mr. Speaker, ironically, it is almost free for Mexican producers. They have a tiny little carbon tax that is not even comparable to the $400,000 tax bill that the Prime Minister is proposing. What he is saying is that there should be a price signal for Canadians to buy more expensive, polluting foreign food while we, with the fifth-biggest supply of arable land on Planet Earth, shut our farmers down. How does that make any sense?

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

Mr. Speaker, more than just about anyone else in this country, farmers understand how important it is to protect the land for future generations and to pass on the bounty to their children and grandchildren of a great, important job that feeds the rest of us. That is why farmers are so focused on the future, and that is why we are there to support them with a plan and investments that help them reduce their emissions while they continue to put food on all our tables. We have a plan for that. The Conservatives refuse to even admit that there needs to be work done to reduce emissions. That is not the way to build a future, not in Carleton and not anywhere—

The Speaker :

The hon. Leader of the Opposition.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister stated correctly that farmers are working hard to protect the environment, which is why it is so strange that he wants to punish them with a tax that, on one farm alone, costs $100,000 and will rise to $400,000 for the crime of using the only sources of energy that are available to that farm. I will ask the same question I have asked the Prime Minister now about a half a dozen times: When he finally gets around to talking to Carleton Mushroom Farms' owner, how will he advise them to pay their forthcoming $400,000 carbon tax bill? Will it be by raising prices on Canadians or by cutting back and bringing in more dirty foreign food?

(1445) Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, 97% of farm fuel emissions are exempt from the price on pollution. The average farm across this country pays a little less than $1,000 on natural gas emissions through the price on pollution. Therefore, one can only imagine how much natural gas this successful mushroom farm must be using for their cost of the price on pollution to be that large. We will happily work with the farmer to switch toward a lower-emitting approach to doing their business well and protecting future generations.

[ Translation ] Dental Care

Mr. Luc Thériault (Montcalm, BQ) :

Mr. Speaker, the government needed a feel-good announcement after its disastrous performance in the fall. Wanting to please its centralizing NDP allies, it chose dental care, a health care service that already exists in Quebec. It chose an area of jurisdiction that falls to Quebec and the provinces. It chose to interfere instead of support. It chose encroachment instead of collaboration. How does the Prime Minister justify making a half-baked announcement on dental care before reaching an agreement with Quebec?

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

Mr. Speaker, we recently launched an historic program that will provide dental care to children under 12 across the country. We have now extended the program to seniors across the country. We are ensuring that seniors do not have to choose between taking care of their teeth and paying their bills. We will continue to work with the provinces and territories, including Quebec, to ensure that Canadians who need it can have access to proper dental care without having to worry about the bill and to improve the oral health of all Canadians from coast to coast to coast.

Mr. Luc Thériault (Montcalm, BQ) :

Mr. Speaker, since the 1970s, dental care for young people has been covered by Quebec's health insurance plan, or RAMQ. The Quebec government was open to an agreement to improve the plan. All of the transferred funds would have been used for dental care. The Liberals knew that, but they win more votes by diving head first into Quebec's areas of jurisdiction than by transferring money. Quebec has the expertise, but the Liberals and the NDP chose Sun Life Canada. Why choose a private company over the RAMQ?

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

Mr. Speaker, we are having very good conversations with our counterparts in Quebec, as we always do, about how we are going to help Quebeckers and provide them with the care and services they need. We are here to work with them, and we are going to continue those discussions with the Quebec government, not with the second opposition party in the House of Commons in Ottawa.

[ English ] Innovation, Science and Industry

Mr. Michael Barrett (Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, last night at committee, the hand-picked Liberal chair of the Prime Minister 's billion-dollar green slush fund was exposed as having new staff at the fund to round up $10 million for her project, which had been deemed ineligible. Then she literally ran out of the committee, shutting off the cameras, because she did not want to answer any more questions. The NDP-Liberal government failed to protect taxpayers from embezzlers and swindlers to the tune of $150 million. After eight years, the Prime Minister is not worth the cost. When will Canadians get back their missing millions?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Innovation has already accepted the resignation of the CEO and chair. When allegations are made and issues arise, it is both appropriate and necessary for there to be a review of the matter. Those investigations and reviews are currently under way. We look forward to the results of those investigations.

Mr. Michael Barrett (Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, well, it is going to be more in depth than the whitewashed investigation that the Prime Minister and his minister put forward. They are under investigation by the Auditor General, there are two Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner investigations and their board chair, his hand-picked chair, resigned in disgrace along with the CEO. The Prime Minister was handing out millions after his minister knew that his insiders had their hand in the cookie jar, taking 150 million taxpayer dollars. The Prime Minister is not worth the cost after eight years and his NDP-Liberal government could not be more out of touch. Who got rich and where did the missing millions go?

(1450) Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are making cheap political points. The Conservative Party of Canada cannot take yes for an answer. The independent officers of Parliament are investigating. A third party review of the allegations is under way. We are committed to ensuring organizations that receive federal funding adhere to the highest standards of governance. When it comes to fighting climate change and drawing in investments from around the world, we have a plan and we have a focus on doing it in the right ways to grow the economy and support Canadians. The Conservatives have no plan whatsoever. All they can do is try to play partisan political games.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Industry has been for 35 months the minister on this file, and the Prime Minister's hand-picked chair of the green slush fund admitted last night that she tried to get $2.2 million in taxpayer money funnelled to the Verschuren Centre vanity project from the fund she chairs. Then she got the employees of the slush fund to get another $10 million for the Verschuren Centre vanity project from Liberal ministers. She took the money and ran. Verschuren claimed this was being an entrepreneur; we are calling it grifting. Why did the Prime Minister let his green slush fund chair abuse the taxpayer for personal gain?

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

Mr. Speaker, the minister has already addressed this question and investigations are under way. The work we are doing on fighting climate change is already cutting pollution while building a strong and competitive economy. While we work to advance our ambitious climate action, the Conservative Party has no plan because fighting climate change simply does not matter to it. The Conservative leader is turning his back on future generations on both the environment and the economy by refusing to commit to Canada's targets, like his mentor Stephen Harper did when he withdrew from the Kyoto accord.

[ Translation ]

Mr. Luc Berthold (Mégantic—L'Érable, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this Prime Minister, his Liberal cronies keep lining their pockets. The $1-billion Liberal green fund scandal has been confirmed in scathing testimony by a brave whistle-blower. Do members recall the Loto-Québec ad “Bye bye boss”, where a lottery winner quits his job with pockets full of cash? The former president of the board of the Liberal green fund, appointed by this Prime Minister, did just that when she literally ran away in the middle of her testimony, her pockets full of $10 million in subsidies that she paid to herself. When will the Prime Minister demand a refund of Canadians' money?

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

Mr. Speaker, the minister has already addressed this issue and an investigation is under way. When it comes to the environment, we are about to surpass the Harper government's 2030 target. The most recent greenhouse gas emissions forecasts show that Canada is on track to meet our government's 2030 climate target, a new, ambitious and achievable target. Our plan is working. The Conservative Party leader's platform encourages emissions and benefits no one but large corporations that keep parroting the same slogans as him and that have been hurting us for decades.

[ English ] Housing

Ms. Lori Idlout (Nunavut, NDP) :

Uqaqtittiji , adequate housing for indigenous peoples has been neglected by Conservatives and Liberals. Thanks to the NDP, a for indigenous, by indigenous housing strategy will now help first nations, Métis and Inuit find adequate homes away from their home communities. However, there is still work do. Territorial governments like Nunavut are still waiting on the government to deliver funding for homes for their residents. Why are the Liberals always delaying critical funding for housing in the territories?

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

Mr. Speaker, we have demonstrated time and time again how committed we are to addressing housing gaps in indigenous communities swiftly, effectively and in equal partnership. Since 2016, we have supported the construction and renovation of over 30,000 homes in first nations communities. We launched the $4-billion urban, rural and northern indigenous housing strategy despite the Conservative Party voting to cut this essential funding. We will continue working with partners to codevelop and implement community-based housing solutions.

(1455) Grocery Industry

Mr. Blake Desjarlais (Edmonton Griesbach, NDP) :

Mr. Speaker, Edmonton families are making tough choices this winter: put food on the table or buy Christmas presents for their kids. Who is stealing Christmas this year? Is it Scrooge? Is it the Grinch? No, it is the Liberal-Conservative corporate coalition. They have let their grocery CEO friends jack up prices to make record profits while Canadians turn to food banks for Christmas dinner. Why is the government okay with letting grocery CEOs ruin the holidays for Edmonton families this winter?

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

Mr. Speaker, we have taken real actions to hold grocery CEOs to account with more competition, because more competition means lower prices, more choice and more innovative products and services for Canadians. Our affordability legislation will empower the Competition Bureau to hold grocers accountable and prioritize consumers' interests. The fall economic statement proposes further amendments to the Competition Act to crack down on predatory pricing and better respond to anti-competitive mergers and more. We are ensuring that Canadians have more competitive options, and we are limiting excess profits by corporations at the expense of Canadians.

Veterans Affairs

Mr. Sean Casey (Charlottetown, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, Canadian veterans have fought for our country and deserve all the respect in the world. Our government has invested over $11 billion in new services and supports for veterans since 2016 and will always support those who have served to promote and defend Canadian values, both at home and in so-called faraway foreign lands. Can the Prime Minister update this House on what measures this government has taken to support our veterans?

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Charlottetown for his advocacy and leadership on the veterans affairs committee. One of the very first things we did when we formed government was reverse the damaging Conservative cuts to veterans services. Veterans remember when that party cut programs, fired 1,000 veteran support staff and closed nine veterans offices, all in an attempt to nickel-and-dime veterans to balance the budget for an election.

We saw last week that nothing has changed when the Conservatives voted to cut funding for our armed forces, and even worse, they voted last week to cut support for homeless veterans. Canadian veterans know they cannot trust the Conservative leader .

Carbon Pricing

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

Mr. Speaker, this is the Prime Minister who said veterans were asking for more than he could give. He sued them in court after he said he never would. He has caused the homelessness that he just talked about, and he spends the money on more bureaucracy instead of on our veterans. He asked how much Carleton Mushroom Farms is spending on gas. He said it is spending too much. I have its bill records here. In November alone, it was $11,866, pro-rated to about $100,000 a year, which he wants to quadruple to $400,000 a year. Once again, should the farm raise prices on consumers or cut production so polluting foreign farms get the business?

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

Mr. Speaker, the average farm in Canada pays far less, around 1%, than what that very successful farm is paying. The reality is that 97% of farm fuel emissions are already exempt from the price on pollution. That is why we are continuing to move forward with programs and supports to encourage farms across the country, particularly very successful farms, to look at ways to reduce their emissions as they move forward into a net-zero future.

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

Mr. Speaker, that is his attitude now. Do we remember when he called small businesses wealthy tax cheats? Now he accuses Carleton Mushroom Farms of being too successful, and therefore it needs to pay higher taxes. He clearly has no idea about our food supply chain, because, of course, grains have to be dried and the fuels for drying are now taxed. Barns have to be heated. Heating those barns is now taxed. There is a common-sense Conservative bill to axe the tax on those farmers to lower the price of food. If he does not believe that this tax costs farmers, will he sit down with the Medeiros' Carleton Mushroom Farms and inspect its bill personally?

(1500) Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, our government reached out and will continue to reach out to a range of farmers across the country who want to reduce their emissions, who are concerned about climate change, who want to preserve our land for future generations and who understand, unlike the MAGA Conservatives, that there is no choice anymore between protecting the environment and growing the economy. While the Conservatives want to take us back to the Stone Age, we are going to continue to invest in supporting farms, supporting businesses and supporting Canadians, while we reduce our pollution, reduce our emissions and build a stronger future for everyone.

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

Mr. Speaker, he has missed all his targets, except for the one year when Canadians were locked down. His own environment commissioner says he will come nowhere near meeting his 2030 targets, and now Canada ranks 58 out of 64 on the climate change performance index. His tax is not working, nor does he seem to understand how food arrives. Food does not come from the grocery store. The average farmer in Canada has to spend $150,000 on his carbon tax for barns and drying, and that all has to go to consumers. Will he pass our common-sense bill to axe the tax on food?

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

Mr. Speaker, when we took office eight years ago, Canada had no plan to reach even the Harper government's very modest environmental targets. We not only have surpassed the Harper targets but have put in place new ambitious targets that we are very much on track to meeting. We have decreased our emissions over the past two years faster than any other G7 country, and we will continue to lead the way on demonstrating that we cannot have a plan for the future of the economy if we do not have a plan to fight climate change. That is what we are doing. That is what they are not.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is wrong on the facts. Under the previous Conservative government, we actually reduced emissions while growing the economy. We did it through technology and not taxes. By the way, I said earlier that Canada ranked 58th out of 64. There is a new publication of the ranking and Canada is now 62nd out of 67. In fact, we have fallen. The higher the tax, the worse the ranking. Will the Prime Minister finally get rid of his tax plan and come up with an environment plan?

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

Mr. Speaker, we are on track to surpass the Harper government's 2030 target and the latest emissions projections show Canada is on track to achieving our government's new, ambitious and achievable 2030 climate goal. Our plan is working. We are seeing companies around the world invest in Canada.

We were the third-largest country in terms of foreign direct investment in the world earlier this year because people are noticing Canada's leadership on fighting against climate change, but that party continues to vote against measures to support our farmers, measures to invest in a cleaner economy and measures to protect Canadians and their economy from the challenges of the future. We will be there for Canadians.

[ Translation ] Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

Mr. Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (Lac-Saint-Jean, BQ) :

Mr. Speaker, there are two solitudes in our approach to asylum seekers. On one side, Quebec is taking in half of Canada's asylum seekers. We do not hesitate to do so. We first deliver services at our own expense and then we ask the federal government to reimburse the $460‑million bill. We take care of the people first and then we deal with the money. On the other side, the federal government offers no services. When it comes time to pay, it tells us that it is not an ATM. Lucky thing Quebeckers do not take the same approach toward asylum seekers. Will the Prime Minister contribute his share and reimburse Quebeckers?

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

Mr. Speaker, every year, we provide hundreds of millions of dollars to Quebec to help with the integration of newcomers. This includes money for francization. Our immigration program will continue to strengthen the immigration system and extend the benefits of immigration to communities in Quebec and across the country. Immigration is essential for helping businesses, finding the workers they need and continuing to grow the economy. We will always work closely with the Government of Quebec, whether on immigration, housing or the economy.

(1505) Mr. Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (Lac-Saint-Jean, BQ) :

Mr. Speaker, asylum seekers are a federal responsibility. Instead of repeating that Ottawa is not an ATM, it is time for the federal government to stop treating Quebeckers like a credit card. The entire cost of services for asylum seekers is being foisted on us. Now the bill is due, and the Prime Minister has to pay it. True to form, however, he is running away. He does not like paying his debts. We know him, and he does not like doing that. We will not give up. Will the Prime Minister take responsibility for asylum seekers, show some respect and reimburse Quebec?

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

Mr. Speaker, we have been sending hundreds of millions of dollars to Quebec for years to help it take in asylum seekers. We recognize how generous Quebeckers have been and how much they have been there for asylum seekers. Yes, we will continue to be there to help. Canada is a welcoming country, but also a country that must ensure that everyone is properly protected when people arrive, even asylum seekers. Yes, we will continue to work with Quebec. We will continue to be there to support asylum seekers because it is the right thing to do.

Housing

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

Mr. Speaker, after eight years, this Prime Minister is not worth the cost of housing. According to the Bank of Canada, housing is the least affordable it has been in 41 years. He has doubled the price of rent across the country. Now, renting a single room in a shared apartment costs more than it did for the entire apartment when the Prime Minister first took office. Evictions in Quebec have increased by 132%. That is the main cause of homelessness. Will the Prime Minister finally reverse the policies that create bloated bureaucracy and drive up inflation, both of which cause homelessness in Quebec?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative leader has made his thinking clear by stating that the federal government should get out of the business of building affordable housing. However, we will not follow his irresponsible advice. Perhaps that is why last week his party voted against funding to build 71,000 new apartments. It also voted against more than 15,000 new homes for our most vulnerable. As the team showed last week, we will not allow the Conservatives' partisan games to undermine our efforts to provide housing for all.

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

Mr. Speaker, all those apartments have one thing in common: They do not exist. These are just more promises. Eight years ago, the Prime Minister promised to spend $87 billion on affordable housing. As a result, rents and mortgage payments doubled. Now, evictions have increased by 132% in Quebec. The main cause of homelessness is evictions after eight years of this Prime Minister. When will he recognize that creating bloated bureaucracy and driving up inflation do not help with housing?

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

Mr. Speaker, last week, the Conservative Party voted against 71,000 new apartments. They voted against 15,000 affordable housing units. Now their excuse is to say that since the housing does not yet exist, they can vote against it. Come on. They clearly do not understand that it is a government's responsibility to invest for a better future, to solve problems. He just wants to increase anxiety. He does not want to come up with solutions for Canadians. On this side of the House, we will stand up for Canadians despite the Conservatives, who oppose all these measures.

[ English ]

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

Mr. Speaker, he is doing the same thing he has done for eight years. He spent $87 billion on housing affordability to double housing costs. We have fewer homes per capita than we did when he took office, the fewest homes of any country in the G7. He doubled the rent, doubled mortgage payments and doubled the needed down payment to the point where the Bank of Canada reports this week that Canada has the worst housing affordability in 41 years, and rentals.ca reveals that it is now more expensive to rent one room in a shared apartment than it was eight years ago to rent the entire apartment for oneself. When will he realize that ballooning inflation and the bureaucracy does not build homes?

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

Mr. Speaker, when will the leader of the official opposition understand that voting against the construction of 71,000 new homes through the apartment construction loan program is not going to help anyone and that voting against the construction of 12,000 new affordable homes through the rapid housing initiative will not help Canadians. He chose to play partisan games last week in trying to shut down this House through a MAGA-inspired approach while we continue to stand up for Canadians and deliver on the things they need. While they play partisan games, we will continue to fight for Canadians.

(1510) [ Translation ] Tourism Industry

Ms. Viviane Lapointe (Sudbury, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, the tourism industry exists in all regions of the country and is also the second-largest employer in rural areas. Forty per cent of tourism jobs are in rural areas. Can the Prime Minister tell the House how the government is supporting the millions of workers in the tourism industry?

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Sudbury for her excellent question and hard work. Last week, the Conservative Party voted against programs to support Canadians and turned its back on the two million workers in the tourism industry. The Conservatives voted against funding to support the growth of tourism in Canada. Workers in that industry deserve better. Unlike the Conservatives, who only support workers in their ad campaigns, we, on this side of the House, will continue to support workers in the tourism industry.

[ English ] Housing

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

Mr. Speaker, Maclean's magazine reports, “Two jobs, no money: How mortgage rates have pushed one Toronto father to the brink”. Two years into their mortgage, their biweekly payments have reached $2,268, now paying more than $5,000 a month to live in a 900-square foot townhouse, and $3,500 of that goes to interest. All of his spending programs have doubled the cost of housing and, according to the Bank of Nova Scotia, have boosted interest rates another 2%. Will he realize the damage he is doing in causing Canadians unsupportable, unsustainable mortgage payments?

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

Mr. Speaker, we recognize the challenges Canadians are facing, and on this side of the House, we have chosen to invest to support them: to create new affordable housing, to create new apartments. As much as the Leader of the Opposition loves to rise in this House to talk about Canadians' suffering, he will not rise in this House to support solutions to Canadians' challenges. He rose in the House to vote against 71,000 new rental homes through the apartment construction loan program. He rose in this House to vote against 12,000 new affordable homes through the rapid housing initiative. He likes to instrumentalize Canadians. He will not solve for them.

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

Mr. Speaker, I voted against an approach that has spent $87 billion on affordable housing, to double the cost of housing. He thinks that if he is expensive, he is excused for his failures. Failing is bad. Failing expensively is even worse. Our common-sense plan would require cities to permit 15% more housing, as a condition of getting their financing. Give them bonuses if they beat the target, link the dollars they get for transit to requirements for apartments around them and sell off 6,000 federal buildings and thousands of acres of federal land to build. Why can he not get behind that common-sense plan?

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

Mr. Speaker, inflation has gone up, interest rates have gone up, food prices have gone up, energy prices have gone up, all linked to the ongoing war that Russia is waging in Ukraine. We recognize that on this side of the House and we are acting, not just to bring down prices here at home, but to stand with Ukraine in our fight against Russia. Unfortunately, the leader of the official opposition, who referred to Ukraine as a far away land refuses to stand up to deliver for Ukraine. On this side of the House, we will always be there for Ukraine.

Foreign Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, he is not there for Ukraine. He is there for himself. When Conservatives demanded that the government provide lethal weapons, before Putin's invasion when they most needed them, he said no. When Conservatives kicked Putin out of the G8 and made it the G7, he said no. What he said yes to was to give Putin an exported, big, powerful turbine to pump his gas and fill his war chest, and to export detonators used for Russian mines that blow up Ukrainians. That is not being there for Ukrainians. We will stand for Ukrainians and for Canadians.

(1515) Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to find ourselves in an argument about which side of the House is more supportive of Ukraine because one of the strengths that Canada has had on the world stage these past difficult two years is that we have said there is no debate around support for Ukraine in Canada, like there is in other countries where MAGA-inspired far-right movements are undermining support for Ukraine. The Conservative Party of Canada has an opportunity to reverse its position in opposing the Ukraine free trade deal that Zelenskyy is asking for. Will they vote in favour of Ukraine free trade?

Mr. Yvan Baker (Etobicoke Centre, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, the government has been clear as to where we stand on the war in Ukraine. We understand that the Ukrainian people are not just fighting for their own freedom and survival, but are also fighting for us, and that we need to be fighting for them.

Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

The Speaker :

I am going to ask the member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan to wait his turn to ask a question. I will also ask the member for Provencher to keep it down so we can have the question asked. The hon. member for Etobicoke Centre, from the top, please.

(1520) Mr. Yvan Baker :

Mr. Speaker, it is clear where the government stands on Ukraine. We understand that the Ukrainian people are not only fighting for their own freedom and survival, but are also fighting for us, and that we need to be fighting for them. It is also clear where Conservative MPs stand. Their leader has never advocated military, financial or humanitarian support for Ukraine. They voted against the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement. Yesterday, the leader of the Conservative Party dismissively referred to Ukraine as a faraway foreign land. Under this leader, the Conservative—

Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

The Speaker :

I notice that members will wait until I have actually recognized a member to then start heckling again. If members are going to be allowed to heckle, then may I please have a way to identify them before they heckle? Please do not lean back to try to cover your face from other members so the Speaker cannot hear. Please allow the member for Etobicoke Centre to finish so we can all get back to the business of doing the people's work. The hon. member for Etobicoke Centre, from the top, I regret.

Mr. Yvan Baker :

Mr. Speaker, the government has been clear as to where we stand on the war in Ukraine. We know that the Ukrainian people are not only fighting for their own freedom and survival, but are also fighting for us, and that we need to be fighting for them. It is also clear now where Conservative MPs stand. Their leader has never advocated more military, financial or humanitarian support for Ukraine. They voted against the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement. Yesterday, the leader of the Conservative Party referred dismissively to Ukraine as a faraway foreign land.

Under this leader, the Conservative Party has abandoned Ukraine. Could the Prime Minister please reassure Canadians that the government will stand with the Ukrainian people until they win?

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

Mr. Speaker, we see how much the Conservatives hate it when we talk about Ukraine. I thank the member for Etobicoke Centre for his leadership in supporting Ukraine. The Conservatives, yet again, showed Ukrainians and all Canadians who they really are. When it came time to support military aid to Ukraine, they voted against. When it came time to support Operation Unifier, they voted against. When it came to the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement, twice they voted against. While the Conservative leader is busy taking talking points from Fox News and Donald Trump, on this side of the House, we support Ukraine.

Small Business

Mr. Gord Johns (Courtenay—Alberni, NDP) :

Mr. Speaker, even though small businesses are dealing with a cost of living crisis, the Liberals are forcing them to pay back the Canada emergency business account loan within the next few weeks or risk losing up to $20,000. While the Liberals put small businesses in jeopardy, they are handing out $21.6 billion to their rich consultant friends. Reducing this out-of-control outsourcing by just 4% more would cover the costs of extending the CEBA. Instead of choosing rich CEOs and highly paid consultants, will the Liberals support small businesses by extending the CEBA by just one year?

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

Mr. Speaker, during the pandemic, we stepped up with unprecedented supports for small businesses. We were there to support them. We were there to invest in them. We were there to support Canadian workers, Canadian families and Canadian seniors. We were there with supports that saw us through the pandemic with fewer deaths and a stronger economy than most of our peers. The fact is that we were there to help Canadians through the pandemic, and we are going to continue to support small businesses in many different ways. However, the pandemic is over its acute phase. We will continue to be there to support people, but pandemic supports needed to end.

Oil and Gas Industry

Mr. Mike Morrice (Kitchener Centre, GP) :

Mr. Speaker, despite climate negotiations being captured by fossil fuel interests, countries just agreed at COP28 to transition away from fossil fuels. Nonetheless, back at home, the government continues to do the opposite, wasting over $1,200 on behalf of each and every Canadian taxpayer to expand the TMX pipeline, and increasing oil production to record levels. Why is it that the PM cannot find the money to ensure that we end legislated poverty for people with disabilities, but has tens of billions of dollars for a leaky pipeline?

(1525) Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, Canada demonstrated, yet again, its leadership on the world stage with ambitious leadership in putting a cap on emissions from the oil and gas sector, recognizing that we do need to get to a net-zero economy. We need to support all our industries, including our energy industry, in moving towards that. We will be there to support workers in the energy industry as we focus on decarbonization. We will be there to support businesses across this country as they shift to lower-emitting technologies. We understand the process it takes; we will accompany Canadians every step of the way, and we will get to net zero.

Appointment of Clerk

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

Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties, and if you seek it, I believe you would find unanimous consent to adopt the following motion. I move: Motion

That the motion on the Order Paper in the name of the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons related to the appointment of Eric Janse as Clerk of the House of Commons, pursuant to Standing Order 111.1(1), be deemed adopted.

The Speaker :

All those opposed to the hon. minister's moving the motion will please say nay. The House has heard the terms of the motion. All those opposed to the motion will please say nay. (Motion agreed to)

Some hon. members: Hear, hear!

[ Translation ]

Mr. Gérard Deltell :

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Three times today, the leader of the official opposition made reference to a document that was tabled at COP28. That document, entitled, Climate Change Performance Index, gives the—

Some hon. members: No.

[ English ]

Mr. Kevin Lamoureux :

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, I am sure that if you reflect on what took place over question period, and the amount of decorum, and this is something that is really important—

Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

The Speaker :

I will just ask the hon. parliamentary secretary to please quote the standing order so the Speaker can hear.

Mr. Kevin Lamoureux :

Mr. Speaker, a member of Ukrainian heritage, the member for Etobicoke Centre , on several occasions tried to get his question across—

The Speaker :

I am just wondering whether the hon. parliamentary secretary would like to quote the standing order that he is referring to, so I could listen.

Mr. Kevin Lamoureux :

Mr. Speaker, it is Standing Order 18, in reference to decorum. A member of Ukrainian heritage, the member for Etobicoke Centre , on several occasions attempted to get his question across.

Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

Mr. Kevin Lamoureux: Mr. Speaker, as I am right now, he was being shouted down as opposed to being allowed to be heard. We believe, Mr. Speaker, that you should look at those questions and report back, because we are starting to see the MAGA right from the Conservative Party in—

Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

Mr. James Bezan :

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order on the issue of decorum under Standing Order 18. The entire time I, a person of Ukrainian heritage, was giving my S. O. 31, I was heckled and yelled at by the Liberals. When the member for Etobicoke Centre got up, he actually misinformed the House when he said that we were opposed to Ukraine. Actually, the Liberals voted against all the measures we took as a government, as Conservatives. The Liberals voted consecutively, in 2014 and 2015, against measures to support Ukraine, including Operation Unifier and Operation Reassurance.

Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

(1530) The Speaker :

Colleagues, we are now moving into issues of debate. The hon. member for Haldimand—Norfolk, on a point of order.

Ms. Leslyn Lewis :

Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties, and I am sure if you seek it, you will find that Bill C-234 would lower the cost—

Some hon. members: No.

Mr. Mark Gerretsen :

Mr. Speaker, I am further contributing to the point of order raised by the member for Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman in regard to Standing Order 18 and decorum. I just wanted to point out for the member that there were only 34 Liberals here when, he claims, all these votes occurred. I would like to know whether the member wants to say which Liberals voted that way.

The Speaker: We are going to move on now.

Private Members' Business Private Members' Business

[ English ] Protecting Young Persons from Exposure to Pornography Act

The House resumed from December 11 consideration of the motion that Bill S-210,

An Act to restrict young persons’ online access to sexually explicit material , be read the second time and referred to a committee. Bill S-210. Second reading

The Speaker :

It being 3:31 p.m., the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at second reading stage of Bill S-210 under Private Members' Business. Call in the members.

(1545) [ Translation ]

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

(Division No. 609)

YEAS Members Aboultaif Aitchison Albas Allison Angus Arnold Ashton Atwin Bachrach Bains Baldinelli Barlow Barrett Barron Barsalou-Duval Beaulieu Bergeron Berthold Bérubé Bezan Blaikie Blanchet Blanchette-Joncas Blaney Block Boulerice Bradford Bragdon Brassard Brock Brunelle-Duceppe Calkins Cannings Caputo Carrie Chabot Chambers Champoux Chong Collins (Victoria) Cooper Dalton Davidson DeBellefeuille d'Entremont Desbiens Desilets Desjarlais Doherty Dowdall Dreeshen Duncan (Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry) Ellis Epp Falk (Battlefords—Lloydminster) Falk (Provencher) Fast Ferreri Fillmore Findlay Fortin Gallant Garon Garrison Gaudreau Gazan Généreux Genuis Gill Gladu Godin Goodridge Gourde Gray Green Hallan Hoback Hughes Idlout Jeneroux Johns Jones Julian Kelly Khanna Kitchen Kmiec Kram Kramp-Neuman Kurek Kusie Kwan Lake Lambropoulos Lantsman Larouche Lawrence Lehoux Lemire Leslie Lewis (Essex) Lewis (Haldimand—Norfolk) Liepert Lightbound Lloyd Lobb MacGregor Maguire Majumdar Martel Masse Mathyssen Mazier McCauley (Edmonton West) McDonald (Avalon) McGuinty McKay McLean McPherson Melillo Mendès Michaud Moore Morantz Morrice Morrison Morrissey Motz Muys Nater Normandin Patzer Paul-Hus Pauzé Perkins Perron Plamondon Poilievre Rayes Redekopp Reid Rempel Garner Richards Roberts Rood Ruff Savard-Tremblay Scarpaleggia Scheer Schiefke Schmale Seeback Shields Shipley Simard Sinclair-Desgagné Singh Small Soroka Sousa Steinley Ste-Marie Stewart Strahl Stubbs Thériault Therrien Thomas Tochor Tolmie Trudel Uppal Van Popta Vecchio Vidal Vien Viersen Vignola Villemure Vis Vuong Wagantall Warkentin Waugh Webber Williams Williamson Zarrillo Zimmer -- 189

NAYS Members Aldag Alghabra Ali Anand Anandasangaree Arseneault Arya Baker Battiste Beech Bendayan Bennett Bibeau Bittle Blair Blois Boissonnault Brière Carr Casey Chagger Chahal Champagne Chatel Chen Chiang Collins (Hamilton East—Stoney Creek) Cormier Coteau Dabrusin Damoff Dhaliwal Dhillon Diab Dong Drouin Dubourg Duclos Duguid Dzerowicz El-Khoury Erskine-Smith Fisher Fonseca Fortier Fragiskatos Fraser Freeland Fry Gaheer Gainey Gerretsen Gould Guilbeault Hajdu Hanley Hepfner Holland Housefather Hussen Hutchings Iacono Ien Jaczek Joly Jowhari Kayabaga Kelloway Khalid Khera Koutrakis Kusmierczyk Lametti Lamoureux Lapointe Lattanzio Lauzon LeBlanc Lebouthillier Long Longfield Louis (Kitchener—Conestoga) MacAulay (Cardigan) MacDonald (Malpeque) MacKinnon (Gatineau) Maloney Martinez Ferrada May (Cambridge) McKinnon (Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam) McLeod Miao Murray Naqvi Ng Noormohamed O'Connell Oliphant O'Regan Petitpas Taylor Powlowski Qualtrough Robillard Rodriguez Rogers Romanado Rota Sahota Sajjan Saks Sarai Shanahan Sheehan Sidhu (Brampton East) Sidhu (Brampton South) Sorbara St-Onge Sudds Tassi Taylor Roy Thompson Trudeau Turnbull Valdez Van Bynen van Koeverden Vandal Vandenbeld Virani Weiler Wilkinson Yip Zahid Zuberi -- 133

PAIRED Members Deltell Guilbeault -- 2

The Speaker :

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

Mr. Joël Godin :

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. During the vote call in the House on a very important vote to protect young people from pornography, the member for Pontiac rose to vote in favour and then rose to vote against. I would like you to verify that she did indeed vote and I hope she voted in favour.

The Speaker :

I thank the hon. member for Portneuf—Jacques‑Cartier for raising that question. Upon further verification with the table officers, I can assure the member that the vote was recorded only once.

Canadian Aviation Regulations Motion

The House resumed from December 12 consideration of the motion.

The Speaker :

The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on Motion No. 96, under Private Members' Business.

(1600) (The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

(Division No. 610)

YEAS Members Aldag Alghabra Ali Anand Anandasangaree Angus Arseneault Arya Ashton Atwin Bachrach Badawey Bains Baker Barron Barsalou-Duval Battiste Beaulieu Beech Bendayan Bennett Bergeron Bérubé Bibeau Bittle Blaikie Blair Blanchet Blanchette-Joncas Blaney Blois Boissonnault Boulerice Bradford Brière Brunelle-Duceppe Cannings Carr Casey Chabot Chagger Chahal Champagne Champoux Chatel Chen Chiang Collins (Hamilton East—Stoney Creek) Collins (Victoria) Cormier Coteau Dabrusin Damoff Davies DeBellefeuille Desbiens Desilets Desjarlais Dhaliwal Dhillon Diab Dong Drouin Dubourg Duclos Duguid Dzerowicz El-Khoury Erskine-Smith Fillmore Fisher Fonseca Fortier Fortin Fragiskatos Fraser Freeland Fry Gaheer Gainey Garon Garrison Gaudreau Gazan Gerretsen Gill Gould Green Guilbeault Hajdu Hanley Hardie Hepfner Holland Housefather Hughes Hussen Hutchings Iacono Idlout Ien Jaczek Johns Joly Jones Jowhari Julian Kayabaga Kelloway Khalid Khera Koutrakis Kusmierczyk Kwan Lalonde Lambropoulos Lametti Lamoureux Lapointe Larouche Lattanzio Lauzon LeBlanc Lebouthillier Lemire Lightbound Long Longfield Louis (Kitchener—Conestoga) MacAulay (Cardigan) MacDonald (Malpeque) MacGregor MacKinnon (Gatineau) Maloney Martinez Ferrada Masse Mathyssen May (Cambridge) McDonald (Avalon) McGuinty McKay McKinnon (Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam) McLeod McPherson Mendès Miao Michaud Morrice Morrissey Murray Naqvi Ng Noormohamed Normandin O'Connell Oliphant O'Regan Pauzé Perron Petitpas Taylor Plamondon Powlowski Qualtrough Rayes Robillard Rodriguez Rogers Romanado Rota Sahota Sajjan Saks Samson Sarai Savard-Tremblay Scarpaleggia Schiefke Serré Shanahan Sheehan Sidhu (Brampton East) Sidhu (Brampton South) Simard Sinclair-Desgagné Sorbara Sousa Ste-Marie St-Onge Sudds Tassi Taylor Roy Thériault Therrien Thompson Trudeau Trudel Turnbull Valdez Van Bynen van Koeverden Vandal Vandenbeld Vignola Villemure Virani Vuong Weiler Wilkinson Yip Zahid Zarrillo Zuberi -- 212

NAYS Members Aboultaif Aitchison Albas Allison Arnold Baldinelli Barlow Barrett Berthold Bezan Block Bragdon Brock Calkins Caputo Carrie Chambers Chong Cooper Dalton Davidson d'Entremont Doherty Dowdall Dreeshen Duncan (Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry) Ellis Epp Falk (Battlefords—Lloydminster) Falk (Provencher) Fast Ferreri Findlay Gallant Généreux Genuis Gladu Godin Goodridge Gourde Gray Hallan Hoback Jeneroux Kelly Khanna Kitchen Kmiec Kram Kramp-Neuman Kurek Kusie Lake Lantsman Lawrence Lehoux Leslie Lewis (Essex) Lewis (Haldimand—Norfolk) Liepert Lloyd Lobb Maguire Majumdar Martel Mazier McCauley (Edmonton West) McLean Melillo Moore Morantz Morrison Motz Muys Nater Patzer Paul-Hus Perkins Poilievre Redekopp Reid Rempel Garner Richards Roberts Rood Ruff Schmale Seeback Shields Shipley Small Soroka Steinley Stewart Strahl Stubbs Thomas Tochor Tolmie Uppal Van Popta Vidal Vien Viersen Vis Wagantall Warkentin Waugh Webber Williams Williamson Zimmer -- 112

PAIRED Members Deltell Guilbeault -- 2

The Speaker :

Motion agreed to I declare the motion carried. I wish to inform the House that because of the deferred recorded divisions, Government Orders will be extended by 27 minutes.

Message from the Senate

The Speaker :

I have the honour to inform the House that a message has been received from the Senate informing this House that the Senate has passed the following bill, with amendments, to which the concurrence of the House is desired: Bill C‑234 ,

an act to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act. Copies of the amendments are available at the table.

Privilege Awarding of Contract to Boeing—Speaker's Ruling Speaker's Ruling

The Speaker :

I am now prepared to rule on the question of privilege raised on December 1, 2023, by the member for Saint-Hyacinthe─Bagot regarding allegedly misleading information shared by the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence . In his intervention, the member alleged that the House had been misled about the process to replace the Aurora aircraft.

The member noted that, when the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Public Services and Procurement were asked about this matter in the House on November 24 and 28, 2023, they both answered that the decision to award a sole-source contract to Boeing had not yet been made. Yet, according to the member, a newspaper

article published on November 29 revealed that the government knew by then that the contract had been awarded. In the member's view, the government's answers were knowingly inaccurate and effectively misled the House. [ English ] However, the parliamentary secretary to the government House leader explained that the responses from the minister and the parliamentary secretary were accurate at the time they were provided, as the government’s final decision was not made until the evening of November 28.

Given the circumstances, he concluded that the House could not have been misled and that there are no grounds to find a prima facie question of privilege. The House is therefore faced with two versions of events. One is based on an

article published in a newspaper. The other was provided by the parliamentary secretary to the government House leader ; this version indicates that, based on the sequence of events, no misleading information was provided. In cases such as this, the Chair’s role is strictly limited to determining whether a member deliberately misled the House during the proceedings. [ Translation ] In order to find a prima facie question of privilege, three criteria must be met. These criteria are set out in numerous decisions issued by previous Speakers, including one delivered by my predecessor on May 11, 2021, on page 7022 of the Debates, and I quote:

First, the statement must effectively be misleading or manifestly contradictory; second, the author of the statement must know, in making the statement, that it is false; third, the member intended to mislead the House.

[ English ] As members can tell, the threshold for showing that the House was deliberately misled is very high. This is because the consequences of such allegations can be quite serious. Accordingly, the Chair carefully reviewed the statements the minister and the parliamentary secretary made during Oral Questions. [ Translation ] The Chair understands how important it is for members to receive the most reliable and accurate information possible in order to carry out their duties.

However, the Chair could not find evidence that the minister and the parliamentary secretary contradicted themselves or intended to hide information or mislead the House. As a consequence and in keeping with the many precedents on such matters, I cannot in this case find a prima facie question of privilege. I thank all members for their attention.

Routine Proceedings Routine Proceedings

(1605) [ English ] Government Response to Petitions

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

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8)(

a) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to three petitions. These returns will be tabled in an electronic format.

International Trade

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

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2) and in accordance with the enhanced transparency requirements relating to new free trade agreements introduced in the policy on tabling of treaties in Parliament in 2020, I am pleased to notify the House of Commons of the government's intent to initiate negotiations for a Canada-Ecuador free trade agreement. The Government of Canada intends to commence negotiations with Ecuador no earlier than 90 days from the date of this notice.

Interparliamentary Delegations

Hon. David McGuinty (Ottawa South, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1) I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union on its 145th assembly and related meetings in Kigali, Rwanda, from October 11 to 15, 2022.

Mr. Francesco Sorbara (Vaughan—Woodbridge, Lib.) :

Mr.

Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1) I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the following reports: the report of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association respecting its participation in the second part of the 2023 ordinary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, PACE, in Strasbourg, France, from April 24 to 28; the report of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association respecting its participation at the meeting of the Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region in Washington, D.C., U.S.A., from April 25 to 26; the report of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association respecting its participation in the extraordinary meeting of the Standing Committee for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Reykjavik, Iceland, on May 15; and the report of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association respecting its participation in the third part of the 2023 ordinary session of PACE in Strasbourg, France, from June 19 to 23.

Hon. John McKay (Scarborough—Guildwood, Lib.) :

Mr.

Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1) I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, five reports: the report of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group on the Council of State Governments' Midwestern Legislative Conference in Wichita, Kansas, from July 10 to 13, 2022; the report of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group on the Council of State Governments East's 61st annual meeting, in Manchester, New Hampshire, from August 14 to 17, 2022; the report of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group's on its bilateral visit with the United States Senate in Washington, D.C., from May 15 to 16; the report of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group's on the annual meeting of the Western Governors' Association in Boulder, Colorado, from June 26 to 28; and finally, the report of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group on the Council of State Governments' Midwestern Legislative Conference in Detroit, Michigan, from July 9 to 12.

While I am on my feet, I want to thank the members for this work. In many instances, these meetings took place during members' vacation time. I want to thank them for attending to this most important relationship. I also want to acknowledge and thank senators Klobuchar and Crapo for their generous and warm welcome to our delegation while in Washington.

(1610) Committees of the House Fisheries and Oceans

Mr. Ken Hardie (Fleetwood—Port Kells, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the chair of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, the hon. member for Avalon , I will present the following two reports. I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 12th report, entitled “Ecosystem Impacts and Management of Pinniped Populations”. For the folks at home, pinnipeds are sea lions. I also have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 13th report, entitled “Foreign Ownership and Corporate Concentration of Fishing Licences and Quota”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to these reports.

Mr. Clifford Small (Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to table the Conservative supplementary report on ecosystem impacts and management of pinniped populations. The report was completed because Conservative members of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans believe that the main report does not represent the urgency required to deal with the management of pinnipeds fast enough to save fish stocks on all three of Canada's coasts. Witnesses at this study, the mackerel study and the science study all stressed that paying lip service to pinniped predation, as the Liberals have over the last eight years, is simply not enough.

We call on the government to commit to an education campaign to raise awareness of the ecological disaster that has occurred as a result of the imbalance caused by exploding seal and sea lion populations in Canada's coastal regions. This report also calls on the federal government to start lobbying in conjunction with its awareness campaign to gain access to international markets and promote pinniped products to help feed the millions of malnourished as part of Canada's foreign aid program. The committee heard it loud and clear. The time for action is now.

Mr. Mel Arnold (North Okanagan—Shuswap, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, Conservative members on the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans submitted our supplementary report to this study on foreign ownership and corporate concentration of fishing licences and quota because Canada's fisheries are shared common resources owned by the citizens of Canada. The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and her department are mandated to manage and conserve Canada's fisheries for the sustained benefit and prosperity of Canadians, not foreign entities.

In the committee study, we learned how the government is severely failing to protect Canadian harvesters who have been forced to pay for the government's failure. Laws and regulations on the east coast are not being enforced, leaving harvesters vulnerable to exploitation that should have and could have been shut down and eliminated years ago. On the west coast, the government has failed to even establish laws and regulations to protect harvesters and fisheries from foreign ownership and corporate concentration.

The committee delivered recommendations to the government in 2019, but the government has failed to deliver on those recommendations. Conservatives hear Canadian harvesters on all coasts and see the threats they are facing. We will continue to fight to ensure that Canadians can access and earn prosperity from the shared resources of Canada's fisheries.

Canada-People's Republic of China Relationship

Mr. Ken Hardie (Fleetwood—Port Kells, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, as chair of the committee, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fifth interim report of the Special Committee on the Canada-People's Republic of China Relationship, entitled “The Exposure Of Canadian Investment Funds to Human Rights Violations in the People’s Republic Of China”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

[ Translation ] International Trade

Hon. Mona Fortier (Ottawa—Vanier, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 14th report of the Standing Committee on International Trade, entitled “Non-Tariff Barriers to Trade: Some Canadian Perspectives”. I want to thank the members of the committee, as well as the committee clerk and the analysts, for their hard work.

(1615) [ English ] Rail Passenger Priority Act

Mr. Taylor Bachrach (Skeena—Bulkley Valley, NDP)

Bill C-371. Introduction and first reading moved for leave to introduce Bill C-371,

An Act to amend the Canada Transportation Act (passenger rail service) . He said: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today, as the NDP's transport critic, to table the rail passenger priority act. As many in this chamber know, Canada lags behind much of the world when it comes to passenger rail. One of the key reasons for that is because passenger trains in Canada frequently have to pull off and make way for freight trains. This results in poor on-time performance.

This bill would amend the Canada Transportation Act to give passenger trains in Canada priority on the tracks, just as federal law does in the United States and as was recently recommended by the CEO of VIA Rail. Canada has the opportunity to seize the full potential of safe, convenient, climate-friendly passenger rail in this country. On Sunday, I will be setting out, by train, across our beautiful country, to speak with passengers and communities about how the rail passenger priority act is an important part of that endeavour. Merry Christmas. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Committees of the House Agriculture and Agri-Food

Mr. John Barlow (Foothills, CPC) :

Motion for concurrence Mr. Speaker, I move that the 10th report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, presented on Tuesday, June 13, be concurred in.

Mr. Richard Cannings :

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I wonder, if you canvass the room, whether there would be unanimous consent to allow some of us to present petitions that we have waiting for weeks to present. We have been faced with a series of motions for concurrence and other delays. I have citizens who have been asking me to present this petition and wondering why I have not been able to.

The Deputy Speaker :

Is there consent?

Some hon. members : No.

Mr. Gord Johns :

Mr. Speaker, just on a similar point of order, the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs has requested that I table this petition today. I am going to ask if you could canvass the House and allow some of us to table petitions on behalf of the volunteer firefighters who put their lives at risk to protect everybody in our communities, especially in rural Canada. I am hoping that you will get unanimous consent, so that we could table these petitions on behalf of these wonderful volunteers who sacrifice their time and energy for all of us.

Mr. Garnett Genuis :

Mr. Speaker, maybe it would be helpful for members to say that there are concurrence motions, which go for a maximum of three hours, and then there is an opportunity for petitions. If this debate concludes, there will be an opportunity for petitions. I know that there was an opportunity for petitions yesterday. Members have other ways they can table petitions. I hope that if we do not spend too much time on points of order, there will actually be an opportunity to get into petitions later in the day. We will see if the NDP actually puts up speakers on the concurrence motion. That will impact the timeline as well.

Mr. Taylor Bachrach :

Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my disappointment that I am unable to rise today to table a petition on behalf of several chambers of commerce in northwest B.C. and hundreds of small businesses across Canada, concerning the CEBA loans and partial loan forgiveness. This is something supported by the Canadian Federation for Independent Business and many other organizations. It is disappointing that, so late in the session, I am not able to table such an important petition.

(1620) Mr. Mike Morrice :

Mr. Speaker, I wonder if we could seek the House's unanimous consent. It sounds like there are three petitions that are particularly timely, one from the member for South Okanagan—West Kootenay , one from the member for Courtenay—Alberni and one from the member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley . I wonder if the House might consent to hear those three particularly timely petitions.

Mr. Garnett Genuis :

Mr. Speaker, respectfully, my understanding of the rules is that if we proceed to petitions, we are no longer in motions. Maybe there should be a discussion among House leaders about how to ensure we do not lose where we are in motions. We are in motions right now. We need to discuss this motion.

The Deputy Speaker :

I will go to the House leader for the NDP in a second, but if it is the will of the House to hear three petitions, we can hear those three petitions and then go back to the motion as it is predetermined here. Is that agreed?

An hon. member: No.

The Deputy Speaker: The hon. House leader for the New Democratic Party.

Mr. Peter Julian :

Mr. Speaker, as you well know, allowing exceptional certain petitions in a timely manner to be presented is something that we do routinely. It is a courtesy that we offer to members of the House. We have a concurrence debate that has been moved. There is no doubt about that, but I would ask for unanimous consent to allow the member for Courtenay—Alberni to table the petition that he has referenced and that the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs has asked him to present today.

The Deputy Speaker :

You are suggesting maybe just doing the one for Courtenay—Alberni?

Some hon. members: No.

The Deputy Speaker : I am already hearing no, so we are not going to revisit this. I would suggest to the hon. members that they can be tabled. They will be dated today as they were introduced into the House of Commons.

Mr. John Barlow :

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the time that my colleagues have allowed me to discuss the study from the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, entitled “Grocery Affordability: Examining Rising Food Costs In Canada”. I will be splitting my time with the hon. member for Lambton—Kent—Middlesex , who has done a great deal of work on this subject specifically and certainly on the importance of the grocery code of conduct, for example, to try to address food affordability issues for Canadian consumers.

I feel it is important to discuss this study here today because of some information that has come out most recently regarding food inflation and food costs for Canadians. When we completed this study in June this past spring, there was some pretty difficult information for Canadian consumers to hear on the increasing costs and increasing questions and concerns around affordability for Canadians and their inability to feed their families. However, that has become even more acute with the information that has come out recently regarding Canada's food price report, which came out last week.

It revealed that, in 2024, Canadian families will pay $700 more for groceries than they did the previous year. Even the work we did on this initial study last spring is now almost out of date and obsolete, as food prices have continued to rise. We see now that food inflation will go up again next year between 5% and 7% depending on the commodity we are purchasing. As part of this study, we were waiting for an additional report from Dalhousie University and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois. The executive

summary on the results of his study says that he and Dalhousie University have forecast that inflationary pressures and uncompetitive policies, like the carbon tax, on growing, processing and transporting food will increase the cost of wholesale food by 34% on average for all food categories by 2025.Thirty-four per cent is the increase in food costs that Canadian consumers are going to be facing over the next two years.

This comes at a time when we have about two million Canadians relying on a food bank every single month, and when one in five Canadians is skipping meals because they cannot afford to put food on the table. However, I think the stats we heard in this study are even more concerning. As part of this study, we had testimony from Daily Bread Food Bank and Second Harvest. Their testimony was that, due to the dire situation, according to their figures, “food banks and other food-related programs across Canada served [5.1 million] people per month last year”.

I know we are talking about two million Canadians relying on a food bank every single month, but when we include other food insecurity programs, like Second Harvest, that number goes to more than five million Canadians who are using a food security program or charity like a food bank every single month. Now, as a result of the additional information we have been provided, we are going to see higher food prices, up to maybe 34%.

Again, from testimony from the Daily Bread Food Bank and Second Harvest, they are expecting the number of people using food banks and other food-related charities to climb to 8.2 million Canadians, which is roughly a 60% increase. Can members imagine that, because of inflationary policies and policies like the carbon tax, in Canada, where we have the ability to not only feed our own residents but help feed the world, we could have more than eight million Canadians relying on a regular basis on food banks and food charities to be able to feed their families?

I find it to be unfathomable that in Canada we would be seeing those types of numbers. I hope everybody in the House will see those numbers as absolutely shocking. The Conservatives put forward a number of recommendations last June that we asked the government to follow-up on to try to address some of these concerning trends we are seeing. I would like to mention a couple of the recommendations we put forward that I thought were quite specific and would go a great way in addressing this crisis we are facing.

(1625) Recommendation 1 said, “That the Government of Canada remove the carbon tax that is applied to all food inputs and production including all farm fuels and other...aspects of the food supply system.” Recommendation 2 was that the Government of Canada complete an economic assessment on the impact of the carbon tax and the clean fuel standard, carbon tax 2, and how this increase will affect the cost of food production, the price of food and the entire food supply chain.

Recommendation 3 said, “That the Government of Canada immediately reverse its policy on front-of-package labelling.” There is only one thing we missed, which I think we would have added as a fourth recommendation had we known about it at the time. We now know the Liberal government is putting a ban on plastic food packaging, particularly for fresh fruit and vegetables, which will add an additional $8 billion to food costs. I want to really stress this point to everyone in the House and anyone who may be watching.

This plastics ban is not the single-use plastics ban that the government has now been forced to reverse as a result of the decision at the court because it is unconstitutional. This is another ban on plastics. I want Canadians to picture this. As a result of this plastics ban on fresh fruit and vegetables, Canadians will be unable to purchase products they rely on, essential products they purchase every day, such as prepackaged salads, cucumbers and bananas. Many of these products are transported to Canada from outside of our country. We do not grow bananas in our climate.

We have not quite gotten there with greenhouses. Because of these plastic packaging rules, companies outside of Canada will not upend their systems to meet an incomprehensible rule that they do not want to meet and cannot meet. Canadians will be going to the grocery stores and seeing empty grocery store shelves because we will no longer be able to import these products. The secondary concern, as a result of front-of-pack labelling and this plastics ban adding another $14 billion in costs on the food industry, is that Canadians are going to see skyrocketing food prices. We see the stats from Dr.

Sylvain Charlebois on the carbon tax and other policies driving up food costs by 34%, and now we will add on other layers of bureaucracy. It is nonsensical and not based on science. The fresh produce industry cannot meet this deadline being imposed on it. At the same time, the Liberal loyalists in the Senate did everything they could to kill Bill C-234 , which would save Canadian farmers $1 billion by 2030 on the carbon tax. We heard the Prime Minister in question period today basically questioning the carbon tax bills that farmers are sending us every single day.

He said he does not think they are being forthright on what their carbon tax numbers are; he thinks they are too high. He should go out to every farm in Canada that is spending tens of thousands of dollars a month on carbon taxes to heat and cool barns, dry grains and operate family farms. These are the real-life consequences of the government's policies on carbon taxes and the impact they are having on everyday Canadians' ability to feed their families.

I thought it was very important that we have an opportunity to address the study we tabled last June and try to update some of the numbers in the study that have now become obsolete as a result of the new data that has become available. Food prices are not only going up 5% to 7%.

As a result of the data and the studies that have been done and as a result of the Liberals' carbon tax and other punitive policies, such as front-of-pack labelling and the ban on P2 plastics, Canadians are going to find it much more difficult to feed themselves, and millions more Canadians are going to be relying on food banks and charities. After eight years, the Prime Minister is simply not worth the cost.

(1630) Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, I heard the member for Foothills indicate that the price on pollution is going to increase the cost of groceries by 34% over the next two years. Can he explain how he can substantiate that?

Mr. John Barlow :

Mr. Speaker, I want to be clear. While I always appreciate the hon. member trying to put his own spin on things, what I said was that this is as a result of a study by Dr. Sylvain Charlebois of Dalhousie University. These are not numbers I am picking out of the sky. I will try to find the quote for the hon. member for Winnipeg North . It must drive him crazy to find out that there are numbers and we make decisions based on data. Dr. Sylvain Charlebois has forecast that inflationary pressures and uncompetitive policies, like the carbon tax, on growing, processing and transporting food will increase the cost of wholesale food by 34% on average for all food categories by 2025.

Mr. Alistair MacGregor (Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, NDP) :

Mr. Speaker, I always appreciate the chance to speak about agriculture in the House. I am a bit disappointed because I was hoping to speak to Bill C-58 today. My hon. colleague will know, given that he serves on the committee with me, that we are revisiting this issue. We recently had four of the five grocery CEOs appear before our committee. Of course, in particular, Mr. Galen Weston tends to stand out. He is the one the media seems to be interested in. What I found interesting when Mr.

Weston appeared before our committee is that he did not seem to be aware of how many of his employees are accessing a food bank in order to get by. This is a man who commands a benefits package worth about 431 times that of his average employee. The point I really want to get to is that Mr. Weston's company, Loblaws, is one of the two holdouts on joining a grocery code of conduct. I want my hon. colleague to explain this to members of the House. If we have Walmart and Loblaws step out of the grocery code of conduct, what is that going to do for the remaining players?

What does he think the federal government, in partnership with the provinces, should do as a next step? Does he believe that it is time to start enforcing a mandatory code as a result?

(1635) Mr. John Barlow :

Mr. Speaker, my colleague is correct. I was disappointed to see how the grocery CEOs were approaching the grocery code of conduct. We are now seeing Loblaws and Walmart pull out. The grocery code of conduct, in its voluntary mandate right now, likely will not move ahead unless all five main grocery retailers sign on to it. These grocery retailers need to start to take this seriously. I think Canadians need to understand that the fees and fines these retailers are burdening suppliers, producers and processors with across Canada are driving up food costs and making life unaffordable for Canadian farmers.

When we have 44% of produce growers in Canada operating at a loss, that is unsustainable. A lot of that has to fall at the feet of those retailers, which are not doing their fair share.

Mr. Robert Kitchen (Souris—Moose Mountain, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague's speech and his comments recognizing the huge impact this has had on the agriculture industry, which is the backbone of my riding. So many of my agriculture producers are being challenged, whether because of a port strike in Vancouver, the restrictions, the worries about a possible port strike in Montreal and the huge costs that are being put on our farmers, which increase their costs. As the member knows, increasing their costs and transportation costs is going to eventually increase costs to consumers. Ultimately, that is going to put more people into food banks. I wonder if the member would expand on that.

Mr. John Barlow :

Mr. Speaker, I am very thankful to my colleague, who has always been a strong advocate for Canadian farmers and certainly his constituents in Saskatchewan. This is why I find the comments of the Prime Minister today in question period so offensive. He said that farmers are not telling the truth about the cost of the carbon tax and said that 97% of their carbon taxes are covered. That is completely false. Unlike most any other industry, Canadian farmers pay the carbon t