Debates of June 7th, 2023

Housing

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. Leader of the Opposition.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, 2021-22: I will tell us what was happening. I will tell us what he was doing. He was trying to stuff a half-billion dollars into the WE Charity to help a group that had paid off his family.

We know that he gave money to Frank Baylis's company. We know that 40% of all of the deficits he added had nothing to do with COVID, according to the PBO. We know that he added $100 billion of debt before COVID ever happened and now he is adding hundreds of billions more now that COVID is done.

He has got to stop using the COVID excuse and start answering the question. People do not know how they are going to pay their mortgages. That is why I have had to ask 20 times about that question.

Will he finally answer it?

How will they pay their mortgages?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, over the past years, we have been investing in Canadians, in targeted, non-inflationary ways, with things like the doubling of the GST credit, with dental supports for families with children under 12, with investments that have cut child care fees in half.

These are all things that the Conservative Party stands against and, indeed, says it would cut.

I ask us: how would cutting programs for Canadians help them in this difficult time?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, let me break it down. I have been trying with 20 questions to get him to understand.

Here is the domino effect. His spending causes deficits, which cause inflation, which causes interest rates to go up, which causes defaults. How do we reverse that?

We stop the deficits, which stops the inflation, which stops the interest rates from going up, which stops the defaults.

What part of that does he not understand?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, once again, never letting the facts get in the way of a good political argument is the Leader of the Opposition's modus operandi.

He says that if we were to raise child care fees in Canada instead of cutting them in half, if we were to not deliver dental care for young kids across this country, then, suddenly, inflation, which is impacting the world all over, would drop, that Canada is so important in the world that our lowest deficits in the GDP are contributing massively to this global inflation context.

It is complete garbage from the Leader of the Opposition.

Regional Economic Development

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, our government believes that close collaboration with our provincial and territorial counterparts is essential. When we put partisan differences aside and the interests of Canadians first, anything is possible.

I understand that the Minister of Rural Economic Development was in Newfoundland and Labrador last week hosting a federal-provincial-territorial meeting on rural economic development.

Can the Prime Minister share with the House the significance of this meeting and what it means for rural Canadians?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for St. John's East for her question and her hard work.

Last week in Newfoundland, we hosted the first-ever FPT meeting dedicated to building strong and thriving rural communities. Indigenous leaders and rural experts discussed how to continue building a collaborative and coordinated approach to helping rural communities succeed. Whether it be on connectivity, workforce issues or climate resilience, we owe it to Canadians to work together. When we do, we can make transformational changes to all communities, and that is what we will continue to do.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Punjabi international students who placed their trust in unscrupulous consultants in India have been defrauded and are now facing the devastating consequence of deportation.

I will be asking for a unanimous consent motion later on to support these students, but my question is for the Prime Minister: Will he stay the deportation of all these students who are impacted and provide a pathway to permanent residency for them?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we are deeply aware of cases of international students facing removal orders over fraudulent college acceptance letters.

To be clear, our focus is on identifying the culprits, not penalizing the victims. Victims of fraud will have an opportunity to demonstrate their situations and present evidence to support their cases.

We recognize the immense contributions international students bring to our country and we remain committed to supporting victims of fraud as we evaluate each case.

Climate Change

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is right about one thing, which is that climate change is real, but the policies of the current government do not meet the requirements of the moment.

We are in a climate emergency. Our eyes are burning in this place. The Ottawa parliamentary bubble has been pierced by the forest fires across this country, yet in this place the debates are inane.

Please, will the Prime Minister commit to cancelling the Trans Mountain pipeline and protecting the Northeast Newfoundland Slope Closure from oil and gas development now?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I agree with my hon. colleague that it is unfortunate that in this House we continue to have to debate whether or not climate change is real. It is unfortunate that the Conservative opposition still stands against any climate action.

We should be discussing the best way to protect future generations from the impacts of climate change. We should be talking about completing ambitious plans to do even more to build strong economies, to create great jobs and fight climate change. Unfortunately, the Conservatives continue to debate whether it is happening at all.

Presence in Gallery

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I wish to draw the attention of members to the presence in the gallery of the Honourable Anne Kang, Minister of Municipal Affairs for the Province of British Columbia.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I also wish to draw the attention of members to the presence in the gallery of the Honourable Don McMorris, Minister of Government Relations for the Province of Saskatchewan.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, if you seek it, I believe you will find unanimous consent for the following motion: Given that a group of Punjabi international students has been defrauded and is now facing devastating consequences of potential deportation, I move that the House call on the government to immediately stay the deportation of all affected students, waive inadmissibility on the basis of misrepresentation and provide a pathway to permanent residency to the defrauded Punjabi international students currently facing deportation.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

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

[Some hon. members]

Nay.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I am sorry. We do not have agreement on this one.

The hon. member for La Prairie on a point of order.

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on Wednesdays, the Prime Minister is here to answer questions. We appreciate having him here to field all the questions, but unfortunately, he does not answer them. He cannot keep dodging questions like this. He was asked two questions about interference, but his answers were about forest fires.

I wish this noble assembly would be more serious and that questions would actually be answered.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

That is a comment rather than a point of order.

The House resumed from May 31 consideration of the motion.

Health

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

It being 3:26 p.m., pursuant to order made earlier today, the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion to concur in the 14th report of the Standing Committee on Health concerning an extension to consider Bill C-293.

Call in the members.

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

Vote #352

Committees of the House

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I declare the motion carried.