Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives just learned a new word, “affordability”, and they use it often in the House of Commons, but every time they get the chance to vote in favour of an affordability measure backed by experts, they vote against. This feigned new interest in supporting lower-income Canadians is not fooling anybody. Besides, our policies are working, particularly on rents. I will read a co…
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Mr. Speaker, never in his more than 20-year career has the new, temporary member of Parliament for Battle River—Crowfoot cared about people who are in financial need. The new, feigned approach to affordability is not convincing any Canadians. The GST rebate makes a big difference for families who need it. The Conservatives have committed to voting for the bill, but they still want to criticize it …
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Mr. Speaker, while it is heartening to hear the Conservatives talk about affordable housing, it would be nice if they actually voted in favour of some of the policies that would help get affordable housing built. A couple of years ago, we invested a novel $1.5 billion into new co-op housing builds, and that means that there are 3,500 units under construction right now. We are having Canadians move…
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Mr. Speaker, I know it is convenient for the Conservatives to say that a GST rebate is from Justin Trudeau's playbook, but as a kid who grew up in the eighties and nineties, when there was a GST rebate that helped lower-income families and my family, I would like to call that into question. It is an age-old Canadian policy that has worked for decades, a means-tested way to get money to the familie…
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives talk a good talk on affordable housing, but when it comes time to actually vote in favour of policies that get affordable housing built, they are nowhere to be seen. For the last year, they have been filibustering in committee, making sure that really important policies do not follow through. They ought to stop filibustering in committee. We have a first-time homebuy…
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Mr. Speaker, farmers know that the number one cause of food inflation in Canada and globally is climate change. When they are listing off the products that are most affected by climate change, they often list lettuce, which is impacted by climate change in California; coffee, which is imported to Canada as we do not grow coffee here; and beef, which is impacted by climate change. The Conservatives…
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Mr. Speaker, to the member's question, not only do we take the statistics very seriously, but we also take the recommendations of the organizations that are working to feed hungry Canadians extremely seriously. The top recommendation of Food Banks Canada was to create a groceries and essentials benefit. The Conservatives have a chance to support that motion and to vote in favour of it to help Cana…
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Mr. Speaker, I am happy to correct the record. Unfortunately, the Conservative member is mistaken. We have fast-tracked many projects, including recreational facilities across this country. Those were outlined in the budget. If the Conservative members allowed time on the legislative schedule, voted in favour of the budget implementation act and supported the supports that are going out to Canadia…
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Mr. Speaker, just a couple of days ago, there was a fad on Instagram where everybody was looking back to 2016. The Conservatives were saying exactly the same stuff in 2016 that they are saying today. That was 10 years ago. They are still talking down climate action. They are still ignoring lower-income Canadians. They still think climate change is a hoax. Some things never change. What has not cha…
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Mr. Speaker, after listening to the member's speech, I think we live in alternate realities. Times are tough and food is too expensive, but we have solutions and things have been going well, particularly on the jobs front. Will the member acknowledge that Canadians built 190,000 jobs in this country between September and December of last year; that Canada's real GDP growth is forecasted to be high…
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Mr. Speaker, there was actually a study on the impact the industrial carbon pricing has on the cost of food, and the result of that study was that it has a 0% impact on the cost of groceries. The number one cause of food inflation is actually climate change, and we only have to talk to one farmer to realize that. I fully recognize that food costs too much these days, so our government is here with…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for speaking up for the environment and for the fight against climate change. It is a cause that is close to my heart. It is one of the many reasons that prompted me to put my name on the ballot. Fighting climate change is a priority for our government. We have many programs and tools to achieve this. Industry and the energy sector can do their part. A lot of Onta…
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Mr. Speaker, I just wonder if my hon. colleague could either agree or disagree that something like this has happened, because this is something I have experienced. The Conservatives are standing in the House disparaging the Major Projects Office, talking down our initiatives to build up Canada, create more projects and ensure that more projects get built in Canada. Publicly the Conservatives are a…
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Mr. Speaker, I am proud to speak to this important motion today, particularly in the context of where our nation is in early 2026. Our government is restoring economic sovereignty to this country. We are encouraging resource development, strengthening competitive investments, both foreign and domestic, and spurring on innovation here at home. Being from the beautiful riding of Burlington North—Mil…
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Mr. Speaker, it is always pretty fresh to hear the Conservatives talk about elitism when they are talking down supports for hard-working Canadians. Twelve million Canadians are going to benefit from the Canada groceries and essentials benefit. From a personal perspective, when my hard-working single mom got that benefit four times a year, that meant running shoes for me and my brother, that meant …
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Mr. Speaker, the Canada groceries and essentials benefit will put food directly onto the tables of hard-working Canadian families and not just a few. We are talking about 12 million Canadians. Only Conservatives are willing to stand in the way of affordability for families that need a little bit of help. This Liberal government has the backs of Canadians. That Conservative leader turned his back o…
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Mr. Speaker, let us remember when the Grinch tried to steal Christmas. He drove all the way up to the top of Mount Crumpit because he had everything he needed and was going to throw away the gifts the Whos deserved because he thought they did not deserve to have nice things. That is kind of like the Leader of the Conservative Party. For 25 years he has had dental care because he has had a job here…
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Mr. Speaker, first, there is no tax on groceries. There is no tax on food. There will never be taxes on groceries, and there will never be taxes on food. That member is a farmer; she should know better. She should know that the industrial carbon price has absolutely no impact on the cost of groceries. The Conservatives keep talking about things like the price of coffee. Maybe they should stand up …
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Mr. Speaker, watching the leader of the Conservative Party lose in slow motion today has been a little amusing, but what is more interesting is watching him do it with a big grin on his face, because he is so proud of himself. He is proud to vote against child care; he is proud to vote against school food programs, and he is so proud to vote against affordable housing. What else is he proud of tod…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my friend for speaking today on the important issue of online dangers for children. I also thank him for his work on the committee. What is the Bloc's position on improving the safety of online platforms and social media for young people in Canada? What measures should the federal government take to better protect minors online? What activities should be promoted…
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Mr. Speaker, there are no taxes on food. Look, food is too expensive. That is a fact, but I have some other facts for the member. One, the number one driver of food cost inflation is climate change, something those Conservatives will never say. Two, industrial carbon pricing applies to goods sold on international markets, and it is not passed on to consumers. Three, industrial carbon systems impac…
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Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of respect for that member. I have been to his riding and I know the farmers in his riding very well. They know that industrial carbon pricing does not affect the cost of food in Canada. He should spend more time talking to those farmers. However, if he wants something to put on his hot dog, here are four things: dental care for Canadians, $10-a-day child care for young k…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Terrebonne for that excellent question. The extraordinary success of Burlington's pride and joy, Victoria Mboko, at the National Bank Open reminds us how essential it is to make sports accessible to all Canadians. That is why our government has championed sport as a project in the national interest. Victoria's success proves that when we invest in sport, Canada …
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Mr. Speaker, food security experts and poverty elimination companies do a great job advocating directly to government, and what they are saying is that we need more affordable housing. In the last two weeks alone, we have announced 857 new co-op housing units. That is really close to home for me because I am proud to have grown up in co-op housing, unlike some of the Conservatives who like to call…
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Mr. Speaker, Feed Ontario and Food Banks Canada do important work on the front lines, but they also make important recommendations for government. What are some of those recommendations? They recommended that budget 2025 include automatic benefits, There is the Canada disability benefit, which was brought back by our government and the national school food program, which was made permanent by our …
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Mr. Speaker, even as I am being heckled by the member who asked a question in good faith, I will continue to answer. Four thousand homes is just the beginning. The member has multiplied an ongoing denominator, or divided it, by the total amount we will invest over the five years by the current allocation. That is not just bad math, it is disingenuous. He knows that is not the case. He can do math,…
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Mr. Speaker, I will make a recommendation. I think it is abhorrent that the Conservatives continue to double down on the notion that healthy snacks for kids in schools is garbage. This supports local agriculture, supports farmers and communities, supports education and edible education, and puts food on the curriculum. It also makes sure that regardless of who forgets their lunch or who does not h…
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Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember that Canada is at economic war with the United States and that we need to take action now. We need to consider the tools available to our government to protect all sectors, workers and families in Canada and to give them confidence. In my view, the people of Canada, Canadian workers and families, can trust our leadership.
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Mr. Speaker, there was so much misinformation and conspiracy theory jargon in that little question that I do not even know where to start. Let us start with the obvious. A $13-billion investment in non-market housing over the next five years is precisely what this country needs. Currently, our co-op and non-market housing stock is too low a percentage when compared to other OECD nations. This shou…
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Mr. Speaker, it is nice to stand in the House to talk about the budget implementation act, but before I do, I would like to briefly remember a good person, a great Canadian, a champion and a fine friend. Yesterday, athletes at the 2025 Canadian Olympic curling trials in Halifax took a moment away from their competition to honour Colleen Jones and reflect on her legacy. The world champion curler an…
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Mr. Speaker, my friend and colleague from Spadina—Harbourfront is somebody who knows a thing or two about the fight for gender equity in sport and beyond. We are seeing remarkable progress and momentum in women's professional sport across this country. A smart, sustainable business model has built the Northern Super League, and it is redefining what is possible in Canada with professional women's …
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Mr. Speaker, we are building Canada strong, and that includes the spaces and places that Canadians go to play, to practise and to exercise. A healthy lifestyle is preventative medicine, and we are building the facilities necessary right across this country, with new rinks, new pools and new field houses, so the next generation of Canadians can have better physical literacy and a healthier lifestyl…
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Mr. Speaker, addiction is a serious issue, and the Conservatives are making it blatantly political, which is wrong. Regardless of where people can access it, nicotine causes addiction to nicotine. The Conservatives should be absolutely ashamed of themselves. We have produced good numbers on nicotine and cigarette reductions. We continue to be there to improve the health of Canadians and make sure …
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Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives are focused on imaginary taxes, we are building Canada strong. Budget 2025 invests $51 billion into the build community strong fund. This is good news for families in southwestern Ontario, like the folks that live in the area my colleague represents. This includes money for the new athletic park in Surrey. It includes the Royal Athletic Park in Victoria. It inc…
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Mr. Speaker, on Monday, I announced a more than $3 million investment in mental health for athletes to support the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic institutes and networks across our country, supported by the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Paralympic Committee. We are also supporting game plan, the Canadian national team total wellness program. These investments are critical because ou…
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Mr. Speaker, every time the Food Banks report comes out, I read it. I read what the recommendations are and what the organizations that are focused on reducing poverty and food insecurity in Canada recommend that our government do. The report recommends that we undertake measures like the national school food program, a program that one Conservative member from Newfoundland said last week was “gar…
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Mr. Speaker, what the leader of the Conservatives does not seem to get is that Canadians use hope, hard work and sacrifice every single day to build up our country and our communities. When the failed former MP from Carleton lost his seat, he did not have to make any sacrifices or be accountable. He did not even learn a lesson, clearly. When his constituents fired him, he should have maybe paused …
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and fellow team Canada Olympian for his dedication to community sport. He is right. Champions lift our communities up and the Jays Care Foundation is making baseball and softball more inclusive and accessible right across Canada. Through Sport Canada's community sport for all initiative, the government has coinvested $450,000 with the Jays Care Foundation for a milli…
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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2) and consistent with the policy on the tabling of treaties in Parliament, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the treaty entitled “Amendments to Annex I of the International Convention Against Doping in Sport”, notified on October 1, 2023, and November 1, 2024.
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Mr. Speaker, caring for Canadians means that we are putting forward actual measures that are going to support affordability, and we are also going to be honest with Canadians. We are not going to make up taxes like this made-up, “make plastic bags free again” motion the Conservatives put forward last week in order to pretend to care about food prices. When the Conservatives read the Food Banks rep…
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Mr. Speaker, what helps Canadians is cutting taxes for 22 million Canadians, and that is what we did earlier this year. We are supporting affordability measures with actual policies, not just with rhetoric in the House of Commons and not with misinformation. Time and time again, the Conservatives have stood up in the House to suggest there are taxes on groceries. Canadians know better; they can re…
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Mr. Speaker, that was a good show from everybody. We are here talking about the Conservative opposition motion. It is tough, because I disagree with the premise of the motion. The Conservatives are once again fabricating affordability. There are very real affordability challenges that Canadians are facing, but the Conservatives are blaming them on simply the wrong thing. If they ask any food scien…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for asking the question in English. I am very pleased to offer him a response in English. Mr. Speaker, I have been visiting schools across my riding and assisting when I can with the school food programs. They have a very significant positive impact on learning, nutrition and health, but they also save families money. Some researchers indicate it is up to …
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Mr. Speaker, studies show that school food programs improve student health and mental health. They also improve learning outcomes, for better grades in science, math and reading. Those healthy meals in schools can also save a family up to $200 a month. That is a real solution for affordability and for health for Canadians. Why did the Conservatives, when they had the chance to vote for healthy sch…
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Mr. Speaker, Quebec is a leader among all the provinces when it comes to school food programs. Over the past decade, there have been many examples of schools in Quebec offering breakfast, snacks or other food, and there is overwhelming evidence showing that this type of program yields positive results for students. I agree with my colleague. Corporate greed is a problem when it comes to housing or…
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Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to wish the entire Franco-Ontarian community a happy Franco-Ontarian Day. I also want to congratulate all francophones and francophiles, like me, from this province of Ontario on the 50th anniversary of their flag. I would also like to thank my friend and neighbour from Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford for congratulating and encouraging our amazing women's rugby p…
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Mr. Speaker, it is astonishing that today, members of the Conservative party have stood up and very willingly said they are against healthy food in schools for kids. They are saying they do not agree with a nation school food program that is feeding kids, particularly those who need it. This is an evidence-based program. We used to be the only country in the world without a national school program…
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Mr. Speaker, Food Banks Canada does essential work on the front lines, but it also makes recommendations for politicians like us on better policies to support Canadians, so I would put it back on that member. When we had a vote in this House of Commons not that long ago on a national school food program, he voted against it. Every time we have a policy to support Canadians, such as $10-a-day child…
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Mr. Speaker, Food Banks Canada conducts important research and also makes very important recommendations for governments. It says we should strengthen the social safety net to support Canadians facing affordability challenges. We are doing that with dental care, with the middle-class tax cut, with “build Canada homes” and with $10-a-day child care. Those things are making a difference in Canadians…
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Mr. Speaker, when I take the time to sit down with food bankers and experts in poverty reduction right across the country, they make recommendations. They talk about strengthening our social safety net and making sure there are services, like EI, available to Canadians. We also have challenges with northern food insecurity, and that is something we are working on directly on the advice of experts …
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