Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I speak with workers across this country, as all members of this House do, and what I hear them say is that they want us to invest in their success. They want us to invest in the great jobs of today and tomorrow. We want to make sure that they can access skills training through things like the union training investment that we have been providing to unions, ensuring that we can attrac…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to take a moment to acknowledge that it is a national day of mourning for workers who have lost their lives or become injured at work. I know all of the members in this House are thinking about their families, communities and colleagues today. I also want to speak about the investment that we have been making in skilled trades, major projects and community infrastructure across…
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Mr. Speaker, all across Canada, Canadians have been pulling together to make sure that we build Canada strong. I would challenge the member from the opposite party to ask herself this: Why is she voting against kids getting food in school? Why is she voting against affordable child care? Why does she vote against skilled tradespeople having the opportunity to fill their apprenticeship and actually…
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Mr. Speaker, if being just another Liberal means that we support single mothers with the cost of child care, then I am just another Liberal. If being just another Liberal means that we help ensure that kids get food to eat in schools, then I am just another Liberal. If making sure that skilled tradespeople get the training to get those prosperous jobs, or investing in major projects, is being a Li…
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Mr. Speaker, let us try this another way. If being Conservative means voting against hungry kids, I guess the Leader of the Opposition is just another Conservative. If being a member of the Conservative Party means voting against workers, trades, GST tax credits, tax on fuel and doubling down on—
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Mr. Speaker, I know that there are a lot of Conservative voters out there, even in my own riding, who come up to me every single day. Do members know what they say to me? They say to keep going, to keep fighting for our workers, to keep fighting for our kids and to keep fighting for our families. That is why I am proud to be just another Liberal.
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Mr. Speaker, what we are telling Canadians is that no matter the circumstance, we are going to be there for them. I just want to take this moment to say to all Canadian students across the country that there are 100,000 new jobs in the job bank and to please apply for Canada summer jobs in their own community. This is the kind of action, by the way, that these guys vote against all the time. They …
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Mr. Speaker, just moments ago, the Leader of the Opposition was talking about single mothers. What I would like to say to all the single moms across the country is that we have their back. We have their back with the Canada child benefit payment, which is indexed to inflation, so that when the costs go up, so does their payment. This is something the Conservatives voted against. We have their back…
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Mr. Speaker, it is clear that we hit a nerve today, did we not? They know the truth. Whether we are talking about investment and skilled trades workers, or supporting workers when they are laid off due to tariffs or other issues related to that sector, Conservatives vote against Canadians' interests. Whether it is $500, $1,800, $16,000, it is the same pattern of behaviour. They vote against the ve…
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Mr. Speaker, while this government has been focused on giving Canadians a boost today and a bridge to tomorrow, the opposition has been sticking spokes in the wheels of Canadians, whether it is affordable child care, building major projects, training skilled trades workers, making sure youth can afford post-secondary education or feeding kids at school. It does not matter what the support is; the …
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Mr. Speaker, whether $190 a year, $1,800 a year or $12,000 a year, no matter the savings that we find for Canadians, the answer from the Conservative Party is, “No, not that, not those savings for families. That is not good enough.” Families know that this government is here to support them in these times and in all times. This is the way to build Canada strong for all.
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Mr. Speaker, here is the thing: We can focus on two things at the same time. We can help families with urgent cost relief right now, which we are doing by eliminating the fuel excise tax, but what we can also do, and this is the part Conservatives do not get, is help with long-term sustainable affordability. That is where things like affordable child care come in, or removing the HST from new home…
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Mr. Speaker, employment insurance is very important for all workers in this country. That is why we improved the program and added measures for workers facing real hardships. It is why we have added measures to ensure that workers who are facing hard times get what they deserve as fast as they can and ensure that they have the weeks they need to stay financially viable.
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Mr. Speaker, workers in Canada must have confidence in our EI system. That is why we added measures to support workers across the country. I want to work with my colleague to come up with other ideas to help workers.
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Mr. Speaker, let us suppose for a moment that there is a generational windfall. I know what the Conservatives would not spend it on. They sure would not spend it on training for young people, because they voted against that. They sure would not spend it on building the kind of infrastructure that communities need while creating great-paying union jobs, because they voted against that. They sure wo…
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Mr. Speaker, maybe the member remembers voting against all of the measures that actually make life more affordable. For example, there is early learning and child care here in Ontario, which is saving a family with one child $16,000 a year. For example, there was the announcement we just made yesterday to ensure students can access up to 40% more in student grants, which is going to make sure that…
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Mr. Speaker, I do not know what the Conservatives' jobs plan is, because they vote against every single thing, including the things that unions have said they need. We are investing in skills training for young people. We are moving forward with a defence industrial strategy that is creating 125,000 jobs, the major projects are estimated to support over 60,000 jobs and we are ensuring that workers…
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Mr. Speaker, despite the conversation today about the impacts of immigration on youth unemployment, I will remind opposition members that even though they enjoy the benefits of something like the Canada summer jobs program, and they go out and meet those students, they vote against those programs time and time again. It is a bit fraudulent, I would say, to meet youth in their ridings and celebrate…
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Mr. Speaker, what the member alleges is hard to prove. What I will say is that what we can prove is that the investments we are making in workers, the investments we are making in major projects and the investments we are making in defence will lead to hundreds of thousands of jobs. Do members know who is happy about that? It is the unions and the workers all across this country who are eagerly lo…
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Mr. Speaker, at the end of the member for Calgary Midnapore's question, just recently, she screamed “shut up” at another member across the aisle. I have to say it is disheartening. I know we get excited and there is heckling that goes on, but to use such unparliamentary language, especially when asking a question, seems really disrespectful in this place.
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Mr. Speaker, the number of Canadians waiting to start their OAS is declining. In fact, Canadians expect a modern benefit delivery system that makes sure their benefits are available when they need them. There were 7.7 million Canadians transferred to the new system without any problem, and those who are waiting are largely paper applications. We have a plan and a process to get through those. If a…
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Mr. Speaker, I do not know what workers that member was speaking with, but it sure was not the president of Unifor Local 200, who said, “The problem is that he went ahead and did not consult with Unifor, and it was very, very frustrating to see the things that he put in place knowing we would be in big trouble”. The president, John D'Agnolo, went on to say that he is “ecstatic” over the auto measu…
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Mr. Speaker, it is almost as if the Conservatives do not understand that we are in a tariff war and that there is a war in the Middle East threatening the Canadian economy right now. We have been preparing to support workers in these turbulent times, but yet again, they vote against every measure we put forward for workers. That is not what the Ontario government is saying. I was so proud to sign …
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Mr. Speaker, just yesterday, I heard a Conservative member of Parliament say that helping people was ideological. Maybe they should get together and talk to each other, because if you think that helping people fix their teeth is ideological, feeding a hungry kid at school is ideological, cutting taxes is ideological or having child care that costs people $16,000 less a year is ideological, then I …
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Mr. Speaker, it is true that what scares people the most is a system that breaks down when they need it. They are afraid of a system that will fail them in their time of need, and let me be clear. That is exactly why we have modernized this system, because a 60-year-old system was guaranteed to fail. In fact, that is what the Auditor General said. I think we agree that it was time to modernize, an…
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Mr. Speaker, if the member has a Mr. Lavoie who is experiencing such difficulties, surely he knows that there is an MP hotline that he can use himself, or, as I have mentioned many times, he can also come to me and we will ensure that Mr. Lavoie gets his benefits urgently. As the member knows, this is an ancient system that was prone to problems and difficulties. Canadians expect systems that are …
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In fact, Mr. Speaker, the number of seniors waiting for their first payment is going down. I will remind the member opposite that these are very specific cases that are largely paper applications. This system is designed to provide the stability that Canadians expect, including Quebeckers, when they receive benefits from Canada. More and more people are applying online, and I will just say that it…
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Mr. Speaker, when my colleague talks about ideological programs, I sure hope he is not talking about the national child care plan, which has actually reduced costs for Ontario families by $16,000 per child, per year, here in Ontario. I sure hope he is not talking about the school nutrition program, which families, experts and educators have all sung the praises of for ensuring that kids get good f…
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Mr. Speaker, the program that the member opposite is talking about, Cúram, is used in 20 countries around the world. This is a wild goose chase, and she knows it. Seven point seven million Canadians have been successfully transferred to this system. In fact, we are working through the backlog. These are complicated cases, often with paper applications. There is a hotline for urgent cases. Urgent c…
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Mr. Speaker, if the member says that 7.7 million seniors' getting reliable, modern delivery of benefits is a disaster, I am not sure what the member opposite is talking about. She would have us go back to a system that is 60 years old, paper-based and hackable. It would fail. In fact, the Auditor General said that the old system was so frail that Canadians could not count on it. Is that what she w…
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Mr. Speaker, let us start with the difference between an estimate and an expenditure. An estimate is what things might cost. In fact, we are way under the estimate as it stands, and we have just started. We have transformed a very old system, 60 years old. I would point out that this is something the Conservatives let decay during their 10 years of government. We took action early on, in 2017, to …
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Mr. Speaker, I will get up again and explain exactly what we are doing here, which is exactly what Canadians expect. They expect modern systems that provide benefits, in a seamless way, that they can actually apply for online. Those are exactly the programs that we are designing for seniors. There are 7.7 million seniors already on the new system. There are two more benefit plans to go: employment…
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Mr. Speaker, I think the question is about old age security, so I will stick to that program. In fact, that 60-year-old program, which was fraught with problems, was something the Government of Canada sought to modernize because Canadians now expect to be able to apply for their benefits online and have more control over how they apply for their benefits. In fact, 7.7 million Canadians have transi…
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Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, I have been in front of committee talking about these numbers and being very transparent with Canadians. In fact, here is a number: 7.7 million recipients of OAS on the new system received their benefits on time and without a hitch. There are some cases that are more complicated. They are paper-based applications. We have dedicated staff working with these individuals…
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Mr. Speaker, let us take a step back. Cúram is a software system. It is used around the world for benefit payments in countries all over the world. In fact, each country needs to specialize that system because, of course, benefit rules vary in different countries. In fact, the number the member opposite is quoting is the total envelope that it could take for three separate benefit systems.
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Mr. Speaker, Cúram is a software system. In fact, it is going to serve three separate—
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Mr. Speaker, if 7.7 million migrations to a new system is a failure compared to 85,000 cases with missing information on paper applications, I am not sure how the Conservatives are doing accounting. Quite frankly, Canadians expect modernization of legacy systems that serve them every day, day in and day out. We will not tolerate the risk of aging systems failing and creating a disaster for seniors…
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Mr. Speaker, no matter how many times they say things, it will not make them true. In fact, the Cúram software program is actually under—
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Mr. Speaker, I find it ironic that the member opposite is saying that he has asked who to speak to. I have said about 15 times, members should come and speak to me directly if they have cases that they need accelerated. I have also been very clear in the House that this is a massive transformation of software. We have a portfolio of money allotted to us to do that transformation, and in fact we ar…
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Mr. Speaker, the member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma is a force to be reckoned with. In fact, it was such an honour to stand with him at the Algoma steel mill to support the defence of Canadian-made steel. I want to thank him for his ongoing advocacy. It was a very proud moment for me to announce five additional workforce alliances. These are something the industry has been calling fo…
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Mr. Speaker, over and over, we have heard that number, which is patently wrong. I have no other way to say it. This is the largest transformation of the way we deliver benefits in the history of this country. We are moving three important benefit programs from paper-based, old school technology to full modernization, where people will be able to and are right now able to apply online. This is the …
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Mr. Speaker, as I have said, 7.7 million seniors have been transitioned to this new software. There are still some seniors who have applied for their benefits and are waiting. That number is dropping every week, every month, as we anticipate it will continue to do. Our officials are working very hard, night and day, to make sure that all cases are resolved. If the member opposite has a person in h…
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Mr. Speaker, do members know what the real question is? Will the Conservatives stop voting against investments in health care? Will the Conservatives stop voting against things like a national dental care plan, which is deeply connected to the health of Canadians? I agree with my colleague. The Conservatives are punching down on the most vulnerable Canadians. I will say this. We are all in this to…
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Mr. Speaker, they want to stay in the very distant past. In fact, they would prefer benefits to be administered on a 60-year-old system, using paper, and be hand-administrated. That is not what the government has decided to do. We are continuing the modernization of benefits for all Canadians. The number that the Bloc Québécois continues to use is misleading to Canadians. In fact, it is the sum fo…
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Mr. Speaker, there is room over here. I agree that the Prime Minister is an honourable man, and that is why I am so confident to serve under his leadership. Regarding the issue of Cúram, it would be great if we had some honourable conversations about the real facts of this case. In fact, 7.7 million seniors have been transferred to the new system without any delay. The number that the opposition m…
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Mr. Speaker, I am so proud to be part of a country that believes that people with disabilities deserve to live in dignity, and that is why we have a disability tax credit. As the member knows, this is important work for the full inclusion of people with disabilities in Canadian society, and we will continue to advocate to ensure that everyone reaches their full potential in this country.
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Mr. Speaker, every step of the way, as the government works to support families in need, the Conservatives vote against it. They obstruct our budget bill in the House, money that Canadian families need for all kinds of things, including the jobs that many of our union workers are relying on. Do members know what helps with food insecurity? It is good-paying jobs. Here is a newsflash: The Conservat…
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Mr. Speaker, transitioning 7 million Canadians to a system without a hitch would not be my definition of failure. Do members know what would be? It would be not investing in the modernization of systems when there was a chance to and voting against bringing all our systems up to date. Not only are we modernizing OAS, but we are also modernizing EI and CPP for all Canadians. Canadians ought to have…
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Mr. Speaker, funding for a project of this magnitude involves incremental allocations, not a lump sum payment. The program's initial $1.7 billion in funding was to launch the first phase of the project; it was never intended to cover the complete restructuring of multiple benefits systems. This investment is going to generate efficiency and reliability gains for years to come.
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Mr. Speaker, I do not think that member was around when the opposition party voted time and again against the investments that provinces and territories had been asking us to make in strengthening our universal health care system. That is how we build a health care system that everybody is proud of. It is something we built on the foundations of our forefathers and mothers in this place, to ensure…
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