Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the member opposite represents a rural riding, as do I in Nova Scotia. I do not know how many farmers he may have, but I certainly think about the opposition party, which holds rural seats. I was very disappointed in the platform of the Conservative Party in April. There was not one single policy platform for the agriculture sector. The member represents a rural riding. I am wonderi…
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Madam Speaker, I know my hon. colleague from Hamilton Centre is a strong champion for the steel sector. When we think about Hamilton, when we think about Sault Ste. Marie and when we think about our communities in Regina and across this country, it is a foundational pillar of the Canadian economy and it is under duress because of section 232 tariffs from the United States. The government has taken…
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Madam Speaker, why do you not give the member for Central Newfoundland a question? I would be happy to do that. With UC, I think we should do it.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his speech. I must admit that I missed part of it. Still, I was a bit surprised that I did not hear him talk about the measures in the budget for the agriculture and agri-food sector, given that I know that my hon. colleague represents a rural riding in Quebec that has a lot of farmers. The budget includes $120 million to enhance business risk managemen…
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Madam Speaker, I believe that, along with renewable energies and clean energy, nuclear energy is an essential part of the solution when it comes to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. The nuclear energy sector remains essential for our country, and we have the necessary capacity to provide safe energy. Of course, there is a process in place to ensure that waste disposal is done safely. It is a …
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Mr. Speaker, I found my hon. colleague's remarks to be balanced. Obviously, there were moments when he critiqued, but remarkably, he talked about some things that are positive in the bill, which gives me confidence that he will hopefully see this bill through before Christmas. There are a couple of things I want to highlight. It was the Atlantic caucus and the rural caucus of the Liberal Party tha…
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Mr. Speaker, I heard my colleague talk about the importance of agriculture, agri-food and our farmers. However, I was a bit surprised because there was absolutely nothing in the Conservative Party's platform last April for farmers across the country. My colleague represents a rural riding in Quebec. He can influence the Leader of the Opposition and the Conservative Party to include more measures f…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech this afternoon. I really enjoyed working with him at the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food when I was there. However, I would like to set the record straight regarding what he said in his speech about the government's decision to do away with consumer carbon pricing. We mainly did that to support bilingual people, respond to the needs …
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What I can tell the seniors at home across this country and in my own riding, Madam Speaker, is that when this government introduced measures to actually increase old age security to be able to strengthen support for seniors, the Conservative Party voted against them. We always, as colleagues, want to do what we can to support Canadians, to be able to put programs on the table. That same member wo…
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Madam Speaker, while the member for Brandon—Souris is still in his seat, I have the opportunity to respond to his query back across the line. Our government is focused on recalibrating the relationship with the PRC and having that engagement. There had not been a leaders' meeting in eight years. However, I do think the Conservative Party needs to pick a lane on the issue. I have Prairies colleague…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for her work in this place, and for highlighting the work and the importance of this bill and what it means to everyday Canadians. Bill C-4 is about a tax cut for 22 million Canadians. It is also about removing the GST on new homes for first-time homebuyers, as the member mentioned. I can imagine that there are many people in her own riding wh…
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Madam Speaker, I presume during the time that member was in government that the difference in the price of gasoline between United States and Canada was equally not similar. I think maybe he ought to ask himself that question on that side. I recognize that this government is focused on what we can control in this country. However, the member opposite should get up more often, because too many of t…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his question. The situation is indeed difficult right now. I imagine that these jobs losses at the trucking company are related to the tariffs and the situation between the United States and Canada. That is precisely why we made changes to the EI system. We wanted to make it available to workers who are feeling the impacts of the U.S. trade war and the …
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Madam Speaker, I do not have exact purview ultimately on the host leader and the team that put this together, but my understanding from the conversations we had is that the reason the provision is in there is to address something that all Canadian political parties agree upon, which is that we need a unified system around data management and the disclosure therein as parties collect information. T…
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Madam Speaker, I look forward to my colleagues' being able to answer. There is no real rationality. Some members are better than others, but there is no recognition that maybe a war in eastern Europe, a war in the Middle East and some global conflicts can have an impact on supply chains. There is no recognition that actually there are U.S. tariffs being imposed by the President, not in terms of se…
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Madam Speaker, my hon. colleague's speech today was a bit meandering at times. I heard him talk about the fact that, in one breath, there are too few measures, quoting 38¢, while in the next piece he talked about the fact that there are hundreds of dollars of savings that would go to either individual Canadians or families. I think he needs to pick a lane on whether he supports these types of meas…
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Madam Speaker, that member represents a rural riding in the prairie provinces, in Manitoba. It is remarkable to me to consistently see prairie MPs from the Conservative Party stand up and refuse to support biofuel policy that matters for canola producers at a moment when it is really important to help drive demand signals. Maybe the member of Parliament can explain why he is against those types of…
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Madam Speaker, there are certainly some policies, as I hear the members opposite saying. We can talk about those, but they go outside the range of what is reasonable on an everyday basis.
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Mr. Speaker, I have two questions. The member mentioned clean fuel standards. I find it disappointing that the Conservative Party, at a time when canola farmers in this country and members of the Canola Council of Canada are talking about the importance of biofuel policy in driving domestic demand while there is uncertainty in the markets. Can the member opposite explain why the Conservative Party…
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Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to congratulate my hon. colleague on becoming the co-chair of the Canada-China Legislative Association. I know she will do good work alongside Senator Gignac in that role. It is interesting because we see Conservative members in the House sometimes suggesting that we need to engage with China to remove tariffs on canola, but at the same time, we see other Co…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague is certainly a strong champion in the rural caucus of the Liberal Party, and I know he does great work in British Columbia. I could not help but think, as I looked through the budget, about the emphasis on trade opportunities in the South Pacific. Our Minister of International Trade was involved, alongside the Prime Minister and the government, in securing trade access wi…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to and recognize the contribution of 4-H Canada in our communities across this beautiful country, including in my community of Kings—Hants. This past weekend, I had the opportunity to join the Hants County 4-H for its celebration of the achievements of members all across the county. Let me say what a tremendous representation it is of a program that is comm…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague represents a riding that is home to many farmers. This budget includes a number of very important measures for farmers, such as an additional $75-million investment in the AgriMarketing program. We are also making changes to the risk management programs that support our farmers and emphasizing the importance of exporting our products around the world. The Conservative ele…
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Mr. Speaker, I have no doubt that Memorial University has a great program in civil engineering. However, I would encourage the member to go back and get an economics degree from Memorial, because that was an interesting lesson in talking about examples without understanding that we are in a global economy. It was a cute speech in that sense but, in terms of its actual practicality, not very valuab…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to assure the member opposite that I eat my grandmother's brown bread, that I am the son of a truck driver and that my mother is an administrative assistant. There are members on this side of the House who certainly know the value of putting programs in place that matter for Canadians. That is exactly why 22 million Canadians are going to benefit from the tax cut the memb…
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Mr. Speaker, it was interesting to watch the exchange between the member for King—Vaughan and my hon. colleague. She made the claim that there is nothing for seniors in the budget. I see $5 billion for health care infrastructure. Public health is important for everyone, but certainly for seniors. I think about the fact that our programs have maintained support for dental care. I have talked to cou…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has a responsibility to help build this country and create jobs, and we created 67,000 jobs in the last month alone. We have a plan in budget 2025 to build this country up by building major projects, including in the member's riding and province. We have investments to help support young people in this country, to build up apprentices, to be able to drive this count…
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Mr. Speaker, I am really proud of the investments the government is making in defence. This is important for our men and women in uniform. It is also part of a defence industrial policy to create good jobs across the country. When I think about Nova Scotia, I think about IMP Aerospace. I know the member is well familiar as there are many constituents in his riding who work at that facility. We hav…
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Mr. Speaker, that is not true. There are various measures for the forestry sector in the budget. We are providing $1.2 billion to support the forestry industry across the country, in Nova Scotia, Quebec and British Columbia. Yes, in the context of negotiations with the United States, the minister responsible for Canada-U.S. relations is very aware of this issue. We understand the importance of for…
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Mr. Speaker, I have two questions. The member is pretty artful, so I am sure he can answer both. I think the Conservatives need to pick a lane on China. I hear members of Parliament, particularly from the western provinces, talking about the importance of engaging China to remove canola tariffs. The member suggests that engaging China is a bad idea. I think the Conservatives ought to get their pos…
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Mr. Speaker, it is clear the member opposite has a passion for driving rural Canada, even if we may disagree on certain points in this place. Two weeks ago, the member for Central Newfoundland called the national school food program “garbage”. I was in Newfoundland and Labrador when the then prime minister, Trudeau, alongside Premier Furey, launched the first program of the national school food pr…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague mentioned two issues that are important to me. One is agriculture and the other is canola. Having worked on this file and having sat in on the bilateral meeting the Prime Minister just had with President Xi, I would ask the hon. member about two things. First, I hear consistently from the Conservative benches that we should not, as a government, be engaging with or trying…
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Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to rise here this afternoon to talk about the budget the government tabled this week. I will be splitting my time with the hon. member for Pickering—Brooklin. We are living in an uncertain world. The U.S. administration's change in its approach to trade, including global tariffs, is having a major impact on the global economy and Canadian industry. Countries are incr…
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Mr. Speaker, I was with the Prime Minister in Korea when we had the bilateral with President Xi. It is the first time in eight years that that has happened. It is an important step in resolving the issues the member mentioned. The Conservatives need to pick a lane. I have heard consistently, including from the member for Simcoe North, that Canada should not be engaging with China, that we should n…
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Mr. Speaker, pardon us if we find it a bit rich that the Conservative Party is going to stand up and talk about youth, when its members consistently vote against the measures the government has introduced that actually matter to young Canadians in this country. They voted against budget measures that actually support young skilled trades workers. They voted against the Canada child benefit. They v…
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Mr. Speaker, I can certainly tell the hon. member that I know what a deficit is, and Canada has the lowest one in the G7. On debt, we have the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7. There is still more work to do. The government is serious about making sure that we can tackle this and that we are going to have a fiscal track that will be sustainable over time. Frankly, that is going to mean some …
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Mr. Speaker, I hear some of the Conservative members yelling and jostling across the aisle. They would love to think the Prime Minister we have now is the same as the last prime minister, and they are trying to paint that picture in the House, but Canadians know that is not the case. I will highlight in my speech the differentiation between how the government is keeping policies we think are extre…
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Mr. Speaker, Conservatives again are yelling. The member for Yorkton—Melville is suggesting that she supported it. No, she did not. I am happy to go on the record to say that they voted against that policy. Is it a failed policy? I think not. The Canada child benefit is one of the best policies the government has put forward. There is the old age security and the guaranteed income supplement. Ther…
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Mr. Speaker, I would tell her the reality is that we need to continue to put investments on the table to drive and catalyze private sector investments. That is where we have to go. We also have the lowest deficit in the G7. We would never hear that from the opposition benches in terms of our position. I think it is important that the government actually addresses operational spending. It is coming…
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Mr. Speaker, the natural resource sector, in all of Canada, helps to drive the revenues that matter for public spending for provincial and territorial governments across the country. The hon. member knows that Quebec is a recipient under the equalization formula. Frankly, we have natural resources, whether it is in western Canada or Newfoundland's offshore. This matters for the whole country, and …
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Mr. Speaker, it is always a privilege to rise in this place and to bring the perspective of the good people of Kings—Hants to the day's debate. Of course, today's debate is on an opposition day motion. My Conservative colleagues will know that I always enjoy the opportunity to engage with the text of the motion they put before the House. The text of today's motion tries to suggest that Canada's ne…
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Mr. Speaker, I listened when colleagues spoke, although I certainly disagreed with a lot of different measures. The net debt-to-GDP ratio is the size of the Canadian economy versus the debt that exists. My measure for Canadians at home then is to say that Canada's debt position is actually sustainable. We have to be able to look at the cost. That is exactly what the government is doing. It is inte…
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Mr. Speaker, the Canada child benefit is perhaps one of the strongest legacies of the last government. It is a policy that will make a difference for generations to come. As the chief government whip highlighted, the difference is that the Canada child benefit is actually income tailored, so there is a cut-off. Individuals who are making millions of dollars do not need $100 a month from the govern…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like my hon. colleague to give us his perspective on our fiscal situation and the fact that Canada has the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7 and the lowest deficit in the G7. I would like him to explain to Canadians what that means in practical terms. Of course, we must address the reality of our fiscal situation, but it is also true that Canada is in a stable position.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the Canadian public at home that Canada has the lowest deficit in the G7 and the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7. However, the government recognizes that there is really important work to do to make tough choices. That is why our budget is going to be coming out November 4. The member mentioned that the government is not trying to be transparent. It is ac…
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Mr. Speaker, the member talked about some of the challenges that exist in the country. The government by no means suggests that it is perfect out there. The government is working within the realities, trying to meet Canadians where they are at and ensure that we have programs. That is why we have reduced taxes for 22 million Canadians. We have removed the GST for first-time homebuyers, for the 30-…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Vancouver Granville, and I would like to wish him a happy belated birthday. He is looking pretty good for just one year shy of 50, and I think the whole House would agree with that. I really appreciated the fact that the parliamentary secretary acknowledged that the government is focused and working on a budget for November 4. Also, he said that we are goin…
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Mr. Speaker, notwithstanding that we can all agree as parliamentarians that there are better ways we can find efficiency within the civil service, when I talk to indigenous communities across this country, they noticed a marked difference from the Liberal government about how we approach the issues and how we have invested in these solutions versus where the Conservative Party was 10 years ago whe…
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Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to take part in this afternoon's debate. Today is an opposition day, and I am always pleased to have the opportunity to discuss issues with my Conservative colleagues and address some of the points in their motion. Today's opposition motion focuses on food and the cost of living, which includes the issue of agriculture. Kings—Hants has a very rich agricultural heritag…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to agree with my hon. colleague that Nova Scotia is a beautiful province. The hon. member for Acadie—Annapolis is an honourable gentleman, and we are great neighbours in Nova Scotia. There are challenges across the country. No one stands here in Parliament and suggests that everything is perfect. We have a government that is trying to tackle the situation that is before u…
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