Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his advocacy over the years. I have known him to support some of the world's most vulnerable. We know that when refugees or displaced people come to Canada they arrive with a heck of a lot more than what they are carrying in their bags. These are people who have skills to contribute. They will grow our economy and give back to the communities that have gi…
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Mr. Speaker, I would point out that the exact same report from the PBO confirms that eight out of 10 Canadian households will receive more from the climate action dividend than they pay out in any fuel charge. What is fascinating is that if the hon. member actually considers the analysis behind the report, the only expenditure he is referring to assumes that the alternative is taking no further ac…
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Mr. Speaker, talking about targets, when it comes to our emissions, I would remind the hon. member that the target we have set is for the year 2030. I would remind all members of this House that 2030 is seven years from now. We are going to continue to work to hit that target, as we have projected we would. However, it is telling that when the Conservatives are confronted with an analysis that the…
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Mr. Speaker, if my hon. colleague is asking what the Prime Minister is standing up for, he is standing up for the people who live in my community, like the low-income families who now receive more through the Canada child benefit than they did when the Conservatives were in power. He is standing up for workers' rights to collect their Canada pension plan, which the opposition leader has criticized…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to correct the record. The hon. member knows that Canadians will receive more than they actually pay as a result of the increased prices. The only thing that the Conservatives' argument hedges upon is the belief that the alternative is to take no action—
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague not just for her question but for being on hand to welcome that charter flight, which marks the arrival of the 30,000th Afghan refugee in this country. To put this into perspective, I live in a town with less than 10,000 people. Repeat it three times over: that many people have been given a new lease on life. However, we know that there are thousands…
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' argument rests upon the premise that the alternative to putting a price on pollution is to do nothing to fight climate change. Every measure that they have put forward would have a greater cost than putting a price on pollution. Look to the court decisions, including those from western Canada, that said putting a price on pollution is the most effective way to comba…
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Mr. Speaker, I would remind the hon. member that, despite the extraordinary need to respond to a once-in-a-century global pandemic, Canada maintains the healthiest fiscal position of any G7 economy. The reality is that it is fascinating for me to watch the Conservatives refuse to acknowledge the measures we are putting in place to support Canadians. These are the measures to ensure that people can…
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Mr. Speaker, Canada has a proud tradition of resettling some of the world's most vulnerable people. Of course we, through the pandemic, resettled more refugees than any other country in the world. We know that when people come here, having the desire to travel and to see loved ones in other parts of the world is a priority for them. Over the course of the past year and a half, we have made signifi…
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Mr. Speaker, we have been doing the right thing since we first formed government in 2015. When we formed government, the very first thing we did was raise taxes on the wealthiest 1% so we could cut them for the middle class. Then we decided to stop sending child care cheques to millionaires so we could put more money in the pockets of nine out of 10 Canadian families. Through the pandemic, we were…
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Mr. Speaker, suspending the agreement with the United States will just move the problem elsewhere. It is not a real solution. It is essential that we work with communities across the country. It is essential that we continue our work with the United States and the provinces. I have a meeting with my counterpart from Quebec. I will continue to work with her and with the other provinces and communit…
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Mr. Speaker, as the member well knows, closing Roxham Road is not a simple matter. It is essential that we work with the communities, with the province and with our partners in the United States. I will continue to work with our partners in the United States and in Canada to ensure that Canada meets its obligations to refugee claimants.
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Madam Speaker, I am beginning to feel tired of the way the Conservatives begin their questions by talking down Canada. I am proud to be from this country. There is not a country I would rather call home. Are there challenges with communities that are welcoming asylum seekers right now? Absolutely there are. We have worked with members of the community in Cornwall in the past, and we will work with…
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Madam Speaker, the decision to suspend the agreement with the United States will only shift the problem elsewhere. There is no magic solution. It is essential to continue our work with our American partners to modernize our agreements with them. At the same time, we must continue to co-operate with our counterparts in the province of Quebec to support their efforts. This is an important issue. It …
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Madam Speaker, with respect to the resettlement effort and support for asylum seekers who are seeking safe haven in Canada, we want to ensure that we are working with all provinces so that the disproportionate pressures that happen at border communities are not felt in a single place. Regarding his allegation that the immigration system is somehow broken, I would like to correct the record. We hav…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. It is vital that we continue to work with our partners. My department's representatives have had many discussions with our American counterparts about modernizing the agreement with the U.S. and finding a permanent solution. At the same time, we must continue to work with the Province of Quebec. It is important that we meet our obligations to s…
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Mr. Speaker, it is disappointing to see the Conservatives try to create fear among Canadians for political gain, when we understand they are vulnerable. He should know that his constituents will actually, on average, receive more money as the result of the policy to put a price on pollution. It is extraordinary to me that the Conservatives have a plan to take money away from families so they can g…
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Mr. Speaker, the solution my friend is proposing would only shift the problem elsewhere. There is no magic solution here. Serious solutions are needed. Last week, I met with my Quebec counterpart to discuss both a solution and the federal government's role in supporting the Quebec government's efforts. Meanwhile, our government is continuing its work to modernize the agreement with the United Stat…
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Mr. Speaker, this is no laughing matter. Debates in the House of Commons should be taken seriously. Our government collaborated with the Province of Quebec. It participated in talks to modernize the agreement with the United States and come up with a permanent solution. My friend is trying to pick a fight, but what I have to offer is a solution.
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Mr. Speaker, the hon. member represents communities that are very much similar in kind to the ones that are in my backyard, and the reality is that the policies we have introduced over the last seven years in government are making a meaningful difference. We can look at the Canada child benefit, which puts more money in the pockets of nine out of 10 Canadian families. We changed that program, so w…
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Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadians are struggling, and that is why we continue to advance programs that put more money in their pockets. I have spent seven years in this chamber watching the Conservatives use the families that might be in need as an excuse to do nothing on climate change because they do not see that climate change is costing families dearly. They should come to my community. They…
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Mr. Speaker, I can assure the hon. member that we are taking the issue very seriously, and we are working to verify the claims that were reported in the Post just a few days ago. The reality is that a long-term solution is being negotiated with the United States through the modernization of the safe third country agreement. We are working very closely with our provincial counterparts in the meanti…
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Mr. Speaker, I empathize with any member of the House who wants to do more to support vulnerable seniors from a low-income background in my home province of Nova Scotia. The reality is that the programs we have been putting in place since 2015 have been designed specifically to help people such as Maynard. We can look at the increase to old age security. We can look at the increase to the guarante…
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Mr. Speaker, the solution the member is proposing is not a good one. It would just move the problem elsewhere. I met with my counterpart from Quebec last week to come up with solutions to support Quebec's efforts. It was also to continue to follow the domestic and international legal obligations we are bound by. We will do right by vulnerable people who seek asylum in Canada, and we will work with…
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Mr. Speaker, Canada stands resolutely alongside the people of Hong Kong. In 2021, my predecessor introduced new pathways that would allow Hong Kongers to come to Canada, including an open work permit program for recent graduates. That program was set to expire this week. I am pleased to share with this House that I had the pleasure of being in Scarborough earlier today to announce that we would be…
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Mr. Speaker, I trust everyone in the House wants to tackle the challenges Canadian families are facing when it comes to affordability. What confuses me is the Conservatives seem to not understand that the plan to put a price on pollution is going to put more money in the pockets of nine out of 10 Canadian families. The reality is that they would take that money from families so they could make it …
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Mr. Speaker, it is important to understand that every member of the House wants to tackle the challenges families are facing when it comes to affordability. That is why we put a plan in place to put a price on pollution that will put more money in the pockets of nine out of 10 Canadian families. Their strategy is to take money from those families so they can make it free to pollute, and there is a…
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Mr. Speaker, some Conservative voices who have historically supported a carbon price include Preston Manning and Stephen Harper. Doug Ford's chief budget adviser testified before the Senate in 2016, saying that this was the most effective thing we could do to reduce emissions. We have discovered a way to put more money in the pockets of Canadians. At the same time, we have an effective policy to r…
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Madam Speaker, I would point out to the hon. member, who I had the pleasure of serving on the immigration portfolio with, that during the next year, we expect to welcome more than the double the number of newcomers to this country than we did the last year the Conservatives formed government. At the same time, our strategy to support Canadians over the course of the pandemic, a once-in-a-century d…
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Madam Speaker, my colleague is proposing a solution that simply shifts the problem somewhere else. It is not a good solution. It is essential to have an international strategy that is established in collaboration with the Province of Quebec. We are going to continue to work with our provincial counterparts in Quebec, as we have done to support efforts to provide housing for asylum seekers and as w…
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Madam Speaker, I am getting tired of listening to the Conservatives talk down Canadians and the Canadian economy. They should be getting to work to support Canadians in their time of need. We made efforts throughout this pandemic to make sure that families could continue to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads. We made efforts to make sure businesses could keep their doors open a…
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Madam Speaker, it is essential for us to meet our national and international obligation to protect asylum seekers. I had a meeting today with my counterpart from the Province of Quebec, Minister Fréchette, to talk about ways to collaborate in order to continue supporting asylum seekers and meet our national and international obligation on this issue.
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are very quick to point to the government every time they think there is a political opportunity for themselves. What we are focused on doing in the meantime is advancing solutions that will put more money in the pockets of low-income renters, which the Conservatives voted against, and solutions like making sure that kids who come from low-income families can go to t…
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Mr. Speaker, sometimes the opposition graces us with the good fortune of saying the quiet part out loud. The pandemic spending that kept my neighbours fed and a roof over the heads of their children was not overspending. That was essential to protect the well-being of Canadians who live in my community. We stepped up to make sure that businesses could keep the lights on and their doors open, and t…
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Mr. Speaker, what I am observing today is an interesting trend where the Conservatives are trying to create a bogeyman to distract from the fact that we are working hard to make sure that families that are struggling get the supports they need to do well during challenging times. I am beginning to believe that the Conservatives actually view it to be in their interest to continue to have Canadians…
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Mr. Speaker, there are many thousands of people in this country who do not currently have immigration status but have been contributing to our communities for years. Many have families living in these communities. I am thrilled to share with this House that we have worked very closely with the organized labour movement in this country to launch the out-of-status construction workers pilot to bring…
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Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's allegation that files are resting with officers who do not exist is unequivocally false. We will process every one of those applications. I am pleased to share that as a result of the investments we have made to hire more than 1,250 people, to embrace technological solutions and to relax administrative procedures, we have, in the last few months alone, reduced the nu…
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Mr. Speaker, we can observe a fundamental ideological divide between His Majesty's loyal opposition and the governing side of this chamber. On this side of the House, we believe that to support people in need, we can advance programs that provide direct help to them. The Conservatives' solution to an affordability crisis is to do less to help families in need. This should come as no surprise. That…
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Mr. Speaker, with due respect to my hon. colleague, his mathematics are simply off. He ignores the fact that the program has been designed to put more money into the pockets of eight out of 10 families than any fuel charges would cost them. In addition, we have created a new $5,000 grant program, which is going to help people in my community transition from oil for home heating to heat pumps and t…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to offer clarity to families seeking to be reunited and workers seeking economic opportunity in Canada. We are going to process every case in our inventory. With respect to the hon. member's allegation, I can reassure people that the issue of codes for inactive employees is simply a reflection of the way we manage the inventory. Every single case is attached to a code tha…
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Mr. Speaker, the hon. colleague suggests the minister does not think this is serious; the minister does not think it is true. The allegation they are making on the floor of the House of Commons simply belies the facts of the situation. When officers leave the IRCC, we maintain their codes so we can trace who touched employees' files. It is the responsible thing to do, and we convert those codes to…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure every person who has an application in the system that they can expect their case to be processed in accordance with the laws of Canada. I thank the hon. colleagues of this House who have supported some of the measures that boosted the funding available to process cases more quickly, because it is having a serious and positive impact. This month, we set a record for…
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Mr. Speaker, as always, I thank my hon. colleague for her concern for the well-being of newcomers and people seeking to access the Canadian immigration system. It is very important that we provide clarity to families seeking to be reunited, as well as the workers seeking to improve their economic outlook by coming to Canada for opportunities. There are applications that were tied to officers who n…
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Mr. Speaker, how ironic is it that the Conservative Party of Canada's strategy to combat an affordability crisis is to do less for Canadians in their time of need? It comes as no surprise to me because at the beginning of the pandemic, their leader started with a press conference where he said these “big, fat government programs” would not receive the support of the Conservative Party. Those progr…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to remind the hon. member that I had the pleasure of making an announcement in Nova Scotia of a new national program that is going to see $5,000 grants to help homeowners install heat pumps, which will save them thousands of dollars every year on home heating costs. This is in addition to a $5,000 grant that was available through the greener homes grant program. That is n…
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Mr. Speaker, I remind the hon. member that climate change is putting the family farm at risk. Since hurricane Fiona, I have visited farms in my community that have had silos turned down and their crops destroyed, and that are continuing to feel the financial pinch just as we head into the Christmas season. I would further point out that the Conservatives talk a big game when it comes to affordabil…
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Mr. Speaker, we have domestic and international legal obligations that require us to consider in good faith claims of asylum that have been made for those who enter the country in search of safe haven. In his previous question, he indicated that people are somehow displacing other more deserving refugees. I would point out for my hon. colleague that Canada, over the past three years, has resettled…
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Mr. Speaker, with great respect to my hon. colleague, I expect he knows that people do not flee their country because of a tweet from a country's leader. They leave their country because they are fleeing violence, war and persecution. We are going to continue to do what we can to support those who seek refuge in Canada, and continue to do so in an organized way. I am pleased to work with my collea…
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Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague has made a suggestion that we have not hit a target. The target that we have set is for 2030, so if she has a DeLorean and a flux capacitor, I invite her jump in and travel in time. The reality is that we are on track to reduce our emissions because of the investments we are making. We are bringing pollution down, and we found a way to make it more affordable for fam…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his continued advocacy to support some of the world's most vulnerable people. The circumstances in Afghanistan are absolutely heartbreaking. That is why Canada made one of the most substantial commitments of any country in the world to welcome at least 40,000 Afghan refugees. I am so thrilled to share with my colleague that Canada has now welcomed more than…
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