Blake Desjarlais

[Privilege, November 29th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order relating to relevance. The member is bringing up pensions. His leader's pension is worth over $1 million, 50 times bigger than—

[Privilege, November 29th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I obviously struck a nerve in my last question with the member, who never speaks about Regina—Wascana issues and only speaks from the talking points he is given by his leader.

To that point, on the matter of the last question regarding a security clearance, I think I need to lay this out very clearly for the member. The issues of national security are so critically important that national leaders in our country get briefed on those particularly important details, and we do not release them publicly because our political adversaries, including Russia, would use that information against us. That is why we have a security clearance program in this country that allows MPs and leaders to be cleared by that process to get confidential information on how foreign interference could be impacting our parties.

The leader of my party got the security clearance and found no evidence of such things. Why are the Conservatives hiding from getting a security clearance that they should be getting to protect Canadians?

[Privilege, November 29th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, when we were first elected to this place, I remember the member being quite hopeful in being able to represent the good people of Regina—Wascana. However, since that time, we have seen him consistently repeat the message box from the Leader of the Opposition. He has not one time brought up the very real concerns of the people of Regina—Wascana. I know many of his constituents are disappointed by that. They are disappointed that he always reads from the script. They are disappointed that he has no voice in this chamber. They are disappointed that the Conservatives keep whipping members and printing out sheets that tell them exactly what to say.

On behalf of the good people of Regina—Wascana, I ask the member to please focus on any one issue that relates to the good people of Regina—Wascana, perhaps even, as his parents were teachers, the teachers' strike in Saskatchewan. He has not once stood up for the good people of Saskatchewan. Can he now today stand up for the people of Saskatchewan and call for fair wages for teachers?

[Privilege, November 29th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for his speech, the many speeches he has made in this place and the wisdom he bestows upon all of us, though I am sure we can all argue and debate the truth of them.

However, I do agree with the member on one critical fact, which is the leader of the official opposition will not get his security clearance. He will not get his security clearance, likely because, and maybe the member can clarify, he is implicated in that process. If he was implicated in that process, maybe it would be convenient for a leader to be shielded from that reality. If he is shielded from the truth, he can have willful ignorance.

Is that the case here?

[Government Business No. 43—Proceedings on Bill C-78, November 28th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, the member mentioned in his speech that it would be fantastic if we had no GST on utilities. Well, he had the chance. The member and every Conservative had the chance to remove GST from all home heating. New Democrats fought for that in the last term. The two major parties, the Liberals and the Conservatives, joined up and voted against GST removal from utilities. How disingenuous that the member says now, “What if we had an opportunity to get GST off home heating?” Shame on him that he would vote against that measure and then come to this place and try to say the opposite.

Does he have anything to say to explain why he voted against it?

[Government Business No. 43—Proceedings on Bill C-78, November 28th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, the fact of the matter is that Liberals always do half measures. A few weeks ago, we New Democrats tabled a demand to see GST relief across all essentials, including home heating. It is something we tabled last year, but two major parties voted against it. We are finally seeing the Liberals move on something like taking the GST off of essentials and other items. This is a strong way forward to hopefully begin the discussion on making it a permanent relief for Canadians right across the country.

Will the member join New Democrats in calling for the government to see GST removed off of all essentials?

[Government Business No. 43—Proceedings on Bill C-78, November 28th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I can see the member opposite is uncomfortable answering a reality and a truth, which is that when Conservatives are in power, they are always giving their rich friends a bunch of money, taxpayer dollars. Why?

[Government Business No. 43—Proceedings on Bill C-78, November 28th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I have a question related to my hon. colleague's response to the last member on what is fair for Canadians.

I do not think it was necessarily fair for Canadians when Stephen Harper, the last Conservative prime minister, gave billionaires $60 billion in tax breaks. The Liberals continued that, unfortunately. The tradition in Canada seems to be that when one of the major parties does a great deal for billionaires, the next party that comes in keeps it and it goes back and forth like that. Liberals and Conservatives are always going to bat for billionaires.

Would the member comment directly on the fact that the Conservatives gave billionaires $60 billion? Will he actually address that question? Will he have the courage to address why Conservatives did that?

[Government Business No. 43—Proceedings on Bill C‑78, November 28th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, the last time the Conservatives were in power, they gave a $60-billion tax break to billionaires. Worse yet, they then hired them to go on their staff, their lobbyists for Loblaws. Today, they are here trying to stop a lot of Canadians from getting a break. Would the member speak to how hypocritical it is that Conservatives speak every single day in this place about axing the tax and now today, when the time has come that we are going to see some tax relief, they are saying no.

[Government Business No. 43—Proceedings on Bill C‑78, November 28th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, New Democrats hold the belief that we need to ensure that the taxes people are paying are truly fair. The rich in this country, the super-rich mega-billionaires, pay almost next to nothing because the government continues to keep the immense tax breaks brought in by Harper. We need tax fairness. The measure is, of course, a temporary one. New Democrats believe that the GST should be removed permanently from all essential goods. Would the member comment on whether she believes the same?