Liberal Speaker Karina Gould opened the fall session of Parliament on Monday by calling Conservative Leader Pierre Poirierbre a “con man” and a “bully” and accusing him of having a secret agenda that Canadians don’t like.
“What we heard from Mr. Poirierbre yesterday was excessive, irresponsible, immature and the sort of thing only a con man would do,” Gould said Monday in Ottawa.
She said the Conservative leader’s attacks on carbon pricing are “an attempt to distract Canadians from his real objectives … because he knows the public would not be happy if they found out.”
Gould was referring to Poirierbre’s speech to caucus on Sunday morning, in which he said the government’s plans to increase the carbon price would bring a “nuclear winter” to the economy.
“Such high taxes will lead to mass hunger and malnutrition. Elderly people will have to turn their heating down to 14-13 degrees just to survive the winter,” Poirierbre said.
“Inflation will be so bad that people won’t be able to leave their homes, they won’t be able to drive anywhere.”
Gould said the economic stress facing Canadians will be exacerbated by the Poirierbre government’s cuts to benefits for seniors and families.
She accused the Conservative leader of threatening reporters and promising to cut funding to the CBC at a time of “incredible disinformation.” She said that when Poirierbre is criticized by reporters, he responds “like a blackmailer, like someone who doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.”
Restoration of a “normal” minority parliament
Gould also cited the demise of the governing agreement between his party and the New Democrats, whose leader, Jagmeet Singh, announced on September 4 that his party was terminating the pact with the Liberal party.
An agreement reached between the two parties in March 2022 committed the NDP to support the Liberal government in a vote of confidence in exchange for legislative commitments on NDP priorities.
“I understand that the end of the Supply and Confidence Agreement will change things a little bit, but really it’s just going to go back to a normal parliament with a minority,” Gould said.
She said the Liberal government would work with other parties on a bill-by-bill basis to pass legislation.
MPs are due to debate Bill C-71 today, which would amend unconstitutional legislation relating to so-called “lost Canadians” and make changes to Canada’s citizenship laws.
Justice Jasmine Akbarali ordered the Liberal government to amend parts of the bill by December to undo changes made in 2009 by former prime minister Stephen Harper’s government.
Harper’s changes meant that some Canadians born overseas could no longer pass on their citizenship to their children who were also born overseas.
Gould also said the government hopes to make progress this fall on Bill C-66, a proposed amendment to the National Defence Act that would harmonize the military justice system with recent reforms to the civilian court system.
These changes include stripping military police and the military justice system of the power to investigate and prosecute sexual offences on Canadian territory.
4-Way Chicken Game
Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said he is willing to work with the Liberal government in the House of Commons if the bill the Bloc Quebecois puts forward is good for Quebec and if the current parliament lasts long enough to get something done.
“We’re playing a chicken race with four cars,” he said in Ottawa on Monday. “Eventually one is going to run into another one. There’s going to be a wreck, so I don’t know if this session is going to last long.”
To encourage party cooperation, Blanchette said she hopes the Liberal government will support several private member bills introduced by party members, including:
- Bill C-319This will increase pensions for those aged 64 to 74 by 10% to match the increase given to pensioners aged 75 and over.
- Bill C-282This would provide protection for Canada’s supply management system.
- Bill C-367The Criminal Code will be amended to remove religion as an exception to hate speech.