Bill C-78

Tax Break for All Canadians Act

An Act respecting temporary cost of living relief (affordability)

This enactment amends the Excise Tax Act in order to implement a temporary GST/HST holiday between December 14, 2024 and February 15, 2025 inclusively in respect of certain taxable supplies.

Tax Break for All Canadians Act

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON]

moved that Bill C-78, An Act respecting temporary cost of living relief (affordability), be read the second time and referred to a committee of the whole.

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleagues on all sides of the House, and it is great to be here this evening to make life more affordable for Canadians while we continue to grow the economy. It is great to stand up when we are going through legislation that is going to provide tax relief during the Christmas season and into Valentine's Day for the benefit of all Canadians.

As the father of a three-year-old, like many parents, when I go to the Walmart, Costco or any store to buy diapers, children's diapers will be HST-free in Ontario. As an individual who grew up in a very humble household, every dollar counts, every little bit helps and I am so proud of that.

Also, as an economist and someone who had the chance to work on Wall Street and Bay Street for a number of years, it is great to see what a number of my former colleagues and people I have known for many years are commenting on exactly what Bill C-78 is. It is wonderful to see some of the remarks. I will just read one or two and then I will get into some other comments.

Benjamin Reitzes from BMO Economics said, “We're assuming a good chunk of the stimulus cheques will be saved, but the GST/HST rebate will drive additional spending. BMO Economics is boosting Q1 GDP growth from 1.7% to 2.5%, with 2024Q4 and 2025Q2” being even bigger and having a larger impact.

Derek Holt at Scotiabank said, “That, in turn, would lift GDP growth by about two percentage points above our baseline forecast.”

The Retail Council of Canada came out with some comments about its members and what they see: “Retail Council of Canada (RCC) welcomes today’s sales tax relief announcement from the federal government. The removal of GST and HST on a sizeable list of goods will create major tax savings for Canadians, along with economic stimulus for our industry”. Both—

[The Deputy Speaker, Chris d'Entremont]

Order. There are some people talking above the hon. member. I also notice a number of people behind the curtains, speaking as well. They are just curtains, and we can actually hear through the curtains.

I would ask everybody to keep the volume down a bit so the hon. member for Vaughan—Woodbridge can get his speech done.

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I know that was not done intentionally by the hon. members.

Going back to my conversations about restaurants and the restaurant industry, the city of Vaughan is home to literally over 1,000 restaurants and food establishment services. As an individual of Canadian and Italian heritage, I am very proud of our cuisine, like all individuals in Canada, of whichever heritage we may be.

I know all the restaurants in Vaughan, especially in the January period when it is slower, are going to be benefiting from this. I think about Ciao Ragazzi, Tubbies, Perla, Osteria Gente, Via Mercanti, Giro D'Italia, Spizzico, Zafferano and all the wonderful restaurants. Their customers are not only going to benefit from the GST removal, a tax cut on the GST; they are also going to benefit on the equivalent side and get the full HST removed.

That, like I said earlier this evening, is a billion dollars just from the province side and another $600 million or $700 million, a $1.7-billion tax cut for the residents of the province of Ontario. I like tax cuts. I like reducing taxes for hard-working Canadians. I really encourage this.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am always respectful when I am speaking. I will let the others chirp over there.

This is about making life more affordable for Canadians, which we are doing.

[Anna Roberts, Conservative, King—Vaughan, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, we heard this speech two hours ago and I think I questioned the member across the way—

[The Deputy Speaker, Chris d'Entremont]

That is debate, but it gives me the opportunity to say to keep the volume down so the member can finish.

The hon. member for Vaughan—Woodbridge.

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, making life more affordable for all Canadians and putting out social programs is what our government has been about. It is the Christmas season, so buon Natale, Feliz Navidad and merry Christmas. It is a beautiful time of year, and Canadians are going to have more money in their pockets. That is what this government is about.

We brought in a middle-income tax cut; the Conservatives voted against it. We brought in the Canada child benefit; the Conservatives voted against it. We brought in the Canada workers benefit; the Conservatives voted against it. We brought in a national early learning and day care program; the Conservatives voted against it.

We brought in a Canadian dental care plan, and over 21,000 individuals in my riding are already benefiting from it. We have not even offered it yet to 18- to 65-year-old Canadians, which will happen in 2025. Almost three million Canadians from coast to coast to coast are using this program, and over a million Canadians who have visited an oral health care provider have been provided $710 on average. There are seniors in my riding, across the city of Vaughan, who have not gone to the dentist in over 10 years because they could not afford it and now they are going. That is progress.

Let us be straight. Every Canadian needs to know that the party opposite will cut those programs. Every senior needs to know that the Conservatives will attempt to cut those programs. The Conservatives have indicated it. This is not a personal comment; this is a policy comment. The Liberals reduced income taxes for some, and we raised them for the wealthiest in this country. The Conservatives voted against that.

We must continue to help Canadians. Christmastime is coming, and in a few weeks, Canadians will gather with their families and their loved ones. They will go to church, like me, and do other things. Our Jewish community will celebrate Hanukkah. They are all going to be talking about how our government is saving them money.

The Liberals also want to introduce the working Canadians rebate for hard-working Canadians, and we will do it in the coming months. It is tax-free help because we know Canadians have been through a lot: the global pandemic, global inflation, a war in Ukraine, the events in the Middle East and a changing of administrations south of the border. There is a lot of uncertainty.

The one certainty Canadians can count on is a government that always has their backs, every day and every hour, and, with no pun intended, a government they can trust and have faith in and that keeps its word in what it will do and implement. For our hard-working seniors, that means a 10% increase in old age security for almost four million seniors. The retirement age was raised in Davos, Switzerland, when it was announced many years ago by a former Conservative government, from 65 to 67—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Deputy Speaker, Chris d'Entremont]

I know we have been here for a long time today and I know we have a lot of craziness going on tonight. Let us just bring debate on the bill back to the issue at hand.

The hon. member for Vaughan—Woodbridge.

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I was saying that the former leader of the opposite party, who was in Switzerland, raised the retirement age from 65 to 67. There are bricklayers, electricians and labourers who work a very long time. Those extra two years of work are laborious. That is not fair to them. That is not fair to Canadians. It was not fair.

When we got elected, we promised we would return it, and we did. That is approximately $17,000 more in the pockets of retirees today than there was nine years ago. The opposition party, which was in government at the time, raised the retirement age without consultation, without doing it in this country, while it was overseas, just like that. We returned it. That is leadership.

On the middle-class income tax cut, literally billions of dollars will be returning to Canadians because we cut that middle tax bracket from 22% to about 20.5% in year one. We did that. On the Canada child care plan, $10-a-day day care is saving parents in my riding, including myself, and I am blessed, over $10,000 of after-tax income. We can do the math of what that means for before-tax income. We have continued to invest, and we will continue to invest.

There was a chart out the other day showing that rental construction in this country is booming right now. It is outpacing population growth because of the policies we have implemented. Going into Christmastime, in a few weeks, when we all get to spend time in our communities with our residents and our families, we should go to our local restaurants.

There are over 5,000 hard-working Canadians in Vaughan—Woodbridge right now who work for restaurants. They and their employers are going to see an uptick in business. Restaurants Canada has applauded this. It was there the day of the announcement because it is a great thing to do, and it is going to carry them over into January, which is a tough period for many businesses because of their seasonality. That is great news.

The Province of Ontario has signed with us for the national school food program, much like it did for the early learning and national day care plan. Again, they have joined us to provide tax relief to the residents of Ontario and to the wonderful citizens I am blessed to represent in the riding of Vaughan—Woodbridge. This is something we should applaud. This is progress we should applaud. Hard-working Canadians go to work every day, and they deserve a break.

We need to meet Canadians where they are today. As a son of very humble immigrants who came to this country and worked very hard at a pulp mill and a fish plant, I can say that every little bit helps. Every little bit helps all the time, and that is where we are at. The residents in my riding can put their trust in me. They have, and they will because we keep our word.

There is an old hockey adage from a few years ago where Patrick Roy was getting murmured out by another hockey player, and Patrick Roy said he puts his two rings in his ears, so he does not listen to the noise. I will not listen to the noise.

[Anna Roberts, Conservative, King—Vaughan, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I was taking some notes while the member for Vaughan—Woodbridge was speaking, and I find it quite ironic because we hear the same crap. Can I use that word?

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Anna Roberts, Conservative, King—Vaughan, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am sorry. We hear the same lies over and over—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Anna Roberts, Conservative, King—Vaughan, ON]

Mr. Speaker, oh, my goodness, I cannot say that word either.

The member is gaslighting all his constituents with everything he is saying there. I have proof. The member for Lakeland was with me this weekend. We went to those restaurants. We went to those neighbours. They said they want the Liberals out. They want the Conservatives to get in to fix everything they have broken.

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, at this moment in time, in the city of Vaughan, 50,000 children benefit from the Canada child benefit, to the tune of $200 million. There are 22,000 seniors now on the Canada dental care plan. We will continue the progress for the Canadians who voted us in and believed in us.

I do not believe in slogans. I do not believe in any of that stuff. I believe in good, solid policy that moves us forward. We will continue to do that, and we will continue to always have the backs of our businesses and our hard-working labour union members. We will always have the backs of everyone, all our residents. Canadians will know who to place their trust in several months from now. The arrogance is showing on the other side, and it is disgusting.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I heard the member talk about supporting communities. The NDP proposed giving a tax break permanently on essential items.

Why did the Liberals not choose to give a permanent tax break to communities that are desperate for help, and why did they leave out home heating?

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to answer these questions from the hon. member for Vancouver East because I was born and raised in British Columbia. At the time, the member of Parliament who represented me, who is no longer with us in this world, was Jim Fulton and I had a great degree of respect for him.

If any party has an idea at any time to reduce the burden of taxes on any Canadian, I, as a member of Parliament, am always open to hearing about it and receiving it.

[Some hon. members]

Axe the carbon tax.

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on the price for carbon, we remit all of it back to Canadians in those provinces that have a backstop, and we will continue to do so. It has no impact on inflation or on any cost. That is a fact. Go to Trevor Tombe's website, and look at the studies that are out there.

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it may be late, but that does not mean my colleagues cannot behave themselves. If they cannot, they should go to bed. They can vote electronically.

I would like to know if, early on, the Liberals thought about the impact on businesses, which will have to make this very temporary change and implement it very quickly. Were the Liberals aware of the impact?

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. It is very important to support small businesses across the country. We must always support them.

I understand that small businesses do face short timelines to convert their SKUs, as I believe they were called in back in the day, to make this change.

I have to work on improving my French.

The tax cut is benefiting Canadians and is putting more money in their pockets. I am all about helping middle-class and hard-working Canadians in my riding. When they buy diapers in a few weeks or when they take their kids to a restaurant, whether it is McDonald's or Tim Hortons or anywhere, they are going to get a tax break. It is $1.7 billion in the province of Ontario. I was glad to see the Government of Ontario join us in providing tax relief to its residents. All Canadians are going to benefit. It is 13% in Ontario. Those are real savings for the hard-working Canadians we all represent in the House.

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary Forest Lawn, AB]

Mr. Speaker, what happened to Canada? Everyone we talk to across this country ask the same thing. Canada is not Canada anymore, because after nine years of the weak and incompetent Prime Minister and an incompetent Liberal-NDP government, they have caused the worst cost of living crisis in Canadian history.

The incompetent Prime Minister has been supported by the leader of the NDP, who has nothing but greed for his $2.2-million pension. He has put his pension over Canadians and country. He helped the Prime Minister add more debt to Canadians than did every single prime minister before him combined, which has resulted in the cost of living crisis for Canadians and has increased food bank usage. Food bank usage has doubled since 2019. Now, more than two million Canadians are visiting a food bank in a single month in this country, a third of whom are children.

One in four Canadians has started skipping meals, and one in five children is living in poverty now. We never used to hear about this stuff; it has been only in the last nine years. What changed? What happened nine years ago? We got an incompetent, weak Prime Minister who has been propped up by a weak leader of the NDP. That is what happened to this country.

The Liberals have doubled housing costs, doubled food bank usage and doubled the national debt; that is why Canadians are suffering more than ever before. That is why there are tent cities all across the country. There is crime, chaos, drugs and disorder all over our communities because of soft-on-crime policies and bail policies that are savaging our streets right now. It is hard for the police to keep up. This is what incompetence looks like.

Whether someone was born here and grew up here or they immigrated here like my family, the common theme is that Canada is not Canada anymore. People just want their Canada back, the one they once knew and still love, the one where they put in hard work and earned a powerful paycheque and the one where they could afford their rent or mortgage payment and go to the grocery store and afford groceries again.

That is the kind of Canada people want back, but there is only one way to get that Canada back: It will happen in a carbon tax election when Canadians fire the incompetent Liberal-NDP government with the weak Prime Minister and replace him with the member for Carleton and a common-sense Conservative government. That will restore the Canada we all once knew.

To cover up all the incompetence and all the pain and suffering the Liberal-NDP government has spread throughout Canada over the last nine years, it has now put forward a temporary, two-month, tax trick. It would rather take pennies off Pringles, chump change off chocolate and cents off Skittles than axe the tax to actually bring down the cost of groceries.

The government has driven investment out and driven food prices up. In fact, Canada's food prices are 37% higher than those of the U.S. Do members know what the U.S. does not have? It does not have a carbon tax scam, and it has lower prices. Can members believe that? It is able to build more. It can get more energy projects built. It can get more business. It has more powerful paycheques and better jobs for its workers.

What is sad is that over the last nine years, almost a half a trillion dollars of the investment in the U.S. came from Canada. That is what the incompetent, weak Prime Minister did. He drove our jobs, our business and our investment to the U.S., and now he somehow says that Canadians are just in a vibecession; they are not vibing. That is the problem. It is the fault of Canadians, as they just do not feel it.

The Liberals' fix for the vibecession is to take pennies off Pringles and cheese puffs. That is their solution. It is almost as bad as saying we should just cancel our Disney+ service or stop driving around and use a bike.

This is what incompetence looks like in the Liberal-NDP government. It has been on full display for the last nine years.

The Liberals came out with this inflationary temporary tax trick. The member for Vaughan—Woodbridge was bragging that somehow it is going to create all this new business. Here is the reality: A report that came out said only a mere “4% of small business owners believe they will have stronger sales as a result” of this tax trick, and “75% say it will be costly and complicated to implement”. We are hearing from businesses that the minimum cost will be anywhere from $1,000 to $1,500 because they will have to change their POS system not once, but twice. The government is doing it at the worst time possible. This is one of the busiest weeks for businesses. It is Black Friday tomorrow, and this is the time they chose to do it. This is pure incompetence on full display.

A majority of businesses say that “there is not enough time to implement [it]”. A majority of businesses say that “it will be difficult to determine which items are temporarily tax-exempt”. Most “retailers of goods subject to the holiday report consumers will delay purchases”, messing with business projections and stock. A large majority says it will benefit the “big businesses and online giants”, meaning more money for Liberal-NDP friends, such as Galen Weston's family, and pain with no gain for small businesses. This is the reality.

It does nothing for the productivity crisis the Prime Minister created, in which we are seeing our investments flee to the U.S. Canadian workers are now $32,000 poorer than U.S. workers. If the incompetent government had just kept pace with the golden plate former prime minister Stephen Harper left in 2015, workers would be $4,200 richer in Canada. Instead, they are much poorer. It is clear to see.

The population growth created a worse housing crisis. Now students are living under bridges. Teachers and people with good jobs are living in cars. People who used to donate their time at food banks are now standing in line at food banks. There are husbands and wives at home, both earning good paycheques, who are going there. It is not just us saying this; proud Liberals such as David Dodge, a former Bank of Canada governor, has said that this is not the right package. It is a little candy today for pain down the road. I would say that this pain did not start today, but nine years ago. Our kids, their kids, their kids' kids and even their kids will be paying for this absolute incompetence.

However, we can put an end to this today. It was not like this before the incompetent Liberal-NDP government came in, and it will not be like that after it is gone. Can it find the courage to call a carbon tax election so that Canadians can fire the government? If so, a common-sense Conservative government will bring real relief. We are going to axe the tax immediately. We are going to bring down the cost of gas, groceries and home heating. We are going to axe the sales tax on newly built homes under $1 million so that 30,000 new homes can be built a year. People will save on their mortgages and the cost of homes.

We are going to fix this Liberal-made productivity crisis by unleashing our economy and our energy sector, which is keeping the government from bringing Canada into a recession. That is the sector it keeps attacking with its ridiculous policies, such as the oil and gas cap, which is actually a production cap that is chasing our resources, money and jobs out of Canada. We are going to unleash the economy once again so that Canada can become the Canada we once knew and still love. We are going to bring that home under a common-sense Conservative government.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, we are going to unveil the hypocrisy within the Conservative Party. Imagine, the Conservatives know no shame. They actually campaigned in the last election, every one of them, to have a GST tax break for the holiday season. Their leader actually endorsed it by retweeting what Erin O'Toole tweeted. Then, when it comes time to actually vote in favour of a tax cut for Canadians, what are they going to do? Let us wait and see. My money says that they are going to vote against it. How do we define hypocrisy? I say that they need to reflect and look in the mirror on this issue.

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary Forest Lawn, AB]

Mr. Speaker, this Liberal-NDP government is the king of hypocrisy.

The member wants to talk about hypocrisy. Let us not forget, this is the Prime Minister who said that he would not run deficits over $10 billion. He blew right through that after the first year, and we still have not had a balanced budget. Do members know why? It is because he does not think about monetary policy, and he thinks that budgets balance themselves. This is the same guy who said that our government is “open by default”. Yet, this is the most corrupt government, propped up by the corrupt NDP all because of greed over a pension. The Prime Minister has had more ethics violations than all the prime ministers before him combined. This is the guy who said he has a feminist government, yet fired a strong, indigenous woman who was a cabinet minister because she stood up to his corruption. Let us not forget the racist, blackface-wearing Prime Minister.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I remember when the Conservatives were for tax cuts, but maybe it is because it is the Conservatives who brought in the GST that makes them so sensitive to cutting it.

It is funny, my hon. colleague talked about pennies for cheese puffs, and he called it chump change. However, this is what the proposed GST cut will be on: children's clothing, footwear and diapers; children's car seats; food and beverages and groceries; restaurants; children's toys; and print newspapers and printed books. It is estimated that the average family will spend $2,000 on qualified goods, and if they live in Ontario or Atlantic Canada where the HST will also be removed, they will save about $360 over the two-month period.

Does my colleague say that saving people $360 is chump change? Is that what he is telling families, that $360 means so little that it is chump change to him—

[The Speaker, Greg Fergus]

The hon. member for Calgary Forest Lawn.

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary Forest Lawn, AB]

Mr. Speaker, this is not a tax cut; this is an inflationary tax trick. It would temporarily take the tax off things like cheese puffs and take pennies off Pringles. Does the member really have the courage to face Canadians for once instead of the NDP members propping up this corrupt Prime Minister because of the greed of their leader for a $2.2-million pension? They should put Canadians over their leader's pension. Call a carbon tax election now so common-sense Conservatives can fire all these clowns and we can replace them with a common-sense Conservative government that will axe the tax for good.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, calling parliamentarians “clowns” in this place is unparliamentary, and it is unbecoming of him. I would ask him to withdraw that comment immediately.

[John Nater, Conservative, Perth—Wellington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on the same point of order, I would say that it is offensive to clowns to be compared to the NDP.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Lindsay Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on the same point of order, an apology is warranted, considering the comments by the colleague from Perth—Wellington.

[The Speaker, Greg Fergus]

The hon. member for Calgary Forest Lawn used language not conducive to making sure that a debate can happen here. Because it was not directed at a particular member, usually there is a lot of latitude in terms of the language used, and so we are going to move on.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Greg Fergus]

The hon. member for Port Moody—Coquitlam is rising on a point of order.

[Bonita Zarrillo, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I also wanted to point out that the member said he was going to fire the “clowns”. It was directed at people. He does not have any power to fire anyone. That is the problem—

[The Speaker, Greg Fergus]

I thank the hon. member. The Speaker has already ruled on that.

The hon. member for Manicouagan has the floor.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, clearly it can be hard to discuss this in a way that is constructive for society. The fact that this bill will not go to committee is problematic. Everyone is accusing everyone else of hypocrisy. Personally, I think that is unfortunate. People are having trouble defending this bill, and the choice of goods on the list seems somewhat arbitrary. Even regular people think this is a vote-getting measure. There are issues because this seems like it was hastily cobbled together.

I would like to hear my colleague's thoughts on that.

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary Forest Lawn, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I agree with the member. It seems as though the plan or policy was written on the back of a napkin and put together as quickly as possible to try to distract from the pain and misery the Liberal-NDP government has caused Canadians for the last nine years, or from the fact that inside the House, we have been discussing for the last two months the absolute corruption of the government that keeps on happening. It is just another ethics scandal under the belt of the government, which of course the NDP keeps propping up.

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, how about some mixed Liberal-NDP improv? The theme is: climbing in the polls. The duration is: the length of time allocation. This is like bad improv. Quebec's national improv league could do better—at least they are prepared for what they are getting into. I am ashamed of what I am seeing. I wish it were a joke or just a skit, but unfortunately it is not. What we are witnessing is total and complete improvisation by the government and its dance partner. No one in Laurentides—Labelle has ever talked to me about a GST holiday, not once. It will have a direct impact on businesses, but will be of very little benefit to the people . We all agree that the die has already been cast.

When someone's entire income goes to meet basic needs, the GST holiday offers very little. Rent is already zero-rated. Groceries are already tax-free. Heating is taxed, but Bill C‑78 does not remove the GST from heating. It does, however, remove the GST from alcohol. If I decide to go to a restaurant for dinner and treat myself to a nice bottle, it seems only fair that I should pay GST on a luxury product. However, the government has decided that it is a good idea to give a GST rebate to those who can afford a bottle of Veuve Clicquot this holiday season. In fact, some people may have had some tonight. They can go out and buy it by the case. For members' information, this morning I checked the website of the SAQ, Quebec's liquor board, and a 750-millilitre bottle of Veuve Clicquot sells for $84. That is definitely a luxury.

A tax holiday is being offered to the well-heeled. Those with the bare minimum in their bank accounts count every dollar, and every expense counts. Moreover, those expenses are for products that are already tax-free.

Earlier, I heard the member for Alfred-Pellan say this will help business owners. A person would have to be completely out of touch to say that. The government definitely did not think of small businesses owners, who are struggling to keep their businesses afloat. I know this because it is something I myself will go through. Let me name just one of the people who contacted me. Marc Hallée, the owner of Bistro des Chutes in Chute‑Saint‑Philippe, contacted me this morning. He was irate. I get it. He said this measure makes no sense. There is one technician for about 300 businesses. How are they going to reconfigure their cash registers? It will cost thousands of dollars. They will deal with it, but they definitely will not be ready by December 14. What will they do on February 14 to reinstate the GST on February 15? Nobody knows.

This is a double standard for a measure that will end up forcing business people like Marc Hallée to bring in technicians twice, and that will cost them money. I do not get it.

In the restaurant industry, profit margins are slim. I am thinking of everyone tuning in right now. This is really detrimental to the small business ecosystem. It is happening because the government and the NDP are so far down in the polls that they are looking for a gimmick that will help them claw their way back up into the light. Let us be honest. That is what is really going on here.

I am thinking of the businesses that ship products across Canada. Billing is done according to the province where the product is ordered and delivered. Imagine the headache for a business that is shipping products for Christmas. Honestly, it is a nightmare. No, this is not going to help businesses. It is going to help the large multinationals and big box stores. No shops on main street in Saint-Sauveur, Saint-Jovite or Mont-Tremblant, or on Madone street in Mont-Laurier is applauding this measure. These people are tearing out their hair trying to figure out how they will manage.

Wanting to give tax breaks to the rich makes even less sense coming from left-wing political parties. It makes no sense. We know that the Liberals are going to blame us for voting against the measure. I can hear it, but that does not bother me because I do not underestimate people's intelligence and they understand us. We are voting against this measure because it is a bad measure for Quebec and Quebeckers. A GST holiday is not going to help those who struggle to feed their family, those who have to wait in line at a charity or a food bank. These people need direct help and support for their real needs. Let us just say it: The purpose of this measure is to support consumer spending of the well-off. The Liberals and the NDP would rather support champagne socialists than help people who really need it. That is the reality. I cannot get over the NDP supporting this. They may change their minds yet. There are still a few minutes left.

It is also strange to see that, in the provinces where the sales tax is harmonized, no one in the government, not the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs or anyone in their offices, thought it would be a good idea to warn the provincial governments. The provincial governments found out about this 24 hours before the Prime Minister held his press conference in a chic kitchen in Toronto. That says a lot. First, it proves just how much contempt the federal government has for the provinces. Second, it proves just how quickly this measure was thrown together. Everyone here is talking about this measure this evening without really having had the chance to think about it. There is more. This might be news to my English Canadian colleagues, but Revenu Québec collects the GST in Quebec. The federal government pays Revenu Québec for that service. However, the Liberal-NDP alliance—people like to call it that, so I will too—did not seem to think about that and did not consider compensating Quebec for that. We are not talking about huge amounts here, but it shows how the government is making things up as it goes along.

I am going to close by telling the House that I am totally opposed to this bill. I do not want to vote in favour of a tax holiday for the wealthy. I care too much about people who are in need right now, who are living in extremely vulnerable situations. If any parliamentarian wants to criticize the fact that we are opposed to this, they should come and see me. We will have a nice little chat. I will introduce them to some people. The purpose of taxes is to provide services and help people. I am telling the citizens of Laurentides—Labelle that the government is not doing its job. The government is throwing this at us before Christmas, business owners are stuck with it, people are furious and, honestly, using time allocation is an insult to the power of legislators.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I must say I am disappointed in the Bloc, because what we see is what I would suggest is an unholy alliance between the double blue, where we have the Bloc siding with the Conservatives, not recognizing the true value of giving constituents throughout the country a holiday GST tax break. Giving the impression that her constituents would not support the tax break, I believe, is not fully the truth. At the end of the day, I believe people deserve it. Providing that holiday GST tax break would be a good thing, and we should all be supporting it.

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have to accept the fact that every time we vote with a party, there is an alliance.

As I said, the Bloc Québécois always asks the same question. Is this good for Quebec? If so, then we vote in favour of it. Is this bad for Quebec and Quebeckers? If it is bad, then we vote against it. We are not voting against this measure because we are an opposition party. We are voting against it because, like I have been saying, the measure is ill-conceived. What is more, we are not even going to have an opportunity to examine it in committee, and it will last for only two months.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have a simple question for my colleague. How is helping struggling Quebeckers by sending them several hundred dollars at a very expensive time during the holiday season bad for Quebeckers or for Quebec?

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is one thing for someone who earns $100,000 to get a temporary discount on luxury items. However, people who are using food banks are spending their money on necessities that are not even taxed. These people will not be going out to eat in restaurants. They still will not be able to afford to.

If we really want to help those people, we need to look at the necessities: a roof over one's head, food on the table and a little money in one's pocket.

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my question for my colleague from the Bloc Québécois is quite specific to the provincial jurisdiction side of this. A number of agreements have been signed with provinces that have a harmonized sales tax and also with provinces that just have the GST, or that have the GST and the HST. There are aspects of the act that governs those, which actually seem like what the Liberal government has proposed and are supported by the NDP. They would actually be in violation of those things, which would then, in fact, be a direct attack on provincial jurisdiction.

I wonder if my colleague from the Bloc could talk about whether she has heard that. Has she had a chance to look into the impacts this bill would have and the possible impacts that would specifically be related to Quebec, which I know would be similar in the province of Alberta and in those other jurisdictions that have HST?

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, of course, things are different in Quebec, and there will be a shortfall. However, I am primarily concerned about the real cost to individuals. I am no tax expert, but from a tax perspective, it is certainly something of a headache. There will be enormous consequences, if only in terms of corporate taxes or filing corporate returns.

This will clearly be harmful to Quebec and we have not heard the last about the collateral damage it will cause.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, millions of Canadians are struggling to make ends meet. We have a cost of living crisis and an economy that is seeing an ever-widening gap between the wealthy and the rest of us. A few stark facts bear this out. According to Statistics Canada, nearly half of Canadians report that rising prices are greatly affecting their ability to meet day-to-day expenses. Rent has increased by over 21% and grocery foods have increased by over 20% over the last three years. According to Equifax Canada, 50% of Canadians are now living paycheque to paycheque.

Income inequality in Canada has hit the highest level ever recorded. The top 20% of Canadians hold more than two-thirds of our country's wealth. By comparison, the bottom 40% of Canadians account for only 2.8% of our country's wealth. According to the Salvation Army, one in four parents cut back on their own food consumption this year to ensure their children had enough to eat. Eight in 10 Canadians, or 80%, believe that owning a home in Canada is now only for the rich. Seven in 10 say they have given up on ever owning a home.

A majority of Canadians say that thinking about holiday spending causes them financial anxiety and 80% plan on cutting back on spending during this holiday season in a few short weeks. That is why the NDP recently pledged to permanently remove the GST from daily essentials and monthly bills, such as grocery store items, including pre-prepared meals, diapers, children's clothing, Internet, home phone and cellphone bills, and all types of home heating. We will note that all of these items are unavoidable expenses. Everyone has to heat their residence and buy food at the grocery store; cellphones and Internet are now essential utilities.

We estimate that our plan would save an average family over $500 per year. This commitment stands in stark contrast to the Conservatives' proposed cuts to essential programs, such as dental care, child care and pharmacare. Losing that support would cost families thousands of dollars per year. That is money they cannot afford.

We would finance this permanent tax cut with an excess profits tax paid by very large corporations that abuse their monopoly market power and unjustifiably hike their profit margins. Canadians should know that excess profit or windfall taxes are used worldwide, including in the United Kingdom, Spain and Australia. In fact, Canada has a history of using excess profits taxes. During both world wars, excess profits taxes were implemented to help fund the war effort and ensure that companies did not engage in profiteering. The Parliamentary Budget Officer has estimated that an excess profits tax would have generated almost $8 billion in federal revenues for 2020.

The Liberal government responded to the NDP's tax-free essentials plan but, in true Liberal fashion, did so only partially. Instead, it proposed a two-month GST holiday on certain items, starting December 14, and a one-time payment of $250 delivered in spring 2025 for individuals who reported net employment income of up to $150,000 in 2023. It has completely ignored the NDP's call for an excess profits tax on large corporations, which are making huge, historic profits. This is far from the substantial, fair and permanent relief the NDP wants to give Canadians.

As usual, the Liberals are letting people down with their choice to make this a short-term tax holiday on a limited list of items. By leaving out things like home heating and cellular and Internet bills, their scheme also largely fails to capture the life essentials that the NDP plan captures. New Democrats are profoundly disappointed that the Liberals have chosen to exclude the most vulnerable Canadians from their one-time payment proposal. Perversely, the Liberals have chosen to send cheques to individuals earning $149,000 or couples earning $298,000 a year, but not to seniors on fixed incomes of $25,000 or people with disabilities so severe that they cannot work. That completely defies logic and fairness.

This plan was announced without consultation or negotiation with the NDP. Our position is that everyone under the income threshold should receive the $250 payment, and we will not support the Liberals' rebate payment unless this support is expanded to include everyone in need. The NDP forced the Liberals to split these two measures into two, so we could proceed with the GST holiday right away to give people immediate relief, while we continue to pressure the Liberals to fix the $250 benefit to include all vulnerable Canadians.

New Democrats will vote for the GST holiday proposed in the legislation before us today because working and middle-class families are desperate for relief, even if it is temporary and less than ideally aimed. We will continue to campaign hard on permanently scrapping the GST on daily essentials and on monthly bills. We will continue to fight for a fair taxation system through which the rich pay their fair share and all working and middle-class Canadians can live comfortable lives with dignity.

I have a few words with respect to the bill before the House. This legislation would amend the Excise Tax Act to implement a temporary GST/HST holiday between December 14, 2024, and February 15, 2025 on qualifying goods. This would help Canadians by lowering the cost on a range of products that are particularly needed during the upcoming holiday season. These would include children's clothing; footwear and diapers; children's car seats; food and beverages in grocery stores and restaurants; children's toys, including games, building sets, puzzles and video consoles; print newspapers; printed books; and even Christmas trees or similar decorative trees.

Removing the GST from these goods for two months would provide an estimated $1.6 billion in federal tax relief. A family spending $2,000 on qualifying goods would realize GST savings of at least $100 over the two-month period, but in provinces where the HST would also be removed, such as Ontario and the Atlantic provinces, further savings would be realized. The same $2,000 basket of qualifying purchases would realize a savings of $260 over a two-month period.

The Liberals' plan to only offer temporary GST relief would not only provide to families less than half the relief that the NDP's plan would have provided, but also present a significant burden on business owners, especially small business owners, who would have to adjust their cash registers and payment systems twice in two months. That is yet more reason that the NDP plan to permanently eliminate the GST on these essential items would be better for business owners and better for consumers.

I would like to address one of the major reasons that Canadians are feeling such economic pressure, and that is corporate price gouging. New Democrats understand that the inflation over the last two years was not caused by unreasonable wages, increased demand by consumers or even excess government spending. It was caused by corporations who inflated prices.

Canadians are eating the same food they did before inflation. They are driving the same cars the same mileage they did before inflation. Frankly, people are probably eating and driving less. Governments have been running large deficits for almost 20 years by both Conservative and Liberal administrations without causing rampant inflation, so that cannot possibly explain why grocery prices are through the roof, suppliers are shrinking their portions and oil companies have jacked up their gas prices.

Here are the real facts: Profit margins surged in early 2022 following the COVID pandemic, when many sectors used the cover of the pandemic as an excuse to raise prices. Despite the normalization of supply chains, easing of shortages and weaker consumer demand, aggregate corporate profits hardly changed in 2023. Last year, corporations in Canada recorded $644 billion in pre-tax profits, which are 54% higher than they were in 2019, the last prepandemic year, and over double the average profit level of the prepandemic decade.

A quick look at three highly concentrated industries, the grocery, telecom, and oil and gas sectors, revealed this clearly. Coming out of the pandemic, operating profits in the oil and gas sector increased tenfold from $6.6 billion in 2019 to $66 billion in 2022. That is the highest profit ever recorded in Canadian history. Grocery giants' profit margin doubled from 2% prepandemic to 4.1% in 2023. A 1% increase in gross margins at grocery stores adds over $1 billion to Canadians' food bills. The telecom sector reported total revenues of $66.8 billion in 2022, which is another all-time high.

Why do we have high prices in Canada? It is because large corporations raise them. Why do we have a problem with productivity in Canada? It is because corporations are not investing in machinery, equipment, technology and employee training. The NDP will continue to fight for working and middle-class Canadians and bring a fair taxation system in for this country so everyone has a real shot at a good life in this country.

[Francis Scarpaleggia, Liberal, Lac-Saint-Louis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we have heard a lot about the cost of food being higher in Canada than in the United States. That is true, but there are many reasons for that. One is economies of scale. The United States has a much larger population. It is the same reason the price of food is lower in cities in Canada than in the regions. Another reason is that wages are much lower in the United States. For example, in Canada the minimum wage ranges from $13 to $16.77, and in the United States the federal minimum wage is $7.25.

Does the member not agree that the Conservative recipe for high food prices is keeping wages low? Does the member not agree that the Conservatives are fake friends of labour?

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, to say the words “Conservatives” and “labour” in the same sentence is an oxymoron. I have been in the House for 16 years and have watched the Conservatives vote every single time to order striking workers back to work. I have watched them oppose every single proposed minimum wage hike. I have watched them try to increase the retirement age from 65 to 67.

If someone works in the House of Commons, that is one thing, but members should try being a bricklayer, roofer, drywaller or carpet layer working at 67 years of age. That is what the leader of the Conservative Party, when he was in the Harper government, proposed and supported. The Conservatives not only are no friends of labour; they will make life harder for every worker in this country.

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, over the last nine years, and in particular over the last three, we have watched the NDP enable all of the corruption and incompetence of the Liberal government. It has really been on display with how this bill came into being. The NDP and the Liberals seemed to be somewhere writing on the back of a cocktail napkin, trying to cobble together some kind of a bill that could distract Canadians from the corruption we have seen, wherein the Liberals have let insiders profit from their slush fund.

Will the member explain why the NDP keeps propping up the Liberal government?

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I serve with the hon. member on the finance committee, and I would think that someone on the finance committee would be quite careful with numbers. There was a majority Liberal government in this country from 2015 to 2019. Nobody was propping up the government; it was a majority government.

The hon. member says “nine years”, but that is factually incorrect. I would not trust the member or his party with running a popsicle stand if they cannot even get basic numbers like that correct. Also, they are so ethically slippery that they will continue to use propaganda and nursery rhyme politics like that to try to confuse Canadians.

The Conservatives are proposing a cut to the carbon tax, but they are opposing a cut to the GST. Let us try to explain that to Canadians. I certainly cannot.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, Nunavut's birth rate is double the national rate, meaning there are a lot of expenses for Nunavummiut, including diapers and children's clothing. I wonder if the member can share with us what it will mean for Nunavummiut to know they will have some relief.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this moment to say that I think my hon. colleague is the most powerful speaker in the entire House of Commons. One thing that is disturbing to me, listening to the speeches, is the disdain and the elitism I hear coming from the Conservatives. By talking about Pringles and cheese puffs, and by saying that this is insignificant and that it is chump change, it shows absolute disrespect and a lack of understanding of the real lives of most working families in this country.

My hon. colleague raised the point about people in the north who have to spend money on diapers, footwear and clothing. For people in harsher climates, there are probably additional clothing expenses, and this will give real relief, yet the Conservatives scoff at that.

For people in the House of Commons who make $200,000 a year to scoff at hundreds of dollars going to some of the poorest people in the country, it is frankly shameful.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the debate is a tough one, because we were told about the original plan that there would be a $250 cheque to certain Canadians, not to the people most in need but to people who worked in 2023, which would not include many people living on very fixed and small incomes, people on disability benefits and seniors.

We were the first party to notice that it was not a fair plan. On November 22 we put out a statement asking how we could give a cheque of $250 to some Canadians but fail to notice that it would not apply to retired Canadians living on a fixed income and would not apply to people living on disability benefits.

After all the time that we have in the House called for a Canada disability tax benefit, it has still not been delivered, and the $250 cheque was dangled out there. We do not know where it has gone now, because in the last 24 hours it has crystallized that we were going to be debating in this place and fast-tracking only a GST tax holiday on only certain goods that would qualify as necessities. Furthermore, it would be for only a two-month period on and around Christmas. It would be at a cost of $1.6 billion from the treasury of Canada.

It is a tough issue. It is less difficult now that the government has pulled away the $250 that should have been targeted at people who need it most. Who knows? Maybe it will come back to us in some other form, but there is something about it. I struggle with it. I probably have to say, knowing how much Canadians need a break right now, that I do not know that I can vote against a GST tax holiday on certain goods over a two-month period.

However, I have to say that it makes me feel queasy. It makes me feel as if I am voting for something that Doug Ford would have come up with. In fact I think Doug Ford did come up with it, and it is not good policy. Whether it is good politics, we will see.

It would be a GST tax break on certain items. I heard earlier from a Conservative in this place that it would apply to jigsaw puzzles, and I thought, “Well, we do not have to worry about that.” We have all seen the Conservative commercials. We know the leader of the official opposition has jigsaw puzzles. We get to see them on TV quite a lot.

It is not good policy when it is not targeted to people who need it the most, and it is not good policy when it is $1.6 billion without the government's saying it is going to pay for it with an excess profit tax on the big grocery stores and their corporate management and corporate greed. It is not good policy when we do not say that we are going to actually pay for the GST tax holiday by finally applying an excess profit tax on big oil and the obscene levels of corporate profits they have been making, especially since Putin invaded Ukraine, which amounts essentially to war profiteering by big oil.

Therefore we struggle with this, and as Greens we struggle with it, because we know Canadians need a break on things that are essentials, but there is a very complicated list of what would be considered essential and what would not.

The break would also not be permanent. We look at it as a two-month break over the holidays. It is transparently a vote-buying scheme. Would it deliver relief to people who need it the most right now? It certainly would be of benefit.

I think of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. It is very clear that the retail sector does not see that the tax holiday would help it a lot through the Christmas season. However, it would help restaurants with respect to both in-restaurant meals and takeaways, and that is a perk for families and for people who have been pinching pennies. Nonetheless, the people who have been pinching pennies and not going out for restaurant meals are not the same people who are lining up at the food banks.

I have to say it is rare for me and my colleagues here to struggle with how to vote on something. I am usually pretty darn sure from the get-go. I read a bill and I think, “Well, this is something I can get behind. This is something I believe in.”

What do Canadians really need right now? We need a comprehensive security policy that protects us from the ravages of the climate crisis, which itself drives up grocery prices, makes food more expensive, makes life in Canada more precarious for those who live in flood plains, who are flooded year after year, or who are in communities that get fire evacuation orders year after year, or who live with the ongoing trauma of the effect of living through a heat dome in British Columbia. There are numbers of people who still feel that trauma, or the trauma after hurricane Fiona.

We need comprehensive policy that makes sense. While the Conservatives want to axe the carbon tax, that tax is rebated to people. The GST is something that was put in place under the Mulroney government. The GST, overall, is not a progressive tax; everybody pays it. If people are buying really big luxury items, they are going to pay more. This tax holiday for a two-month period is at least not designed around really large luxury goods.

It says it is about the necessities that Canadians need, like car seats and diapers. I just had a baby granddaughter. My gift to my daughter for her baby, Lily, will not get a GST tax break because it is a service. My daughter and my granddaughter will never see a throwaway diaper because they are buying cotton diapers. I got them a laundry service. That actually saves people a lot of money. Buying throwaway diapers costs about $6,000 a year for the average infant. Buying cloth diapers up front costs a bit more. It is just the work and the labour for a new mom to have to do all that laundry. It is usually the new mom and not the new dad.

I do not want to dive into all the questions of what really costs in our society, where we can save money by doing things differently, by avoiding the throwaway or by investing in something that is a service in community. There is a small business that delivers, every week, clean and healthy cotton diapers for babies. That is not what anyone means when they talk about how everybody needs diapers when there is a new baby. The whole time my daughter was in diapers, I did not buy a throwaway diaper, not once.

I did not suffer for my sacrifice. I had really good, reusable diapers, and I still have one left. I treasure that one diaper left from my 33-year-old daughter. My gosh, it is the best rag ever for washing up a mess. They cannot be bought anywhere; people just have to save them if they were smart enough when they had a new baby to invest in cotton diapers. It is a really good product.

I am struggling with this because I do not know that a two-month GST tax holiday on some goods and not others is what Canadians really need the most. What we really need is to eliminate poverty, focus on food security for all, invest in our society with the kind of tax changes that make the biggest difference, and give Canadians the chance to know that this is a caring society that has eliminated poverty with a national, guaranteed, livable income for all. That makes real change. This makes small change.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, we all have an opportunity to do something very positive for our constituents. We know things have been difficult, and we are providing them a significant tax break for the holiday period.

As the member said, it is a difficult decision for her. However, at the end of the day, how do we say no to constituents and to providing them a bit of support during the holidays? The member made reference to restaurants. For restaurants and those working in that hospitality industry, it is going to have such a wonderful, positive impact. I think February 15 is the deadline. February 14 is Valentine's Day, and we know that is a busy time.

There will be many different benefits. Could the member tell us to what degree it would have been better to see all members of the House support an initiative like this?

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I know that Canadians are feeling a sense of deep anxiety about our future. Going back to the question of affordability, for most people the idea is about buying a home. We also have people who are looking at living rough, living in encampments and living in tents. I can hardly believe that in a country as wealthy as Canada, we are prepared to tolerate people living rough and outdoors in a country that has bitter winters. We can do better and we must do better.

This is $1.6 billion that I cannot help but feel could be spent in better ways than a short term and very small, if welcome, benefit over Christmas. As I said, and I say to my colleagues, I will probably vote for this, but I will not feel great about it.

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if we vote against the bill tonight, we should not do so just because we are in the opposition, and if we vote for the bill, we should not do so just because we think that, when all is said and done, it might help a few people. We need to look at the big picture.

I am not going to ask my colleague why she is voting in favour of the bill, but I will ask her the following question. Does she believe that the government carefully crafted and analyzed this measure before bringing it forward and putting it to a vote in the next few minutes?

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague from the Bloc Québécois. It is not easy, but I think we lack policies that show courage and leaders who clearly understand the affordability issues that Canadian families, children and youth are experiencing. This measure is not enough, but it may do some good, and that is why I am voting for it.

As I said, we need to do more. We need to build a society for the well-being of everyone, and especially for people who cannot afford basic necessities. Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities and the homeless come to mind. These are populations in Canada that need our help.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

Mr. Speaker, what we have before us is a tax trick and that member called it a vote buy. Through you, should all members not vote against this?

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, fortunately for me, in the Green Party, nobody tells me how to vote. This is a tough one. I would share with my friend from Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, that I am sure she can think of people in her community who will wonder why she did not vote for this because they would have liked to have this.

I am sorry, but that is the reality. We need to think about the individuals who will hear about this on the news and think, “I needed that. I wanted that, and that would have made my Christmas better”. For those people, I feel very much as though we should go along with this, but fight to make sure that we can pay for it and that we do better by aiming for a permanent change to help those people.

[The Speaker, Greg Fergus]

It being 10:39 p.m., pursuant to order made earlier today, every question necessary to dispose of the second reading stage of Bill C‑78 is deemed put, a recorded division is deemed requested, and the division shall not be deferred.

Call in the members.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #904

[The Speaker, Greg Fergus]

I declare the motion carried.

Accordingly, pursuant to order made earlier today, this bill is deemed referred to a committee of the whole, deemed considered in committee of the whole, deemed reported without amendment, deemed concurred in at report stage and deemed read a third time and passed.

(Bill read the second time, considered in committee of the whole, reported, concurred in, read the third time and passed)

[The Speaker, Greg Fergus]

The hon. government House leader is rising on a point of order.

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I move:

That the House do now adjourn.

[The Speaker, Greg Fergus]

Pursuant to order made on Wednesday, February 28, the motion is deemed adopted.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Speaker, Greg Fergus]

The House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10. a.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 11:24 p.m.)