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.

Message from the Senate

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

I have the honour to inform the House that a message has been received from the Senate informing this House that the Senate has passed the following bill: Bill C-78, an act respecting temporary cost of living relief (affordability).

Business of the House

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

Mr. Speaker, despite what the Conservatives might think, I do not actually think Canadians want them door-knocking at Christmas. What I can say is we are very much looking forward to being here next week.

We are already into December, which means there are less than two weeks left before the House is scheduled to adjourn for the holidays.

I am very proud that, last week, our government passed Bill C‑78, a very important government initiative that will deliver substantial savings to Canadians through GST and HST relief across the country.

I am quite sure that indeed all hon. colleagues in this place are well aware that tomorrow, Monday and Tuesday will be opposition days. On Tuesday night, members of Parliament will have the opportunity to vote on the supplementary estimates (B), which includes funding on important issues for Canadians such as dental care, housing, indigenous reconciliation, the national school food program and much more.

Lastly, I would like to inform the House that the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth will deliver a ministerial statement tomorrow to commemorate the tragic 35th anniversary of the massacre at the Polytechnique.

Alleged Intimidation during Proceedings of the House

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there are limits to presenting alternative realities and ignoring the facts. The Conservative members are currently making speeches that have nothing to do with the question of privilege raised by my colleague from London—Fanshawe. What the member is talking about was already addressed by the Speaker this morning. The Speaker of the House made a statement about the interactions the Conservatives are currently attacking without cause.

I want to read the Speaker's statement. He said, “I also wish to take a few moments to address another situation that occurred after the vote. After the result was announced and Bill C‑78 was adopted”—

Decorum

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I would like to make a brief statement concerning some events that transpired yesterday at the end of the sitting. Those present in person witnessed behaviours that went against the normal expectations in terms of decorum. The last vote, in particular, was characterized by disturbances; some members shouted and others made gestures, with the presumed objective of eliciting reactions. Some members were particularly unruly, and the Chair was obligated to intervene during the taking of the division to remind members to remain calm so that we could allow the clerks at the table to continue with the roll call.

As stated in House of Commons Procedure and Practice, third edition, at page 643, “During the taking of a vote, no Member is permitted to enter, leave or walk across the Chamber or to make any noise or disturbance from the time the Speaker begins to put the question until the results of the vote are announced.”

The Chair hopes this will serve as a good reminder to all members of the expectations in regard to decorum during divisions. I understand that some votes are the subject of strong disagreements, but it is still expected that all members comport themselves appropriately.

Finally, I also wish to take a few moments to address another situation that occurred after the vote. After the result was announced and Bill C-78 was adopted, I recognized the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, who caught my eye on a point of order. I understand that the member for London—Fanshawe was also on her feet on a point of order, presumably in relation to the division that had just taken place. The government House Leader then moved that the House be adjourned. The motion was deemed adopted, with the result that our proceedings for the day ended.

Obviously, this prevented the member for London—Fanshawe from raising her concerns in a timely manner, and I apologize for this situation as I should have recognized her. That said, I am ready to hear her or one of her colleagues now, if she still wishes. Others might also want to intervene. I thank all members for their attention.

I see the hon. member for London—Fanshawe is rising on a point of order.

Tax Break for All Canadians Act

[The Speaker, Liberal, 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.

[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.

[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—

[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.

Government Business No. 43—Proceedings on Bill C-78

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

Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the hard-working, common-sense Conservative member for Fundy Royal.

It is always an honour to rise to address the House, but unfortunately I do so this evening without optimism and without enthusiasm. Instead, I am forced to rise with disappointment and frustration given the state of the House of Commons.

In the past 24 hours, we have seen the tired, weak and desperate Liberals use closure and programming motions to avoid accountability for their scandals and to attempt to distract Canadians with their temporary, two-month tax trick. What is interesting about Motion No. 43 is that it is a guillotine motion that has itself been guillotined by a guillotine motion. This is a motion that would introduce closure on a motion that is about closure and stopping debate.

Here we are this evening debating Motion No. 43. I want to say that Bill C-78 was written on the back of a cocktail napkin, but it seems more appropriately to say the bill was written on an Etch A Sketch. The Liberals have taken it, shaken it and changed it a few times to try to get the NDP on board, and no one knows exactly what the next shake will do.

The Leader of the Government in the House of Commons has shut down debate on not one but two matters of privilege today so that the Liberals can force through their temporary, short-sighted tax trick legislation. The problem is that the Liberals are afraid of the Canadian people. They know that their parliamentary calendar is slipping away and that the days they have left to bring legislation before the House of Commons are limited. They know that a strong, common-sense Conservative government is on the horizon. When our common-sense Conservative Party takes power after a carbon tax election, we will be able to deliver for the hard-working Canadians we have the honour of representing.

We know the Liberal government has allowed its entire legislative agenda to be paralyzed. Why is the House paralyzed from considering all other pieces of legislation? It is because the Liberals violated an order of the House of Commons from June 10 wherein they were required to table documents with the clerk so they could be turned over to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. This begs the question: What is so damning in those documents that the Liberals would shut down Parliament for two months to prevent the Mounties from getting them?

What does this programming motion today actually do? It shuts down debate on Bill C-78. In the House, there are 338 seats, yet all but five of the hon. members who sit in those seats will be prevented from debating this piece of legislation. Billions of dollars of spending will not be debated in the House because of this programming motion.

Even more egregious is that the Liberal programming motion means the temporary tax trick bill would skip the committee process altogether. This means it would not go to the finance committee so we could hear from experts. It would not go to the finance committee so we could hear from the Canadians who will be affected by the bill. It would not go to the finance committee so we could hear from the small businesses and small business workers who would be affected. There would not be an opportunity to make amendments to this piece of legislation.

No sensible legislative body ought to agree to this process outside of an emergency situation. Let us be clear: Plummeting Liberal poll numbers may seem like an emergency to the Liberal government, but it is not an emergency for the Canadian people, who we have the great honour of representing.

If we read this programming motion, this guillotine motion, it has the wording “deemed requested, “deemed referred”, “deemed considered”, “deemed reported”, “deemed concurred in” and “deemed read a third time and passed”. It is as lazy as it is reckless. This programming motion is not democratic. In fact, it is an affront to transparency and Canadian democracy.

Why is the Liberal government doing this? Why would the Liberals bring forward this temporary tax trick at this time? It is because it is a distraction from the other scandals that they are involved in. There is the ArriveCAN scandal, in which two guys in a basement were paid millions of dollars for no actual IT work. There is the $400-million Liberal green slush fund, which is currently under consideration in the House as a matter of privilege. There is the ever-evolving scandal around the disgraced former minister of employment, the member for Edmonton Centre, who falsely claimed indigenous status in order to gain contracts from the Liberal government; this has also led to its own question of privilege. The misconduct and ethical lapses of the Liberal government are outright disgraceful. Finally, last week, after weeks of opposition members' demanding action, the member for Edmonton Centre stepped down from the Liberal cabinet. However, I can assure members that the good people of Edmonton Centre are watching. I know that, after the next election, they will remove him as the member of Parliament for that riding so that a common-sense Conservative member can represent those fine people.

What happened right after the member quit being in cabinet? The Prime Minister and the finance minister obviously took to Google and typed in “ways to distract Canadians”. They came up with this new temporary tax trick. The Prime Minister may have been googling it at the Taylor Swift concert as he kept changing different ways of doing that. However, Canadians do not just see this as bad vibes, as might be noted, but as a real challenge for going forward and for their livelihoods.

As I know many colleagues on this side of the House do, I talk regularly with local constituents and local small business owners. These small business owners may have one, two, three or four employees. They put in long hours, late into the night, and they are up early in the morning before the sun rises in order to build a business for themselves, for their families and for their communities. While I have been speaking with local businesses over the last few days, they have told me of their real concerns about the impact this temporary tax trick will have on their businesses, on their point of sale and their computer systems. They will have to shoulder the costs of updating those systems for December 14 and then again on February 15, which is Flag Day in Canada, and they are going to have to bear those costs. They are also concerned about the potential for audits down the way for incorrectly applying these new rules, albeit through no fault of their own. What is more, because this falls over the new year, it is two fiscal years for most businesses, and so they would have the double challenge of being audited twice for the challenges of this program.

I have received a number of emails, and I will read one from a small business owner, who wrote that the “Federal government DOES NOTHING but expects us to eat the cost of trying to Make the Federal government look good” and “we then must do more work to turn all of this off in February”. He concluded, “[S]orry if I'm not very supportive of this very badly thought-out policy.” That is from a small business owner who is expressing the concerns that so many of us have heard about how this program was brought about.

Let us talk again about the temporary nature of this program. It goes until February 15. What happens about six weeks after that? First, the escalator tax on wine, beer and spirits goes up automatically. Even worse, on the Liberals' way to quadrupling the carbon tax on April 1, we will once again see the carbon tax rise on the way to costing 61¢ per litre. This is simply unacceptable.

This policy is poorly thought out. We should not have been at this point in Parliament, with the Liberals so desperate to implement a temporary tax trick to try to distract Canadians from their poor record as a government. The Liberals have made the House unworkable. This is not the policy that we should be going forward with. We should be having a carbon tax election so that Canadians can make the decision that they want to see a strong, common-sense Conservative government after the next election.

[Randeep Sarai, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence]

Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for London North Centre.

I am thankful for the opportunity today to debate Bill C-78.

The past few years have been challenging. It feels like the price of everything has gone up, thanks to global inflation and the need for central banks all over the world to raise interest rates in response to the after-effects of a once-in-a-generation global pandemic. While inflation has cooled and interest rates are dropping, we know that Canadians are not feeling that in their household budgets quite yet. Our government obviously cannot set prices at the checkout, but we can leave Canadians with more money in their pocket to help them afford the things they need and save for the things they want, which is where the measures in Bill C-78 come into effect.

Starting December 14, we are proposing to give a tax break to all Canadians. With a GST/HST exemption across the country, Canadians would be able to buy things like prepared foods, snacks, kids' clothing, Christmas trees, books, puzzles and other children's toys, all tax-free. Lasting until February 15, 2025, this tax break would essentially make all food GST/HST-free and would deliver meaningful savings for Canadians with real relief at the cash register. This relief is about saying to Canadians: “Yes, things have been hard, but they are going to get better.”

Inflation was at 2% in October, which means that inflation has been within the Bank of Canada's target range all year long. The bank has cut interest rates four times now this year. Our economy looks like it is having a soft landing from a COVID recession. We are providing this new support for Canadians who have really gotten our country through a tough time. We are counting on powering a very strong recovery at the end of this year and the beginning of next year.

This new support is about making life a little bit easier at this time of year when costs are highest, because we have the space now to do it. With good economic news, and I just mentioned inflation cooling and interest rates dropping, we are able to do so in a way that is not going to stimulate inflation, but rather is going to help make ends meet and continue our economic growth.

Canada has one of the strongest balance sheets in the world, and the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7. We have a strong fiscal position, and we are putting it to work to support Canadians with our temporary GST/HST relief. This can also help sustain the pace of our economic recovery. For example, consumer spending per capita has remained somewhat subdued, reflecting a lowering of household purchasing power due to higher inflation, elevated shelter costs and the impact of high interest rates over the past two years. Thankfully, inflation has cooled, interest rates are coming down and our government is delivering a plan to make housing more affordable. However, with some heightened global economic uncertainty, we have witnessed consumers and businesses adopting a more cautious approach when it comes to spending. We all know that the effects of lower interest rates can take time to be felt throughout the economy and make their way to impacting the pocketbooks of everyday Canadians.

Really, the Canadian economy has been operating below its potential capacity for over a year. This has largely been by design, as excess supply has put downward pressure on inflation, and as the monetary policy decisions from the Bank of Canada and other central banks around the world have done their job to stabilize inflation. Rather than reignite inflation, this time the GST relief would simply help Canadians to bridge that gap. It would build on actions that are already saving families and individuals thousands of dollars a year, like the Canada-wide $10-a-day child care system, which has already cut fees for regulated child care to an average of $10 a day or less in over half of all provinces and territories and by 50% or more in all the others. The Canadian dental care plan and the national school food program are saving Canadians hundreds of dollars a year, especially for those Canadians who are least able to carry the costs associated with those expenses. The Canada child benefit continues to lift children out of poverty, and then the Canada workers benefit provides a meaningful boost to our lowest-paid and often most essential workers. These are just a few of the ways that our government is already supporting Canadians, making everyday items cost less and putting more money back into middle-class pockets.

With Bill C-78, we want to deliver new tax relief on groceries and seasonal expenses. This is about helping Canadians celebrate with family and friends and starting 2025 with a little extra money in their pockets. With Bill C-78, we can make life a bit easier, so Canadians have more money for the things they want.

Please join me in calling for all parties to quickly and unanimously pass this legislation.

Business of the House

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

Mr. Speaker, I am not going to thank my hon. colleague for his question because it was not exactly complimentary, but I am going to answer it anyway.

I am pleased to announce that later today, we will dispose of Bill C‑78, a very important government initiative that will provide Canadians with substantial savings through GST/HST relief across the country. Canadians will be able to buy necessities like groceries, snacks and children's clothing tax free.

Even if my hon. colleague does not not understand or appreciate how important this is for everyday Canadians, I can assure him that we do as a government. We are listening to Canadians, responding to their needs and helping them get through a tough economic time by providing a tax break as we move into the holidays, even if the Conservatives do not want that support to go to Canadians.

Furthermore, I would like to inform all hon. colleagues in the House that Monday, Tuesday and Thursday of next week shall be opposition days. Earlier this week, I shared a unanimous consent proposal with the opposition parties that would pause the privilege debate so the Conservatives and the NDP could have their opposition days next week. I hope we can find agreement on this motion so that the House can debate and vote on the billions of dollars needed to fund the programs and services that Canadians rely on, depend on and expect us, all parliamentarians, to deliver for them into the future.

Government Business No. 43—Proceedings on Bill C‑78

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and to the Minister of Innovation]

Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to be here in the House this evening to discuss a government bill, Bill C-78, and to finally be moving forward on behalf of Canadians. This is important legislation that will deliver meaningful savings for Canadians with a GST/HST exemption across the country. Canadians will be able to buy essentials, such as groceries, snacks and kids' clothing, all tax-free. It is a bill that is focused on making life more affordable for Canadians and building on previous government actions that are already saving families and individuals thousands of dollars a year.

As Canadians, we take care of each other. It is a promise at the heart of who we are, and it goes back generations. From universal public health care to employment insurance and strong, stable, funded pensions such as the Canada pension plan, there has always been an agreement that we will take care of our neighbours when they are in need. It gives our workers stability and our businesses the confidence that the right supports will be in place to keep our country and economy fair; keep people healthy, safe, ready and well-supported; and keep the middle class strong.

On the other side of the aisle, we see a party obsessed with making devastating cuts to child care, dental care, housing and pretty much everything else that supports Canadians' affordability, leaving the middle class worse off. That is what the Conservative Party will do if it is ever fortunate enough to form government. Conservatives are not interested in investing in Canadians. They are only interested in their own political advantage and gain.

In 2015, our government recognized that the economy had changed. Canadians needed more support. We created the Canada child benefit to help with the cost of raising children. Today, that benefit is providing nearly $8,000 per child. It is indexed to the cost of living, which allows families to keep up with the cost of living as it naturally tends to increase over time. We promised and delivered affordable child care from coast to coast to coast, with eight provinces and territories already providing care for $10 a day or less. Before 2021, child care fees in Canada cost as much as, if not more than, rent or a mortgage; few parents could afford it. When my family had our first young daughter, child care was up to $1,800 per month, and it certainly had my wife and I pause and consider whether both of us were going to go back to work. That is the case for many parents. We realized that this support, the Canada child benefit, made it cheaper and easier both for parents to return to work and for kids to get the best start possible.

Liberals knew that it was fundamentally unjust that families should struggle, especially mothers, which is why we created a high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive Canada-wide early learning and child care system. In less than a year, we reached early learning and child care agreements with all 13 provinces and territories. That is remarkable. Provinces and territories have already announced measures to create over 100,000 new spaces, and we are well on our way to reaching our goal of 250,000 new spaces by March 2026.

We have also never forgotten that the promise of access to health care is at the heart of Canada's social safety. That includes ensuring access to affordable dental care. The Canadian dental care plan is making the cost of dental care more affordable for up to nine million Canadians. Thanks to the Canada dental care plan, over one million Canadians have now been able to visit a dentist and access the oral health care they need and deserve.

In budget 2024, we announced an investment of $1 billion over five years to launch the new national school food program with provinces, territories and indigenous partners. This is something I long advocated for, for many years, before getting into politics. I have known many people in the national food movement who advocated for a national school food program. It was an investment from the federal government for many years before that. It is a great pleasure to be part of a party and a government that is investing in kids, ensuring that they get a healthy start to each and every day at school.

Liberals have already signed agreements with three provinces, Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba and Ontario, which is great. My home province of Ontario has finally signed up. It is not last like we saw with the early learning and child care agreements. Ontario was third. It is fantastic to see Ontario join and make these investments in our kids.

The program will provide meals for up to 400,000 more children every year, with 160,000 of those being in Ontario, beyond those served by the existing school food programs, so that every single child across Canada can have a fair chance at a good and healthy life, regardless of their family circumstances. This national program is expected to save an average participating family with two children as much as $800 a year in the cost of groceries.

It is a shame the Conservative members opposite voted against this program. They voted against feeding kids in school. Can people believe that? Every day in this House, for months and months, they cite food bank lineups and the HungerCount report from Food Banks Canada, which has asked for an investment in a national school food program for as long as I can remember. Our government steps up to make that investment and what do the Conservatives do? They vote against it. They vote against feeding hungry kids. That is shameful.

That brings me to today's legislation on the GST holiday with the goal of putting even more money in the pockets of Canadians. Canadians have been through a lot, there is no doubt about that. They have had the pandemic, post the pandemic, shocks to the economy and global inflation. We have had major climactic events and weather events that have obviously put a strain on our economy. Canadians have been living through all that, and we realize it has been challenging. We know this, and we want to step up and help, as we always have done.

Our government, and I am proud of this, always identifies and listens to what Canadians need. We are responsive and trying our very best to govern this country in a way that steps up constantly and supports Canadians when they are in need. We are offering good news this holiday season. This Christmas is going to be more merry and bright, is how I think about it, because Canadian families are going to be able to purchase a lot of the things that they would purchase over the holidays with no GST on those purchases. That is really good for Canadian families who have been challenged with the cost of living pressures that they have been living through.

All of this comes on the tail of really good news for our economy. Inflation was at 2% in October, which means inflation has been within the Bank of Canada's target range all year long. For Canadians, that means prices are more stable. It means that interest rates are coming down, and they have come down four times, which is great to see. That is great news for homeowners, for people renewing their mortgages and for business owners who might be carrying debt. This is solid progress and we should not deny this.

I know the members opposite constantly deny that the economy is steadily improving and stable, and that Canada is doing better than many of its peer countries in this world. The Conservatives cherry-pick indicators from the economy to try and talk down the Canadian economy because they do not want Canada to do well. They would rather Canada do poorly so that they can do well, so that they can use the misfortune of Canadians for their own political advantage, and we see that every single day in this House.

I think Canadians have been going through a lot. This holiday season, the Liberals are waiving the GST on many of the things that they spend money on. This is going to start on December 14. The government intends to give a tax break to Canadians. Why is today's legislation so important? Why is time of the essence? Time is of the essence because we know Canadians need a boost. They need to feel like they can afford more.

Although the economy is improving, Canadians are not always feeling that immediately. Liberals think that offering them a GST holiday for two months over the Christmas period is really going to be helpful to them. The temporary, two-month GST/HST exemption for select expenses will help Canadians be able to buy items like snacks, and children's clothing and toys, all tax-free. It will also apply to prepared foods, vegetable trays, premade meals, salads, sandwiches, books, newspapers, puzzles, Christmas trees and more.

This exemption is designed to help Canadians with many of the things they purchase over the holidays. I think that is great. It would make the holidays just a little better for Canadians and give them a bit of relief. It would boost the economy in terms of the spending Canadians do as well, because I think they will support our retail industry, which will boost local businesses.

For a typical family spending $2,000 on qualifying goods between December 14 and February 15, 2025, it would mean a savings of $100, keeping more money in their pockets. With this support, Canadians could focus more on celebrating the season with family and friends and start the new year with a little more money in their pockets.

However, yet again, we see the Conservative leader and his MPs putting their partisan interests above Canadians. They voted against dental care. They voted against the national school food program. They would cut the Canada child benefit, there is no doubt. They would cut the housing supports and investments our government has made. They also voted against more spots in day care, and they are going to vote against the tax break we are offering Canadians to help them over the next few months.

I encourage all members of Parliament to quickly and unanimously pass this legislation to make the holidays a little more merry and bright for Canadians who have been going through a tough time. “Make their Christmas” is my message to every member of the House.

The question I have for the Conservatives is the following: Will the Conservative leader unmuzzle his MPs and let them vote in favour of this legislation? Will he let them vote in favour of their constituents, who deserve a tax break over the holidays? Will Conservatives support their constituents? I have no idea, but what we see every day in the House is that they are not working on behalf of Canadians. They are working on behalf of themselves.

If Conservative members need help filling out a permission slip for their leader to give them permission to speak their mind and vote their conscience in the House, I would offer my help. I will even create a permission slip for them if they need, and advocate on their behalf.

Hopefully, Conservatives will be able to stand up for Canadians for once and actually support a tax break for Canadians over the holidays. It really gives me great pleasure to get to kick off the debate on this topic tonight. It is great to see the House finally doing business that matters to Canadians, instead of hearing Conservatives filibuster for 36 days on a motion they will not allow to be referred to procedure and House affairs committee and wasting all kinds of time, energy and resources at the heart of our democracy. It will be great to get a GST/HST cut over the holidays for Canadian families.

Reference to Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Madam Speaker, it is a bit much to hear the member say that, when we know that there are Conservative MPs who have been very clear in saying, even though they wanted to be anonymous when they were saying it, that the leader of the Conservative Party is “the one who decides everything. His main adviser is himself ... The people around him are only there to realize the leader's vision.”

Today, for example, we brought forward legislation, Bill C-78, that is going to give a GST holiday on many products. I am wondering if the member will wait until her leader tells her how to vote on this legislation or if she will vote the way she feels her constituents want her to vote. I believe that would be to vote yes for Bill C-78 to give Canadians a bit of a tax break for the holiday season. Would she not agree that would be good?

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

Madam Speaker, the motion that members are debating says we are supposed to take the issue and, instead of debating it, send it to PROC. This is a Conservative motion. The moment the Conservatives stop speaking on the motion, it will go to PROC, as the motion suggests.

The member opposite should be congratulated. She has just given the 200th Conservative speech in this multi-million dollar filibuster. The Conservatives' arguments are absolutely bogus. The issue should be going to PROC. They are doing a great disservice to Canadians.

Does the member support the legislation we introduced today, Bill C-78, to give a GST tax break to Canadians for the holiday season?

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

Mr. Speaker, the self-serving multi-million dollar political game continues.

My question to the member is related to the member's statement about individuals within the Conservative caucus having the power in a democratic system to say something. Here is a news headline: “[The leader of the Conservative Party]'s office maintains tight control over what Conservative MPs say and do.” Conservative MPs are saying this, off the record of course. Referring to the Leader of the Conservative Party, they say, “He's the one who decides everything. His main adviser is himself...The people around him are only there to realize the leader's vision.”

Today, we introduced legislation that would give a GST tax holiday to Canadians. The member does not have to speak on behalf of the leader of the Conservative Party because we already know the leader is voting against Bill C-78. My question is, will the member make a commitment to give a tax break to his constituents and vote yes on Bill C-78?