Thank you, Mr. Chair.
With respect to the motion we have before us, I think it would be worthwhile to read it into the record, just so that all the people who are watching understand what it is that Liberal members of this committee have put forward.
Before I read it, I have to say, again, that we have a housing crisis in this country. We heard Mr. Cooper say that we need to build 5.8 million homes by 2030 and that the cost would be over $3 trillion. To put it in perspective for those watching, the cumulative total of the national debt is $1.2 trillion, accumulated since 1867. Now, in a spectacular fashion, the Liberals have managed to double that in just eight years, from $600 billion to $1.2 trillion.
The fact of the matter is that we have some excellent witnesses here on a very important study that my colleague Mr. Blaikie put forward on a crisis that is of the highest import to Canadians at this point in time.
What do the Liberals choose to do? They choose to bring in a motion to try to wedge and divide Canadians to distract them from the government's horrible economic malpractice committed on our economy over the last eight years. That is what this is about: to divide and distract Canadians from the Liberals' terrible record. As Conservatives, we're not going to let them do it. Canadians will not let us let them do it, frankly.
About the motion itself, I know Liberal members of this committee are sitting on the edge of their seats, wondering what I think of this motion and what ideas I might be able to bring to bear on the quality of the motion. I'm sure our witnesses are going to find this conversation very interesting.
Let's read the motion into the record so that Canadians know exactly what we're talking about in the middle of a housing study. It says, “That the Chair of the committee immediately report to the House”. What that means, for those watching, is that sometimes motions come before the committee and they're not reported to the House of Commons, and sometimes they are. When a motion is passed at committee and is not reported to the House of Commons, it just ends here. We at the committee make a statement on whatever the motion is, and it doesn't go any further than that.
However, when somebody introduces a motion that includes the words “report to the House”, if that motion passes in the committee, what it means is that debate can actually be taken up in the House of Commons by all members of the House of Commons. It's an important distinction that those who are watching this debate need to understand.
Let me just read it again, because I want to make sure it sinks in: “That the Chair of the committee”. This is asking you, Mr. Chair, that the committee report this matter to the House, if I have that correct. If this motion did pass, Mr. Chair, it would then be incumbent upon you to report that the motion had passed and to report the content of the motion to the House. Then, what would happen is that a member of the House could stand up and call for a debate on this motion. The reality is that, I think, that's an important piece of the puzzle when it comes to debating important issues on the Hill. Sometimes an issue could be adequately debated just here in the committee. At other times, it's important that the motion also be debated in the House. Sometimes we include that proviso, that it be reported to the House, and sometimes we don't. In this case, the mover of the motion has decided to include that.
The motion goes on, in number one, to say that the committee “Celebrates the Canada Pension Plan”. I have to say that I think it is worth celebrating. It's a very important piece of the puzzle in terms of preserving the dignity of Canadians when they retire to make sure they have sufficient income to live the lifestyle they've become accustomed to.
However, I have to say that inflationary deficits and spending policies of this government, as confirmed by not only the Governor of the Bank of Canada, but former finance minister John Manley.... In fact, the present finance minister herself admitted that they fuelled the inflationary fire. Canadians are probably rightfully worried that their pensions will not go far enough in terms of allowing them that goal—to live a life of dignity in their elder years, which is the point of the Canada pension plan in the first place.
It says, “Celebrates the Canada Pension Plan as the foundation of a secure and dignified retirement for tens of millions of Canadians and a pillar of Canada's economy”. Now—