Finance Committee on Nov. 20th, 2023

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

Once again, I do thank you for your work. Yours is not the political. I will respect that and perhaps put my more pointed questions toward the government.

I think it's pretty clear and on the record that there is no evidence that this act will reduce the affordability of housing and groceries. Perhaps it's just because it cannot be determined, or it is not.

Perhaps it could also be as Mr. Ste-Marie said. Maybe we just haven't given it enough time. If the officials were given the appropriate amount of time or we could enlist private economists who could calculate such things, we would have the ability.

It is Conservatives' intention to oppose this short title. We have absolutely no evidence that it will restore affordability for housing and groceries to the way it was, I might say, eight years ago.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Thank you, MP Lawrence.

I have MP Dzerowicz to speak to this on the short title.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

It's always good just to be clear. I'm assuming we're doing.... The short title is “Affordable Housing and Groceries Act”. Then the title right now is “An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act and the Competition Act”. Am I right on that?

Okay, I just wanted to make sure.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Thank you.

Members, shall the short title carry?

(Clause 1 agreed to on division)

Shall the title carry?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Shall the bill as amended carry?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Shall the chair report the bill as amended to the House?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Shall the committee order a reprint of the bill as amended for the use of the House at report stage?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Members, thank you very much.

On that, we are suspended until our next meeting.

[The meeting was suspended at 5:18 p.m., Wednesday, November 29 ]

[The meeting resumed at 4:14 p.m., Monday, December 4]

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

We're resuming meeting number 121 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance. The committee is proceeding to the consideration of matters related to committee business, more specifically the motion of PS Rachel Bendayan and the amendment of MP Lawrence.

Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to Standing Order 15.1. Members are attending in person in the room and remotely using the Zoom application.

I would like to make a few comments for the benefit of the members.

Please wait until I recognize you by name before speaking. For those participating by video conference, click on the microphone icon to activate your mic, and please mute yourself when you are not speaking. For interpretation, for those on Zoom, you have the choice, at the bottom of your screen, of floor, English or French audio. For those in the room, you can use the earpiece and select the desired channel.

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This is a reminder that all comments should be addressed through the chair. For members in the room, if you wish to speak, please raise your hand. For members on Zoom, please use the “raise hand” function. The clerk and I will manage the speaking order as best we can, and we appreciate your patience and understanding in this regard.

I see that MP Ste-Marie's hand is up, and then I will go through the speakers list that we had when we last left off.

MP Ste-Marie, go ahead, please.

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

On a point of order, I would like to ask the analysts a technical question. All fall, we held numerous consultations in order to submit the report on our pre-budget consultations to the Minister and the House. I would like to know where we stand.

I will take this opportunity to remind my colleagues that we are deadlocked. If we had used all the meetings we spent debating this motion to work on writing and adopting the report on our pre-budget consultations, it would be done.

The House is asking us to present it in December. I hope we will be able to adjourn the debate on this deadlocked motion today and come back to adopting the report. I would therefore like to ask the analysts where they are in writing the report.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Thank you, Mr. Ste-Marie.

MP Hallan, was it on this?

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

No, I wanted to ask you a question.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

This is a point of order from MP Ste-Marie. I want to reply to MP Ste-Marie.

First off, I want to thank the committee. We have done a tremendous job on pre-budget consultations. I'm thanking, of course, the clerk, the analysts and everybody here who has put in this great effort. We did get an opportunity, as members know, to travel the country and get to pretty much every province. From that, we've gathered a lot of evidence for pre-budget consultations, so we are in a good place.

I know there are conversations happening to see if we can take it further. Hopefully, we can get something done. That's where we are right now. I just had an opportunity to speak with Brett Capwell, our analyst. He said he has a structure and everything put together. I know recommendations have come in from the NDP and the Bloc, and we're looking for any other recommendations that may come in from members.

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Thank you very much for that, MP Ste-Marie. I appreciate it.

Did you have a point of order, MP Hallan?

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

No.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

We'll get to the business of our committee. We were dealing with the motion by PS Bendayan, and the amendment by MP Lawrence.

On our speaking order, I had MP Blaikie. He had the floor last, so he will have the floor.

I then had MP Genuis, MP Lawrence, MP Majumdar and MP Soroka. That was the list I had.

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Outremont, QC]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Go ahead, PS Bendayan, on a point of order.

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Outremont, QC]

Mr. Chair, I would like to speak on the point of order raised by my colleague Mr. Ste-Marie.

I wonder whether one of the two analysts could tell us where we stand. I think that is what our colleague wanted to know. Maybe the analysts would like an opportunity to reply to him.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Yes, we'll hear from Brett.

Go ahead.