Finance Committee on Nov. 20th, 2023

Evidence of meeting #121 for Finance in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was grocery.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act and the Competition Act

Canada Pension Plan

Committee Business

Also speaking

Amanda Riddell Director, Real Property and Financial Institutions, Sales Tax Division, Tax Policy Branch, Department of Finance

Mark Schaan Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategy and Innovation Policy Sector, Department of Industry

Pierre Mercille Director General, Sales Tax Legislation, Sales Tax Division, Tax Policy Branch, Department of Finance

Ian Lee Associate Professor, Sprott School of Business, Carleton University, As an Individual

Keldon Bester Exective Director, Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project

Marie-Josée Houle Federal Housing Advocate, Office of the Federal Housing Advocate, Canadian Human Rights Commission

Matthew Boswell Commissioner of Competition, Competition Bureau Canada

Timothy Ross Executive Director, Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada

Sara Eve Levac Lawyer, Option consommateurs

Carlos Castiblanco Economist and Analyst, Option consommateurs

Anthony Durocher Deputy Commissioner, Competition Promotion Branch, Competition Bureau Canada

Samir Chhabra Director General, Marketplace Framework Policy Branch, Department of Industry

Brett Capwell Committee Researcher

1 p.m.

Conservative

Philip Lawrence Conservative Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON

We get the minister so seldom here. I think we should be allowed to ask the questions we want to ask. I believe that's called democracy.

1 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Peter Fonseca

Yes, MP Lawrence, you can ask the questions you want to ask. You have to then listen to the answers. I don't want crosstalk. It affects the interpreters.

We hear this all the time, and we want these things to stop here at our committee, so I'm asking—

1 p.m.

Conservative

Philip Lawrence Conservative Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON

On the point of order, with respect, we have seen that Minister Freeland and all Liberal ministers are adept at filibustering their way out of—

1 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Peter Fonseca

That is not a point of order, MP Lawrence. What we're talking about right now are the health and safety of our interpreters, stopping crosstalk, and respect and decorum.

I'm going to allow the minister to answer the question. Then MP Hallan will have time to ask his next question.

MP Hallan.

1 p.m.

Conservative

Jasraj Singh Hallan Conservative Calgary Forest Lawn, AB

Mr. Chair, I'll ask in another way. The governor said—

1 p.m.

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON

I wasn't finished my answer, I'm afraid.

1 p.m.

Conservative

Jasraj Singh Hallan Conservative Calgary Forest Lawn, AB

It's my time, Minister, respectfully.

1 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Peter Fonseca

MP Hallan, again, the minister had the floor. Allow the minister to finish the answer to your question and then ask your next question.

Minister.

1 p.m.

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON

I was asked a direct question about comments from the Governor of the Bank of Canada. I responded by directly—

1 p.m.

Conservative

Jasraj Singh Hallan Conservative Calgary Forest Lawn, AB

It's a yes-or-no answer.

1 p.m.

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON

—quoting comments he made about fiscal policy last week.

Let me simply say that the governor said, after I tabled the fall economic statement, “The fall economic statement also includes some new fiscal guardrails beyond the near term, and from the perspective of monetary policy, I do think that's helpful.”

We've had a clear statement from the Governor of the Bank of Canada—

1 p.m.

Conservative

Jasraj Singh Hallan Conservative Calgary Forest Lawn, AB

Okay, Minister—

1 p.m.

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON

—about the fall economic statement and how fiscal policy and monetary policy are working.

1 p.m.

Conservative

Jasraj Singh Hallan Conservative Calgary Forest Lawn, AB

He said what would not be helpful is if you spend above 2.5%, and in your own fall economic statement, the calculations worked out to more than 5.5%. Was the Governor of the Bank of Canada lying, yes or no? It's just a yes or no.

1 p.m.

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON

As I said, the governor had an opportunity last Wednesday to comment directly on the fall economic statement. He did, and I've quoted his remarks precisely.

1 p.m.

Conservative

Jasraj Singh Hallan Conservative Calgary Forest Lawn, AB

I'll take that answer as you don't agree with the governor.

I'll have to move on.

1 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Peter Fonseca

I'm going to interject.

MP Hallan, again, I don't want this happening for the whole meeting.

MP Hallan, you'll ask your question, you'll get an answer and then you can ask your next question, but do not crosstalk for the interpreters' sake. We hear about this all the time from the interpreters, so we're going to stop this behaviour.

1 p.m.

Conservative

Jasraj Singh Hallan Conservative Calgary Forest Lawn, AB

Chair, I have six minutes to ask questions.

1 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Peter Fonseca

I just stopped your time.

November 23rd, 2023 / 1 p.m.

Conservative

Jasraj Singh Hallan Conservative Calgary Forest Lawn, AB

It was a simple yes-or-no answer. I'm going to move on, Chair.