Thanks very much, Chair.
I give a big thanks to the Conservatives for wasting a bunch of people's time and taxpayer dollars here.
We should be focused here on issues that matter to Canadians. I think most of the members around this table are trying to do work that helps Canadians with affordability, with the cost of housing and with the economy. This is another delay tactic.
I have sat on this committee for a few years now, and I watched last year as the Conservatives used delay tactics over and over again to delay clause-by-clause on the budget. I was hopeful that this year would be different, but it's not. Despite the fact that Canadians need our help, Conservatives would rather politic at this committee rather than pass legislation that actually helps them. They could improve the legislation. They can amend it if they'd like, but let's get the legislation that helps Canadians done.
The Conservatives don't want to do that. They want to sit here and politic.
For Canadians watching at home, I would ask you to think about how this is what they do when they are in opposition and when they don't have the majority of the votes. Imagine what these guys would do if they were in government. Imagine how they would spend taxpayer dollars, committee time, government time and House time. When they rage about challenges that Canadians are facing and then get in the way of MPs doing their work and getting stuff that matters to Canadians done, that's who these folks are.
The second thing I would say is that I am really surprised that the Conservatives seem to know so much about the Liberal Party leadership race and who's running. I'm a Liberal. I feel like I'm pretty plugged in, and I haven't heard Mark Carney announce anything about a leadership race.
I will be honest with you. I will worry about who's running for the leadership of any party when the party calls a leadership race. Right now, we have work to do at this committee to help Canadians. That's what we should be doing.
This committee isn't a platform to invite media, invite guests and waste the time of our hard-working civil servants and taxpayers so you can politic about another party's leadership that you know absolutely nothing about.
Sure, we could sit here and talk about the leadership aspirations of the Conservatives at this table. Why is Mr. Hallan auditioning for Mr. Scheer? Why has Mr. Scheer come to this committee? Mr. Scheer doesn't come to this committee to talk about affordability and housing. He comes only when it's time for politicking. Why isn't he here when he should be working on behalf of Canadians?
What does Mr. Morantz know about the leadership race that I don't? I don't really care. Let's talk about it off-line, and let's focus on affordability, housing and the other issues that matter to Canadians. That's what's in this bill. It's going to help Canadians. Let's focus on that.
The last thing I will say is about something that I can't let go. Mr. Hallan used the words “dollars for dictators”. If these guys actually cared.... Do you know who the most dangerous dictator in the world is right now?