House of Commons Hansard #101 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was housing.

Topics

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2Government Orders

5:45 p.m.

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB

Therefore, we have provinces from all regions of the country, with different parties providing governments, and all of them are saying that on both accounts we need to move forward.

Not only are we thinking about today, we are thinking about tomorrow's generation. This is something that a good strong government does. It demonstrates leadership and does not just think about today. We think about the future, and all governments recognize that. It is only the Conservatives who have lost touch on this issue.

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2Government Orders

5:50 p.m.

NDP

The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes

I want to remind members that when someone is speaking, we allow that person to speak without having interruptions. The House is in process, so I would assume members would keep their voices down.

Questions and comments, the hon. member for Kootenay—Columbia.

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2Government Orders

5:50 p.m.

NDP

Wayne Stetski NDP Kootenay—Columbia, BC

Madam Speaker, I always appreciate the member's unbridled enthusiasm for everything Liberal.

Last week, I attended a precarious workshop convention here in Ottawa that was hosted by the NDP. It brought together employable youth from across Canada. I went there to listen to some of the challenges they are facing, and it was with problems in finding work at all. A lot of the work is part time. It does not come with any benefits, and it does not come with any pensionable future for them. It was to the point where one of the members at the table I sat at was in tears.

My question to the member is, if this government is so good, particularly for employable youth, why has it left youth in tears?

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2Government Orders

5:50 p.m.

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB

Madam Speaker, I appreciate the question, but I would say to the member that we have a Prime Minister who truly cares in terms of what is happening with our youth. It is one of the reasons we have the Prime Minister's council on youth. It is why members of Parliament will see that there are councils being established virtually in all of the different regions.

However, it is more than just talking about youth. We have doubled the budget for youth summer employment. Often that summer employment allows for the connections to be made that will ultimately lead to full-time jobs. We have also increased Canada student grant amounts by 50%, from $2,000 to $3,000 per year for students from low-income families; from $800 to $1,200 per year for students from middle-income families; and from $1,200 to $1,800 per year for part-time students.

This is a government that cares about youth. Not only do we care, but we have demonstrated that we can actually make a difference if we have the right policies in place.

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2Government Orders

5:50 p.m.

Liberal

Julie Dabrusin Liberal Toronto—Danforth, ON

Madam Speaker, it was quite wonderful to hear what my friend had to say about the past year, and what a year it has been. When I say this, it is because all of us give up a lot to be here. We take time away from our loved ones. Today I am particularly heartbroken because I am missing Halloween with my family. We all do that, across aisles. However, we see that we are working towards something. We are doing something. It is heartwarming to hear of all the things we have accomplished so far, and to know there is so much more.

One thing I hear about in my community a lot is about the need for work on immigration. There is always a concern about immigration, with families who want to reunited, as well a desire to welcome more people, such as Syrian refugees. Could the member comment on that?

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2Government Orders

5:50 p.m.

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB

Madam Speaker, the member asked that question because immigration is such an important issue, not just for me personally but also for the constituents I represent, and many other Canadians.

One of the things I take a great pride in is the fact that we have a Minister of Immigration who got the job done with regard to the refugee crisis. Also, and equally important from my perspective, is that we are seeing the processing times speed up. The family reunifications and marriages, particularly from the Punjab and other areas, was a huge priority for me. I talked a great deal about it. We are seeing a significant decrease in processing times for those, as well as a huge decline in that for citizenship applications. However, to quote the Prime Minister, we can still do better and the government will do just that.

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2Government Orders

5:50 p.m.

Conservative

Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech.

However, with regard to what he just said about immigration, I would remind him that at the Standing Committee on Official Languages, that is not at all what we were told. In minority settings, immigration is increasingly difficult for Syrians because of the language barrier. They speak neither of our languages and often have to rely on Arabic interpreters. If my colleague says that the minister got the job done, then someone, somewhere, misspoke because that is not what we were told in committee.

Could my colleague explain what the Minister of Immigration can do to ensure that immigrants in official language minority communities have the means to stay there?

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2Government Orders

5:55 p.m.

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB

Madam Speaker, I attribute Manitoba's success in good part to when then Prime Minister Jean Chrétien developed the provincial nominee program in 1998 or 1999, which has been hugely successful.

We have seen that this government is one that believes in consultations and working with the different stakeholders, including provinces like Manitoba or communities like Saint Boniface, Manitoba. Whether large or small communities, we have a government that is prepared to sit down and work on the smaller details to ensure that immigration reflects the needs of the community as much as possible while at the same time addressing the bigger picture of demonstrating leadership on issues such as refugees.

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2Government Orders

5:55 p.m.

NDP

Scott Duvall NDP Hamilton Mountain, ON

Madam Speaker, I thank the previous speaker for all of his information. I have heard that what the Liberals have done for the rich is take some tax money away, and what they have done with the child tax benefit is to make sure that poor people have enough money for their children.

However, what have middle-income people making $44,000 or less and without children received? Why are they still going to the food banks?

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2Government Orders

5:55 p.m.

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB

Madam Speaker, sadly there is a finite amount of resources. I posed this question to the member when he gave his speech. At the end of the day, when we look at the budget, what we have seen over the last nine or 10 months is a government that understands the way we can best help people and the economy as a whole. That is by investing in Canada's middle class and those aspiring to become a part of the middle class. We are doing that through the middle-class tax break.

If we look at the most vulnerable in society, our single seniors, seniors in poverty or those who are trying to raise children, especially single parents and so forth, there are serious challenges. More than any other government over the last 20-plus years, the government has recognized that need and is delivering a massive redistribution of wealth. I would argue that that is lifting seniors, children, and many others out of poverty, while supporting the middle class at the same time. I think it is a win-win, and I would encourage the member to support this budget.

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2Government Orders

5:55 p.m.

Conservative

Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC

Madam Speaker, today I join my voice to that of my colleagues as we continue our dutiful work of adequately informing Canadians on Bill C-29, which seeks to implement the series of budgetary measures and tax changes announced in budget 2016, tabled in Parliament on March 22, 2016. In so doing, we want to present Canadian taxpayers with the real, alarming, and absolutely catastrophic economic situation the Liberal government has willingly and irresponsibly put us Canadians in.

It is unbelievable that after being in power one year, this government has spent the Conservative government's surplus, which was $2.9 billion in March 2016. The Liberals lied to all voters of this beautiful country when it told them that, if they voted for the Liberal Party of Canada, they would be choosing a government that would run a slight deficit of $10 billion in the first year and that in four years it would balance the budget. Today, October 31, 2016, that is a lie. According to its budget for year one, the government expects to end the fiscal year in March with a deficit that is not the same, not double, but triple the deficit forecast in the March 2016 budget. That is huge — about $30 billion. The experts who I trust much more than this government are forecasting a deficit of between $34 billion and $40 billion.

Our Prime Minister said that he has no idea of just how big the deficit is going to be. He is the prime minister of one of the most beautiful countries in the world, Canada, and he does not know when the wasteful spending will stop. I hope members will realize that that is irresponsible.

Tomorrow is All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, and the Minister of Finance is going to unveil his economic update. Will he resurrect valiant Canadians of generations past, the ones that built our beautiful country? Will he tell them that the Liberal government is destroying Canada, this beautiful country that our dearly departed built by the sweat of their brow? Stay tuned.

For several months this government has been boasting of having put in place the largest infrastructure program to help our businesses create jobs. Today, we have a 7% unemployment rate. Let us ask them the question. What was the unemployment rate last year when the Conservatives were in power? It was 7%. What is the supposed benefit of the astronomical cost of the infrastructure program? There is none. It is unacceptable to make people believe that they are creating jobs.

The Liberals doubled the size of the summer jobs program last summer. They poured twice as much money into the program. They have plenty of money; they print the stuff. What happened? The unemployment rate is the same as last year. If they had not doubled the budget for the summer jobs program, what would have happened? Quite simply, unemployment would have gone up. I am not an economist, a tax expert, or a numbers expert, but I am a common sense expert, which is why my constituents voted for me.

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2Government Orders

5:55 p.m.

Conservative

Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC

They chose well.

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2Government Orders

5:55 p.m.

Conservative

Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC

I thank my colleague, Madam Speaker.

Let us talk about families. The Liberals say they want to help families. Some help. They took away the tax credit for kids who participate in sports. They would rather parents keep their kids inactive at home. Their thinking, their beliefs, their policies are just unbelievable.

These are artists, people, kids whose talent we want to develop. As a father, I want my son to play hockey and I want my daughter to dance, but the credit is gone. How is the government going to support Canadians and give them the tools to help them motivate their children to play sports and take dance classes? The Liberals took the credit away. What a great way to motivate kids. What vision.

The Minister of Finance was in such a hurry to help our Canadian families that he introduced a program to tell Canadian families hoping to buy their first house that they cannot do so right away and will have to keep working hard, trust the Liberals, and save more so they can maybe buy a house someday.

This is preventing young families from achieving their life goals and from dreaming. When a society stops dreaming, it means it is suffocating. This measure is unacceptable. The government introduced this measure because there was a problem in urban centres like Toronto and Vancouver. I have a great deal of respect for our big cities like Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. I have no problem with them, but the Liberals need to stop choking our regions and start taking care of families.

This government is currently telling Canadian families that they need to be careful with their budgets, not waste money, and be responsible. Meanwhile, the same government is currently wasting taxpayers' money. It is spending $44 billion. Experts estimate the deficit will be about $40 billion, and there was about $2.9 billion to $3 billion to begin with. That adds up to $43 billion. Sorry, I was off by $1 billion, but that is no big deal, because according to the Liberals, that is only 30¢ these days. What they are doing is unacceptable. They lecture Canadians, but then spend themselves. Where is their credibility?

I was silent for the past few seconds on purpose. Silence can speak volumes and I am speechless. This government is inconsistent, and it has no vision and no plan. It wastes and borrows money recklessly and then asks people in our regions and Canadian families to tighten their belts.

In closing, I am going to jump ahead two pages and conclude with an acrostic of the word “Liberal”:

Lacking a plan and vision, this government spends recklessly.
It is irresponsible and has the same roots as the party caught with both hands in the cookie jar.
Beguiling, all this smooth talk makes him just “in” right now, but as the saying goes, he is all talk and no action.
Election promises made to Canadians have been forgotten by this smooth talker. In my book, honesty went out the window with nanny-gate.
Reality is the world the rest of us live in, while they plough ahead in the name of investment supposedly for the future of our children and grandchildren. I would say they are taking on debt at the expense of future generations.
At this rate, I can tell the House that in four years, the deficit will be $160 billion.
Loco Locass should sing their famous song Libérez-nous des libéraux to protect our country from the catastrophe that awaits us under the federal Liberals. There are three more years to go.

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2Government Orders

6:05 p.m.

NDP

The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes

I would like to remind members that it is sometimes difficult for the interpreters to keep up when they talk too quickly.

Questions and comments. The hon. member for Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia.

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2Government Orders

6:05 p.m.

Liberal

Rémi Massé Liberal Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his speech.

He paused to think about what his government has done in the past 10 years and to find alternatives to the wonderful platform that we have been able to implement over the past year. I would like to remind my colleagues that, in just 12 months, our government has implemented all sorts of measures. A few minutes ago, my colleague made a list of all of the measures that we have implemented, including the Canada child benefit, tax cuts, and support for students.

I would like to ask my colleague opposite whether he will acknowledge all the work that has been done by the government and all the practical measures it has taken to improve the lot of Canadians.

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2Government Orders

6:10 p.m.

Conservative

Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC

Madam Speaker, I thank my excellent colleague from Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia for the good question.

What I want to say about our record over the past 10 years is that it was a successful one. We left the house in order. We left a $2.9-billion surplus.

It is being said that the economy has stalled, and it is not the Conservative Party, the NDP, the Bloc Québécois, the future Liberal, or backbenchers who are saying it. Do my colleagues know who is saying that? It is the International Monetary Fund, the OECD, and the Bank of Canada. They have said that, right now, Canada is a difficult place to invest. The situation is fragile.

It is not complicated. When you make a personal budget—

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2Government Orders

6:10 p.m.

NDP

The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes

I will not disclose details about my personal budget. However, I will tell the hon. member that he must address his remarks to the chair.

We have to make time for other questions and comments. The hon. member for Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d'Orléans—Charlevoix.

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2Government Orders

6:10 p.m.

Conservative

Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his excellent speech.

I would like him to tell us more. I am very interested in personal finance. We know the Liberals are in the red. As the saying goes, heaven is blue and hell is red.

I would like my colleague to tell us more about the Conservative government's successes.

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2Government Orders

6:10 p.m.

Conservative

Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC

Madam Speaker, I promise to address my remarks to you.

I would like to thank my excellent colleague from Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d'Orléans—Charlevoix for her comments.

As fathers, we have a family budget. All things being equal, if we spend $40,000 more than we have, and if we have no plan to balance the budget, what happens? Bankruptcy. The country will probably not go bankrupt, but it will lose its rating, which will result in investment instability. Nobody will want to invest here anymore. Small businesses are nervous, so they will keep their money in their pockets. That is the threat hanging over Canadians' heads.

On this Halloween night, I hope the Minister of Finance is not dressed up as a ghost. I hope he is working on tomorrow's economic update. I would ask him to take things more seriously and be more responsible, and I would like him to make job creation a priority for Canada's small businesses.

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2Government Orders

6:10 p.m.

Liberal

Judy Sgro Liberal Humber River—Black Creek, ON

Madam Speaker, I am happy to get up. It is really difficult, following that last speaker.

I congratulate the hon. member on being welcomed to the House, but I have to say I think he needs a bit of a history lesson. While listening to the hon. member talk about all the wonderful things the Conservatives did, I tried to reflect back, off the top of my head, on what that was.

What sticks out most to me was the “65 to 67”, talking about seniors' pensions and changing the age of eligibility from 65 to 67. To me, that signifies what the Conservatives were about for the whole 10 years. Things like that are very significant moves. To them, it meant very little. The Conservatives did not think people needed to get their pension at 65, that it just was wasted money, and that they could hold off until they were 67. They clearly did not speak to the people in my riding or in many other ridings, and I suspect that was the case in the member's riding. We could talk about struggling and poverty, and all of the other issues around that.

We will possibly have an opportunity to talk about other issues to do with budgets in the upcoming weeks. However, I am here tonight to talk in favour of Bill C-29 for two key reasons. First, the budget places my priorities, and my community's priorities, up front. Families, children, seniors, students, and small business-owners are all at the heart of our national financial plan. They are all the focus of this budget and this government's work.

As promised, the government's priority is the middle class and those working hard to join it. Unlike the twisted priorities of the Harper government that we heard about earlier, Liberals know that true economic success must be felt in only one place, around the kitchen table, when people are talking about how well they are doing or how poorly they are doing. It is not just about boardroom tables. Bill C-29 attempts to redirect the focus from the boardroom table to the kitchen table.

Now, just like any budget implementation bill, Bill C-29 is somewhat complex, but at its heart there are some important measures that directly impact middle-income families in my riding of Humber River—Black Creek. For example:

Division 2 of Part 4 amends the Old Age Security Act to provide that, in the case of low-income couples who have to live apart for reasons not attributable to either of them, the amount of the allowance is to be based on the income of the allowance recipient only.

We have often heard of elderly couples, and how when one of them has to go to a nursing home, they are separated, which of course affects the pension at the end of the day. This would correct that. This would mean seniors would not be financially punished for medical realities faced as a consequence of something as simple as their age. This would put money back into the hands of seniors at a time when they need it the most.

Similarly, there is a focus on the middle class:

Division 3 of Part 4 amends the Canada Education Savings Act to replace the term “child tax benefit” with “Canada child benefit”. It also amends that Act to change the manner in which the eligibility for the Canada Learning Bond is established....

Bill C-29 would also restructure the way the benefit is calculated by adding an eligibility formula based on income and the number of children. This may seem minor, but I assure members that the change is quite substantial for low- and middle-income families. We will hear a lot from those families as a year or two or three of our government passes, because it is going to substantially help the very people we want to join the middle class.

Again, the Liberals are proposing measures that put more money into the hands of young families working hard to put food on that table I referred to, to pay the rent, and to give their kids the opportunity for a great future.

I understand the complexity of these measures, but the impact on Canadians is anything but hard to understand. It has been just over a year since the Liberals were elected, but I can say that it has made a huge difference throughout Canada. No matter where we go, people are optimistic and they are hopeful. Our commitments are being implemented one at a time, every day.

I say this because Liberals understand that a strong economy starts with a strong middle class. When middle-class Canadians have more money to save, to invest, and to grow the economy, everyone benefits. That is what Bill C-29 is all about.

Many middle-class Canadians are working harder than ever, but simply not getting ahead. For nearly a decade, the previous government ignored the middle class and directed all recovery efforts toward big business. Its philosophy was one of reducing taxes for businesses and that these businesses would somehow reinvest that money into employing more people. It did not happen, no matter how much it wished that it would. This strategy had limited success on Bay Street, but ignored everyone living on Main Street.

Today, there is a growing consensus in Canada and around the world that governments need to invest not only to boost economic growth in the short term but to set the stage for long-term growth as well. Canada has the lowest debt to GDP ratio of any G7 country, and interest rates are at a historic low. Now is the ideal time for Canada to invest in future successes for our country.

As I have already mentioned, a strong economy starts with a strong middle class. People are not afraid to work hard, but hard work needs to hold the promise of an improved standard of living. This is the place for government now to really lend a hand. A strengthened middle class means that hard-working Canadians can look forward to a good standard of living and better prospects for their kids. This is not a terribly complex concept. Our changes to the CPP are one example of looking forward to being able to ensure that our children and grandchildren will have a better future.

When we have an economy that works for the middle class, we have a country that clearly will work for everyone. Now, more than ever, it is important that post-secondary education remains affordable and accessible. Young Canadians must have access to meaningful work at the beginning of their careers and not be burdened by increasing student debt. Budget 2016 makes post-secondary education more affordable for students from low and middle-income families and would make it easier for them to repay their student debt. Budget 2016 would also help young Canadians gain experience and extra income and find good jobs after their education.

Canada's employment insurance program provides economic security to Canadians when they need it most. Whatever their circumstances, no Canadian should struggle to get the assistance they need. To make sure that Canadians get the help they need when they need it, several changes are proposed to the current El system. Changes to eligibility rules would make it easier for new workers and those re-entering the workforce to claim benefits. To ease the burden, the Government of Canada would extend employment insurance benefits in regions affected by localized challenges. The waiting period would also be reduced from two weeks to one week. This would provide unemployed workers with hundreds of dollars more, at the time they need it most.

However, the goals of budget 2016 are not restricted to just seniors, students, or the unemployed. Budget 2016 is about shifting to a new way of looking at national fiscal success. We want to give Canadian families more help with the high cost of raising children. This is why the government promised the new Canada child benefit. We want to give Canadians a simpler, tax-free, and more generous benefit. This is why we replaced an ineffective boutique tax system with the tax-free Canada child benefit. As just one example, under the new Canada child benefit, nine out of 10 Canadian families will receive higher monthly benefits, and hundreds of thousands of children will be lifted out of poverty.

This past weekend, I hosted a public consultation with families in my riding. We talked about the issues that mattered most to them. In a nutshell, they are not asking for wealth or for fancy programming. The families, students, seniors, and new Canadians living in my riding are simply asking for a fair chance and a hand up. They need a partner to help them when times are difficult. This is precisely what Bill C-29 is attempting to do.

I am pleased to be part of a government that clearly recognizes the challenges that Canadians are facing, one that is determined to make the investments that are possible so people can move forward in a positive way and our young people are encouraged that there will be very good jobs out there for them and a chance to get a good quality education.

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2Government Orders

6:20 p.m.

Conservative

Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC

Madam Speaker, I appreciated my colleague's comments.

At the beginning of her speech, she said I needed a history lesson. However, if I need a history lesson, perhaps she needs one in socio-demographic phenomenon, and perhaps she needs to brush up on her economics. When the Conservative government decided to raise the age of retirement from 65 to 67, a measure that had been spread out over several years, it was about planning for the future.

Now the Liberal government is restoring the retirement age to 65, but it is beginning to realize that it does not have enough money, so it is introducing a carbon tax and raising CPP premiums.

Can my colleague clarify how she sees this? I genuinely do not understand the direction this government is taking, while its members attack me and say I need a history lesson.

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2Government Orders

6:20 p.m.

Liberal

Judy Sgro Liberal Humber River—Black Creek, ON

Madam Speaker, I certainly did not appear to be attacking him. He was just so rambunctious in his presentation of incorrect information, I was simply attempting to ensure he had the right information.

No document was produced by the government or elsewhere that showed the OAS at age 65 was not sustainable. In fact, it was exactly the opposite. The budget officer, who we all work with on all sides of the House, said that old age security for seniors was completely sustainable. There was no reason to be concerned about that part of it at all.

Anyone who has family or seniors who have worked in the construction industry, or mining, or maybe housework, realizes how difficult it is and how the body gets worn down. The idea of being able to work to age 67, alleluia for those who can. However, there are thousands of Canadians who cannot.

On the CPP file, it is about ensuring that the people who are behind us have a better future. By contributing a small increase every day and every month by the government or the employer and the individual, those Canadians will have a much better retirement.

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2Government Orders

6:25 p.m.

Liberal

Julie Dabrusin Liberal Toronto—Danforth, ON

Madam Speaker, some people in this place may not know that I love to cycle. One of the things I have been very happy to see is investments in active transportation. It is one of my main modes of transportation around the city. I have seen investments in bike share, bike trails, bike safety, and other forms of active transportation. I recently went on a ride with Bells on Danforth and Cycle Toronto in my community and saw how important it was there.

How is my colleague seeing the impact of investment in public transit infrastructure and in infrastructure in her community?

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2Government Orders

6:25 p.m.

Liberal

Judy Sgro Liberal Humber River—Black Creek, ON

Madam Speaker, due to our investments, we will have light rail transit going right through the community in my riding. That very much will help people who have to get from the subway to get home. Transit is extremely important and our government is finally investing millions and millions of dollars to ensure that people can get from point A to point B in a safe, secure way.

However, then there is the issue of the carbon tax, about which people continue to throw around and banter. That money will go back to the provinces and be invested in transit or in the people who live in the province of Ontario.

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2Government Orders

6:25 p.m.

Conservative

Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC

Madam Speaker, I have been in the House most of the day and have had a chance to hear the remarks of the members on both sides of the House.

One thing is crystal clear: this government has made decisions in its budget to create an annualized deficit, which is what it promised during the election campaign, specifically, a $10-billion deficit a year for about three years. Scotiabank issued a statement today, on top of all the others it has issued over the past few weeks, to inform Canadians that the deficit will not be $10 billion, as it had previous announced, but rather somewhere between $32 billion and $35 billion. That is three times higher than planned. In just one year, the Liberals will have created the deficit that was supposed to be spread over the next three years.

The government tells Canadians that it is going to invest, say yes to everyone, and hand out money like candy. However, at some point, someone has to pay for all this.

The difference between the Liberals and the Conservatives is that we managed to make many significant investments, in infrastructure among other things, without running a deficit.

During the election campaign, the Liberals said they would run small deficits of $10 billion. This is year one and we already have the deficit that was projected for year three or four. The fundamental problem with all this is that there is no plan to return to a balanced budget. I have heard that a number of times here today. No government member has talked about returning to balanced budgets. None of them have.

Later I will ask how it is that these members and this political party can run a deficit with no light at the end of the tunnel, because there is nothing to indicate an eventual return to balanced budgets. I am sure that my colleagues will continue to ask the same question tomorrow. This is an extremely dangerous road we are going down.

I heard my colleague across the way say that the government was giving an extra $900 to seniors. When the government says that it is going to hand out money left and right, the problem is that it gives with one hand from its own pocket and takes with both hands from the taxpayer's pocket. The carbon tax is a good example. It is a $2,500 tax. The government is giving $900 with one hand and taking $2,500 with the other.