House of Commons Hansard #32 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was countries.

Topics

FinanceOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, Canadians understand that we have the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7. They are lower and the low interest rates—

FinanceOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

FinanceOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan

Order, please. I hope we can all hold our applause until the Prime Minister finishes his answer.

FinanceOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Liberal

Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC

Mr. Speaker, record low levels of interest rates right now mean that this is an opportunity to invest in our future. Confident, optimistic economies are willing to invest in their future, in their children's future. For 10 years, the previous government did nothing but shave away and cut instead of investing in the kind of tomorrow that Canadians needed.

This is the budget that Canadians have been asking for through the last election campaign. This is what we are delivering to grow the economy and help the middle class.

FinanceOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Sturgeon River—Parkland Alberta

Conservative

Rona Ambrose ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, the truth is that business investment has dropped off the cliff since the Liberals have been elected.

The Liberals have broken all their economic promises. They have no credibility. During the election campaign, they promised a modest deficit of $10 billion.

Will the Prime Minister admit that because of his mismanagement, Canadians will be stuck paying for his out-of-control spending?

FinanceOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, we put forward a plan that will allow us to invest in our communities, help the middle class, and create economic growth. That is exactly what the business community and economists here and abroad are saying that the Canadian government should be doing.

Our plan is in line with what Canadians want and with experts who are saying that now is the time to invest in our future, not to cut the services we deliver to Canadians. That is what will create economic growth and what we are going to deliver tomorrow.

FinanceOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Conservative

Denis Lebel Conservative Lac-Saint-Jean, QC

Mr. Speaker, last week, the parliamentary budget officer announced that our Conservative government balanced the budget. I would like to quote Mr. Fréchette, who said, “We are still forecasting a surplus of $1.2 billion for 2015-16. Our official position is that the budget was balanced [in 2015-16]”.

This morning, we learned that 69% of Canadians are concerned about their financial security. What does the Prime Minister have to say to the thousands of Canadians who are concerned about the country going on a spending spree?

FinanceOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign last fall, it became clear to us that Canadians were indeed worried about their financial future. Despite all of the previous government's posturing, promises, and so-called economic action plans, Canadians were really worried about their future.

That is why they chose a government that would invest in their communities, help the middle class, and create the kind of growth that Canadians had not seen for 10 years because of the former Conservative government's failure to show leadership.

Forestry IndustryOral Questions

March 21st, 2016 / 2:20 p.m.

Conservative

Denis Lebel Conservative Lac-Saint-Jean, QC

Mr. Speaker, when Canadians see the big tax hikes, they will understand what the government is up to.

The forestry industry is just one sector that is going through difficult times. As we know, such important matters as the renewal of the Canada-United States softwood lumber agreement are looming. Things are difficult. The forestry industry contributes $20 billion to the Canadian economy. It was not even mentioned in the throne speech. Tomorrow, we will see what is in the budget for the forestry industry.

Can the Prime Minister tell all the regions that depend on the forestry industry what measures are in the budget for them?

Forestry IndustryOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I am looking forward to presenting a budget tomorrow that will address the concerns of Canadians across the country, including those living in the regions and working in the forestry industry. We know that it is time to invest in innovation, in our regions, and in our natural resources in order to stimulate growth and job creation, which did not happen for 10 years under the previous government.

The time has come for us to turn the page on 10 lost years. We must invest again in the future, and that is what we are going to do for the forestry industry, the regions, and all of Canada.

EmploymentOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC

Mr. Speaker, today we learn that Bombardier is planning to move another 200 good Canadian jobs abroad.

This is in addition to the 2,400 Canadian families who lost their livelihood at Bombardier last month. Our aerospace industry needs help, but not at the expense of our workers and their families.

Does the Prime Minister intend to protect good Canadian jobs in any assistance agreement he might sign with Bombardier?

EmploymentOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his very important question.

At the end of the day, what we all want is to protect good Canadian jobs in the aerospace industry and in other industries. That is why we are taking the time we need to assess the proposals and the Bombardier situation in order to ensure that any investments that might be needed will be made in the short-, medium-, and long-term interests of aerospace industry workers across Canada.

Employment InsuranceOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC

Mr. Speaker, job losses are mounting elsewhere in Canada as well. Workers need help, but fewer than four out of 10 people who need employment insurance have access to it.

The Liberals voted against our motion to force them to honour their own commitments on employment insurance. The budget will be tabled tomorrow.

Will the Prime Minister finally honour his own commitments on employment insurance, yes or no?

Employment InsuranceOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, as I already said, in our election platform we committed to improving access to employment insurance for people across the country, including in regions hard hit by the drop in oil prices.

I can assure my hon. colleague that we will keep our election promises in the budget that we will table tomorrow.

Indigenous AffairsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC

Mr. Speaker, I cannot wait.

First nations children across the country are living in crisis because the federal government does not provide them with the same resources other Canadian kids get. We have children in Kashechewan suffering from horrible sores because they do not have access to clean, safe drinking water. We have children who desperately want to learn but are forced to attend schools in third world conditions.

Will the Liberal budget provide full equivalent funding to end the gap on health, water, and education for first nations children?

Indigenous AffairsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's question is an important one.

Indeed, as we have put forward since the beginning of our mandate as government, renewing the relationship and building a strong infrastructure and support in communities across the country, particularly in those most vulnerable communities for indigenous children, are things we are making a priority. Tomorrow's budget will feature historic investments in first nations and indigenous Canadians right across the country to begin to make it right, which we have not done for so many decades in this place, in this building.

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC

Mr. Speaker, seven months ago Alison Azer's children were kidnapped. We are talking about four Canadian children taken to Kurdistan in the middle of a war zone. Today, I met with Alison in Ottawa, and she is asking once again for the Canadian government to intervene and help bring her children home.

The need for action is urgent. Why has the Prime Minister not bothered to call President Barzani to bring these kids home?

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, we are fully seized with the importance and urgency of this case. Canadian consular officials are working extremely closely with the appropriate government authorities in Canada and abroad, including law enforcement, to return the children safely to Canada. Consular officials are in regular contact with Ms. Azer as we pursue the safe return of her children. Rest assured that the safety of those children is a high priority for this government.

The EconomyOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

Lisa Raitt Conservative Milton, ON

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are very concerned about massive deficits because they lead to increased taxes. In fact, polls today show that Canadians' concerns are economic in nature: first, jobs; and, second, taxes. That is what members on this side of the House have heard in the run-up to the budget that the government will be presenting tomorrow.

Therefore, I would like to know when the Minister of Finance will actually admit that in the Liberals' campaign they misled Canadians and said that the deficits would be moderate, but indeed they are not, and that these massive deficits of the Liberal government are nothing more than broken promises?

The EconomyOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Saint-Maurice—Champlain Québec

Liberal

François-Philippe Champagne LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, Canadians made a clear choice last October. They decided to have a fundamentally different approach to managing our economy.

Our priority is growth. That is exactly what we will deliver tomorrow in our budget. We will focus on the middle class, we will help Canadian families, we will create growth. That is what Canadians expect of us and that is exactly what we will deliver tomorrow.

The EconomyOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

Lisa Raitt Conservative Milton, ON

Mr. Speaker, I fear the Liberals' approach is fundamentally different, and that is to spend until there really is a recession unfortunately.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada hosted the Minister of Finance for a photo op on Friday. While I laud the location choice, and it is a great organization, I am very concerned about the message that he may have left for these young kids.

The Prime Minister's best friend Kathleen Wynne has already saddled these kids with $22,000 each of provincial debt. Could the minister tell us whether he explained to these kids as well that his out-of-control borrowing would actually top up what Kathleen Wynne's government already saddled these children with for long-term debt repayment?

The EconomyOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Saint-Maurice—Champlain Québec

Liberal

François-Philippe Champagne LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to say that the Minister of Finance and I went from coast to coast to coast to listen to Canadians. We did that over the months. We were elected in October. We heard from thousands of Canadians. Hundreds of thousands of Canadians have submitted ideas online.

As we approach budget day tomorrow, we took all of that into consideration and we made a budget that would work for Canadians. For once, they will know that this government is on the side of Canadian families.

The EconomyOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

Phil McColeman Conservative Brantford—Brant, ON

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow the Minister of Finance will officially plunge Canada into an extended period of massive borrowing. Already TD Bank has said that the Liberals will put Canada into a deficit for at least 10 years. Experts across the board are increasingly warning that this year's $30 billion Liberal spending spree will not have any major impact on economic growth.

We are not in a recession and this budget will not deliver any major boost to the economy. Why exactly is the Minister of Finance borrowing $30 billion?

The EconomyOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Saint-Maurice—Champlain Québec

Liberal

François-Philippe Champagne LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, when the economy is growing slowly, that is the time to invest. That is what the IMF has said, that is what the World Bank has said, that is what most economists in our country have said. At a time when interest rates are low, that is the time to invest in the economy. That is what Canadians expect of us and that is exactly what we will deliver tomorrow.

The EconomyOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

Phil McColeman Conservative Brantford—Brant, ON

Mr. Speaker, it is not just that the Liberals will break their fiscal promises this year, we are now told that the real big ticket spending will not start for a couple of years.

For the Liberals, a $30 billion deficit is just a starting point. Already the Minister of Finance is talking about raising taxes on small businesses, taxing start-ups, and professionals. What other businesses will see their taxes go up in tomorrow's budget?