Debates of March 21st, 2017

The Budget

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

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

We are the party that committed to investing in the middle class and growing the economy. We are the party that committed to helping our seniors. We are the party that brought in a 10% increase to the guaranteed income supplement for low-income single seniors. Lastly, we are the party that lowered taxes for the middle class.

We support our seniors and we are moving forward.

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as the member just said, the government made promises, but it has broken many of them. This is just one of many.

The government cobbled together a plan to sell our airports, which would put money in its pocket and make it look not quite so bad.

What will be in tomorrow's budget for the forestry industry and softwood lumber? How will the budget secure the future of our regions? A lot of people are very worried. Tomorrow, who will have to pick up the tab for the Prime Minister's out-of-control spending?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, once again, I thank my colleague for his question.

Budget 2017 will build on our commitment to support the middle class and grow our economy. Our government is the one that introduced measures to ensure the middle class gets some support. We are the ones who gave members of the middle class a tax cut. We created the Canada child benefit, which has lifted hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. We have also helped our seniors—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Carleton.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, how about a riddle? According to Finance Canada, the federal government had a balanced budget in 2015. Now, Finance Canada says we will have deficits until 2055. In just one Liberal budget, we added four decades of deficits. After a second Liberal budget, in approximately what century will we be projected to balance?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, for far too long, middle-class Canadians have had a hard time getting ahead, with the decisions that were made by the previous government. We have a plan to grow the economy and strengthen the middle class. Our plan is working. If we look at the numbers that came out just two weeks ago, we see that we have created more than 220,000 full-time jobs and part-time jobs. We can also see that our unemployment rate has gone down from 7.1% to 6.6%. Our plan is working, and it is good news for Canadians.

The Environment

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, speaking of news, Bloomberg news quoted the following: “Feelings Are Worth Spending For”—finance minister on the eve of budget. The Prime Minister would agree. He was feeling pretty good when he spent $127,000 in tax dollars on his visit to billionaire island. That was a real middle-class adventure, by his definition. Do the Liberals know who is not feeling good, though? It is the tomato farmer in my riding, who had to pay $6,200 in one month for a carbon tax. When will the government realize that its feelings are not worth hammering taxpayers with more costs?

[Catherine McKenna, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, we are committed to taking action that will grow the middle class and create good jobs. Action on climate change is estimated to grow the world economy by $19 trillion through investments in renewable power and energy efficiency. We understand the need to trade good jobs to protect our environment, grow the middle class, and ensure a more sustainable future for our kids.

Budget

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister wants to limit his own speaking time. I would suggest he find something interesting to say, first.

Let us remember that, just two years ago, the Prime Minister said that budgets balance themselves. In just a few hours, the government will table its second budget.

After promising an initial deficit of $10 billion and ending up with a deficit of $30 billion and a return to a balanced budget in 2055, how will the Prime Minister go about ensuring that the budget will balance itself tomorrow?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his question.

I say again that it was our government that committed to investing in the middle class and growing our economy. It was our government that introduced a tax cut for the middle class, while raising taxes for the wealthy.

It must also be said that the official opposition party voted against the motion.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, let us not forget that 65% of Canadians were not affected by these so-called tax breaks, and that those who benefited the most from these so-called tax breaks are people who earn between $140,000 and $200,000.

If that is what this government calls the middle class, I can understand why it is incapable of managing the country's finances properly and balancing the budget, and above all, why it is constantly punishing the middle class.

Will there be any good news for the middle class in tomorrow's budget?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, budget 2017 will build on our commitment to support the middle class and foster economic prosperity.

It was our government that introduced the Canada child benefit and finally lifted thousands of children out of poverty. It was also our government that increased the guaranteed income supplement by 10% to help low-income seniors. We have a good plan, and we will continue moving forward and supporting Canadians.

Rules of the House

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals want to change the rules of the House under the guise of making Parliament more efficient.

That party, which obtained only 39% of the vote in 2015, now wants to change the rules unilaterally. To hell with sunny ways.

As a show of good faith, why do the Liberals not drop their plan, like they did for Motion No. 6, and create a committee whose membership is representative of the popular vote to look into the matter?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism]

Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, we promised to modernize Parliament and bring it into the 21st century.

Our objective has always been to ensure that Parliament is relevant in the eyes of Canadians and that the House is accountable, predictable, efficient, and transparent.

I know that we can work together. That is why it is a discussion. I encourage all hon. members to take part.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it was Stephen Harper who broke the record for shutting down debate in Parliament; yet in his darkest dreams, he never tried to stifle the voices of the opposition the way the Liberals are trying to do right now.

It is the Liberal Prime Minister who wants to automatically limit debate on all government bills, and it is the Liberal Prime Minister who says he only has to show up one day a week to answer questions Canadians have for him.

Newsflash: this House does not belong to the Liberal Party. It belongs to all Canadians, so will the Liberals step away from this disastrous and undemocratic plan, and work with us to make Parliament work again?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism]

Mr. Speaker, it was I who released the discussion paper. I shared it with all members in this place as well as the public.

The member is correct that we are here to serve Canadians. Each of us is elected. The discussion paper provides many ideas, and it is a conversation, a discussion. We have asked the committee to do the important work that it does to modernize this place and to bring it into the 21st century.

This government recognizes that members of Parliament do work in this place as well as in their ridings. As the member of Parliament for the riding of Waterloo, I am proud to have some of my constituents here. I will work for them in this place as well as in my riding as, I am sure, all members of Parliament do.

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, how disingenuous can the member be? As we speak, the Liberals are trying to ram this through and force these rules on all of us.

We all saw the Prime Minister try to elbow his way in this House last year, trying to get his way. That was not a pretty sight. Now once again he does not want to be here answering questions, so the Liberals are trying to force these changes on this House.

Does the House leader or the Prime Minister commit that no changes will be made unless all of us agree, or are we to see elbowgate, act two?

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order, order. Most members in all parties are able to sit and hear things they do not like to hear. However, the test of course is for adults to be able to do that quietly, on all sides.

The hon. government House leader.

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism]

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity to rise in this place and to remind all members, as well as Canadians, of the important work that members of Parliament do.

Yes, there is a discussion paper. The discussion paper is available to all members as well as the public. The committee is doing the important work it does. The committee has the opportunity to look at ideas, bring in experts, and really consider a better way to do Parliament.

We believe that all members on both sides of this place should have the opportunity to have meaningful discussion, and that is why I think it is an important conversation to have.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, when I was elected in October 2015, my constituents expected that I would work very hard defending their priorities. Since then, I have worked countless hours to do a good job as an MP.

How can a responsible government consider reducing the number of hours of work we do here in Ottawa? Why does the Prime Minister not want to answer members' questions? It seems to me that the Prime Minister is not taking his job seriously.

Can the Prime Minister tell us the truth and explain the real reasons for this new reform?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism]

Mr. Speaker, we know that the previous government's approach was very different when it came to discussions and conversations.

We believe that we can have discussions. We believe that these conversations are important conversations to have. I agree with the member that it is not about counting hours. Every single Canadian across this country, from coast to coast to coast, works very hard.

We will continue to work hard for Canadians. We made a commitment to modernize this place and to bring it into the 21st century. That is what that discussion paper is about. I encourage the member not only to read the parts he chooses to, but to read the document in its entirety, because part of the suggestions I have offered are actually about looking at ways to improve this place.

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Chilliwack—Hope, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals want to cancel Friday sittings, cut off debate in committees, eliminate debates on committee reports, and severely limit debates in this House.

Now the Prime Minister only wants to show up for question period once a week. Maybe the Liberals can get one of those cardboard cutouts to fill in for him.

The Liberals are diminishing Parliament and reducing accountability. They should not be changing the rules of the House to make this a safe space for the Prime Minister. When will the Prime Minister end his constant attack on the ability of MPs to hold the government accountable?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism]

Mr. Speaker, it was this Prime Minister and this government that took unprecedented levels of consultations with Canadians. We will continue to work hard for Canadians. We will continue to work hard for members of Parliament.

I know it is very difficult for the member opposite to understand, but our objective has always been to ensure that Parliament is relevant to Canadians and that the House becomes accountable, predictable, efficient, and transparent. I know we can work better in this place.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!