Debates of Oct. 24th, 2018

Taxation

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister likes simplicity. Let me make it very simple for him. His own documents show that he has a separate system that includes a massive exemption for large corporate emitters that can afford well-paid government lobbyists. Small businesses, which are the backbone of this economy, will face higher fuel costs and higher heating costs. Will those same businesses, this is very simple, get the same deal?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we are taking real action on a plan to fight climate change. The Conservatives, evidently, as is their right, as is their responsibility, need to oppose, and that is fine. They will. They will find fault with our plan to concretely fight climate change and support Canadians.

The question is this. Canadians are not satisfied with just opposition. They want to know what his plan is. What is the Conservatives' plan to tackle the greatest global challenge we are facing right now? What is their plan to fight climate change?

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister will have plenty of opportunity to ask me questions after the next election.

The question today is very simple. The Prime Minister can act all he wants, but he cannot act his way out of this one. He has given a special deal to large corporate emitters. Small businesses with five and four employees will face massive new costs under his plan. Will they receive the same deal that government lobbyists secured for large corporate emitters, yes or no?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians will be faced with a very simple question over the next 12 months. Do they want to act on climate change and protect future generations or not?

It is very clear that the Conservatives are unwilling to take leadership and action in the fight against climate change. We have put forward a comprehensive plan that actually involves a price on pollution and many measures across the economy that will demonstrate that we can not only fight climate change but also benefit Canadians and grow the economy at the same time.

They have no plan. We have a strong plan.

Natural Resources

[Guy Caron, NDP, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, indigenous communities and environmental groups in British Columbia denounced the new Trans Mountain pipeline assessment process. They condemn the government's rush to get everything wrapped up by February. They condemn the botched consultations that will lead to yet another botched assessment. According to Stewart Phillip, Grand Chief of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, the new process is even worse than the old one.

Is that because the Liberals are working to cobble together a process that will lead to a yes?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we are following the blueprint put forward by the court to move ahead with this project in the right way. We understand that moving ahead in the right way means taking real measures to protect the environment and engage in meaningful consultations with indigenous peoples. Not doing either of those things is why, for a decade, the previous government was unable to get resources to markets other than the United States. We understand the importance of diversification, and we will do it in the right way.

International Trade

[Guy Caron, NDP, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is difficult to believe that it is meaningful when they are giving themselves four months to consult.

The more time goes by, the more Canadians believe that the Liberals did not negotiate a good trade agreement with Mexico and the United States because the cost of prescription drugs is going to go up, they have created a new breach in the supply management system, and there is no guarantee that the tariffs on steel and aluminum will be eliminated. Entrepreneurs, workers, and farmers feel that they have been abandoned by this government.

Why did the Liberals give in instead of standing firm for Canadians?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, over the past year and a half we said that we would defend Canadians' interests above all else and that we would be constructive but firm.

The agreement in principle will eliminate uncertainty for our manufacturers and investors and improve the labour rights of all North Americans. When it comes into force, NAFTA will be preserved, updated and modernized for the 21st century. I want to again thank all Canadians who stood by us even in the difficult moments.

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, a poll this week shows that 47% of Canadians feel that the USMCA is a disappointment. Liberals can repeat the same tired lines about this deal, but Canadians are not buying it. Instead of standing strong, they saw their government make concession after concession at the negotiating table, concessions that have put their jobs in peril, concessions that render their businesses more vulnerable, concessions that have made drugs more expensive.

This is not how one stands up for Canadians. How can the Prime Minister say he is proud of this deal when Canadians are going to pay the price?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, just a few weeks ago, I was meeting with workers who were telling me what a great deal it was, how reassured they were. Where were those workers? In the Windsor area. Folks in Windsor, in particular, are extraordinarily pleased that we have secured access to the North American market for their jobs and industries.

We have made sure that we continue to invest in manufacturing across this country, including in the Windsor—Essex area, because we know that those are good, middle-class jobs that we have protected for generations to come.

Natural Resources

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

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to recycling, we can all get behind that, but when it comes to the Trans Mountain pipeline, the Liberal government has taken things to extremes, because the Prime Minister is recycling the same broken process that has already failed us. Indigenous leaders, environmental groups and local leaders have blasted his so-called new pipeline review, calling it “rigged” with “impossible” timelines.

Thrown out by the courts, rejected by indigenous leaders and a clear threat to our coastline, the only real question is how much longer will he recycle his flawed, failed and flagrantly inept process before he just finally gives up on the whole thing?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, we are actually following the blueprint put forward by the court to move ahead with this project in the right way. We understand that moving ahead in the right way means taking real measures to protect the environment and engage in meaningful consultations with indigenous peoples. Not doing either of those things is why the previous government, for a decade, was unable to get resources to markets other than the United States.

We understand the importance of diversification, and we will do it in the right way.

Carbon Pricing

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, it is not just Conservatives who believe that this new carbon tax will be hard on small businesses. Here is what the Canadian Federation of Independent Business had to say about this new tax: “They already picked a fight with business owners with the small business tax changes in 2017 and now it looks like there will be another big one in 2018”.

It is the Prime Minister who accused small business owners of being tax cheats and who granted special deals to big corporations as he went after small business owners.

The question once again is this: will small and medium-sized businesses get the same exemption that big corporate emitters got?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, once again, small businesses across the country rejoiced at the fact that we lowered small business taxes to the lowest rate of any country in the G7. As of January 1, 9% will be the small business tax rate. We support small businesses and will always do so.

However, we also understand that Canadians are concerned about climate change, wildfires, floods, drugs and increased hurricane activity south of us. These are the things that worry Canadians. That is why we are taking real action. Unfortunately, the Conservatives have no plan and are not doing anything.

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, former premier Brad Wall said it best when he said, “Usually when someone tells you to send in money but you'll get more back in return, it's a Nigerian prince.” The bad news for Canadians is that is actually coming from their Prime Minister.

The government expects suburban moms and dads to believe that a measly $12.50 a month per taxpayer will cover higher fuel costs and higher home heating costs.

If the Prime Minister believes that to be the case, why will he not finally table the documents that show the true cost of the carbon tax for those very same families?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, excuse me if I find it a bit rich for them to be asking us to table documents when they have not even put forward any plan at all to fight climate change.

Canadians expect leadership. Canadians expect action. Maybe they—

[An hon. member]

I can't hear a thing.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order. An hon. member just said he could not hear a thing. It is very hard to hear the answer.

I would ask members to restrain themselves. It is important that we hear the questions. The questions can be aggressive and the answers as well. They are important. We do not always like what we hear here, but we have to listen despite that, because we are civilized—it is a democracy—or reasonably civilized.

The Right Hon. Prime Minister has the floor.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition mentioned earlier that he hopes to be on this side of the House after the next election. Canadians will not allow him to get here if he does not show real leadership on climate change, on taking—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order. The President of the Treasury Board is not helping, and nor are lots of others.

The Right Hon. Prime Minister has the floor.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is obvious that the Conservatives have no plan to fight climate change. They want to make pollution free again.

We are putting forward real and concrete action to help Canadians create jobs and protect their future generations. This is something that we take very seriously.

Just like the 10 years under Stephen Harper, when they were unwilling and unable to act on the environment, they continue to be unwilling and unable to take on climate change.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, now the Prime Minister says that small businesses should rejoice at his tax increases.

First of all, according to him, they should rejoice that he is punishing them for saving money within their companies and for sharing the work and earnings of their business with family members who contribute, and now he wants them to rejoice that they will have to pay higher energy costs because of his tax.

I have a simple question, and we will all rejoice if he finally answers it. Will small businesses get the same exemption as large industrial emitters under his plan?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, unlike the Conservatives we believe that emissions need to go down, that we need to continue creating good middle-class jobs for Canadians and support small businesses.

What the Conservatives are saying is factually wrong. We have set a target for industry to reduce pollution and if it fails to meet that target, it will pay the price. If industry does better, for example, through innovation, it will be rewarded.

Our plan will also give money directly to households where the federal backstop applies. The only mystery here is why have the Conservatives not put forward their plan?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, actually, what his own government documents state is that that so-called target is a 90% exemption for the large industrial emitters. We have simply asked if small businesses will get the same exemption. We have had no answer.

In light of that, the Prime Minister still thinks that Canadian taxpayers should believe that if he puts his hands in their left pocket, he will give some of it back in their right pocket. His own documents admit that the government will collect more in taxes than it will give out in rebates. Is that not proof that this is just another Liberal tax grab?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, that is simply not true. We are ensuring that we are returning all the money collected from the price on pollution to the jurisdiction in which it was collected. That is a commitment we have made in law.

Of course, that is a law the Conservatives voted against. A lot of the Conservatives continue to stop that because they have no approach to fight climate change. They do not think that it matters to fight climate change. Tell that to folks in B.C. suffering through forest fires every summer. Tell that to folks in Saskatchewan dealing with floods. Tell that to the people facing droughts in Manitoba. Tell that to the folks across the country who know that climate change is real.