Debates of Nov. 19th, 2018

Opposition Motion—Finance

[Bev Shipley, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary for finance said that this was really complex, basically thinking that we did not understand the financial part. Was it in 2015 that the Prime Minister promised many hundreds of times that he would balance the budget in 2019? Is it more complex now than it was in 2015 when he made that promise?

It is interesting how well the economy is doing. Investments in Canada by the U.S. are down 62%. Canada's investments in the U.S. are up 52%. The economy should be doing well, because the global economy is doing well. However, what is happening is that the Liberals are draining the pot dry. I would ask my colleague if it is irresponsibility or incompetence when the Liberals will not talk to us about when they can balance the budget.

[Robert Gordon Kitchen, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Mr. Speaker, my constituents plan their lives based on a balanced budget. Every year they set a budget for themselves and work around it. Why? It is because they know that with hard work, they will manage that budget. The current government has not put confidence in the marketplace, and those dollars are leaving this country. That is a big concern for my constituents and should be a big concern for all Canadians.

[Greg Fergus, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to participate in this debate. Before I begin, I want to say that I will be sharing my time with the member for Winnipeg North.

During the last federal election, Canadians had a choice between the plans for austerity and cuts proposed by the Conservatives and, sadly, the NDP, and our plan to invest in the middle class to build an economy that works for Canadians.

After a decade of the Harper Conservatives adding to the national debt with little to show for it, Canadians can see first-hand that our plan works. More and more Canadians are working, wages are going up, and consumer and business confidence is high. The fact is that middle-class families are better off today than they were under the Harper Conservatives. Our government is making it easier for them to make ends meet.

I would point out to members that, before our government took office, the Canadian economy was in a slowdown. At the end of 2015 and the beginning of 2016, a concatenation of national and international economic factors threatened to push Canada into another recession. Canadians did not have the same confidence in the future that they do now.

The previous government's disastrous cuts had all kinds of effects, including on official language minority communities.

The Conservatives scrapped the court challenges program. They slashed CBC/Radio-Canada's budget, which had a major impact on regional coverage, including in francophone communities.

They got rid of the long-form census, which provided the kind of accurate information that is so important to official language minority communities. They never adjusted core funding for official language community organizations.

We, in contrast, are bringing back the court challenges program. We have invested in CBC/Radio-Canada. We are bringing back the long-form census, and we have increased core funding for official language community organizations by 20%. Those are just a few examples, but they illustrate why the government took immediate and decisive steps to address growth issues and Canadians' concerns by doing what had to be done: investing in Canada's middle class, in communities and in the future of Canada.

With our first budget in 2016, the government tackled the challenges facing Canadians and the Canadian economy head on. We focused our efforts on a few key principles meant to strengthen the middle class and the Canadian economy.

In addition, we took advantage of historically low interest rates to make responsible, targeted investments that would stimulate the economy in the long term. Those investments were meant to stimulate opportunities for long-term growth in Canada by emphasizing robust growth, job creation and widespread revenue increases.

At the same time, we recognized that our plan had to be financially responsible so as not to add to the burden of future generations.

Overall, the government knew that this was the right approach for producing the economic growth most likely to allay the concerns of Canadian middle-class families and restore confidence in our economy.

Those investments, combined with the hard work of Canadians, have helped create half a million good, well-paying jobs, and they will continue to strengthen our economy in a sustainable way.

However, to maintain the momentum and remain competitive in a complex global economy, we know that Canada must continue to innovate. We need to be more open to the world of science, technology, engineering and math.

As we have seen many times, innovation waits for no one. If we are not on the cutting edge, then we will be left behind. The government knows that. Together, we need to lead by example.

Today, it is not about working harder individually to earn less but about working together more intelligently to get more than we ever thought possible.

That is why we developed our innovation and skills plan. Over the past 18 months, the innovation and skills plan has made it possible to launch the pan-Canadian artificial intelligence strategy to ensure that Canada remains a global leader in that field. As a Quebecker, I know that Montreal and the province of Quebec in general are leaders in that sector. The government also launched the global skills strategy so that companies can have more predictable access to top talent.

The government also heard the strong and united message from the research community on the need to make new investments in the future of Canadian science, one that supports young researchers and embraces the increasingly international, interdisciplinary, and fast-breaking nature of leading-edge research. That is a sector that I worked in for a long time before becoming an MP.

I would like to recognize the good work done by the expert panel on Canada's fundamental science review, who presented a report on the state of Canada's fundamental science ecosystem, a review the likes of which we had not seen for over 40 years.

Informed by this work, the government took action in budget 2018 to help make Canada a world-leading centre for research and innovation. We did this by making a historic investment in the next generation of researchers.

Research broadens our understanding of the world, sparks new ideas and helps develop a workforce that is better able to meet challenges with creativity and confidence.

This is why, early this year, the government announced $1.2 billion for granting councils, an unprecedented investment of new money in fundamental research in Canada. This will lead to better opportunities for students and researchers, and some 21,000 top researchers, students and staff members will have access to more support and training opportunities across Canada.

Granting councils are responsible for developing new plans to diversify funding recipients, which would benefit a diverse group of researchers, including women, under-represented groups, such as racialized groups, and early-career researchers.

In conclusion, I remind members that the government's growth-generating investments, many of which I mentioned today, are offset by our government's sound fiscal management and commitment to maintaining a shrinking debt-to-GDP ratio. The federal ratio, which contrasts debt and the performance of the economy, is not only on a downward trend, but it is also expected to reach its lowest level in nearly 40 years.

Contrary to what the member seems to think, Canada is in good financial shape.

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

Mr. Speaker, I always enjoy listening to my MP. In fact, he is my MP because I live in Gatineau when in the national capital region. I enjoy listening to him, even though he is unfortunately mistaken and, more importantly, has forgotten why he was elected three years and a few weeks ago.

Three years and a few weeks ago, he was elected because of his party's formal commitment, found on page 76 of his election platform, to have modest deficits for three years— $10 billion in the first two years and $6 billion in the third—and then to balance the budget in 2019. We are now 42 days away from 2019, and not only will there not be a zero deficit, but we have no idea of when the budget will be balanced.

I will repeat the question in the motion, which simply asks: when will we return to a balanced budget?

[Greg Fergus, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for his question and for choosing a fine place to live when he is in the national capital region. Hull—Aylmer is an exceptional place, and I encourage all my colleagues to move there in the next Parliament if they have not already done so.

My hon. colleague stated that I have forgotten why I was elected in Hull—Aylmer in 2015. However, he is the one who is mistaken. We were elected because Canadians wanted to replace the previous government, which unfortunately did not invest in the economy. Economic growth was anemic.

After we were elected, we created more than half a million full-time, quality jobs that helped the middle class and Canada's economy. That is why the people of Hull—Aylmer had confidence in me. I can say that my government colleagues and I have done a good job.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point or order.

I am seeking the unanimous consent of the House to table the Liberal Party election platform, which states that it must run small deficits and eliminate the deficit in 2019.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Does the hon. member for Louis-Saint-Laurent have the unanimous consent of the House to table this document?

[Some hon. members]

No.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I and my colleagues in the New Democratic Party come from the tradition that elections matter, democracy is vital to our nation and in order for Canadians to make valid choices and express their democratic will, they need to rely on what is said by political parties. It is the quaint notion of parties having integrity at election time. We all know that sometimes facts change, but the Liberal Party made a very deliberate and definite pledge to Canadians in 2015. Liberals said that they would run three modest deficits of about $10 billion each year and then balance the budget in the fourth year.

Incidentally, in 2015, we were not in recession. The economy was moving along between 1% and 2% growth and yet when Liberals got into office, they abandoned that completely. They are now running a deficit at about the $19-billion to $20-billion range and, as has been stated by my Conservative colleagues, with no plan whatsoever to bring the budget back to balance.

I have a clear question for my hon. colleague. Why did the Liberals abandon that clear pledge they made to Canadians in 2015 to lay out a fiscal plan and then as soon as they got into office, act in a completely opposite manner?

[Greg Fergus, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am a bit disappointed to see that our NDP colleagues still have not learned their lesson. In 2015, they did not develop their own fiscal framework. Instead, they adopted the Conservatives' fiscal framework, which generated the weakest economic growth since the Great Depression of the 1930s, before the Second World War. That is incredible.

Canadians made the right choice. They decided to go with our plan, which was focused on the middle class and economic growth. What happened next? We had the strongest economic growth of the G7. More people found jobs. It is very encouraging.

It is said that Canadians are never wrong during elections, and I can say with certainty that they were definitely not wrong to vote for the Liberal Party.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to rise to address this beautiful chamber. I was somewhat interested by my colleague across the way wanting to table a very important document, the Liberal Party of Canada's platform, “Growing Canada's Middle Class”. It is a very important document. It has been read by millions of Canadians. Canadians realized in the last national election that there was only one political party that was truly concerned and committed to growing Canada's middle class. That is one of the reasons Canadians in every region of our country supported our Prime Minister, the Liberal Party and the Liberal candidates. It was in good part because of the commitment to Canada's middle class and those aspiring to be a part of it. One would think the Conservatives learned something from that last federal election.

The last few days have been somewhat interesting, in seeing the leader of the Conservative Party being caught between one buddy and another. We know that the Conservative leader has a deep admiration for and personal friendship with Stephen Harper and does a great deal of consulting and work with the former prime minister. Many would argue that the former Conservative prime minister gives the marching orders for the Conservative Party here in opposition. That is being challenged a little nowadays by the premier of Ontario, who seems to say “jump” and the Conservative leader asks, “How high?”

It was interesting watching question period today. It was a fairly good example of the degree to which the national Conservative Party here in Ottawa seems to want to buy into what Premier Ford is trying to sell Ontario. Canadians from coast to coast to coast should be somewhat concerned. We could talk about the many different aspects of the cuts that are being proposed, but today in question period there was one aspect that was really highlighted. That was the cuts to francophone educational services. These are some fairly significant cuts. We had political parties from all sides of the House, except the Conservatives, stand up and recognize how important—

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I wonder if you could bring the member to order and return him to the motion at hand, which is about the date the government will inform the House it will reach a balanced budget, not what happened today in question period on an unrelated matter.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

I thank the hon. member. I assume the hon. member is getting at the relevance issue. All members know, of course, that they are asked to keep their remarks within the boundaries of relevance to the question in front of the House.

Does the hon. parliamentary secretary wish to respond, though?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, speaking to that point of order, it is important for us to recognize that what the member is talking about is the idea of a balanced budget and trying to get a date for that, the very same thing that Stephen Harper was calling for. This is something I pointed out in my speech, that when I listen to the opposition members, it is often like listening to Stephen Harper, and lately it is about listening to Doug Ford. I think it is absolutely—

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Order. I think we have resolved the point of order at this point. Certainly, drawing that comparison does work in terms of keeping relevance, but I would ask the parliamentary secretary if he could use the remainder of his 10 minutes to bring the points around to the question that is before the House, which I am sure he will do, as he is only about a third of the way into his 10 minutes.

The hon. parliamentary secretary.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I suspect that the time taken for that point of order will be added to my time so that I get the full 10-minutes.

The point is that at the end of the day, when we look at what we have before us, we have a Conservative opposition trying to give advice to the government on an issue that, for all intents and purposes, they have no credibility on. Let us think about it. Canada is 151 years old. The Conservative Party has governed Canada for about 38% of the time. Doing the math on this means that for 38% of those 151 years, the Conservative ruled in Canada. Taking all of Canada's debt, what percentage of Canada's debt do members think the Conservative Party incurred when it ruled Canada for that 38% of the time?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

Surely it would be small.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

One would think it would be small, but it is the vast majority, almost 75% of the debt.

If that is not enough to convince my Conservative friends across the way, let us think about when Stephen Harper became the Prime Minister of Canada. At that time, he inherited a multi-billion dollar surplus. Prior to the recession, and it is really important to recognize this because the Conservatives have said there was a recession, the Conservatives took that multi-billion dollar surplus of Paul Martin and converted it into a multi-billion dollar deficit.

Every year after that, the Conservatives had deficit after deficit, right through to the very end, as far as I am concerned. The Conservatives will say that in their last year they actually had a surplus, a balanced budget. I was here in that last year. I sat on the opposition benches when Conservatives sold wholesale the government's GM stocks in order to try to achieve that balanced budget. Independent offices said there was no balanced budget. I questioned that so-called balanced budget.

At the end of the day, if Stephen Harper demonstrated anything, it was not just that he could not keep Canada's budgets balanced in any way, but also that when it came to economic performance, he failed miserably. Let us think about it.

We have been in office for three years, working with Canadians and industries, taking on all sorts of economic activities, and we have seen over 500,000 full-time jobs generated, and many more, tens of thousands, part-time jobs. Let us compare that with the 10 years of Stephen Harper.

One colleague who used the phrase “Duh” said it quite well. Stephen Harper's stewardship of our economy was not that great. We would have to go back decades, through records that were set in the opposite direction, with Stephen Harper as Prime Minister.

We have seen so many actions by the government, and having only 10 minutes to talk about them just does not do them justice. We have talked about the most important thing that is happening as a result of our budgets, which is that we are reinforcing the importance of Canada's middle-class and those aspiring to be a part of it, while at the same time giving a helping hand in a very tangible way to our seniors who are living in poverty, in particular those receiving GIS, something the Conservatives and the NDP voted against.

We see the enhancement of the Canada child benefit program, and tax changes that would prevent millionaires from receiving it, literally putting hundreds of millions of dollars back into the economy. They voted against that too.

About $9 million a month goes into Winnipeg North alone from the Canada child benefit program. Think about what does for the collective disposable incomes of the residents of Winnipeg North and the impact that spending has on the economy. The rising disposable across the country is a direct result of Government of Canada initiatives under this Prime Minister, this cabinet and this caucus. That is helping to drive the economy. A healthy middle class ensures a healthier economy, because it is the middle class that drives the economy. If we invest in the middle class, we are investing in Canada.

On Wednesday we will be getting a fall economic update. I am looking forward to it, as all my caucus colleagues are, because we understand and appreciate the important role this government has played in our economy in the last three years.

Let us go back to the idea of the budget. I explained why people who are following this debate should get a better understanding of who is requesting the type of information being requested. It is the official opposition party that is requesting it, a party failed miserably to balance a budget, period, while it was in government. That was not just for a few years, but historically has been the case. Why should the current Government of Canada take advice from the Conservatives on this very important issue?

At the end of the day, the economic plans and programs we put into place are working. We have seen that in a very tangible way. I am thankful for the opportunity to share a few thoughts.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is always très divertissant, very interesting, but in a funny way to listen to my very impressive colleague. He talked a lot about his famous program of 2015. Unfortunately, I cannot show it in the House. I asked for permission to table it in the House so that every Canadian could have access to it, but unfortunately those guys refused. We understand quite well. On page 84, or page 12 in the French version, it with written crystal clear that there would be a small deficit for three years in a row: $10 billion, $10 billion and $6 billion. After that, it would be a zero deficit in 2019. That is not the reality today.

I will ask a clear and simple question of my hon. colleague. When will we get back to zero deficit?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I believe the government has recognized what is important to Canadians and is investing in those important policy initiatives. As I sat back and listened to the question posed by the member across the way, one of the thoughts crossing my mind was what exactly would the Conservative Party cut. We saw at the provincial level what they were prepared to cut, and there is a fairly severe negative reaction to the Conservative Doug Ford approach. I would challenge my Conservative friends opposite to start telling Canadians what they are prepared to see cut. My challenge to them is to give us some specifics.

[Karine Trudel, NDP, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have been listening to the speeches since we started the debate on this motion. I remember back in 2015 when I was campaigning, the Liberals were promising money for infrastructure and talking about making major investments. None of that money has showed up in my riding, Jonquière, so far though. That is why people are worried and why we have so many questions for the government.

Let me break it down with a straightforward analogy for people watching at home while we dig our heels in on all kinds of issues here in the House. Nearly all of us have a mortgage. I do, anyway, and in 25 years, if everything goes well, I will have paid it off and I will be able to rejig my budget around my other expenses. That is what a sound financial framework looks like, and that is what we are asking for.

Why are the Liberals not listening to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, and why are they not giving us proper financial footing or a timeline for balancing the budget so we can see where we are headed? I think that would be simpler. That is what regular people do in their everyday lives.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I remember the last election quite well when Thomas Mulcair, the then leader of the New Democratic Party, said that he was going to balance the budget at all costs. He might have received a lot of support from the Conservatives with that statement, but from my perspective, especially in the last couple of years, every time New Democratic Party members stand up, they are constantly saying to spend more. On the one hand the NDP members say to spend more and on the other hand the Conservatives say to spend less.

I am quite happy where we stand on this issue. I can tell my NDP friends who made the commitment to balance the budget at all costs that they are really selling short many of the investments this government has actually put in place, including everything from the Canada child benefit to investment in our veterans and our housing strategy. These are investments in Canadians, and are things we truly believe in, yet the NDP members say they would have balanced the budget at all costs, which I argue is highly irresponsible.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I just want to remind my colleague that what we are debating here is a motion that the House call upon the government to tell Canadians in what year the budget will be balanced and to do so in this week's fall economic statement.

Every single Liberal MP I have heard talking today has avoided the question. Basically, this was the Liberals' promise. If it was such a bad idea to balance the budget, I just want the Liberal member to stand up and explain why he promised Canadians that they would balance the budget. The Prime Minister thinks the budget balances itself. Could the member at least let us know in what year he thinks that is going to happen?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I will go back to the Stephen Harper era. During that time, the former prime minister made it very clear that the Conservatives had absolutely no idea. They made soft commitments to balance budgets, but we know in reality, as time proceeded, that Stephen Harper was unable to actually balance a budget.

Again, I would suggest to my colleagues across the way that when it comes to the issue of balancing budgets, the Conservatives are not in a good position to give recommendations or advice because, quite frankly, they failed so miserably in their years in government.

[Larry Maguire, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with my colleague, the member for Calgary Rocky Ridge.

Mr. Speaker, $2,066,210.05 is the amount of money every hour the Liberal government spends more than it collects. That means every day the Liberals are adding $49.5 million to Canada's debt. No Canadian voted for this debt.

Not even the most partisan Liberals thought that their government was going to do this to the nation's finances. Across Canada, Liberal candidates said that their numbers were rock solid. They said that they had a fiscal plan and that voters could trust them. Nothing could have been further from reality.

I remember participating in a debate where I questioned the validity of these proposed Liberal deficits and I was told that the Liberals had financial gurus who worked on their election platform. They knew exactly what they were doing and that their short-term deficits were not only needed, but they were good for the nation. Now we know the exact consequences of their ill-thought-out fiscal plans: a lot of red ink and debt service charges that will continue to rise for the foreseeable future.

Back in 2015, the Liberals walked into a balanced budget, a growing economy and record low interest rates. Not only did the Liberals break the bank in their first couple of years in office, they also raised taxes and drove us deeper into debt while doing it. The amount of $17,937 is the share of the national debt for every living, breathing Canadian, and that is just the federal debt. This does not include provincial, municipal, personal and household debt.

There is something fundamentally wrong when the Minister of Finance, the individual in charge of the nation's money, is unable to tell the House of Commons when he plans on balancing the budget. Some could argue that he does not know. Some could say that he is refusing to say. Some could even say that he is holding us in great suspense and is planning the grand reveal in the days ahead. Regardless of the endless speculation, I would argue that he does not care. His actions reveal that he may actually believe that the budget will balance itself.

Politicians need to be reminded on a constant basis that money does not grow on trees; it does not magically appear out of thin air and budgets do not balance themselves. There has been little evidence to suggest that the Liberal government has any intention of ever getting the nation's finances under control. From what has been reported, the Liberals' cabinet committee in charge of finding efficiencies has come up empty. The Liberals have almost nothing to show for their efforts. They have no plan to return to a balanced budget.

There has been no meaningful debate from the Liberal government, which leads us to our Conservative opposition day motion. We are arguing its merits at this very moment. It is telling that we even have to put forward a motion such as this one. Surely to goodness the first thing the Minister of Finance should be concerned about is balancing the budget. The mere fact that every single day the Liberal government is borrowing millions of dollars with zero plan to ever pay it back should be a signal that it is time for a new government.

The government's own survey found that Canadians believe it is wrong to continue to rack up massive deficits and add billions to the debt. In that same survey, which the government commissioned, it said that over 60% of Canadians want to make reducing the deficit a priority. I can assure the Minister of Finance that those numbers are accurate. I would even go so far as to argue that in my constituency of Brandon—Souris those numbers would even be higher.

Across this country, everyday taxpayers are fed up with governments everywhere that do not live within their means. They know that when interest rates rise, and they will, it will be a serious blow to their pocketbooks. The Minister of Finance has had ample opportunity to inform Canadians of his plan to stop adding billions of dollars of debt, but at every turn, he has twisted himself into a pretzel. The minister is a very accomplished, educated, successful individual, so I know full well that he understands the question. In many respects, I have a bit of sympathy for him. He must feel absurd as he bobs and weaves while evading this question.

The word “balance” truly seems to be the hardest word. I know my colleagues across the way are a little leery of the whole conversation as it reminds the entire nation that the budget is supposed to be balanced next year. In the last election there was no ambiguity in the Liberals' election platform about the numbers. It said that in 2019 they “will balance the budget”. It did not say that the Liberals will try to balance the budget. It did not say that they will strive to balance the budget. It said that they will balance budget. Not only did they break that promise to Canadians, but they have failed to provide a plan to stop adding billions of dollars to our debt.

What makes this all so somewhat comical if it were not so serious a topic, is that right under the promise of balancing the budget the Liberals' platform said that they “will raise the bar on fiscal transparency”. All those following this debate will know that the Minister of Finance is anything but transparent when it comes to his handling of the nation's finances. We only need to go on YouTube to see the countless times the minister has sidestepped questions about his deficit numbers. If we were to keep scrolling past the videos of him calling Canadians tax cheats or the videos about his ethics investigations, we would find countless exchanges of the minister doing his best to avoid saying anything decipherable.

That is what brings us to this debate today. On Wednesday, in the Liberals' fall economic statement, I implore the Minister of Finance to reveal to Canadians his plans to balance the budget. The Liberals were not given a blank cheque. They were not given the mandate to run massive deficits as far as the eye can see. Future generations should not be on the hook for the Liberals' reckless spending. Everyone knows that today's deficits are tomorrow's taxes. Canadians know it is wrong to leave their kids with an unpaid credit card bill, but that is exactly what the Liberal government is doing. It is nothing short of intergenerational theft.

The deficit is now almost $20 billion, more than three times what he promised. Instead of balancing the budget next year as the Prime Minister said he would, Finance Canada says we will now have 25 more years of deficits at this rate. Interest on the national debt is expected to grow by two-thirds, to $37 billion a year. That is just the interest. That is almost as much as we spend on health care transfers. Instead of keeping their money for gas, groceries and other family essentials, Canadians will pay more to bankers and bond holders to fund the growing interest on the Liberals' spiralling debt.

That is why Conservatives are calling on the government to announce in its fall economic update the year in which the budget will finally be balanced. While every family or business out there has to balance their budget, it is mind-blowing that the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister think they have no obligation to do so. The only thing I know for sure is that it will not be by next year as promised.

There has to be at least some Liberal MPs who see the lunacy of the actions of the finance minister when it comes to avoiding the question of a “balanced budget”. They must agree that their own government has fallen short in terms of financial transparency. People's patience is wearing thin and this charade must come to an end.

That is exactly why we are forcing a vote of the House of Commons on this issue. I want every Liberal MP to have a chance to join us. It is never too late to ask for a little common sense from the government. I want them to join us in stopping the raid on future generations. I want them to join us in eliminating out of control deficits and get Canada's fiscal house back in order. At the very minimum, I would ask them to support this motion.

Canadians deserve answers. Liberal parliamentarians deserve answers. At the end of the day, if we can at least agree that having a plan to balance the budget is needed, it is a meaningful step in the right direction. I urge all Liberal MPs to support this motion and demand better from their own finance minister.