Debates of June 4th, 2018

Rail Transportation

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member said, “We continue to monitor”. By that, what she means is they continue to sit and twiddle their thumbs. The current Liberal government does not seem to get it. Canadian farmers are incredibly important to the well-being of our economy and to the way we function as a country. Right now, farmers are in crisis because many of them are unable to function at a normal capacity due to the backlog in the grain market.

There are really two options to this problem: One, the government can stand up for Canadians and help farmers out; or, two, the government can ignore the needs of one of the most essential sectors in our economy and sit idle as the livelihood of Canadian farming families is negatively affected. I think this is what the hon. member means when she says, “We continue to monitor”. I think she means they continue to sit and watch and do nothing. If that is not what she means, then what actions are the Liberals planning to take?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, let me tell the hon. member that we get it. On this side of the House, our government listened to Canadian farmers. Our government continues to support Canadian farmers through Bill C-49, which my hon. colleague voted against.

We have taken action for our farmers and for all rail users. The new and updated measures provide shippers across the country with tools that will lead to a more effective, reliable, and transparent rail transportation system for the benefit of all users. These changes are not just about today and tomorrow. They are about a long-term vision for Canada, one that moves our goods to market effectively and efficiently to support jobs, trade, and economic growth.

International Trade

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have asked the government if it will kill its punitive job-killing carbon tax. It is one of the largest taxes in history ever put on Canadian businesses and job creators. The government, unfortunately, has refused to answer, but tonight I feel lucky. We have the member for Brampton West over there. We have the House leader. I think they know the answer, and tonight we may actually hear it, because they know that this carbon tax will hurt Canadian manufacturers, hurt jobs, and hurt workers and their families.

Manufacturing is a major job-creator in my riding of Oshawa, and I know that is the case in Brampton as well, but a carbon tax will make companies think twice about investing in our communities. What is not clear is how much it will hurt Canadian manufacturers, workers, and their families. We have asked the government dozens of times to tell us how much the manufacturers and workers will pay in new taxes. Each time, the Liberals have refused to tell Canadians. This is coming from a government that made a specific campaign promise to be open to Canadians by default. That is what it said.

We know that the American administration is moving on policies to make its manufacturers more competitive. The American administration has cut taxes, and it is not implementing a job-killing carbon tax. Our manufacturers are not receiving the tax cuts their American competitors are, and the Canadian steel and aluminum sector now faces new tariffs. In fact, here in Canada, we are doing the opposite by making our manufacturers face a punitive carbon tax. On top of that, the government will not tell us how much it is going to cost. A heavily redacted Finance Canada document shows us that the government knows how much the carbon tax will cost Canadians. The Parliamentary Budget Officer released a report recently and found that the Liberal carbon tax will take $10 billion out of the Canadian economy by 2022, while other estimates say it could be as high as $35 billion. The government has admitted that gasoline prices will go up by 11¢ a litre, and the cost of heating one's home will increase by over $200, but it will not tell us the overall cost to Canadian businesses and families.

In an effort to get some clarity for Canadians, I tabled a motion that would make the carbon tax transparent to manufacturers and Canadians. The motion asks the Standing Committee on Finance to undertake a study on how the government could examine approaches and methods to ensure maximum transparency for consumers related to the costs of carbon taxes, including a requirement for a dedicated line item on invoices and receipts, and mechanisms the government could use to report annually to Parliament on the financial impact, past and projected, of a federally mandated price on carbon on Canadian households and employers.

The government failed to support my motion calling for transparency. What is the government afraid of? What is it hiding? What will the carbon tax cost Canadian job creators and families?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise here after midnight. As the member for Brampton West, I will let the hon. member know that Brampton has one of the largest Chrysler plants. We too support manufacturing. On this side of the House, we actually cut taxes for small businesses. The tariffs announced by the U.S. on Canadian steel and aluminum under the pretext of the section 232 national security provisions are totally unacceptable. That Canada could be considered a national security threat to the United States is inconceivable.

Since the beginning of section 232 national security investigations, our government has been intensely involved in advocating, at every level of the U.S., on Canadian workers' and industries' behalf. Our focus has been on the interconnected nature of our economies and the importance of Canada to our shared security. We are partners in NORAD and NATO, and Canadian soldiers have fought and died alongside our American counterparts.

The Prime Minister discussed these investigations with President Trump and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, the Minister of National Defence, and the Minister of Natural Resources have all raised the importance of recognizing the special relationship between Canada and the U.S. with their counterparts, to name a few. These ministers, our ambassador in Washington, and our network of consulates in the United States over the past year have repeated the message that our steel and aluminum are not a threat, and that our deeply integrated industries are a testament to the strength of our trade relationship.

In response to these illegal tariffs, our government has taken decisive action to protect our workers and industry. The Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs announced our plan to impose, on July 1, trade-restrictive measures against U.S. imports worth $16.6 billion, including countermeasures on U.S. steel and aluminum. This consultation period is very important to us to get the retaliation exactly right. This is the largest trade action that Canada has undertaken since the Second World War, and I urge all Canadians to take a look at this list online and provide feedback.

We firmly believe that these actions cannot go unchallenged, and we are not alone in this. Other partners are taking similar strong measures against these tariffs. We will continue working to advance the interests of Canadian steel and aluminum workers in the auto and manufacturing industries.

I am answering the question asked by the hon. member, but our government believes that the economy and the environment go hand in hand. We know there is a $1-trillion green industry that we have to tap into, and that is something we are extremely proud of.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in my question I talked about tariffs, but I asked if the Prime Minister will work to keep well-paying jobs in Canada, to give Canadian manufacturers a chance to stay competitive, by dropping the unfair carbon tax. Conservatives support the tariffs, and the challenge is that the Prime Minister has chosen not to implement the tariffs for another 30 days.

Ontario right now has the highest electric rates, highest payroll taxes, increased regulatory burden, and increased taxes. Now we have a provincial carbon tax and a federal carbon tax. The U.S. has competitive electric rates, competitive wages, a decrease in corporate tax rates, no carbon tax federally, and no state carbon tax.

We have been asking over and over again how much this new carbon is going to cost and whether the Prime Minister would consider dropping it, bearing in mind that these new tariffs are being put on our steel and aluminum sector. I am here tonight to find out what that would cost. We have been asking, and hopefully we will get an answer.

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we actually lowered taxes on the middle class by raising them for the top wealthiest 1%, which my hon. colleague and his party voted against. We introduced the Canada child benefit that is helping nine out of 10 Canadian families and putting more money in the pockets of families that need it. We are the government that, since taking office, has created 600,000 new jobs.

We understand it is working, and that in order for us to continue to grow our economy, we have to include everyone. Our government will always stand up for Canadian workers and businesses.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, the House stands adjourned until later this day at 10 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 12:23 a.m.)