Debates of Dec. 10th, 2021

The Economy

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Madam Speaker, I would like to talk about some of the specific ways our government is helping Canadians face the very real challenges related to affordability. A single mother of two will get $13,600 from the Canada child benefit. An average Saskatchewan family will get a carbon pricing rebate of almost $1,000. A student will save $3,000 because of changes to the loan program. That is how we are helping families with affordability.

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

Madam Speaker, when the price of fruit goes up 5%, the price of vegetables goes up 7%, and the price of dairy products goes up 8%, it is time to take concrete measures to control inflation. The first thing that a responsible government should do is at least control spending, because if it does nothing, all Canadian families will pay a steep price. “Justinflation” is making it impossible for families to make ends meet.

When will the government deal directly with the problem of inflation, which is affecting every Canadian family?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Madam Speaker, since coming to power, our government has worked to make life more affordable for Canadians. My first vote in the House was on cutting taxes for the middle class. We established the Canada child benefit to support families. We increased support for seniors, reduced small business taxes, increased the Canada workers benefit, and increased the Canada student grant, all to make life more affordable.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Madam Speaker, inflation is rising and Canadians are going to feel it even more at Christmas. For many, it will not be just gifts and presents that are more expensive this year, but putting food on the table for family and friends. If they can even afford to plan a Christmas dinner, a turkey will cost 25% more; eggs for their eggnog are up 7.4% and bacon for breakfast is up 20.2%.

When will the minister take action and address this inflation crisis?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Madam Speaker, let me share some of the ways the government is helping Canadians with the very real challenge of affordability. A single mom with two kids will receive $13,600 from the Canada child benefit; the average family in Saskatchewan will get almost $1,000 in the carbon price rebate; a student will save more than $3,000, thanks to the changes we made to the loan programs; and in Alberta, a family of two using child care starting January 1 will save, at a minimum, $12,000. That is how we are making life more affordable for all Canadians.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I will ask members to hold off. They are not being called on to speak at this point, and we want to hear the question just as much as we want to hear the answer.

The hon. member for Calgary Midnapore.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Madam Speaker, inflation is making goods and services more expensive this Christmas. Families were already struggling to make ends meet, and now many will have to decide between heating their homes or feeding their families. Natural gas is up 18.7%; food bank visits have climbed 20% and are expected to double in the months ahead. The costs keep climbing, but the paycheques just are not keeping up.

Will the government start taking this crisis seriously and address inflation before the clock strikes midnight?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Madam Speaker, we absolutely understand that inflation and affordability are pressing concerns for Canadians. We also know that this is a global phenomenon and not a made-in-Canada issue.

I also want to assure Canadians that we are working hard to make life more affordable. Our child care plan will reduce costs dramatically. We are committed to addressing housing affordability. We were there for Canadians when the COVID recession hit and we will be there for Canadians as we face this challenge together.

Health

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Madam Speaker, as members will recall, Health Canada caused quite an uproar over the summer when it sought to increase the allowable limits for pesticide residues on food. The public backlash pushed the government to delay that bad decision, as it was on the eve of the election campaign.

The ongoing close relationship between Health Canada and the biotechnology and pesticide industry is troubling. Now we are learning that Health Canada is considering allowing GMO producers to regulate themselves through voluntary transparency.

Three weeks ago, 100 organizations wrote to the government, calling on it to back down. Will the government heed their call?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague. We are very concerned about the issue of pesticides, which is why we decided to take action in this area. We made a number of commitments during the election campaign that we will be working on over the next few months, because this is an important issue.

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Madam Speaker, science and the precautionary principle should take precedence when it comes to pesticides and GMOs. The government seems to be moving away from transparency when, really, more transparency is needed. The government seems to be listening to the industry much more than to farmers and people who want to know what is on their dinner plates.

The Bloc Québécois is proposing an investigation into the links between Health Canada and the biotechnology and pesticide industries. Does the government agree that more transparency is needed?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Madam Speaker, we completely agree that more transparency is needed. That is why we have called for an independent review of some of the processes that are already in place regarding pesticide approvals. We will continue to work on this issue in the coming months.

Taxation

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Madam Speaker, yesterday's PBO report is crystal clear that under the Liberal government, inequality has reached unparalleled levels. The ultrarich are richer than ever in the Prime Minister's Canada, but still Liberals resist a wealth tax and do nothing about overseas tax havens. Canadians are struggling to put food on the table, to keep a roof over their heads and to pay their bills.

In the fiscal update next week, are the Liberals going to put the interests of the ultrarich ahead of those of everyone else yet again?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his question.

Our government is committed to asking those who prospered during the pandemic to help pay more for those who did not. Our platform committed to raise corporate income taxes on the largest, most profitable banks and insurance companies, and introduced a temporary Canada recovery dividend, given that they have recovered faster. We are working to implement a global minimum tax, and 136 OECD/G20 framework members have already signed up.

Seniors

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Madam Speaker, the government has a pattern of punishing the poor and rewarding the rich. After clawing back the GIS from the most vulnerable seniors in this country and then failing to fix it for months, finally the Deputy Prime Minister committed to fixing this issue quickly, but in many cases, this is far too late. Working seniors across this country are already living on the streets. Stop punishing seniors with red tape.

Will the government promise to get it done now so seniors get this much-needed amount of money immediately?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Minister of Seniors]

Madam Speaker, we know just how challenging the pandemic has been for seniors. Every single step of the way, our government has been there to support seniors, especially the most vulnerable, by strengthening their GIS. We moved very quickly to provide immediate and direct support to seniors this summer. When it comes to this issue, we are working hard to find the right solution to support those most affected. As always, we will be there for seniors.

The Economy

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Madam Speaker, millions of families across Canada are being left behind by the exponential rise in the cost of necessities like gas and groceries due to reckless Liberal spending. The burden of the inflated cost of living is especially felt by Canadians who live outside the transportation hubs of central Canada, like the working-class families in my riding. Canadian families are struggling right now, yet the Liberals plan to spend even more, further ballooning the cost of necessities.

When will the Liberals admit that their policies are responsible for the inflation crisis and clean up their mess?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Madam Speaker, I congratulate my hon. colleague on her election.

We understand the economic recovery is not equal across the board, but here are the results of our plan: 154,000 new jobs created in November, 5.4% annualized GDP growth in Q3, 106% of jobs recovered, AAA credit rating, and the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7. The Conservatives do not like that the economy is growing, but we do and so do Canadians.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Madam Speaker, according to a recent study, food prices will rise by 5% to 7% in 2022, adding nearly $1,000 to the grocery bill of an average family of four.

The Liberals' inflation rate is pushing a growing number of Canadian families to their limits. The Prime Minister is responsible for this failure. When will the Liberals start caring about monetary policy?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Madam Speaker, it is an honour to debate this question with my former student from Campus Saint-Jean. There are now two Campus Saint-Jean graduates sitting in the House of Commons.

The results of our plan speak for themselves. There were 154,000 jobs created in November, the GDP increased by 5.4%, and 106% of jobs have been recovered. Our economy is doing well. The Conservatives do not like that, but our government does and so do Canadians.

Health

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Madam Speaker, the student has surpassed the teacher.

For the second time since the beginning of the pandemic, the Auditor General has criticized the Liberals' border management. The system lost track of 1,156 travellers who had tested positive for COVID-19. These 1,156 people who had COVID-19 came into Canada, and the Public Health Agency of Canada simply lost track of them. Over 1,000 people have been going around Canada, unaware that they have the virus.

How many other people will be infected? How many more classrooms will have to be shut down? How many more people will have to quarantine?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Madam Speaker, we thank the Auditor General for her report and findings.

Our government has always sought to protect Canadians. We are adapting our response to COVID-19 based on the most recent scientific evidence. We accept all of the recommendations made by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada as a result of this audit. Work is already under way to implement them.

We acted swiftly at a time when the Conservatives wanted to do much less.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Madam Speaker, considering how slow the government was to close the borders and provide vaccines, I think the minister needs to review his talking points and remember the beginning of the pandemic.

Other findings by the Auditor General include the following: 30% of test results are missing or cannot be linked to anyone; and no one knows whether 75% of travellers followed quarantine orders upon arrival.

Six hundred million dollars later, the Auditor General found, and I quote, that “the agency did not adequately administer...border control measures imposed to limit the introduction of the virus and its variants into Canada”.

Cases are on the rise, but the Liberals have learned nothing. Canadians want to know why.

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Madam Speaker, I sometimes have a hard time following what the hon. member is saying. Sometimes he wants us to do more. Other times, he wants us to do less.

We have worked very hard to protect the health and safety of Canadians, and we will continue to take action for the future.