Debates of Oct. 19th, 2022

Taxation

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, most Canadians are not eligible for that money, and those who do get it will not be able to hang on to it for very long. According to the Royal Bank, inflation is going to cost the average family here in Canada $3,000 next year. Canadians cannot afford to pay any more, but the Prime Minister is going to add to their bills.

Will he cancel his plans to continue his inflationary deficits and taxes?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I am trying to understand the opposition leader's logic. He is saying that inflation and costs are so high for families that there is no point in doing anything.

On the contrary, we are there to provide real help, like the GST rebate. We are there to help families with children under the age of 12 who cannot afford dental care. We are there to help low-income renters with their rent this fall.

Why are the Conservatives not there to help these families? We do not want excuses. We want them to support our measures to help Canadians.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, ironically, the goods that have gone up the most in price are those that we can produce right here in Canada: bread, pasta and flour. We grow wheat in this country. We should be able to deliver it to people's kitchen tables affordably, but the Prime Minister wants to raise taxes on the people who do the growing of our food and the delivering of it to our grocery stores. Even the Governor of the Bank of Canada says that “inflation in Canada increasingly reflects what’s happening in Canada.”

This is homegrown Liberal inflation. Why does the Prime Minister not stop raising the prices on Canadians so they can put food on the table?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, let us be very clear. Our price on pollution puts more money back in the pockets of Canadians while ensuring they breathe cleaner air. With cheques issued in June and just last Friday, a family of four in the opposition leader's riding has already received over $550 from our government in climate rebates this year. This means more money for Canadians.

While the Conservative leader does not believe that climate change is a problem, we are moving forward with practical, affordable solutions to support families, grow the economy and fight climate change at the same time.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a friend of the Liberal Party was handed $28 million in contracts supposedly because the land that was being leased is next to Roxham Road. However, we have found out that this is simply not true.

Instead of giving taxpayers' money to friends of the Liberal Party, why does the Prime Minister not invest that money in qualified teams at the immigration department? That way, he can ensure that desperate asylum seekers are given a decent welcome at regular crossings.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we are working every day to ensure that our system for asylum seekers remains robust and humane. There is no magic bullet, but we will continue to be there for people and ensure that our values are reflected in our immigration systems.

There is no question that we must continue to work on the issue itself, alongside the United States, to find a lasting solution.

We will continue to be there, representing our values and welcoming people in a responsible manner.

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, not so long ago, the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister would consult one another before announcing a position. At one point, there was talk of bringing workers in via Roxham Road, cheap labour, essentially.

If the government is worried about the workforce, there are people out there who are on their way to becoming highly skilled workers and who want to come here. The people I am referring to are francophone African students, but his government is discriminating against them on the basis of race.

I would like the Prime Minister to explain that to me.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have zero tolerance for racism or discrimination of any kind, including systemic discrimination.

We are looking at the impact of our programs and policies on racialized clients to ensure that they are fair and equitable to everyone who wants to come study in Canada.

The department has to enforce immigration procedures fairly and without discrimination, and I know the minister is working on this matter.

The Economy

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all New Democrats, I want to express my condolences to the friends, family and colleagues of Constable Yang over the horrific killing that was experienced in Burnaby.

The new inflation numbers released today clearly show that the cost of groceries continues to go up. Families are struggling and workers are facing enormous challenges.

It is clear that the Liberals and Conservatives have done nothing to tackle this “greedflation”.

When will the Prime Minister take action to support families?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, in the coming weeks, 11 million Canadian households will receive the GST credit that is being sent to them, which will help enormously. Some families will recieve nearly $500, and this credit is going out to 11 million households. This is making a big difference, and it was possible because the Conservative members changed their minds and decided to support our proposal.

Now we are hoping to get dental care for low-income families and assistance for low-income renters passed. We are asking all parties in the House to join us in speeding this up and delivering real help to Canadians who need it.

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the new inflation numbers are deeply troubling. We see the cost of food continue to rise and set a record at 11.4%. We know that the Liberals and the Conservatives do not have the courage to take on greedflation, but we do. We forced everyone in this House to support our motion to tackle greedflation, and we know that the PR stunt from Galen Weston is not good enough.

Will the Prime Minister implement our solutions to support families now?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we know Canadians are struggling with the rising cost of living, which is why when we came back to the House this fall, we immediately brought in measures to double the GST credit for six months for close to 11 million households. That was something that, fortunately, all members of this House supported, including the Conservatives, who reversed their earlier objection to our proposal and then supported it.

Now we need all parliamentarians to come together to make sure we are supporting families that need to pay for dental care for kids under 12, and to move forward on direct supports for low-income renters. All parliamentarians can stand together and do that.

Taxation

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary Forest Lawn, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's failed policies and direct attack on our responsible energy sector has caused higher prices and a cost of living crisis in this country. Groceries went up 11.4%. Gas is up 13.2%. Utilities are up 12.8%. We have out-of-control spending and cancelled and blocked energy projects in Canada, and the Prime Minister's carbon tax is causing unjust inflation.

Will the Prime Minister stop punishing Canadians and cancel his plans to triple the tax on groceries, gas and home heating?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we know Canadians are struggling with this global inflation crisis caused by the end of the pandemic, by stresses on supply chains, by the illegal invasion of Russia in Ukraine—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I am just going to interrupt the Right Hon. Prime Minister for a moment.

We started off really well, but now we seem to be sliding. I want to remind everyone that there are questions being asked. Members are being heckled, as is the Prime Minister or whoever is answering. Please try to have some respect for each other.

The Right Hon. Prime Minister, please continue.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, that is why we are moving forward with direct supports for families. We know that even though the Leader of the Opposition came out in opposition to our GST credit for Canadians when we first announced it, members of his caucus told him they would support it and eventually they reversed their position. Will members of his caucus now tell him they should support dental and rental supports?

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary Forest Lawn, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that Canada is falling apart under the Prime Minister and it is more unaffordable than ever. The average rent in Canada is now over $24,000 a year, and $500 rent cheques will not even pay for one week of rent right now. Because the Prime Minister does not think about monetary policy, it has never been more unaffordable to buy a home in Canada. Massive rate hikes have pushed home ownership costs to 60% of median household income.

Will the Prime Minister take responsibility for his unjust inflation and cancel his plans to triple the carbon tax on groceries, gas and home heating?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I am having a hard time understanding the logic the Conservative Party seems to be putting forward today. They seem to be saying that because our help for low-income renters is only $500, they may as well get nothing. Maybe the Conservatives do not know this, but giving $500 to low-income renters will make a huge difference for an awful lot of people as the winter approaches.

That is why we are there to support Canadians who need it. It is inexplicable to me that the Conservative Party continues to stand against delivering $500 cheques to families that need it to pay their rent before Christmas.

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

Mr. Speaker, here are some facts for the Prime Minister: 100% of Canadians are going to suffer the consequences of inflation; 80% of Canadians are worried about their finances because of the rising cost of living; 72% of Canadians think they are paying too much tax.

The cost of food has gone up 11%, the biggest increase since 1981. As a result of the Liberals' inaction, inflation continues to climb. As we learned this morning, it is now at 7%.

Why does the Prime Minister want to make life even more difficult for people by further reducing their paycheque on January 1?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I completely agree that Canadians are going through a tough time. That is why we are proposing direct help for families, low-income renters and families with children under 12 who cannot afford the dental care that their children need.

It is inexplicable that the Conservative Party has decided not to support these measures that will benefit Canadians and help people. Why do the Conservatives not want to help Canadians who are in need right now?

We are there to do that. Why are they not?

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

Mr. Speaker, it is because no one believes this Prime Minister anymore. That is the reality. He has lost all credibility with regard to public finances. Mario Dumont reminded us this morning that the Prime Minister promised in his inaugural speech that interest rates would remain low forever.

Today, there are young families that could lose everything because of the Prime Minister's inability to manage Canada's public finances. That is the reality.

Will he cancel the January 1 tax increase on Canadians' paycheque, yes or no?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we see that there is a serious disconnect in the Conservatives' approach to the economy. We were there to help families in need during the pandemic. Despite the Conservatives' objections, we were able to help millions of families.

Economic recovery was strong after the pandemic. We are proposing to do exactly the same thing now: help families with the cost of living, provide assistance to low-income renters and help with dental care expenses. The Conservatives are still trying to put up roadblocks and not help these families. We cannot make heads or tails of their economic approach.

As for us, we will be there for Canadians.

[Leslyn Lewis, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the current cost of living crisis is caused by the government's reckless and irresponsible spending. Canadians cannot afford basic necessities anymore. I recently received emails from people all over the country, telling me that for the first time ever they could not afford to buy a turkey and even some food items for a Thanksgiving dinner.

Canadians are suffering. Will the current Prime Minister show some compassion for Canadians who are struggling and cancel his plans to triple taxes on gas, home heating and groceries?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, this supposed preoccupation of the Conservatives with the cost of living would be slightly more believable if not for the fact they are standing in the way of delivering $500 in extra support to low-income renters between now and Christmas and standing in the way of giving $1,300 in extra access to dental care for families with kids under 12 who need that support. We know that low- and middle-income families could greatly benefit from that help. Why are the Conservatives not standing up for those families?

[Leslyn Lewis, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister knows that the policies proposed by the Liberals will not reach the majority of Canadian families, yet Canadians are making immense sacrifices just to get by. People are even rationing food. Amy, a first-time mother in my riding, recently wrote to me in desperation. She was worried about not having the basic necessities to raise and care for her baby. The Prime Minister's obsession with taxes is taking away the ability of average people like Amy to afford basic supplies and keep warm during the winter. When will the Prime Minister stop punishing Canadians and cancel his plan to triple—