House of Commons Hansard #124 of the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was housing.

Topics

Order of CanadaStatements by Members

2:15 p.m.

Liberal

Anthony Housefather Liberal Mount Royal, QC

Mr. Speaker, I am rising to mark the accomplishment of my constituent, Morris Goodman, who has received his welcome into the Order of Canada.

Morris is being recognized for his incredible achievements in business throughout his career, as well as his dedication to transformative philanthropy. Morris has been a pioneer of the Canadian generic pharmaceutical business for decades, including co-founding Canada's largest pharmaceutical company, Pharmascience, nearly 40 years ago.

While his work in the business base has been remarkable, his dedication to giving back is also noteworthy. Charitable works are incredibly important to Morris, and through the Morris and Rosalind Goodman Family Foundation, he has made a significant difference in his home community in Montreal, and in helping countless others around the world.

It is no surprise then that his positive impact to Canada is being recognized today. Morris and his wife Lillian Vineberg are pillars in my community, and I want to congratulate them both on this incredible achievement.

FinanceOral Questions

2:15 p.m.

Conservative

Jasraj Singh Hallan Conservative Calgary Forest Lawn, AB

Mr. Speaker, today we learn if the Liberal government truly cares about Canadians. The fall economic statement is the last chance to stop tax increases and out-of-control inflationary spending.

Canadians are paying more in taxes today than ever before, and Liberal inflation has raised prices for gas, groceries and home heating to record highs. This Liberal inflation tax is levied off the growling stomachs of Canadians. Will the Prime Minister stop his inflationary spending to finally stop his inflationary tax?

FinanceOral Questions

2:15 p.m.

Edmonton Centre Alberta

Liberal

Randy Boissonnault LiberalMinister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, I am glad that my colleague opposite is interested in the fall economic statement, and we will learn what is in that plan in just two short hours, but rest assured that he can rely on the Liberal government to do what is right, which is to support Canadians by providing dental and rental supports, doubling the GST tax credit, making sure that the child care benefits are in place and making sure that we have the backs of Canadians when they need it the most.

They do not have a plan. We do. That is what Canadians have asked us to do.

FinanceOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Conservative

Jasraj Singh Hallan Conservative Calgary Forest Lawn, AB

Mr. Speaker, it is clear to see from that answer that the Liberal government's greed knows no bounds.

The government's solution to every problem is to make Canadians pay even more. Liberal inflation led to higher interest rates. A single mom who works as a youth worker reached out to me saying her variable mortgage payments just went up another $500 because of the Liberal inflation tax, and she is barely hanging on.

Canadians are hurting, and cannot afford more spending and higher taxes. Will the Liberals just stop spending?

FinanceOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Edmonton Centre Alberta

Liberal

Randy Boissonnault LiberalMinister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is asking us to do more on taxes, and we have reduced taxes on Canadians five times. How many times did the Conservatives vote against those measures? It was every single time.

On this side of the House, we are supporting Canadians. They are voting against Canadians. We will see today just how much of a plan we have to support Canadians and grow the economy.

FinanceOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Conservative

Jasraj Singh Hallan Conservative Calgary Forest Lawn, AB

Mr. Speaker, only Liberals would think that they can fight their own inflation with more inflation.

Fifty-three percent of Canadians say that they are concerned with making mortgage payments when it comes time to renew. Over a third of them are already planning to cut back on spending and food. That comes at a time when grocery prices are too high and Canadians cannot afford their home heating bills anymore.

Will the Liberals stop the spending spree and stop the record taxes, or should Canadians just prepare for a long, cold, hungry winter instead?

FinanceOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Edmonton Centre Alberta

Liberal

Randy Boissonnault LiberalMinister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, we have a plan to support Canadians. It is a plan that started in 2015. It has been bolstered by our affordability plan this spring and bolstered again by the work we have been doing recently.

The other side has a plan, and it is typical Conservative austerity. They would cut employment insurance benefits, the Canadian pension plan, child care benefits and climate action cheques. They want to cut, and we want to support. That is our job.

FinanceOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Paul-Hus Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Bank of Canada aims to keep inflation at 2% of the consumer price index.

The bank has failed to do that, but the Prime Minister is in no hurry to see inflation go back to its normal level because that would reduce his government's revenues. That explains why he is continuing with his inflationary spending and trying to raise taxes. Canadians are suffering because this Prime Minister is taking advantage of the inflation he created to make more money.

Today, will he commit to not increasing taxes on Canadians and to stop wasting public funds?

FinanceOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Edmonton Centre Alberta

Liberal

Randy Boissonnault LiberalMinister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, that argument is not only economically false, it is simply cruel.

To say that supporting the most vulnerable Canadians in our country is causing inflation to rise is false, because we are in a global inflationary cycle. Countries around the world are dealing with inflation. We are doing what we can to support the most vulnerable.

They are blaming Canadians. It is irresponsible, and it is cruel.

FinanceOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Conservative

Pierre Paul-Hus Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC

Mr. Speaker, actually, we are blaming all the measures that have been put in place by the Liberals over the last seven years. Because of those measures, we are now experiencing inflation the likes of which we have not seen in 40 years.

Mark Carney, who could potentially be the future leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, said that inflation in Canada is domestically generated. This government created the problems we have today. People are going hungry and 20% of Canadians are skipping one meal a week because of this government's actions and irresponsible spending. Will it commit to taking action that will help Canadians instead of hurting them?

FinanceOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Edmonton Centre Alberta

Liberal

Randy Boissonnault LiberalMinister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, the former governor of the Bank of Canada, Stephen Poloz, said very clearly that our investments during the pandemic prevented a period of irresponsible deflation.

We took action and supported Canadians. The Conservatives want us to make cuts because the typical Conservative plan is to chop, chop, chop. On this side, we will support Canadians. That is what we are here to do, and we are going to meet the public's expectations.

Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipOral Questions

2:20 p.m.

Bloc

Yves-François Blanchet Bloc Beloeil—Chambly, QC

Mr. Speaker, I am wearing the signature bow tie that reminds us of the importance of fighting prostate cancer and losing weight.

The Prime Minister wants to increase immigration levels to 500,000 in 2025. For Quebec, that means something like 120,000 immigrants, in addition to the majority of the people who arrive via Roxham Road.

Most of these people do not speak French. Quebec does not have the means to teach them French, house them, educate them or provide them with child care or health care.

Does the government understand that Quebec cannot accommodate 150,000 immigrants—

Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

The hon. Minister of Immigration.

Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Central Nova Nova Scotia

Liberal

Sean Fraser LiberalMinister of Immigration

Mr. Speaker, Canada needs a lot of people, but the member knows perfectly well that it is up to the Government of Quebec to set immigration levels in Quebec.

We are working harder with the Government of Quebec and with my counterpart. This is an opportunity to grow the population and the economy and to work with our partner in Quebec.

Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Bloc

Yves-François Blanchet Bloc Beloeil—Chambly, QC

Mr. Speaker, the government and the Prime Minister want to bring in something like 150,000 immigrants a year. Those individuals will not have the services they need in areas like French language learning, child care, education and health care, nor will there even be enough good jobs.

If we do not welcome them, Quebec's weight within the federation will shrink drastically, and if we do welcome them, we risk our language and identity. In both scenarios, the Quebec nation will be considerably weakened.

Which do the Liberals prefer, weakening Quebec through language or through numbers?

Immigration, Refugees and CitizenshipOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Honoré-Mercier Québec

Liberal

Pablo Rodriguez LiberalMinister of Canadian Heritage

Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that, for the Bloc Québécois, immigrants are reduced to numbers, statistics and percentages. We are talking about men, women and children.

I have said it before, and I will say it again: Quebec already has full authority to welcome as many immigrants as it wants, all of them francophone, if it wants.

I have a question for the Bloc. If Quebec welcomes 70,000 people who speak French, 70,000 francophones, how many will require French language lessons?

Canada Revenue AgencyOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC

Mr. Speaker, according to a recent report, the government is letting $30 billion a year slip through its fingers because of tax evasion. Thirty billion dollars is a huge amount of money.

While searching through the Paradise papers, the program Enquête found an example—

Canada Revenue AgencyOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

I must interrupt the hon. member for a moment. We are having trouble hearing not only the answers but the questions too.

I would ask everyone to show some respect for the person who is speaking, whether they are asking a question or answering one.

The hon. member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie can begin his question again.

Canada Revenue AgencyOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC

Mr. Speaker, according to a recent report, the government is letting $30 billion a year slip through its fingers because of tax evasion. Thirty billion dollars is a huge amount of money.

While searching through the Paradise papers, the program Enquête found a shameful example of these practices. For years, the Irving empire has systematically been using shell companies in Bermuda to avoid paying what it owes the government. While ordinary Canadians are struggling to pay the rent and buy groceries, the Liberals are turning a blind eye to this legalized theft.

Is the government controlling the Irving empire, or does the Irving family own the Liberal Party of Canada?

Canada Revenue AgencyOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Gaspésie—Les-Îles-de-la-Madeleine Québec

Liberal

Diane Lebouthillier LiberalMinister of National Revenue

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to see that my colleague shares my enthusiasm for combatting tax evasion.

The Canada Revenue Agency continues to fight tax evasion both in Canada and abroad through a solid network of tax agreements and through investments. It is getting harder and harder to hide money abroad.

I have a very simple message for those who want to commit tax evasion. The CRA will find them, no matter how long it takes.

TaxationOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB

Mr. Speaker, recent reports show that in the last year Loblaws made its biggest profits ever to the tune of an extra million dollars in profit for every day of the year. While families are turning to food banks or skipping meals to reduce their costs, Galen Weston and his shareholders are lining their pockets.

The NDP has called on the government to make these chains pay what they owe to Canadians, so we can do things to help, like remove the GST on home heating. We want stronger consequences for price-fixing and we want a windfall profits tax. We have not seen it.

Are the Liberals finally going to get going on this and tackle “greedflation”, which is making the rich richer while everyone else pays the price?

TaxationOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Edmonton Centre Alberta

Liberal

Randy Boissonnault LiberalMinister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, what we are doing as a government to make sure people and companies pay their fair share is limiting the ability of wealthy Canadians to use foreign shell companies to avoid taxes in Canada, examining a minimum 15% tax in Canada and around the world for multinational companies, implementing that minimum 15% tax and providing $1.2 billion to CRA, which has a five to one ratio for the money we put in it, to find the people who are not paying their taxes. That is responsible fiscal management.

TaxationOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

Tim Uppal Conservative Edmonton Mill Woods, AB

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have never been paying more in taxes, all because of the Prime Minister's reckless inflation spending.

While Canadians are paying more for gas, groceries and heating their homes, the Liberal government is lining its pockets on the backs of Canadians' suffering. It is collecting record high taxes because of the inflation crisis it has created.

Will the Prime Minister stop his inflationary spending and stop the inflation tax?

TaxationOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Burlington Ontario

Liberal

Karina Gould LiberalMinister of Families

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about what the government is spending on. We are spending on the Canada dental benefit, which is going to support hundreds of thousands of Canadian children access to dental care. We are spending on the Canada housing benefit, which is helping the lowest-income Canadians pay their rent. To suggest that is inflationary is absolutely absurd. Then we are spending on the Canada child benefit, which is helping nine out of 10 Canadian families, thousands of dollars a month, so they can pay for basic necessities.

We know what the Conservatives would cut if they were in power.

TaxationOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

Tim Uppal Conservative Edmonton Mill Woods, AB

Mr. Speaker, when will the Liberals realize they cannot spend and print their way out of an inflation crisis, one that they created? The inflation tax punishes Canadians, while the Liberals collect more in taxes, and Canadian families are suffering because of it. In fact, over 1.5 million Canadian families had to visit a food bank in one month. That should not be happening in Canada.

When will the Liberals end the inflationary tax?