Debates of April 8th, 2022

Housing

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has the strongest labour market recovery in the G7, having recouped 115% of the jobs lost during the pandemic. This includes 73,000 jobs in March, which has pushed Canada's unemployment rate to 5.3%. That is the lowest unemployment rate that Canada has seen in more than 50 years. Budget 2022 builds on this success by unwinding Canada's pandemic deficits and continuing to reduce our debt-to-GDP ratio, while working to fight climate change and, yes, investing in housing affordability.

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the government asked young people to lock down for two years and they complied. Their reward is a housing market that they cannot buy into and being saddled with a ton of debt to keep them down. Debt is keeping housing unaffordable and the government keeps spending.

Why are millennials being shut out of the housing market for the Prime Minister's vanity projects?

[Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion (Housing)]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.

As we all know, property ownership is now out of reach for Canadians across the country, and that is unacceptable.

That is why budget 2022 contains concrete measures, including a $200‑million investment to develop rent-to-own projects, the creation of a tax-free first home savings account that would give first-time homebuyers the ability to save $40,000, and a two-year ban on foreign investors acquiring property.

That is federal leadership. I hope the opposition will vote in favour of these measures this time.

Seniors

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Carol, a senior in my riding, shared with me her concern that seniors and those with disabilities are at the bottom of the NDP-Liberals' priorities. Seniors and those with disabilities are suffering very real stress trying to afford to live while everything in their lives becomes more expensive. They have already slashed their budgets to account for inflation and they cannot tighten their belts any further.

I care about Carol. Why do the NDP-Liberals not?

[Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion (Housing)]

Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, budget 2022 contains concrete measures.

We will invest $10 billion over the coming years to increase the housing supply and ensure that everybody, including seniors, has a place to live.

The Economy

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this budget adds about $1,400 in debt for every person in the country. Why is the answer to the government's problems always to add spending and debt? Canadians are waking up today without relief from higher food or gas prices, and to find out they owe $1,400 more per person.

Why do the Liberals want to saddle the future generation with this extra debt?

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the leader of the Conservative Party has already admitted that the extraordinary investments made over the course of the pandemic were necessary to protect Canadian families and Canadian workers. Our plan has worked. In fact, we have maintained the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7, while growing the economy and recovering 115% of jobs lost due to COVID-19. Canada was able to do this because of our prudent fiscal management. It is now time to unwind the pandemic deficits and continue to grow our economy while reducing our debt-to-GDP ratio. This is what good fiscal managers do.

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, these good fiscal managers are increasing government spending by 25% over prepandemic levels, but guess what? The government is benefiting from inflation. It is making $170 billion more than it projected just last year, but who is getting the benefit of that? It is not Canadians. There is no relief for food or higher gas prices.

What does the government have to say to struggling Canadians who are seeing no relief in this budget?

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, before the pandemic, it took only two Conservative governments to accrue more than 70% of Canada's prepandemic debt. That is because their fiscal ideology is to cut taxes for the wealthy and cut services for everyone else. In stark contrast, our last Liberal government paid down our national debt significantly.

We have demonstrated that we can be good fiscal managers while investing in Canadians, growing the economy and continuing to fight poverty and climate change. Budget 2022 will lower our debt-to-GDP ratio and help build a Canada where no one is left behind.

The Environment

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, 24 hours after approving the Bay du Nord project, the government dealt another blow to the environment in the budget. The main new measure with respect to climate change is another oil subsidy.

Instead of putting a cap on oil production, the government, with the support of the NDP, is giving $2.5 billion to oil companies for carbon capture, an unproven technology that would let oil companies produce more oil for longer.

When will Canada's political parties realize that the green transition involves producing less oil, not more?

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. I invite her to reread the budget, because more than $9.1 billion will be invested in the fight against climate change, $1.7 billion will continue to help Canadians switch to electric vehicles, and hundreds of millions of dollars will help Canadians and Quebeckers lower their home energy bills through the energy efficient retrofit program.

In its most recent report, released this week, the IPCC states that carbon capture and storage technology is critical to achieving our 2050 objectives.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would invite my colleague to reread the IPCC report.

In Alberta, a Radio-Canada headline reads, “Albertan oil companies and businesses pleased with federal budget.” They are pleased. That is not good news for the fight against climate change. The fox is pleased with the new layout of the henhouse.

What are Quebeckers to think of this Minister of Environment and the so‑called progressive coalition of the Liberals and the NDP, if all Canada can do to fight climate change is please the oil companies?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would remind my colleague that the IPCC report says that greenhouse gas emissions have to be capped over the next three years and decline thereafter. That is already the case in Canada. The IPCC says we have to reduce our emissions by at least 43% by 2030. Our goal is to reduce them by 40% to 45%.

Honestly, my colleague is one to talk, given that her leader, the former environment minister of Quebec, allowed drilling on Anticosti Island without an environmental assessment. I am not sure the Bloc Québécois is in a position to lecture anyone in the House on this issue.

The Economy

[Tim Uppal, Conservative, Edmonton Mill Woods, AB]

Mr. Speaker, more and more Canadians continue to struggle to make ends meet. Two-thirds of Canadians say that inflation and the affordability crisis are their top economic concerns. Six years of Liberal governance and inflationary policies got us to where we are today: soaring inflation, a devastating housing crisis and hard-working Canadians struggling to pay for food, rent and their mortgages.

Why do the Liberals continue to spend more and more Canadians' money without getting any result? It is not working.

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, we understand that global inflation is having a significant impact on the household budgets of Canadian families. That is why we are focused on affordability in budget 2022.

Let me give three quick examples. We are providing dental care for Canadian families that have incomes of less than $90,000 per year. We will reduce child care costs by 50% this year and to $10 a day over time. We will introduce a suite of measures to address the cost of housing. This budget, like our government, is focused on making life more affordable.

Seniors

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my riding has a lot of seniors who are struggling to make ends meet with the rising costs of food, gas and home heating. There is no affordable housing left in my riding, and the government has done nothing to address the rising cost of inflation that is making everything worse.

Why is the government taking from grandma and young people, and when will the NDP-Liberal government give them a break?

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Seniors]

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that the Conservatives say they care about seniors, yet they continuously vote against initiative after initiative for seniors. Budget 2022 provides great news that would make a real difference in the lives of seniors. We have announced the creation of a dental care for seniors program. Starting in 2023, seniors aged 65 and up with a family income of less than $90,000 will be able to access dental care. Again, there is an additional $20 million for the New Horizons for Seniors program to continue supporting senior-serving organizations. We have the backs of Canadian seniors—

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

The hon. member for Flamborough—Glanbrook.

The Economy

[Dan Muys, Conservative, Flamborough—Glanbrook, ON]

Mr. Speaker, inflation is at its highest level in 30 years. The price of literally everything is going up and up. Inflation is squeezing Lucia and her husband, who live just down the road from me. They struggle with everyday essentials while also dealing with debilitating medical conditions. The cost of living is the number one issue facing Canadians, yet yesterday's budget offered no plan. It just digs the hole deeper and adds more $1.70-per-litre fuel to the fire.

Why does Lucia have to pay the price for the Prime Minister's vanity projects.

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, global inflation is having a significant impact on household budgets, so it is good news that affordability is referenced 119 times in budget 2022. We are increasing the federal minimum wage to $15.55 per hour. We are indexing important programs, like the Canada child benefit, OAS and GIS, to inflation. We are implementing an economic growth plan that creates jobs and grows our economy. We are doing all of this while lowering out debt-to-GDP ratio, because this is what a fiscally responsible government does.

[Stephen Ellis, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Mr. Speaker, every day I get calls about the cost-of-living crisis that Canadians are undergoing. They have raised concerns about the price of chicken, beef, bacon, milk, coffee, sugar, maple syrup, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, ice cream and potato chips. The list goes on: heating fuel, gasoline, electricity, cellphone bills, home repairs, clothing, alcohol, beer, wine and of course the price of a home. We know the price of everything is increasing at a pace that is much greater than their paycheques.

When will the spend-DP-Liberals admit they are failing Canadians, which leaves them falling further and further behind?

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, budget 2022 is entitled “A Plan to Grow Our Economy and Make Life More Affordable”. It is a plan that invests in people, and it is a plan that will help build a Canada where no one gets left behind.

The budget addresses some of Canada's greatest challenges, including housing affordability, climate change, economic growth and indigenous reconciliation. Everyone in the House has a duty to help fight for a country that is worth fighting for. That is what we have tried to do in our first seven years, and that is exactly what we are continuing to do with this budget.

Taxation

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, two new reports this week show that while Canadians are struggling to put food on the table, big corporations in the grocery business are padding their pockets with record profits. Cargill alone reported $5 billion in net income in 2021, over double its net income from just last year. Big companies are taking advantage of economic uncertainty to jack up prices by far more than the increase in their costs.

Instead of condoning this profiteering, when will the Liberals apply the tax measures announced in yesterday's budget to these other industries that are profiting off high prices while Canadians struggle?

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, in addition to our middle-class tax cuts, budget 2022 proposes additional measures that would make Canada's tax system more fair while promoting economic growth. This includes a permanent 1.5% corporate tax increase on profits over $100 million for banks and life insurance companies, new measures to prevent the use of foreign corporations to avoid Canadian tax, and a tax cut for small businesses as they continue to grow and create new jobs for Canadians. That is responsible fiscal management. That is fair tax policy.

Indigenous Affairs

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, over 80% of indigenous peoples live off reserve. They are 11 times more likely to use a shelter. The Liberals have promised a “for indigenous, by indigenous” urban, rural and northern housing strategy since 2017, but budget after budget there is no mention of it. Now that the NDP has pushed the Liberals to take action, they are only proposing $300 million to initiate a strategy over five years. This is not good enough.

Will the Liberals make the necessary investments for a “for indigenous, by indigenous” urban, rural and northern housing strategy?