House of Commons Hansard #83 of the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was inflation.

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(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #126

Budget Implementation Act, 2022, No. 1Government Orders

3:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

I declare the motion carried.

When shall the bill be read a third time?

At the next sitting of the House?

Budget Implementation Act, 2022, No. 1Government Orders

3:55 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

The House resumed consideration of the motion.

Opposition Motion—Measures for Immediate Financial ReliefBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

4 p.m.

Glengarry—Prescott—Russell Ontario

Liberal

Francis Drouin LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

Mr. Speaker, today we are debating an opposition motion that is supposed to offer solutions to address the impact of inflation. I want to point out to my hon. colleagues that what they are asking for is that the House call on the government to provide immediate assistance. They therefore believe that providing immediate assistance to address the housing problem is to immediately launch a national public inquiry into money laundering. How is that going to provide immediate assistance to Canadians looking for housing?

I do not understand how a national public inquiry into money laundering is going to provide immediate assistance to Canadians. It does not make sense. I cannot believe that anyone even took the time to write this motion. I see no reason whatsoever to support this motion. I will not be able to support it because it makes no sense.

Today we are talking about inflation, and I know that two Conservative members have switched sides.

Two Conservative MPs, on the day the Conservatives presented a motion to come to solutions to fight inflation, decided to jump camp to a specific member of Parliament running for the highest office. His solution to fight inflation is to fire the Governor of the Bank of Canada. I do not see how that is going to help, but that was the big policy idea that this particular member of Parliament came up with. He also suggested that we opt out of inflation by joining the big cryptocurrency movement.

I am not sure if my hon. colleagues on the other side of the House actually watch cryptocurrencies. Let us take Terra Luna, for instance. In April, it was worth $135.

Opposition Motion—Measures for Immediate Financial ReliefBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

4 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

I will interrupt for a moment. We are trying to hear the parliamentary secretary, and while it is nice to hear everybody getting along and talking, maybe members can keep the tone down a bit so that those who want to hear what the parliamentary secretary has to say will have that option. Those members who want to hear each other can maybe just whisper to each other.

The hon. parliamentary secretary can continue.

Opposition Motion—Measures for Immediate Financial ReliefBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

4 p.m.

Liberal

Francis Drouin Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON

Mr. Speaker, just to make sure my colleagues heard me properly, I note that on the day the Conservatives are proposing a motion to fight inflation, with solutions that have no immediate impact on Canadians, two members of Parliament have decided to jump ship to support the member for Carleton, who came up with two policy ideas. Those two grandiose ideas are to fire the Governor of the Bank of Canada and opt out of inflation by investing in cryptocurrency.

With respect to cryptocurrency, I am sure the Conservatives have been following the trajectory of Terra Luna. Terra Luna, about a month and a half ago, was worth $135 on the market. Today it is worth barely a penny. It is worth $0.0003. I have not checked out the latest number, but it is not even worth a Canadian penny, and we do not even have pennies.

I do not see how this motion would help Canadians fight inflation. We have put some solutions forward. Obviously, the Canada child benefit is helping families. It is geared toward the cost of inflation, so that is a potential solution.

I represent a big farming community. We have talked about how we can help farmers lower their costs, and fertilizer is certainly in debate. I do not necessarily support simply giving a direct exemption to companies that have decided to continue to do deals with Russia and Belarus, because other companies have changed their supply chains and have made the decision not to continue doing business with them. If I were advocating for a potential solution, it would be to provide aid to farmers directly, as opposed to giving it to companies that continue to do deals with Russian and Belarusian companies.

Many companies signed contracts with farmers last summer, telling them they would pay a certain price. Some of those companies are now telling them that even though they signed a contract, they are going to charge them extra fees. When an individual and a company sign a contract in Canada, they are creating a bond of trust.

It is a binding contract. I am fortunate that in my riding this is not happening, but I have heard many, many stories like this in other parts of the country. Companies are not honouring the contracts, and I would hope that they continue honouring them. It is a binding agreement they have signed with farmers and they owe it to our farmers to honour those contracts.

I do not support this motion because it does not include any solutions that will help Canadians immediately.

Opposition Motion—Measures for Immediate Financial ReliefBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON

Madam Speaker, the finance minister did not even know that Canada depends on Russia for its fertilizer when the tariffs were decreed. Food has become scarce and more expensive. Carbon taxes on fuel and phasing out the oil sands, our source of fuel, have driven up food prices even higher.

Why is the government intentionally driving up the cost of food? Is it just incompetent?

Opposition Motion—Measures for Immediate Financial ReliefBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

4:05 p.m.

Liberal

Francis Drouin Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON

Madam Speaker, the government is not intentionally increasing the price of food. Everyone is concerned with the price of food around the world. I would invite the hon. member to come to the agriculture committee on Thursday and hear from the agriculture minister from Ukraine, who will explain what the issue is. When Russia is bombing grain terminals, the Government of Canada is not intentionally raising the price of food.

Ukraine is a major contributor on wheat, corn and canola. Canada can play a major role on canola because we have amazing growers out west who grow canola. We can increase the role—

Opposition Motion—Measures for Immediate Financial ReliefBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

4:05 p.m.

An hon. member

It is not “can play”. We do play.

Opposition Motion—Measures for Immediate Financial ReliefBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

4:05 p.m.

Liberal

Francis Drouin Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON

Yes, we do, Madam Speaker. We export 40% of our canola, and we will continue to do so. We have always supported our farmers in Canada.

Opposition Motion—Measures for Immediate Financial ReliefBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

4:05 p.m.

NDP

The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes

I just want to remind members that when somebody has the floor, others should not be trying to have conversations or yelling out other things.

Questions and comments, the hon. member for Port Moody—Coquitlam.

Opposition Motion—Measures for Immediate Financial ReliefBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

4:05 p.m.

NDP

Bonita Zarrillo NDP Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC

Madam Speaker, if the Liberal and Conservative governments would have had courage in the past, and if taxation was fair in this country, we would not be in the mess we are in right now. We would already have pharmacare, affordable child care and affordable housing in this country.

Will the Liberals tax the outsized profits from big box and grocery retail?

Opposition Motion—Measures for Immediate Financial ReliefBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

4:05 p.m.

Liberal

Francis Drouin Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON

Madam Speaker, if we want to create government programs we need to generate revenues. That is a simple fact. Government does not own any dollars. It needs to generate revenues. One way to generate revenues is to unleash the power of entrepreneurship, which is a great idea, and we have great entrepreneurs. Farmers are playing a huge role in this country.

However, we simply cannot create money. Money does not grow on trees. We need to generate wealth, and to do so, we need to ensure our entrepreneurs and private sector are healthy. I believe the economy has been growing. Obviously, we are concerned about inflation, but the solutions provided by the current opposition is not something that is realistic and will not provide any immediate relief.

Opposition Motion—Measures for Immediate Financial ReliefBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Damien Kurek Conservative Battle River—Crowfoot, AB

Madam Speaker, the member is right that money does not grow on trees. In Canada, we do not even use paper. We use a polymer that based off oil, so there is a very fitting analogy there that oil does produce prosperity in this country.

The member keeps talking about how somehow giving Canadians a break at the pumps will not actually help. We have a very clear and present example, and economists agree, of how definitively the tax cut offered by the Province of Alberta has led to two things. One, it has led to savings for Canadians at the pumps, and two, it has reduced inflation in the province of Alberta by a significant amount.

When a proposal is brought forward that would actually help, and there is proof of it, why will they not support it?

Opposition Motion—Measures for Immediate Financial ReliefBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

4:10 p.m.

Liberal

Francis Drouin Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON

Madam Speaker, as my good Liberal friends Lowell Green and Rob Snow have reminded me, there is always one taxpayer in this country, and he knows the gas tax helps municipalities pay for the costs of operations. I would argue we should be using those dollars to help municipalities pay off some of the operational costs that gas pressures are creating on their own budgets. If they do not have that help, they will need to increase their taxes in return. He knows, because he was part of that government, that they were transferring that gas tax to help municipalities. We have continued that program and we believe in it, but cutting the GST will not help consumers at the pump.

Opposition Motion—Measures for Immediate Financial ReliefBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

4:10 p.m.

Liberal

John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON

Madam Speaker, I find the motion actually pretty easy to vote against. Whoever wrote the motion has been quite brilliant at describing the issue, but not nearly so brilliant at describing the solution.

You might be interested in knowing, Madam Speaker, that I do all the family shopping. I also do the gas purchases and I buy materials for the house. I remember buying two-by-fours during COVID and I had to go to three stores to try to just get one two-by-four and the cost was 100% more than I paid in years previous. I agree with the description of high inflation for everyone, that gas is more expensive and that the cost of food is up. I have experienced that personally.

What the hon. members from the Conservative Party do not seem to realize is that the supply chains were pretty badly messed up during COVID. Some were out because the countries were locked down. Some were not able to produce the products they had previously. Take for instance, microchips. We could not get any microchips for anything, including a car. Again, within my experience we live in a neighbourhood where we bought a couple of cars and for a considerable period of time there were no cars on the car lot. In fact, we could buy a used car for what we paid a year or two previously for a new car. Just a simple thing like microchips has in and of itself driven up the cost of living quite dramatically.

Add to that the great resignation. People simply do not want to do the jobs that they were doing pre-COVID and that in turn has driven up the cost of labour. I took note in the Report on Business Magazine last weekend that the Royal Bank of Canada has just given a 3% increase across the board to all of its staff because it knows it has difficulty recruiting and retaining staff. We have had representations from Irving, which is building our warships. Its biggest challenge is, again, recruiting and retaining staff, even with substantive increases in salary.

Add to that the Putin war, which took supply chains that were really badly messed up by COVID and only made them more difficult. Sanctions do mean something. They mean that certain products that we are used to purchasing simply cannot be purchased any longer from the Russian-based sources. Add to that the fact that Canada is about 2% of the world's economy. We are in effect inflation takers as opposed to inflation makers. Even for products that we have in substantive quantities such as oil and gas, wheat and various other mineral products, we do not actually get to set the prices. The prices get set by places other than Canada. As I say, we are price-takers, not price makers. We are inflation takers. We are not inflation makers.

On a point of information, as much as the Conservative Party would wish to pin the inflation upon the Prime Minister, I would suggest respectfully that it is a bridge too far even for them.

What is the Conservative solution? The Conservative solution is a reduced consumption tax, and if we do that on the GST and the tax on carbon, everything will be resolved. That is possibly the worst idea ever. Any economist in Canada will say, with the notable exception of Stephen Harper, that if we want to generate government revenues we should be taxing consumption and we should be reducing the tax on labour.

Income tax is a tax on labour. Consumption tax is a tax on consumption. In effect, it is taxing the person who works hard and reducing the taxes on the person who plays hard. If we reduce the consumption tax, it is practically a guarantee that large oil and gas companies and other companies as well will backfill with price increases, and I would expect that our Conservative friends would have recognized that before drafting this motion. The consumer gets no relief. The government revenues are drained. Rich companies get richer, and the working person gets increased income tax. Hardly what one would describe as a brilliant solution.

Finally, there is carbon pricing. The most effective way to reduce carbon consumption, short of turning down the thermostat or reducing unnecessary travel, is to apply a tax to it. If, in fact, the tax is collected and applied as it should be, then, in the end, the lower-income families will actually receive rebates in the mail. In Ontario, that means $745, and in Alberta, it means something in the order of just over a thousand bucks.

There are those who say they cannot adjust. For some that is actually true. For others it is simply a lifestyle choice. However, if we are going to be serious about carbon reduction, then we have to apply this sort of tax, which has repeatedly demonstrated to be the most effective way to reduce carbon consumption.

Given that inflation is real, given that we are just 2% of the world's economy, given that we are a trading nation and highly dependent upon external trade, given that the Putin war will not end any time soon and given that inflation is well beyond the Bank of Canada target, what is a relatively small but prosperous economy to do?

We will start with some of our strengths. We have a relatively low debt-to-GDP ratio, possibly the best in the G7. It is the same thing with jobs, as we have had 115% job recovery in the post-COVID era. We have a number of products that the rest of the world wants. There are, frankly, more jobs available here than there are people to fill them. Something about over a million positions are begging for people. Again, we have heard that from various employers who are looking for people to fill positions and simply cannot find them, so we are in a relatively strong position.

Then there are some direct relief measures. The Canada child benefit in my riding is worth over $100 million per year. That is a significant relief to those constituents of mine who have children. The $10-a-day child care plan, which is just being rolled out in Ontario, will help a lot of people and it will make a significant difference in terms of the choices that those who wish to take advantage of the program have. In some instances, particularly during the earlier part of this government, we were able to reduce the tax margin for those with lower incomes and apply relief to those who actually needed it the most.

However, we should recognize that the Bank of Canada is the main player here. It has control over monetary policy. The Bank of Canada's monetary policy is independent from government, as it should be. It is possibly the worst idea in the world to have the government control monetary policy because government interests and central bank interests are not always lined up. As an example of that, I might point to Turkey, where the government of the day has taken over monetary policy. That has led to something in the order of 70% inflation. The central bank has renewed its 2% target. We need to recognize that interest rates are going to rise and possibly even dramatically rise.

Our strong monetary policy is our most effective weapon. We have a relatively decent fiscal position. We do not need to yield to the siren song of reduced consumption taxes.

Opposition Motion—Measures for Immediate Financial ReliefBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

4:20 p.m.

Conservative

Adam Chambers Conservative Simcoe North, ON

Madam Speaker, it is a great honour to ask my hon. colleague a question. He has given so many years to this place in the service of his community.

In the United States, the President as well as the Secretary of the Treasury, Ms. Yellen, have actually taken responsibility for underestimating inflation. Why is it that no one in the government, cabinet or the executive branch, has acknowledged that they underestimated inflation and they were behind the curve? Can they not just say that it is a lot higher than they thought and there are some immediate things that they can do to fix it?

Opposition Motion—Measures for Immediate Financial ReliefBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

4:20 p.m.

Liberal

John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON

Madam Speaker, I appreciate that question from the hon. member, because in a speech I made about a year ago, or sometime around then, I flagged that particular issue. In fact, from my own grocery shopping, I recognized that inflation was here. I actually sat down with the PBO at one point and said, “I don't understand why we are not more alarmed about inflation.” People from the Office of the PBO had an explanation that I frankly could not understand, but that said, they were still very helpful in trying to explain it to me.

The Bank of Canada had described inflation at that time as “transitory”. I think it recognized that it was on its way but did not recognize that it was possibly going to be more long-standing than it had previously anticipated, and if there is an issue to be had there, I think that is a legitimate point.

Opposition Motion—Measures for Immediate Financial ReliefBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

4:20 p.m.

Bloc

Luc Thériault Bloc Montcalm, QC

Madam Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague across the way. Basically, he is saying what we are also thinking, which is that the opposition motion is a bogus solution for real problems. I understood that he was objecting to one aspect of the motion, which would be to temporarily stop charging the GST on gas and fuel, since it is unclear whether that money would go to consumers.

However, would my colleague agree that the surplus the government is currently reaping from higher gas prices could be used to provide relief to those hit hardest by inflation? These include low-income earners, seniors, agricultural workers, taxi drivers, truck drivers, and so on. Support programs could be put in place for these people.

Opposition Motion—Measures for Immediate Financial ReliefBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

4:20 p.m.

Liberal

John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON

Madam Speaker, in saying “a false solution to a real problem”, the hon. member described it better than I did, and I think he is right.

With respect to the revenues, yes, inflation has that effect of giving the revenues a temporary boost, but it is a temporary boost, because once we get the revenues in, the bills start arriving as well, so the costs of running a government are actually going to be much greater because there is necessarily going to be wage inflation, which is essentially what government is.

As to spending the revenues that are coming in, I would not go for that kind of an idea immediately. There have been various relief elements, particularly for seniors, that have been distributed over the last couple of years.

Opposition Motion—Measures for Immediate Financial ReliefBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

4:25 p.m.

NDP

Bonita Zarrillo NDP Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC

Madam Speaker, I can tell the hon. member that seniors, single moms and persons with disabilities do not need a lecture from this government on inflation. What they need is food on the table for their families this summer.

My question is this: Will the Liberal government finally start taxing outsized profits so that we can share some of this prosperity with the community?

Opposition Motion—Measures for Immediate Financial ReliefBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

4:25 p.m.

Liberal

John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON

Madam Speaker, I am shocked.

The federal government is already taxing those who are making excess profits. There is an excess profits tax built right into the system, so I am not quite sure what the hon. member is driving at, but those companies that are making extraordinary incomes will receive an excess profits tax allocation when they file their returns.

Opposition Motion—Measures for Immediate Financial ReliefBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

4:25 p.m.

NDP

The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes

It is my duty pursuant to Standing Order 38 to inform the House that the questions to be raised tonight at the time of adjournment are as follows: the hon. member for Saanich—Gulf Islands, Natural Resources; the hon. member for Vancouver East, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship; the hon. member for Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

Opposition Motion—Measures for Immediate Financial ReliefBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders

4:25 p.m.

Conservative

Melissa Lantsman Conservative Thornhill, ON

Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time today with the hon. member for Beauce.

I rise today on behalf of so many in the great community of Thornhill to speak in favour of this motion, and I will add my voice to the chorus of those calling on the government to finally tackle the cost-of-living crisis in this country.

Canadians like those in my own family and in my community chose to make Canada home, the best country in the world, because it was the land of opportunity where anybody, no matter where they came from or who they were, could get ahead. Like millions of others who came here, they worked hard, saved their money, contributed to their communities and shared in the uniquely Canadian ideal that their children would be able to inherit a life greater and more prosperous than the one they led or, in some cases, more prosperous than the one they fled.

That dream is in jeopardy, and we have the government to thank for that.

It is not an overnight phenomenon; it is a consistent erosion of the way of life. It is most certainly not just a product of a global phenomenon, as Liberals continue to claim; it is unique to Canada in many ways. A recent survey stated that 30% of young Canadian immigrants are likely to leave this country. What is the reason? Three-quarters of them said that the rising cost of living is pushing them away to more affordable places. It is most certainly not talking down this country, as we have heard claimed on the other side. In fact, we are the only ones saying they should stay.

New immigrant families are no longer living the Canadian dream. For the first time in our history, parents are not really sure if their children will have better lives than the one that they have. They are leaving our country. They are going to pursue the American dream or the British dream or the Australian dream. That is not a joke; it is the truth. The failure of the government to tackle the inflation crisis is driving valuable talent elsewhere, and the loss of good, hard-working, university-educated individuals, tradespeople and everyone in between will pose major economic problems for us in the future.

It is not only young immigrants who are being squeezed by the inflation crisis; it is also Canadians from coast to coast to coast. It is everyone. How does the government expect families everywhere to get by when the average cost of living goes up by 6.8% ? That is now. That is what we are facing. It is the real pressure that few on the other side seem to recognize.

How does the government expect commuters to drive to their jobs when the cost of gas has gone up 60% in a year? How does the government expect seniors to be able to heat their homes when the cost of natural gas increased 22% last year? How does the government expect millennials to be able to afford a new home when the cost of housing went up 7.4% last year, and more than 10% in my own neck of the woods? People cannot afford to live where they grew up, and telling them to move elsewhere is frankly offensive. Telling them to buy an electric car is void of common sense and of an understanding of the reality of most people.

The government is not concerned with economic development. I will ask this: Has it built any pipelines lately? The answer is no. It bought some. It is not increasing wages, because real wages shrank in this country by 2.6% last year, and we know that it is not lowering taxes on hard-working Canadians because it does not do that. In fact, the government has had no solutions and no plan to help families get by at this critical juncture. It has completely lost the plot.

I have been part of budgets before, and this big budget is devoid of vision. That is one thing, but imagine a document that has no vision and no actual relief. It is not even astute politically. It is just a book of words. The response to the record high gas prices was a higher-than-ever carbon tax and no GST holiday, with not a care in the world. That is because higher prices are the plan, and we would be better off if the Liberals just admitted it.

Their response to worker shortages that not only cause confusion and delay but also make almost everything more expensive is doubling down on the vindictive and ineffective vaccine mandate that pushes more and more skilled workers to the side when we need as many people as possible on the job. There are a million job vacancies in this country. The government can act, and it absolutely knows it.

What is the government's response to the housing crisis, with million-dollar homes in the GTA and families that need over $250,000 a year to be able to afford a down payment on an average house? Its solution is enacting a housing credit for a meagre $500.

I have said before that this is not a typo. It is a real number. It is laughable, but it is real. If people cannot afford a house, which is not surprising, they cannot even afford rent. There has been a 4.5% increase in rental rates in the last month. We know that the Liberals have promised to build more affordable housing. They have promised projects financed with the Infrastructure Bank that have gone absolutely nowhere, because it is not a bank and it does not build infrastructure. Despite the government's promise on the pressing issues, it most certainly cannot be accused of putting more housing supply out there, of building more houses.

The government has failed in its commitment to help the middle class. That is what it was elected to do. I remember it very well. In 2015, it was about the middle class and those working hard to join it. The Liberals have shrunk the middle class, and Canadians will not forget it. How could they, frankly, when gas is $2.15 a litre? How could they, when they will be paying off student loans for 30 years? How could they, when their mortgage payments in the GTA on a bungalow are 50% of the average salary? How could they, when they have to choose between heating their homes and eating nutritious food?

There is a reason the Prime Minister thinks things are going so well in this country and there is a reason he has no plan: He does not have to pump his own gas and he has no idea how much it costs. He does not have to go to the grocery store every week. He does not have a mortgage payment on a house. He does not have student loans to pay back.

It is time for some serious policy to get this country back on track. The Liberals could do it.

Here is where we could start: We could scrap the GST on gasoline and diesel to help struggling families fill up, to help the floundering transportation sector, to help resolve the supply chain issues causing chaos across our country and to help the consumer who is paying for all of it.

Let us suspend the carbon tax. Let us make good nutritious food more affordable for hard-working families. Let us make it cheaper to get on a plane, train or a bus. Let us do that for everybody. Let us scrap those vindictive mandates that are not only keeping Canadians separated but are also causing major labour shortages, the one that they lean on in every single answer in this country.

The Liberals are hurting small businesses, hurting tourism and hurting the pocketbooks of every single Canadian across this country. Let us scrap the other restrictions too, the ones that our allies did away with months ago, to promote the free flow of goods across our borders to make sure that Canada remains competitive as a place for international investment and those who want to bring it here.

Let us make housing more affordable and more attainable for every single Canadian by launching a national public inquiry into money laundering and curbing rampant speculation in our markets, and oh, let us get some housing built. Let us get some actual housing built, faster.

At a time when 53% of Canadians are $1,000 away from bankruptcy and when seven out of 10 say that money is a major issue for them, we need to consider every idea possible. I am not sure what is going on on the other side of the House. I am not sure if they do not go back to their constituencies or they do not hear about this at the gas station, grocery store or anywhere they go.

Let us make life more affordable for hard-working families everywhere in this country. Canadians are hurting, and they are looking for the government to take action. If Liberal members spent even one moment talking to one constituent in their riding, they would hear that too. Canadians are counting on us.

This is about more than the motion. It is about more than a debate about the numbers and the rates and the percentages. We know that Canadians are hurting, and it is about Canadians. It is about the fact that they are hurting and nobody is listening. Let us pass this motion and get this country back on track, even if it is just for a short amount of time before the Liberals ruin everything again.

Let us pass this motion and get us back on track. Let us reignite the Canadian dream. Let us make this nation a place where Canadians can truly prosper. It starts today, and we are not going to give up until it happens for every single citizen in this country.

I might ask the same questions every single day, but we are not going to give up until something changes. We cannot wait. The alarm bells are sounding, and for some reason, members in the government are just not listening.