House of Commons Hansard #100 of the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was families.

Topics

Canadian HeritageOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Bloc

Yves-François Blanchet Bloc Beloeil—Chambly, QC

Mr. Speaker, that is the answer we hear to every question, no matter what the topic. Nothing but empty words.

The Copyright Board of Canada has the ability to step in and make sure that the payments are done properly. If the government does not know how to do it, we can tell them. Two things need to be done. First, we need to ensure that artists get their fair share, one way or another, even if means the government needs to pay. Second, we need to ensure that this does not happen again in the future. Otherwise, the Prime Minister will repeat that he is worried about French, yet do nothing at all.

Canadian HeritageOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we will always be there for artists. We will always recognize the essential work they are doing. I am proud to acknowledge our extraordinary francophone and Quebec artists, who make an enormous contribution to Canadian culture and to culture around the world. That is why we will always ensure that all artists in Canada are treated fairly. We will continue to be fair to all.

The EconomyOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Jagmeet Singh NDP Burnaby South, BC

Mr. Speaker, the high cost of living is hurting people. We have a Prime Minister who could have listened to our plan in the spring to put more of people's own money back in their pockets and people would have received that by July, but he was too busy telling people that things are worse in other countries.

Then we have the leader of the Conservative Party who cannot figure out if he is for or against putting more money in people's pockets.

New Democrats believe that people need respect. Why has the government taken so long to put more of their own money in Canadians' pockets to help them out to afford their groceries in this difficult time?

The EconomyOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the very first bills we have put forward in this Parliament are focused on delivering for Canadians, the middle class and those working hard to join it, who are struggling during these challenging times.

We heard from Canadians from coast to coast to coast that they need more help. That is why we are stepping up, by doubling the GST tax credit, by delivering more help for low-income renters and by ensuring that families with kids under 12, who are struggling to make ends meet, can deliver dental care for those kids.

These are initiatives that I think all of us should be able to get behind and I hope all parliamentarians will support them to help Canadians as quickly as possible.

The EconomyOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Jagmeet Singh NDP Burnaby South, BC

Mr. Speaker, the cost of living is going up, and that is hurting people, but instead of taking action, our Prime Minister says things are worse in other countries. For his part, the Conservative Party leader thinks we can protect ourselves from inflation by buying cryptocurrency. One party is saying nothing and the other is doing nothing, but we are taking action to help people. Why are these two leaders not taking action to help people in this difficult time?

The EconomyOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, as parliamentarians, we have all heard from our fellow Canadians, our friends and families in our ridings who are struggling.

That is why the first bills we tabled in the House this fall are aimed at providing help directly to Canadians and doubling the GST tax credit. We will help by giving more money to low-income renters and giving families money for their children's dental care.

We are here to help, and I hope all parliamentarians will support us.

TaxationOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about Canadians who are struggling and how this government claims to want to help. They are doing precisely the opposite.

The bad news for Canadians is that on January 1, the government is raising taxes on workers. Also, on April 1, the Liberal carbon tax will triple. This is going to cost Canadian families a lot more.

Why can the Prime Minister simply not explain to Canadians why he is raising taxes when Canadians want to have more money in their pockets?

TaxationOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

University—Rosedale Ontario

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Conservative member.

Yesterday, the member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes said he could support our plan to offer inflation relief payments to 11 million households. That is good news.

I hope the Conservative member will support his colleague and convince all the Conservatives to support our excellent plan.

TaxationOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to see the Prime Minister in the House, especially since he was able to see many of his counterparts over the past few days.

Does he know that Canada is the only G7 country not to have lowered taxes? The other countries understand that providing tax relief helps families, but not the Prime Minister of Canada.

Why is the Prime Minister insisting on raising taxes, which will hurt Canadian families even more?

TaxationOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

University—Rosedale Ontario

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, that is another example of the Conservatives' hypocrisy.

It was the Conservatives who opposed our measure to support the middle class. It was the Conservatives who opposed our tax cut for the middle class. It was the Conservatives who opposed the $15 federal minimum wage. It was the Conservatives who opposed waiving interest on federal student loans.

TaxationOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

Jasraj Singh Hallan Conservative Calgary Forest Lawn, AB

Mr. Speaker, Liberal tax hikes, inflation and never-ending spending are crushing Canadians. Even the Bank of Canada admits that the Prime Minister's spending spree should have ended long ago. Failed Liberal policies are making eating, heating and driving a luxury in this country. More Canadians and newcomers are turning to food banks because feeding their family is becoming impossible.

Will the government put an end to the suffering it is causing and cancel its planned tax increases?

TaxationOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

University—Rosedale Ontario

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

Mr. Speaker, our government does recognize that times are tough for a lot of Canadians.

Yesterday I was pleased to learn that the member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes also recognizes that, and that he would support our plan to provide relief of nearly $500 per family for 11 million Canadian households. That is real support for the Canadians who need it the most. I hope all members opposite will join us in supporting that plan.

TaxationOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Conservative

Jasraj Singh Hallan Conservative Calgary Forest Lawn, AB

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals continue punishing Canadians for heating their homes and driving to work. While this “leave it in the ground” left-wing climate-zealot government is happy shutting down essential energy projects and adding more taxes, even the PBO says the government's claim that any sort of carbon tax rebate helps families is misleading. In fact, 60% of households in my province of Alberta, and in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario, are worse off because of the Liberals' climate virtue signalling.

Will the government cancel its carbon tax hikes and end the suffering it is causing Canadians?

TaxationOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Winnipeg South Manitoba

Liberal

Terry Duguid LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Mr. Speaker, we are totally focused on addressing the affordability challenge for Canadian families. I know, talking to my residents in the west, in Winnipeg South, they very much appreciate the measures the finance minister introduced the other day.

That is why it is important that the price on pollution, the climate action rebate, would put more money in people's pockets, families' pockets. Very importantly, the rebate cheques would be in people's mailboxes in October. That would help with affordability. That would help families with cash flow.

TaxationOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Conservative

John Brassard Conservative Barrie—Innisfil, ON

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government can misrepresent the facts on the carbon tax all it likes, but Canadians know it costs them more. The Parliamentary Budget Officer has confirmed that the carbon tax will cost families more than they get back, and when the Liberals triple the tax on gas, heat and groceries, it will cost an Ontario household $1,500 more. Given the PBO's credibility and independence, I believe Canadians and Canadians should believe him, rather than the spin from the other aside.

Again, for the sake of every family struggling, will the government cancel its planned tax increases?

TaxationOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Winnipeg South Manitoba

Liberal

Terry Duguid LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Mr. Speaker, we know there are affordability challenges for Canadian families and that is why our climate plan is designed so the majority of families receive more in climate action incentive payments than they pay at the pump. I beg to differ about the Parliamentary Budget Officer's findings. It still remains that eight out of 10 families will be better off. As the hon. member knows, as the carbon price increases, the climate action incentive payments will increase also.

TaxationOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Conservative

John Brassard Conservative Barrie—Innisfil, ON

Mr. Speaker, what a week this has been sitting here listening to the Liberals justify their inaction to solve the inflation and cost-of-living crisis, which they created, and things are simply getting worse. Canadian families are on bended knees under the weight of trying to afford the necessities of life. What is the Liberals' solution? It is to pile on the misery with planned tax increases to gas, groceries and home heating through increasing the carbon tax.

For the sake of every Canadian family that is struggling, will the government cancel its planned tax increases?

TaxationOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Burlington Ontario

Liberal

Karina Gould LiberalMinister of Families

Mr. Speaker, since we have come into government, we have done everything we can to support Canadian families, which is the exact opposite of what the Conservatives have done. In fact, they voted against the tax cut for middle-class families. They voted against the Canada child benefit, which sends thousands of dollars to Canadian families in need every single year and they are against the national child care initiative, which is reducing child care fees by 50% for families with children in child care. We know how difficult it is with the high cost of raising children. We are there for Canadian families, and we will continue to be there.

Employment InsuranceOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Bloc

Louise Chabot Bloc Thérèse-De Blainville, QC

Mr. Speaker, representatives of unemployed workers are in Ottawa today. A spokesperson for the Conseil national des chômeurs et chômeuses and an advisor to the Comité chômage de Montréal even marched here from Montreal.

They came to tell the Prime Minister that he needs to keep his promise to overhaul the EI system. They came to tell him that, in the meantime, ending the temporary measures this Sunday is completely unacceptable. They walked 200 kilometres to send this message.

Will the Prime Minister stand up and announce that he is extending the temporary measures?

Employment InsuranceOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Delta B.C.

Liberal

Carla Qualtrough LiberalMinister of Employment

Mr. Speaker, today I met with Pierre Céré from the Conseil national des chômeurs et chômeuses, as well as representatives from the Canadian Labour Congress, the Guilde des musiciens et musiciennes du Québec and the Syndicat québécois de la construction.

We talked about a fairer, more responsive EI system, better tailored to the needs of the workforce. I made a promise to extend EI sickness benefits from 15 to 26 weeks, and they were very happy to hear that.

We are working together to build and modernize the EI system.

Employment InsuranceOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Bloc

Louise Chabot Bloc Thérèse-De Blainville, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Labour Congress, the Syndicat québécois de la construction, the Guilde des musiciens et musiciennes du Québec and member groups of the CNC are all on Parliament Hill to say that they do not accept the fact that the Prime Minister is plunging workers into uncertainty, starting on Sunday.

Ending temporary EI measures without reform is a step backwards towards the same old program that leaves 60% of workers behind when they need it most.

Will the Prime Minister fix this situation by Sunday?

Employment InsuranceOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Delta B.C.

Liberal

Carla Qualtrough LiberalMinister of Employment

Mr. Speaker, this morning we spoke about how important the temporary measures were during the pandemic. We also talked about the fact that some temporary benefit programs are naturally coming to a close, but that workers will continue to have access to regular benefits.

We look forward to launching our long-term plan to improve the employment insurance system.

Employment InsuranceOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Bloc

Louise Chabot Bloc Thérèse-De Blainville, QC

Mr. Speaker, by ending the temporary EI benefits before there is any reform, the government is leaving workers with a 1970s-era program. It is a program that abandons mothers who lose their jobs during parental leave because it does not account for women being in the workplace; a program that abandons the sickest workers; a program that completely ignores self-employed workers; and a program that considers the workers to be seasonal, instead of the industries they work in.

Is that really the social safety net that the Prime Minister has to offer Quebeckers?

Employment InsuranceOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Delta B.C.

Liberal

Carla Qualtrough LiberalMinister of Employment

Mr. Speaker, our government understands that EI benefits need to be fairer, more responsive and better tailored to the needs of Canada's ever-evolving workforce.

That is why we have committed to fully modernizing the employment insurance system in partnership with stakeholders, such as the ones I met with this morning.

TaxationOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Conservative

Frank Caputo Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC

Mr. Speaker, people in Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo are struggling to put food on their tables and fuel in their cars. We know the Prime Minister does not think about monetary policy, and the budget has not balanced itself. We also know that ordinary citizens are under extraordinary financial pressures.

Will the Prime Minister cancel planned tax hikes so we can give ordinary Canadians a break?