Debates of Sept. 23rd, 2022

Health

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, we are happy that the government has backed down from requiring people to use the disastrous ArriveCAN app or follow the unscientific vaccine mandates just to cross the border, but the inconsistency remains. The government now admits that it is safe for an unvaccinated person to get on an airplane or work in a government office, but unsafe for that same person to serve in the Canadian Armed Forces. This is obviously unscientific and contradictory.

Will the government follow scientific consistency and give our brave men and women their jobs back?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to hear the member talk about science; 200,000 is the number of deaths of people who unnecessarily died in the United States because of the relatively lower vaccination rate they had compared to Canada. In the U.S., 200,000 people died unnecessarily. That is an outcome we did not see in Canada, which we can be very proud of.

Taxation

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Mr. Speaker, because of the current government's actions, the workers in my riding have been left suffering with an affordability crisis. If three years of COVID were not bad enough, Liberal policies have only added to their pain: from the disastrous ArriveCAN app driving down tourism visits to new taxes and higher spending driving up inflation. The hard-working residents of Niagara are now earning less when they deserve so much more.

When will the government finally realize the error of its ways and end its planned tax increases on Canadians' hard-earned paycheques?

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

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House we continue to be incredibly focused on making life more affordable for Canadians and really building an economy that works for everyone. That is why we introduced the Canada child benefit. We stopped sending cheques to millionaires, as the Conservatives proposed and did for so long, and we gave them to the families who needed them the most. We have increased support for OAS and GIS and, combined, these measures have helped lift hundreds of thousands of children and seniors out of poverty. That is good public policy.

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Mr. Speaker, recently I learned about the struggles of three brothers trying to earn a living in Calgary. Everything is going up: food, gasoline and the very basics of living. Now their landlord has told them that next month he needs to raise the rent from $1,900 to $2,600 just to keep up with the interest rate hikes.

When will the government give these three brothers a chance and cancel these planned tax increases on gas, home heating and groceries, so they can make ends meet?

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

Mr. Speaker, as I have said often today, our government is focused on making life more affordable.

There are plenty of measures we have taken on to do just that. We have implemented an early learning and child care program. By the end of this year, families are going to see a 50% reduction in their child care costs, and it is going to go to $10 a day by 2025. We are providing more money for eight out of 10 Canadians families through the climate action incentive, and we have lowered taxes on the middle class twice by raising taxes on the wealthiest 1%.

We are going to keep making sure life is more affordable for Canadians.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this made-in-Canada, Liberal inflationary crisis that is crushing Canadians is costing the average Canadian family more than $1,200 per year more in groceries than they paid last year. Food inflation, at nearly 11%, is higher than it has been in more than my entire life.

Canadians are struggling, and what is the response that we are hearing from these Liberals? They are going to raise taxes on their paycheques and they are going to raise taxes on their ability to heat their homes in one of the world's harshest climates. Will these Liberals finally give Canadians a break and cut their planned tax hikes?

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

Mr. Speaker, I have outlined a number of measures that our government has taken on to make life more affordable. I think the member knows that inflation is a global phenomenon. While it is 7% in Canada, it is higher, at 8.3%, in America and it is 9.1% in the euro area.

One thing we know for certain is that we cannot fight inflation by investing in speculative assets. For any Canadian who took the Leader of the Opposition's advice and lost their life savings, we are very sorry. It is not responsible policy.

Public Services and Procurement

[Julie Vignola, Bloc, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is unbelievable but true. The Phoenix pay system fiasco is still ongoing. For the past two years, 60,000 more workers have been having problems with the system. The fiasco is still not over, but what is over is the program to compensate victims, which ended in 2020. Not only is Ottawa not paying its employees, but it is also not compensating them for its mistakes. The Phoenix fiasco needs to end.

Since there are still problems with Phoenix, will the minister at least compensate everyone who has been harmed by the system since 2020?

[Anthony Housefather, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Speaker, we all understand that Canada's public servants deserve to be paid properly and on time for the important work they do. We recognize that these pay problems create stress and hardship for employees and their families, and we are committed to fixing it. We are prioritizing cases that could have a significant impact on an employee's pay. We will continue to work to improve the system.

[Julie Vignola, Bloc, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is unable to pay its own employees properly. That is not normal. Why are we surprised that they cannot manage Roxham Road, issue passports and process immigration applications? Everything this government touches is turning into a disaster. We need to reboot. Time for “Ctr+Alt+Del”.

Let us start with the basics. When will Ottawa start paying its employees properly and on time and compensate all the new victims of the Phoenix system since 2020?

[Anthony Housefather, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Speaker, workers absolutely deserve to be paid properly and on time. We have hired more people. Our team has been working on Phoenix 24/7. I am well aware that we have to fix this. We also have a plan to implement the NextGen system, which will definitely improve the system.

At this point, all I can say is that we are aware of the issues and we are working on them.

Taxation

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

Mr. Speaker, we know that this Prime Minister is out of touch. Recent records show that he spent $12,000 in a single month for groceries, so how could he possibly know what ordinary Canadians are facing?

With taxes up and consumer confidence down, Canadians know that making ends meet is almost impossible. Not only are Canadians cutting back on groceries, they worry about heating their homes this winter, if they can afford a house in the first place.

Do the bohemians across the way know that theirs is a rhapsody of tax misery, and will they cut their planned tax increases on gas, home heating and groceries?

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

Mr. Speaker, just two weeks ago I announced a program, a $250-million program, to help tens of thousands of Canadians get off home heating oil and get access to cheaper, cleaner electricity to heat their homes and use in their houses. This is yet another example of how we can tackle the crisis of climate change and help Canadians with affordability. Unfortunately, on these two fronts, the Conservatives have nothing to offer Canadians.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, once again, it is an out-of-touch answer.

According to a recent survey of my constituents, 94% of families are feeling the pain associated with the increases to the carbon tax. Food prices are at 40-year highs, and these Liberals are making the problem worse by tripling the carbon tax, a policy that increases costs for farmers, the entire supply chain and ultimately drives up the price of food. It is basic economics.

My question is simple. Will the Liberals abandon their massive planned tax hikes on farmers and all Canadians?

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

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about carbon pricing for a second. In 2007, the Harper government proposed a $15 carbon tax. In 2008, the same government pledged to introduce a cap-and-trade system. In 2011, it was no longer pursuing any of these systems, yet last year the opposition proposed in their election campaign that they supporting carbon pricing again.

Canadians want real, serious climate actions to ensure a healthier environment and a cleaner economy, not Conservative flip-flops.

Taxation

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, inflation is affecting Canadians every day. Home heating costs more, housing costs more, and groceries cost more.

The government is trying to pull the wool over our eyes. It gives us a dollar and takes two back. The way I see it, that means family budgets come up short. Canada is the only G7 country not to have lowered taxes.

Will the government listen to reason? Will it cancel the tax hikes?

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the global economic context is very difficult. We know full well that Canadians are having trouble making ends meet. The Canadian economy is also very resilient.

My colleague referred to where we are compared to other G7 countries. We should keep in mind that Canada has the lowest deficit and the strongest economic growth in the G7.

On this side of the House, we know how to manage the economy, and we will continue to support Canadians who need it most while being fiscally responsible.

The Environment

[Viviane LaPointe, Liberal, Sudbury, ON]

Mr. Speaker, across Canada and around the world today, young people are taking to the streets to demand climate justice. These leaders of tomorrow are clearly expressing their hopes for the future, a future in which we all take responsibility for the damage we have done to our natural world and the climate costs we have imposed on future generations.

Can the minister talk about what our government is doing to tackle climate change?

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Sudbury for her question. In my younger days, I would have been on the front lines of today's climate protests, carrying a banner or a megaphone. I actually organized many such protests myself.

I can assure the House today that my department and this government are fully committed to taking action on all fronts in the fight against climate change. This includes $109 billion in investments and over 100 initiatives in electrification, climate change adaptation and conservation led by indigenous peoples across the country.

Yes, pollution is decreasing in Canada, contrary to what the Conservative Party would have us believe. We are taking action on climate change, and we will continue to do so for the good of all Canadians.

Taxation

[Gary Vidal, Conservative, Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK]

Mr. Speaker, are members surprised that the cost of living in northern Saskatchewan is skyrocketing? Record high gas prices and an ever-increasing carbon tax have led to unprecedented freight costs. Everything, and I mean everything, costs more under this coalition government. In some communities, four litres of milk is nearly $14, a dozen eggs is nine dollars and a kilogram of apples is $12.

The people in northern communities cannot afford more taxes. Will the government cancel today its planned increases on northerners' gas, groceries and heating fuel?

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

Mr. Speaker, we appreciate that the cost of living has become an issue for many Canadians, especially in the north of our country. Yesterday, we learned that the newly appointed deputy leader of the Conservatives, the member for Thornhill, is going to support GST tax relief for 11 million Canadian households. It is another day and another Conservative who supports our plan to make life more affordable. Perhaps, since the member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes may support the bill, they can get together and convince the Conservative leader to support the bill as well.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's ineffective carbon tax is increasing the cost of everything. Canadians are paying more to drive to work, feed their families and heat their homes, but the Prime Minister does not care because he is actually planning to triple the carbon tax.

Canadians should not have to choose between eating and heating, so when will the government cancel its planned tax hikes on Canadians?

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

Mr. Speaker, with climate change, the cost of inaction is enormous. In fact, it is in the billions of dollars, and we have a practical and affordable way to lower pollution.

Let us look at the facts. The revenue from pricing pollution in Canada will go back to the provinces where the money was raised, with 90% for families directly and 10% for businesses, municipalities, schools, hospitals and indigenous communities to help them become more energy efficient and save money.

Under our plan, eight out of 10 families will have more money in their pockets, and all the revenue from pricing pollution will stay in the province where it came from.

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the government's tax-and-spend policies have created an affordability crisis in our country. According to recent inflation numbers, food is increasing by the unbelievable amount of over 10%, which will leave many Canadians deciding this winter whether it will be eating or heating each month.

When will the government stop fuelling inflation and start helping Canadians by reversing its planned tax increases on gas, groceries, home heating and paycheques?