Debates of Sept. 23rd, 2022

Housing

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the new Conservative leader will put people first: their retirements, their paycheques, their homes and their country. We need to restore the hope of home ownership in this country. Right now, young people and newcomers cannot get a home because local government gatekeepers block housing with heavy fees and long delays for building permits, leaving us with the fewest houses per capita of any country in the G7, even though we have the most land to build on.

A Conservative government will require big cities that want federal infrastructure dollars to speed up and lower the cost of permits and to approve affordable housing near all new transit stations so that our young people do not even need to afford to buy a car.

We will also sell off 15% of 37,000 underutilized federal buildings to turn them into affordable housing and use the proceeds of the sales to reduce our deficit. In other words, we will stop printing money and start building homes for our people.

Iran

[Ali Ehsassi, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, for the last week, Iran has descended into mourning following the death of Mahsa Amini, an innocent 22-year-old murdered while she was detained by the Iranian morality police for simply not having displayed a proper head covering. Since her death, thousands upon thousands have taken to the streets in over 25 cities scattered throughout Iran. They are demanding that women not be discriminated against and harassed, and for the fundamental rights of all citizens to be respected. In each instance, they have faced the iron fist of the Iranian government.

Far too many protesters have been beaten and scores more have lost their lives, and now the Iranian government has throttled social media so it can commit more unconscionable atrocities. That is why Iranian Canadians across our country are heartbroken. Having spoken to many of them, I can say that, given that PS752 is fresh in their memories and they are now watching the savagery that is unfolding in Iran, they want action and they want that action now to demonstrate we are holding the Government of Iran to account.

Taxation

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, this week, the Fraser Institute published a report showing that Canadians are spending more on taxes than on shelter, food and clothing combined. The government wants to increase taxes again even though house prices have doubled and the inflation rate for food is at a 40-year high.

Will the government cancel its tax hikes on paycheques, gas, heat and food?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would be pleased to answer the question from the new leader of the Conservative Party.

However, I would like to begin by saying that our thoughts are with Atlantic Canadians as they face Hurricane Fiona.

Our government is there for them and ready to help. Our message to our fellow Canadians in Atlantic Canada is to be safe and follow the advice of local authorities. We stand with you.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, we, as the official opposition, join the government in offering our thoughts and prayers to anyone affected by this crisis, and we offer our full collaboration with the government to help in any way we can to serve the people who are affected.

This week, the Fraser Institute published a report showing that Canadians are spending more on taxes than on food, clothing and shelter combined. Now, with 40-year highs in inflation and house prices having doubled, Canadians cannot afford to pay any more. Will the government cancel its planned tax increases on paycheques, gas, heat and groceries?

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

Mr. Speaker, our hearts are with Atlantic Canadians today as Hurricane Fiona is about to make landfall. To those on the ground: Stay safe, listen to first responders and follow the advice of local authorities.

I think I speak for all members of the House when I say that our government will be here to support them with whatever resources or assistance they require.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, with Canadians now spending more on taxes than on food, clothing and shelter combined, and with this coinciding with 40-year highs in inflation and 40-year highs in food price increases, with reports of students in Toronto forced to live in homeless shelters, the government's plan is to raise taxes on paycheques, gas, heat and other essentials. In fact, it wants to triple the carbon tax.

Now is not the time for a tax hike. Will the government cancel these planned tax increases?

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

Mr. Speaker, it is incredibly unfortunate that the leader of the Conservative Party has tried to tackle inflation and tackle affordability by giving investment advice on highly speculative assets.

For those Canadians who did follow the advice of the Leader of the Opposition, I am truly sorry that they lost their life savings. However, as long as he is giving that investment advice, I think Canadians should ask this: If we cannot trust him to be our stockbroker, why would we want him to be our Prime Minister?

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if there is one thing that everyone can agree on, it is that food is a basic necessity.

Unfortunately, though, inflation is having a direct impact on food prices, which have risen by more than 11%. We must do something.

The Conservatives have been calling on the Liberals to lower taxes for months now, which all of the other G7 countries have done, but the Liberals have unfortunately chosen not to.

At the very least, and this really is the bare minimum, will the Liberals commit to scrap their plan to hike taxes in the coming months?

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

Mr. Speaker, I completely agree. Canadians need us now. Global inflation is behind these economic uncertainties, and we need to be there to support Canadians. That is precisely why we want to double the goods and services tax credit.

Will the Conservatives support this measure that will put money directly into the pockets of Canadians?

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the riding I represent stretches from the St. Lawrence River to the American border. A very large part of it is rural.

With the high cost of gas, it is very expensive for my constituents who have to drive to work, do errands or access health care.

To help these people, the Prime Minister needs to do just one thing: Cancel the planned tax hike on gas and paycheques. Does he have the guts to do that?

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday we heard the new deputy leader of the Conservatives say that she was going to support our GST credit. Another day, another flip-flop from the Conservatives, as the member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes said that he might support it as well.

Perhaps these two members can try to convince the new leader of the Conservative Party to put money directly into the pockets of Canadians.

The Environment

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Quebec is taking action against climate change: 145,000 people voted in favour of striking all across Quebec to put an end to fossil fuels.

Thousands of people are expected in front of Parliament this afternoon. It is the best place to protest because the federal government is the chief culprit when it comes to climate inaction. Not only is this government refusing to stop consuming fossil fuels, it is encouraging their consumption.

Will the Minister of Environment and Climate Change go meet with the protesters and explain why he voted in favour of Bay du Nord?

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

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

I am so happy to see these demonstrations all across the country. I actually organized many such events when I was a little younger.

I would like to remind my colleague that, since we came to power, fossil fuel subsidies have decreased by over $4 billion a year. We are committed to eliminating those subsidies by next year, 2023, which is two years earlier than our G20 partners. We are taking action on climate change. We are taking action on affordability.

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers are worried about the future. Hundreds of thousands of people across Quebec are marching on the streets to remind the government about the principles of the former minister of the environment and climate change, who at the time wanted to divest from fossil fuels.

This government continues to support the oil industry, however. Over the past year, it approved the new Bay du Nord development project and it continues to subsidize oil companies every chance it gets. The government set aside $2.5 billion for this industry in the last budget.

When will the government finally learn that we need to hit the breaks on fossil fuels, not step on the gas?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would remind my hon. colleague that our climate action plan provides for a $109‑billion investment in clean energy, in the electrification of transportation and in green electricity generation. That is three times more per capita than what the United States is investing.

There are other measures on top of that. We will reduce emissions of methane, a very powerful greenhouse gas, by 40% to 50%, not by 2030 or 2035, but within the next three years, at no cost to businesses. Our plan to control pollution is a plan that works and that will help Canadians.

Employment Insurance

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, through no fault of their own, Syncreon auto workers are going to lose their jobs. The Liberals have known this for months. They knew it was coming but they refused to reform the Employment Insurance Act, leaving them out in the cold.

Shockingly, instead of making things better, tomorrow the Liberals are changing the EI rules to make things tougher for people just trying to feed their families. The government seems to forget that this money belongs to the workers, not them, and to the families they are responsible to. They have been paying into EI for years and now the Syncreon auto workers are going to be robbed.

Why are the Liberals being so cruel when they could fix this today? It is not too late. Justice should be served for these workers. They are due this respect.

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

Mr. Speaker, we understand that EI benefits need to be more fair, more responsive and more adaptable to the needs of the Canadian workforce. That is why we are committed to delivering a full-scale modernization of the EI system. Although some temporary pandemic benefit programs are winding down, regular EI benefits will continue to be available to workers, just as they were before the pandemic. We look forward to launching our long-term plan to improve Canada's EI system.

Employment

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, when the Canadian Labour Congress met with the Bank of Canada this week, the CLC warned them that with rapidly rising interest rates, everyday people pay the real cost of inflation, with job losses and mortgages and personal loan payments jumping hundreds of dollars overnight.

What was the Bank of Canada's response? With the economy on the brink of a recession, it continues attacking workers by encouraging companies to drive their wages down. It is disgusting.

Does the Liberal government agree with the Bank of Canada's call to drive up unemployment while pushing down people's wages, or will they join the New Democrats and the CLC by actually standing up for workers in Canada?

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

Mr. Speaker, we all know that the Bank of Canada is an independent institution. It has operated that way for more than a generation. We also know that it is a tough time for Canadians, which is why we have created a comprehensive affordability plan.

Members of the House will have a real opportunity this fall to make life more affordable for Canadians by doubling the GST benefit for 11 million households, by providing a housing benefit for renters who need it the most and by providing dental care to young children so they can get their teeth fixed.

Taxation

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the rising cost of living is the number one concern of workers, families, students and businesses.

While the NDP and the Liberals bicker about who is spending more, Canadians are unable to make ends meet. All G7 countries have cut taxes to help their citizens pay for groceries every week. In Canada, there have been no tax cuts and, even worse, taxes will increase on January 1.

Will this government do the right thing and cancel the tax cuts planned for 2023?

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

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we are proposing a plan to help Canadians deal with the rising cost of living. We are going to double the GST credit. We are going to put money in the pockets of Canadians who are struggling to pay their rent and we are going to pay for young children's dental care.

I worry when the Conservatives say they are listening to their constituents who are having trouble making ends meet but then do not want to support Canadians by putting money in their pockets. That is unfortunate.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, allow me to share Mike's story.

Mike makes $22 an hour, and governments take 30% of his salary from every paycheque. He wrote to me saying that he could not afford to feed himself properly and that his local food bank made him feel like he should not need their help. That is the reality for many folks today, with food prices up by more than 10%.

Instead of making things worse for Mike by taking even more from his paycheque, will the Prime Minister cancel next year's tax hikes, yes or no?

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

Mr. Speaker, obviously, my heart goes out to Mike, my hon. colleague's constituent.

I would also like to assure Mike that he can have a decent retirement. That is why we want to ensure a good retirement for our seniors and for all Canadians.

I would like to understand why the Conservatives want to attack our Canada pension plan.

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, rising home prices and rising interest rates mean that the income necessary to qualify to buy a tiny, entry-level apartment in Calgary has nearly doubled in the past year. Young Canadians across Canada are giving up on home ownership and they cannot afford ever-increasing rents.

The last thing these cash-strapped Canadians need is another bite taken out of their paycheques. Will the government cancel its planned tax increases on paycheques?