Mr. Speaker, sometimes the opposition graces us with the good fortune of saying the quiet part out loud. The pandemic spending that kept my neighbours fed and a roof over the heads of their children was not overspending. That was essential to protect the well-being of Canadians who live in my community. We stepped up to make sure that businesses could keep the lights on and their doors open, and that is something I would do a hundred times out of a hundred. I see people every day who still have a job because of those measures. At the beginning of the pandemic, the Conservative leader held a press conference to say he would never support those big, fat government programs. Thank God we are in government because people are still employed as a result.
In the House of Commons on January 31st, 2023. See this statement in context.