Debates of Feb. 10th, 2023

The Economy

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

Madam Speaker, the worst part about the Liberals' carbon tax is that they try to dress it up as an environment plan, but it is not working. They have not hit a single target. The Liberal plan was to drive up the cost of everything and hope that greenhouse gas emissions fell as a result. I can report to the minister that the first part of that plan, making everything more expensive, they nailed that, but the second part, not so much. Canada's Food Price Report is now saying that food prices are going to go up again in 2023 as a typical farm can see its taxes, with the tripling of the carbon tax, hit $150,000 a year. Again, all of that get passed on to consumers.

Why is the government making Canadians—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. parliamentary secretary.

[Arif Virani, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade]

Madam Speaker, that is another important question, but there is also an important response. The response is that, when we are trying to target an issue as pressing as national and international climate change, we need to take direct action. That is the kind of answer my children demand from me at the dinner table each and every night. They ask what I am doing to deal with the changing pollution and the changing temperatures. I say to them that we are putting in place a price on pollution that affects people's behaviour and that helps us make better decisions for our families and for our country. Those are the kinds of answers Canadians deserve.

Carbon Pricing

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Madam Speaker, I can say that whatever the Liberals are targeting, it is not working. Why do they not try targeting this, the 415% increase in seniors using the Orangeville Food Bank since 2017. That is what we get with eight years of the government. There are also the 45% of Canadians who are within $200 of not being able to make ends meet. Why do they not target them? Instead, they are going to triple the carbon tax and make everything even worse.

When will the government stop hurting families and do something to help them by allowing them to keep the heat on and cut that darn carbon tax?

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Seniors]

Madam Speaker, I find it so ironic when Conservatives stand up day in, day out and pretend to care about seniors. However, day in, day out and year in, year out, they vote against everything we put forward for seniors. I have just a selection of them. The GIS top-up of $947 annually for 900,000 single seniors was voted against. Enhancing the CPP by 50% for future retirees was voted against, as was restoring the age of eligibility for OAS back to 65 from 67, which made seniors work two years more to get the benefits they worked for.

The Economy

[Glen Motz, Conservative, Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB]

Madam Speaker, according to that member, it appears as if seniors have never had it so good, but after eight years of the Prime Minister, life just keeps getting more and more expensive. Because of the Liberal carbon tax, Canadians can no longer afford to eat, heat or house themselves appropriately, and it is about to get even worse under the government's planned tripling of the carbon tax. Conservatives will keep the heat on and continue to fight this useless and costly tax.

Will the Prime Minister take responsibility for this cost of living crisis so we can fix what he has broken?

[Terry Duguid, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Madam Speaker, the Conservatives talk a pretty good line on affordability, but when it comes time to deliver, they are just not present. They voted against every one of our affordability measures, but there is good news on the horizon. As of April 1, a family of four will receive a climate rebate up to $1,500 in the member's home province of Alberta and $1,000 in my home province of Manitoba. Eight out of 10 families will be better off. Those payments will come quarterly.

Life will be more affordable. I do not know why the Conservatives just will not take good news.

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

Madam Speaker, after eight years of the Liberal Prime Minister, Canadians are quickly running out of patience and time.

Let me tell the House about Donnie from my riding. He depends on the Ontario disability support program to get by. With the surge in rent, he spends 90% of his income just to keep a roof over his head. That leaves very little for groceries or heating. Donnie needs help. He needs a government that will keep the heat on by taking the tax off.

When will the Prime Minister get out of the way and let us fix the problems he caused?

[Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Madam Speaker, I think we can all agree in the chamber that no person with a disability should live in poverty. That is why we are committed to creating the Canada disability benefit, a thoughtfully designed income supplement with the potential to seriously reduce poverty and improve financial security for hundreds of thousands of working-age people with disabilities from coast to coast to coast.

On February 3, Bill C-22 passed unanimously in the House and—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member for Northumberland—Peterborough South.

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

Madam Speaker, we hear more and more about spending. Let me paraphrase a little bit. After eight years of the Liberal Prime Minister, life is objectively getting worse for many Canadians. Hey, the government might be failing miserably, but it is spending a lot of money doing it, so that is okay, right? It seems like the only ones in Canada who have money, the only ones who are not going broke, are Liberal insiders.

When will the Prime Minister stop collecting his paycheque so Canadians can keep theirs?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, when that party was in power, Canada had its worst growth ever since World War II.

The problems that Canadians faced at that point were that there were more than two million people in poverty who are not now, and there were one and a half million people who did not have jobs then who do now.

We are leading the world in terms of the second-highest GDP growth in the world for this year and we will continue. The reality is that, yes, times are difficult globally and it does not feel great to lead when the world is down. However, when the tide turns, it sure will feel good to lead when the world is doing well.

Public Services and Procurement

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Madam Speaker, there is a code of silence in the public service when it comes to McKinsey. We know that the opposition has called on the federal government to disclose all its contracts with the firm. Yesterday, in committee, a senior public servant revealed that he warned the heads of all departments and agencies covered by our request to beware of MPs. He advised them to be careful what they write down in case it ends up in the hands of elected members.

What do public servants know that they no longer have the right to write down?

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board]

Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for raising the conversation that took place at the parliamentary committee. We take this information seriously. Members know very well that the minister responsible for procurement and I are examining all the questions regarding McKinsey contracts. We will continue to do so. Officials are responsible for examining all matters relating to procurement. We will be reviewing those projects with the parliamentary committee and listening to its recommendations.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Madam Speaker, lack of transparency has been the key issue in the McKinsey affair from the beginning. The Comptroller General of Canada has recommended a culture of silence in the public service, and that is just wrong. This is an indication that the government regards Parliament and us, MPs, as nothing less than a threat. This is serious.

The minister's response suggests that the federal government is going through the documents we requested with a fine-tooth comb, and with its Liquid Paper at the ready.

Is the government trying to cover its tracks and obfuscate?

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board]

Madam Speaker, we are in the process of undertaking a comprehensive review of all contracts with McKinsey.

Of course, officials and public servants are making sure that they are following all of the procurement management processes. We will continue to do that and review it.

The teams are conducting their work in accordance with the international standards of the profession. This review is also going to be done with internal audit teams, whose work requires them to be independent and objective.

We will be looking at that obviously over the next—

Carbon Pricing

[Anna Roberts, Conservative, King—Vaughan, ON]

Madam Speaker, after years of the Liberal Prime Minister, seniors must choose between heating and eating.

Sonia from Winnipeg called me in tears because she can no longer afford to keep the heat at room temperature. She tells me she sleeps under five blankets to keep warm. She can no longer afford the Liberal plan to triple the carbon tax.

When will the Liberal government turn off the tax so that seniors can turn on the heat?

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Seniors]

Madam Speaker, we recognize the challenges seniors are facing, and our government has been there for them. In fact, the only thing tripling is the misinformation from the party across the aisle.

Unlike the party opposite, which has opposed every single measure to support seniors and gives reckless advice to invest in crypto, the government is helping seniors who are struggling. We have doubled the GST tax credit. We provided dental and rental support. We also increased the OAS for seniors aged 75 and over.

We will take no lessons from the Conservative Party of Canada.

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

Madam Speaker, only smart people take lessons, by the way.

Liberals insist their carbon tax is revenue-neutral, while picking the pockets of average Canadians. Life is no longer affordable. Faced with inflation, tax increases and record-high prices, the Prime Minister shows his sympathy by planning to triple the carbon tax. Conservatives would keep the heat on and take the tax off.

For eight years, the Prime Minister has ignored the needs of all Canadians. When will he step aside so we can fix what he has broken?

[Terry Duguid, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Madam Speaker, listening to the Conservatives, day in and day out, the words “climate change” just never come out of their mouths. That is not surprising, because for 10 long years, they did absolutely nothing on climate change. They are stuck in the past. We are looking to the future.

We are looking to make life more affordable for Canadians, and the Conservatives keep voting against us. We are going to build the economy of tomorrow and the good jobs of today, and make life more affordable for Canadians.

[Gerald Soroka, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

Madam Speaker, after eight years of the Liberal Prime Minister, Vera, a car wash owner in my riding is struggling because of the carbon tax. She says that if she keeps raising rates in her small rural town, people will stop coming and she will go out of business.

Will the Prime Minister take responsibility for crippling small business owners like Vera and remove the carbon tax? If he will not stop the tax, then he should get out of the way. Conservatives will keep the heat on and take the tax off.

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Madam Speaker, if the member opposite was talking to his constituents, he might have also been told that, in January, they received either a direct-deposit payment or a cheque as a climate action incentive. It has been shown that eight out of 10 Canadians will receive more through that backstop than was paid through the climate pricing.

In fact, we are working very hard to make life more affordable, and we are supporting Canadians through the changes with utility bills and the like by helping them with retrofit. It is creating good-paying jobs in communities like this.

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Madam Speaker, after eight years of the Liberal Prime Minister, he leaves a sad legacy. It is not his fault that Canadians cannot afford to eat, heat or house themselves, he says, but now he is making it even worse. He is going to triple the carbon tax. Conservatives will turn all this hurt into hope by fighting to keep the heat on and take the tax off.

Will the Prime Minister take responsibility for this mess he made and get out of the way so Conservatives can fix what he broke?

[Terry Duguid, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Madam Speaker, the hon. member is from my home province of Manitoba, and Manitobans will receive $1,000 in their climate action rebate this year. Again, the hon. member will know what has been happening with climate change on the Prairies: two $1-billion floods, two one-in-300-years floods, and the worst drought in 50 or 60 years that has paralyzed our farm community. The hon. member and his party should get serious about climate change and stop the denial.

Climate Change

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

Madam Speaker, a report released yesterday shows clearly that carbon capture and storage is not an effective net-zero solution, so why did the Liberals plow ahead with this flawed approach, committing $8.6 billion? Well, they were listening to big oil. Here is a hot tip: If the government wants to make good climate policy, stop listening to oil and gas lobbyists, who, by the way, are making record profits while destroying our planet.

Will the Liberals cancel their carbon capture handouts to big oil and instead invest in real climate solutions?