House of Commons Hansard #201 of the 44th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was chair.
This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
Department of Public Works and Government Services Act Report stage of Bill S-222. The bill requires the Minister of Public Works and Government Services to consider environmental benefits, including reduced greenhouse gas emissions, when developing requirements for federal construction. It aims to promote the use of wood and other sustainable building materials, highlighting its carbon sequestration and potential for job creation in the forest industry. While widely supported, some desire stronger language to give preference to wood. 8000 words, 1 hour.
Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act Third reading of Bill S-5. The bill, which updates the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, aims to strengthen environmental protection by recognizing the right to a healthy environment and enhancing the management of toxic substances. Key amendments include a commitment to implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, a focus on vulnerable populations, and a strategy to reduce animal testing. The Conservatives oppose the bill due to an amendment on tailings ponds and hydraulic fracturing, which they view as an intrusion into provincial jurisdiction, while the NDP and Bloc Québécois support the bill, despite some reservations. 31000 words, 5 hours in 2 segments: 1 2.
Department of Finance—Main Estimates, 2023-24 Members debate the Department of Finance's main estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, focusing on the government's economic policies. Discussions include the impact of the carbon tax on inflation and household costs, the government's fiscal responsibility and debt-to-GDP ratio, and investments in climate action and the clean economy. Members also discuss affordability measures like the grocery rebate and dental care plan, as well as housing initiatives and tax fairness. 34300 words, 4 hours.
Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON
Mr. Chair, our government understands the importance of the EI system. That is why we invested in EI during the pandemic.
We continue to—
Department of Finance—Main Estimates, 2023-24Business of SupplyGovernment Orders
Conservative
Jean-Denis Garon Bloc Mirabel, QC
Mr. Chair, before the Axworthy reform of the 1990s, 64% of Canadians were covered by EI; today, 40% are covered.
Does the minister believe that going from 60% to 40% is the right way to help the unemployed who have bad luck in the labour market?
Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON
Mr. Chair, the right thing to do is to have an economic plan that creates jobs. What I want is to not have any unemployed workers in Canada. The good news is that we created almost 900,000 jobs.
Jean-Denis Garon Bloc Mirabel, QC
Mr. Chair, the government continues to heavily subsidize fossil fuels with taxpayer money.
For years, we have been waiting for a definition of an effective subsidy for fossil fuels. On two occasions in her reports, the Auditor General told us that she was not even able to evaluate whether subsidies were effective because the government had not even provided a definition.
Can the minister today provide a definition of an effective subsidy for fossil fuels?
Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON
Mr. Chair, I would like to finish my answer about the job market in Canada, because it is very important to understand that our focus during the pandemic was jobs, jobs and more jobs. We understood that, for Quebeckers and Canadians, having a job was the most important thing.
I am very pleased—
Department of Finance—Main Estimates, 2023-24Business of SupplyGovernment Orders
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Chris d'Entremont
The hon. Bloc Québécois member's time has expired. We will now go the NDP member.
The hon. member for Elmwood—Transcona.
Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB
Mr. Chair, there has been a lot of debate in this place about the extent to which public spending contributes to inflation. I am wondering if the minister believes that all public spending contributes to inflation, or just certain kinds.
Department of Finance—Main Estimates, 2023-24Business of SupplyGovernment Orders
University—Rosedale Ontario
Liberal
Chrystia Freeland LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
Mr. Chair, one of the things we have paid a lot of attention to in the budget, and in all of our budgets, is making investments that increase Canada's economic capacity, and we believe that investments that do that can actually be anti-inflationary.
Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB
Mr. Chair, for instance, does the minister believe that the GST rebate, which is targeted at low-income Canadians, was an inflationary spending item?
Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON
Mr. Chair, I would like to start by talking about early learning and child care, if I may, because for me that is the poster child of an investment that actually adds to Canada's economic capacity—
Department of Finance—Main Estimates, 2023-24Business of SupplyGovernment Orders
Conservative
Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB
Mr. Chair, I will take the minister to be saying that she does not believe that investing in child care is inflationary. Does she believe that doubling the GST rebate two times was an inflationary spend by government?
Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON
Mr. Chair, we need to be very careful in our budgets about a couple of things. We had an eye on a few things.
One was being sure we found a balance between fiscal responsibility, between our deficit and debt—
Department of Finance—Main Estimates, 2023-24Business of SupplyGovernment Orders
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Chris d'Entremont
I am doing the time thing. I just want to make sure I am okay with this.
The hon. member for Elmwood—Transcona.
Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB
Mr. Chair, does the finance minister believe that the GST rebate was an inflationary spend or not?
Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON
Mr. Chair, I believe that the GST rebate and the grocery rebate were spending that was necessary to give help to the people who needed it the most.
Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB
Mr. Chair, does the minister believe that pharmacare, which is a program that would lower the amount Canadians spend on prescription drugs against the current amount they spend, would be inflationary?
Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON
Mr. Chair, whether spending is inflationary depends obviously on the macroeconomic conditions of the moment and on how the programs are designed and delivered.
Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON
Mr. Chair, again, as I know the member for Elmwood—Transcona knows, everything depends on how programs are designed, and everything depends also on the macroeconomic conditions of the moment. If I talk to someone from Japan, they are keen to have inflationary spending, because they have been in a deflationary spiral for a long time.
Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB
Mr. Chair, does over $30 billion in infrastructure spending risk being inflationary?
Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON
Mr. Chair, again, the macroeconomic impact of any policy measure depends very much on the macroeconomic circumstance of the time. For us, compassion is important. Fiscal responsibility—
Department of Finance—Main Estimates, 2023-24Business of SupplyGovernment Orders
Conservative
Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB
Mr. Chair, infrastructure investments are important, but they can also be inflationary. Does the minister recognize that infrastructure spending can be inflationary?