Debates of May 29th, 2023

Department of Finance—Main Estimates, 2023-24

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Mr. Chair, it is very clear that the Minister of Finance does not want to stand behind her government's record and its choices in issuing debt.

Here is another question. How much more will the government have to pay if inflation does not come down and interest rates do not come down, as it is projecting them to come down in its own budget, when it rolls over its debt in the next two years?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Mr. Chair, on the contrary, I am very proud to stand behind our government's record. Canada endured the deepest economic trauma since the Great Depression, and the recovery has been remarkably strong, the strongest in the G7, and incredibly strong compared to the tepid, painful, lacklustre climb out of 2008.

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Mr. Chair, the minister is obviously not very proud of the government's record. She cannot even answer some very simple questions about how much the government expects to pay on the debt that it issued. Perhaps the government was also misled by the Bank of Canada, which promised Canadians that rates would stay low.

The minister says that the government leads the G7 in growth. We are behind a bunch of countries in GDP per capita. The Liberals ran an entire election campaign saying that Harper had low growth. This is what we have here. In GDP per capita, we are behind many countries.

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Mr. Chair, the Harper government did have low growth. It had a remarkably lacklustre recovery from the 2008 recession. It took four months longer for GDP to recover from the 2008 recession than our recovery took from the COVID recession. It took 27 months for jobs to recover from the 2008 recession, but only 21 months after the much deeper COVID recession, and it was a shocking 110 months for the unemployment rate to—

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

The hon. member for Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Mr. Chair, I thank the Minister of Finance for making an appearance here this evening.

The four Atlantic premiers, including Premier Furey, a close personal friend of the Prime Minister, wrote a letter to the environment minister in the last couple of days. I would ask the minister if she knows what that letter was addressing.

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Chair, I would like to thank the member opposite for the exchange we had in question period about climate action. He, perhaps inadvertently, revealed something very important about the Conservatives. He suggested that it is a guilt trip to believe that we need climate action. That says a lot about the Conservative Party's attitude toward climate—

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

The hon. member.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Mr. Chair, does the hon. minister know how much carbon tax 2 will cost Newfoundland families by 2030?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Mr. Chair, of course there is no such thing, and mislabelling something, even doing it 1,000 times, does not make it true. However, what is the case—

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

The hon. member.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Mr. Chair, I am not sure if the minister knows, but the answer is $850 a year, and that is according to the PBO.

I would ask the minister if she has faith in the PBO.

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Mr. Chair, I would like to ask the member opposite if he has faith in the party platform he himself ran on. That document states, “We will...progress [so]...carbon prices [can be] on a path to $170/tonne”. Was he telling the truth then or is he telling—

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

The hon. member.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Mr. Chair, if the minister went door to door, she would know exactly how I ran my campaign. She would have heard about the misery and disrespect for the people of Atlantic Canada I encountered.

I would ask the minister if she agrees with her Liberal counterpart, Premier Furey, that a carbon tax is inflationary.

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Mr. Chair, what is disrespectful to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and all Canadians is to pretend that we can act without a plan to fight climate change. Inaction is also a choice, and it is a choice that not only will destroy our beautiful planet, but will mean no jobs for Canadians in the future.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Mr. Chair, I will ask the minister this again. Does she agree with Premier Furey that a carbon tax is inflationary?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Mr. Chair, let us talk about the clean fuel regulations, which the member opposite campaigned on in 2021—

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

The hon. member for Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Mr. Chair, I take offence to the minister telling me how I ran my campaign, but I will ask her this again. Does the minister agree with Premier Furey that a carbon tax is inflationary?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Mr. Chair, I do believe the member opposite campaigned as a Conservative, and I believe that means he campaigned on the Conservative climate platform. It seems that the Conservatives are totally disavowing that, but is that really fair to the people who elected them on a promise that they would actually have a climate—

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

The hon. member for Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Mr. Chair, I would like to ask the minister if she agrees with the Governor of the Bank of Canada that the carbon tax is inflationary.

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Mr. Chair, I agree with the lion's share of Canadians who understand that we cannot put our heads in the sand. We need a climate plan, and we have one.

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Mr. Chair, it is great to be back here on a Monday for the restart of Parliament after the week-long break.

I would like to comment briefly before I begin my formal remarks by saying that, ever since 2015, and going through the pandemic onto today, we continue to put in place measures that build a strong economy, not only for today but also for future generations, including my children, who are at home tonight. Many of the parents here this evening, whether they are inside the House or outside the House, know full well that our government has put in place many policy measures that lead to a better future for their children. That is what this is all about. That is why we got elected, and that is what we ran on. That is what we will continue to do for all Canadians. We will make sure they have a bright future in front of them and their families.

It is a pleasure to participate today in this debate in committee of the whole in the House of Commons.

Today, I would like to speak about the measures that our government is introducing to make life more affordable and to strengthen our health care system across the country.

Our last budget, which was presented in the spring, is a Canadian plan for a strong middle class, an affordable economy and a prosperous future. In this budget, our government has proposed many measures, in particular to make life more affordable across the country and to strengthen our health care system.

For example, our government is introducing a targeted support measure that will continue to help 11 million Canadians who truly need it.

For the folks at home tonight who need it the most, we will make sure to have their backs, always.

One good example of our government's targeted support is the grocery rebate. It is quite clear. We go to to the grocery store and, like all Canadians, we see that food prices are constantly rising. As a result, too many Canadians are struggling to make ends meet.

In the context of global inflation and price increases, our government believes that it is important to now give a helping hand to those who need it most. We want them to be able to continue putting food on the table and paying their bills.

Like all Canadians, I believe that, more than ever, we must be compassionate with those struggling. Approximately 11 million low-income people and families in the country will receive the grocery rebate.

On July 5, residents in my riding of Vaughan—Woodbridge and across Canada, from coast to coast to coast, will receive the grocery rebate, and I know it will help millions of Canadians. That is what our government is about.

This one-time payment will help them cope with the increased cost of living. I have spoken with people in my riding of Vaughan—Woodbridge, and I can confirm that this is a long-awaited measure for many people in great need.

The grocery rebate consists of up to $467 more for eligible couples with two children, up to $234 more for single individuals without children, and an average of $225 more for seniors.

Also, we will soon begin the automatic advance payments of the Canada workers benefit. This benefit has already helped lift thousands of Canadians out of poverty.

The Canada workers benefit is one of the great things our government, three times now, has strengthened and improved for millions and millions of Canadians, and we know those working hard, pulling them out—