Debates of Nov. 21st, 2024

Taxation

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is giving a tax break to all Canadians. That means there is not going to be GST on essential goods, everyday goods like groceries, toys for the holidays and kids' clothing. We know that Canadians are looking forward to this tax break. We know that it is being done responsibly. It will be done for two months.

The question on everybody's mind is whether the Conservative member has checked with his leader to see whether the member will be able to vote for a tax break, or maybe the leader will not let him do that.

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary Forest Lawn, AB]

Mr. Speaker, instead of a temporary inflationary pause, why do we not give Canadians a real break and call a carbon tax election now so Canadians can send the costly coalition on a permanent holiday. A common-sense Conservative government will axe the tax on gas, groceries and home heating and bring home lower prices and powerful paycheques.

Let us do it; let us call a carbon tax election so common-sense Conservatives can axe the tax on everything for everyone for good.

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, this week the media reported that the Conservative leader is preventing members of Parliament in the Conservative Party from advocating for their citizens and for housing investments.

The Liberal government is there for Canadians. We are instituting a tax holiday, a tax break for Canadians when they need it most.

The question on everybody's mind is whether Conservative members are going to be allowed to represent their communities, to represent vulnerable Canadians and to vote in favour of a tax break, or are they going to need to follow their Conservative leader?

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I will ask members again not to take the floor when they are not recognized. I have asked the member for South Shore—St. Margarets to do that on some occasions this week, and I will also ask the member for Calgary Signal Hill to please do the same. We all want to hear the question from the hon. member for Northumberland—Peterborough South, who has the floor.

The Economy

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

Mr. Speaker, Canadians do not have to wonder anymore. The cost of living crisis coalition never really left us. Just a few months ago, though, the NDP leader said, “the Liberals are too weak, too selfish and too beholden to corporate interests to fight for people”. I could not agree more. However, today he flip-flopped; he announced his full confidence in the Liberal Prime Minister.

If the coalition is so sure of itself and its poverty-inducing agenda, why not go to Canadians and call a carbon tax election?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, let me get this straight. The Conservative members of Parliament talk about reducing poverty and talk about helping Canadians through affordability challenges, but when we have a real thing on the table that would cut the GST on essential goods, they have to listen to their leader and oppose cutting taxes for Canadians.

This is just par for the course for the Conservatives. We know that the guy who supposedly fights for freedom of speech does not want his MPs to speak freely. The real question is this: Will he allow them to vote freely for Canadians and this tax cut?

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

Mr. Speaker, how can Canadians be reasonably expected to see that the costly coalition that got us into this economic quagmire could possibly see a way out? The Prime Minister has increased food costs by 35%. He has increased the cost of gasoline by over 50%. He has increased the cost of mortgages and housing by over 70%.

I have a simple question: When will the Prime Minister allow for real chance, real opportunity and real hope by calling a carbon tax election?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the GST would be removed on essential goods for the next couple of months, and the Conservatives want to vote against it. As we go into the holidays and families are thinking about buying toys and getting Christmas trees, we are offering removing the GST on those very things.

The Conservatives say, “No, do not stand up for Canadians. Do not help them through these tough times.” That is par for the course and their pattern of behaviour. When I look in the dictionary, that starts with an “H” and ends with “ypocrisy”.

Taxation

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are cutting the GST from beer and wine during the holiday season in the hope that people will forget how bad they are, but Canada's food banks do not have time to celebrate. This Liberal government's priorities are all about pandering for votes.

Does the Liberal government understand that Canadians want tax cuts all the time, not just during the holidays?

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, we are offering a tax holiday on groceries, children's toys and children's clothing. That means that starting on December 14, going to a restaurant and having a drink in a glass or even a bottle with family or friends will be tax-free.

Did the Conservative member who rose today check with the Conservative leader to see if he is allowed to vote in favour of this measure?

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, child poverty is up in 97% of ridings across the country. One in five children are now living in poverty under this Liberal government.

Instead of inviting us out for “a glass of beer, my dear”, as the song goes, here is a common-sense solution to help families: axe the carbon tax for everyone, permanently. That would make it less expensive to pay for gas, groceries and heating during our Liberal winters.

Will the Prime Minister call an election immediately?

[Jenna Sudds, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, what we will call for is a tax break through the winter and the holidays for Canadians across the country. I had the chance this morning to talk with a dad in my riding, Chris, who told me how much this would save him on diapers and the basics that families need day in and day out. We are moving forward with a tax holiday to support Canadians in these expensive times. I think the question members should be asking is this: Will the Conservative leader allow them to support this for Canadians?

Public Safety

[Kristina Michaud, Bloc, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, at a time when we are calling on the federal government to increase staffing levels at the border in preparation for a possible wave of migration, what a shock it was to learn that Ottawa is reducing its hours of service at border crossings.

On Tuesday, the border services officers' union expressed concern, too. It said: “At a time when all eyes are on the border...it is beyond shortsighted for the Agency to proceed with this reduction of service. To claim that the border is more secure with ports closed more often is like saying that up is down — it's nonsense”.

What does the Minister of Public Safety have to say to concerned border services officers?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, we have been working with the U.S. authorities for months, over a year, in fact, to find the best way to harmonize hours of service at certain secondary border crossings.

This will do two things. In the event that someone shows up on the Canadian side of the border and is not admissible to Canada, it will allow us to send them back to a U.S. customs office that will actually be open. It will also allow the government to reassign border services officers to other border crossings as needed.

[Kristina Michaud, Bloc, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, reducing border crossing hours sends a pretty bad message to everyone but smugglers. It sends the message that the border could be even less secure than it is today.

The message Ottawa should be sending is that it will deploy resources to support the officers and the RCMP. Hunting down human smugglers along the world's longest land border is a game of cat and mouse, and when the cat is away, the mice will play.

When it has gotten to the point that Quebec is sending the Sûreté du Québec to deal with the border in the federal government's stead, is that really a good time to cut back services at border crossings?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, now is the time to support our law enforcement agencies, to support the RCMP, to support border services, and to work with law enforcement authorities in the province of Quebec, as we always do.

This is a joint effort between Canadian law enforcement and our American partners. This is exactly what our government has done from the beginning. We reversed the Conservatives' cuts to the RCMP and border services, and we will continue to invest more to ensure that they have the resources they need to do their important work.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Salaberry—Suroît, QC]

Mr. Speaker, people who live near the border in Salaberry—Suroît and Châteauguay—Lacolle all know that smugglers are already one step ahead of the federal government. With the return of Donald Trump, people are even more worried. Cutting the CBSA's hours of service does nothing to reassure the public.

At a time when the RCMP should be stepping up its efforts and we are asking Ottawa to support those efforts, does the government realize how contradictory and disturbing it is to learn that the CBSA is reducing its services?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, what is not contradictory is working with our American partners, as we always do, and supporting the RCMP and the people who work at the CBSA, so they can do the work Canadians expect them to do. That is exactly what we are doing.

I can assure my colleague that reducing the hours of service at certain border crossings is obviously being done in collaboration with the U.S. All staff will stay in the regions, for example in Quebec, to help with emergencies at other border crossings, as needed.

Carbon Pricing

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP leader said, “the Liberals are too weak, too selfish and too beholden to corporate interests to fight for [Canadians]”, but it only took him two months to renege on his word, reaffirm his commitment to the Prime Minister and his costly coalition and keep Canadians in carbon tax hell.

Today, he reaffirmed that he is committed to and shows confidence in the Prime Minister while he quadruples the carbon tax on farmers, food and fuel. How about a common-sense solution? Let us axe carbon tax on everything for everyone forever.

Will the Prime Minister give real relief to Canadians and call a carbon tax election?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, we are delivering real relief for Canadians. It is the Conservatives who are trying to make life more expensive when they have an opportunity to help Canadians with the high cost of living. This is unsurprising, because it is from the same party whose leader was delivering donuts to people out here who were protesting, yet this morning had protesters removed by police from his home. The guy who cares about freedom of speech certainly does not like it when people oppose his views.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

Order.

The hon. member for Foothills.

The Economy

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is not good when protesters go to anyone's house, not just the Leader of the Opposition's.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!