Debates of Nov. 22nd, 2024

The Economy

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

Mr. Speaker, all Canadians are going to benefit from the tax break that the Liberal government is offering, and I thank NDP members for their support for this measure. I think that every single Canadian will feel the difference at the cash register when they are paying for their groceries, when they are buying their Christmas presents and especially when they are looking to buy children's clothing. We know that Canadian families have had challenging times, and we are helping them with a tax break.

Housing

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, over the past two weeks, four unhoused Edmontonians were found dead in a bus shelter. Homeward Trust says that there are over 4,000 people in Edmonton who are unhoused. Neither the UCP nor the Liberals have invested enough in shelter space or housing. Winter has arrived in Edmonton, and this is an emergency or more people will die. When will the minister realize that Danielle Smith is not going to help and that federal funding needs to go directly to the organizations that will save lives in Edmonton this winter?

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing]

Mr. Speaker, all levels of government have a solemn responsibility to respond to the scourge that is homelessness. That is why this federal government has responded to the issue by putting forward, among other things, $250 million for encampment response, something the Government of Alberta recently committed to matching. That means getting people out of camps and into homes. That is on top of 87,000 people being taken off the street as a result of the Reaching Home program, this government's signature response to homelessness that the Conservatives have committed to cut.

The Economy

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the NDP-Liberal government, Canadians are falling far behind. The government has dragged our economic performance down to just two-thirds of that of the United States. This is costing Canadians on everything they buy, and paycheques have not kept up with the inflation the government has caused. A recession is defined as two quarters of negative economic growth. Canada has seen per capita declines in eight of the last nine quarters. This is failure.

Will the Liberals call an election so Conservatives can start to fix Canada's budget?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, one of the things my hon. colleague forgot to mention was that Canada has sustained a AAA credit rating and the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7 and has repeatedly seen inflation decreasing, to 1.6% in September. My hon. colleague mentioned GDP per capita. I take the point. We will continue to examine our economic supports, including making sure we have a tax-free holiday for Canadians, including we give money back in cash for workers.

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, even a Prime Minister who does not think much about monetary policy told us this past May, “As soon as you [send people extra money], inflation goes up by...that amount.” The government is now proposing to increase inflation and punch our deficit and debt higher. That is like a pyromaniac dressing up as a firefighter. The most inflationary tax is the carbon tax.

Will the Liberals call a carbon tax election so Conservatives can start to fix Canada's budget?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, what we believe is that investing in people, investing in our economy, leads to greater economic growth. That is why Canada leads the G7 in terms of net debt-to-GDP ratio, that is why independent credit rating agencies have said that we should maintain our AAA credit rating and that is why Canadians have elected us numerous times, defeating many leaders of the official opposition. Let us make sure we continue to support Canadians, and this time with a tax-free holiday.

Carbon Pricing

[Corey Tochor, Conservative, Saskatoon—University, SK]

Mr. Speaker, well, folks, the NDP-Liberal coalition is back. Did it ever really break up? I do not think so. Remember when the NDP leader said, “the Liberals are too weak, too selfish and too beholden to corporate interests to fight for people”? He just announced that he has confidence in the Liberal Prime Minister until February 2025. I wonder what happens then. Canadians cannot afford this. Now the government is trying to bribe Canadians with their own money with a sudden two-month temporary tax break, but Canadians will not be fooled. Here is a common-sense solution: Axe the carbon tax on everything, for everyone, forever.

Will the Prime Minister call a carbon tax election today?

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and to the Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, there is only one thing Conservatives hate more than Canada's economy doing well, and it is Liberals putting real and tangible affordability measures to the House of Commons that really help support Canadians. We have done that time and time again, and what did the Conservatives do? They opposed. When we proposed to do a middle-class tax cut way back in 2015, it was one of the first things this government did, they opposed it. Today they are opposing a GST break for the holidays. How cruel can the Conservative Party be?

[Corey Tochor, Conservative, Saskatoon—University, SK]

Mr. Speaker, Liberals have been ripping off Canadians for the last nine years, and Canadians will not be tricked by this most recent trickery. Food prices have risen 36% faster in Canada than in the States. We have over two million people using the food banks every month. In Saskatchewan, food bank use is up over 42%. Now the Liberals are promising a temporary two-month tax break. Here is a little solution for these guys. What they need to do is axe the tax. That is all we are calling for: the carbon tax to be axed.

Will the Prime Minister call a carbon tax election today?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that every time the Conservatives talk about climate change, they never talk about the cost to Canadians of climate impacts.

We have seen record levels, just for this year, in the months of July and August, of $7 billion in climate costs to Canadians, which makes it the costliest year ever on record. What is their solution? Let the planet burn. The Conservative Leader of the Opposition has voted 400 times against clean air, clean water and a clean environment for Canadian communities. On this side of the House, we will be here to support Canadians and to fight climate change.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

Once again, I am encouraging all members, please, not to take the floor unless recognized by the Chair.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP leader once declared that Liberals were “too weak, too selfish, and too beholden to corporate interests to fight for people.” However, today, he is singing a different tune, backing a plan to quadruple the carbon tax to 61¢ a litre.

With food bank visits hitting two million in a single month and a quarter of Canadians living in poverty, how many more Canadians need to choose between heating and eating before the Prime Minister realizes his carbon tax coalition is simply a recipe for disaster?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, what it is a recipe for is supporting Canadians during a difficult time with tax-free essential goods, diapers, clothes, essentials, groceries and prepared foods.

Canadians are going to have support from our government through the holidays. That is, if the Conservatives could decide to actually support Canadians, rather than filibustering, being obstructionists and making sure they are playing their own partisan games. How can they claim to speak for Canadians when they cannot even speak for themselves in this caucus?

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Mr. Speaker, we cannot make this up. The Liberals are saying a PlayStation 5 is an essential good.

With 30% of food banks running out of food, and 35% of Canadians feeling worse off financially, the government's appetite for higher carbon taxes seems to be the only thing that is well fed. Now, is the Prime Minister so desperate to cling to power that he is resorting to tax tricks, sending people pennies while he crushes Canadians every April 1, moving towards a 61¢-a-litre carbon tax?

When will the Prime Minister realize his carbon tax coalition is not just running on empty, it is running on fumes?

[James Maloney, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, crusading against tax cuts over the holidays. Merry Christmas from the Conservative Party of Canada.

Let me tell the House about the reaction from constituents in Etobicoke—Lakeshore, who I represent. They are very excited and very grateful. Let me talk about the small business owners throughout the City of Toronto, who are very grateful for this opportunity because it is going to help their businesses and get them through the holidays. The Conservatives need to support this and stop the nonsense.

Taxation

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Mr. Speaker, according to the Tax Justice Network, Canada is now the world's fifth major tax haven for multinationals and the uber-wealthy. That means Canada is worse than Bermuda and the big Swiss banks. Every year, the federal government deprives us of $15 billion because of accounting schemes. In the meantime, it keeps telling us that paying fair old age pensions to all seniors costs too much.

Does it not have any shame at all?

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, there are over 60,000 employees with the CRA. There are massive strategies that are being worked on with international partners to ensure that tax avoidance and tax evasion are being prevented.

I look forward to working with all members in this House to make sure that we are providing the right amount of support to the CRA to ensure that we are working on this very important issue. Tax fairness is a pillar of our democracy, and we need to ensure that that continues to happen.

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Mr. Speaker, that is not really consistent with the facts.

Canada was once the 12th major tax haven in the world and this year, under this NDP-backed Liberal government, it ranks fifth. Worse still, Canada is one of eight countries causing actual harm by preventing the UN from developing a framework for international co-operation to crack down on tax havens. Not only is Canada's climbing the ranks of the worst of the worst, it is holding on to its top-place position.

While the federal government is condoning tax avoidance to the tune of $15 billion, it is also bickering with Quebec over releasing $50 million for the homeless, with winter just around the corner.

Is that is what a left-leaning government is all about?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Minister of Labour and Seniors]

Mr. Speaker, we have invited Quebec to invest with us to combat homelessness in cities and towns across Quebec. I hope that the Government of Quebec will accept the Government of Canada's help so that, together, we can fight homelessness in our cities.

As for tax avoidance, the Government of Canada has made major investments in that regard. The Canada Revenue Agency strives every day to reduce tax avoidance, and we will continue that fight.

Carbon Pricing

[Martin Shields, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's desperate temporary tax trick proves he will do anything to save his own skin and tank the Canadian economy no matter the cost. Economist Trevor Tombe says that this will not address the economic challenges we face and that “By doing this, the government invites valid critiques that it is not taking these...issues seriously.”

The leader of the NDP will keep the Liberals in power and permanently quadruple the carbon tax again. Conservatives will axe the tax on everything for everyone. Will the Prime Minister call a carbon tax election?

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, what we know about Conservatives is that they will cut. On this side of the House, we invest.

Just now, we announced that Ontario will be able to feed nearly one million students, 75% of the province's schools, as of today. Every child in Canada deserves a chance at a good, healthy life, nutritious meals and a good start to the day on their education. We are investing $1 billion over five years in our kids to provide nutritious meals. That is 400,000 children across this country who will have a better start to their day. That is what matters.

[Martin Shields, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my constituents do not believe anything from that side, and neither do most Canadians. Tovi from Langdon writes me, “As owners of a small trucking business in Alberta, every time the Liberal carbon tax goes up, our fuel goes up, and we have to charge more.”

If the NDP-Liberals cannot understand that taxing people who grow the food and transport the food makes the food more expensive, can the common-sense Conservatives explain it to them in a carbon tax election?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, it is fascinating that it seems the Conservative Party is listening to economists. Let us listen to what economists are saying. More than 300 of them have said that the best way to fight climate change is to put a price on pollution. Interestingly enough, one of those 300 economists is the economist the member just quoted, Trevor Tombe, who has said on multiple occasions that the best way to fight climate change is to put a price on pollution. This is exactly what we are doing, and we are returning more money to the pockets of Canadians in the process. The Conservatives want to take that away from Canadians.

[Rob Morrison, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP-Liberal coalition is back. I am sure members remember when the leader of the NDP said, “the Liberals are too weak, too selfish and too beholden to corporate interests to fight for people.” Today, the NDP leader announced confidence in the Liberals. The NDP-Liberal coalition will continue in quadrupling the carbon tax to 61¢ a litre. All of this is while the Cranbrook Foodbank Society is struggling with food supply coming up to the holiday season. There is an enormous increase in people, resulting in handing out one bag instead of three bags of groceries.

The Conservatives will axe the carbon tax. Will the Prime Minister call a carbon tax election?