Madam Speaker, this is one of the interesting pieces. Maybe in some parts of the country people can wait until December 14 to buy their children winter boots or a winter jacket. That is not the case in most parts of rural Canada. In fact I just pulled up the weather app. It is -13°C in Fort McMurray. There is full snow cover.
I cannot wait in order to save 5% on a snowsuit, wait another month before my children have appropriate winter gear. Parents cannot afford to do that, because they would be putting their children in danger. This is part of the struggle.
Like I said earlier, if the government really cared about helping Canadians who are struggling with the cost of living crisis that it caused, there is a very simple answer: It could axe the carbon tax on everything for everyone for always. That would actually have an impact and allow parents to choose how they are going to support their family.
The reality is a 5% savings on diapers for a family in Alberta. I did some calculations, and I spend about $100 a month on diapers, so that means a $5 savings. If I shop for the diapers while they are on sale, which is probably not going to fall when the GST holiday actually falls, I can save $11. I am better off to just wait for a sale on diapers if I can afford to stock up. However, most families cannot afford to stock up right now because the Liberals have made it so difficult because of their ever-increasing tax burden.
There is good news and hope on the horizon. Common-sense Conservatives will axe the tax for everyone on all the items for always when it comes to the carbon tax.