House of Commons Hansard #386 of the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was conservatives.
Lianne Rood Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON
Mr. Speaker, we know Canada is about to be sent over a fiscal cliff when the Liberals cannot even do basic math. That is why tensions are rising in the Liberal caucus. The finance minister is as unfit to lead as her boss. Maybe that is why the Prime Minister is making unilateral financial decisions.
Will the finance minister continue to blindly decimate our economy, or will she actually show some leadership and stick to her $40-billion fiscal guardrail?
Karina Gould LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, again, on this side of the House, we are putting Canadians first. That is what we have done for the last nine years, understanding that, when times are tough, we are there for Canadians.
What we hear from Conservative members of Parliament is that, when times are tough, they look to take supports away from Canadians, not to be there for them. We will not allow that to happen. We are going to continue to be there for Canadians every step of the way.
Pierre Paul-Hus Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
Mr. Speaker, according to The Globe and Mail, tensions are growing between the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance over spending measures such as the election gimmick of cutting the GST for Christmas. Even their own officials say that this $6.28‑billion expense is fiscally unwise.
We all know that the Prime Minister has lost control and that the Minister of Finance is going to break her promise of keeping the deficit below $40 billion.
Does the minister understand that she has a responsibility and that she has to say stop when the Prime Minister makes ridiculous demands?
Jean-Yves Duclos LiberalMinister of Public Services and Procurement
Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Finance has said many times, it is a question of fiscal responsibility. Canada has the best fiscal record of any G7 country in terms of debt-to-GDP ratio, deficit-to-GDP ratio, interest rates and interest paid on debt. On top of that, interest rates are falling, inflation is dropping and employment is on the rise.
What would be irresponsible is to do what the Conservatives are doing. Canadians are having had a hard time making ends meet in 2024, but the Conservatives are doing everything they can to make life even harder for them.
Ken Hardie Liberal Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
Mr. Speaker, the government made a great announcement to support Canadians over this holiday season, because the holidays should be a stress-free period for Canadians—
The Speaker Liberal Greg Fergus
Order.
This is a good time to remind all members to be very careful about objects that they put on their microphones as it hurts the ears, which are the tools of our interpreters.
The hon. member for Fleetwood—Port Kells, from the top.
Ken Hardie Liberal Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
Mr. Speaker, the government did make that great announcement to support Canadians over the holiday season. Holidays should be a stress-free period for all Canadians, but for some, this is not the case, as spending can be a source of difficulty for some families. We have a plan for that, but that would be the plan that the Conservatives voted against.
Could the minister share more details about our government's plan to put more money in the pockets of Canadians?
Ya'ara Saks LiberalMinister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for his question and also for the hard work that he does on behalf of his constituents and Canadians.
We will always be there for Canadians, for families and businesses, in the good times and in the hard times. Twice we have offered tax cuts to the middle class and twice the Conservative leader has voted against them.
Today, with the GST cut, we are providing even greater support for families and businesses. One would think, with all the slogans and the childish shouting, this would be a no-brainer for the Conservatives, but they voted against this tax cut and they voted against Canadians. We are here for Canadians.
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
Mr. Speaker, The Globe and Mail is reporting a big fight between the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance. They have blown through every deficit target every year but, apparently, we “ain't seen nothing yet”. Just like what happened to the last finance minister, the Prime Minister does not care about this finance minister breaking her promise that the deficit would not be more than $40 billion. Who cares when the Prime Minister fears for his political life?
I have a simple question. Is the deficit more than $40 billion, yes or no?
Karina Gould LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, again, what we see from Conservative members of Parliament is their attempt to distract from the fact that when given the opportunity to vote for a tax break for Canadians, they voted against it. They are travelling across the country saying that they are going to cut taxes, but at the very first opportunity to do that, they say “no.” This is actually a pattern of behaviour because, over the past nine years when we have brought forward other tax cuts for the middle class or benefits for Canadians, they vote against them.
On this side of the House, we are going to stay focused on Canadians and delivering for them in their time of need.
Rick Perkins Conservative South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
Mr. Speaker, there we have it, a real-life Thelma and Louise. The Prime Minister is driving Canadians through the finance minister's deficit guardrail into the abyss. The Prime Minister is throwing the finance minister under the bus. Now, in The Globe and Mail, senior Liberals are throwing the Prime Minister's vote-buying under the bus.
It truly is hard to imagine a deficit number so bad that even senior Liberals are complaining. What is the deficit number that is so large that even leaking Liberals are appalled?
Arif Virani LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Mr. Speaker, I have been listening patiently during this entire question period, and I have heard a lot of attacks on the Minister of Finance. I will tell Canadians why we support that incredible female leader. It is because she empowers women around this country. How does she do that? She puts in place programs like the Canada child care program.
The Speaker Liberal Greg Fergus
The Speaker stood up because the hon. member for Peterborough—Kawartha was—
The Speaker Liberal Greg Fergus
I am going to ask the hon. member for Peterborough—Kawartha, please, to withhold herself while we listen to the hon. minister.
The hon. Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada can start from the top.
Arif Virani Liberal Parkdale—High Park, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have been listening patiently through all of question period to attacks on the current finance minister. I am going to say what a strong female leader looks like.
A strong female finance minister empowers women to participate in our economy. How does she do that? She puts in place, and has the courage to put in place, something like a Canada child care program, which has resulted in an 85% women's labour force participation rate in this country. That is an all-time high. That is what a feminist looks like. That is what a great woman leader looks like. That is what a great finance minister looks like, and that is somebody who I will stand by every single day in this chamber.
Marty Morantz Conservative Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB
Mr. Speaker, The Globe and Mail has reported that tensions are on the rise and that the weak Prime Minister is forcing the Minister of Finance to spend even more. The minister promised Canadians, out of her own mouth, the deficit would not exceed $40 billion. Now it is clear she has crashed right through that guardrail. Canadians deserve to know how much the deficit is. Do not make them wait until Monday; tell us the number now.
The Speaker Liberal Greg Fergus
Once again I will remind all members to point their questions through the Chair. Order, please.
The hon. Leader of the Government in the House of Commons.
Karina Gould LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, the member knows very well that we are bringing forward the fall economic statement next Monday. We are very much looking forward to the finance minister presenting that to the House, and we are exceptionally proud of the record of this government, of which the finance minister has been an incredible leader. Whether it comes to the Canada child benefit, child care for Canadians, a national school food program or supporting Canadians and businesses through the worst pandemic in our lives, she was at the helm of it and led us through those difficult times. We know that together we will continue to support Canadians and lead them through these tough times.
Michael McLeod Liberal Northwest Territories, NT
Mr. Speaker, last week the Minister of Foreign Affairs announced a new Arctic foreign policy. It reflects the reality of our region and was developed in partnership with indigenous governments as well as Arctic and territorial partners. It strengthens our work here at home and our engagement with other northern nations like Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the United States. They are Canada's like-minded Arctic partners and they are all, apparently, countries that Conservatives have never heard of. For northerners and indigenous people who call the Arctic home, and to all Canadians, can the minister tell us why she launched the foreign—
Mélanie Joly LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, as the world is getting tougher, we need to get tougher. This Arctic foreign policy builds on the biggest investments in our defence in generations, more than the Conservatives ever did. It puts people in the north first, allowing indigenous peoples, particularly Inuit and northerners, to be at the centre of international relations affecting them. Russia and China are working together against our interests in the Arctic. This is something we take seriously, contrary to the Leader of the Opposition, who is not serious about defending our north and is trivializing northerners.