Debates of Feb. 2nd, 2024

Canada Revenue Agency

[Irek Kusmierczyk, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment]

Madam Speaker, we have been clear from the outset that if the situation of repayment arose, we would treat all cases individually and fairly.

We were also clear that we would show flexibility and recover overpayments without any interest or any penalties. To prevent undue hardship, flexible repayment options are available. Individuals can establish a repayment schedule based on their financial situation and their ability to pay.

We will continue to take a responsible approach to ensure a fair process.

Carbon Pricing

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer—Mountain View, AB]

Madam Speaker, after eight years of the Liberal-NDP government, farmers and consumers know that the Prime Minister is not worth the cost.

Increasing the carbon tax only increases the cost of goods in stores. For those farmers who cannot pass on the exorbitant carbon tax, it destroys their bottom line.

Will the Liberals reject the Senate's amendments and restore Bill C-234 to its original state, removing the carbon tax on farmers and lowering the price of food for Canadians?

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Madam Speaker, the Conservatives love to talk the talk with farmers, but when it comes time for action, they are always missing in action.

Every time they were in power, the Conservatives slashed funding for farmers, something they do not like to talk about. They slashed $200 million that was directed to farmers.

On this side of the House, we added 25% more dollars in our agreement with the provinces, money that is going directly to farmers. As the hon. member knows, there is a partial rebate available for the issue that he has raised.

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer—Mountain View, AB]

Madam Speaker, these ministers must do a lot more than just mouth Greta's catchphrases.

Grain commodity prices have dropped 20% to 40% in the last few months. Localized drought and flooding always takes its toll. The price drop is because prairie farmers have had one of the best yielding crops ever, but there is no more profit. Suppliers, banks and governments are the only winners. Quadrupling the carbon tax on farmers' inputs will be devastating.

Will the Liberals stop playing games and give farmers the break they need?

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Madam Speaker, we are not playing games, and I wish the member would stop misinforming this House.

Obviously, farmers have faced droughts. We get that. We understand. Why? It is because of climate change. Twenty-one percent of grains in 2021 did not make it to the market. There are programs in place, like AgriStability.

I hope the member is lobbying extremely hard to the member of the official opposition to make him understand that slashing AgriStability while he was at the cabinet table was not a good policy for farmers. On this side of the House, we are supporting farmers. We are putting more money in their pockets. We are making sure that, when they face droughts, programs are available for them.

[Branden Leslie, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Madam Speaker, it is common sense. When farmers are taxed for having to dry their grain or heat their barn, the government is making it much more expensive to produce the food we all eat.

Jim, a poultry farmer from my riding, is paying $5,000 a month in carbon taxes to heat his barn. The Prime Minister always thinks that he knows best. He thinks that food just teleports to grocery stores, that it magically appears on plates, and he even thinks he can run Jim's farm better than he can.

How much more does he suggest Jim should be paying to heat his barn when it is -40°?

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Madam Speaker, I am always happy to rise to answer a question on farming. I am glad the member raises supply management. Our government has supported supply management throughout its mandate. For eight years, we have supported supply management, and $4.5 billion is available for supply managed farmers.

Obviously the member raises an important question. We understand that climate change has a huge impact on the availability of land and the crops. It has a huge impact on the profitability of farmers. We just hope that the member can lobby his Leader of the Opposition to make sure that he does not slash budgets that are available for farmers.

[Branden Leslie, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Madam Speaker, I wish we could spread answers like that on farmers' fields so that at least they could benefit from some of that fertilizer.

This NDP-Liberal government is costing Canadians through high food prices, once again showing how out of touch it is. Not only did the radical environment minister admit to pressuring senators to gut Bill C-234, but farmers are getting another carbon tax on April 1. After eight years, the Prime Minister has proven that he is most certainly not worth the cost.

Will the Liberals reject the Senate's amendments and completely remove the carbon tax from farmers to lower food prices for Canadians?

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

Madam Speaker, the member is an associate member of the finance committee. Yesterday, the Governor of the Bank of Canada appeared there and made it clear that carbon pricing is not a fundamental factor in inflation.

What is important is the fact that we have to get behind the idea of competition. The Liberal government has put forward a measure that would advance competition in the grocery sector. We know why Conservatives do not support it. Their chief adviser is on the side of Loblaws, that party is in the pocket of Loblaws and they are in the pocket of Walmart, it seems. Their deputy leader has been a lobbyist for them. They do not believe in competition in the grocery sector. They do not believe in Canadians.

[Gerald Soroka, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

Madam Speaker, Bill C-234 is back in the House after Liberal-appointed senators stalled and gutted this crucial legislation. This bill is vital for exempting farmers from the carbon tax and would ease the high cost of Canadian food. However, as the carbon tax is set to quadruple, farmers will pay $1 billion by 2030 and will push food prices even higher.

Will the Liberals scrap the Senate amendments, remove the carbon tax from agriculture and make food more affordable for everyone?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Madam Speaker, we know that farmers feel the brunt of climate change and natural disasters day to day, and that is what is increasing food prices when we see how they are being impacted by natural disasters.

We are taking action to fight climate change and at the same time support farmers. In each instance where we were supporting farmers in the last votes, the Conservatives voted against. They voted against $25 million going to Fort McMurray—Cold Lake to support agricultural workers in that field. Why are they standing against supporting farmers to fight climate change?

[Gerald Soroka, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

Madam Speaker, with an answer like that, I am not surprised Canadians cannot afford food, in a country where two million citizens are relying on food banks monthly. It is baffling to see the NDP-Liberal coalition push to quadruple the carbon tax. When we tax the farmer who grows the food and the trucker who delivers the food, Canadians are stuck with higher food prices.

Bill C-234 in its original form promises immediate relief. Will the Liberals discard the Senate's alterations, lift this tax burden and help Canadians afford their groceries?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Madam Speaker, the first thing the Conservatives did the last time they formed government was to get rid of child care right across our country. That impacted affordability.

We have a national child care program that is reducing the cost of child care to $10 a day. The Conservatives were sending hundred-dollar cheques to millionaires. We brought in the Canada child benefit that gives up to $619 a month to the people who need it the most. In each instance, we are there to support families to put food on the table; they are not.

Small Business

[Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, Bloc, Terrebonne, QC]

Madam Speaker, the January 18 loan forgiveness repayment deadline for the Canada emergency business account proved how little the federal government cares about our entrepreneurs.

Unfathomably, this week the Liberals were celebrating the fact that 80% of businesses have repaid the loan. This means that 20% of SMEs cannot pay it back. One in five SMEs that took out the emergency loan is now facing bankruptcy, and the government thinks that is good news.

Do the Liberals really think that 180,000 potential bankruptcies is good news?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Madam Speaker, once again, we are there to support SMEs in a number of ways.

Yes, the emergency business account was very important during COVID-19. We extended the $60,000 loan with a forgivable portion. Up to 80% of people have already paid it back. There are still measures in place for repayment over three years. The minimum payable amount is the 5% interest, which translates into $250 a month. There is a whole range of measures.

I would remind members that if we had not offered the wage subsidy, many businesses would not be here today, but thanks to us, they survived.

[Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, Bloc, Terrebonne, QC]

Madam Speaker, while the Liberals pat themselves on the back, they are ignoring all the sacrifices made by the businesses that have paid back their loans.

There are people who have stretched their line of credit to the limit. There are people who have risked losing their own home. All that because the government refuses to assess the files on a case-by-case basis, because it refuses to guarantee the loans with financial institutions, because it insists on adding $20,000 in debt to businesses that are already on the brink.

Would it be so hard to offer a bit of flexibility to our businesses?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Madam Speaker, during COVID‑19, if we had not been there with the Canada emergency business account, with the wage subsidy and with rent assistance, thousands of small and medium-sized businesses would not have made it.

We have come through COVID-19, the economy is recovering and conditions are perfectly reasonable for loan repayment. Some 80% of businesses have already paid back their loans. They still have until the end of March. Those who have to extend for another three years will have to pay only 5% interest, which is an extra $250 a month.

Carbon Pricing

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

Madam Speaker, after eight years of this NDP-Liberal government, so many of my residents struggle to pay for gas and groceries, particularly seniors on fixed incomes, single parents and persons with disabilities. We can fight this made-in-Canada inflation by supporting the Conservative leader's motion to cancel the April 1 carbon tax increase.

Will the Liberal and NDP caucus members vote to stop this increase to help struggling Canadians, or will the Prime Minister simply whip them all?

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Madam Speaker, it seems the Conservatives have some explaining to do. While they are taking acting classes and talking about the plight and affordability of Canadians, the leader of the official opposition's chief strategist is getting rich off the back of Loblaws as a lobbyist. We now know that while the Conservatives act for their videos, they are voting against Canadians' interests, and against affordability and competition for grocery prices. While the Conservatives take acting classes, we are acting—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member for Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola.

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

Madam Speaker, the only ones who are not acting here are us on this side, being responsible and saying what our constituents are feeling.

The Prime Minister recognized the pain that his carbon tax caused and exempted home heating oil from it last fall, but this did not occur in my home province. The B.C. government said that it wanted an exemption for home heating oil from the NDP-Liberal government similar to its climate plan.

I support the Conservative leader's common-sense plan to axe the tax for all Canadians but at the very least, British Columbia should be treated fairly. If B.C. requests it, will the Prime Minister approve its request?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Madam Speaker, British Columbia has been a leader in fighting climate change. In fact, it brought a price on carbon pollution before the federal government did, and it has been a true partner throughout every step. We will continue to work with the Province of British Columbia to make sure it supports Canadians with the greener homes grant and other programs, and we continue to support every measure for Canadians to have cleaner fuel.

[Len Webber, Conservative, Calgary Confederation, AB]

Madam Speaker, a tax on a farmer is a tax on food. It is that simple. Canadians know that rising carbon taxes make everything more expensive, and they overwhelmingly know that after eight years the current NDP-Liberal government is not worth the cost. Conservatives know a carbon-tax hike on April 1 will make food even more unaffordable. That is why we put forward a sensible motion to cancel this tax hike.

Do the Liberals even know that their carbon tax hike will continue to drive up the cost of food?

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Madam Speaker, it is a bit funny that members on that side are talking about affordability. My hon. colleague has brought up a good point. The chief strategist for the leader of the official opposition is a lobbyist for Loblaws. Loblaws is the only grocer asking not to be part of the grocery code of conduct, which is something the Conservatives supported. They were supportive of the grocery code of conduct. Now I am wondering if it is an official policy of the Conservative Party of Canada that it is no longer supporting the grocery code of conduct because its chief strategist is the lobbyist for Loblaws.

[Len Webber, Conservative, Calgary Confederation, AB]

Madam Speaker, the current government just does not understand how badly Canadians are struggling, including in my city of Calgary. Statistics Canada recently reported that it costs more to afford basic goods and to live a moderate standard of living in Calgary than in any other major city in Canada. It now costs more to live in Calgary than it does to live in Toronto or Vancouver.

Will the Liberals stop their April 1 carbon tax increase that will make gas, groceries and home heating even more expensive, or will they pile more costs on Calgarians?