Debates of June 12th, 2024

Taxation

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, for about 20 years, the Conservative leader has been skulking around this place without really much contact with the outside world. In the nine years that the Conservatives have been over there, they have voted against a child benefit, a dental plan, a prescription drug plan and a child care plan. Every time Canadians look to him to stand up for their interests, for fairness in Canada, he takes a seat.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, I see they have pulled the finance minister off the ice. She cannot answer a question.

The minister will not guarantee in law that the bottom 99.87% of Canadians will pay nothing, so let us make it a little bit easier for her. She claimed that she does not want welders to have to pay more.

Will the minister amend her bill to ensure that not a single welder anywhere in Canada would be forced to pay the tax increase, yes or no?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, we will take no lessons from the Conservatives. Generational fairness is key to Canadians. That is why, in the last budget, we presented measures to build this country, measures to invest in our economy, measures to invest in the middle class and measures to help Canadians. Our capital gains tax change would help Canadians.

On this side of the House, can members believe the Conservatives voted against tax fairness? On this side of the House, we will fight for Canadians; we will fight for the middle class.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, are they okay over there?

[An hon. member]

They are a little wacko.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

I will not call them wacko, Mr. Speaker; that is unparliamentary.

I just have a very simple question. This is for the finance minister, if she is not still in hiding. The finance minister said she does not want welders to have to pay more. Will she put an amendment in her tax bill to say that not one single welder would face a tax increase?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, in any given year, 0.13% of Canadians will pay a modest increase in their taxable gains. However, I hear the leader across, who has never seen a support for a single Canadian that he is prepared to vote for, talking about sidelining people. He sidelines that entire caucus in every single question period. We hear from him, yawning and yawning, giving misinformation all the time. He should unchain the rest of the people over there.

Public Services and Procurement

[Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this morning, La Presse described the fiasco surrounding the app used by the Canada Border Services Agency, known as the assessment and revenue management system, or CARM. CARM is like ArriveCAN, an app with cost overruns amounting to $300 million and counting.

Like ArriveCAN, the Canada Border Services Agency is behind its development too. Just like ArriveCAN, the Coradix company, now suspended from submitting government tenders, had a small contract in that. In short, it is a different app, but the same fiasco, the same entity responsible and the same government.

It sure seems like the wild west over at the agency, so what is the minister doing to set it straight?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, we clearly understand the concerns of exporters and other Canadian businesses that deal with the Canada Border Services Agency. That is why we delayed a certain aspect of the app's rollout.

I am well aware of the concerns, and I am going to make sure that the CBSA does things the right way.

[Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the CARM app is like ArriveCAN. It is a money pit. However, it is also like Phoenix in that it does not work. Enough is enough.

This is serious, since the app is supposed to collect duties at the Canada-U.S. border. Some 3.5 billion dollars' worth of transactions take place every day at the border. Imagine the chaos if it fails.

That is why, back in March, the Standing Committee on International Trade asked the Canada Border Services Agency for documents, including contingency plans in case the app stops working. It is now June, and the committee has not received anything.

Will the minister force the CBSA to hand over the documents so that the fiasco can be fixed?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I will see to it that the CBSA provides the Standing Committee on International Trade with all the appropriate documents, that is, the requested documents.

I have also had a number of discussions with CBSA officials to ensure that the scenario the member is raising does not happen.

I will also continue to work with the CBSA.

Taxation

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, I know that the Liberals are demanding I stop asking questions. I can understand why; the finance minister has gone into hiding and stopped answering them. She has claimed that no one except the richest 0.13% will pay any new tax, but the greatest university economist in Canada, Jack Mintz, has reported that 1.25 million will pay. Let us not dispute who is right or wrong.

Will the minister accept an amendment to her bill to ensure that not a single plumber will have to pay any extra taxes under this proposal?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, we can see how nervous and how anxious the Conservatives are. They spent eight weeks terrified of saying anything about capital gains, and today the Conservative leader is so anxious that he does not trust a single member of his caucus to say a word. I have sympathy for them because they have shown how phony they are. They have had a chance to be on the side of working people, on the side of fairness. They have shown whose side they are really on.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, will the finance minister exempt all carpenters from her tax increase, yes or no?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, we presented every single member of the House with a very clear and, actually, really easy choice. Do they think someone who makes a salary of $58,000 a year, such as a person in Carleton whose only income is their wage, should pay tax at a higher marginal rate than someone earning capital gains of more than $250,000 a year? It is not complicated, but it is complicated for them.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, a lot of restaurant owners will pay this tax increase on their very first dollar of investment gains inside a company. That is a fact. They earn $58,000 a year. It is a very simple question. If what I am saying is wrong, there is a very simple solution.

Will the minister commit to amending her bill to say that any retiring restaurant owner who has been earning $58,000 a year will be fully exempt from any of these tax increases?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, there was once a Conservative prime minister. His name was John Diefenbaker. He was from the Prairies, like me and like the Conservative leader. He set up a royal commission on taxation, and Ken Carter led that commission. Ken Carter memorably said, “a buck is a buck is a buck.” He thought that all one's income, whether it is a capital gain or is made through hard work, should be taxed. However, these Conservatives have shown their true colours. They are just not on the side of working people, and they are embarrassed.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, John Diefenbaker is from Saskatchewan, where there are lots of farmers. The member will not commit to amend her law to exempt carpenters or plumbers or retiring modest-income independent restaurant owners, so I have a very simple question.

Given we are in a food price crisis, will the finance minister amend her proposal to say that no farmer will pay higher taxes under this plan?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative leader is squirming. The Conservative leader is nervous, and I know why he is nervous. It is because we presented him with a very clear choice yesterday: One can be on the side of someone who sweats every day, who earns all their money through their paycheque, or someone who is earning more than $250,000 in capital gains every single year. We know whose side we are on. Now we know whose side they are on, too.

Labour

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, everyone wants to avoid a shutdown at Canada's two biggest railways, and rail workers deserve the time needed to negotiate a fair deal. However, CP and CN seem to be trying to orchestrate a simultaneous work stoppage in order to force the workers' hand. Now, the union has suggested staggering the negotiations in order to minimize the impacts. This seems to be in everyone's best interest, but the companies have rejected it outright.

What will the minister do to support the union's very reasonable request?

[Seamus O'Regan, Liberal, Minister of Labour and Seniors]

Mr. Speaker, I will make sure that both sides remain at the table and that they are fully supported by our federal mediation and conciliation service, which has a 96% success rate in preventing work stoppages and strikes. We stand with them. They are well supported at the table.

Justice

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, for 30 years, Johannes Rivoire sexually abused children in Nunavut when he was supposed to be their priest. Instead of being tried for his crimes, Rivoire escaped to France. The churches failed the victims. The RCMP failed the victims. Now the federal governments keep failing the victims. He died before justice was ever served. People are still hurting. When will the government act to ensure the victims of Rivoire get the justice they deserve?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations]

Mr. Speaker, the sad history surrounding the abuses in the north with Reverend Rivoire is devastating. Many people have been impacted, and I have been able to speak to many survivors. He passed away recently, yet that does not bring justice to those who are seeking justice. We will continue to work and support the families and those who survived.

Indigenous Affairs

[Ben Carr, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, Winnipeg's downtown is full of historical buildings. One of our most iconic is the old Hudson's Bay building located at the corner of Portage Avenue and Memorial Boulevard. It holds a storied history for Winnipeggers. A vibrant downtown is vital for a strong economy. Over the past few months, our government has been working closely in collaboration with local first nations to revitalize the Bay building. The ability for first nations themselves to be at the forefront of such a development is critical.

Can the Minister responsible for PrairiesCan update the House on the co-operative work under way?

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Minister of Northern Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I recently had the honour to make an announcement of a $31-million investment into the former Hudson's Bay building in downtown Winnipeg. The plan that was developed by the Southern Chiefs' Organization includes over 350 affordable housing units, assisted living units for elders, a child care centre and amazing public spaces. What the Southern Chiefs' Organization, led by Grand Chief Jerry Daniels, is doing in Winnipeg stands as a prime example of economic reconciliation that the entire country of Canada can be proud of.