Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise and speak today, even though it is the second day we are having a confidence vote. We cannot help but notice a definite lack of enthusiasm from across the way if we contrast today to last Tuesday. I suspect there was a bit of an accountability check on Wednesday when the Conservative Party did not get what it wanted.
What the Conservatives want is not what is in the best interest of Canadians. They want what is in the best interest of the Conservative Party and its leader. That is why I often talk about their thirst and quest for power. They let nothing get in their way, according to the Conservatives. They strive for power for the sake of having power, and power alone. We have seen that virtually from day one with the Conservatives being the official opposition.
I want to approach it in a different way, because I only have 10 minutes this time around, and talk about some of the things we know about the Conservative Party, or what I like to refer to as the Conservative-Reform party. When I say Conservative-Reform party, I do not say it lightly. At the end of the day, we see a party that has taken a very hard right turn.
Many, including myself, would suggest the Conservative Party has adopted many of the thoughts and ideas that flow from our neighbours to the south, the far right or the MAGA right. We should all be concerned about that because there is a very strong negative side to it. We see it through things like character assassination, the spreading of misinformation and the discrediting of our traditional media. These are things we should all be aware of.
I want to highlight some things I think most Canadians would be very surprised and disappointed by. One of them is in regard to the Canada Infrastructure Bank. We hear Conservative members say they are going to get rid of the Canada Infrastructure Bank. Many of them will say the Canada Infrastructure Bank has not done anything, and therefore, they are going to get rid of it and save money for Canadians. However, nothing could be further from the truth.
I can give the facts right now. We have $10 billion of investment coming through the public, matched by virtually $20 billion of outside investment. We have $30 billion being spent throughout different regions. Every region is receiving money and support in building Canada's infrastructure. We know that. Anyone can look it up and they can see it first-hand. However, the leader of the Conservative Party, who will likely be addressing the House soon, does not have a problem giving misinformation and saying the Canada Infrastructure Bank has not done anything and the Conservatives are going to get rid of it.
The biggest myth out there is this whole idea that the people of Canada will benefit from getting rid of the carbon rebate. Conservatives go out and tell Canadians they are going to “axe the tax”, or get rid of the carbon tax, but they say nothing about the rebate. They say nothing about the 80% of Canadians who receive more money as a direct result of this particular policy. That is a fact. It is not something that is coming just from members of the Liberal Party.
It was not that long ago that all parties in the House agreed that a price on pollution is an effective tool. The government has developed a tool to ensure that the vast majority of Canadians, 80% or more, are receiving more back. That does not match up with the Conservatives' bumper sticker or slogans.
It is just like the housing issue. When the Conservatives talk about it, they say they are going to get out there and build more homes. History will show that one of the worst individuals we could ever turn to to deal with the housing issue is in fact the leader of the Conservative Party, because he was the minister of housing. As has been pointed out by numerous members, when he was the minister he was an absolute disaster. One reason we have the problem to the extent we have today is his lack of action when he was the minister of housing. By the way, for the record, he built six houses.
Some of the greatest accomplishments of the government, I believe, outside of things like the $198 billion toward health care and the many progressive measures the Liberals have taken, are some of the economic measures. No government in the history of Canada has signed off on more trade agreements than this Prime Minister and this government. That is a fact. Liberals recognize the value in supporting Canada's middle class, and those aspiring to be part of it, by freeing up and opening those trade lines that are critical to Canada's future. We have been very successful at that.
For the first time ever, the Conservative Party actually voted against one of our trade agreements. Amazingly, it was the Canada-Ukraine trade agreement. It was because of an issue that the Conservative leader, in principle, did not like, even though Ukraine has a price on pollution. The things we hear that come from the Conservative Party are borderline at best. I would suggest that most often they are of a very ridiculous nature. Trying to flush out the Conservatives' issues is a challenge. What do they have to say about dental care? They vote against it. What do they have to say about child care? Do members remember that in the last election they said they were going to tear it up?
These are the types of programs that are helping Canadians in every region. Therefore, when we get members talking about the Conservative hidden agenda, people should be concerned. When Conservatives talk about things like fixing the budget, that is code for Conservative cuts. They are not going to provide the types of programs we have been able to put together over the last number of years that benefit literally millions of Canadians. These things are at risk, because the Conservatives are more focused on trying to fool Canadians. That is what they are banking on. They want the election as soon as possible because they believe that the longer the House sits, it is slipping away from them.
Canadians will become more aware of the leader of the Conservative Party and what he actually stands for. As we see the contrast between the government of the day and what Conservatives have to offer, as we continue to work for Canadians while the Conservatives play games, prevent things from ultimately passing and play an obstructive role here in the chamber, Canadians will see through that. Ultimately, we will continue to serve Canadians in a very productive way from now until the—