Mr. Speaker, it is never a wasted opportunity to stand up in the House to talk about something so important, so vital to all of our lives: the strength and stability of family. It is a simple word, but it means so much to all of us.
We all know, as members of Parliament, that our families are our bedrock, our biggest support system, our cheerleader at the best times and, let us be honest, our therapist at the worst times. Often, they are the reason we get into politics in the first place. I would not be here if it were not for the encouragement of my granddaughter. It is family that inspires me to tirelessly fight for a better Canada, not just for my family but for all families. I will always be a wife, a mother and a grandmother first and above all else.
Everybody in Canada deserves to have their loving family at their side and to experience a relationship based upon love, trust and mutual support, but unfortunately, many people have a different experience with family. Divorce has always been and will continue to be a difficult and trying time in our lives. It touches all of us in some way. We may have been impacted when we were kids or as adults in marriages of our own. Even if we are lucky enough to not have to face it ourselves, we witness it happening to our close friends or other important people in our lives. However, the facts are the facts: It does happen.
When a divorce unfortunately does take place, the legislation here in Ottawa should be designed to protect people, especially children. I do not know my colleague, the member for Hamilton Mountain, very well, but I know she also cares deeply about families. I hope to work with her on this issue and other issues as well.
However, rather than just talk about divorce after it has already happened, I think it is also important to address the root causes and systemic issues that lead to divorce in the first place. What causes divorce? It is well documented that stressful lives certainly do not help, and we all hear that life is certainly getting more stressful for people in this country, including in my community. The evidence is all around us.
It is hard to afford the necessities of life that we need, like food, housing and home heating. A full 25% of Canadians are now considered food-insecure. They are not asking for luxuries; they are asking for the basics, but the price of everything, including fruit, vegetables, meat and coffee, is going through the roof. The grocery aisle has become the luxury aisle.
We just received new statistics about food inflation here in Canada: It is two times higher than the acceptable level that the Government of Canada has set as its own target. The government has to give itself a failing grade yet again. It is a fact that Canadian families are expected to spend $800 more in groceries this year than they did last year. This comes at time when half the people are only $500 away from insolvency, but they are paying $800 more for groceries. Members can do the math on that one.
What comes from that? Well, it means either cutting back or going into debt just to get the everyday essentials, and that is happening more and more. What can also happen? Divorce can. The stress of finances and empty stomachs can overwhelm relationships, stealing the joy of marriage and family. The average Canadian has credit card debt of nearly $5,000, and Equifax found that 1.4 million people in this country missed a payment last quarter. The hole just gets deeper and deeper. For every dollar that Canadians earn, they owe $1.74 in debt. We all know that this simply is not sustainable.
What can the government do to help eliminate financial distress, which is a large factor for many divorces? Bringing inflation under control is a big thing. We know what causes inflation; it is out-of-control government spending that drives up the cost of everything for Canadians. Instead of reining in the spending, the government is spending more money than even Justin Trudeau did. We have heard this story before, and we know how it ends: more people using food banks, more stress, more skipped meals and more burdens on families.
What else can we do to bring more financial stability to families and reduce the stress that places an extra burden on Canadians from coast to coast? How about providing stable, good-paying jobs that make people feel financially confident to get married, support a family, buy a home and get settled in a safe neighbourhood?
People in my community are on edge more than ever. Each day, we see headlines about job losses and companies packing up and moving south. The news came out of Windsor, out of Oshawa and out of Ingersoll. Everyone is worried that it is going to come out of Cambridge next, with the loss of thousands of jobs from our auto sector that form the cornerstone of our city. As unemployment goes up, divorce rates go up too. It is a proven statistical fact.
We are talking about divorce, but in order to get divorced, one has to be married in the first place. There was a time not that long ago when the only major expenses to worry about were the wedding ring, the dress and maybe the honeymoon. The weddings many dream of are now just fears of debts to be incurred.
With housing costs at record levels, doubled in just 10 years, and student loans that do not lead to good-paying jobs as promised, people do not even think about the cost that comes with raising kids of their own. The essential Canadian dream of growing up, getting married, buying a home and starting a family is becoming just that, a dream, an idea to be fantasized about but never actually achieved.
I knocked on thousands of doors in Cambridge and North Dumfries during the last election campaign. This was the number one issue by far that young people talked to me about. They are working harder than ever. They want to succeed. They are doing everything they were told to do, like getting a degree and cutting back on expenses, but still the dream never becomes a reality. How can it become a reality when they are forced to live in their parents' basement as a 30-year-old adult?
For the lucky few who can get married, have kids and settle down, life is no less stressful. The days are busy with work, home and trying to match the energy of youth without feeling exhausted. Then add on the stress of paying for groceries and the mortgage. Just getting by is already heavy enough. Then throw on more Liberal failures, and the tension reaches a breaking point, ruining the marriages of many Canadians.
There are times when both parents need to work, but they cannot because child care is unattainable and still unaffordable. Parliament's independent watchdog just released a scathing new report about child care in this country, saying it has led to endless waits, a shortage of spaces and a rationing of child care. The report found that less than half the required number of spaces have been created in the last three years, and we are nearly 70,000 spaces short of our target. Those are not just statistics on a sheet of paper; those are 70,000 families that cannot access the services they need and were promised by the government. However, they are still forced to pay higher taxes for something most do not receive. Financial stress keeps building, putting further tension on relationships.
Marriage begins with vows that say “till death do us part”. Government failures that increase family struggles turns it to “till debt do us part”. These government failures drive up inflation and the cost of living. They drive down the rate of marriages and the growth of families. This all becomes a breaking point that drives up the rate of divorce, made even worse when divorce proceedings bring in the CRA.
If I wanted to talk about things from Ottawa that cause people stress, I could keep going on, but I would be here all day. The fact remains the same: The government's policies are making life harder for people from all walks of life and making Canadian marriages harder. This has devastating consequences for our communities, for families of all types and, of course, for children, who often bear the brunt of it all. Our highest priority should be protecting children and standing up for them.
I look forward to studying this proposed legislation in greater detail and hearing testimony from witnesses at committee, but let us also make sure we try to tackle the causes of divorce before they happen: stress, uncertainty and strife. Let us give people the best shot at having long, happy, successful marriages.
With all this talk of divorce, I want to say something on a lighter note. Marriage can come with a lot of obstacles that can lead to divorce, but it can also be something to be proud of. I thank my husband Bill for his endless support and all he does. I cannot think of anybody else I would rather have by my side. I thank my family, my children and my grandchildren for their understanding and continued love and support.
I know we all feel the same way about our own families, and I know we want every single Canadian to have an opportunity for the same kind of happiness, love and support that marriage can bring. It is up to us here in Ottawa to bring in the policies that can make that happen. Let us bring back hope and the Canadian dream for everyone.