Debates of Oct. 9th, 2025

Opposition Motion

[Abdelhaq Sari, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, let me begin by saying that I will be sharing my time with the member for Madawaska—Restigouche.

Before I begin my speech, I would like to wish all my colleagues here in the House a happy Thanksgiving. I hope they have a good time with their families and enjoy this time in their ridings.

Once again, we find ourselves debating a Conservative Party motion that is long on slogans but short on substance. Canadians deserve a serious government that is capable of having serious conversations about how to grow our economy.

While the Conservatives continue to trash-talk Canada, our government is working to build a stronger, more resilient Canadian economy, the strongest in the G7. To achieve that, we are investing in Canadians, in Canadian innovation and in the industries that will define the next generation of growth.

Our government is well aware that many Canadians are struggling to make ends meet. They have a lot of bills to pay, housing is expensive and buying food to feed a family costs a lot. We understand this reality, and that is why Canadians gave this government a mandate to take concrete action that would make life more affordable. Canadians did not put their trust in the Conservatives for one very simple reason: They did not offer Canadians a plan for the economy, they offered them tired slogans and hollow rhetoric.

Let us recall the facts: Canada has the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio and the lowest deficit in the G7. We have a AAA credit rating from all the major agencies, making us one of only two G7 countries that can claim that distinction. Our inflation rate has remained within the Bank of Canada's target range for over a year and a half, and our policy interest rates are lower than policy interest rates in the United States or the United Kingdom. These are not slogans; these are facts. These are results that people can count on.

Canada's new government is focused on implementing a plan to overcome the cost of living challenges affecting Canadians across the country. On November 4, the Minister of Finance and National Revenue will table our government's first budget, which will lay out our plan to build a stronger and more resilient economy. It will include investments in housing and infrastructure that will encourage significant private sector investment and help build new reliable partnerships.

Since forming government, we have taken several steps to help Canadians and to put more money in their pockets. I will provide some examples. One of the very first measures we took as the new government was to give a tax break to the middle class to help hard-working Canadians keep more money in their pockets. Nearly 22 million Canadians are already benefiting from our middle-class tax cut.

This tax cut will help double income families save up to $840 in 2026. In the future, it should help Canadians save more than $27 billion in taxes over the next five years. This reduction in the income tax threshold will benefit Canadians across the country, and most of the tax cut for the middle class will go to people in the two lowest tax brackets, with nearly half going to those in the first bracket, which is $57,375 and below in 2025.

Thanks to this tax cut for the middle class, the lowest marginal tax rate has been reduced from 15% to 14% effective July 1, 2025. This tax cut is helping hard-working Canadians to keep more of their paycheque to spend where it matters most.

Our government is also fully aware that Canada is in the midst of a housing crisis. Although improvements have been noted recently in many cities, too many Canadians, particularly young people, are having a hard time finding affordable housing. That is why our government is implementing a new and ambitious approach to increase the housing supply in Canada.

For example, our government will remove the GST for first-time buyers of new homes priced at $1 million or less and reduce the GST for first-time buyers of new homes priced between $1 million and $1.5 million. This is significant relief, as first-time homebuyers can save up to $50,000 in total. This tax cut is expected to save Canadians $3.9 million over five years. With this GST relief, we are ensuring that first-time homebuyers, especially young people, have lower upfront costs and more money in their pockets for related expenses.

I am pleased to see that this tax cut will also have a dynamic effect on increasing supply by stimulating the construction of new homes across the country. Our commitment to help build more homes from coast to coast to coast does not stop there. We also recently launched Build Canada Homes, a brand new federal agency tasked with building affordable housing on a large scale. Build Canada Homes will rapidly build affordable prefabricated housing on federal lands.

The agency will also help tackle homelessness by building transitional and supportive housing in collaboration with provinces, territories, municipalities and indigenous communities.

It will help keep community housing very affordable for low-income households. It will speed up housing construction, create jobs and give private builders the certainty they need — and I do mean certainty — to build even more. Build Canada Homes aims to transform private-public sector collaboration by using modern construction methods and by fostering an all new Canadian housing industry.

Through all of these measures, our government is reducing taxes, lowering costs and giving money back to Canadians. However, while ongoing support for Canadians is important, we also understand the vital need for continued prudent management of Canada's finances.

We are guided by a new fiscal discipline. We will spend less and invest more. We will balance government operating expenses and revenues over the next three years by cutting waste, capping the public service, ending duplication and deploying technology to improve public sector productivity.

The Minister of Finance and National Revenue will present the details of the new budget plan to the House on November 4.

Our government has also eliminated the consumer carbon tax to refocus carbon pricing on large emitters.

With all these measures, our government is lowering taxes, bringing down costs and putting money back in the pockets of Canadians.

The federal budget will be comprehensive, effective, ambitious and prudent. It will focus on growth, productivity and long-term prosperity. It will meet this moment, build the strongest economy in the G7 and build a strong and free Canada.

Meanwhile, the Conservative Party's plan, if one can call it that, changes from week to week. One day, they promise all kinds of cuts; the next, they pretend to support investment. They talk about helping Canadians, but they vote against measures that make life more affordable. They voted against dental care, pharmacare, the national school food program, affordable housing and clean energy projects in their own ridings.

They claim to stand up for workers, but they oppose investment liberalization in pensions to boost productivity and support good jobs here at home. They say they care about competitiveness, but they oppose investment tax credits that attract new industries to Canada.

Canadians are not falling for it. When it is time to act, the Conservatives have no plan, only political stunts. They say that they balanced the budget, but it was a sleight of hand. They just fudged the numbers. They were able to balance the budget not by strengthening the Canadian economy, but by cutting frontline services, selling off assets and cutting corners on the backs of Canadians.

They were able to do it—

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

We will move on to questions and comments.

The hon. member for Kitchener South—Hespeler.

[Matt Strauss, Conservative, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am totally confused. The member opposite said the Conservative government did not strengthen the economy. Would the member acknowledge that GDP per capita in Canada has not gone up but has flatlined over the last 10 years that the Liberals have been in government?

[Abdelhaq Sari, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I can outline what the Conservatives did, quite simply. I would like to finish what I started. They were able to do it by reducing frontline services. They sold off assets. They cut spending at the expense of services to Canadians.

Is that really what increasing the GDP means to you—

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

I must interrupt the hon. member. When he says “you”, he is referring to the other member. However, during debates in the House, members must address other members through the Chair. The Chair was not the one who made the comments raised by the member who asked the question.

I will allow the hon. member for Bourassa to finish his response.

[Abdelhaq Sari, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, although some may think that this balanced the budget, in fact, the opposite was true. The Conservatives merely fudged the numbers. Canadians cannot accept this. The Conservatives cannot claim to have balanced the budget when all they did was reduce services to Canadians.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois has a solution for tackling the deficit.

At present, the government is still subsidizing the oil and gas industry, despite the fact that, in 2023, it announced a minor measure to phase out subsidies to that industry. In 2024, it was supposed to introduce a new measure to further phase out the subsidies, yet in 2024, the oil and gas industry received $28.5 billion in subsidies.

Will my hon. colleague's government agree to simply get rid of these subsidies to the oil and gas industry?

[Abdelhaq Sari, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to shift the focus back to the government's actions. Our government's measure was a strategic adjustment, not an ideological reversal. We shifted to carbon pricing for the big polluters, the ones actually causing the emissions. Canadians should not have to pay for pollution that really comes from the big polluters. That is why we are focusing on the big polluters in large industries.

[Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Mr. Speaker, in his speech, my colleague mentioned that the Conservative motion before us today lacks substance and contains several inaccuracies about our economic situation.

I would like to know if my colleague could help us set the record straight.

[Abdelhaq Sari, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, that is an excellent question.

What we want to do is to spend smart. We want to invest in Canadians, not make them poorer. There is a difference between spending to survive and investing to grow.

Our government wants a growing Canada, a freer Canada, a stronger Canada and, above all, a Canada that is independent from its neighbour to the south.

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I find the member for Bourassa's analysis of our motion today to be rather crude.

In addition to that, the Liberals have caused the increase in crime in our country, the out-of-control immigration in this country, our housing crisis, the inflation, the rampant food cost increases across the country and the unemployment across the country. For them to say that they are now the solution to all these problems is rather disingenuous.

Would the member not agree that they are attempting to spend less? Why are they attempting to spend less?

[Abdelhaq Sari, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to know what the Conservatives built in 10 years. The answer is next to nothing.

Unlike them, we want to spend smarter. We want to reduce current operational spending. We want to invest in a freer country. We want to invest in our economy. We want to build Canada strong. We want Build Canada Homes to build for future generations and especially for young people.

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite did not answer my question on why he thinks they need to reduce spending. This is something I have heard over and over today, that the Liberals are going to spend less.

I am asking the member why they have to spend less. Conservatives think they should spend less to balance the budget so that we can bring down inflation. Why?

[Abdelhaq Sari, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we simply need to distinguish between operational spending and investing. That is another thing my colleagues across the way need to understand. However, it would take a long time to explain it to them. They really need a class, not just a speech in the House.

Simply put, growth is very important. Canada is experiencing positive growth, has the lowest debt in the G7 and is keeping inflation under control.

[Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Mr. Speaker, the motion before us today talks about the importance of investments, the cost of living and the economy. This is timely because Canadians gave our new government a strong mandate in the spring. They trusted us to build a strong economy that works for everyone. When we talk about an economy that works for everyone, we are talking about having measures in place to help Canadians deal with the cost of living.

On this side of the House, when we say that affordability is an important issue, we follow up with concrete action. One of the first things we did when we came back to Parliament in the spring was pass a tax cut for over 22 million Canadians that will give them more purchasing power. It is a concrete measure that shows we are serious. When we say we are going to help people, we take action.

If we look at the Liberal record over the past few years, we see several examples of measures that were introduced to help the public, but which our Conservative colleagues opposed. I am thinking in particular of the Canadian dental care plan. During the election campaign, people told me that they needed dental care but could not afford it. The expansion announced last spring allows people who did not have access to these basic services to access them at an affordable cost. This is a real change for the public. Last week, the Minister of Health announced that more than five million people are now enrolled in this program.

The Canada child benefit is a flagship measure that transfers money directly into parents' pockets to help them provide for their children. Since 2016, this measure has lifted more than 600,000 children out of poverty. In my region alone, more than $40 million a year is transferred to parents in my riding of Madawaska—Restigouche to help them provide for their children.

Since 2021, more than 900,000 children have secured affordable child care spaces through our program. We understand that if we want to build a strong economy and a strong Canada, we need strong families. We need to enable parents, especially women, to be fully active in the workforce, and that means providing access to child care spaces. The opposition voted against this program, which is not surprising. When we look at the record of the leader of the official opposition, he has been against funding child care spaces for 20 years. If we delve into the House of Commons archives, we will see that one of his first speeches in 2005 was to oppose federal funding for a national child care program.

I am also thinking of the national school food program, which my official opposition colleagues also opposed. This program ensures that children go to school with full bellies. Some 400,000 children across the country are better off because of this program. We will be investing $11 million over the next three years to make this program available to more than 57,000 children in my province, New Brunswick. That is a big deal. We know the cost of living can be high sometimes, but children should never have to go to school on an empty stomach. That is why we are there for Canadians, there for children and there to provide them with healthy meals.

If we want to hang onto measures like these that make a big difference in people's lives, we need a strong economy. Our position is already strong according to economic statistics. Canada is the only G7 country other than Germany with a AAA credit rating. We have the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio of any G7 country.

In addition, the government is working to further strengthen the Canadian economy. I am thinking in particular of last June, when we passed the One Canadian Economy Act. This act removes federal barriers to interprovincial trade. We really want to unleash the potential of our domestic market and work to build one Canadian economy out of 13. This act also established the Major Projects Office. In fact, a whole list of projects was announced recently, and more are on the way. When these projects meet our stringent criteria, the question is not whether we will build, but how. We want to stimulate investment in the country because we know that when we stimulate investment, we create jobs and help Canadian businesses.

Then there is the important work being done by the Treasury Board. It is conducting a red tape review that has identified more than 500 superfluous regulations that are no longer needed and that actually hinder productivity and limit economic growth. We are going to get rid of those regulations. The review will continue because we want to demonstrate that Canada is a place where people can invest. That is another way we are stimulating the economy.

Our new buy Canadian policy also comes to mind. The Government of Canada is the largest purchaser of goods and services in the country. We have immense purchasing power, and we want to use it to support Canadian businesses. We will be providing the details of this policy in the coming months, but the idea is to prioritize Canadian goods and services wherever possible. It is about spending money here in Canada to stimulate our economy.

We are also here for workers across Canada. We recognize that the economic situation may be difficult for some people right now. That is why we have announced various measures related to the employment insurance program. For example, we waived the one-week waiting period for claiming EI benefits. People who need benefits will no longer have to wait a week before they can receive them. We also announced that we will allow people to keep their severance pay without affecting the amount of their benefits. For people who want to retrain, we have also announced various measures to support retraining for people who unfortunately lose their jobs and want to change sectors. Once again, these are concrete measures to help Canadian workers.

I would say that the motion before us today lacks substance. It seems less like the product of rigorous work and more like something designed to get clicks on social media. While the official opposition wastes time on an unserious motion, we are over here working away.

The Minister of Finance and National Revenue is working on an ambitious budget that will be tabled in the House on November 4. With this budget, we will seize a generational opportunity to transform the Canadian economy through ambitious investments and careful management of our public finances.

When I say ambitious investments, I am thinking of housing in particular. We announced the new Build Canada Homes agency, and we plan to invest in housing at a rate never before seen in Canada. We understand that people really need this. During the last election campaign, when I talked to people in my riding, they often told me that housing construction was a priority. When I sit down with the mayors in my riding of Madawaska—Restigouche, they tell me that we need to build housing more quickly in the communities.

Millions of dollars in federal funding has already been invested back home in places like Edmundston, Campbellton, Saint-Quentin, the Madawaska Maliseet First Nation and the Eel River Bar First Nation.

The federal government has invested millions of dollars in building housing. Some housing has already been built, and there are people in my riding living in housing that was funded with federal money. More sites are under construction. I will be visiting some of them next week. This is just the beginning. With the investments in the budget, we are going to increase the pace of residential construction. We are going to incentivize public-private partnerships in the housing sector. We are going to support the construction of affordable housing across the country because we know that it is a priority for Canadians, and they expect us to deliver.

At the same time, these investments will allow us to stimulate the economy by prioritizing the use of Canadian products, like softwood lumber and steel.

We have also announced historic investments in defence. Starting this year, will meet our 2% of GDP target to honour our commitments to NATO. With these historic investments in defence, we are also going to stimulate our economy. We are going to identify Canadian companies that can help us procure defence-related goods and services.

In conclusion, if my official opposition colleagues truly care about affordability and building a strong economy that benefits everyone, I hope they will support our efforts to pass the budget that will be tabled on November 4. As I said, this will be a generational opportunity to transform our Canadian economy. I sincerely hope that our opposition colleagues will work with us to achieve that.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague and congratulate him on his speech.

Clearly, we have our differences, but we also have some common ground. For example, we are the ones who proposed the tax cut. For years and years, we said that it had to be done, and the Liberals finally did it. I am glad they are using some of our ideas. Our leader actually reiterated that commitment. He said the Conservative Party is fine with the government taking its ideas.

However, one thing on which we differ is debt. Anyone who lives beyond their means and runs a deficit will accumulate debt. Who has to pay that debt? Our children, our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren will have to pay for it because we are living beyond our means right now.

Does the member realize that the deficit has doubled in the time since he was elected to Parliament and the Prime Minister became the head of this country?

[Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleagues that Canada is in an enviable position. We have the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7. We have a government that is focused on building an even stronger economy through strategic investments that will benefit Canadians for generations to come.

Our investments in housing, defence and critical infrastructure, along with our plan to catalyze major projects of national interest, will produce real benefits for generations of Canadian grandchildren yet to come.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his speech, in which he promised us a budget that will revolutionize the Canadian economy. Among other things, he spoke about the idea of establishing one economy, which was proposed by the Prime Minister.

I would like to know whether the hon. member is aware that a unanimous motion was tabled in the National Assembly of Quebec on April 1, 2025. I will read it:

That the Assembly oppose the Canadian Prime Minister's desire to create “one Canadian economy, not thirteen”;

That it affirm that Québec's economic interests cannot be sacrificed for the sake of other provinces or territories on the basis of the concept that there is only one Canadian economy, rather than thirteen;

That it reiterate Québec's right to look after its own economic, cultural, linguistic and other interests, according to its priorities and distinct social values, while working to reduce barriers to interprovincial trade.

What does my colleague have to add to that?

[Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, Bill C‑5, which we passed last June, removed federal barriers to internal trade.

As a member from New Brunswick, I have regular discussions with my colleagues in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, including a number of provincial ministers who are in my riding.

We talk about how the work we do here in Ottawa can have a positive impact on New Brunswick's economy.

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have a question for my esteemed colleague.

Does he agree with the Conservative Party that policies mandating investment in Canadian workers and industries are failures?

[Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Mr. Speaker, no, I do not agree. Our record shows that we are there for Canadian workers. We have put in place measures to help with the cost of living. I am thinking of the Canada child benefit, the Canadian dental care plan and the programs to create child care spaces. We have also adjusted the employment insurance system to help people who sadly lose their jobs.

On this side of the House, we are here for Canadians. We walk the talk, unlike our opposition colleagues, who say that the cost of living is important to them but then vote against every measure we propose to help Canadians with the cost of living.

[Matt Strauss, Conservative, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to hear the member opposite, who is a very gifted speaker.

I always hear the Liberals say they are working hard and that they understand there is an affordability crisis, but I never hear any analysis of why this affordability crisis developed during their time in power. Over the last 10 years, in Kitchener and Waterloo, food bank usage has quintupled. The Liberals like to talk about programs that are band-aid solutions, but they do not want to talk about the sectoral damage caused to our economy.

Why are the Liberals working hard but it is not working?

[Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Mr. Speaker, inflation and a high cost of living are global issues. Canada is not the only country facing them; all of the western nations are. In Canada, we are coming out of it in an enviable position, with the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio and a AAA credit rating.

We understand that if we want help Canadians with the cost of living, we need to present concrete measures, such as the school food program and all the other measures that we have put in place and that our opposition colleagues opposed.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the hon. member for Barrie South—Innisfil.

When the Liberals first took office in 2015, they told Canadians that a bit of red ink would buy prosperity, that deficits would fuel growth and investment and that Canada would be better off. After nearly a decade of the record showing the opposite, we have to wonder if we should still keep going in this direction. We have had record borrowing and record spending, with record debt and hardship among Canadians. Investment per worker has fallen by more than 10%; economic growth per capita is the worst in the G7, and the current Prime Minister has caused 86,000 jobs to be lost, resulting in the second-highest unemployment rate in the G7. The new Prime Minister is just like the old one: more spending, more borrowing and more pain for hard-working Canadians.

Behind every number is a person, a story deserving to be known. A few weeks ago, I spoke with Joy, a woman from my community who uses a wheelchair and lives on a fixed income. She called to tell me how desperate she has been in trying to find accessible housing. She has done everything she can. She is responsible, organized, determined and working hard, but as rents climb and the cost of living rises, every apartment she looks at is out of her reach. She told me she just wants a place where she can live with dignity. Is this not what most people want? These are the very basic necessities of life, and she just wants a place where she can live with dignity. My question for the government is what it would like me to tell her. What do I tell someone like Joy, who is doing all she possibly can but is not able to afford a basic roof over her head?

Then there is Susie. Susie is a senior in my riding who reached out to me. She has worked hard her entire life, raised her family and contributed to the community. She pays her taxes faithfully. Now, in retirement, she finds herself unable to afford groceries and rent. She has to choose between the basic necessities of affording her rent or putting proper groceries in her fridge. Of course, the roof over her head is most important in her view, so she pays the rent, but she has turned to skipping meals in order to make it.

This is Canada, one of the richest nations in the world, yet our seniors are being forced to choose between food and rent. There is nothing else to point to other than government policy. It is not the sign of a healthy economy. It is the consequence of years of reckless fiscal policy that has driven up inflation, raised interest rates and punished those who have worked hard their whole lives. This is happening not just to seniors or those with a disability but to working families too.

A couple who would prefer not to be named sat down with me and shared that both of them are working full time. They have three kids and are doing their best, but, at the end of the day, they are not able to afford the things they require as a family. These people have chosen to start skipping meals in order to make sure that their kids have enough to eat and that they can continue to put a roof over their head and function as a family unit. I could go on and on. There are dozens of these stories that come into my office almost monthly, and it keeps getting worse as time goes on. Folks have done everything right, but, for some reason, cannot get ahead.

This is what happens when a government spends beyond its means. Inflation is not an abstract concept; it is a thief, and it is the result of the government. It erodes purchasing power, punishes responsibility, makes the poor poorer and shrinks the middle class, yet the Liberal government continues to insist that deficits somehow make life more affordable and somehow Canadians are going to get ahead.

They are not. The truth is the opposite. Every dollar the government borrows today is a dollar that people like Joy, Susie or the hard-working couple have to pay back. It is on their backs. It becomes their responsibility because of the government's irresponsibility.

Just the other day, I overheard my office manager in the constituency talking to my intern. She was explaining to my intern that when people call or come into the office, sometimes they sound upset or maybe even a bit angry; sometimes, that can be a bit uncomfortable. However, my office manager put it into perspective. She offered an explanation and said that when they come in, they are not trying to be mean and they are not trying to be rude; they are desperate because of fear. They are afraid because they cannot afford rent. They are afraid because they cannot afford food. They are afraid because they cannot pay their bills, and they are desperate for help. They are afraid of what the future holds, because they do not see hope in it.

This insight reminded me of what is really at stake here. Behind policy debates and behind the economic charts and forecasts are millions of Canadians who are afraid. They are afraid they will lose their jobs, afraid they will be without a home and afraid they will never get ahead or be able to step into that opportunity that they so long for. These are the people I visit with each and every day when I am in my constituency. These are the people who share their stories with me, and they just want a fair shot at life. They need Canada to be as it once was, a place where opportunity is great and where the chance to get ahead is normal.

The Liberals told Canadians that their deficits would grow the economy from the heart out. How is that working? It is not. Instead, they have grown debt; they have grown dependence, and they have grown despair. That is what is on the current government's record. Since 2015, business investment in Canada has fallen off a cliff by about half a trillion dollars. It has gone south of the border. Companies do not want to invest here because they see a government that is hostile to them, a government that actually wants those jobs to go south, as the Prime Minister has promised. He wants to send not just half a trillion dollars but a trillion dollars; that is his latest promise.

The Liberals have been trying to convince Canadians that more spending is the solution to every problem that their spending has already created. If we would just take a second to consider that, it is like pouring gasoline on a fire to put it out. That is what the government is offering. That is what we can expect in the November 4 budget from the government: more spending to put out the fire that its inflationary spending has already caused. It is ludicrous.

The truth is simple. Government does not create wealth; it takes it from those who do, which means it is incumbent upon governments to be wise stewards. Every dollar government spends is taken from a taxpayer. It is taken from Joy, Susie and the hard-working couple I referenced earlier.

I want to be clear: The motion we are discussing today is not just about numbers; it is about people. It is about Joy, it is about Susie, and it is about that couple in my riding. Canadians are strong. They are resilient and hopeful, but they are losing faith in the current government, in the leaders of the day. Who can blame them? After nearly a decade of Liberal promises, Canadians are worse off than ever before. They need a government that respects their money, that lives within its means and that restores common sense to our economic decisions.

Conservatives are calling on the current Liberal government to stop its wasteful spending, which fuels inflation; to bring investment back to our country rather than sending it south of the border; and to make life affordable for hard-working Canadians again. I urge every member in the House to listen to the stories in their communities, to hear the pain and the anxiety behind the statistics and to recognize that the Liberal government's decisions are failing Canadians. Let us stop repeating Justin Trudeau's and the current Prime Minister's policies, and let us stop mortgaging our children's future. Instead, let us start building a Canada where every person, regardless of income or circumstance, has the opportunity to thrive. It is time to put those people, Canadians, first. It is time to rein in spending and be responsible.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, if government spending is inflationary and just contributes to inflation, does that mean that the budget the member ran on, of spending an additional $106 billion, would have contributed to inflation as well?