Mr. Speaker, last week I asked whether the Liberal government would rein in reckless spending so that many Canadians could live, eat and own their own homes again. Instead of addressing this, the member deflected to a permanent national food program. I did not mention it; they did.
Days later, the Liberal MP for Vancouver Centre tweeted, “OMG [the Conservatives] just defended their voting against the National School Food Program by saying that parents would prefer to feed their kids themselves rather than have government feed them. [What's] The logic here?”
The logic is this. Canadian parents want to escape poverty and choose what to feed their kids and they want to provide for their family, not for the government to do so. They do not want to depend on handouts to make ends meet to feed their families. They want good, paying jobs.
It is not clicking with the Liberal government members, with their “government knows best” solution. I hear about the Liberals' solutions all the time. We hear about auto factories closing down, and forestry mills and businesses moving down to the States. When Liberals do not want to talk about these things, they just say that they will provide, supply and support supports. The workers do not want supports, they want their jobs. It is the Liberals, through their economic policies, who have just been destroying our economy and livelihoods.
The Liberals' out-of-control deficit has led to spiralling inflation. Food costs are up 25% in the past four years. I can assure members that most Canadians are not making 25% more on their paycheques. Food insecurity now grips 39% of all Canadian households. Food banks have reported a doubling of visits since 2019, and one-third of those coming are children, with 700,000 visiting food banks monthly. An overwhelming 96% of those coming to food banks are saying it is the rising cost of living that is crushing them. We can point to the Liberals for that, with their out-of-control spending.
We will see what this budget is like tomorrow when it is presented. That out-of-control spending has led to deficits and increased debt. The $55 billion being spent on debt servicing is more than we are paying for the military. It is more than we are paying for the health transfers to Canadians, and Canadians are so frustrated with the health care system. If the Liberals had more control of their inflationary spending, we would be in a better position for supports.
Conservatives do believe in supports, but we believe in the responsible handling of government finances and programs. I talked with my daughter last night, who is a smart lady with a master's degree and a well-paying job. She said, “Dad, I'm just struggling.” After paying the rent and all her bills, she is struggling just to get by. She is going paycheque to paycheque and she is making a good salary.
The Prime Minister talked about sacrifices for young people. Will the Liberals not recognize their programs are causing—