Debates of Jan. 29th, 2026

Taxation

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie South—Innisfil, ON]

Mr. Speaker, if things were so great and affordability were in fact improving, there would be no need for the Liberals to spend $12 billion more outside the budget. The truth is that the Liberals are doing this to distract from their failed policies. They can right now implement solutions to solve the structural problem of grocery affordability and the food insecurity crisis that Canadian families and seniors are dealing with.

Conservatives are willing to fast-track the elimination of all taxes that are having a cascading impact on higher grocery prices. Will the Liberals join us, or will they obstruct real relief for Canadians and carry on with their short-term vote-buying scheme?

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, it is a classic technique of right-wing populism to identify every problem imaginable and invent some too, and not propose serious solutions. Only a few months ago the Leader of the Opposition was calling for the firing of the Bank of Canada.

On this side of the House, we take seriously what the Bank of Canada says. We are seeing, in this country, inflation within the target rate. We are seeing record foreign direct investment. Beyond Canada, the head of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, is calling the world to look at Canada as an example for the world of good fiscal policy.

[Rob Moore, Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

Mr. Speaker, this just shows how out of touch the government is. Families in my riding of Fundy Royal and throughout Canada are feeling the pinch at the grocery store. Every month under the government, over two million Canadians are now visiting food banks. Food inflation in Canada has doubled just since the Prime Minister took office, making us the worst off in the G7. Conservatives will fast-track policies to reverse the skyrocketing cost of food.

Will the government finally put an end to the Liberals' industrial carbon tax and fuel standard tax, and cut red tape for farmers?

[Evan Solomon, Liberal, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, I think some facts would be good for this debate right now. Here is one for the Conservatives: We are making life more affordable for 12 million Canadians, allowing them to put food on their table.

The party of “no” likes to block; we are building. We are building affordable homes; they are blocking this. We are building safe streets; they are blocking this. We are building a chance for 12 million families to put food on their table with a 25% increase in the GST; they are blocking it.

When will the Conservatives stop blocking and start building?

[Rob Moore, Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

Mr. Speaker, failed Liberal policies got us into this mess, and more failed Liberal policies will not get us out of it. The cost to feed a family of four has increased by $1,000 just in the last year. Liberal taxes are hiking the cost of fuel at every point in the supply chain. To make food more affordable, we need to get rid of the Liberals' fuel standard tax and the industrial carbon tax.

When will the Liberals put the best interest of struggling families ahead of their own failed policies?

[Evan Solomon, Liberal, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister likes to say, “Nostalgia is not a strategy”. I do not know why the Conservatives keep being nostalgic for their past policies.

Here are some new ones: The 25% increase to the GST credit will allow a family of four, which the hon. member referred to, to have up to $1,900 to feed that family. That is real money. We have also made the national school food program permanent.

If the party of “no” were serious about helping families, it would support these programs. Stop blocking; start building.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister told voters to judge him by the price of groceries. Well, it has been almost a year since he became Prime Minister, and putting food on the table is costing families an extra $1,000. We have the worst food inflation in the G7.

We Conservatives are appealing to the government to lower taxes. I have an example. The Liberals spent nine years praising the apparent virtues of the Liberal carbon tax, only to abolish it in the end.

Since they have already abolished one tax, why not a few more?

[Marjorie Michel, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, it is true that, for several years now, we have been implementing programs to help Canadians. We know how well the dental care program is working in the ridings. We have also announced a tax cut for Canadians. Now, we are giving Canadians support to get through this difficult period.

The opposition members keep talking about structural measures. They know full well that we are implementing structural measures, but it takes time. In the meantime, we are showing Canadians that we are there for them.

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

Mr. Speaker, if these much-touted Liberal structural and policy decisions were working, 2.2 million Canadians would not be relying on food banks every month. On Ormière Boulevard in the Les Saules neighbourhood of Quebec City, the organization Solidarité familles is unfortunately breaking records for the amount of aid it provides. Last year, it delivered just one emergency hamper in December, but this year, it delivered 23. Yes, I said 23 compared to one. That is what food inflation does.

Why does the government refuse to lower taxes to help all Canadian families?

[Marjorie Michel, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I would remind my colleague that the first measure our new government implemented was a tax cut for the middle class. I wonder whether my colleague remembers that.

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

That was our idea.

[Marjorie Michel, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if that was their idea, then they should be happy.

The Conservatives always like to quote Food Banks Canada, but they know full well that that organization advised us to provide support to Canadians during this difficult time. I am asking the opposition members to vote in favour of this measure, which will help the most vulnerable Canadians.

Seniors

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, for days now, we have been warning the government that problems with the new Cúram software are preventing retirees from receiving their old age security benefits. At first, the Liberals told us that we were fearmongering. However, yesterday, they admitted that the problem does exist, but that it is affecting only 30 people or so.

Well, according to journalist Marie-Ève Fournier, there is chaos in Ottawa. She says that over the course of her career, she has rarely been swamped with so many stories from distraught people.

When will the government pull its head out of the sand?

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

Mr. Speaker, one mistake is one too many, no question. We encourage anyone who believes they are affected to contact Service Canada.

We are talking about a significant and successful modernization of government systems, which will allow seniors to self-register and start receiving their benefits even faster, without having to wait on the phone or in a long line at a government office. If there are any mistakes, we will fix them. Still, this is good news for taxpayers.

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we can confirm that, in addition to the cost, there are indeed mistakes.

Once again, Ottawa is driving people crazy. On the one hand, there are people aged 65 and over who deferred their pensions and have been deprived of cheques for nine months once they finally asked for them. On the other hand, there are people who are receiving too many cheques, returning them and still being sent T4As. Meanwhile, the government is doing nothing, even though its own public servants warned it that the software was full of bugs and has been since June.

When will the government take action?

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

Mr. Speaker, obviously, there are public servants working on this system to minimize mistakes and correct them. We are confident that this successful modernization of government systems will ultimately enable seniors to self-register, get better service and receive their benefits even faster. This is already happening. If there are any mistakes, they will be fixed.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, seniors aged 65 and up deserve real answers before this turns into another Phoenix scandal. No one should have to wait nine months to get their pension, but there are cases where that is happening. No one should have to spend hours on the phone trying to get through to someone who can help fix the federal government's mistakes.

The first step in solving a problem is admitting that there is a problem, instead of downplaying it. The new software is causing tax and financial nightmares for seniors.

When will the Liberals stop hiding their heads in the sand?

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

Mr. Speaker, we are confident that this system and its implementation will ultimately benefit all OAS recipients. They will be able to receive the right amount and receive it on time, as they deserve.

That is the government's job. We replaced an outdated system so that we can better serve Canadians and all seniors in Canada.

The Economy

[Rhonda Kirkland, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians and all members of the House know that communities are facing a food inflation crisis, with 2.2 million Canadians now relying on food banks in a single month. Tiffany Kift from Simcoe Hall in Oshawa is seeing this crisis first-hand. She says people who never needed help before are lining up, including those from dual-income families.

The Conservatives want to work with all parties on serious solutions. Will the government work with us to introduce legislation that eliminates the industrial carbon tax, eliminates the fuel standard tax and boosts competition in the grocery chains to bring food prices down?

[Leslie Church, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretaries of State for Labour]

Mr. Speaker, I would invite the member opposite to have a look at the government's announcement this week. The new benefit that we have just announced is going to help 12 million Canadians. It is going to provide up to $1,890 this year for a family of four. This is a measure that food banks and Food Banks Canada have called for, and it is part of a broader plan that is going to see us actually improve our supply chains, improve competition in the sector and benefit families like the one the member opposite is talking about.

We are a serious government doing serious work, and Canadians know this.

[Rhonda Kirkland, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, there is a reason free money always sounds too good to be true, which is that it is. The Liberals take and take, and then they gift a tiny portion back and call that good for Canadians. With rebranded one-time payments and additional funding for food banks, the demand will continue to rise as long as the cost of food keeps going up. They cannot rebate their way out of high food prices.

Why does the government refuse to take serious action by working with us to introduce legislation that actually lowers food prices once and for all?

[Leslie Church, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretaries of State for Labour]

Mr. Speaker, not only are we taking actual, concrete steps to make life more affordable for Canadians, but we are also investing in the kinds of supports that help families across the board, from early learning and child care to a national school food program, a Canada child benefit that is tied to inflation, and a dental care program. These are the kinds of programs Canadians depend on but that the Conservatives continually vote against.

The Conservatives should get on board. They should join team Canada. They should be on that side of the House fighting for Canadians in their own constituencies.

Carbon Pricing

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Clarke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, according to StatsCan, food inflation is now up to 6.2%. Canada has the highest food inflation in the G7. Food prices are rising twice as high in Canada as they are the United States. Driving up the cost of food is the more expensive, less transparent replacement for the consumer carbon tax. They are called the fuel standard tax and the industrial carbon tax, which are increasing costs for farmers, food processors and truckers.

When will the Liberals finally admit that a carbon tax by any name is painful?

[Wayne Long, Liberal, Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, let us look at the Conservatives' record with respect to affordability. This is the party that supported sending child benefit checks to millionaires. The Conservatives voted against the school food program, day care, child care and dental care. The list goes on and on.

This past Monday we announced the groceries and essentials benefit for 12 million Canadians, helping them with the cost of living. It is time for the Conservatives to stop the obstruction and to work with us to support working families.

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Clarke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is the same government and the same old tired lines. The Liberals have the temerity to get up in the House of Commons and tell the 2.2 million Canadians who are using food banks right now, “Stop complaining; people have never had it so good.” Well, Conservatives are not so easily fooled. We know that millions of Canadians are struggling.

When will the Liberals finally take meaningful action and reduce the cost of food by reducing and eliminating the industrial carbon tax and the fuel standard tax?