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House of Commons Hansard #78 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was prices.
House of Commons Hansard #78 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was prices.
This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
Opposition Motion—Food Affordability Members debate Canada's high food inflation, the highest in the G7. Conservatives attribute rising grocery costs to Liberal "hidden taxes" on farmers, fuel, and packaging, advocating their removal and increased competition. Liberals contend global factors like climate change and supply chain disruptions are primary drivers, highlighting immediate relief through the Canada groceries and essentials benefit and long-term food security strategies. Other parties emphasize grocery sector competition and the Bloc calls for OAS benefit increases. 48800 words, 6 hours in 2 segments: 1 2.
Use of Federal Lands for Veterans Liberal MP Alana Hirtle moves a motion for a committee to study using underused federal lands for veteran services and housing. Liberals call it a strategic approach for future veteran needs. Conservatives and NDP criticize it as a delay, urging immediate action and highlighting government failures. The Bloc questions the House instructing a committee. 8500 words, 1 hour.
TaxationOral Questions
Mark Carney Liberal Nepean, ON
Mr. Speaker, I recognize that the Leader of the Opposition is just visiting his riding and will be running in another riding in the next election. He should spend some time, I would suggest, with the farmers in his riding, who benefit from our trade deal with China and its $7 billion in new exports, and who benefit from the biofuel charge that supports canola production, supports farm income, supports our future.
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, I realize that the Prime Minister is just visiting Canada. I welcome him.
Let us go to my riding. Let us go to Drumheller. Let us go to Camrose. Let us go to Consort. Let us ask them if they believe that, when we charge a seven-cent-a-litre tax on the diesel and gasoline used to grow and ship food, or when we tax fertilizer and farm equipment, that gets passed on in the highest grocery prices in the G7.
Is he ready to make that trip to talk about that tax?
Mark Carney LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, I am always pleased to go back to my home province of Alberta. I am always pleased to go back to Drumheller, to Consort, which is the home of the great k.d. lang, I might add.
I am always supporting Canadian farmers, as this government does, with new markets, with support for biofuels, with exemptions from the federal fuel charge, with exemptions from the industrial carbon tax, because we believe in Canada.
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, the original question was, what is his theory on why Canada, after a year of his leadership, has the highest food inflation in the G7?
Why is it that single moms, seniors and small businesses are seeing grocery prices rise faster here in Canada under his leadership, after the Prime Minister promised to stabilize them, than people in any other G7 country? I have offered my theory, which is that it is his many taxes on farmers, fishers, food processing and fertilizer.
Once again, if it is not all of his taxes on food production giving us the worst record, then what is?
Mark Carney LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, one thing impacting, according to TD Bank, food prices is the fall in the Canadian dollar caused by the obstructionism of the members opposite before this government came into place.
What this government is giving Canadians is certainty, certainty with the groceries and essentials benefit, which is $1,800 for a family of two, and is providing the support Canadians need, the boost now, to bridge to a brighter future in building Canada strong.
Yves-François Blanchet Bloc Beloeil—Chambly, QC
Mr. Speaker, first, allow me pay my respects to Prime Minister Harper, who is the thought leader for both the Prime Minister and the Conservative leader.
I would like the Prime Minister, in the company of someone who claimed to be sensitive to Quebec's reality, to summarize what he knows and understands about the expropriation and the trauma inflicted on residents of Mirabel during construction of the Mirabel airport.
Mark Carney LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, I want to pay my utmost respect to the 22nd prime minister of Canada, a great prime minister of Canada. In a few hours, I will have the honour of presenting the unveiling of his portrait.
The high-speed train is a major national project. It is a national project that will be carried out in close collaboration with residents of Quebec and Ontario.
Yves-François Blanchet Bloc Beloeil—Chambly, QC
Mr. Speaker, I gather that this is the sum total of the Prime Minister's knowledge of the trauma caused by the expropriations in Mirabel, which he wants to duplicate and repeat.
Does he think that expropriation without mutual agreement, expropriation by email, expropriation without impact studies, and expropriation without genuine consultation are likely to ease the serious trauma suffered by the people of Mirabel and the Laurentians?
Mark Carney LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, we are working closely with the people of Mirabel, Quebec and Ontario to have a small corridor, not a major airport, but a small corridor for a project that will create more than 50,000 good jobs here in Canada.
Yves-François Blanchet Bloc Beloeil—Chambly, QC
Mr. Speaker, I am not aware of any agricultural producer who considers their farm to be too small to be worthy of respect.
Are the powers to suspend rules, laws, parliamentary privilege, environmental consultations, and expropriation rules not proof that Bill C-5 and its offshoot, Bill C-15, are heartless bills?
Mark Carney LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, the process will be respectful, transparent and inclusive.
My question is the following.
Is the member for Beloeil—Chambly for or against high-speed rail? Is he for or against the future of Quebec? Is he for or against the future of Canada?
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, the food crisis is the worst problem facing families in Canada. There are single moms who do not even know whether they will be able to pay their bills.
I asked the Prime Minister for his theory, because if he cannot diagnose the cause of inflation and rising prices, he cannot find the solution. The Bank of Canada says that two-thirds of the increases reflect domestic factors.
I am giving him another chance. As an eminent economist, can the Prime Minister tell us what is causing the worst food inflation in Canada?
Steven MacKinnon LiberalMinister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition knows full well that we have taken steps to help families. That is why he bowed to our demand to fast-track Bill C‑19, which will provide no less than $1,800 to Canadian families to help them deal with food and affordability issues.
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, it is another illusion. It will be $10 a week, at most, for a family. Most Canadians will get nothing at all. It will be $10 a week for $300 of groceries weekly for a family.
The question was, why is it that Canada has the worst inflation in food prices in the G7? The Prime Minister claimed it was our low dollar under his leadership. He had claimed that he was going to be so good with money and so good with protecting the loonie.
Why is it that he has stood in the House of Commons and admitted that his leadership has tanked our dollar and raised grocery prices?
Steven MacKinnon LiberalMinister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I do not know, but the math I have is that $1,800 divided by 52 is a lot more than $10 a week.
The Leader of the Opposition knows very well that this is substantial assistance for Canadians who are experiencing affordability issues. That is why he bent over when we asked him to accelerate and pass Bill C-19 and make sure that we can get that aid to Canadians right away.
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, if the Prime Minister is going to dodge questions, he had better find someone better than that to get up in his place. It is unbelievable.
We have said that we would work with the government to save the people the Prime Minister has priced out of groceries, and if that $10 a week might make the difference for a very small number of people, members can bet we will work hard to do it. We are willing to put differences aside because Canadians are suffering the worst inflation and food prices in the G7.
Will he put differences aside and agree to remove all the Liberal taxes at the grocery store so Canadians can afford to eat comfortably again?
Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
Mr. Speaker, all we hear from the opposition are imaginary taxes that they—
The EconomyOral Questions
The Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia
Order. I cannot hear anything, because there is too much noise.
The hon. Minister of Jobs and Families.
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Mr. Speaker, all we hear from the opposition members are conversations about imaginary taxes that theoretically are impacting the price of food. They do not want to work with evidence. They do not want to listen to experts who are telling us that the very thing we need to do is increase the money in people's pocketbooks. That is what we are doing, whether by cutting taxes for 22 million Canadians, ensuring that people have access to the groceries and essentials benefits, or making child care affordable. Families are saving $16,000 a year in affordable child care—
The EconomyOral Questions
Warren Steinley Conservative Regina—Lewvan, SK
Mr. Speaker, it took the minister a long time to get there.
The finance minister promised three years ago that he would stabilize grocery prices by Thanksgiving of 2023. Since then, coffee has gone up 33%, beef has gone up 27% and lettuce has gone up 40%, and Canada is leading the G7 in food inflation. Now he is announcing another temporary rebate, which would not reduce the cost of a single food item. The rebate is an admission of the Liberals' failure in a policy.
Will the finance minister keep his word and lower the price of groceries so Canadians can afford to put food on the table?
Adam van Koeverden LiberalSecretary of State (Sport)
Mr. Speaker, never in his more than 20-year career has the new, temporary member of Parliament for Battle River—Crowfoot cared about people who are in financial need. The new, feigned approach to affordability is not convincing any Canadians.
The GST rebate makes a big difference for families who need it. The Conservatives have committed to voting for the bill, but they still want to criticize it and say it would not work. It would work. As somebody who has benefited from that benefit in particular, I can say that my family needed that help and that families still need that help, and that is why we are delivering for families in need.