House of Commons Hansard #79 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was help.
This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit Act Report stage of Bill C-19. The bill, Bill C-19, creates the Canada groceries and essentials benefit, amending the Income Tax Act to help low- and modest-income Canadians afford daily necessities. It includes a one-time top-up and a five-year, 25% increase to the GST credit, providing billions in support. While the Bloc Québécois and Conservatives will support the bill, they criticize the government for not including it in the budget and for not addressing the root causes of rising food prices, such as taxes and competition. 16200 words, 2 hours.
Criminal Code Second reading of Bill S-233. The bill amends the Criminal Code to make assault against health care workers and first responders an aggravating factor for sentencing. Proponents argue it provides necessary protection amid rising violence. While the Liberals state their Bill C-14 offers a broader approach, Conservatives accuse them of partisan delays. 8000 words, 1 hour.
Adjournment Debate - Finance Dan Mazier asks how much interest Canadians will pay on the national debt. Peter Fragiskatos cites the IMF's positive assessment of Canada's economy and urges support for budget 2025. Mazier argues that interest payments exceed healthcare transfers and questions the government's priorities, but Fragiskatos does not directly answer. 600 words.
Steven MacKinnon LiberalMinister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, today is a big day. Today is the day when, if all goes well, we will be passing historic assistance for Canadian families grappling with affordability issues with respect to food and essential goods.
After much cajoling, the opposition finally decided to stop the games, stop the obstruction and allow this bill to move on to the Senate so we can get that aid to Canadian families now.
Mark Strahl Conservative Chilliwack—Hope, BC
Mr. Speaker, most Canadians will get no benefit from this recycled plan. A small number will get about $10 a week, but that will not make a dent in the over $340 a week a family of four has to spend to buy groceries. The finance minister promised he would bring down grocery prices three years ago. He failed then, and he is failing again.
The Liberals' plan is not working, so why do they not vote for our food affordability plan to cut the industrial carbon tax, axe the fuel standards tax and finally lower grocery prices for all Canadians?
Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
Mr. Speaker, last fall, all the Conservatives did was quote Food Banks Canada. Over and over, they talked about Food Banks Canada. They failed to notice that Food Banks Canada recommended exactly what we are doing right now, which is to put more money in the pockets of those who need it the most.
Conservatives say they want to co-operate. Can they stop obstructing legislation that is helping Canadians get ahead? They need to be partners in this work. Canadians certainly are stepping up for each other. Why can they not step up for their constituents?
Scot Davidson Conservative New Tecumseth—Gwillimbury, ON
Mr. Speaker, news reports this week confirmed what Canadians already know: Our economy is on life support. Because of Liberal mismanagement, we have had two consecutive quarters of zero economic growth. While our GDP is stagnant, grocery inflation keeps climbing. This year, it will cost $17,600 to feed a family of four, nearly $1,000 more than it did in 2025.
Why is it that under the Liberals, the only thing rising is the price of food?
Mélanie Joly LiberalMinister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
Mr. Speaker, since September we have created 189,000 jobs. This is great news for Canada. That is more jobs created in Canada than in the U.S. We have the second-fastest-growing economy.
Let me give examples: Alstom, with 240 new jobs in Thunder Bay, 150 new jobs at Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville and 100 new jobs in La Pocatière; 330 new jobs at Bombardier; 300 new jobs at Vale-Glencore in Sudbury; at Vianode in St. Thomas, Ontario, a Conservative riding, 300 new jobs—
The EconomyOral Questions
Scot Davidson Conservative New Tecumseth—Gwillimbury, ON
Mr. Speaker, the government could talk a glass eye to sleep, but it is the Liberals who need to wake up. Do they need to see how many more Canadians are on the street, shaking a coffee cup for change?
The government refuses to take the tax off food, refuses to boost competition and refuses to deliver a real plan for food affordability. Its rebate will not reduce the price of a single item at the grocery store.
Will the Liberals support our food affordability plan and deliver some real relief for Canadians?
Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
Mr. Speaker, the average family is saving $16,000 a year on child care. Who refuses to support young families with the cost of living? It is the Conservatives across the aisle. Families are saving $800 a year in food costs for their children at school. Who refuses to feed hungry children at school? It is the Conservatives.
Every step we take, they obstruct. They get in the way of the very things that not only experts but also their very own constituents are calling for. When will they get in line?
Christine Normandin Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
Mr. Speaker, some pensioners have not received their OAS payments for nine months because of the Cúram software, and the government is ignoring them.
However, today we learned that the pensioners are not the only ones being ignored. The government is also ignoring the opinions of its own officials. In an internal survey, more than half of them gave that software a score of one out of 10. Some 89% felt that Cúram had hindered, rather than improved, services to the public.
When will the Liberals pull their heads out of the sand and fix the problem?
Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
Mr. Speaker, rolling out a new benefits delivery platform requires an adjustment period. The department is working tirelessly to ensure that staff have the tools they need to familiarize themselves with the new system and deliver benefits efficiently.
If anyone is experiencing problems with their benefits, I encourage them to contact Service Canada. I also invite them to contact my office directly so we can address their concern.
Christine Normandin Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
Mr. Speaker, we have been sounding the alarm for months.
In a document provided to La Presse, the union said that Cúram is causing problems similar to the ones people experienced during the Phoenix fiasco, but on a broader scale. That is not all. According to the union report, a procedure clearly indicates that agents must not tell clients that payment delays or errors are related to Cúram.
Did the government order public servants to lie rather than resolve the problem?
Stephanie McLean LiberalSecretary of State (Seniors)
Mr. Speaker, the OAS transition is complete, and it came in under budget. More than seven million seniors are now receiving their benefits on time thanks to a modern system. The total cost of Cúram covers four separate projects. The $6.6 billion is the amount that was allocated and approved for the project's life cycle.
Andréanne Larouche Bloc Shefford, QC
Mr. Speaker, there are seniors who have been waiting for their OAS pension for nine months. Meanwhile, we have learned that the government is not only pretending that everything is fine, but it is also not telling the truth to the media or to us when we ask questions. The government is asking public servants to lie to people and tell them that their problems have nothing to do with the Cúram software.
What should the Liberals' priority be: helping seniors or covering their own butts?
PensionsOral Questions
The Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia
We do need to be mindful of decorum.
The hon. Minister of Jobs and Families.
Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
Mr. Speaker, our office has contacted the member opposite, but has yet to receive a response. If they have urgent cases to resolve, I would ask them to contact my office so that we can answer their requests. I am ready to help my colleague's constituents.
Anna Roberts Conservative King—Vaughan, ON
Mr. Speaker, seniors built this country, and now they must make the tough decisions between buying groceries or medication. They cannot absorb these costs, and they cannot afford to skip meals. Three years ago the finance minister promised to stabilize food prices, which is another broken promise.
Canada has the worst food inflation in the G7. The Conservatives have the solution: Cut the industrial carbon tax, cut the fuel standard tax and give the supermarkets genuine competition.
Will the Liberals adopt our proposals and demonstrate empathy for our seniors so they can live in dignity?
Stephanie McLean LiberalSecretary of State (Seniors)
Mr. Speaker, if the Conservatives want to know why we are not adopting their plan, the answer is simple: The only person who thinks it is going to work is their leader.
We are following the advice of Food Banks Canada. We are following the advice of experts. Let me tell the other side what seniors are saying. Dava Houston says, “Seeing a lot of talk about the Grocery Rebate helping ‘no one.’ As a senior, I disagree. This benefit is specifically targeted to help those of us on fixed incomes navigate high food prices. It’s a floor for people who built this country and need it most.” At least the Conservatives could stop talking it down.
Anna Roberts Conservative King—Vaughan, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' recycled rebate does not address the high cost of groceries. Some seniors would receive only $10 a week, which is less than the cost of a cup of coffee per day, which is up 33.6%. The $10 savings is like receiving another coupon. The rebate is an admission of the failed policies of the Liberal government, and it would not change much for our seniors.
Again I will ask the government, will it take our proposal and use it to ensure that our seniors can live in dignity?
Stephanie McLean LiberalSecretary of State (Seniors)
Mr. Speaker, what will make a real difference in fighting food insecurity is ensuring that seniors have the money in their pockets that they need in order to be able to buy groceries and to buy toilet paper, coffee and these kinds of items over which the government has no control.
We are controlling what we can, and that is ensuring that seniors have the money they need in order to afford the essentials they need. That is also why we are ensuring that one million lower-income Canadians can access the benefits they are entitled to, with automatic tax filing.
We are ensuring that older Canadians get the money they need through the essentials benefit.
David McKenzie Conservative Calgary Signal Hill, AB
Mr. Speaker, while Liberals talk about elbows up, average Canadians see only the price of groceries up. Food price inflation has doubled since the Prime Minister took office. The percentage of seniors using food banks is up 22% over five years, forcing seniors to choose between meals and medication.
Conservatives want results. Will the Prime Minister work with us to boost competition in grocery chains, and eliminate the industrial carbon tax and the fuel standard tax to bring food prices down?
Eleanor Olszewski LiberalMinister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives have spent the last two months going on and on talking about food banks, but they really need to listen to them.
I was in Edmonton last weekend. I met with people on the ground at food banks, and they were praising the Prime Minister's announcement and saying what a huge benefit it would be to people actually on the ground in ridings in Alberta, including Conservative ridings.
Conservatives should support a benefit that would help 1.3 million Albertans, including those in Conservative ridings.
Connie Cody Conservative Cambridge, ON
Mr. Speaker, the grocery inflation crisis is tearing apart families and tearing apart our communities. I received a letter from a senior citizen in Cambridge whose son had to move back home because he could not afford the cost of living. He wants to get married but cannot even move out of his mom's home to buy his own, start a family, have children and be able to feed them.
With the cost of lettuce up 40%, beef up nearly 30% and canned vegetables up over 10%, there is simply no money left for anything else in life. The government has been all sizzle and no steak when it comes to food affordability.
When will the Liberal government stop with the empty words and start cooking up some real solutions to bring down the price of groceries?
Ruby Sahota LiberalSecretary of State (Combatting Crime)
Mr. Speaker, if the challenge is complex, real leadership meets it with more, not less. This is why, when it comes to food inflation, Canada's new government is doing more. We are building long-term solutions to pricing pressures and are making sure Canadians get the real relief they need right now. We are building stronger, more resilient supply chains and are increasing domestic supply and production to ensure that additional costs are not passed on to the consumer.
This will take time, but while we are doing that, we are also going to make sure Canadians get five years of support, over $1,890 a month for a family.
Amanpreet S. Gill Conservative Calgary Skyview, AB
Mr. Speaker, three years ago the finance minister promised to stabilize food prices. He failed. Since then, the cost of lettuce is up 40%. Beef is up 27%. Baby formula is up 14%. Canada has the highest food inflation in the G7. Every month, 2.2 million Canadians are visiting food banks. Canadians are struggling. We want results.
Will the Liberals support our motion for a food affordability plan that removes the industrial carbon tax and the fuel standard tax, and increases competition in grocery stores, yes or no?
Peter Fragiskatos LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives have mentioned beef. They have mentioned coffee, fruits and vegetables. The Bank of Canada has affirmed what we already know; it made clear that import costs are crucial when it comes to food inflation. Which kind of import costs in particular is this? It is climate change, dramatic weather events around the world and domestically. It is obvious; when we have more flooding and more droughts, this affects food production. It affects the size of livestock as well.
Let us be serious about the solutions at hand. Let us work together to build up the economy. Canadians expect it. Let us meet this moment right now.