Andrew Scheer

[Veterans Affairs, October 24th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by expressing my heartfelt condolences to the family of Constable Catherine Campbell. She was truly a hero to her community and we will always remember her contributions and sacrifice.

The government is changing the policy that led to Catherine's killer, Christopher Garnier, receiving benefits from Veterans Affairs, even though he never actually served in the Canadian Armed Forces. However, it has refused to intervene and revoke those benefits for Garnier himself.

Catherine Campbell's parents are visiting Parliament Hill today, so I wonder if the Prime Minister could explain why he is putting the interests of Catherine Campbell's killer ahead of the interests of Canada's veterans.

[Carbon Pricing, October 24th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, former premier Brad Wall said it best when he said, “Usually when someone tells you to send in money but you'll get more back in return, it's a Nigerian prince.” The bad news for Canadians is that is actually coming from their Prime Minister.

The government expects suburban moms and dads to believe that a measly $12.50 a month per taxpayer will cover higher fuel costs and higher home heating costs.

If the Prime Minister believes that to be the case, why will he not finally table the documents that show the true cost of the carbon tax for those very same families?

[Carbon Pricing, October 24th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, it is not just Conservatives who believe that this new carbon tax will be hard on small businesses. Here is what the Canadian Federation of Independent Business had to say about this new tax: “They already picked a fight with business owners with the small business tax changes in 2017 and now it looks like there will be another big one in 2018”.

It is the Prime Minister who accused small business owners of being tax cheats and who granted special deals to big corporations as he went after small business owners.

The question once again is this: will small and medium-sized businesses get the same exemption that big corporate emitters got?

[Taxation, October 24th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister will have plenty of opportunity to ask me questions after the next election.

The question today is very simple. The Prime Minister can act all he wants, but he cannot act his way out of this one. He has given a special deal to large corporate emitters. Small businesses with five and four employees will face massive new costs under his plan. Will they receive the same deal that government lobbyists secured for large corporate emitters, yes or no?

[Taxation, October 24th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister likes simplicity. Let me make it very simple for him. His own documents show that he has a separate system that includes a massive exemption for large corporate emitters that can afford well-paid government lobbyists. Small businesses, which are the backbone of this economy, will face higher fuel costs and higher heating costs. Will those same businesses, this is very simple, get the same deal?

[Taxation, October 24th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister can try to deflect attention all he wants, but the facts are in his own government's backgrounder. It states:

The federal system has two components: a charge on fossil fuels that will generally be paid by fuel producers or distributors, and a separate pricing system for industrial facilities

That separate system includes a massive exemption. The question again is this. Will small and medium-size businesses get the same deal?

[Taxation, October 24th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister talked about protecting businesses, but it turns out that his carbon tax scheme protects large corporate emitters by giving them a massive exemption from the costs they will have to pay. Small businesses that will face rising fuel and home heating costs will have to bear the brunt of his new carbon tax plan.

Therefore, the question is very simple. Will he grant the same exemption to small and medium-size businesses he has given to large corporate emitters?

[Taxation, October 24th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, for the second consecutive year, the Prime Minister is going after small businesses. Unlike large corporations that are entitled to special deals with the Liberals, small businesses will bear the brunt of the Prime Minister's carbon tax.

Why is it that every time the Prime Minister increases taxes, the people who can least afford it are the ones who end up paying the most?

[Carbon Pricing, October 23rd, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I am taking the Prime Minister at his word. It is his own backgrounder that says that large industrial polluters are exempt from this plan. The Liberals are trying to trick Canadians into thinking that somehow they will be better off with a new tax. If they want Canadians to believe that they will be better off when the music stops after this Liberal shell game, will they finally table the documents that indicate what the true costs of the Liberal carbon tax will be?

[Carbon Pricing, October 23rd, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, it is this Prime Minister's plan that has made pollution free for large industrial polluters who can afford well-paid government relations experts, but do we know who cannot? It is hard-working Canadian families, moms and dads trying to pay their heating bills and bring their kids to hockey practice. It is people living in rural areas who have to drive long distances to get to work. They do not have well-connected Liberal government relations experts.

Why is the government raising the cost of living for hard-working families and giving special breaks to large polluters?