Joël Lightbound

[Finance, March 19th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, two years ago, Canadians had a choice between the Liberal Party's plan and the austerity measures being proposed by the Conservatives with results that we are all familiar with. They include the lowest growth since World War II, the worst growth in exports, and the worst job creation record. The Liberal Party's plan involved investing in infrastructure and communities, giving more to those who need it most in order to stimulate and bolster our economy, and investing in science, and that is what we did in the last budget. That is what we are doing. The results speak for themselves. Over the past two years, 600,000 jobs have been created, most of which are full time.

That is a record we can be proud of.

[The Economy, March 2nd, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, if we keep doing what we are now doing, Canada's debt-to-GDP ratio will be at its lowest level since the late 1970s. It is already lower than it was under the previous government.

My colleague recently said that the government was spending a lot of money and did not have much to show for it. I imagine he knows something about that as he is a big fan of Stephen Harper, who added $150 billion to the country's debt and was responsible for the worst GDP growth since the Second World War, the worst job growth since Mackenzie King, and the worst growth in exports.

The facts speak for themselves: 600,000 jobs created in two years and the strongest growth in the G7.

[The Economy, March 2nd, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I can talk to him about the growth we have generated and the infrastructure investments we made in the past two years. That is what we promised. By 2022, our debt-to-GDP ratio will be at its lowest since the late 1970s. We are in the best fiscal position of all G7 countries.

If my colleague wants to talk about economists, we could also cite Serge Coulombe, who recently said on Radio-Canada that it was fiscally responsible to invest as we are doing and to keep our deficit under control by ensuring that our debt-to-GDP ratio continues to decline.

I think that is exactly what Canadians expect and that is what we are doing.

[The Economy, March 2nd, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I will use the line that the minister used yesterday, that the member is entitled to his opinion but not to his facts.

The fact is that over the last two years, 600,000 jobs have been created in Canada. It is the fastest growth in the G7. All of that occurred while making Canada a more just and responsible society, giving more to families who need it the most, and reducing taxes for nine million Canadians. That is a record we can be proud of, and those members ought to listen.

[The Economy, March 2nd, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we can look at the last two years and where Canada was two years ago when we were debating whether we were in a recession or heading into a recession.

After 10 years of anemic growth under the previous government, which had the lowest employment growth since World War II and the lowest growth of GDP since Mackenzie King, all of this while adding $150 billion to the national debt, Canadians decided to take a different approach, one where we invest in our communities, invest in infrastructure, invest in science, something which the Conservatives should have done a long time ago.

Over the last two years, the Canadian economy has had the fastest growth in the G7. Some 600,000 jobs have been created. I think we can be proud of that record.

[Taxation, February 26th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I understand the member opposite is eager to see what is in the budget. He will have to wait until tomorrow but I can assure him that we will continue on a path that favours growth in this country and to work for the middle class, like we did when we reduced taxes for nine million Canadians and when we introduced the Canada child benefit, which is lifting 300,000 kids out of poverty with a more progressive approach, something that the Conservatives failed to do in the decade they were in power.

We have a record to be proud of and I look forward to tomorrow's budget.

[The Budget, February 26th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I can reassure the member, as well as all Canadians, that we have always been very fiscally responsible, making sure that our debt to GDP ratio remains firmly on a downward track and that it will be at its lowest level in close to 40 years. We are in the best fiscal position in the G7.

However, in 2015, Canadians had a choice between the failed austerity policies of the Conservatives, which were also in the NDP platform, and a progressive agenda that invests in communities, in infrastructure, and in reducing inequalities in this country. The results speak for themselves.

[The Budget, February 26th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, with all due respect to my esteemed colleague, and I have a lot of respect for him, I do not think he understood the theory. The theory is that it is much easier to balance the budget when there is growth. This is what Paul Martin did, and this is what the International Monetary Fund supports.

Ten years of Conservative policies resulted in anemic growth and slow job creation. In two years, we have created more than 600,000 jobs by making smart investments, being fiscally responsible, and lowering the debt-to-GDP ratio. This was the fastest growth rate in the G7. My colleague should be taking notes.

[Finance, February 15th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I wonder how many of their constituents have $11,000 at the end of the year to put in their TFSA limit? They cheered for that, just like they cheered for sending cheques to families of millionaires.

We decided to take a different approach to help those who need it the most, with the Canada child benefit, and with GIS for seniors, where we are helping 900,000 seniors with close to $1,000 more a year. Those are the steps we have taken to make the economy work for everyone.

[Finance, February 15th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I wonder who was the working-class Canadians they were thinking about when they doubled the TFSA limit, which would have benefited the wealthiest—