House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2021, with 50% of the vote.
Finance April 24th, 2018
Mr. Speaker, my question is for the finance minister. It is about the 200 pages in his budget that relate to the carbon tax and the carbon tax cover-up.
His government is asking Parliament to empower him to impose this tax without telling Canadians what it will cost them. It is kind of like a big blank cheque from Canadian taxpayers.
In the finance minister's budget, how much will the carbon tax cost the average family?
The Budget April 23rd, 2018
Mr. Speaker, that was not the only bad news for Canadian taxpayers, present and future: we also learned today that Canadians will spend vastly more on federal government debt interest. By 2022, the cost of servicing our national debt will rise by two-thirds, to almost $40 billion. That is as much as we spend, as a government of Canada, on health care.
How is it in the interests of Canadian taxpayers to fork over more to wealthy bondholders instead of funding our treasured social programs?
The Budget April 23rd, 2018
Mr. Speaker, if the government has nothing to hide, then it does not need to use all of that black ink to cover up the cost of the carbon tax to the average Canadian family.
Speaking of costs, we learned today that the government's already promise-breaking deficit will be even bigger than the finance minister admitted just a few months ago. He said it would be $18 billion; now the PBO says it will be $22 billion, almost a 20% increase in only a couple of weeks.
How did the finance minister get his numbers so wrong again?
The Economy April 23rd, 2018
Mr. Speaker, not only is the government redacting the cost of the carbon tax, but it is also redacting the minister's ability to answer questions on the issue here in the House of Commons. Most of us do not blame it for doing that, having heard some of his answers in the past.
The member across the way says that the PBO failed to calculate the wonderful opportunities that the carbon tax will bring to the economy, but the only opportunity that the PBO found in his calculations is the loss of $10 billion of annual economic activity.
How much will that tax cost the average Canadian family?
The Economy April 23rd, 2018
Mr. Speaker, today the Parliamentary Budget Officer revealed that the carbon tax would erase $10 billion from Canada's economy by the year 2022. I filed access to information requests asking how much this tax would cost the average Canadian family.
The finance minister has the numbers, but he has redacted them from documents released. Will he reveal today how much that tax will cost the average Canadian family? How much?
Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 1 April 23rd, 2018
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised in the last election that this year's deficit would be $6 billion. The finance minister said a few months ago that it would be $18 billion. Today, the Parliamentary Budget Officer said that it is now $22 billion. In other words, the deficit is going to be more than three times bigger than the Prime Minister promised and 20% bigger than the finance minister said only a few weeks ago.
My question is simple. How did the finance minister get it so wrong?
Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 1 April 23rd, 2018
Mr. Speaker, today the Parliamentary Budget Officer produced a report in which he calculated that the Liberal carbon tax would erase $10 billion a year from our economy. The finance minister thus far has refused to reveal how much the average family will pay for his carbon tax. Two hundred pages of the bill before the House today deal with the implementation of that very tax.
If the minister is able to put 200 pages of complicated rules, regulations, and taxes into the bill, why can he not stand now and answer this simple question. How much will the Liberal carbon tax cost the average Canadian family? How much?
The Economy April 19th, 2018
Mr. Speaker, the member says that he wants to make Canada the best place to invest in the world. In 2016, foreign investment in Canada fell by 42%. It could not get any lower. However, in 2017, it fell again by 27%.
When money leaves Canada, jobs go with it. The government seems determined to send both south of the border to help Donald Trump's agenda, rather than the agenda of Canadian workers. Why?
The Economy April 19th, 2018
Mr. Speaker, wages are paid by money, so when money leaves, jobs go with it. Stats Canada data show that Canadian investment in the U.S. is up two-thirds since the Liberal government took office, and U.S. investment in Canada is down by half in that same period. Investment is fleeing Liberal tax increases and red tape.
Donald Trump says that he wants to steal Canadian money and jobs. Why is the Prime Minister helping him?
Finance April 18th, 2018
Mr. Speaker, what is not in there is legal enforceability.
The legislation does not clearly restrict the power of that group of Liberal politicians on the Treasury Board to move that $7 billion between and among priorities that have not been approved by Parliament. Governments can only spend what Parliament has approved and only on the specific purposes approved, except this slush fund will allow the Liberals to move the money wherever they want.
How is that accountable to taxpayers?