Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay

[Making Life More Affordable for Canadians Act, June 11th, 2025]

Madam Speaker, the provisions of the bill on access to home ownership are not that bad. We more or less agree with them. However, one of the biggest challenges for most households and families is to come up with a down payment. There is nothing about that in the bill.

Would my colleague be in favour of the idea of introducing a measure to provide an interest-free loan to allow first-time homebuyers to come up with a down payment? That would not cost the government very much. For example, given that the government would cover only the interest costs of the loan and it can borrow money at rates as low as 3.7%, it would cost $370 a year for a $10,000 loan. It is really not that expensive.

Does my colleague have any interest in that idea?

[Making Life More Affordable for Canadians Act, June 11th, 2025]

Madam Speaker, I tend to agree with my colleague in that, although we may have a new Prime Minister, we are still dealing with the same old government.

Make no mistake about it. Once the honeymoon is over and reality kicks in, we will see how true it is that we are still dealing with the same old worn-out government. That being said, there is one thing that I do not understand.

In his remarks, my colleague said something that seemed to make sense. Not so long ago, we would have heard the Conservatives proposing such things and we would have seen the Liberals rejecting their proposals in earnest.

I do not understand why the Conservatives are upset about the Liberals stealing their program.

[Business of Supply, June 10th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, we know that importers have recently been required to deposit a financial guarantee themselves in order to participate in the Release Prior to Payment Program, since they can no longer use the financial guarantee deposited by their customs brokers.

The transition period ended on May 20. It is a terrible situation.

What is being done about it?

[Business of Supply, June 10th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, we know that this initiative is a major source of dissatisfaction. I have the data right here: There are calculation errors in duties and taxes, trouble obtaining technical support, serious system performance issues, and 22 service interruptions.

Everything I just mentioned happened in the first month of the program's existence. Is that what the minister calls a system that was ready to be implemented?

[Business of Supply, June 10th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, I think that everyone agrees that the old system needed to be replaced. That is not the issue. The concerns that were raised were about the system as it was going to be implemented, along with the lack of preparation.

Is the minister in discussions with importers and exporters about their concerns and the irritants and problems that this is causing?

Are there any assessments, with figures and data, of the system's performance and how it is seen by Quebec importers and exporters, as well as by the chambers of commerce and all the groups that were very concerned and are now dissatisfied?

[Business of Supply, June 10th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, they are working on it, but I imagine that my colleague is in close contact with the Minister of International Trade, because this has a direct impact on importers and therefore a direct impact on trade.

In a situation like the current one, where trade is very difficult and challenging, we do not need to shoot ourselves in the foot with a system that is riddled with problems.

Does the minister have any assessments of the system's performance and his evaluation of it? I would like to know what is planned to improve the situation.

[Business of Supply, June 10th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, I will address one last subject.

My colleague and I studied the CARM system, the CBSA assessment and revenue management system, twice at the Standing Committee on International Trade. Fears were expressed. The system was criticized by some people, including importers and exporters.

Today, according to a survey of their members, things are not going well at all. Apparently, the situation is verging on chaos.

My colleague and I were initially in favour of postponing the system rollout. Last fall, we both voted to ask the Auditor General to conduct a performance audit.

Is my colleague having discussions with importers and exporters about the problems with the system?

[Business of Supply, June 10th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, did the main sticking points come up in the discussions that he confirmed took place? We know that for them, it is our supply management system. Hormone-treated beef was also a very difficult subject and was one of the reasons negotiations were suspended. Were these things discussed, or was there just a commitment to raise them again when the negotiations resume?

[Business of Supply, June 10th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, has a date been set for negotiations to resume, or are we not there yet?

[Business of Supply, June 10th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to move on to another topic, namely the negotiations for a free trade agreement with the United Kingdom. Negotiations seem to have been stalled for quite some time. It turns out they have been officially suspended for a year and a half. Can we get an update on the discussions?