The Economy  Mr. Speaker, unfortunately for Canadians, this budget will not deliver economic growth. The growth we will see is not build back better; it is build back bigger, bigger debt, bigger deficits, bigger spending, bigger government. With inflation around the corner, higher interest rates and higher taxes are a real worry for families that cannot afford housing or struggle with debt.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, we are in the middle of the worst health crisis of our lifetime. There is a massive third wave. There are lockdowns across the country, and Canadians are desperate to get their shots, yet the Prime Minister's budget has no plan to speed up vaccinations. There is no support for overwhelmed hospitals or for Canadians who are sick and dying from COVID.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, she knew the third wave was coming, yet the Prime Minister's budget failed to deliver any money to vaccinate Canadians more quickly or to address skyrocketing health costs across the country. There is no support for provinces and health care workers, who are overwhelmed.

The Budget  Well, Mr. Speaker, there is no way of sugar-coating this. This budget also failed to deliver an economic growth plan. There was no plan to reopen the economy or create jobs, or a more competitive business environment. Here is what Robert Asselin, one of the Prime Minister's top policy advisors, had to say about the budget.

Budget  Mr. Speaker, three months ago the Prime Minister gave the finance minister a mandate letter, instructing her to do three things: first, avoid creating new permanent spending; second, review Canada's debt management strategy; and, third, present a new fiscal anchor. That is the standard the Prime Minister set himself, and yet the minister followed none of them.

Budget  Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect their government to help them in their time of need, and we support those efforts. However, the budget is also, by far, the biggest, most expensive in Canadian history. Our deficit has ballooned to a staggering $354 billion, and our national debt will soon reach an unimaginable $1.4 trillion.

The Budget  Madam Speaker, I certainly do. My letter to the Minister of Finance outlined the fact that we had serious concerns that Canada's credit rating was going to be downgraded because of a declining fiscal situation. That is a result of unmanageable debt and deficits and unmanageable stimulus spending, which overheats the economy and leads to inflation.

The Budget  Madam Speaker, first, we support the provinces in making their own decisions in these areas. Clearly, Quebec has made its decision to establish this program, and we laud them for that, but there is nothing in the budget I have seen that says the minister is going to adopt the Quebec system.

The Budget  Madam Speaker, as the member has noted, there is some support for seniors in the budget, but before we embark upon any new permanent spending programs, we need to place of all this in the context of the long-term fiscal sustainability of our country. That is why the mandate letter to the Minister of Finance clearly says that there will be no new permanent spending, yet the budget completely breaks her responsibility to follow that directive.

The Budget  Madam Speaker, this is a question the member has asked me before in the House. I appreciate him repeating it, and I will repeat my answer. The real way of supporting Canadians and introducing fairness across all sectors of our economy is to generate economic growth. We had gone into this budget saying no new taxes, especially on our hard hit small business sector, and we are pleased that for the most part there is not a dramatic increase in tax burden on those businesses that are still struggling, although there is some.

The Budget  Madam Speaker, I find it passing strange that the member was not listening carefully as I gave my speech, as our opposition has been articulating its views on a child care strategy. In fact, our letter to the Minister of Finance expressly calls for the government to implement policies that support women, helping them to engage in the workforce.

The Budget  Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise in this House again to continue to respond to the 2021 budget that was tabled by the federal government yesterday. As so many parliamentarians, members of the media, stakeholders and even some ordinary Canadians have done, I too have spent hours poring over the contents and the backgrounders, the annexes and other finer details of this budget.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, these are unprecedented times and today we have the biggest spending budget in Canadian history, but this budget comes far too late. It is the federal government's first budget in well over two years. For that long, Canadians have been without a comprehensive plan for the economy to guide us through what has now become the stormiest time of our lifetime.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, let me be the first to formally congratulate my colleague on becoming the first female finance minister to table a federal budget in this House. I will add that it is a remarkable accomplishment. It is long overdue, and I believe it defines a new role model for Canadian women across our country to aspire to.

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, I see there is no debt management strategy. The Prime Minister also told his minister to present “a new fiscal anchor”. The Liberals have tried to manage this pandemic and its massive financial consequences without a clear set of rules. We have spent more per capita but achieved less than any other major developed country.