The Budget  Madam Speaker, that is just factually incorrect. If we look at Venezuela, the Soviet Union and Cuba, we can see what that creates. Those types of socialist policies create scarcity and poverty. I am for abundance and freedom and for the Canadian—

The Budget  Madam Speaker, I always enjoy the vim and vigour, if not the content, of the member's interventions. What I would say to him is what I said in my speech, which is that the government absolutely has a role. It has a role to create framework in order to make a fair and equitable economy, but it is the private sector that ultimately generates growth.

The Budget  Madam Speaker, the reality is there is only so much capital, so much money, out there. If we direct those monies to the private sector, we get jobs, we get taxes and then we can sustain our important social safety net. If debt starts to take off, and starts to syphon more of that income away from the private sector, we get into a negative spiral where we will have higher taxes and lower government services, as we saw in the Chrétien era.

The Budget  Madam Speaker, I serve on the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, so I hear the Auditor General repeat again and again that governments must be prepared for the unexpected. We must plan. It is not exciting to invest those monies, but unless we have the resources to respond we will be in a difficult situation.

The Budget  Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure today to rise virtually on the first budget tabled in over two years. Before I begin, I would like to congratulate the Minister of Finance on being the first female to table a budget. Whatever our differences and beliefs, this is a significant step toward equality, and I congratulate her.

The Budget  Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to split my time with the fabulous member for Niagara Falls. My hope was that this budget would contain provisions that would provide a road for economic recovery. Unfortunately, while the government announced record spending, it did not introduce a responsible economic recovery plan.

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, Canada is facing the worst health and economic crisis in a generation. While the government has announced record spending in its budget, what it did not introduce was a responsible recovery plan. Many of my constituents are rightfully concerned that the debt introduced by the government will be felt for generations.

Taxation  Madam Speaker, as Canadians are now facing the third wave of the global pandemic, the tax filing deadline is quickly approaching. Filing taxes is a stressful time for everyone, but in a global pandemic, it can be downright harrowing. Conservatives believe that the tax filing deadline should be extended to provide relief for those who are struggling.

Taxation  Madam Speaker, I will take that as a “no”. This tax season our government has locked nearly one million taxpayers out of their CRA My Account because of its lacklustre cybersecurity. Many people are struggling to regain access to their accounts, which they need to file their taxes.

Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2020  Madam Speaker, the fact is that when we look at completely vaccinated individuals, Canada actually ranks quite low. Obviously no one is fully vaccinated, inoculated or protected, to the extent that vaccines can do this, until they have received both doses, and Canada is well behind.

Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2020  Madam Speaker, I will start with the second part of the question. I certainly believe in supporting the arts. The Capitol Theatre and the many other arts institutions in Northumberland—Peterborough South certainly require support. The pandemic has been very difficult for them. On the second part, I liken the member's point to the individual—

Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2020  Madam Speaker, the arts are incredibly important. The Capitol Theatre is in my riding, as are many other great arts institutions, and they have been hit so hard. We would agree that the pandemic has been very difficult on them. As to the second part, I would like to use an analogy about individuals.

Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2020  Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her advocacy on behalf of workers. The best possible way to help workers is to make sure that we get vaccines here in Canada, get jabs into arms and get Canadians safely back to work.

Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2020  Madam Speaker, what we cannot see in the insolvency data is how things will changes as the taps are turned off, which brings about a very important point. The government's programs have created a bridge, but it needs to be a bridge to a better day. At the end of the day, the programs are a Band-Aid and they are not a substitute for prolonged, strong economic activities and economic opportunities.

Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2020  Madam Speaker, it is my privilege today to rise virtually in the House of Commons to speak to Bill C-14, which enacts certain fiscal components of the fall fiscal update. I want to begin by speaking about some of the advantages of the bill. Steps like raising the Canada child benefit are essential to maintaining gender equality during this pandemic.