Business of Supply  One in five Canadians is skipping meals. At the same time, the grocery sector made record profits in 2023, raking in $6 billion. It is an unfair system, and Canadians are paying the price. Nowhere is this clearer than in communities across our north, especially ones that depend on the nutrition north program.

Committees of the House  We are talking about the concurrence motion of an NDP report of the finance committee. The report reads: Given that the Canadian grocery sector made more than $6 billion in profit in 2023 and that millions of Canadians have reported food insecurity in the last year, the Standing Committee on Finance call on the government to immediately take action by implementing an excess profit tax on large grocery companies that would put money back in the people's pocket with a GST rebate and establish a National School Food Program, and that this motion be reported to the House.

Business of Supply  In 2024, this year, the average family of four is expected to spend an additional $700 on food, again continuing the trend that we have seen over the last couple of years. All this while the grocery sector continues to rake it in. Last year alone, it raked in $6 billion in profit. Loblaws has almost doubled its profit margin in the past five years, and Metro has the biggest profit margin of any grocery company. Canadians know the problem is corporate greed.

Business of Supply  Second, the former Conservative government had to provide $6 billion in payoffs to provinces to bring in a new tax for Canadians, including on groceries. How can the Conservatives continue to say that they are supportive of the passing-on of costs to consumers without taking full responsibility themselves?

Committees of the House  Today, we are discussing a motion that was passed in committee and sent over to the House. It is a report specifically on excess profit tax on large grocery companies. It states: Given that the Canadian grocery sector made more than $6 billion in profit in 2023 and that millions of Canadians have reported food insecurity in the last year, the Standing Committee on Finance call on the government to immediately take action by implementing an excess profit tax on large grocery companies that would put money back in the people's pocket with a GST rebate and establish a National School Food Program, and that this motion be reported to the House.

Business of Supply  What is the NDP-Liberal coalition going to do? If members can believe it, they have decided to actually hike the carbon tax by yet another 23%. This is just one step in their plan to quadruple the carbon tax over the next six years, making everything more expensive at the worst possible time.

Committees of the House  Speaker, I move that the 19th report of the Standing Committee on Finance, presented on Monday, May 6, 2024, be concurred in. I would like to inform the House that I will be splitting my time with the magnificent member for Victoria. Report 19, “Excess Profit Tax on Large Grocery Companies”, was put forward by my predecessor, the former NDP finance critic, Daniel Blaikie, who said the following: Given that the Canadian grocery sector made more than $6 billion in profit in 2023 and that millions of Canadians have reported food insecurity in the last year, the Standing Committee on Finance call on the government to immediately take action by implementing an excess profit tax on large grocery companies that would put money back in the people's pocket with a GST rebate and establish a National School Food Program, and that this motion be reported to the House.

Housing  What is worse is that the Prime Minister's so-called housing accelerator fund has given half a billion dollars to Toronto, and only months later, the politicians in that city hiked up homebuilding taxes by 20%. Now 30% of all homebuilding costs are government taxes alone. Why does the Prime Minister keep sending our money to build bureaucracies that block homes?

Finance committee  Canadians don't see hope right now at all. A year and a half is a long way to an election. That's why our leader called for a carbon tax election. If the Liberal-NDP government is so sure of their carbon tax scam, why not pause it? By the way, before the Liberal-NDP government jacked it up by 23% on April 1, 70% of Canadians, including seven out of 10 premiers, said to spike the hike and not to raise the carbon tax.

Health committee  Some estimates would suggest that we are short approximately 30,000 family doctors in this country. Then when you begin to do the math and look at the capital gains tax increase that they wish to do, it's a 6% tax grab. The audacity is that.... People say 6% is not that much, but it is, considering that physicians who are either retired or are close to retirement will have to pay it out of the savings that they have calculated that they would need to fund their own retirement.

Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2023  However, through delays and everything else, Kinder Morgan was going to be paying about $7 billion to have it done. It sold its share, and the Liberals have now spent approaching $35 billion to $40 billion of taxpayers' money to get a pipeline through. It should have cost taxpayers nothing.

Budget Implementation Act, 2024, No. 1  Thanks to the NDP-Liberal coalition, the Prime Minister was able to hike the carbon tax by 23% on April 1, further driving up the cost of everything. The fact is that 70% of Canadians oppose this tax hike, and 70% of the provincial premiers have asked the Prime Minister to stop this painful tax increase.

Budget Implementation Act, 2024, No. 1  All those taxes get added up and passed on to the consumer. That is how the carbon tax is making everything more expensive. That is inflation, plain and simple. There is a second myth to dispel about the carbon tax.

Finance committee  That's what led to 40-year highs in inflation and the most rapid interest rate hikes seen in Canadian history. That has led Canadians to be the most at risk in the G7 for mortgage default. Is carbon tax Carney in agreement with the Prime Minister that this is the path he wants to follow when he becomes Liberal leader?

Budget Implementation Act, 2024, No. 1  Even the former Liberal finance minister, Bill Morneau, has criticized this government for its reckless spending and tax hikes that will take Canada in the wrong direction. For Canada's economy to thrive, it must be competitive with the economies of our allies but, right now, it is not. Why is this the case?