Finance  Mr. Speaker, our government will provide an update on our fiscal position, expenses and revenues in due course, in this fall's economic update. I want to be very clear on Canada's fiscal position. I was at the IMF World Bank finance ministers meeting just last week. That is where it was so clear that Canada has the lowest deficit, the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7.

Finance  Mr. Speaker, I am happy to confirm that I was not in the House of Commons last week. In fact, none of us were, because—

Finance  Mr. Speaker, last week was, of course, a constituency week, and I was proud to be able to do my job at the IMF-World Bank finance ministers' meeting, in particular because the G7 finance ministers affirmed our shared condemnation of Hamas and shared support for the state of Israel.

Finance  Mr. Speaker, our government will state Canada's fiscal position, revenues and costs clearly in the fall economic statement in due course this fall. What the opposition clearly does not want to admit is that Canada's fiscal position is responsible. Indeed, it is enviable compared to our peer countries.

Finance  Mr. Speaker, our government will confirm the budget figures in the November economic statement. Today, however, I can point out a very important reality, a reality that should be reassuring for all Canadians: Canada's fiscal position is very strong. We have the lowest deficit and debt-to-GDP ratio in the entire G7, and our AAA credit rating has been reconfirmed by credit agencies.

Housing  Mr. Speaker, all we are doing is increasing partisan bickering. Now I will give the facts. The facts are that Canada is fiscally responsible. Our AAA credit rating has been reconfirmed by the agencies, and we have the lowest debt and deficit in the G7. If the Conservatives want to help us with the housing crisis, they need to support our Bill C‑56.

Housing  Mr. Speaker, let me share some facts. Canada has the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio and the lowest deficit in the G7. That is a fact. Canada has an AAA rating. That is also a fact. Do members know what else is a fact? The opposition, which claims to care about the housing challenges Canadians face, is blocking Bill C-56, which experts across the country say is essential to getting more rental homes built.

Carbon Pricing  Mr. Speaker, our government was proud to follow Quebec's example when it comes to child care and early learning centres. Our government is also very proud to follow Quebec's excellent example when it comes to climate action. Quebec was the first province to put a price on pollution.

Carbon Pricing  Mr. Speaker, let me tell members who is missing in action when it comes to protecting Canadians and their affordability, and I am talking about the affordability of life for our seniors. It is the Conservative leader. It took him 29 days to speak up for the Canada pension plan, but none of us should have been surprised because last year, he sought to eviscerate that plan, which is so important to every single Canadian, by seeking to freeze contributions.

Carbon Pricing  Mr. Speaker, the Conservative provincial finance minister of Ontario knows that pensions matter for the people of Ontario. That is why he wrote me a letter asking me to convene a meeting of all provincial finance ministers to defend our pensions. Will the Conservative MPs from Ontario be equally courageous and responsible in defending the pensions of the people of Ontario, and support our effort to keep the pensions of all Canadians safe?

Small Business  Mr. Speaker, we are proud to have created a program that has provided $49 billion in support to our SMEs across the country. The important thing to note today is that SMEs have until December 31, 2026, to repay the loan in full. That is an important date to keep in mind. We are here for our SMEs in Quebec and across Canada.

Questions on the Order Paper  Mr. Speaker, in the Trans Mountain response to Canada Energy Regulator information request no.1 on August 16, 2023, five key categories of root causes of cost increases were presented. Cost increases can take many forms, but regarding delay costs, specific examples of delays are given below for each root cause.

Small Business  Mr. Speaker, we are proud to have created that program, which paid out $49 billion to Canadian small businesses during one of the worst economic challenges they have ever faced. I thank the Bloc Québécois for supporting these crucial programs, especially when the Leader of the Opposition called our pandemic support measures “big, fat government programs”.

Questions on the Order Paper  Mr. Speaker, debt service cost projections rest on published assumptions. With regard to part (i), weighted average interest rates are based on, first, the yield curve constructed from the three month treasury bill rate and 10 year government bond rate, as forecast by private sector economists and published in each budget and fall economic statement.

Questions on the Order Paper  Mr. Speaker, the alternative minimum tax, AMT, introduced in 1986, is a parallel tax calculation that allows fewer deductions, exemptions and tax credits than under the ordinary income tax rules, to help ensure high-income Canadians who excessively use tax preferences are contributing a minimum amount of tax to support the vital public services on which Canadians rely.