SoVote

Jan/31/22 4:15:43 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the reality is that when we promote democracy, justice, the rule of law and human rights, as Conservative governments have always done, we create opportunities to have better social environments, better living environments and better environmental environments. I think that we have the same objective, which is to have a better world, but I believe that we need democracy, rule of law, human rights and an effort to have these as the building blocks and the base for a better world for everything.

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Mr. Kody Blois (Kings—Hants, Lib.)

Jan/31/22 4:16:26 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time this afternoon with the member for Kitchener South—Hespeler. Happy new year to you, Madam Speaker, to my colleagues and indeed to all Canadians as we return to Parliament. Normally, I debate and provide my remarks in the House quite off the cuff. However, today I have sought to choose my words very carefully, because the circumstances warrant that I do. Today, we are debating the Speech from the Throne, the document that laid out the priorities of this government and was read by the Governor General before Christmas. The document is intentionally broad in its scope, outlining the issues of the day: climate change, reconciliation, economic recovery and, perhaps most important in the short term, getting us collectively through to the other side of this pandemic. The government launched a series of measures: first and foremost, the procurement of vaccines for all Canadians and booster shots to combat the wave of the omicron variant; then vaccine mandates for professions under federal jurisdiction; continued purchasing of rapid tests for provinces; and income supports for individuals and businesses who have been impacted by health protocols, all to prevent our health care system from being overwhelmed. Most Canadians have embraced vaccinations, with over 80% of our citizens vaccinated, one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. However, I would be remiss if I did not use this opportunity to provide my thoughts on those who have objected and who have chosen to protest at events like we have seen this weekend and which continue outside this chamber as we speak. My father was a truck driver. His name was Gordon Douglas Blois. He left high school at a young age and worked hard to provide for our family. I am so proud to stand here today as a member of Parliament whose dad drove a truck. Let me go on record thanking the men and women who are truck drivers and other essential workers, who show up for work to make an honest living, contributing in an invaluable way to our society. If there has been perhaps one silver lining of this pandemic, it may be the greater emphasis and understanding of the importance of our sometimes unsung heroes. What is my take on the so-called “Freedom Convoy” that has arrived in Ottawa? Let me first acknowledge that I am sympathetic to Canadians who are tired, frustrated and, frankly, want this pandemic to be over. I share that desire too and, frankly, I think we are all waiting to get to the new normal. I am also sympathetic to an individual who wants to protest and make their voice heard on government policy and decision-making. We live in a democracy where freedom of assembly is a constitutionally protected right. However, what we saw this weekend was not simply truckers showing up for a protest. We saw swastikas and Confederate flags, both symbols of hate. We saw people harassing journalists, urinating on and disrespecting the National War Memorial, intimidating and stealing from a food bank, and desecrating a statue of our national hero, Terry Fox. While there may be truckers as part of this crowd, they are certainly not sanctioned by the organization that speaks for truckers, and the prevailing voice of the past four days is one of a much more sinister crowd and outlook. The goal seems to be less about raising the issue of vaccine requirements at the border, and more about overthrowing government and eliminating any public health measure to protect against COVID-19. While I have concerns as to why individuals do not want to follow public health advice and do not want to get vaccinated, we must balance individual freedoms with collective freedoms. Let me explain. No one in Canada is being forced to take a vaccine. However, for those who choose not to vaccinate, there are consequences to those individual choices. Provincial and territorial governments along with the Government of Canada are imposing restrictions on those who have made an individual choice to not vaccinate in order to protect the collective well-being of those who have made their own individual choice to follow the recommendations of public health, to follow the science and to be vaccinated. The protesters outside have freedom. They just do not like the consequences of their choice. Why is all of this being done? It is not a global ploy to control the masses. It is not governments installing microchips through the vaccine. It is because there is an overwhelming disparity among those who are unvaccinated in the number of ICU cases in the public health system across the country as a result of COVID-19. In Nova Scotia, 44% of ICU cases are from a population representing just 9% of Nova Scotians: those who are unvaccinated. This brings us back to freedom. Where is the freedom for individuals whose life-saving surgeries have been delayed because hospital beds are being taken up by individuals who chose not to follow the recommendations from public health? One of my constituents, Mark Clark, a dedicated community volunteer, requires open heart surgery, but he must wait because there is a lack of beds in Nova Scotia. Where is his freedom? Who is protecting his right to life, liberty and security? It is certainly not the individuals who are screaming of freedom outside. It also bears repeating that the policy that was supposedly the impetus for this protest, the inability for unvaccinated truck drivers to travel across the border, is being imposed by the United States, not the Government of Canada. Yes, Canada is reciprocating for American truck drivers; however, these decisions are driven to protect our collective well-being. The world will not fall apart. Our supply chain will continue to be strained, as is the case around the world, but we will not go hungry in this country for the decision of the 10% of individuals who are exercising their choice to not get vaccinated. Perhaps what is most concerning is how certain members of this House have sought to give credibility to what we have seen this weekend, in particular the member for Carleton. Not only has he not condemned the blatant disrespect of a national war memorial and our national hero Terry Fox, but he has also not made clear whether or not he supports eliminating all health-related protocols to the pandemic, as this group of protestors is calling for. In fact, it raises the question of where the Conservative Party of Canada stands on this issue. Does it support the idea of eliminating all health-related protocols immediately? How long will these individuals stay in Ottawa? We heard from the government House leader earlier today the call for these protestors to go home. The mayor of Ottawa has certainly called for the same thing, as have local residents. Members will recall in early 2020 there were protests across the country following a dispute on Wet'suwet'en territory that led to a blocking of highways, bridges and railroads. Many Conservative members of this House were quick to call for the police to intervene. I agree with that proposition, that protestors, regardless of their issue, should not be allowed to shut down public infrastructure. What hypocrisy it would be if Conservative members in the House were to stay silent and not call for these protestors to remove their vehicles from the downtown. Sure, if these individuals want to continue to demonstrate and picket on Parliament Hill, they can fill their boots, but shutting down the corridor of our capital city cannot continue. I believe it is incumbent on all governments of all levels and all political stripes to be mindful of the importance of demonstrating and explaining in detail to Canadians how health-related protocols will help get us to the other side of the pandemic. This ties back, of course, to what I said, which is that there is a growing frustration and fatigue. As fatigue sets in, it will be important for Canadians who understand the importance of collective sacrifice to see the path beyond COVID-19. We colleagues, as parliamentarians, and indeed all elected officials, need to be mindful that our actions and our words have consequences. Of course, we must stick to our principles and beliefs, but we must not drive rhetoric or half-truths simply for partisan gain. It undermines our collective ability to come together, and it further fragments society and the communities and constituencies we represent. Finally, Canadians are closing in on the two-year anniversary of COVID-19 going from a far-flung concern in Asia to impacting our lives directly. Governments have worked to protect our collective well-being by implementing a series of measures to reduce the spread of a novel virus. Has the government done this perfectly? It has absolutely not. Have there been impacts and sacrifices? There undoubtedly have been. However, in a short period we have developed vaccines that give us greater protection. We have avoided a complete collapse of our health care system and saved thousands of lives in the process. While our sacrifice is different, there are parallels to the collective effort of the nation during the world wars. Generations before us have met their own generational challenge, and we too must continue to rise to meet our challenge of today. Together, we will get to the other side and, collectively, we will all be better off as a result.

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Mr. Brad Vis (Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, CPC)

Jan/31/22 4:26:32 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, earlier today, on my way to the agriculture committee with the hon. member, I spoke to some police officers from the Ottawa police force and the Toronto police force in town. I asked them how the weekend went and how things were going today, and they said that there were definitely some bad apples. As the grandson of grandparents from the Netherlands who suffered under Nazi occupation, I was brought to tears by the hate that I saw this weekend. Even seeing that flag in the nation's capital brought distress because it has impacted my family directly. The member talked about hospital capacity. Is it not wrong that we have spent so much money in the last two years, and I cannot point to a single new hospital in this country?

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Mr. Kody Blois

Jan/31/22 4:27:36 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for calling out the hate symbols that we saw this weekend. Again I would articulate that there are some well-intended people who are part of that crowd. The problem is the rhetoric and the noise coming from the group, by and large, has a much more sinister view. The member mentioned hospitals. I appreciate the question. This government, over the past two years, has poured billions of dollars into supporting the provinces with COVID funds. We do not build hospitals. We provide that money to the provinces to roll out. Any suggestion that all of a sudden we can fix the health care system overnight at a time that we are dealing with the pandemic is a bit foolhardy, but we have been there. We have provided billions of dollars to help support and strengthen the health care system through this time.

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Ms. Kristina Michaud (Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, BQ)

Jan/31/22 4:28:28 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, my father is also a truck driver, and I am extremely proud of him and what he does. I did not know that I had this in common with my colleague. Like 90% of truckers and other Canadians, my father has had his three doses of the vaccine. Most of them have received two doses and will soon be getting their third. I think that the protest outside right now has swelled far beyond the scope of the truckers' initial demands. I agree with my colleague that we need to set an example as members of Parliament. We need to show unity. When I see all these social divisions, I am deeply troubled. I think that this is our responsibility. However, it gave me pause to hear the Prime Minister say that the protesters were whining. I do not think that that is going to defuse the situation. How does the hon. member suggest that we end this crisis?

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Mr. Kody Blois

Jan/31/22 4:29:23 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, my French is so-so, but I will try to reply in French. First, I am happy to hear that my colleague's father is also a truck driver. It is a noble profession, and that is great. Let me just say that all federal parliamentarians, including the Prime Minister, as well as all our provincial colleagues, should try very hard to keep their arguments reasonable. In the days to come, that will enable us to figure out how to end the pandemic through necessary measures that protect our colleagues, friends and neighbours from COVID‑19. The vaccine is absolutely necessary to finding a way out in the days to come. I think it is incumbent upon all members to understand people's frustrations and concerns with respect to provincial policies, as well as—

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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Jan/31/22 4:30:47 p.m.
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Order. The hon. member for Nanaimo—Ladysmith for a quick question.

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Ms. Lisa Marie Barron (Nanaimo—Ladysmith, NDP)

Jan/31/22 4:30:54 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, one thing I did not hear about in the member's speech was seniors. Specifically in my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith, seniors are losing their homes because of clawbacks to their GIS supplements. Canada's most cash-strapped seniors are being punished for receiving much-needed emergency pandemic benefits while companies rake in profits and sit on public funds off the backs of everyday Canadians, including at-risk seniors. Can the member share when the government will do what is right and stop punishing seniors by excluding emergency pandemic benefits from the calculation of GIS eligibility?

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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Jan/31/22 4:31:35 p.m.
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I would like to remind members that, when I ask for a brief question, if they could pose a brief question, as there will only be 30 seconds left. That question took almost a minute. The hon. member for Kings—Hants has time for a brief response.

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Questions and comments period

Mr. Kody Blois

Jan/31/22 4:31:45 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I will try to respond very quickly. This government introduced important measures for guaranteed income supplements in the 42nd Parliament. We strengthened old age security. We have a platform commitment to increase GIS by $500 per year. We did announce as part of the economic update before Christmas that we would be addressing this issue. Our government will stay true to its word, and I appreciate the member raising it here today in the House.

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Ms. Valerie Bradford (Kitchener South—Hespeler, Lib.)

Jan/31/22 4:32:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am humbled and honoured to rise today for the first time in this special place as the member of Parliament for Kitchener South—Hespeler. I am grateful to the fine people of Kitchener South—Hespeler for placing their faith in me to represent them and to be their strong voice in Ottawa. I am also honoured to serve with fellow members from across Canada who have been chosen to represent the interests of their fellow Canadians. Of course, nobody arrives at this place on their own, and I owe a debt of gratitude to my three children. Brad and Allison encouraged and supported me from the beginning and worked hard on my nomination and election campaigns, and Ian cheered me on from a distance in Houston. I am in fact what I refer to as a “late onset politician”. I followed my son Brad, a Toronto councillor, into this line of work, and he was very instrumental in helping me to achieve this lifelong goal. I would also like to thank my tireless team of volunteers, who stretched from Ottawa, Toronto, Kitchener-Waterloo and all the way to Windsor. Many of them were with me right from the beginning when I first sought the nomination well over a year ago and stayed with me throughout the journey. I would not be standing here today without their dedication, enthusiasm, hard work and determination. Some of them have now transitioned into staff members in my constituency and Hill offices. They continue to serve the residents of Kitchener South—Hespeler. My journey to this place has been a long and winding road. I grew up on a dairy farm near Dunnville, Ontario, where I learned the value of hard work and responsibility at an early age. For the past two decades, however, I have called the region of Waterloo home. Over my working life, I have been able to experience working in a number of careers, both in the public and private sectors. These included the tourism industry, financial services, real estate, media and municipal government. Most recently, I spent the last 15 years working in the field of economic development for the great city of Kitchener, focusing on business development in the manufacturing sector, which is still the largest sector of the local economy. Public service is my passion, and I am excited to have the opportunity to continue my commitment to public service in this new way. Life, for me, has not always been easy. I suddenly found myself a single parent when my children were ages three, six and seven. It was a struggle raising three children on my own without a safety net, as I did not have family close by who could help out on a regular basis or on short notice. Failure was not an option. There was no plan B. I know many Canadians are facing these challenges today. I have been there and I empathize with those struggling to balance family, finances and careers. These past two years have only made it harder. This is why I am so passionate about our government’s early learning and affordable child care plan, which will enable parents, primarily women, to participate fully in the economy, as they are able. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it makes sense from an economic standpoint. The best thing the government can do to get more women into the workforce, close the gender gap and build our economy is to provide more affordable child care. Canada is at its best when all individual Canadians are at their best and able to fully utilize their skills. Our government is committed to delivering on this and has successfully completed agreements with all provinces and territories, save Ontario. It is a shame that Ontario families are the only ones left out at this point. Rest assured, our government will continue to pursue affordable child care for the children and families of Ontario so that no one is left behind. Another area of focus for me is that of workforce development. I had the privilege of serving on the Workforce Planning Board of Waterloo Wellington Dufferin for eight years, including the past three years were as its chair. It is critical for the success of Canada and our economy that everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential and enjoy meaningful work that they are trained and equipped to succeed in. This is a very achievable goal, but it will require the involvement and co-operation of all levels of government. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that this is indeed possible. We need to continue that level of collaboration and co-operation to help all Canadians succeed and prosper. Canada is at its best when individual Canadians are at their best and are able to participate fully to their maximum potential. I believe the federal government can do great things when it listens to people, takes action and supports our most vulnerable. Let us build a future where everyone can succeed and let us build it together. I am looking forward to working with members from all sides of the House to make this happen for Canadians. The recent unanimous passage of the bill banning conversion therapy demonstrates what can be accomplished when we set aside our differences, put the needs of Canadians first and work together for the benefit of all. Canadians expect and deserve no less.

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Mr. Brad Vis (Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, CPC)

Jan/31/22 4:38:22 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate the member for Kitchener South—Hespeler on her very first speech in the House of Commons. One thing she said really stuck out to me, and that was that we need to work together in the House. Under the Liberal government, the cost of housing in her community in the fourth quarter of last year went up 36.2%. Is the hon. member willing to work with the Conservatives to reverse some of the negative policies put forward by the government, and the inaction in not addressing the housing supply crisis that we find ourselves in, in Canada today? It is impacting those young mothers who want to go to work, but they do not have a safe place to raise their families anymore because it costs over a million bucks to get a home.

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Ms. Valerie Bradford

Jan/31/22 4:39:10 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I share the hon. member's concern about housing affordability. Unfortunately, the rest of the world has discovered what a wonderful place the Waterloo region is to live. However, our government has done a number of things to address this. In fact, it was our government that first announced the national housing strategy, a 10-year plan to invest over $72 billion to give more Canadians a place to call home. Launched in 2017, it would create up to 160,000 new homes, meet the housing needs of 530,000 families, and repair and renew more than 300,000 units. We also have the rapid housing initiative. The first round exceeded its initial target of creating up to 3,000 new affordable units. It has actually resulted in the construction of more than 4,700 units across Canada since October 2020. Expanding on this successful initiative, 10,000 new affordable housing units will be created across the country through the rapid housing initiative, exceeding the initial goal of 7,500 new units. Most of these housing units will be constructed within the next 12-18 months. We are also introducing a new rent-to-own program that will help people who cannot accumulate a down payment or meet the requirements for a mortgage to be able to buy their houses over time.

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Mr. Matthew Green (Hamilton Centre, NDP)

Jan/31/22 4:40:45 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would also like to congratulate the hon. member for her maiden speech in the House. We heard her speak at length about when Canada is at its best. We have watched a kind of disproportionate response: the coddling of white nationalists on the footsteps of Parliament juxtaposed with the kind of violence that has been unleashed against indigenous people across these lands fighting for their freedoms. In these upcoming weeks and months, as we debate these critical issues in the House to ensure true reconciliation, and the reckoning of the thousands of bodies of children who have been recovered at residential schools and the ongoing police violence used against indigenous peoples of these lands, what will the hon. member be doing to move toward the place that she talks about when Canada is at its best?

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Ms. Valerie Bradford

Jan/31/22 4:41:37 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I share the hon. member's concern. The residential schools, which we should not refer to as schools because that is not what schools do, are a shame on all of us. I am honoured and privileged to have the Anishnabeg Outreach centre in my riding of Kitchener South—Hespeler. It has done a lot of work on reconciliation and outreach not only in the indigenous communities, but with all members of the community. As Stephen Jackson likes to mention, in order to reconcile, we have to heal on both sides. We are hurting too, and we feel shame when we see what has happened. We are all united in making sure that it never happens again. This will not happen overnight. The problem was not created overnight. It will take a lot of work with all sides of the House working together through this painful journey and supporting our indigenous brothers and sisters as they come to terms with it.

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Mr. Dan Mazier (Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, CPC)

Jan/31/22 4:42:47 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, as this is the first time I am rising in the House since being elected, I want to thank the constituents of Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa for once again placing their trust in me to be their voice in Parliament. I give special thanks to my campaign team for running a successful operation in a riding geographically larger than the entire province of Nova Scotia and with over 200 rural communities. I would also like to thank my family, and in particular my wife Leigh for her unwavering support. I have been asked by many constituents what the purpose of a throne speech is. I tell them that the throne speech is supposed to be a guiding document that will pave the way for the priorities of the government in the upcoming parliamentary session. In other words, it is the plan. It is supposed to be a clear strategy of how the government will improve the lives of Canadians and will improve this nation. Once Canadians understand what a throne speech is supposed to be, they may ask themselves: Does this plan help me? Does it empower me to make a living and provide for my children? They may ask themselves if the throne speech will enable their parents to live out their golden years as planned or if the plan will unite the country. However, if they had read this throne speech, they would be asking themselves where that plan was. If the Prime Minister spoke to Canadians across the country today and asked whether life was getting better for them, he would hear the majority say that life was not getting easier. In a recent poll by Angus Reid, 57% of Canadians described feeding their family as “difficult”, and only 8% of Canadians expected to be better off financially at this time next year. It is clear that life is not getting easier under the Liberal government, and life is certainly not getting easier for rural Canadians. Life may be getting easier for some. For example, life may be getting easier if one is a well-connected Liberal insider or a friend of the Prime Minister. Of course, with this pandemic, we have seen government kickbacks to insiders and billions of dollars more paid to consultants, but the people I represent are not these people. I represent hard-working, everyday Canadians who are slow to anger and do not ask for much. They are Canadians who believe in hard work, Canadians who want to give back to their community and support one another, and Canadians who believe in personal responsibility. I read the throne speech, and I did not see a plan for them. What is the plan for seniors? Many of the people I represent are seniors. They have worked hard their entire lives to help build the country that we know today, but seniors in this country feel left behind, and I understand why. As a matter of fact, the word “seniors” was only mentioned once in the entire throne speech. Our aging population is only growing and many seniors depend on fixed incomes to get by, but when the costs of everyday essentials such as home heating, groceries and gas are rising at record rates, fixed incomes are stretched to their limits. A senior wrote to me the other day. He stated, “Food prices are out of my pay grade”. How can we as a country allow food to reach prices that are unaffordable? Who are we, as a nation, if we neglect the hard-working individuals who contributed so much to make the nation what it is today? Despite promising not to, this Liberal government will make life even more unaffordable for our seniors by raising the carbon tax again. In a few months, the Liberals will increase the carbon tax for the third time during this pandemic. The prices of propane and natural gas will continue to rise and, as a result, energy poverty will continue to make heating one's home even more unaffordable. If the fixed incomes that our seniors depend on do not grow quickly enough to keep up with inflation, the value of their paycheques becomes worth less and less. It was just last year when our members of the House supported our seniors by voting to increase the old age security benefit. Guess what? The Liberals voted against it. I ask the House what the government's plan is for our seniors, because I do not see one. The narrative given in the throne speech was far different from the reality of what is happening across the nation. We hear language from the government all the time, whether it is “sunny ways” or “we have your back”. However, rarely do we ever see those words turn into action. Words do not solve the problems of Canadians: action does. I found it interesting that in the throne speech the following statement was made: As we move forward on the economy of the future, no worker or region will be left behind. That is right, that is laughable. I will read that statement again because many Canadians will find it very surprising: “no worker or region will be left behind.” I encourage the Prime Minister to ask western Canada if it has been left behind, and to ask the Prairies if they feel they were left behind. I would encourage him to ask all rural Canadians if they have been left behind. I can assure him that they do feel left behind, and they have felt this way for far too long. How can the government say that no worker will be left behind when so many workers have felt neglected since the government took office? For the last six years, there has not been a plan for the Canadian energy worker, there has not been a plan for the Canadian farmer, there has not been a plan for the Canadian fisherman and there has not been a plan for the small business owner. If there has not been a plan for the last six years for the regions and workers who I believe are the engine of our country, why should they believe that a plan exists now? Canadians were also looking for a plan to get our country back on track. They were looking for details on when life would return to normal. Unfortunately, the Prime Minister has normalized lockdowns as the solution to our problems. The Ottawa-knows-best approach can no longer be the path forward. We need to re-evaluate what is working and what is not. Just last week, two of my constituents travelled to the U.S. They are both triple vaccinated and both received negative PCR tests before returning to Canada. However, they were still required to take an at-home test and mail it to the city to get another set of results. As many rural Canadians know, not all courier services operate in rural areas of this country, so as instructed the couple drove to the closest shipping location to their farm to send away their tests. Hours later, to their surprise, an individual from the testing company Ottawa is funding to administer the program showed up to pick up their tests. The designated driver drove over five hours from Winnipeg to pick up tests that were supposed to be sent by mail, and drove back another five hours without the tests. This couple is waiting longer than ever to confirm that they can go back to living their lives normally, despite following all the rules and instructions. Canadians are frustrated, and rightfully so. In conclusion, I think it has become clear that there is no plan. This throne speech does not address the inflation that has fuelled the affordability crisis sweeping across our nation. It does not have a plan to support our seniors who are struggling to make a living on their fixed incomes. This throne speech also has no evidence that the government is going to take rural Canada seriously, and it certainly does not put forth any details of how it is going to make life better for everyday Canadians.

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Mr. Terry Duguid (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Lib.)

Jan/31/22 4:51:36 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, my hon. friend from friendly Manitoba and I have a very common interest on the issue of water, which we talked about extensively on the plane last night. However, I want to challenge the member. He talks about his support for seniors and families, but what the hon. member said did not really square with reality. The member's party voted against reducing the age of eligibility for the CPP, it voted against the Canada child benefit, it voted against an increase for the guaranteed income supplement and also against a middle-class tax cut. I am wondering this: How does the hon. member square the rhetoric that we have heard today with the actual record of the Conservative Party?

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Mr. Dan Mazier

Jan/31/22 4:52:33 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, as far as squaring it off, I do not know how the government justifies charging a carbon tax to seniors on fixed incomes to heat their homes. How can it go up by 100%? The term “energy poverty” was used in the speech. I think he should take that pretty seriously, in my opinion.

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Mr. Yves Perron (Berthier—Maskinongé, BQ)

Jan/31/22 4:53:05 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his speech. I found several parts of his speech very interesting, particularly those relating to rural life, the cost of living and especially seniors. I would like to know what he thinks we should do. He mentioned the carbon tax, but I do not think that is the way to go. Would it not be simpler to immediately increase old age pensions starting at the age of 65, without discriminating and without creating two classes of seniors? We have been demanding this for months, but the government is not budging. I am reaching out to my Conservative friends so that we can lead the fight for this. Does my colleague agree?

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Mr. Dan Mazier

Jan/31/22 4:53:48 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, affordability is what this all comes down to for anybody with a fixed income or a moderate income. As soon as inflation hits people who are trying to make ends meet, life becomes more unaffordable. That hurts everybody. People had plans, decades ago, about how they were going to make a living while they were seniors. It has all gone to shambles because of the Liberals' poor policies on addressing their needs.

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SoVote

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