44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 15, 2022 10:00AM
Mr. Speaker, I am so glad to be in the House today to talk about this important motion. We are talking about the guaranteed income supplement and what we need to do to ensure that seniors can make it through life in Canada right now. One of the greatest jobs I had before becoming a member of Parliament was being a constituency assistant for 11 years for Joe Preston, the member for Parliament for Elgin—Middlesex—London. He was a nice guy.
For 11 years, I was able to work with him and some of the things I worked on were cases for the Canada Revenue Agency, Service Canada, foreign affairs, Passport Canada and all of those things. One of the most important things I did with the customer service we provided was to sit down with the constituents who would come into our office. They would tell us they needed to apply for something, they were only bringing in $700 for their pension and they got a little top-up from their old age security pension, but they did not have any money and their cost of living was much higher than what they received. I had the opportunity to work with seniors in my community in Elgin—Middlesex—London before entering this place for 11 years and to understand the struggles that our seniors are going through.
I look at the experience that I had from 2004 to 2015 and recognize that times have changed greatly.
I want to go back to looking at why people get the guaranteed income supplement in the first place. These are our seniors who are over the age of 65 and are not making enough money to pay their bills. They are looking for a little extra because the cost of living continues to rise. They are, in many case, on fixed incomes. They may have some annuities and they may have things like that. Many times they know that, at the end of the month, on the third day, on the last business day of the month, they are going to receive their old age security, their CPP and the top-up of their GIS, if they are low-income.
I know at the beginning of this pandemic, like all of the members in the House, we had phone calls from everybody. There were phone calls coming from small businesses. There were parents calling, who needed to go to work and there was no place to put their child. There were a lot of things happening at that time. It was important that we worked along with the government to find resolutions and to find solutions for seniors who were having a very difficult time and for people across the country who were having a very difficult time.
Just last year, of course, the government continued to talk about how they gave every senior $500. Well, it was great, because on behalf of my campaign, I would like to thank the many people who said they did not need that money. This was a universal input. They said they did not need the money and they gave it to my campaign or gave it to charities.
However, what is important here is that there are seniors who, from cheque to cheque, from month to month, know what their incomes are going to be but they do not know what to expect from their costs. A lot of this comes from the cost of inflation.
Anyone who knows me, they know I am a mom of five, and they know I love my mom and dad. My dad is one of the most inspirational people I have in my life. The thing I talk about with my dad is the cost of groceries. My dad will go through the flyer, each and every week, and will say to me, “No Frills has a ham on sale and the eye of round is on sale at A&P.” This is what my dad does. When I know the prices have gone up, I know this because my dad, my mister shopper guy, my 85-year-old senior father who goes out for groceries, tells me that things have changed.
I want to share with the House, before I get into my dad's grocery bill, a couple of scenarios that were brought into my office. Jena in my office has been there since 2015 and has worked with seniors for years, so when she calls me, panicking, that means that there is a problem. She calls panicking because she knows there are seniors who are not paying their mortgage, seniors who are not able to pay their rent that month and seniors who cannot afford their bills or their medications. That is because of what has happened today with GIS.
I have heard a lot of this conversation and I will let everyone know, as a constituency assistant, I always believe there is a solution.
Last year, when we were talking about this, my solution was to call the Minister of Seniors, where I was truly scuffed off. I explained to her my experience. I explained to her what I had seen. Basically, I was told that it would all work out. It has not worked out and I want to read these scenarios to the House.
Scenario one is a lady in her seventies who never retired and continued to work until the pandemic hit and her place of employment closed permanently. She went on CERB through Service Canada and collected the full amount. She continuously looked for work and switched from CERB to CRB, but due to her age she was unable to find employment. She thought she was being responsible and used the CRB to pay down her line of credit that she has. She was officially retired, as it looked like she was going to have to be. She also had fewer monthly expenses. Because she was unable to option off her CRB, she was no longer entitled to the GIS and her monthly income was approximately $1,100 a month.
Let us talk about $1,100 a month. I can tell everyone that if they want to rent an apartment in my town, it is $1,200 a month. If they want to rent one in London, it is $1,200 a month. If they want to rent a bedroom where people are sharing amenities, maybe it is $700. However, most seniors do not have that flexibility. We are asking a senior who is making $1,100 a month to feed themselves, to pay rent and everything else, and it is all okay. The Minister of Seniors knew this last year when I was talking to her and now, seven months later, a person making $1,100 is still making $1,100.
It is great that we are pushing through this legislation and I know we need to do this, but we have to reflect on how we got here in the first place. The government was not listening when it knew this problem was going on last year. The member for Abbotsford talked about that. He talked about our bringing this up for a year. That means the seniors I am talking about in my scenarios, each and every month, are having to choose between food or electricity. That is what seniors are having to do.
The second scenario I would like to mention is a gentleman who was not entitled to CRB and received $14,000 in 2020. He is now trying to live on approximately $1,100. The province is now trying to assist him as he can barely pay for his rent with that income. We have looked at some different scenarios. Let us say someone is working at Walmart and they made $500. They were being given a $2,000 CRB payment; we know that. Do people really expect these seniors were thinking that the government was going to turn around and say, “Hey, we are cutting off the GIS and this is taxable.”
Yes, all the parliamentarians here, the 338 people who would have voted to ensure that seniors and Canadians had these benefits were going to do that. We knew that there was going to be mistakes, but it has been almost two years and the mistake has not been fixed. That is the problem here. When the member for Abbotsford is talking about the mistakes that are being made and what the Liberals did, let us reflect on the fact that they had time to change what they were doing and for months they sat on their hands while seniors were going without. That is the bottom line.
Let us now talk about that $1,100 and what it can actually afford. I want to talk to members about the fact that seniors really do not have a lot of money to pay for these expenses. The cost of living continues to go up.
I want to talk about my dad. My dad is probably watching today because that is what he does when he is 85 years old. He sits in his house with my mom, who is 81. They go out, they get groceries, they go for a drive and they do simple things like that, and, especially during COVID, they have not had a lot of opportunities to go and enjoy life. What my parents do enjoy is grocery shopping. What they do enjoy is looking at the prices of food. What I did was I looked at the cost of living and I looked at the costs that were begin given by Stats Canada. I want to talk about my parents' shopping list, comparing it from March 2020 to December 31, 2021.
Corn Flakes have gone up from $5.88 to $6.67. It is a dollar and that does not seem like a big deal, but a dollar makes a big difference when someone does not have a lot of dollars. Bacon has gone from $6.96 to $8.66. To all of those out there, I will be honest, I love listening to Liberals talk about bacon. If people want to eat bacon, then go for it. They have the right to do so. It is their choice.
Gas is the one thing that really concerns me. Gas was $0.91 going into this pandemic in March 2020. In December, it was $1.41. Today, in the city of St. Thomas and in the city of London, it is $1.57. If my father wanted to take my mom out for a drive to go get a bacon sandwich, they cannot afford to do it very much anymore.
I think of my parents as being frugal and safe with their money. They are brilliant when it comes to finances. I think of the seniors who are living alone, who are looking for help and who are living in isolation. I think of those seniors who may not have someone else's income to help them. I think of the seniors who need somebody to come and clean their house or who need extra things like PPE. None of that is available to them.
I would like to say to the government that of course I am going to support the change to the GIS. Of course, I supported these things coming out, but the government should have fixed it last year. Please get back on track so the future generation is not lost like the Liberals have done to this generation.
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Mr. Speaker, I see a consensus forming. The member talks about our seniors in a manner in which I often talk about our seniors. We value their contributions from the past and the many contributions yet to come. One of the issues is ensuring they have disposable income. That is why we created many of the programs we put in place, many of which were supported by the Conservatives. Yes, at times, there are mistakes that do need to be corrected and that is what this legislation does. It is an important piece of legislation.
To be clear, the member supports the legislation, but she would also like to see it pass this week too, I would think.
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Mr. Speaker, I would have liked to have seen that passed last year.
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Mr. Speaker, from my Conservative colleague's speech, it is clear she is sincere and sensitive to the needs of seniors. She described their financial struggles in great detail.
There is ample evidence that seniors are getting poorer, which is appalling to the Bloc Québécois. That is why we have repeatedly urged the government to significantly increase old age security and the guaranteed income supplement for seniors 65 and up. This is the federal government's most important social safety net program.
Does my colleague agree with our proposal to be proactive and increase old age security at 65?
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Mr. Speaker, this is one of the strongest programs that we have in our social safety net. When we know that the cost of living has gone up to 5% but seniors are only getting an increase of 2.8%, of course it has to be increased. They cannot pay their bills. Until this government gets inflation under control, I think that we need to look at all of this.
When we are talking about seniors' programs, we need to look at the important bill put forward by the member for Sarnia—Lambton. We need to look at RIFs and RSPs. There are a lot of things that we need to look at, because every senior has individual needs, and that program needs to be solid.
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Mr. Speaker, first, the member for Elgin—Middlesex—London talked about her parents watching, and she must be very proud. They have a wonderful daughter, and I always appreciate her interventions.
However, I have an issue the member's party when it comes to seniors. Conservative members voted against really important NDP proposals, such as pharmacare to help seniors make sure they get access to medicine, dental care for those who cannot afford it and a guaranteed annual livable income so that no senior is living in poverty. They even voted against taxing CEOs and closing tax loopholes or tax havens for the super-wealthy, measures that would pay for those programs.
Eleanor Joy, from Parksville, is telling me that the clawback has made it impossible for her to be able to buy food plus pay for medicine plus pay her rent. I ask the member if she would agree that the government should be paying for the pandemic recovery off the backs of billionaires and not off the poorest of Canadians, especially our seniors.
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Mr. Speaker, there are so many parts to that question that I would like to answer.
However, the member talked about taxing the wealthy more. I believe that through this pandemic, we did see a recovery take shape. We did see the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. That is absolutely what we have seen today, but I think that right now what we need to do is give greater opportunities.
We also need to look at our health care system and recognize that what we thought was a great system failed us, so what can we do to ensure that we have a universal health care system that works for all Canadians from coast to coast to coast?
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Mr. Speaker, I am looking forward to taking us into question period and being here today to talk about Bill C-12, an act to amend the Old Age Security Act.
It is interesting that the hon. member for Abbotsford used most of his speech to criticize what he called mocking, none of which was happening on this side, but is using this opportunity to heckle me. It is just shameful. It is unbelievable.
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
Mr. Chris Bittle: It seems I am very popular today with respect to the warm welcome I am receiving from the opposition. I thank my hon. colleagues. It is wonderful.
This bill would exempt pandemic relief benefits from the calculation of the guaranteed income supplement or allowance benefits beginning in July 2022.
Allow me to explain. The Canada emergency response benefit was put into place very quickly in 2020, voted in by unanimous consent from the members here, to help people avoid the catastrophic income loss of COVID‑19. The unprecedented pandemic required an unprecedented response. The CERB and the Canadian recovery benefit did just that. They allowed Canadians who did not know what was next to not have to worry or choose between a roof over their head or putting food on their table. These benefits are now having an impact on some vulnerable seniors.
I forgot to say that I would like to share my time with the hon. member for Kitchener Centre.
An hon. member: Oh, oh!
Mr. Chris Bittle: It is heartening to hear the members of the opposition wanting me to go the full 20 minutes, but I will share my time.
The GIS is an income-tested benefit for low-income seniors who receive the old age security pension. Every July, an individual's entitlement to the GIS or the allowance is reassessed, based on the individual's income, or the combined income if it is a couple, as reported on their income tax return. The Income Tax Act defines pandemic relief benefits as taxable income, which means they are also considered as income when someone's entitlement to the GIS or allowance benefits is being determined. Unfortunately, that means that some GIS or allowance recipients may be facing lower benefit payments because of the income they received from these pandemic benefits. This is the unprecedented aftermath of an unprecedented response to an unprecedented crisis. We need to move quickly to resolve this situation.
It seems my time is up for the moment. I hope to come back to finish my speech after question period.
Some hon. members: No, no. More, more.
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- Feb/15/22 1:59:04 p.m.
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“For the moment”, being the operative words, the hon. member will have seven minutes and 30 seconds remaining when we resume debate.
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- Feb/15/22 1:59:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today I am speaking in memory of Erna Paris. I did not know her, but I can continue to learn from her writing and her inspiration even after she has passed away. Today we celebrate her life.
She was a mother and she was dearly loved. She was a writer and a thinker. She did not just educate people; she also inspired. In fact, one of her proudest moments was that her book Long Shadows: Truth, Lies and History was cited as the inspiration for a motion brought in this place to have an apology to indigenous people for the residential schools history. She was a member of the Order of Canada. She passed away recently, but we can all continue to learn and be inspired by her voice.
Rest in peace, Erna Paris.
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- Feb/15/22 2:00:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, last Wednesday the community of Yarmouth in the riding of West Nova lost a beloved citizen, our friend Terry Muise, at the young age of 62.
On the day of his passing, EHS paramedics, Yarmouth Regional Hospital ER and hospital staff, police officers, firefighters, friends and family gathered outside his home to pay tribute and honour his memory.
Terry was a father, a husband, a brother, a friend, a colleague and a well-respected paramedic who went above and beyond his passion to serve his community for well over 44 years.
Those who had the opportunity to meet Terry would agree with me that he was such a kind-hearted soul that he had a heart at least 10 times larger than Nova Scotia itself.
Whether he was talking about his visits to Graceland as Elvis Presley's biggest fan or about a Red Sox game, he was truly a generous and enjoyable person one would want to be around.
One minute is way too short to honour Terry's memory, but I still wanted to honour him one last time.
To his friends, to his wife Sandra, and to his two sons, Luke and Matt, I would like to once again offer my deepest sympathy and condolences. Terry will be greatly missed. May he rest in peace.
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- Feb/15/22 2:01:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in honour of Black History Month, I am proud to rise today to speak on two principled and influential groups in my community of Newmarket—Aurora.
Throughout the last two years, we have seen how COVID-19 has exposed systemic barriers for the Black and racialized community across Newmarket—Aurora and indeed throughout Canada. Both the Aurora Black Community, or ABC, and the Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association, or NACCA, are leaders for both educating and sharing while creating an inclusive and connected community.
This month, as we rejoice in their virtues as allies and leaders, I want to thank ABC and NACCA for their continued and ongoing contributions to our community of Newmarket—Aurora. From each corner of our community, ABC and NACCA have been trailblazers for enacting real and permanent change in Newmarket and Aurora.
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- Feb/15/22 2:02:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, La Ressource is an organization in my riding that does amazing work helping people with disabilities maintain everything they have achieved and take full advantage of the financial resources available to them.
To keep providing these services, La Ressource needs money and relies on various funding sources, including donations. All year long, it organizes fundraisers and events. Fortunately, the organization can count on people like Pierre Tremblay to help reach its goal.
A few weeks ago, Mr. Tremblay kicked off an event in collaboration with Domaine du Lac Parent, a virtual fishing tournament to raise money for La Ressource's telethon. People from all over Abitibi—Témiscamingue and elsewhere were invited to send in a photo of their catch for a chance to win a prize.
In closing, I am appealing to the generosity of people in my region. I invite them to donate to La Ressource in honour of its 25th anniversary so it can help as many people as possible.
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- Feb/15/22 2:03:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on February 11, 1990, Nelson Mandela was released from prison after 27 years of incarceration.
We all know why he was robbed of much of his life. We all know that he sacrificed so much so that millions of people oppressed by a deeply racist and inhumane regime could enjoy the same rights as the minority that was crushing them.
What Nelson Mandela accomplished for his country, on an international level as well, was monumental. However, his work is not finished. Now, more than ever, when misinformed explanations try to muffle reality and when some look away from the truth because it makes them uncomfortable, we should actively continue our work to combat racism and discrimination in its various forms.
Precious moments of our lives pass us by. The hours turn into days, weeks and months, and opportunities to seek one another out pass us by as well. We lose that possibility to love one another, to get to know each other and maybe create a lifetime of beautiful memories. In the end, when we have lived our lives, these are the only things that will matter.
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- Feb/15/22 2:05:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today, I congratulate a very dedicated member of northern B.C., Judy Desjarlais. Last month, Judy was elected chief of the Blueberry River First Nation and just yesterday served her very first day as chief. Judy said she is dedicated to “bringing unity back” and “building a prosperous future for her nation”.
For almost two decades, Judy and her husband Boomer have owned Top Notch Oilfield Contracting, providing good jobs and opportunities throughout our area. Judy has been a very vocal advocate for her community and for developing our abundant natural resources in northern B.C. She is a busy mom to Trinity, Angel and Dawson, and deeply loves and respects her 81-year-old granny, Elder May Dominic.
We all congratulate Judy on her election, and I look forward to working with her. May God continue to bless Judy and guide her, as the mantle of leadership at the Blueberry is placed on her very capable shoulders. May Judy lead on.
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- Feb/15/22 2:06:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the past few weeks have made clear that our democracy can be, and is being, threatened. Constituents are rightly asking what the federal government is doing on their behalf.
The invocation of the Emergencies Act is an extraordinary measure, but one that is justified by the current circumstances. Certain extra powers will be given to the federal government so that it can help bring the crisis to an end. These powers will be time-limited and subject to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Crucially, the military will not play an enforcement role.
I know that constituents want to help counter extremism because the government cannot solve this on its own. To them, I say do not despair. They could volunteer for a local non-profit focused on a cause they care about, condemn hate and the mistreatment of journalists, speak up against misinformation, join a political party that best reflects their values, volunteer for a political candidate they believe in and, most of all, show kindness. Kindness builds trust, and trust between citizens is what ultimately holds democracy together.
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- Feb/15/22 2:07:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to address something that is affecting all Canadians. My riding of Kitchener South—Hespeler is home to two Toyota plants that directly employ over 5,000 employees. The situation at the Ambassador Bridge had a direct impact on the many constituents in my riding who work in the auto sector, when the plants were forced to close for several days.
Blockades in cities and at border crossings have disrupted the lives of families across the country. I have heard from constituents in my riding of Kitchener South—Hespeler, thousands of whom were sent home from work as a direct result of the blockades. This is hurting our neighbours, crippling the manufacturing industry, disrupting the supply chain and making life even harder for all Canadians, who have already gone through so much.
I encourage and ask that all levels of government continue to work together on the current situation at our border crossings and allow Canadians to return to work.
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- Feb/15/22 2:08:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, almost eight months ago, Canadians watched in horror as a devastating wildfire destroyed Lytton. Sadly, there are still no permits issued to rebuild homes or businesses. We are still waiting on debris removal. Residents are still waiting to hear if the land they once called home is ready to rebuild on. Many are worried that the living expenses covered by their insurance companies and the Red Cross will run out before construction begins.
The municipality itself faces the onerous task of replacing its records lost in the fire. Today, it is still lacking electricity, water, wastewater, telecommunications and even a reliable post office.
I would like to recognize the B.C. government's $8.3 million in funding, but more needs to be done. Lytton needs help. The village cannot wait any longer. My constituents cannot wait any longer. We need to return the community to the people who made Lytton what it was.
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- Feb/15/22 2:09:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 34th anniversary of the Sumgait pogrom, which took place in February, 1988, when a large number of Armenians were subjected to mass killings and persecution by Azerbaijani forces as a result of their aspiration to live freely and with dignity.
Many residents of Laval—Les Îles remember these horrific acts and are disheartened that the same politics of hate and perception continue to haunt the Armenian people to this day. Armenia and Artsakh continue to face endless aggression from Azerbaijan, and many of their military members remain illegally detained as prisoners of war.
I am confident that through multilateralism, Canada will continue to bring its constructive input to the peaceful and fair resolution of this conflict, while ensuring that Armenians and other minorities live peacefully, free of hate and discrimination.
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- Feb/15/22 2:11:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, hard-working Canadians are frustrated with the Liberal government, and rightfully so. We see full oil tankers coming in on the east coast from dictatorships, from human rights abusers and from those who have no respect for the environment. However, our ethically produced, environmentally responsible, job-creating Alberta oil is blocked from getting to a market.
Canada is blessed with the third-largest proven oil reserves on the planet. We have among the toughest environmental standards and employment standards. We have the foundation to be an energy-independent country, with enough left over to export. That is why it is so unacceptable that Canada imports energy from 114 other countries.
It is time for the Liberal government to end energy imports. It is time for the Liberal government to support Canada's energy independence. It is time for the Liberal government to support Canadians. Annabelle, loud and proud.
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