44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 15, 2022 10:00AM
Madam Speaker, we all agree that we need to make things right for seniors and get them their money.
My colleague spoke about how the government has struggled to plan and manage its calendar. However, the situation we are in right now is urgent and it has been going on for months. All of the opposition parties have been sounding the alarm since June and July 2021, before the election.
What does that tell us about the government's real motivation for doing the right thing for Quebeckers and Canadians before the election?
93 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/15/22 5:02:02 p.m.
- Watch
Madam Speaker, I am very fond of the member for Kingston and the Islands, so it almost seems unfair to point out that one of the obstacles we have all faced in this place was an unnecessary election called on August 15, which stopped the work of the House from the end of June until the end of January.
I know it is not his personal responsibility to explain it, but can he perhaps cast some light on it?
79 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
Mr. Speaker, I share the concerns of the member from the Bloc who just talked about the government not being in a hurry. I started flagging this problem in March of last year, yet the government took six months off, called an election that no one wanted in a pandemic and followed that by taking its time to resume Parliament and bring this forward.
Does the member not understand that trust has been eroded and people are thinking that, if the government is allowed to just pass over all the steps and expedite this when it is convenient, it will do it again and again?
105 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
Mr. Speaker, I tried to stay calm while my colleague from Calgary Skyview was delivering his speech, but it certainly was not easy.
I keep hearing people talk about how hard they worked to fix things for seniors as fast as possible. Are the Liberals seriously trying to make us believe that, when we sounded the alarm in July 2021?
Right in the middle of the election campaign, I took action. I wrote to ministers. I was told that, because of the election, it was a transitional period and there was nothing they could do. They were not too worried about it during the campaign because they were all having a great time with their pointless election.
Now they keep telling us how great the government is because it is acting fast to save seniors. They keep telling us how great this bill is, this bill they are going to make us vote on a few hours from now even though it will not come into force until July. This is February. At this very moment, seniors are cutting how much they spend on food.
I hope the member is embarrassed to be handing us those lines. I hope he can explain why it is so urgent that we vote on this now when it will not come into effect until July because their computer system is not functional.
229 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
Mr. Speaker, the government says this is really important. It is clear that this legislation is to fix errors from former legislation that the government put forth. I know it is something I have heard about extensively in my riding of Kelowna—Lake Country from seniors, who were affected by the errors made in the legislation. They said how they affected them.
My question to the hon. member is this. If this was so important for the government to fix, why did we have an election in the summer? Why did it take the government two months to be recalled, and why did it wait so long for this legislation, Bill C-12? Why did it wait so long? Why was it not one of the most important pieces of legislation that was brought forth as soon as the House resumed?
142 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
Mr. Speaker, if I understand correctly what the minister said, the payment will be made only in July because the calculation is updated in July.
If I were to accept this explanation, I would have to ask the minister why the correction was not made last July given that the Bloc Québécois finance critic pointed out the problem to the government in April 2020.
Why did the government decide to trigger an election instead of correcting the problem last July and looking after seniors?
89 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
