44th Parl. 1st Sess.
March 22, 2022 10:00AM
- Mar/22/22 12:02:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is my great privilege to split my time with the member for Louis-Saint-Laurent, and I thank him for his work in his constituency.
Perhaps people are excited. We should be generous with the other members, and perhaps the member for Timmins—James Bay was just excited about his new cabinet position in the coalition. I look forward to his testimony and discussion of the WE scandal and other things in the coalition. It will be quite riveting testimony from the member.
Today, I rise on behalf of the hard-working people of Northumberland—Peterborough South who are struggling every day just to get by. Across our country, we are facing a cost of living crisis from coast to coast. The number of Canadians who are struggling to fill the gas tanks in their cars, who are struggling to finish off this heating season in a cold spring, and who are struggling to put food on their tables is getting larger and larger. More Canadians are struggling and unfortunately, in my beautiful riding of Northumberland—Peterborough South, we are not immune to this crisis.
What is the government's suggestion or solution to this? It may very well be, with coalition partners, to foist one of the largest tax increases in history on Canadians. Let me explain. When a government prints money to spend, prices increase. The more that the government has to print money, the more it spends. It just keeps going. It is a cycle. The government keeps spending money and printing money. That drives down the value of money. Everything costs more, from our houses to our cars to buying groceries. It is driving down money. Inflation has a real effect, just as taxes do. That $10 we had in our jeans is now worth $8. It is exactly the same as if taxes were increased by 20% when we have inflation that has increased over the last couple of years to 20%. It is the same impact. This is indeed an inflation tax.
We see the evidence everywhere. Not since 1991 have we seen inflation at this rate of 5.7%. Everyone's paycheque is going down 5% per year. People have been given a pay decrease of 5%, and that is shocking. Things were not good before. The last seven years have been tough on Canadians. Just last year, over 53% of Canadians said they were within $200 of insolvency. The government's solution is more inflation, or “Justinflation”.
We have, year over year, increasing grocery bills of an additional $1,000. The members of the House can probably all afford that. The many productive, upper-middle-class and wealthy individuals can afford it, but it hurts the single mother in Orono who is working every day to pay for her children's future education and put food on the table. She has gone to work every day on the front line during the pandemic making minimum wage and now is struggling to fill up her car. She would probably love an electric vehicle, as many Canadians would, but increasingly now many more do not have $100,000 for an electric vehicle.
We can take the approach of “let them eat cake” and ask why do they not just buy an electric vehicle. It is unreasonable. The modern incarnation of “let them eat cake” is to say, “Go and buy that EV,” to someone who cannot afford $100 to put in their gas tank.
When we add the inflation tax to the carbon tax, we get a particularly nefarious combination. I had the opportunity to ask the Governor of the Bank of Canada about the impact of the carbon tax. It was strange to me that the Governor of the Bank of Canada did not know the answer to a relatively simple question when I asked what the inflationary impact was of the carbon tax. He did not have an answer, but he was kind enough to write a response. In that, he ascribed nearly 10% of the inflation we are experiencing to the carbon tax.
Once again, the government is tone-deaf to the needs of the people of Northumberland—Peterborough South. Its response is not to maybe pause the carbon tax or even pause the increase on the carbon tax, because the goal of the carbon tax is to make gasoline more expensive so that we look at other solutions. That goal is accomplished, guys.
People cannot afford gasoline and they cannot afford an EV, so the government is driving people into poverty. Why not just pause the increase to the carbon tax? The prices of gasoline and diesel have already increased. That goal has been accomplished. At this point it is just punitive.
There are many, including those in rural Canada, who just do not have that alternative, including in my riding and elsewhere in rural parts of Canada. I invite those in urban ridings to come to my riding and meet the great folks of Northumberland—Peterborough South. I invite them to come and meet the soccer mom who puts gas in her SUV to take her kids to soccer practice, and tell her “No, you cannot do that.” They could meet the factory workers who are making a reasonable dollar but are still struggling to get by because of the carbon tax and the inflation tax. I invite them to come and tell them that they cannot put gas in their cars and cannot go to work, because that is what the government is saying to them.
I want the government to think hard about that and the impact it is having on rural Canada. I want it to think about the farmers out there who are paying tens of thousands of dollars in carbon tax every single year. We will be more reliant on Canadian farmers, not just in this country but around the world, given what is going on in Ukraine. We will be dependent on them, and what are we doing to them? We are making them pay tens of thousands of dollars in carbon tax.
It is not because farmers do not want to fight climate change. They do, but there just are not alternatives. We heard testimony in the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food that there just are not alternatives to things such as drying grain and heating barns, so farmers are reliant on fossil fuels.
The government is not driving people to fight climate change. In fact, it is driving them away from fighting climate change because they cannot invest in the innovation and the technology they need. The exact opposite of what it wants to happen is happening.
Let me talk about what the opposition motion is. The opposition motion starts by acknowledging that we are in an affordability a crisis: We are in a financial challenge as a country and Canadians are struggling to get by. Then it says that Canadians should be given a bit of a break. They are going through a lot with the opioid crisis, the housing crisis and now an affordability crisis. It says that we should reach out our hands and give them a 5% break on the gasoline and diesel they need to put in their cars to drive their kids to school, to go to work and to build our country. To me, this is entirely reasonable and it is a break Canadians need.
In conclusion, Canadians have had a tough go over the last two years. It has become increasingly challenging for people to buy a home. There are 20-year-olds and 30-year-olds who have good jobs and did everything they were told to do. They went to school, got a trade and worked hard. They have done everything asked of them, but they still cannot afford a house.
The pensioners, the seniors, who gave their lives building this country can now barely afford to buy groceries. Their prosperity and the prosperity of our country is being undermined by this coalition's dedication to the inflation tax and the carbon tax.
We need to return to making Canada affordable again. We need to return to prosperity. Right now, we need to give Canadians a break, and that is why I am proud to vote for the opposition motion.
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- Mar/22/22 2:10:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on the second anniversary of the pandemic, workers across Canada are getting a nasty surprise from their government. Eligible workers are finding out that those who went back to work anytime before the end of the CERB program are now expected to pay back the $2,000 lump sum.
As members know, Conservatives strongly supported the CERB in principle. In practice, however, the CERB disincentivized work. It was also not made clear that this $2,000 would be clawed back. This latest fiasco is another in a long line of ill-conceived and poorly executed programs that have cost the Canadian treasury billions of dollars and created hardships for the workers they were intended to help.
I cannot help but wonder if this what Canadian workers can expect from an NDP-Liberal coalition government. The past predicts the future. The past two years have shown that the grandiose programs the NDP will demand to continue to prop up the Liberals for the next three years will prove disastrous.
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- Mar/22/22 2:13:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, since the election, I have been speaking about the NDP-Liberal coalition government. Well, today it is official. My constituents in Saskatoon West know the dangers of the NDP and its love affair with propping up tired Liberal governments. These champagne socialists, who care more about their expensive cars and shutting down economic development on the Prairies, are now officially on the government gravy train.
Last night's pact guarantees a socialist lock on government into 2025, which is well past its due date. The NDP-Liberal government will raise taxes, implement anti-energy policies and push house prices further out of reach. Canadians deserve to know how much this pact will cost them.
The Liberals and the NDP used identity politics to divide Canadians into us against them. As a result, this country is more divided than ever. This place we stand in today should be about democracy, not secret backroom deals. Fortunately for Canadians, we have a strong united Conservative Party ready to form government and restore faith in democracy and our institutions.
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- Mar/22/22 2:24:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, make no mistake that this backroom deal disrespects Parliament and disrespects every single Canadian voter. Gas prices right now are shockingly high and are going up, unfairly punishing Canadians and families, but today the Conservatives have proposed a reasonable and positive solution to save Canadians money at the gas pumps. The Conservatives are consistently conservative and we always want to lower taxes for all Canadians.
Will the NDP-Liberal government tell the House if it supports our motion, or will its first act as a coalition government be to continue punishing Canadians with high taxes at the gas pumps?
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- Mar/22/22 2:34:16 p.m.
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Mr Speaker, my question is to the new NDP-Liberal coalition. In its last election platform, the NDP promised over $214 billion of spending with no plan to ever balance the budget. Now, the NDP and the Liberals have secretly negotiated a deal to circumvent our democracy and go on a massive spending spree that future generations are going to have to pay back.
How many billions has the Prime Minister bargained away in order to hang on to power, and how many of the NDP's spending promises will we see in the coalition's upcoming budget?
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- Mar/22/22 3:23:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on the same point of order. That was such a frivolous and irresponsible statement by the House leader of the official opposition that I do not really need to respond to it.
First, this is a confidence and supply agreement. As he is well aware, this has already happened in numerous legislatures in this country. Second, I would ask that the official opposition House leader actually consult the political science 101 text to understand that a coalition government is quite different from a confidence and supply agreement.
I would like to say that this invented history is simply not helpful to the House. I would also like to say that the conduct of Conservative MPs and Bloc MPs today was reprehensible. It was juvenile, and it was unbecoming of parliamentarians.
Mr. Speaker, we empower you to do numerous things, including keeping order in the House, and I would respectfully ask that, since you have those powers, to take questions away from the Conservatives and the Bloc if they continue this reprehensible conduct. If we have question period tomorrow and they simply do not listen to the very clear directives given on our behalf, you have the ability, and I think the responsibility, to take questions away from them. That was simply reprehensible conduct today that is not acceptable in the House of Commons of Canada.
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- Mar/22/22 4:41:40 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time today with the member for Fort McMurray—Cold Lake.
Canadians are in the middle of an economic crisis that, as many know, is contributing to our mental health crisis. Gas prices and the costs of food and housing are at an all-time high, and this is truly hurting our country, our children, our seniors and our most vulnerable. We can do better. We can take action today. We can instantly give Canadians relief. This should not be about a coalition. I urge all MPs in the House to think about their constituents and vote to help them. This motion can help Canadians.
The motion being debated states:
(i) Canadians are facing severe hardship due to the dramatic escalation in gas prices,
(ii) the 5% collected under the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST), and the Quebec Sales Tax (QST) creates increased revenue for the federal government as fuel prices rise which compounds the pain on Canadian consumers and the economy,
the House call on the government to immediately provide relief at the pumps to all Canadians by introducing a temporary 5% reduction on gasoline and diesel whether collected under the GST, HST, or QST which would reduce the average price by approximately eight cents per litre.
I fully support this motion and call on the government to recognize the devastating impacts of the increased gas prices, to take action and to provide hope and relief for Canadians.
On Saturday, I asked a question on Facebook: “How has the increased cost of living impacted your daily decisions and habits?” The post received hundreds of upsetting comments, and I would like to share some of them with members today.
John wrote, “Being a single father and working fulltime I'm still unable to stay afloat. Between the cost of child care for an hour and a half 5 days a week and price of gas, I'm at a point where I'm deciding what bill/bills am I not going to pay this month in order to pay the insane rent pice and to feed my son.”
D'Arcy wrote, “I’ve owned a Mini Cooper for 12 years. I just traded it in for a Honda Civic as I can’t afford premium fuel anymore. Not to mention cut backs on food, and other things. The worse is not being able to see my daughter who lives in Calgary. The cost to drive up and get her is getting to be too much.”
Mike wrote, “Well I can't afford to even rent a room in a place let alone and apartment. So I've been living with different family members for the last 4 years!! So it's affected me pretty [badly] and I make $25 [an hour].”
Abby wrote, “I am going to purchase a horse and buggy bc I can't afford the gas and taking the bus doesn't work for a hockey mom with a baby on oxygen.”
Natalie wrote, “We are selling off things... next is my husband's vehicle and our atv..... we are running out of things to sell and that has me feeling overwhelmed.”
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
Ms. Michelle Ferreri: I hope members care about what constituents have to say. It would be nice if they would listen.
Kelly wrote, “I am not travelling to see my parents as often or eating as good as I should be especially with type 1 diabetes! The cost of food is crazy, they always seem to charge way more for healthy foods and the cost of living has sky rocketed but pay cheques or social assistance has not! How is it even possible for people to survive and live a comfortable healthy life?!! The stress is overwhelming.”
Shannon wrote, “I'm a registered nurse getting paid the same wage I was paid 13 years ago with no cost of living increase and starting to do the math on whether it makes sense for me to work at all anymore given what it will cost me to get there.”
Darlene wrote, “I am a Canada Post rural route contractor (I drive my own truck). I can't afford to work.”
When did we get to a place where people cannot afford to go to work? These stories are heartbreaking and the true reality of what Canadians are going through. I am of the belief that stories like these are a call to action. They indicate that Canadians are in need of financial relief, and it is our job in the House to listen, to act and to help.
Increased gas prices impact everyone. Small business owners must pay more for shipping and products, which translates into increased prices for customers. We can see how this is impacting our economy. If we cannot support our local businesses, they cannot pay their bills and will shut down.
Let us talk about how gas prices are devastating the people who feed us: our farmers.
Kevin wrote to me saying that he is a farmer and it is definitely not fun. He described that the amount of money going out of all farmers' pockets is constantly increasing. They all do what they can to watch their profit margins, but one thing they need, no matter what, is fuel, and they usually use the same amount year after year. He said that they are the ones feeding the world, but he feels like they have to pay a punishing price to do so.
How are we expected to attract the next generation of farmers when they continue to go further and further into debt? Did members know farmers have one of the highest suicide rates of any career? Let us not forget to take a moment and remember the saying, "If you ate today, thank a farmer.”
Now, let us talk about children. Parents and caregivers are forced to make a decision to pull their kids out of sports and extracurricular activities because there is no extra money or they cannot afford to drive them. This is wrong. Kids have suffered enough these past two years. They need their friends. They need physical fitness.
Parents and caregivers and seniors cannot afford nutritious food. This is wrong. Nutritious food is critical and is directly linked to health and wellness. We cannot afford to further strain our health care system. I have seniors in my riding of Peterborough—Kawartha who are eating cat food. We can do better. We must do better. This motion today can offer relief and hope. I urge the new Liberal-NDP government to consider this motion.
People may not think that prices at the gas pumps are linked to our opioid crisis, but they are. Anxiety, depression and addiction are being exacerbated from the stress of an increased cost of living. As one constituent said to me, “I no longer live. I just try to survive.” This quote made me think about our tourism industry.
As shadow minister for tourism, I can say this industry was the first hit and the hardest-hit, and it will be the last to recover. Some people will tell us that travel is a privilege. What about the people who are employed because of the travel industry? What about the dog kennel owner who may lose his business because people cannot afford to travel so they are not using the kennel? What happens to him?
What about people who cannot afford to visit their friends and family because gas is too expensive? How do they think that impacts their mental health, their productivity at work and their relationships? This has a domino effect. Not being able to afford to feed their family or to put gas in their vehicle is devastating and immeasurable. It affects everyone.
Allison, a constituent, wrote to me about how the gas prices are impacting her family. She wrote that she hardly leaves the house. He family is eating up the freezer selections instead of buying fresh and deciding if a home purchase in Barbados is a better way to invest instead of here as everything is hundreds of thousands of dollars overpriced.
Canada is supposed to be the best place in the world to live. People are truly thinking of leaving. We can help. We can offer a 5% reduction on gasoline and diesel. I urge everyone in this House to vote in favour of this motion.
We need to get back to a place of being able to use the money in our bank to pay for necessities, not racking up debt on credit cards. We need to give Canadians the ability to afford to go to work, give kids the opportunity to be able to go to their taekwondo class or gymnastics, and allow seniors to have the dignity to buy healthy food. Let us get the number of people using food banks down.
Canadians need a break. They are exhausted. They are drained. They are traumatized. This motion is a break. I will be voting for it.
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- Mar/22/22 5:05:49 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I guess we can really clearly hear the Liberal-NDP coalition well at play in that question.
What is important to note is that the cost of fuel has increased by 32.3% in one year alone. This is a massive increase in the cost of fuel, and it is incumbent on the government to take some actions to make sure it provides relief to families who are struggling to make ends meet today and not in some long-term five years from now that families would get assistance.
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