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Hon. Joyce Murray (Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Lib.)

Apr/4/22 3:08:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, clearly I will not be talking about what is in the budget, but what I will say is that we are very committed to growing our fish and seafood sector, which means having sustainable stocks. We are working on that as well as transitioning to bring more indigenous communities into being able to satisfy their right to fish, while working with the harvester community on this transition. I will continue to be engaging with all of the stakeholders to have the best possible way forward.

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Mr. Kevin Vuong (Spadina—Fort York, Ind.)

Apr/4/22 3:08:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have received many emails from constituents calling for the government to support a “people’s vaccine”. The Prime Minister had joined EU leaders to pledge that future COVID-19 vaccines, developed with government support, would be for the global public good and be made available, affordable and accessible. That pledge appears abandoned. It is unacceptable that three billion people are still waiting for their first vaccine. Fighting COVID abroad fights COVID at home. It protects Canadians, small business and jobs. Will Canada endorse the TRIPS waiver to permit the temporary global transfer of vaccine-making technology, as called for in a motion by the hon. member for Beaches—East York?

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Hon. Harjit S. Sajjan (Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada, Lib.)

Apr/4/22 3:09:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, one thing that I can assure the member and the House is that Canada is doing its part in making sure that we provide vaccines for around the world. In fact, I was in Senegal and Ghana. In particular, in Ghana when I was there we received 300,000 doses of vaccines. We are working in partnership with the WHO and COVAX to make sure that the world gets vaccinated.

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Mr. Kelly McCauley

Apr/4/22 3:10:04 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Twice today we heard different ministers claim Canada has the best debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7. With the House's permission, I would like to table a report from the Library of Parliament showing we are actually third and have the 29th best in the OECD.

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The Deputy Speaker

Apr/4/22 3:10:07 p.m.
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All those opposed to the hon member's moving the motion to table the document will please say nay. Some hon. members: Nay.

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Ms. Heather McPherson (Edmonton Strathcona, NDP)

Apr/4/22 3:10:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I believe if you seek it you will find unanimous consent to adopt the following motion. I move: That, in light of the horrific and appalling reports received from the city of Bucha, the House condemn in the strongest terms possible the crimes against humanity and war crimes perpetrated by Vladimir Putin, the Russian military and Russian-backed forces, and call on the government to: a) provide Ukraine further aid to defend themselves against Russian aggression; b) ensure instances of crimes against humanity and war crimes are documented and that Russia be held responsible for these crimes at the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice; c) provide desperately needed economic support to Ukraine, including the implementation of further severe economic penalties on the Russia regime and those supporting it, including even stronger trade restrictions and economic sanctions, and continuing to freeze the assets of Russian oligarchs and their families; and, d) report to Parliament on the progress of these actions as soon as possible.

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The Deputy Speaker

Apr/4/22 3:11:51 p.m.
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All those opposed to the hon. member's moving the motion will please say nay. Therefore, it is agreed. The House has heard the terms of the motion. All those opposed to the motion will please say nay.

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The Deputy Speaker

Apr/4/22 3:12:23 p.m.
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Following discussions among representatives of all parties in the House, I understand there is an agreement to observe a moment of silence in light of the events that occurred in the city of Bucha, Ukraine. I now invite hon. members to please rise. [A moment of silence observed]

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The Deputy Speaker

Apr/4/22 3:13:49 p.m.
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It being 3:13 p.m., pursuant to order made on Thursday, November 25, 2021, the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion of the member for Abbotsford relating to the business of supply. Call in the members.

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The Deputy Speaker

Apr/4/22 3:28:05 p.m.
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I declare the motion defeated.

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The Deputy Speaker

Apr/4/22 3:28:27 p.m.
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Before everyone goes, just hold on a second. I would like to draw the attention of the House that today was the first vote called by our table officer, Danielle Labonté. We congratulate her on a job well done.

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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Apr/4/22 3:28:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8)(a), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's responses to four petitions. These returns will be tabled in an electronic format.

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Mr. Francis Scarpaleggia (Lac-Saint-Louis, Lib.)

Apr/4/22 3:29:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the second report of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development, entitled “The Impacts of a Ban on Certain Single-Use Plastic Items on Industry, Human Health and the Environment in Canada”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

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Mrs. Salma Zahid (Scarborough Centre, Lib.)

Apr/4/22 3:29:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration in relation to the motion adopted on Thursday, March 31, 2022, regarding the situation at the Russia-Ukraine border. The motion reads: That the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration report the following to the House: We (a) condemn the continuing attack on Ukraine ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, (b) recognize that a growing proportion of the Russian people are bravely resisting and opposing this attack, (c) call on the Government of Canada to develop measures to support Russian dissidents, human rights defenders, and conscientious objectors within the military who are seeking to urgently flee Russia, while ensuring that necessary security precautions are taken.

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Mr. Emmanuel Dubourg (Bourassa, Lib.)

Apr/4/22 3:30:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the third report of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs, entitled “Integrity of Juno Beach Site”.

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Mr. Adam Chambers (Simcoe North, CPC)

Apr/4/22 3:31:32 p.m.
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moved that the third report of the Standing Committee on Finance, presented on Monday, March 21, 2022, be concurred in. He said: Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to speak to members this afternoon. I would like to mention that I am splitting my time with the member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes. The world is different now than it was just a year ago. We have an unprovoked invasion and war by the Russian Federation against Ukraine that threatens our global security and shattered peace in Europe, inflation is anything but transitory and COVID restrictions are lifting across Canada, giving hope to our nation that we can return to some normalcy. However, it is in this global context that we must consider the budget. Our committee heard testimony from a number of witnesses about what they would like to see in this year's budget. The budget can provide some opportunities and can deal with some challenges that our country faces. There is no question that our government needed to provide unprecedented levels of support to Canadians and businesses during the early days of the pandemic. However, as pandemic concerns abate through our greater understanding of the virus, we must be prepared to evolve our approach to government spending. Closer to home, Canada must put its own economic house in order so that we can respond to the changing global context. We have to re-establish Canada as a destination for investment, and supply the world with ethical, conflict-free energy. If we want to stop Mr. Putin's war machine, we must help our allies reduce their dependence on Russian energy by ensuring that our energy can reach global markets. Furthermore, we can create a secure North American energy market that uses all sources of Canadian energy, including renewables, traditional fuels and nuclear energy. That is how we will help defeat Mr. Putin. At home, the number one issue affecting Canadians is affordability. At the grocery stores, at the gas pumps and at retail shopping locations, prices keep going up and up. Our purchasing power is shrinking faster than at any other point in the last 30 years. This is a silent tax that hurts the economically vulnerable and those on fixed incomes, such as seniors, the most. There are several ways the government can address this, and we heard some of them at committee. We can reform competition policies and help lower prices for consumers by increasing competition in key sectors, which includes banking, air travel and telecommunications. If we believe excess profits exist in these industries, the answer is not additional taxes to increase government revenues. Rather, consumers should capture these excess profits in the form of lower prices. We should reform the one-for-one rule on regulatory burden. Instead of taking out a regulatory rule for every one we bring in, why do we not just cut the regulatory burden by 50% over five years? Let us be ambitious. We can quicken the implementation of the beneficial ownership registry for Canadian corporations that look to the Canadian market to hide assets in the form of money laundering. Most of those laundered funds end up in real estate, which distorts our local real estate markets. Just last week, the Bank of Montreal indicated that in six years there has been a threefold increase in housing prices in Orillia, which is in my riding. How can we expect young Canadians to look at this country and think that home ownership is in the cards for them? We need to focus on economic growth. We have seen an unprecedented growth in the size of government by every available measure, but at this point we must focus on the private sector to take advantage of the entrepreneurial spirit of Canadians. The government has seemed more interested in wealth redistribution than it is on underlying economic growth, and this must change. We do not need new superclusters or national consultations distorted by well-connected lobbyists and rent-seekers. We must create an environment where businesses of all sizes can thrive. Businesses that grow create jobs and pay taxes. An overarching opportunity following the pandemic is the rapid deployment of high-speed Internet across all regions of the country, and that is very important to the people in Simcoe North. It is nice that, as we heard just today, the government might be subsidizing and working with those who are of low income so they can access high-speed Internet, but this really will not help those who do not have access to high-speed Internet in the first place. Tax policy that penalizes success also drives investment away. It is not a surprise that in the year following the changes the government made to the marginal tax rates in 2016, the government received far less revenue than it anticipated. These short-sighted policies can drive businesses, jobs and tax revenues to other jurisdictions. This hurts Canada through lower tax revenues that are used to fund social programs enjoyed by all Canadians: health care, retirement security and, of course, education. Furthermore, industry-specific tax policy is a very poor idea. The government should set a consistent rate applicable to all sectors. Capital can move freely across borders, and in some sectors, like financial services, companies can shift operations and profits to other jurisdictions. Additional taxes on oligopolies are only going to result in higher prices for consumers or lower levels of investment. We must carefully understand the negative impacts of certain tax policy changes. For example, the luxury boat and car tax we heard at committee will only increase the sales of these products in foreign markets, notably the United States. This will drive investment, jobs and taxes out of Canada with very little revenue increase for federal coffers. My riding has one of the largest freshwater marinas in the world, plus another dozen or so other marinas. This is going to take jobs out of my community and will hurt the people of Simcoe North. When it comes to fiscal responsibility, now is the time to make a new path. The Bank of Canada indicates that the economy is robust and is operating near full capacity, which means additional fiscal expansion will just create inflationary pressures. These warnings are coming from all corners of the country. It has been almost 10 years since the federal government underwent any serious scrutiny of its spending, and it is unhealthy for an organization of its size to go this long without reviewing its expenditures. It is even more important now to rationalize our non-core expenditures to focus on priority areas, including our national defence. We must support our allies, such as Ukraine and those in NATO, and we need to be able to defend our Arctic sovereignty. Pulling forward defence expenditures to displace other planned spending is a sacrifice that Canadians are willing to make in the face of increasing threats from the Russian Federation. Additionally, the government is going to see a windfall of revenue resulting from persistent inflation, higher-than-expected oil prices and, yes, higher taxes. These excess revenues should be used to reduce the size of the deficit or provide relief to Canadian families in the form of tax holidays. Significant deficit spending at all stages of the economic cycle will have a protracted impact on the fiscal sustainability of government finances. It will threaten our AAA credit rating, which is only going to drive up the cost of borrowing. We cannot continue to erode the country's fiscal position with no plan to rein in unnecessary expenditures. The ability of future governments to deal with the emergencies of their time depends on the responsibility of our government today. We also must think about the overarching regulatory framework in the country with respect to financial regulation. We are still waiting for open banking regulations. We are still waiting for the government to get serious about innovation in the financial services sector. However, we need to consider asking our agencies to get back to basics. The emerging housing affordability issue and related financial system vulnerability expose serious concerns about the effectiveness of our regulatory system in Canada. We have agencies on one day saying one thing about the housing market, and on the next day, a different agency says the complete opposite. That cannot be left to continue. We also need to make sure we have the right people and HR strategy to attract those who have knowledge about the financial services sector to help us through this transition. Finally, there are a few items I would like put forward that we heard at committee that the government should be considering. We talked about high-speed Internet. We need to re-establish the Lake Simcoe cleanup fund. We have to fund the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. We have to implement a two-year ban on purchases of real estate by non-resident Canadians. Let us take the wind out of the sails of this red-hot property market. We have to follow through on the existing mental health and addictions commitments for an opioid addiction strategy. Finally, we need to ensure that we can introduce employee-owned trusts that will help our business owners transition business interests to employees. I hope we will make some headway on affordable housing and all kinds of housing in this budget.

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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Apr/4/22 3:41:48 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the member says that the Conservative Party wants to see us cutting taxes and cutting back on borrowing. I do not think the Conservatives understand developing a program of expenditures. I will use the example of child care. I know a national child care program is something the Conservatives do not support, but by providing that program, we are going to be growing Canada's workforce. Yes, there is a cost to government for it, but there is also a revenue stream being generated because we will be growing the workforce. I wonder if the member could provide his thoughts on that. Do members of the Conservative Party see any value in doing as we have done through the child care program? The government has made expenditures that will generate revenues, let alone many other benefits for Canadian society.

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Mr. Adam Chambers

Apr/4/22 3:42:52 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the question is not whether child care is good or not. We had a debate in the last election about different child care policies. The question is, what are the priorities of the government? If it has so many priorities, then it really does not have any at all. If we want to talk about how to fund child care, we should not be taking on additional debt to fund operational costs of government. Why do we not just have an honest discussion about what is no longer working and where we can find the money to fund some of these programs?

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Mr. Gord Johns (Courtenay—Alberni, NDP)

Apr/4/22 3:43:27 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, one thing that we put in a supplementary report around this motion is that Canadians are within only $200 of being able to pay their bills, and fishers really comes to mind for me right now. Fish harvesters are absolutely being impacted by climate change. We are seeing in other industries that there is $360 million to help support those who have been impacted by climate change in the agriculture sector and in forestry, but we saw a cut of 60% for the salmon harvesters on the north coast and absolutely no support for those harvesters. They are not $200 away from making ends meet; they are actually well over $200 under making ends meet. Now we hear that crab harvesters are going to lose half of their quota because of really important reconciliation, which we support, but reconciliation should be shared by all Canadians, not just by a handful of fishers on the west coast. Does my colleague agree that there should be money to support fish harvesters and fishers who are on the verge of bankruptcy?

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Mr. Adam Chambers

Apr/4/22 3:44:36 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for talking about this issue again in the House of Commons. Of course, it is very important that we think about our fish harvesters and those who are very close to insolvency. We absolutely need to be there to help those who are nearing bankruptcy. At the same time, there are Canadians across the country who are very close to bankruptcy, so when we talk about increasing the cost of living through higher carbon taxes or higher taxes period, it is going to push people closer to insolvency. Additionally, the Bank of Canada has said it is going to increase interest rates for the next number of meetings, so we can expect a much higher interest-rate policy. Where are families going to come up with the additional funds? I think we should be talking in this place about how not to increase the burden on families and should really make sure we can support them in the way they need.

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