44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 16, 2022 10:00AM
- Jun/16/22 2:42:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government continues to be reactive rather than prepared. The vice-president of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce said that if the Government of Canada has a plan for tourism, it has never shown it to us. Mark Webber of the Customs and Immigration Union said that his border agents are no longer agents but instead have become “IT consultants”, and wait times have skyrocketed because of the inefficient ArriveCAN app. He went on to say that they were never consulted on the app. No wonder our airports and land borders are a disaster and an embarrassment.
Why would the government create a system without consulting the frontline workers who must implement it?
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- Jun/16/22 2:42:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, not only do we have a plan for tourism, but this side of the aisle put in $23 billion to make sure that the tourism sector would recover. Who voted against it? It was that side. They are not there for workers, not there for entrepreneurs, not there for tourism operators.
This side of the aisle has the backs of tourism operators. A federal tourism growth strategy is coming. We are going to boost tourism, we are going to boost this sector and we are going to show the world what Canada has to offer.
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- Jun/16/22 2:43:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, backlogs and delays at the border and points of entry are crippling our tourism industry. Whether it is a major event like the Toronto International Film Festival or a small rural event like the Tweed Stampede and Jamboree in Hastings-Lennox and Addington, our tourism industry is hurting. The government needs to take action to alleviate the absolutely unnecessary chaos.
When will the government stop slacking and start acting?
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- Jun/16/22 2:43:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, perhaps the colleagues on the other side of the aisle have not caught up with the news, but this government has taken off random mandatory testing at the airports. It will be moved outside of airports July 1. We have no more PCR tests and no more rapid tests and billions of dollars have gone into the tourism sector. Even the Greater Toronto Airports Authority has sent a letter to us, thanking us for doubling down and working to make sure that the airports are functioning.
We are going to get this right. Those on the other side can yell and scream all they want. We are going to boost tourism and welcome the world once again.
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- Jun/16/22 2:44:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, airports are in chaos. Global affairs is partying with Russian diplomats instead of expelling them. Immigration files are backlogged for years. Violent crime is up. Fraud is endemic. Inflation is out of control. The government does not even pretend to care about its deficits. People are lining up all night just for a chance at a passport appointment.
Will the minister stand up and take ownership for this disastrous delivery of basic services?
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- Jun/16/22 2:45:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we understand that there is an unprecedented demand to travel after these two years of the pandemic. We are retooling and redoing processes so that we can absolutely serve Canadians as necessary. However, what we are not doing on this side of the House is pretending that there was no pandemic, pretending that it did not have an impact on a whole wide range of industries.
We are taking action. We have been there throughout the pandemic to support Canadians. We have taken responsible decisions and we are going to continue to do that to serve Canadians.
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- Jun/16/22 2:45:45 p.m.
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Uqaqtittiji, imagine a family member needs urgent medical attention. In Nunavut, this means spending thousands of dollars to travel great distances just to access basic health care. If elders need long-term care, there are too few options. Families are forced to send their loved ones across the country, afraid that they will never seem them again.
Nunavut residents deserve to have the care they need at home. Why is the government still failing to provide basic health care services to Nunavut?
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- Jun/16/22 2:46:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to the Arctic and northern policy framework, an Inuit Nunangat new policy that puts the emphasis on providing better services to the residents of Nunavut and Inuit Nunangat. Health care is one of the priorities that is first on our schedule. We are investing millions in health care in the north and a better partnership with Nunavummiut.
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- Jun/16/22 2:46:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, people in northern Ontario often drive an hour to get to work, yet rising gas prices is putting serious pressure in working-class families. Big oil made $100 billion in profits in the first quarter. That is triple what they made last year.
As the finance minister is hanging with the über-rich at the Empire Club, the Liberal government does nothing as working-class Canadians are held hostage at the pumps.
When is the government going to tax these obscene oil profits and put the money back in the pockets of working-class Canadians?
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- Jun/16/22 2:47:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as my colleague knows, our budget takes serious measures to address affordability. The example that I will cite today is that the budget proposes to introduce a temporary Canada recovery dividend so that big banks and insurance companies, which have turned a big profit during the pandemic, pay a one-time 15% tax on their above-average taxable income over $1 billion for 2021.
The banks made money. We have asked them to pay more. That is how we are going to make sure that we have affordability for all Canadians.
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- Jun/16/22 2:48:04 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Scarborough—Agincourt is home to a large, vibrant Armenian community. Canada and Armenia have deep and long-standing people-to-people ties, and Canada must support Armenians' efforts to improve their democracy.
Recently, special envoy Stéphane Dion submitted his report to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on how Canada can support Armenians in their efforts advance democratic progress and build on our relationship. Could the foreign affairs minister share with this House the findings of this report on how Canada can best support Armenia?
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- Jun/16/22 2:48:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my great colleague and friend from Scarborough—Agincourt for her fantastic work.
Canada is a friend to the Armenian community, and we know also that Armenia needs support for its democracy.
I would like to thank special envoy Stéphane Dion for his important report. We welcome his recommendations and look forward to putting these recommendations in place as concrete steps.
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- Jun/16/22 2:49:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today is the day that the government finally releases its secret plan to fight inflation. It is so secret that there are no new measures in the plan, just a re-listing of programs that are already indexed to inflation. Curiously absent is any relief from one of the key drivers of inflation: gasoline and fuel prices.
Why does the government continually ignore calls to provide immediate relief to Canadians by lowering the taxes on fuel and gasoline?
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- Jun/16/22 2:49:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our government has made sure that we index programs to inflation, particularly because we know that in this inflationary cycle in the world economy, it is an important policy to make sure that Canadians have the money they need to pay their bills, buy their groceries and afford their gas.
When it comes to gas, the Conservatives have not fully studied their own policy, because we know from evidence that when we take tax off at the pumps, the prices actually do not change.
We are going to put money in the pockets of Canadians so that they can afford the goods they need, and we are not listening to half-baked policies from the Conservative opposition.
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- Jun/16/22 2:50:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am not sure if the hon. member believes that there is collusion in the gasoline price market, but that would be a very serious accusation.
I get that this government does not want to listen to ideas from this side of the House, but perhaps it might be persuaded by the former Bank of Canada governor, who said that in order to tame inflation, we need to get oil prices down.
Various taxes account for almost 60¢ per litre of gasoline. How much higher does gasoline need to go before this government realizes there is a problem?
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- Jun/16/22 2:51:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we understand that inflation is on the rise. It is a global phenomenon caused by the illegal war by Russia on Ukraine, by supply chains opening up after the pandemic and by China's zero-COVID policy. That is why our government is taking this whole-of-government approach and that is why our budget includes a dental plan for Canadians making less than $90,000 a year and a doubling of the support provided through the first-time homebuyer's tax credit. We are increasing the basic tax amount once again this year, and with the Canada worker benefits of $2,400 per couple and $1,200 for a single worker, three million Canadians will have more money in their pockets, and that does not does not even include the Canada job benefit, which the other side voted against.
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- Jun/16/22 2:51:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my constituents cannot afford to fill their gas tanks. They are concerned that rising interest rates are going to push them out of their own homes. Inflation is skyrocketing, and this government has no plan to address it.
Conservatives have proposed to suspend the carbon tax and the GST paid on fuel, and we are calling for the government to rein in spending to control inflation.
Given the fact that we are in an affordability crisis, why is the government so opposed to these pragmatic measures that would support Canadians?
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- Jun/16/22 2:52:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question, and we too are preoccupied by inflation, which we know is on the rise around the world. It is on the rise to a lesser degree here in Canada, but we understand that the price at the pump is going up and we understand the pressures at the grocery store, which is why, with our price on pollution, eight out of 10 Canadians receive more money. Let us talk about Ontario, the hon. member's province, where people there will get $745 more in their pockets than they paid. In my own province, it is almost $1,100.
We are focused on affordability and we will continue to be focused on it throughout this inflationary cycle.
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- Jun/16/22 2:53:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, while Canadians find themselves having to choose between putting gas in their cars and food on the table, and while this government is stoking inflation with continued deficit spending, the Prime Minister says, “Let them eat cake”, while the wine flows liberally aboard Can Force One on the taxpayer's dime.
When will the government finally sober up and start putting Canadians first?
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- Jun/16/22 2:53:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this government is putting Canadians first, and we are always putting Canadians first. In fact, in that member's province of Manitoba, we signed an early learning and child care agreement whereby families, on average, are going to save $2,600 a year. That is real money in the pockets of families, and that is in addition to the Canada child benefit, which could provide families with children under six with up to $7,000 a year.
This government is there for Canadians, Canadian families and Canadian children. That is real money in their pockets that is helping every single day with the high cost of living.
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