44th Parl. 1st Sess.
September 23, 2022 10:00AM
- Sep/23/22 11:29:57 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when the Canadian Labour Congress met with the Bank of Canada this week, the CLC warned them that with rapidly rising interest rates, everyday people pay the real cost of inflation, with job losses and mortgages and personal loan payments jumping hundreds of dollars overnight.
What was the Bank of Canada's response? With the economy on the brink of a recession, it continues attacking workers by encouraging companies to drive their wages down. It is disgusting.
Does the Liberal government agree with the Bank of Canada's call to drive up unemployment while pushing down people's wages, or will they join the New Democrats and the CLC by actually standing up for workers in Canada?
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- Sep/23/22 11:30:40 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we all know that the Bank of Canada is an independent institution. It has operated that way for more than a generation. We also know that it is a tough time for Canadians, which is why we have created a comprehensive affordability plan.
Members of the House will have a real opportunity this fall to make life more affordable for Canadians by doubling the GST benefit for 11 million households, by providing a housing benefit for renters who need it the most and by providing dental care to young children so they can get their teeth fixed.
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- Sep/23/22 11:31:12 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the rising cost of living is the number one concern of workers, families, students and businesses.
While the NDP and the Liberals bicker about who is spending more, Canadians are unable to make ends meet. All G7 countries have cut taxes to help their citizens pay for groceries every week. In Canada, there have been no tax cuts and, even worse, taxes will increase on January 1.
Will this government do the right thing and cancel the tax cuts planned for 2023?
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- Sep/23/22 11:31:45 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we are proposing a plan to help Canadians deal with the rising cost of living. We are going to double the GST credit. We are going to put money in the pockets of Canadians who are struggling to pay their rent and we are going to pay for young children's dental care.
I worry when the Conservatives say they are listening to their constituents who are having trouble making ends meet but then do not want to support Canadians by putting money in their pockets. That is unfortunate.
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- Sep/23/22 11:32:25 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, allow me to share Mike's story.
Mike makes $22 an hour, and governments take 30% of his salary from every paycheque. He wrote to me saying that he could not afford to feed himself properly and that his local food bank made him feel like he should not need their help. That is the reality for many folks today, with food prices up by more than 10%.
Instead of making things worse for Mike by taking even more from his paycheque, will the Prime Minister cancel next year's tax hikes, yes or no?
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- Sep/23/22 11:33:10 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, obviously, my heart goes out to Mike, my hon. colleague's constituent.
I would also like to assure Mike that he can have a decent retirement. That is why we want to ensure a good retirement for our seniors and for all Canadians.
I would like to understand why the Conservatives want to attack our Canada pension plan.
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- Sep/23/22 11:33:38 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, rising home prices and rising interest rates mean that the income necessary to qualify to buy a tiny, entry-level apartment in Calgary has nearly doubled in the past year. Young Canadians across Canada are giving up on home ownership and they cannot afford ever-increasing rents.
The last thing these cash-strapped Canadians need is another bite taken out of their paycheques. Will the government cancel its planned tax increases on paycheques?
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- Sep/23/22 11:34:11 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, if there is one thing we can agree on with my colleague it is that Canadians across the country are having a hard time buying a home. We agree on that.
Where we disagree is that from the start, the Conservatives across the way have voted against every government measure to provide access to home ownership and give money directly to people so they can pay their rent.
When it comes to affordability, it is our government who is concerned about people across the country.
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- Sep/23/22 11:34:40 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, with the government, the price of taxes has become 43% of all Canadians pay for. That has happened under the Liberal government.
The price of everything is going up, and the government is making things worse by raising the carbon tax on top of increasing the payroll tax. All these tax increases make life less affordable for Canadians who cannot afford higher costs with smaller paycheques.
At the very least, will the government commit today to stop making things worse and cancel these planned tax increases?
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- Sep/23/22 11:35:15 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our plan is designed so that the majority of households in Canada receive more from the climate action incentive payments than they pay, at a time when Canadians need more money and we need to fight climate change.
The Leader of the Opposition talked about a crisis earlier. We are giving families in Ontario $745. It is $830 in Manitoba, $1,100 in Saskatchewan and almost $1,100 in Alberta. The Conservative Party wants to take this money away from Canadians.
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- Sep/23/22 11:35:52 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the PBO knows this is not true. Families and small businesses in Hastings—Lennox and Addington have been decimated by the continual rising costs of living. The main street businesses that drive our economy are shuttering, and the farmers who feed our cities are taking on massive losses with no end in sight. What is the government's plan? Is it to take more of their hard-earned money?
Canadians should not have to be bailing out the government's poor economic planning. Will the government show empathy for struggling working-class Canadians and commit to cancelling this callous paycheque tax hike?
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- Sep/23/22 11:36:33 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are working hard to strengthen the Canadian pension plan. The Conservatives are trying to argue that we can make life more affordable by raiding the pension benefits of seniors in the future. It is basically the same playbook they used when they tried to raise the retirement age from 65 to 67.
Why the opposition wants to deprive Canadians of their retirement security when they need it most is beyond me, but I can say that it is very troubling public policy.
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- Sep/23/22 11:37:08 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, these government announcements are nothing more than poorly coordinated manoeuvring of the apostles, and our farmers, tradespeople, working seniors and single parents are left in the lurch. Drawing blood from a stone was never wise economic policy before our historic inflation and it certainly is not now. Canada is a G7 nation. Surely, after seven years in government, the cabinet could find substantive ways to combat inflation that do not include taxing hard-working Canadians.
Will the government cancel its planned paycheque tax increase, yes or no?
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- Sep/23/22 11:37:42 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are not friends of the Canadian taxpayer. When they were in government, they raised taxes on Canadians more than 50 times. When we lowered taxes for the middle class twice, they voted against it. When we lowered taxes for small businesses, they voted against it. They can say whatever they want about lowering taxes, but their actions speak louder than their words.
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- Sep/23/22 11:38:09 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there are less than 48 hours left. On Sunday, the temporary employment insurance measures come to an end. On Sunday, unless the federal government does something, it is back to the spring gap, back to the nightmare for seasonal workers everywhere, especially in eastern Quebec.
In less than 48 hours, we will be back to an employment insurance system that 60% of workers do not have access to, despite having contributed to it their entire life. An overhaul is needed, but there is less than 48 hours left to do something about it.
Will the government extend the temporary measures?
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- Sep/23/22 11:38:51 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we understand that EI benefits need to be more fair, more responsive and more adaptable to the needs of Canada's evolving workforce. That is why we are committed to delivering a full-scale modernization of Canada's EI system. Although some temporary pandemic benefit programs are winding down, regular EI benefits will continue to be available to workers, just as they were before the pandemic. We look forward to launching our long-term plan to improve Canada's EI system.
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- Sep/23/22 11:39:19 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the federal government obviously does not understand. By raising the number of hours required to qualify for benefits from 420 to 700, it is putting entire families at risk.
The government does not understand the sacrifices that come with the spring gap. Depriving seasonal workers of benefits at a time of year when they do not have work is just going to push them to leave the industry or even their region. The government is plunging families into poverty. It is jeopardizing our seasonal industries, which are already experiencing a labour shortage, and it is contributing to the decline of the regions.
When will the government understand that?
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- Sep/23/22 11:40:03 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have been there for workers throughout the pandemic and we will continue to be there for workers. Although some temporary pandemic benefit programs are winding down, as I mentioned, regular EI benefits will continue to be available to workers. We look forward to launching our long-term plan to improve Canada's EI system long term.
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- Sep/23/22 11:40:28 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the cost of the government continues to drive up the cost of living for my constituents. Canadians living in rural and remote communities are already disproportionately impacted by higher gas prices and higher food prices. Now the government is hitting them again with a tax increase on their paycheques. From Vanderhoof to Prince George and Quesnel to Williams Lake, my constituents have told me loud and clear that they cannot afford any new taxes.
Will the Liberal government show some compassion, listen to our new Conservative leader and cancel the planned tax increase on Canadians' paycheques?
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- Sep/23/22 11:41:06 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this summer we presented a comprehensive plan to make life more affordable for Canadians. This fall, our legislative agenda is full of fresh ideas on how to make life more affordable for Canadians.
The Conservative plan presented all this week is really two parts: Stop fighting climate change and raid the pension benefits of our seniors. I am sorry, but this is not what responsible leadership looks like.
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