44th Parl. 1st Sess.
October 6, 2022 10:00AM
- Oct/6/22 11:03:15 a.m.
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Uqaqtittiji, people are clearly frustrated that they are paying more for food, but the CEOs of big food chains are making big profits on the backs of people, and we are not villainizing these people.
For the seven years that the Liberals have been in power, this government has protected the profits of the wealthiest by refusing to toughen the Competition Act to punish the CEOs of the big companies that are overcharging consumers and agricultural producers. Why do the Liberals refuse to ban the price-gouging strategies of wealthy CEOs at the expense of the people?
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- Oct/6/22 11:19:00 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague across the way did say that he felt this motion did not go far enough, so I assume that means he supports it. I cannot imagine he is against having CEOs pay the money that they owe.
He has made it very clear that he is not against having a fair and affordable food strategy. Obviously, his members have already said that they would be supporting the study in agriculture.
Does he feel that asking CEOs to pay their fair share is reasonable or does he think that all men should be told that they can go their own way?
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- Oct/6/22 11:19:48 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, CEOs should pay their fair share and pay what they owe, as the motion says. We believe in tax enforcement and we believe the government has done a terrible job cracking down on those who hide their money in offshore accounts and refuse to pay what they owe. The Conservatives do support that, to clearly answer the member's question.
What we do not support is forcing working-class people to pay higher taxes. We do not support higher energy costs. We do not believe that consumers in Vancouver should pay more than $2.40 a litre. We do not support the plan to triple the carbon tax on home-heating oil for Newfoundlanders and to further drive the people of eastern Canada, 40% of whom are in energy poverty, into more poverty still.
We believe that life should be affordable for all of them, and that is why this has not gone far enough.
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- Oct/6/22 11:50:40 a.m.
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Uqaqtittiji, Canadians deserve answers. We deserve to learn why corporate greed is protected while Canadians pay more for food. This motion is a way to try to get some of those answers.
Does the member agree that the agriculture committee should call the CEOs of the major grocery chains to come and explain their excessive profits?
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- Oct/6/22 12:32:00 p.m.
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Uqaqtittiji, the first question I would ask is how they formulate profits over prices, because prices do not need to be at the cost of profits going to CEOs.
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- Oct/6/22 4:16:01 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, a report came out at the beginning of the year saying that CEOs in Canada are now making 191 times more than their average worker. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the grocery industry. I would ask again what some of my colleagues have asked: Why would the Liberal government not close the loopholes to make those who are making the most money, the wealthiest of the wealthiest Canadians, pay their fair share?
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- Oct/6/22 4:16:36 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the member is absolutely correct. The spread between the haves and the have-nots has only gotten larger and larger. The reality of the situation is that not only is it not good that CEOs are being paid 191 times more because of the difference between those who are making incredible sums of money and those who are making very little bits of money, but it is also generally not good for our economy as a whole when we do not have a strong middle class. We need a strong middle class because they are the ones who actually drive the economy.
The member's question was about why the government will not move forward on it. In this motion the NDP calls for that, and I just told her that I am going to support the motion. Therefore, I do support the call that is in the motion.
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- Oct/6/22 5:02:26 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, many in my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith are reaching out after feeling the impacts of living with lower incomes and rising costs. Lone-parent families, seniors, those living with disabilities and their children are feeling hopeless as rich CEOs continue to profit off the backs of everyday working Canadians.
I wonder if the member could expand a bit on the importance of systems being put in place to address abuse and exploitation by rich CEOs in their positions so they are held to account to prevent this from happening again. What would that look like?
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- Oct/6/22 5:18:43 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am curious. I know the member speaks quite passionately about helping people. However, that is not what we have seen historically. I wonder if the member wants to put his words into action today and support this motion to start calling to account the ultrarich CEOs who continue to line their own pockets at the expense of everyday families. Actions speak louder than words. The member and the Conservative Party have shown that they are not there for people.
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