44th Parl. 1st Sess.
October 17, 2022 11:00AM
- Oct/17/22 2:45:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians are struggling because of the inflation caused by the Prime Minister.
More Canadians are turning to their local food banks for support. Senior usage of food banks has increased 30%. According to the CEO of a Toronto food bank, nearly triple the number of people visited the food bank in June 2022 compared to June 2019.
These Liberals have caused the cost of living crisis. Will these Liberals scrap the planned tax hikes?
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- Oct/17/22 2:45:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we will not take any lessons from the party opposite, whose plan for seniors was to raise the age of retirement to 67. One of the very first things we did as a government was to reverse it to age 65.
We increased the guaranteed income supplement. We put more money into the pockets of seniors by increasing old age security by 10%. We are doubling the GST credit. That is our record for seniors and we are going to continue to deliver for them.
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- Oct/17/22 2:46:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians were shocked to learn that the ArriveCAN app cost this government $54 million, which is more than twice the original estimate, but it gets better. Last week we learned that most of that money went to a company with no offices and only five staff. The government was using this company to shield subcontractors from accountability and transparency. Canadians want answers. They deserve to know where their money went.
Will the government finally take accountability and disclose all the companies that got money from the ArriveCAN contracts?
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- Oct/17/22 2:46:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our government has been focused on protecting the health and safety of all Canadians throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. PHAC and CBSA launched ArriveCAN in April 2020 to support the Government of Canada's efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 and ensure border security. The ArriveCAN app cost less than $1 million to develop and to ensure security of privacy and accessibility for all users. We will continue to ensure the safety and protection of all Canadians.
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- Oct/17/22 2:47:40 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, while Canadians are struggling to make ends meet, Ontario is allowing for-profit child care to gouge parents. After signing an agreement with the federal government, Ontario removed profit caps and reduced the oversight for for-profit child care centres. This means higher fees for parents and lower wages for staff to maximize profits.
This morning, the Prime Minister stood with Premier Doug Ford. Did the Prime Minister tell the premier that removing limits on for-profit child care does not work, and will he ensure that federal money is not going to for-profit care?
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- Oct/17/22 2:48:20 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let me very clear. There is a cap on fees in Ontario for all registered child care providers going back to the time that we signed the agreement on March 28, 2022.
However, let me share some good news. We are moving forward expeditiously with affordable child care here in Ontario, and by December of this year, families in registered child care will receive a 50% reduction in fees. This is fantastic news for families in Ontario. In fact, I was in Sudbury on Tuesday where families are already receiving rebates, and we will continue to roll this out throughout the province.
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- Oct/17/22 2:49:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we know that EI sickness benefits are an important support for Canadians who need to leave work because of illness or injury. We also know that many workers face stressful income gaps between when they exhaust their benefits and when they are healthy enough to go back to work. That is why in budget 2021 our government extended EI sickness benefits from 15 weeks to 26 weeks.
Can the minister please share with the House more details about this important extension?
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- Oct/17/22 2:49:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Don Valley East for his tireless work on behalf of his constituents and all Canadians.
Indeed, we recognize that Canada needs an EI system that is fair, flexible and more responsive to the needs of workers and employers. That is why I am so excited to let the House know that, by the end of this year, workers will have access to 26 weeks of EI sickness benefits so they have more time to recover and get back to work safely and in good health.
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- Oct/17/22 2:50:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, analysts are saying that home heating prices in some places will increase by 300% this winter. That is triple. The Prime Minister's planned increases to the carbon tax and the payroll tax are cold-hearted actions. The Liberals are literally freezing Canadians out.
Is it just inflation or will the government cut its planned taxes?
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- Oct/17/22 2:50:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect that responsible leaders and all members of the House need to address both the affordability issue and the climate crisis. We are certainly working very hard to address affordability issues through doubling the GST tax credit and a range of other things.
I do find it very interesting, though, that during the last election campaign every member sitting in the Conservative Party campaigned on putting into place a carbon tax, so this conversion on the road to Jerusalem is very interesting indeed.
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- Oct/17/22 2:51:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' out-of-control spending and tax hikes are increasing the cost of everything. Food prices in remote indigenous communities are two and a half times higher than the national average, and rising fuel prices are just compounding inflation's economic toll on families absolutely everywhere.
While the minister monitors the situation, families are struggling with food and heat this winter. When will the government cancel its tax hikes and cap its spending?
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- Oct/17/22 2:51:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let us be very clear. When the Conservatives talk about payroll taxes, they are talking about EI, a rate which is lower today than it was when the Leader of the Opposition was in charge of the file. They are talking about the Canadian pension plan. We came together with premiers to strengthen the plan and make sure that there was more money in the pockets of seniors when they retired, right when they needed it, and the Conservatives are trying to take that away. When they are talking about carbon pricing, they are talking about a revenue-neutral plan that puts more money in the pockets of eight out of 10 Canadian families.
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- Oct/17/22 2:52:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, certainly Canadians do not believe their plan to tax us more is revenue-neutral. Energy costs are expected to rise by double or, sadly, triple this winter. This is a tremendous burden for Atlantic Canadians. We are already suffering from the cost of living crisis, and of course hurricane Fiona has taken an inconceivable toll on Atlantic Canadians.
Why does the Prime Minister want to punish Atlantic Canadians by tripling, yes, I said tripling, the carbon tax and will he agree to end it?
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- Oct/17/22 2:52:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for his reference to rural and especially to Atlantic Canadians and Quebec Canadians, as we did bear the brunt of Fiona.
The federal government is there to help with disaster financial assistance arrangements with the provinces and with another $300 million administered through ACOA to help the agencies, the communities and those who are falling through the cracks. We will be there for Atlantic Canadians and Quebec Canadians as they battle these storms. That is why we need to address climate change. Ask anybody in my hometown of Port aux Basques if they believe in climate change; they certainly do.
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- Oct/17/22 2:53:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians are at a breaking point. Fifty-one per cent are only $200 away from bankruptcy. The government's proposed solution is more tax, freezing them out of their homes, if they are lucky enough to even have one. It is going to triple the carbon tax on groceries, triple the carbon tax on home heating and triple the carbon tax on gas. Canadians need hope. They need a break, not more tax. Families need to not choose between buying a winter coat for their children or food on the table.
When will the Liberals do the compassionate thing and stop their triple tax hike?
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- Oct/17/22 2:54:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the member opposite raised some important points about the struggles that Canadians and Canadian families are having right now, but she and her colleagues actually have an opportunity to help. There are several pieces of legislation on the floor of the House right now that would support Canadians to make those ends meet.
I do not understand why they do not want to help low-income Canadian children get their teeth fixed. I do not understand why they do not want to help Canadians with disabilities get a benefit. I do not understand why they do not want low-income renters to get a top-up. They have an opportunity. The Conservatives have an opportunity to—
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- Oct/17/22 2:54:46 p.m.
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The hon. member for Thérèse-De Blainville.
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- Oct/17/22 2:54:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, because of the pandemic, the EI fund is short $26 billion, but it is not the contributors' responsibility to pay off that debt by themselves. Neither workers nor businesses are responsible for the pandemic and its fallout. The Canada Employment Insurance Commission itself is concerned about the burden the government is putting on contributors.
Will the government take on the EI debt that has accrued since March 2020 instead of passing on the full cost of the pandemic to workers and businesses?
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- Oct/17/22 2:55:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we understand that Canadians deserve a flexible and proper employment insurance system. That is why we are working so hard to improve and modernize the EI system.
We will unveil our plan before the end of the year. I am very excited, and I think everyone will love it.
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- Oct/17/22 2:55:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would remind the House that the reason the unemployment rate rose during the pandemic was because governments asked companies to close their doors and, consequently, to put their employees out of work. That happened to thousands of workers. It was the right decision, obviously, but it is the government's responsibility to deal with the consequences of that decision.
In terms of CERB, the government is paying off the debt in the consolidated fund. Why is it refusing to take on the EI debt when those benefits were paid out for the same reasons and because of the same pandemic?
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