44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 9, 2023 10:00AM
- Feb/9/23 2:52:37 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Liberal Prime Minister, we have an economy that punishes the middle class and those struggling to stay in it, but Liberal friends are doing great. Thirty-seven corporations took the Liberal wage subsidy and then spent $173 billion on dividends, share buybacks and takeovers. The Liberals are refusing to make them pay back the money, so Canadian workers foot the bill when they can barely afford mortgages, rent and groceries.
When will the Liberals force their corporate friends to pay back that money?
90 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 2:53:21 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary has been up many times on this subject. The reality is that the process of collecting money is ongoing. I would remind the party opposite that it opposed, at that moment in time, many of the measures that were critical to making sure we got money out instantly to those who needed it to keep doors open and to keep businesses going. We have an opportunity to talk to those businesses every day and hear that is the truth.
They are not only wrong about that, but when they say things like eight years instead of seven years, and I know they are bad at math, I would ask them to be a little more realistic in how they are speaking.
126 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 2:54:01 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we supported businesses staying open. We did not support large dividends for their large corporate friends.
The minister refuses to do her job, after eight years in her portfolio and 10,000 more tax collectors. It is her duty to go after fraud of any taxpayer money. She protects wealthy shareholders and executives, her government drives up interest rates and inflation, and life becomes unaffordable for working Canadians. Even the Parliamentary Budget Officer is sounding the alarm on this incompetence.
Why does it feel like everything is broken? Because the Prime Minister will not do his job, so will he get out of the way and let Conservatives—
111 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 2:54:43 p.m.
- Watch
The hon. parliamentary secretary.
4 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 2:54:46 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the member talks about fiscal responsibility. While Conservatives continue to make the case, unfortunately, that crypto poses some kind of promising future for Canada, this government has introduced and will continue to do the vital work of standing by Canadians through the pandemic and into the future.
With respect to what the member raised on evasion and avoidance work, just with respect to the Panama papers in the response, 900 individuals have been identified as subjects of concern by the CRA, 160 audits are under way and 200 audits have come to completion. The work continues.
98 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 2:55:25 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, after eight years under this Prime Minister, nothing is too good for the Liberals' friends. While the middle class is struggling to make ends meet, big corporations are laughing all the way to the bank. Thirty-seven major corporations did not hesitate to claim billions of dollars in wage subsidies.
Do members know how they rewarded themselves? They gave themselves bonuses and dividends with Canadians' money.
Meanwhile, in our riding offices, we are getting calls from constituents who say that the CRA is breathing down their neck, when it has decided not to try to recoup the money from big corporations.
Will the Prime Minister take responsibility and reimburse Canadians?
112 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 2:56:05 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, let us be clear about the facts. The parliamentary secretary was quite right in what he said. Clearly, the CRA is still working on the wage subsidy audits. Our government implemented specific rules for recouping any misused wage subsidies, including those that were use to buy shares, pay bonuses or anything else.
We will find those who committed fraud. We will stand up for Canadians. We are there to meet Canadians' expectations. That is our job. We will do it.
82 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 2:56:40 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this government, the Liberals do not even know what is going on in their own government. The commissioner of the Canada Revenue Agency said that it was not worth trying to recover the $15 billion that was overpaid in corporate wage subsidies. It is not me saying that, it is the commissioner of the CRA. These people have been following the Prime Minister's lead for eight years.
Is the Prime Minister going to ask his Minister of National Revenue to do her job and get this money back, or is he going to ask her to step aside so we can fix his mistakes?
115 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 2:57:21 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, it has taken us seven years and a few months to undo the damage that was done by the Conservative government before us. It will take us many more years to continue to repair all the damage that the Conservatives have done to Canadians.
They claim to stand up for Canadians. We are the ones standing up for Canadians, with a strong economy. The Conservatives can complain, but we are here to deliver for Canadians.
79 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 2:57:51 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, in his state of the union address, President Joe Biden had some pretty bad news for Quebec. He announced that he will be strengthening his buy America policy by promising that all infrastructure projects will use only American materials. The first thing on his list was lumber.
Does anyone believe Ottawa is on the verge of resolving the trade dispute? President Joe Biden is not interested in respecting the agreement he signed. He came right out and said so.
When the president comes to Ottawa in March, will the Prime Minister stand up for our industries, including Quebec's forestry sector?
103 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 2:58:32 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we will always defend Canadian industries. We will always defend the softwood lumber industry and that sector.
We just met with the American president not that long ago. We agreed that Canada and the United States have an important trading relationship. We do about four billion dollars' worth of trade a day. We are the most competitive in the world and we are fighting climate change.
When the Americans do business with Canada, workers benefit because of good-paying jobs in both countries. We are fighting climate change together. We are going to keep doing that.
98 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 2:59:09 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, all of our industrial sectors are worried about American protectionism. Nowadays, if one of our businesses has, say, $50 million to invest in its own growth, it may hesitate to do so. It may wonder if it should pursue growth in Quebec or if it should focus its efforts on the United States for fear of being excluded from American contracts. President Biden's speech gives our businesses an incentive to leave.
When the Prime Minister meets with the president in March, will he stand up for Quebec's economy and remind the Americans they have to meet their obligations?
103 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 2:59:54 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure my colleague. We have always stood up for Quebec and Canadian industries, and we will continue to do so.
We believe in the importance of softwood lumber, of developing tomorrow’s economy, and of being front-runners in the electrification of transportation through the production of electric batteries.
There are a lot of great things on the horizon for Canada. As for Quebec, we are extremely well positioned. In our dealings with the Americans and the rest of the world, we will continue to defend our businesses and to take our place in tomorrow’s economy.
104 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 3:00:26 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, after eight years under this Prime Minister, unethical firms are still welcome to do business with his government.
Although deputy minister Paul Thomson stated that Canadian companies would not be eligible for federal contracts if one of its affiliates had been found guilty of a crime, he also claims that McKinsey does not meet the exclusion criteria. However, as a result of McKinsey's complicity, several thousand people died of an opioid overdose and many other lives were destroyed.
When will unethical firms be banned from doing business with the government of Canada?
95 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 3:01:02 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to remind Canadians that the previous government put in place an integrity regime, and we are following that regime to ensure that companies can do business in Canada.
We will continue to do business with companies that comply with the integrity regime.
49 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 3:01:25 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the government's inflationary spending, things are worse than ever for Canadians and they are struggling just to get by.
The government has given over $100 million to McKinsey & Company. Why does the Prime Minister not just take responsibility that McKinsey is influencing the government and stop giving money to well-connected insiders?
60 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 3:01:54 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, when the members opposite talk about the spending we did over the past couple of years, they are talking about supports that we provided to Canadians at the height of the pandemic. They are talking about the Canada emergency response benefit that helped millions of Canadians to keep afloat during a very difficult time.
We are going to continue to be there for Canadians. We are going to be there when times are tough, and we are going to be there as things continue to get better.
89 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 3:02:27 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the minister across the way would have us believe that this gross largesse for McKinsey is somehow about helping families. Let me assure the member opposite that there will be austerity for McKinsey when the Conservatives take office, and there will be support available for Canadians.
Yesterday, the President of the Treasury Board could not answer my question about whether or not McKinsey is an ethical company. This should not be a difficult question given the record. Can any minister in the government answer this simple question: Does the government believe that McKinsey is an ethical company, yes or no?
102 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 3:03:07 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the member across would know that contracts engaged by the public service are done at arm's length. I really hope the member is not saying that if the Conservatives ever had the opportunity to be in government, which I sincerely hope they do not, they would interfere in those contracts and choose politically which contracts would happen. That is what it sounded like from his question.
The reality is that contracts exist to expand the ability of the public service to do its work. Those contracts are engaged at the highest standard. Canada is known internationally for those standards, and they are done at arm's length.
110 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/9/23 3:03:46 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, since the COVID‑19 pandemic, our Canadian athletes have been asking more and more for support and resources for their mental health.
Can the Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec tell the House about the initiatives she put in place recently to help Canadian athletes?
60 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
